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The Black Joke: The True Story of One Ship's Battle Against the Slave Trade
A groundbreaking history of the Black Joke, the most famous member of the British Royal Navy’s anti-slavery squadron, and the long fight to end the transatlantic slave trade.
The most feared ship in Britain’s West Africa Squadron, His Majesty’s brig Black Joke was one of a handful of ships tasked with patrolling the western coast of Africa in an effort to end hundreds of years of global slave trading. Sailing after the spectacular fall of Napoleon in France, yet before the rise of Queen Victoria’s England, Black Joke was first a slaving vessel itself, and one with a lightning-fast reputation; only a lucky capture in 1827 allowed it to be repurposed by the Royal Navy to catch its former compatriots. Over the next five years, the ship’s diverse crew and dedicated commanders would capture more ships and liberate more enslaved people than any other in the Squadron.
Now, author A.E. Rooks chronicles the adventures on this ship and its crew in a brilliant, lively narrative of the history of Britain’s suppression efforts. As Britain slowly attempted to snuff out the transatlantic slave trade by way of treaty and negotiation, enforcing these policies fell to the Black Joke and those that sailed with it as they battled slavers, weather disasters, and interpersonal drama among captains and crew that reverberated across oceans. In this history of the daring feats of a single ship, the abolition of the international slave trade is revealed as an inexplicably extended exercise involving tense negotiations between many national powers, both colonizers and formerly colonized, that would stretch on for decades longer than it should have.
Harrowing and heartbreaking, The Black Joke is a crucial and deeply compelling work of history, both as a reckoning with slavery and abolition and as a lesson about the power of political will—or the lack thereof.
The most feared ship in Britain’s West Africa Squadron, His Majesty’s brig Black Joke was one of a handful of ships tasked with patrolling the western coast of Africa in an effort to end hundreds of years of global slave trading. Sailing after the spectacular fall of Napoleon in France, yet before the rise of Queen Victoria’s England, Black Joke was first a slaving vessel itself, and one with a lightning-fast reputation; only a lucky capture in 1827 allowed it to be repurposed by the Royal Navy to catch its former compatriots. Over the next five years, the ship’s diverse crew and dedicated commanders would capture more ships and liberate more enslaved people than any other in the Squadron.
Now, author A.E. Rooks chronicles the adventures on this ship and its crew in a brilliant, lively narrative of the history of Britain’s suppression efforts. As Britain slowly attempted to snuff out the transatlantic slave trade by way of treaty and negotiation, enforcing these policies fell to the Black Joke and those that sailed with it as they battled slavers, weather disasters, and interpersonal drama among captains and crew that reverberated across oceans. In this history of the daring feats of a single ship, the abolition of the international slave trade is revealed as an inexplicably extended exercise involving tense negotiations between many national powers, both colonizers and formerly colonized, that would stretch on for decades longer than it should have.
Harrowing and heartbreaking, The Black Joke is a crucial and deeply compelling work of history, both as a reckoning with slavery and abolition and as a lesson about the power of political will—or the lack thereof.
382 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
February 15, 2022
The Black Joke was a slave ship that was captured by the British in 1827. At that time, British officers could purchase captured ships and tender them to an existing military ship. The Black Joke had been built in the United States and was smaller and faster than military ships. It was purchased and became a part of the fleet of British ships that patrolled the African coast to stop the transatlantic slave trade. Before it was intentionally destroyed in 1832, it had captured 13 slave ships.
While this book describes the horrors of the slave trade, most of the book discusses many other topics, including the workings of the Royal Navy, the economics of the slave trade, epidemics and sea battles. The attempt to stop the slave trade was complicated by recalcitrant governments and wily ship captains. It was interesting that the slaves on the captured ships were not actually freed to return to their homes but became subject to whims and rules of the British. The book was extremely thorough and well-researched, but was written with a light touch so I never found it dull.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
While this book describes the horrors of the slave trade, most of the book discusses many other topics, including the workings of the Royal Navy, the economics of the slave trade, epidemics and sea battles. The attempt to stop the slave trade was complicated by recalcitrant governments and wily ship captains. It was interesting that the slaves on the captured ships were not actually freed to return to their homes but became subject to whims and rules of the British. The book was extremely thorough and well-researched, but was written with a light touch so I never found it dull.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
June 6, 2026
The Black Joke is an excellent book about the British attempts to end the slave trade in Africa. The period covered in the book is the late 1820s and early 1830s. Most of the book focuses on exploits of the Black Joke. The ship was American built Baltimore clipper and purchased as a slaver (Henriqueta) operating out of Brazil before being captured by the HMS Sybille and repurposed as a tender. She was renamed the Black Joke after a popular bawdy ballad of the time.
During its career in the West African Squadron (WAS) based in Sierra Leone, the Black Joke captured 13 of the slave ships seized by the WAS during the time of her service. She was the scourge of the African slave trade during this time. Recaptured slaves were often settled in Sierra Leone. This book is an account of the actions of this Ship.
