{"product_id":"the-zorg","title":"Siddarth Kara: The Zorg [2026]","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'A horrific tale of the slave trade, destined to become a classic' \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e* PEN Literary Award Finalist 2026\u003cbr\u003e* New York Times \u003c\/i\u003e100 Notable Books of 2025\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e* Time's 100 Must Read Books \u003c\/i\u003eof 2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e* The New Yorker \u003c\/i\u003e12 Essential Non-Fiction Reads 2025\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom the author of \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling and Pulitzer Prize Finalist \u003ci\u003eCobalt Red\u003c\/i\u003e, discover the shocking true story and riveting account of the 18th century slave ship whose journey from the high seas to the High Court sparked the human rights campaign to end the slave trade. Perfect for fans of David Grann's \u003ci\u003eThe Wager\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Wide, Wide Sea\u003c\/i\u003e by Hampton Sides.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn 1781, the \u003ci\u003eZorg\u003c\/i\u003e set off from the Netherlands to buy slaves in West Africa to sell in the Caribbean. By the time its journey ended, the \u003ci\u003eZorg \u003c\/i\u003ebecame the first undeniable argument against slavery.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen a series of unpredictable weather events and navigational errors led to the \u003ci\u003eZorg\u003c\/i\u003e sailing off course and running low on supplies, the crew's solution was to throw more than a hundred slaves overboard in order to save themselves and the most valuable slaves. The ship's owners then claimed their loss on insurance.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe insurers refused to pay the claim due to the unusually high mortality rate of the slaves on board, leading to a trial which initially found in favour of the ship's owners, with the slaves equated to horses with a compensation value of GBP30 per slave. Due to the outrage of one man present in court that day who wrote an anonymous letter to the press objecting to the result, a retrial was held.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor the first time, concepts such as human rights and morality entered the discourse on slavery in a courtroom case that boiled down to a simple yet profound question: Were the Africans on board people or cargo?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn this riveting book, bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize finalist Siddharth Kara brings the true horror of the Atlantic slave trade to life.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe case catapulted the emerging anti-slavery movement to one of the most consequential moral campaigns that changed the course of history.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Kara, Siddarth","offers":[{"title":"New","offer_id":53625492734291,"sku":"9781804997925","price":10.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0616\/4001\/6057\/files\/kara-siddarth-siddarth-kara-the-zorg-2026-9781804997925-1235115532.jpg?v=1777761611","url":"https:\/\/chaptersbookstore.com\/products\/the-zorg","provider":"Chapters Bookstore","version":"1.0","type":"link"}