The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano or Gustavus Vassa, the African, written by Himself Volume I

by Olaudah Equiano

The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano or Gustavus Vassa, the African, Written by Himself is an autobiographical account of the life of Olaudah Equiano. This book, which is in its first volume, was written by Equiano himself and tells the story of his life as a slave in Africa, his journey to America, and his eventual freedom. Equiano was born in what is now Nigeria, and was kidnapped and sold into slavery at a young age. He was taken to America, where he was sold to different owners and worked in various industries. Despite the hardships he faced, Equiano was able to educate himself and eventually buy his own freedom. The book provides a unique insight into the life of a slave during the 18th century, and is considered an important historical document.In May 1769, soon after our return from Turkey, our ship made a delightful voyage to Oporto in Portugal, where we arrived at the time of the carnival. On our arrival, there were sent on board to us thirty-six articles to observe, with very heavy penalties if we should break any of them; and none of us even dared to go on board any other vessel or on shore till the Inquisition had sent on board and searched for every thing illegal, especially bibles. Such as were produced, and certain other things, were sent on shore till the ships were going away; and any person in whose custody a bible was found concealed was to be imprisoned and flogged.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

84 pages, Paperback

First published February 21, 2012

About the author

Olaudah Equiano, also known as Gustavus Vassa, was one of the most prominent Africans involved in the British movement of the abolition for the slave trade. Although enslaved as a young man, he purchased his freedom and worked as an author, merchant, and explorer in South America, the Caribbean, the Arctic, the American colonies, and the United Kingdom.

Reviews

[Cassandra Hawkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Describing an intense journey of being captured, enslaved, and freed, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano or Gustavas Vassa, The African is a book, which provides firsthand details of the traumatic stronghold slavery held over those directly and indirectly affected by slavery. Olaudah vividly describes each capture, being with various masters, and working aboard various ships. Initially after his capture, Olaudah desires only one thing: DEATH. Eventually, Olaudah accepts his fate, but a burning desire to be a free man replaces his desire to die. Olaudah's narrative embraces a pure reality of the slave and freedman by captivating the reader with a tale of bravery, loyalty, friendship, and struggle. Olaudah's narratives touches the bones of your soul on every page. For me, the most significant event is Olaudah's desire to live a holy life and to bring people to know, love, and trust God. Documenting his path to developing a relationship with God, Olaudah's paints a picture of having faith. This was well-worth trudging through archaic and often dull language.

[Nina Milton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every one needs to read this amazing book. Nowadays, it's all about the 'cultural capital', but sometimes even slaves managed to get their voices heard. In 1789, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African, by Olaudah Equiano, was published. Equiano was kidnapped and enslaved at the age of eleven and taken from Nigeria to the West Indies. He spent much of his life in service on navy vessels, visiting a huge number of countries, using his numeracy and literacy to better his position. After the publication of his book, Equiano travelled across Great Britain, as an abolitionist. Extracts can be found here; http://abolition.e2bn.org/people_25.html