If you are interested in the African Slave Trade and the efforts to suppress it, or a view of the politics and personalities and attitudes of the British Royal Navy, this is a great book. I highly recommend it.
During its career in the West African Squadron (WAS) based in Sierra Leone, the Black Joke captured 13 of the slave ships seized by the WAS during the time of her service. She was the scourge of the African slave trade during this time. Recaptured slaves were often settled in Sierra Leone. This book is an account of the actions of this Ship.
If you are interested in the African Slave Trade and the efforts to suppress it, or a view of the politics and personalities and attitudes of the British Royal Navy, this is a great book. I highly recommend it.
January 30, 2022
This book is fascinating, and you should read it. The author follows the journey of a single slaver ship captured by the British and used as an anti-slavery patrol brig in the years that followed. In following its story, the author takes us through the global slave trade and the end of the imperial era as the balance of power shifted among the historically great European empires. She also guides the reader through the ways that the slave trade of the 17th - 19th centuries is still shaping global trade. I learned so much from this book and I could not put it down.
March 23, 2022
So let me start by saying I do not like stories about ships. I will actively avoid such books, and when I do find myself reading them, I'm confused and irritated the whole time. And while I was still confused reading this book, due to my own inability to properly imagine what a ship looks like, especially a ship from the 1800s, I was never irritated. At least not at the narrative. The actions of humanity though... absolutely.
This book is just insane, and illustrative of how LITTLE we (at least those of us in the US) truly learn about slavery and the slave trade in school. The loopholes available to slavers (e.g. just use a different flag) or even those who claimed to oppose it (e.g. it's indentured servitude, not slavery, duh) are absurd, and the lack of caring about actually stopping the slave trade on the part of those whose friggin' JOB it was to stop the slave trade was appalling. The few who actually cared and wanted to end this despicable practice always had an uphill battle against their superiors, the Admiralty as a whole, and really, well, Britain.
Rooks' attention to detail should go down in the annals of history; usually I find myself Googling to find answers to questions I have about some element of a book, but Rooks' detailed descriptions and useful end notes really cut down my labors. While there were a few places I wanted more info, e.g. how the British government apparently resorted to legalized kidnapping off the street to find sailors, how on earth something called a "defecation tub" could somehow be "even more disgustingly inhumane than their function and location implies," and the "excessive" nature of George IV, these things would likely take the book off track. (I also firmly believe Rooks has the answers to all these inquiries, but due to how publishing work, these answers could not be included in the text).
So many things about this book have stuck with me: how the "freed" enslaved on the ships were not really freed at all, how ineffective (and rare) anti-slavery legislation was, how unmitigatingly terrible the conditions for the enslaved were on these ships, how sailors could not swim (this was stunning), and so much more- you have to read the book to really understand everything.
In the end, while I usually avoid books about ships, this book was about so much more. It was about a small group of people doing their best to end a disgusting practice, even when almost every structure was designed to impede them in their quest. This is the stuff you didn't even know you didn't know, and really, you should DEFINITELY know it.
This book is just insane, and illustrative of how LITTLE we (at least those of us in the US) truly learn about slavery and the slave trade in school. The loopholes available to slavers (e.g. just use a different flag) or even those who claimed to oppose it (e.g. it's indentured servitude, not slavery, duh) are absurd, and the lack of caring about actually stopping the slave trade on the part of those whose friggin' JOB it was to stop the slave trade was appalling. The few who actually cared and wanted to end this despicable practice always had an uphill battle against their superiors, the Admiralty as a whole, and really, well, Britain.
Rooks' attention to detail should go down in the annals of history; usually I find myself Googling to find answers to questions I have about some element of a book, but Rooks' detailed descriptions and useful end notes really cut down my labors. While there were a few places I wanted more info, e.g. how the British government apparently resorted to legalized kidnapping off the street to find sailors, how on earth something called a "defecation tub" could somehow be "even more disgustingly inhumane than their function and location implies," and the "excessive" nature of George IV, these things would likely take the book off track. (I also firmly believe Rooks has the answers to all these inquiries, but due to how publishing work, these answers could not be included in the text).
So many things about this book have stuck with me: how the "freed" enslaved on the ships were not really freed at all, how ineffective (and rare) anti-slavery legislation was, how unmitigatingly terrible the conditions for the enslaved were on these ships, how sailors could not swim (this was stunning), and so much more- you have to read the book to really understand everything.
In the end, while I usually avoid books about ships, this book was about so much more. It was about a small group of people doing their best to end a disgusting practice, even when almost every structure was designed to impede them in their quest. This is the stuff you didn't even know you didn't know, and really, you should DEFINITELY know it.
