Customer Reviews

The Wreck of the Henrietta Marie: An African American's Spiritual Journey to Uncover a Sunken Slave Ship's Past

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Michael Cottman has written a gripping account of a slave ship, The Henrietta Marie, whose remains were, appropriately and accidentally, discovered by an African American diver searching for lost treasure. The ship is located on New Ground Reef off the Marguesas Keys (approximately 37 miles from Florida). Cottman painstakingly researches the ship's path, finding the town in England where the ship's guns were made. He next traces the most likely path of the Henrietta Marie to the coast of West Africa, where slaves were brought on board; and he then describes the route to Barbados and Jamaica where slaves were off loaded. These islands are where a new cargo of sugar and rum was picked up for the return trip to England. The vast majority of Americans have no concept of the conditions under which slaves were transported to the Americas. A small minority may have seen the film Armistad, but Cottman's writing brings home this tragedy that makes compelling reading. His pages describing the Middle Passage evoke heart wrenching descriptions of man's inhumanity to man. Cottman has done a masterful job in capturing the emotion of this sadly neglected episode in American History. Yet, equally important, he has captured the celebration of spirit of a people who refused to be defeated by the horrors of slavery. This is a story that needs telling and retelling. As a former teacher, I would make this required reading for every American.

The Wreck of the Henrietta Marie wasn't quite what I originally expected it to be, but it was in some ways more than expected. I started reading it out of an interest in history and sailing ships, and with curiosity about slaving ships. What I found was a fair amount on slaving ships and the history of slavery. But more than that, I became sympathetically engrossed in the author's personal journey of discovery in which he traveled to England and Africa to find more information. I, too, have sometimes become passionate about a topic, searching out information like a detective. But for obvious reasons, this African-American diver and writer had an expecially deep and meaningful passion for this topic. This book inspried me to learn more about the history of slavery in America, and I am currently reading Africans in America: America's Journey through Slavery (by C. Johnson).

Had read the book before and wanted my own copy and the condition of book was as stated and I am enjoying it!

I was able to feel the pain and pride that the author presented in this book. I found myself kneeling at the dedication momument beside the author during his prayer for all the lost african souls lost in the middle passage.

This book had the potential to be great. It had a very important subject, the romance of a ship wreck and artifacts.

Alas, the subject got lost by the author's personal thoughts which were inconsistent.

The facts could have spoken for themselves and made this a very powerful book. Perhaps someone will do the book that could have been.

Having recently read King Leopold's Ghost, and the in depth descriptions of the atrocities that took place in Africa, I was eager to learn more on the subject. However, this book falls short on the details and fails to put the reader on or anywhere near the ship.