Review of Columbus, Slave Trader

[Tsholofelo Kohitlhetse]

[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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Columbus, Slave Trader is a provocative historical study. It focuses on the life and travels of Christopher Columbus as observed through his encounter with indigenous people, most particularly the Taínos. The author, Marc Wilson, highlights the bloodier aspects of Columbus' trips—concentrating on their devastating effect upon Caribbean native peoples.

There are Spaniards and Taínos, that is pretty clear. The Spaniards, referring to Columbus as well, are painted in the history books and media with one broad stroke: they were cruel conquerors that came for gold. The god and their land murders are racially driven actions by the Spaniards. However, they consider the Taínos to be little more than animals—perhaps soulless. That dehumanization only then justifies also how they finally treat the natives as commodities of enslavement to rape and murder. Whereas the Taínos are depicted as harmonious, spiritual beings forced into a bloody fight for their lives.

The book was historically engaging and very readable. It was well-written and grammar error-free. Both the details of its narration and their presentation are excellent. The Spaniards' cruelty, especially their use of war dogs, cannon fire, and iron-tipped spears against the practically benignly armed Taínos, is also described quite graphically in detail. I have to commend the author for writing about brutality and greed so very well.

Given the above, I would give Columbus, Slave Trader five stars out of five. I had no dislikes about this book. The plot of the story is great, and also character build-up is too good. If you have a love for history, or perhaps if you are taking an early college class—this book reads more like creative writing than your normal textbook. The book is a grim story about the consequences of exploration and conquest. This book asks the reader to re-history Columbus, and remember how his voyages changed forever the terrestrial life of peoples indigenous to these islands. Together, Columbus, Slave Trader puts an important rarity out into the world for this conversation about how history is a cognitive act that remembers and teaches culture the same as collective memory.

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Columbus, Slave Trader
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