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Robert C. Davis

Christian Slaves, Muslim Masters: White Slavery in the Mediterranean, the Barbary Coast, and Italy, 1500-1800 (Early Modern History: Society and Culture) Paperback – September 16, 2003

by R. Davis (Author)

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This is a study that digs deeply into this 'other' slavery, the bondage of Europeans by North-African Muslims that flourished during the same centuries as the heyday of the trans-Atlantic trade from sub-Saharan Africa to the Americas. Here are explored the actual extent of Barbary Coast slavery, the dynamic relationship between master and slave, and the effects of this slaving on Italy, one of the slave takers' primary targets and victims.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

'Christian Slaves, Muslim Masters is about a subject of immense importance, which has been strangely neglected. It is very well researched, and at a time of unprecedented interest in racial slavery in America, it is interesting to read a crucial and informative preview to that subject.' - David Brion Davis, Yale University

About the Author

Robert C. Davis is a professor emeritus from the Ohio State University, Columbus, OH

Product details

Publisher : Palgrave Macmillan; 2003rd edition (September 16, 2003)
Language : English
Paperback : 276 pages
ISBN-10 : 1403945519
ISBN-13 : 978-1403945518
Item Weight : 12.7 ounces
Dimensions : 5.51 x 0.64 x 8.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #96,192 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #37 in History of Islam
- #72 in Slavery & Emancipation History
- #78 in Italian History (Books)

Customer Reviews:
130 ratings

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Fiat Lux

"From the halls of Montezuma, to the shores of Tripoli...."

Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2017

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Islam had African slavery down to a science hundreds of years before an African ever saw a European, and continues to openly practice slavery today. And...surprise....Muslims enslaved Europeans too. Ask Thomas Jefferson. He was infuriated in 1800 that the US was paying 20% of its annual government revenue in ransome and tribute to the Barbary pirates! Enter the Marines. Anyway, this book contains another part of the story.

63 people found this helpful

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Lavendula

Important work fills a gap, but very dry read overall

Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2018

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I was drawn to this book because of my own family's experience with enslavement in Tunisia, numerous ancestors and relatives taken from coastal areas in southern Italy during the 18th century. My limited knowledge of Neapolitan song and folklore gave me the understanding that slavery was a genuine fear among the populace, but I knew little of the context nor the history. For these reasons, I found Professor Davis's book valuable. Its primary focus is on Italy, which was in a far more precarious situation than other areas of Mediterranean Europe due to its extensive coastline, collection of islands, and most importantly, in the south at least, the total lack of any naval or military might. As a colony (for all intents and purposes) of Spain, southern Italy and its inhabitants had no protection from Ottoman plunderers.

Since ransoming slaves was a popular cause among Catholic monks and priests, some of those who were taken captive were eventually released and returned home. The accounts of those who were freed as well as those who did the ransoming form the primary source material for Davis to explain what types of work enslaved men (and it was primarily men that were taken, and who were not allowed to procreate once in captivity) did, how they were treated, etc.

My main criticism of the book is that the prose is very dry and utilitarian. A second criticism is the unfortunate title, which superimposes modern day American racial terms where they don't belong. As the author discusses in great detail, the difference between the masters and the slaves was not race, but religion. It was by no means "blacks" enslaving "whites" as some of these reviews seem to think. In fact, it's highly unlikely those involved would have even thought in such terms; they were all Mediterranean people and their identities were based on language, religion, custom, etc. Skin color was not a differentiating factor. In short, the slavery described in this book was a largely Mediterranean phenomenon, based in religion and territorial aggression, and has nothing to do with the Atlantic slave trade.

Criticisms aside, this is a good place to begin learning this history. Unfortunately, after this book, at least in English, there isn't much else to read.

32 people found this helpful

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Beboper

Very Enlightening

Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2016

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Quite detailed and statistical, this is a fact based account of Muslim/Black enslavement of White European peoples. Black/Semite Islamic Africa had an insatiable appetite especially for white women but bought men as well. They selected among the captives and many times slaughtered those they did not want. The Barbary Pirates were the best known slavers but several peoples of the Maghreb participated in the slave trade. The pirates raided towns as far away as England and the Baltic countries sowing fear and terror wherever they frequented. It certainly dispels the myth that African slavery was a one way trade of blacks with the new world. Robert C. Davis is to be highly commended for assembling this authoritative account on this subject. Very informative.

