The Forgotten Slave Trade: The White European Slaves of Islam Paperback – December 23, 2021

This book is full of things that are bound to make a reader of any race uncomfortable. To be reminded that all races were enslaved (and all races the enslavers) flies in the face of the dominant narrative. The treatment of white slaves by their North African masters is particularly appalling and not something you probably learned about in school. You will also be reminded that the Western word for "slave" is related to "Slav" (slave, esclave, etc.). You will also be reminded why the people of the Balkans hate one another. No, history didn't begin in 1991. Devshirme is the part of the story your history teacher "forgot" to mention. Webb also mentions the scholarship of Robert Davies who calculated that between 1 million and 1.25 million Europeans were enslaved by North Africans.For those quick to claim "whitewashing" this book has particular value for you. This may be your first and possibly only chance to develop sympathy for people that are different than you. If you really want to learn about slavery, why not study diversity in slavery? Webb is a true scholar who pulls no punches. The book is not written from a political perspective, but rather from the perspective of exposing rarely mentioned and inconvenient truths. If you need a narrative where all of the heroes wear the same color hat (and all the villains wear a different color hat), you may initially be confused by Webb's scholarship, but I have faith that you too, can understand the rich and diverse tapestry of human history.

This book gives an important perspective of the origins & expansion of what was always a multiracial slave trade in the Roman & Ottoman Empires, which is important to understand in today’s supercharged culture of “victimhood”. It should be required reading in every school, because it counters with historical facts the debilitating effect of today’s false victimhood doctrines & propaganda, such as CRT. I plan to give copies of this book as Christmas Gifts to the many “students” in my family, regardless of their age.

Interesting learning more about this slave trade that, even as a 65 year old woman, I was never taught in school while living in Virginia

I listened to this on Audible and ended up purchasing a print copy.I could go on and on about who should read this book or how terrible slavery was (and still is in some places) but I won't. If I could make one wish, it would be that this be made into a documentary. I think more people would watch it than read it and retain the information.One point made early on in the book stays with me...Since the beginning of recorded history it has been basically agreed that theft, adultery and murder are wrong but never has it been recorded that owning a human is wrong. 🤔

Just started reading The Forgotten Slave Trade, as I’m doing research about an ancestor of mine from the 1600’s. He was an English sea merchant, owned his ship, and had a crew. One day, the ship & crew were captured by barbary pirates and taken to Algiers for 7 long yrs. Webb has written an interesting and easy to follow book about what has been going on for centuries…slave labor.

As a student in the public education "system" you pretty much only know what you're given to "know". If as most kids you're not too eager to learn about something you've no interest in, because it's presented in a lifeless and all together meaningless manner, you're still being robbed of a deeper understanding of human nature and the history that is all too uncomfortably true in an era that believes telling one particular narrative over another is politically expedient. History isn't about what you wish happened but what HAS happened. Sadly there are events that are either glossed over or outright ignored to satisfy some unseen agenda. Now that I'm in the autumn of life I've found this gem and am glad that I did. It helps to round out my understanding of the present by fleshing out the past to better navigate the future.

If you think the slavery of Europeans ended with the fall of the Western Roman Empire, this book has much to teach you. The peoples of Eastern Europe are mostly known as Slavs. The origin of the word "Slav" is slave. The Vikings were not just raiders, they were slavers. The Berbers of North Africa captured slaves by capturing ships and raiding coastal towns mostly in The Mediterranean, but as far away as Iceland. Millions of white Europeans were enslaved by Moslems. This continued until the beginning of19th century. Slavery is never a minor issue no matter how well slaves are treated. With few exceptions, generally when ransome was expected or when a slave could rise through the ranks of the army, the mortality rates for slaves was very high. Perhaps the fact that their citizens were enslaved is something that many countries would like to forget. Slavery was a world wide phenomenon whose demise only began with the British and American abolition movements. This book only scratches the surface of the European slavery. Slavery in Europe and in every land should not be forgotten.

A simple book, easy to read yet profound. I learned a great deal about slavery that is never taught in school.I think students would better served if they understood the subject.