The Zong

James Walvin's book examines the 1781 Zong massacre, where over 130 enslaved Africans were thrown overboard by the crew of the British slave ship Zong due to navigational errors and water shortages.

It details the voyage, the insurance lawsuit brought by the owners—not for murder but for lost cargo—and how the case galvanized British antislavery sentiment, influencing the end of the slave trade.