January 18, 2022
If you ever told me I'd be excitedly page-turning a book about the slave trade and the British navy in the early/mid 19th century, I'd probably have given you the look parents give their obviously lying children, but here we are. The Black Joke was smart, fascinating, fantastically detailed, and threaded with subtle humor. The book is organized around the captures of slavers made by the titular ship, but in addition to the saga of the prize capture itself, each includes historical & political context, background & development on the people & places involved, and never loses sight of the real subject of the book--the enslaved and the horrendous, atrocious, despicable, gut-turning conditions they were kept in, both on and off the slave ships. The only change I would make would be to include a map of the region, because I'm the kind of nerd who loves to refer to the map at the beginning of books & I found myself googling to make sure I understood the vastness of the places covered. The Black Joke is a well-written, vital read about a difficult subject, that I highly recommend.
February 17, 2022
This is a stunning book. From slave ship to a hunter of slave ships, from the dangers of the sea to the convoluted molasses of politics, A.E. Rooks spins a true tale that proves that truth is stranger than fiction.
The Atlantic slave trade was a horrid and tawdry chapter in the history of the world. Legislation to stop the trafficking of slaves came into being in 1807 but how does one plug all the routes that existed in the Atlantic between Africa and the Americas? How does one in the 21C come to a broader and more informed insight into what occurred in those dark years?
This book is a perfect starting place. I recommend it highly.
The Atlantic slave trade was a horrid and tawdry chapter in the history of the world. Legislation to stop the trafficking of slaves came into being in 1807 but how does one plug all the routes that existed in the Atlantic between Africa and the Americas? How does one in the 21C come to a broader and more informed insight into what occurred in those dark years?
This book is a perfect starting place. I recommend it highly.
May 8, 2022
Interesting topic, poorly written.
January 29, 2026
226 read. Interesting but a bit dry. Once we got the concept of how the brig was capturing slave ships it was essentially another 200 pages of the same. Plus a generous sprinkle of bureaucratic inability that eventually killed the whole West Africa Squadron. I will say that consistently using the abbreviation WAS 600 times made me think that Jayden Daniels was planning to sail the ships himself.
April 2, 2022
This is the best history I've read recently. It covers in-depth a piece of the history of the slave trade in Europe and their colonies, the British Naval culture that allowed children as young as 7 to sail, the places from which enslaved people were taken, where they were bound, and what happened to them en route and afterwards, for those captured and set free by the Black Joke. Rooks is a good historian who can convey the beliefs of the time without excusing these people morally. She is also a good writer: the book is filled with astonishing facts and yet it is so readable I finished it in two days. This can be a difficult topic to write about, and while tears may come, Rooks manages to stay on a middle line that is neither preachy nor academic. The beautifully-reproduced pages of names bear silent witness.
February 12, 2022
“ A groundbreaking history of the Black Joke, the most famous member of the British Royal Navy's anti-slavery squadron, and the long fight to end the transatlantic slave trade.
Initially a slaving vessel itself, the Black Joke was captured in 1827 and repurposed by the Royal Navy to catch its former compatriots. Over the next five years, the vessel liberated more enslaved people than any other in Britain's West Africa Squadron.
As Britain attempted to snuff out the transatlantic slave trade by way of treaty and negotiation, enforcing these policies fell to ships such as the Black Joke as they battled slavers, weather disasters, and interpersonal drama among captains and crew that reverberated across oceans.”
I found this a fascinating read, the writing is really good and kept me interested throughout, like a lot of white people I am on a lifelong learning , or unlearning of everything I’ve been brainwashed to believe, so this was yet another addition to my journey of adding to correcting my knowledge, details such as the slaves that were on the captured ships that the Black Joke caught were not actually freed but still ended up subject to British subjugation.
This is an intelligent, fantastically interesting book, Rooks guides us through the slave trade, but more importantly highlights and emphasises how it still guides and shapes our modern lives. I thoroughly recommend this book to everyone who ‘thinks’ they know about the abolition of slavery, and to everyone interested in unlearning or learning some truths and facts they won’t know and won’t always want to know, but they need to.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
Initially a slaving vessel itself, the Black Joke was captured in 1827 and repurposed by the Royal Navy to catch its former compatriots. Over the next five years, the vessel liberated more enslaved people than any other in Britain's West Africa Squadron.
As Britain attempted to snuff out the transatlantic slave trade by way of treaty and negotiation, enforcing these policies fell to ships such as the Black Joke as they battled slavers, weather disasters, and interpersonal drama among captains and crew that reverberated across oceans.”
I found this a fascinating read, the writing is really good and kept me interested throughout, like a lot of white people I am on a lifelong learning , or unlearning of everything I’ve been brainwashed to believe, so this was yet another addition to my journey of adding to correcting my knowledge, details such as the slaves that were on the captured ships that the Black Joke caught were not actually freed but still ended up subject to British subjugation.
