Review of Columbus, Slave Trader

[Jaadugar Yadu]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Columbus, Slave Trader" by Marcus Wilson.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Marcus Wilson’s Columbus, Slave Trader, is an earthquake. This book is thoroughly documented and explosive in its call to remove the legendary figure of Columbus from his pedestal, which he has been occupying for so long. Subtly, Wilson analyzes the myth and unveils the hero whose history is tainted with the bloody chronicle of human trafficking.
 
This is not as simple as claiming that this is just a book we are dealing with here; it is a life, and by extension, a history, dissected and put under the microscope for Truck to bring the dirty side of a ‘civilized’ narrative to light. Wilson’s prose is a scalpel, cutting through layers of romanticized history to unveil the raw truth. Historically, Columbus was more than an explorer; he was a heartless businessman who made a fortune by enslaving the natives. He deconstructs every strand of constructed myth at the theoretical level, but he also makes a violent punch to the colonialist narrative’s chest. The consequence of such an approach is a piece that is as scholarly in its construction as it is in its execution.
 
It pushes us to face historical realities that are often inconvenient and provides a vision of the past that wants to reshape the present and the future. Even though the content is obscene, the fact is that humanity needs to be reminded of the things done in the name of exploration and conquest. Their testimonies, suppressed for decades, gain form, and their pain is brought into the open. This is storytelling and an insistence on getting justice, even if it is posthumously. There was nothing much to criticize.
 
I am giving this book 5 out of 5 stars on my rating scale. The other aspect that I observed was that the editing was done very well. It is a book that will make people irritated and uncomfortable and, in the very end, redefine one of the most famous historical characters. 

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Columbus, Slave Trader
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