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Mastery, Tyranny, and Desire: Thomas Thistlewood and His Slaves in the Anglo-Jamaican World Hardcover – May 24, 2004
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Thistlewood's diary, kept over the course of forty years, describes in graphic detail how white rule over slaves was predicated on the infliction of terror on the bodies and minds of slaves. Thistlewood treated his slaves cruelly even while he relied on them for his livelihood. Along with careful notes on sugar production, Thistlewood maintained detailed records of a sexual life that fully expressed the society's rampant sexual exploitation of slaves. In Burnard's hands, Thistlewood's diary reveals a great deal not only about the man and his slaves but also about the structure and enforcement of power, changing understandings of human rights and freedom, and connections among social class, race, and gender, as well as sex and sexuality, in the plantation system.
- Print length336 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherThe University of North Carolina Press
- Publication dateMay 24, 2004
- Dimensions6.13 x 0.84 x 9.25 inches
- ISBN-100807855251
- ISBN-13978-0807855256
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A brilliant and devastating work, and invaluable in developing my understanding of the brutal history of slavery in the Caribbean."—Zadie Smith, New York Review of Books
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- Publisher : The University of North Carolina Press; New edition (May 24, 2004)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 336 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0807855251
- ISBN-13 : 978-0807855256
- Item Weight : 1.14 pounds
- Dimensions : 6.13 x 0.84 x 9.25 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #115,129 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #5 in Jamaica Caribbean & West Indies History
- #228 in Bird Field Guides
- #607 in Discrimination & Racism
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I think the principle flaws are the author's (Burnard) sometimes uncritical acceptance of Thistlewood's diary entries. Clearly, relations between people, social customs, and life has changed considerably since the 18th century and the author acknowledges that early in the narrative. Despite this disclaimer I am still taken aback by the lack of skepticism or critical analysis from the author concerning a fair number of Thistlewood's diary entries that simply do not pass the "smell test". In fact, some entries seem to be written rationalizations for what even Thistlewood recognized as amoral, brutish behavior. Some of this non-criticality is evident in the narrative about Thistlewood's relations with his slaves. The author accepts Thistlewood's account of slave motivations and behavior without any disclaimers that the motivations and behavior Thistlewood described may not have been objective and were written to satisfy Thistlewood's preconceived notions.
Finally, I think that this book needs to be read along with other works such as "Saltwater Slavery...." by Stephanie Smallwood and "The Bondwoman's Narrative" by Hannah Crafts for a more complete picture of slavery. The Crafts work, while fictional, provides a written historical view of slavery written by an (escaped) slave prior to 1861.
I thought this book would have more of the horrors that was done by this man to the slaves. He is know as being the wickedest slave owner in the west. Basically it was just a boring story of how this man was just a regular slave owner in jamaica all innocent and just doing a job. I thought it would have been his diary excerpts.
I did not like the storyline I did not truly capture who this man was . i read novels more entertaining.
This is an experience, not quite removed from that revealed in "King Leopold's Ghost", from which those of us with a sense of responsibility can all benefit, and be encouraged to strive to make this world a better habitat for all of us who happen to share it.
For example, he mentions Congo Sam's attempt to murder Thistlewood; however, Mr. Burnard fails to mention that when Thistlewood asks London (the slave who assisted him against Congo Sam's attack) to testify at trial, London refused: Friday, 5th January, 1753, "At night London refuses to go with me to Sam’s trial! told me he would not go --"
What an amazing entry! And an even more amazing lack of intellectual curiosity by Mr. Burnard. So many questions -- Why would London’s testimony have been required when the accuser was white and the accused was a slave? How could London, who was himself a slave, refuse this request from his overseer? Could Thistlewood not compel him to go? Was this type of refusal an extraordinary occurrence or did slaves retain more latitude than we have commonly assumed? These questions beg for investigation especially in light of the fact that Congo Sam was acquitted. But not a peep from the estimable Mr. Burnard.
Even worse, if it is possible, Mr. Burnard has the unmitigated gall to tell us what Phibbah thought, felt, and what her motivations were -- based on sheer conjecture, for none of that is to be found in the diaries. Thistlewood rarely ever wrote down his own inner thoughts, let alone anyone else's. It's actually kind of funny when you think of it. When have men EVER been able to understand women? It took my husband 15 years to figure out that "Fine" doesn't really mean everything's fine. Quite the opposite. LOL!
For me, the saddest part of this book was Mr. Burnard's dismissiveness of the actions of the slaves themselves. Individual acts of resistance are called failures because single actors did not dismantle the entire system of slavery. Tell that to Mr. Wilberforce. Mr. Burnard reduces the industry and entrepreneurship of the slaves to the largesse of Thistlewood. He seems unable, or unwilling, to contemplate that even in "miserable slavery" these people had agency and used it to negotiate and engage in the socio-economic structures of 18th Century Jamaica.
I would give it negative stars if I could. Save your money. Download the original diaries from Yale -- Beinecke Library. They are tough to read, but they are free and come from the horse's mouth instead of from this horse's ... you get the picture.
Respectfully submitted,