This is an intelligent, fantastically interesting book, Rooks guides us through the slave trade, but more importantly highlights and emphasises how it still guides and shapes our modern lives. I thoroughly recommend this book to everyone who ‘thinks’ they know about the abolition of slavery, and to everyone interested in unlearning or learning some truths and facts they won’t know and won’t always want to know, but they need to.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
November 20, 2021
This is a curious book. It is meticulously researched and detailed. It uses the story of the ship’s tender and anti-piracy vessel Black Joke to propel a broader look at Britain’s anti-slavery naval campaign, the political climate that supported and undermined it, the complex diplomacy that surrounded it, and the economics and politics of the slavery movement. I found quite a lot of this illuminating and fascinating. On the other hand, I also found some elements to be digressions and often found the author’s voice intrusive. I felt that 21st century ideas and concerns crept into the 19th century analysis a bit too often. Rooks doesn’t seem to be a professional historian, more an impassioned and gifted amateur, and this can show. Nevertheless, a worthwhile read.
March 25, 2022
I learned a lot from this book—I never knew that the British Navy had ships dedicated to intercepting slave ships and liberating the enslaved people on board. I think the subject would make a good movie. I’ll admit, though, that it was a bit too scholarly in approach for me to sit down and easily read it. I’m fine with scholarly narratives as a rule but for some reason I had trouble getting through the chapters in a sitting. I think if I had read it at a different time (lots going on right now) I’d have enjoyed the read much more. Great research and enlightening topic.
June 14, 2023
The Black Joke was an excellent book that told a complex story of the period when the British had stopped allowing the transport of enslaved cargo. This did not prevent or stop slavery; it just policed how enslaved people could be moved and transported
What intrigued me most was the history behind the name, how confiscated cargo and vessels were handled, and the timelines. The author provided laws and cases of reference and discussed how the rescued enslaved and resources were impounded
The author provides insight into the sailors, countries involved, ship battles, royal navy, ship labor, and salary, who was on the ships as crew and their duties, and how diseases and illnesses were handled. While the cause was honorable, it often failed to help the enslaved return home and did little to quell the desire for slave labor or improve the conditions of those captured.
I believe history lovers will enjoy this well-researched and sourced information, the history of the black joke, its crews, the voyages, and the coverage of slavery and maritime resistance.
What intrigued me most was the history behind the name, how confiscated cargo and vessels were handled, and the timelines. The author provided laws and cases of reference and discussed how the rescued enslaved and resources were impounded
The author provides insight into the sailors, countries involved, ship battles, royal navy, ship labor, and salary, who was on the ships as crew and their duties, and how diseases and illnesses were handled. While the cause was honorable, it often failed to help the enslaved return home and did little to quell the desire for slave labor or improve the conditions of those captured.
I believe history lovers will enjoy this well-researched and sourced information, the history of the black joke, its crews, the voyages, and the coverage of slavery and maritime resistance.
June 9, 2022
***Full disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, but my review is my own honest opinion.
A fascinating true story of the sort that is rarely told, The Black Joke recounts the adventures of the titular ship, a one-time slaving ship seized by the West Africa Squadron of the British Navy and converted for use in capturing other slaving ships. We learn about the men who commanded her and their various circumstances and motivations, but the story of the ship and her adventures illustrates the complex situation the West Africa Squadron found itself in as it sought to enforce the British ban on the slave trade with just a few ships and a limited budget.
This is a rare book that can appeal equally to those who enjoy tales of the sea, of military history, or of the long struggle of the formerly enslaved and their descendants for civil rights and equality. Highly recommended.
A fascinating true story of the sort that is rarely told, The Black Joke recounts the adventures of the titular ship, a one-time slaving ship seized by the West Africa Squadron of the British Navy and converted for use in capturing other slaving ships. We learn about the men who commanded her and their various circumstances and motivations, but the story of the ship and her adventures illustrates the complex situation the West Africa Squadron found itself in as it sought to enforce the British ban on the slave trade with just a few ships and a limited budget.
This is a rare book that can appeal equally to those who enjoy tales of the sea, of military history, or of the long struggle of the formerly enslaved and their descendants for civil rights and equality. Highly recommended.
July 6, 2022
Ultimately this is probably 3.5 stars.
June 17, 2026
A great story about an underfunded and unsupported squadron fighting to make a difference. The story gives great context to conflict and keeps you interested throughout.
January 24, 2022
Very interesting book, the author really did her research.
March 26, 2025
A good history about an endeavor that most historians seem to ignore. However the story doesn’t flow very well. Stories of the ship’s encounters with slavers are interspersed with longer explanations of the Royal Navy’s political decisions, British colonial operations, and European positions on slavery. Good device, but makes the pace of the storyline start and stop.
February 18, 2022
This review is based on a copy I received from a Goodreads giveaway.
