From the author of the widely acclaimed King Leopold"s Ghost
comes the taut, gripping account of the world"s first grass-roots
human rights movement—the fight to free the British Empire"s slaves.
In early 1787, twelve men—a printer, a lawyer, a clergyman, and others
united by their hatred of slavery—came together in a London printing
shop and, combining fiery devotion with cool practicality, began one
of the most brilliantly organized campaigns of all time. Masterfully
stoking public opinion, the movement"s leaders pioneered a variety
of techniques used by citizens" movements ever since, from consumer
boycotts to posters and lapel buttons to celebrity endorsements. A deft
account of the precipitous rise of this popular crusade and its fierce,
powerful enemies, Bury the Chains delivers all the drama, sweep, and
surprise of Hochschild"s previous histories.