42 people found this helpful

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Rebe

Muslim Contempt for White Christian Slaves

Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2016

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I found this book truly fascinating. If ever we need to understand what is going on today we need to read about the history of the Muslim world. Readers will have a much better understanding of how and why the people in that area and under the Muslim religion think of us the way they do. This should be taught in school and I know it will never be, simply because we need to understand their contempt of Christians and of European/Western Civilizations. This book is an excellent read for anyone. A lot of thorough research, bibliographies, and laid out history of the dark past our politicians and college professors want us to forget. Kudos to R. Davis. I have yet to understand why it is so taboo to talk about slavery especially of whites. The people from the Barbary States had a hunger for white slaves just as some colonists had the same appetite for African slaves. The Muslims were like many other people back then, they made money off slavery. The difference here is the way they treated their slaves.

35 people found this helpful

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Art Carden

Davis documents the extensive trade in enslaved Europeans along the Barbary Coast of Africa...

Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2017

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Christian Slaves, Muslim Masters, Robert Davis: Slavery is a stain on the human experience. While people pay a lot of attention to the Atlantic slave trade (and with very good reason), it is a serious mistake to think that slavery was a Euro-American phenomenon. Davis documents the extensive trade in enslaved Europeans along the Barbary Coast of Africa and in, for example, the city of Algiers. Revealingly, the middle eastern and African slave traders are just as shrewd as any other merchants or profit-oriented which I interpret as evidence against Karl Polanyi's claim that a calculating capitalist world is a recent innovation. This is not and should not be read as in any way as an apology for the Atlantic trade or an attempt to evade responsibility. Rather, it is a depressing look into the depths of our absolute inhumanity toward one another.

19 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

subversive@lineone.net

Interesting study of an important and neglected chapter of European history

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 26, 2015

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A detailed and in-depth study of a phenomenon which is little known in contemporary Europe, and perhaps should be more widely understood. For instance, the whole North African colonial adventure by France makes more sense when you understand that the European slave trade was only permanently halted when the French invaded Algeria and Tunisia. Also, the theological justifications for the enslavement of non-Muslims is even now being discussed on broadcast and print media throughout the Middle East at the present time.

Davis' book is thick with facts and analysis which provide an absorbing insight into the economic and social impact of this unpleasant trade. The lack of a human narrative might put casual readers off, but it is definitely worth making an effort to grasp the subject matter, but there is nevertheless plenty of objectively presented examination of personal accounts of the cruelty and barbarism of the slave-takers and owners. Tantalisingly, Davis touches on the possibility that many of the European converts to Islam who so enthusiastically enslaved their former compatriots, and who wore their own Islam so lightly, may have included homosexuals escaping Church persecution, given that many of these European renegades were alleged to have sexually abused their male captives.

Davis also cautions against contrasting the European slave trade with the trans-Atlantic variety. Indeed, as early as the seventeenth century savants were asking how, if it was wrong for a Muslim to enslave a Christian, it could be right for a Christian to enslave a pagan African.

If I have a complaint about this book it was that Davis limits his analysis to the Turkish vassal states in Barbary, whose slaving, while it occasionally reached out to the British Isles and beyond, predominantly attacked the Mediterranean coasts of Europe. The Moroccan slavers, who more frequently attacked Britain and Ireland, are not covered.

24 people found this helpful

Amazon Customer

If you love history and love freedom of speech

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 31, 2017

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Wow, you learn so much from this book - historical facts that many people would prefer to hide from you. If you love history and love freedom of speech, then this is the book for you. Fascinating stories, very well written, brilliantly researched. You need this book.

11 people found this helpful

D. V. R.

Expensive book but interesting

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 30, 2016

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Slavery is a very sensitive subject, no matter who is being enslaved. Davis explains the causes and the reaction of slavery on its victims . We normally assume slavery was of the African native by the rich Northern Americans,however, the author reveals that there was a big market in white slaves by Middle Eastern enslavers. This trade stretched from Iceland to Tunisia to Ireland. Some of the enslaved were reluctant to return many died in the service of their captors. The trade seemed to be a cash cow to some smaller nations for several years. Not an easy read and the book is expensive but interesting.

6 people found this helpful

Kostal

A must read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 1, 2016

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This book is written without any polemical intent, it is pure historical research. Yet it shows light on a very important aspect of how the muslim world interacted with Europe. It also shows a new light on slavery as a whole, and it is important to teach this aspect of things that have generally been forgotten / hidden in European history manuals.

5 people found this helpful

Yeh

Very Informative, Numbers, Statistics and Facts Shown.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 25, 2020

Verified Purchase

The structure may be repetitive and boring but it's informative.