This was a fascinating book primarily about the career of the tender the Black Joke in the British Navy's West Africa Squadron, but also about the protracted fight to end the slave trade. Rooks does a great job of giving the reader the necessary background information to understand the difficulties faced by the Black Joke and its squadron, including quite a bit of background on international relations among the European and South American powers and the treaties that were in place. I never would have believed that historical international policy could be interesting, but Rooks makes it so! She kept me engaged throughout the book.
In the author's note, Rooks does comment on how there is much more information about the British officers than the enslaved that they rescue, but she tries to highlight their humanity (instead of just showing numbers) through copies of the actual registers with names and descriptions of those who were "liberated" from the slave ships. Unfortunately, I found these to be rather difficult to read. The descriptions of the conditions aboard the slaving vessels from the logs of the Navy crew did drive home how horrible conditions were aboard the ships. I mean...we all know it was bad, but from these descriptions...it was far worse.
Other interesting information in this book is the different views of slaves in the different colonies, largely driven by the crops that are grown there. It is appalling. Rooks also touches briefly on Britain's role in the South American colonies' bid for freedom, homosexuality in the British Navy, tropical diseases and the state of medicine during this period, and the British Navy's use of Kroomen.
My only gripe with this book is that Rooks seems prone to run-on sentences. There were several that tripped me up and which I had to reread a few times to understand. It would also have been really nice to include a map of the patrol area showing the major settlements/bases/harbors mentioned in the book along with the sites where the slave ships were captured.
Overall though, this is an excellent book and I definitely recommend it!
As an aside, I know you shouldn't judge an author by their appearance but Rooks looks like the history version of Ms. Frizzle. Except that instead of introducing one class of school children to the wonders of science, she is working on instilling a love of history in a much larger audience.
This was a fascinating book primarily about the career of the tender the Black Joke in the British Navy's West Africa Squadron, but also about the protracted fight to end the slave trade. Rooks does a great job of giving the reader the necessary background information to understand the difficulties faced by the Black Joke and its squadron, including quite a bit of background on international relations among the European and South American powers and the treaties that were in place. I never would have believed that historical international policy could be interesting, but Rooks makes it so! She kept me engaged throughout the book.
In the author's note, Rooks does comment on how there is much more information about the British officers than the enslaved that they rescue, but she tries to highlight their humanity (instead of just showing numbers) through copies of the actual registers with names and descriptions of those who were "liberated" from the slave ships. Unfortunately, I found these to be rather difficult to read. The descriptions of the conditions aboard the slaving vessels from the logs of the Navy crew did drive home how horrible conditions were aboard the ships. I mean...we all know it was bad, but from these descriptions...it was far worse.
Other interesting information in this book is the different views of slaves in the different colonies, largely driven by the crops that are grown there. It is appalling. Rooks also touches briefly on Britain's role in the South American colonies' bid for freedom, homosexuality in the British Navy, tropical diseases and the state of medicine during this period, and the British Navy's use of Kroomen.
My only gripe with this book is that Rooks seems prone to run-on sentences. There were several that tripped me up and which I had to reread a few times to understand. It would also have been really nice to include a map of the patrol area showing the major settlements/bases/harbors mentioned in the book along with the sites where the slave ships were captured.
Overall though, this is an excellent book and I definitely recommend it!
As an aside, I know you shouldn't judge an author by their appearance but Rooks looks like the history version of Ms. Frizzle. Except that instead of introducing one class of school children to the wonders of science, she is working on instilling a love of history in a much larger audience.
March 11, 2022
If you enjoy nautical history at all, and are looking for a very interesting read on the liberation of slaves in the early 1800's, this is a great read. Easy reading, solidly paced and never to bogged down in detail.
July 14, 2022
It is always enjoyable to read something in depth about a time period I know little about. The Black Joke by A. E. Rooks is one of those books. In the 1800s, England had done away with the slave trade but needed to back up this prohibition. They created what was called the West African Squadron (WAS) to track slavers and free their people. One of the slavers they caught was rechristened The Black Joke and sent after its fellow slavers. It was remarkably successful in reasons Rooks documents.
It is worth pointing out a few things about the narrative, though. This book is just as much about the WAS as it is The Black Joke. This is not a bad thing, but if you are looking for a straight maritime adventure, you will find this a bit too scholarly. Also, Rooks does not write like a normal scholarly historian. Rooks uses more modern vernacular at times and uses very complex sentences. I personally like simpler sentences and less tangents, but the book is a still a good read, nonetheless.
It is worth pointing out a few things about the narrative, though. This book is just as much about the WAS as it is The Black Joke. This is not a bad thing, but if you are looking for a straight maritime adventure, you will find this a bit too scholarly. Also, Rooks does not write like a normal scholarly historian. Rooks uses more modern vernacular at times and uses very complex sentences. I personally like simpler sentences and less tangents, but the book is a still a good read, nonetheless.
February 6, 2022
For readers of history of the post-Napoleonic War Royal Navy, the maritime enforcement of the 1820 ban on the transatlantic slave trade above the equator, and economic and social history the early to mid-19th century of colonial and post-colonial Europe and lands across the Atlantic coast.
