WHITE GOLD: The EXTRAORDINARY STORY of THOMAS PELLOW and NORTH AFRICA'S ONE MILLION EUROPEAN SLAVES.

UK,8vo HB+dw/dj,illustrated,1st edn. [Complete number line 2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1.] FINE+/FINE+. Owner inscrptn to top corner of front free endpaper but no price-clip to dw/dj.Front of dw/dj with bright, crisp,clean,matt,b/w reproduction portrait of Moulay Ismail and A thumbnail colour pictorial illustration, with a wrap-around 4" wide Islamc geometric colour +gilt decoration of repeated,interlacing geometric forms - stars and multi-sided polygons design border to lower edges of dw/dj.Author's capitalised,black-lettered name,capitalised bright crisp,gilt-lettered part-title and a mix of brown,black and orange lettering to sub-title in a geometric-shaped white panel and author's grey-lettered credit for 'Nathaniel's Nutmeg' to top edge; spine/backstrip with capitalised,pale blue-lettered author name, capitalised gilt-lettered part-title as front's and publisher's black-lettered name to foot of same,rear panel of dw/dj with a white band with critics' black+ gilt lettered reviews and continuation of Islamic design from front.Negligible shelf-wear to edges and corners – no nicks,tears or splits present.Top+fore-edges bright crisp and clean without foxing/spotting; contents bright,tight,clean,solid and sound – no dog-ear reading creases to any pages' corner tips – appears unread,apart from my own collation. Publisher's bright,crisp and clean/unblemished,sharp-cornered,original plain black cloth boards with bright, crisp,blocked gilt capitalised lettering to spine/backstrip,and immaculate,repeated b/w illustration reproduction of released and returned European slaves' parade.UK,8vo HB+dw/dj,illustrated,1st edn,xi-xivpp+1-316pp [paginated] includes an Illustrations llist/table,Acknowledgements,a Prologue2 chapters and an Epilogue,8pp contemporary facsimile b/w illustration reproductions between pp78/79 and 8pp of more contempraneous b/w illustration reproductions and modern b/w photographs between pp222/223 respectively,Notes and Sources,an Index,Picture credits; plus [unpaginted] half-title with author's other titles to its verso,a title page,a dedication,epigrams - extract of 'Rule Britannia' and extract of early 18thC British slave's account,a Contents list/table,a b/w map Morocco in the 18thC,a double-page b/w map of the Mediterranean,and to the rear,2pp blanks as last pages. Visually the exterior appearance is exceptional and particularly internally,is also in an exceptional condition/state of preservation and presentation for a book of its 20 year-old age.It really is an exceptional, exemplary example for its cleanliness,brightness and lack of detracting faults. In the summer of 1716, a Cornish cabin boy named Thomas Pellow and fifty-one of his comrades were captured at sea by the Barbary corsairs. Their captors - Captain Ali Hakem and his network of fanatical Islamic slave traders - had declared war on the whole of Christendom. France, Spain and Italy had been hit in repeated raids. England's coastal villages had also suffered a series of devastating attacks.Thousands of Europeans had been snatched from their homes and taken in chains to the great slave markets of Algiers, Tunis and Sale in Morocco.Poked, prodded and put through their paces, they were sold at auction to the highest bidder. Pellow and his ship-mates were bought by the tyrannical sultan of Morocco, Moulay Ismail, who bragged that his white slaves enabled him to hold all of Europe to ransom.The sultan was constructing an imperial pleasure palace of such scale and grandeur that it would surpass every other building in the world, built entirely by Christian slave labour. Thomas Pellow was resourceful, resilient and quick-thinking, and was selected by Moulay Ismail for special treatment.As a personal slave of the sultan, he would witness first-hand the barbaric splendour of the imperial Moroccan court, as well as experience daily terror.For twenty-three years, he would dream of his home, his family and freedom.He was one of the fortunate few who survived to tell his tale. 'White Gold' is an extraordinary and shocking story. Drawn from unpublished letters and manuscripts written by slaves,and by the padres and ambassadors sent to free them,it reveals a disturbing and forgotten chapter of history. Please contact seller,because of the value of this item, for correct,insured shipping/P+p quotes - particularly ALL overseas customers - BEFORE ordering through the order page! N.B. ALL buyers please note,stocks' actual shipping/P+p costs are adjusted and any difference is refunded,after order's receipt and before the order's despatch,especially if the item(s) are offered either P+p included/FREE. ** N.B. US/Canada customers please be aware: Standard AIRMAIL postage from UK to these destinations can now cost more than the price of the book! If speed is not of the essence,then Economy rate is recommended - at approx. anything from a 1/3rd to 1/2 of the standard US AIR quote/rate - sometimes arriving sooner than the 42 days - but not always. **