# Predator of the Seas: A History of the Slaveship That Fought for Emancipation - Hardcover

by **Stephen Taylor** (Author)

**The dramatic biography of a slaveship turned freedom-fighter--which brings new insights into Britain's involvement in the end of the trade in enslaved people**

In 1827 the Royal Navy purchased a Baltimore clipper and renamed her the _Black Joke_. Assigned to the Preventative Squadron, she patrolled the west coast of Africa and freed 3,692 captives from enslavement. Beloved by seafarers and celebrated by the public, the _Black Joke_ would become the most famous weapon in the campaign for abolition.

But in her previous life as the _Henriqueta_, the _Black Joke_ had been a slave ship.

Through the experiences of slavers and abolitionists, captives and crew, Stephen Taylor charts the vessel's extraordinary double life. As the _Henriqueta_ she operated as an engine of atrocity, trafficking over 3,000 captives to plantations in Brazil. But subsequently manned by British seamen and Liberian Kru, the _Black Joke_ became the scourge of Spanish and Brazilian slavers. She did so despite limited resources, neglect, and even obstruction by the authorities at home.

Taylor offers a gripping account of the world of the transatlantic trade, through the eyes of its perpetrators--and those who sought its end.  

### Author Biography

**Stephen Taylor** is a writer of maritime history, biography, and travel. He has worked as a foreign correspondent for _The Times_, _The Observer_, and _The Economist_, and is the author of _Storm and Conquest_, _Commander_, and _Sons of the Waves_.

**Number of Pages:** 368

**Dimensions:** 1.5 x 8.8 x 5.9 IN

**Publication Date:** September 24, 2024

## Details

- **Price:** 35.0 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 35.00 USD | In stock |

## Images

- Predator of the Seas: A History of the Slaveship That Fought for Emancipation - Hardcover

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> Updated: 2026-07-23