It tells the story of a ship seized by the Royal Navy because of it's use as a slaver's ship between West Africa and the Americas that was used to capture other ships attempting the same. Daring tales of triumph are mixed the impossibility of the task assigned to the few ships and resources provided by the British Empire. The lack of political will presumably because of the vast fortunes at stake in the interconnectedness of the profits made from the use of enslaved labor.
Important insights await the reader without having to wade through academic language. An important book.
It tells the story of a ship seized by the Royal Navy because of it's use as a slaver's ship between West Africa and the Americas that was used to capture other ships attempting the same. Daring tales of triumph are mixed the impossibility of the task assigned to the few ships and resources provided by the British Empire. The lack of political will presumably because of the vast fortunes at stake in the interconnectedness of the profits made from the use of enslaved labor.
Important insights await the reader without having to wade through academic language. An important book.
February 21, 2022
It becomes evident rather quickly that the story of the Black Joke is not nearly substantive enough to fill the pages of an entire book, and so much of the story revolves instead around the work of abolitionists and the minutiae of the West Africa Squadron’s operations. AE Rooks does a wonderful job narrating from start to finish, and tells these tales of bureaucracy in as riveting a voice as she can. However I can’t help but feel the book should have been branded as the story of the WAS as a whole, rather than billed as the story of the Black Joke alone. It’s a shame that the pandemic suspended Rooks’ plans to do research in person in both the UK and Sierra Leon, but I’ll definitely pick up another one of her books in the future.
February 7, 2022
Fascinating look at this piece of history I knew next to nothing about: the British efforts to destroy the slave trade in the 1820s and 1830s. It’s an interesting mix of diplomacy (the intricacies of the treaties involved, oh), pressure, and British naval dominance through ships and tenders like the Black Joke that could catch and condemn slave ships. I would have liked a bit more context about how the abolition process continued after the Black Joke left service, which was only touched upon but not in detail (was the traffic largely eliminated once France began making strong efforts? Were the Brazilians always intransigent?). Well worth a read.
February 16, 2022
Early 19th century British naval history is not especially on-brand for me, but I'm glad I let myself be surprised by The Black Joke. Rooks's narrative voice, at turns scholarly and sardonic, takes you on a journey through the seas and inlets around West Africa and into one ship's relentless, and often lonely, fight against the slave trade. I especially enjoyed the opportunity to learn about the Kru people, free Africans who worked (usually, it should be noted, for inequitable compensation) alongside sailors of the British Navy to sustain the ships of the West African Squadron in the struggle to halt slave ships. An unusual but rewarding read for Black History Month.
October 6, 2023
The history needed to be told, but did this book completely bypass the editorial process? Every page contains multiple convoluted sentences, laden with dependent AND independent clauses. Even the descriptions of naval combat get bogged down by the writing style.
February 7, 2022
Very slow reading. Too much history of every person, ship, etc. back generations. Reads like a boring textbook.
May 25, 2026
“Upon arrival in Freetown - the moans and wails of the sick and dying inescapable, crawling with all manner of insects and pests, and literally stinking of every conceivable guilt as it sat in the harbour, as the “excessively disagreeable and oppressive” reek of the “dense mass of human beings was suffocating” to those who boarded even after the slaver anchored - the Henriqueta was soon ready to be tried in court.” (p26)
The Henriqueta was soon to have a new role, and new name, The Black Joke. She went from poacher to gamekeeper, from slaver to liberator. At a time when Britain had abolished the slave trade, and was trying to enforce this upon much of the rest of Europe who were mostly less keen, or at least wished Britain would get off its high horse, the West African Squadron was at the sharp end. The Black Joke bought as a tender to a frigate on station due to the need for speed. She was to prove to be the most successful ship in the squadron, striking fear into the hearts of the slavers. In The Black Joke A.E. Rooks tells the story of this plucky little ship and through it the work of the West African Squadron (WAS) and fight to enforce abolition.
Pros
Excellent writing
Successfully weaves together the history of the ship, the squadron and wider abolition
Cons
Minor niggles; odd small mistake, no map, some topics merit further explanation
The Black Joke is the history of a ship, so it is not surprising that it follows pretty much a chronological narrative. Each chapter is nominally about a capture of a slaver, or two. This might seem to lead towards monotony but that is not the case at all. There is a surprising variation in captures, some quick, some requiring long battles, some in unusual positions or more like a ‘cutting out’ using rowboats. And Rooks is too good a writer to make the mistake of having it feeling like it is one after another building in lots of side discussions.
