The Empire of Necessity: Slavery, Freedom, and Deception in the New World
Deception: The Empire of Necessity is Greg Grandin’s history of a 1805 slave rebellion aboard a Spanish ship and its wider connections to slavery, freedom, and the Americas. The Kindle edition presents the incident as a lens on the Age of Revolution and the early nineteenth-century New World.
At a glance
- Centers on an 1805 rebellion aboard a Spanish ship near a remote South Pacific island.
- Connects the incident to slavery, freedom, and transnational history in the Americas.
- The listing says the events inspired Herman Melville’s Benito Cereno.
Reference price: $23.99
Price checked: Nov 13, 2026
View offerAhead of Black FridayExplore the selectionPros and cons
Pros
- Uses a specific, dramatic historical event to frame broader themes of slavery and freedom.
- The Kindle listing includes Screen Reader support, enhanced typesetting, X-Ray, Word Wise, and Page Flip.
Technical specifications
12 specifications| Publisher | Metropolitan Books |
|---|---|
| Publication date | January 14, 2014 |
| Edition | First |
| Language | English |
| Print length | 380 pages |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1429943178 |
| File size | 7.4 MB |
|---|---|
| Screen Reader | Supported |
| Enhanced typesetting | Enabled |
| X-Ray | Enabled |
| Word Wise | Enabled |
| Page Flip | Enabled |
Who is it for?
A good fit for
- Readers interested in slavery, emancipation, and the history of the Americas.
- Readers looking for an event-centered account that links South American history with wider Atlantic and transnational contexts.
Less suited to
- Readers seeking fiction or a narrowly focused account limited to the shipboard incident.
Customer reviews on Amazon
- 5 stars
67% 67% - 4 stars
21% 21% - 3 stars
8% 8% - 2 stars
3% 3% - 1 star
1% 1%
Customer feedback describes the book as informative and meticulously researched, with favorable remarks about its writing and historical context. Some readers find the account thriller-like, while others disagree, and the story and readability draw mixed reactions. For readers seeking a broad historical interpretation around a dramatic incident, those differing views suggest the narrative style may not suit everyone.
Positive themes
- Customers praise the research, informative content, writing, and historical context.
Mixed feedback
- Reactions differ on whether the book reads like a thriller, and feedback on the story is mixed.
Frequently asked questions
What event is at the center of the book?
It focuses on a 1805 revolt by West Africans aboard a Spanish ship, as described in the listing.
What broader subjects does the book address?
The listing presents the incident as a way to explore slavery, freedom, and the history of the Americas during and beyond the Age of Revolution.
What Kindle reading features are listed?
Screen Reader support, enhanced typesetting, X-Ray, Word Wise, and Page Flip are listed as enabled or supported.
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