By the 1820s the transatlantic slave trade was largely outlawed. Great Britain and the US were early adaptors of its abolition. France and Spain were still winking at it (largely to twit Britain). Brazil would not outlaw the trade until 1831. Regardless, transatlantic transportation of slaves illegally continued.

“The Black Joke: The True Story of One Ship’s Battle Against the Slave Trade,” by A.E. Rooks tells of a ship instrumental in closing down this illegal traffic. Never a formally-commissioned warship in the Royal Navy, it was the vessel of Britain’s West Africa Squadron most feared by slave traders.

Rooks carries the story from Black Joke’s incorporation into the Royal Navy in 1827 through its disposal a five years later. Its career was brief, but as Rooks shows, its impact was profound.

Launched as Henriquetta in Baltimore for the slave trade, it was captured in 1827 by HMS Sybille with an illegal cargo of nearly 600 slaves. Renamed Black Joke and taken into Royal Navy service as a tender to Sybille, it was manned from Sybille’s crew and technically part of Sybille. It was armed with a single swivel gun, firing 18-pound shot, and had a crew of up to forty, including marines.

Rooks describes what came next. Black Joke became the terror of the Slave Coast of Africa, capturing or participating in the capture of fourteen slavers and freeing over 5700 slaves. It was the most successful anti-slavery vessel on the coast. It was so effective Black Joke was transferred to a different warship HMS Dryad when Sybille returned to Britain.

Rooks also picks through the legal complexities and cultural issues associated with Black Joke and fighting the slave trade. She explains how international law constrained fighting the slave trade. Britain was looking for ways to cut government spending during this period, which further affected efforts. Both were reasons why Black Joke remained a tender rather than an independent warship. It kept costs down and simplified legalities.

Rooks makes a few errors (Great Britain does not have a Royal Army), but they are minor. More jarring is her use of modern jargon. This language will make this book seem dated and quaint a century from now. So too is her attempt to impose twenty-first century values on the eighteenth and nineteenth century. Regardless “The Black Joke” is a classic study on the subject. which will almost certainly be read a century from now.

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- presearched, but was written with a light touch so I never found it dull.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

In a year when racial reckoning is more important than ever, this was a great addition to the conversation. So much focus and attention falls on America and the way the enslaved were treated there, but this is a look into how the British Navy tried to divert slave operations. It's dense and extremely detailed making the reading experience feel meticulous, but interesting nonetheless!

A interesting read on the efforts of the British navy to stop the slave trade in the 1800’s. The efforts of the ship the Black Joke was of particular praise. The ship and its history against slavery was truly inspirational. The story is a fascinating read and one to hold your interest.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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.