I found the writing to be excellent, reasonably pacy, with enough detail and description to understand a situation or visualise a scene, and not without a twinkling of humor:
“After weeks of back-and-forth, a house visit from a representative of the Mixed Commission and colonial surgeon Boyle amply demonstrated that the [slaver ships] master was not remotely sick, and since malingering is not contagious, he was brought forth to appear, and Frasquita was summarily condemned.” (p291)
The way interesting discussions on relevant topics are woven into the narrative is excellently and almost seamlessly done. Thus, for example, we learn about the history of French abolition and (lack of) efforts to suppress their own slavers when the Black Joke is having a frustrating time having chased five separate slavers that turned out to be French so nothing could be done (p221). The Black Joke is clearly well researched. There are lots of notes and loads of interesting titbits of information scattered throughout, such as that the loss of slavers crew was a decisive reason for abolition. (p20)
Given the topic you might be forgiven for thinking it is going to be a rather grim read. And sure there is a lot of description of the horrific circumstances of the slaves aboard ships taken, slavery in general, and of disease. But the story told is not at all grim as Rooks brings in lots of the human side of the personnel on and involved in The Black Joke and brings out some of the more ridiculous situations and petty jealousies such as the ‘battle of the beards’ between two navy captains on the station.
There is the odd minor niggle, thus the British Army is called the ‘Royal’ Army (p269), and an odd one that Sir George Collier is said to “merit” two promotions (p14) which since this is an Admiral is not merit at all but the steady filling of dead men's shoes, which is odd because we are told about this promotion system in p50. Rooks sometimes raises things without an answer such as a black sailor likely being the cook (p132) or that “the Liberated African Department which was not half so liberatory as the name advertised” (p210) which definitely sounds like it requires more exploration which oddly doesn't get nearly as much attention as it might with just a couple of pages towards the end (pp267-9).
Could do with a map. The WAS patrols quite a wide area and so the narrative goes to lots of locations which would make a general map helpful. This is particularly the case when we get into a debate about the best place to base the squadron; Freetown vs Fernando Po, and other sites Collier, the commodore, likes such as Ascension Is or even St Helena (p179) where the distances from the main patrolling area seems to be a key consideration.
All in all an excellent book exploring an interesting subject. The multiple different angles mean this could appeal to all sorts, at least all sorts of people with at least a vague interest in history. Whether your interest is the Victorians, racism and slavery, imperialism, maritime trade or navy there is something here for you.
December 28, 2022
This book is WILDLY interesting. I learned so much. (And this review will be way too long.)
Being American, most 1700s/1800s history taught about slavery and abolition takes place stateside. This book chronicles the multinational naval aspect, when the trafficking of enslaved Africans was made illegal by the British, but not yet illegal by the Spanish, French, Portuguese, Brazilians, etc. "By 1828 perhaps the only thing that was clear was that…Britain was basically alone on the waters if it wanted to stop the slave trade. And there was so much water.”
This book covers the sheer complexity of the macroeconomic and legal issues of policing international waters to locate and capture well-financed slave ships, and how much those ships/captains lied and committed horrible acts of violence to evade capture and consequences. “Naively it seemed, many of England’s abolitionists, and at least some politicians, had expected the eradication of the trade to be a relatively simple endeavor that would pave the way to abolition of slavery itself, imagining it would take a scant few years perhaps. Slavers in large part simply contrived new methods to evade condemnation, even if captured.” “As long as there was a single flag to hide behind, the unscrupulous would exploit it.”
And now to the title character: The Black Joke is the name of a famous ship that was originally used to transport enslaved Africans, but after it was captured by the British, was used to police the waters off the coast of Western Africa to stop other slave ships from completing their journeys. Aside from the above, there are unending issues like illness (yellow fever), the dangerousness of the job, staffing/leadership/bureaucracy of the ship and the navy, and how much work was done by indigenous “kroo” members.
Britain is hardly a simple protagonist, however. Despite “freeing” thousands of enslaved people on ships: (this is paraphrased) Liberation was not freedom. The newly liberated Africans became British, whether they wanted to or not, and the adults were given three options. They could become free apprentices in the West Indies, join a segregated regiment of troops, or settle on one of the estates bordering Freetown. Unofficial 4th option…shipped off to the hinterlands. Fifth possibility…succumb to illnesses contracted on board slave ships and died within months. “One could easily be forgiven for forgetting that this process was ostensibly meant to be liberatory.”
Apprenticeship was rather slavery-adjacent in that the people who “chose” it would be shipped…to one of the British colonies where they were required to perform labor with minimal or no compensation for a term not exceeding 14 years. (Guess what 80% of them did? Harvested sugar cane.) Apprenticeships were proxy slavery. The common bond throughout was colonization. The jobs being assigned to receptive Africans were unquestionably in service of British Empire.
I had to listen slowly and rewind often, as there are so many names of people, ships, naval terms, locations, and more. The audiobook narrator is phenomenal despite some of the tedious parts.
Being American, most 1700s/1800s history taught about slavery and abolition takes place stateside. This book chronicles the multinational naval aspect, when the trafficking of enslaved Africans was made illegal by the British, but not yet illegal by the Spanish, French, Portuguese, Brazilians, etc. "By 1828 perhaps the only thing that was clear was that…Britain was basically alone on the waters if it wanted to stop the slave trade. And there was so much water.”
This book covers the sheer complexity of the macroeconomic and legal issues of policing international waters to locate and capture well-financed slave ships, and how much those ships/captains lied and committed horrible acts of violence to evade capture and consequences. “Naively it seemed, many of England’s abolitionists, and at least some politicians, had expected the eradication of the trade to be a relatively simple endeavor that would pave the way to abolition of slavery itself, imagining it would take a scant few years perhaps. Slavers in large part simply contrived new methods to evade condemnation, even if captured.” “As long as there was a single flag to hide behind, the unscrupulous would exploit it.”
And now to the title character: The Black Joke is the name of a famous ship that was originally used to transport enslaved Africans, but after it was captured by the British, was used to police the waters off the coast of Western Africa to stop other slave ships from completing their journeys. Aside from the above, there are unending issues like illness (yellow fever), the dangerousness of the job, staffing/leadership/bureaucracy of the ship and the navy, and how much work was done by indigenous “kroo” members.
Britain is hardly a simple protagonist, however. Despite “freeing” thousands of enslaved people on ships: (this is paraphrased) Liberation was not freedom. The newly liberated Africans became British, whether they wanted to or not, and the adults were given three options. They could become free apprentices in the West Indies, join a segregated regiment of troops, or settle on one of the estates bordering Freetown. Unofficial 4th option…shipped off to the hinterlands. Fifth possibility…succumb to illnesses contracted on board slave ships and died within months. “One could easily be forgiven for forgetting that this process was ostensibly meant to be liberatory.”
Apprenticeship was rather slavery-adjacent in that the people who “chose” it would be shipped…to one of the British colonies where they were required to perform labor with minimal or no compensation for a term not exceeding 14 years. (Guess what 80% of them did? Harvested sugar cane.) Apprenticeships were proxy slavery. The common bond throughout was colonization. The jobs being assigned to receptive Africans were unquestionably in service of British Empire.
I had to listen slowly and rewind often, as there are so many names of people, ships, naval terms, locations, and more. The audiobook narrator is phenomenal despite some of the tedious parts.
June 11, 2022
Great Britain outlawed the slave trade in 1807. This was a fact that I had to memorize in high school, but I had never stopped to think about how that actually worked. My classes did not get into that, either: purposefully or not, they gave the impression that the transatlantic slave trade stopped just because Great Britain said so.
Of course, as I realized a few pages into this book, stopping to think about the situation pokes holes into that idea. People who were making money off the slave trade would not want to stop. Patrolling an entire ocean is awfully hard. Taken together, people would try to break this rule. Who was going to stop them?
This is where Rooks’ book comes in. The Black Joke was a ship in the West Africa Squadron, which was responsible for enforcing the British ban. It became famous—notorious in the eyes of slave traders—for the number of ships that it captured. The story of the Black Joke touches on all of the factors that made its mission more difficult, from the factors above to international treaties and the ease with which captured ships could end up in slavers’ hands again, and everything in between. Along the way, I was reminded of the horrors and inhumanity of the slave trade, especially as the conditions on the captured ships are described. To remember the enslaved people who were on the ships that the Black Joke captured, the first page from the roster of each captured ship is included in the book. Although these people did not have to make the full journey into a life of slavery, their lives after “liberation” often fell far short of a free life.
Rooks delivers a well-researched narrative with a unique voice that doesn’t sound like a dry history book. I learned a lot. I recommend this book to pretty much anyone, as it will bring to life some of the isolated facts we learned in history class and make you think about plenty of things that weren’t discussed.
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
Of course, as I realized a few pages into this book, stopping to think about the situation pokes holes into that idea. People who were making money off the slave trade would not want to stop. Patrolling an entire ocean is awfully hard. Taken together, people would try to break this rule. Who was going to stop them?
This is where Rooks’ book comes in. The Black Joke was a ship in the West Africa Squadron, which was responsible for enforcing the British ban. It became famous—notorious in the eyes of slave traders—for the number of ships that it captured. The story of the Black Joke touches on all of the factors that made its mission more difficult, from the factors above to international treaties and the ease with which captured ships could end up in slavers’ hands again, and everything in between. Along the way, I was reminded of the horrors and inhumanity of the slave trade, especially as the conditions on the captured ships are described. To remember the enslaved people who were on the ships that the Black Joke captured, the first page from the roster of each captured ship is included in the book. Although these people did not have to make the full journey into a life of slavery, their lives after “liberation” often fell far short of a free life.
Rooks delivers a well-researched narrative with a unique voice that doesn’t sound like a dry history book. I learned a lot. I recommend this book to pretty much anyone, as it will bring to life some of the isolated facts we learned in history class and make you think about plenty of things that weren’t discussed.
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
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