ePub The Atlantic Sound by Caryl Phillips in History

Review

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. A RemembranceBy Darrell TurnerI became of aware of Caryl Phillips after reading 'A Distant Shore'. 'The Atlantic Sound' is part of a reading list I have concerning memoirs and autobiographies. I was more prepared for a travel book than a book dealing with history; culture and politics. Phillips covers all these topics but in a way that leaves one with the feeling he is looking at these events from a nearby distance. The voice is there but never quite part of the action. His accounts of the Pan African movement; the Hebrew Israelites and others evokes strong feelings and memories for those who grew up during the 1960's and 1970's.This is a great read!1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. The damnable triangle...By John P. Jones III"Free trade" and "globalization"; have at least one most unsavory antecedent: the "slave trade." It flourished for a couple hundred years; and was eventually outlawed in progressive stages in the 19th century. Adam Smith wrote his The Wealth of Nations in the middle of this period. It is relevant and appropriate to speak of "comparative advantage" when the product is Portuguese wine; or Javanese cloves. Many of us though grow a bit more squeamish when such economic concepts are rather harshly applied to humans; and; in particular; when that "Holy Grail" of all too many CEO's is achieved: driving the cost of labor to almost zero; thereby truly enhancing "shareholder value."Caryl Phillips is a product of the slave trade. He doesn't say; and perhaps does not know; all the steps that led him to become an Englishman. At the beginning of the book; he does identify one of the last steps; when he was carried to England; as "hand luggage;" on a boat; from the Caribbean; after the Second World War. This was when England claimed it had a "labor shortage;" at least for jobs that were determined to be "low-paying;" and invited the "colonials" to fill the gap. So Phillips saw fit to commence his journey "around the triangle" by literally taking a banana boat from the Caribbean to England; which provides a suitable prologue for his rather insightful and sardonic view of many of his fellow humans; particularly those who find travel by a banana boat appealing; or necessary.Most of the book is composed of three chapters; one each for the vertices of the triangle: Liverpool; the "Gold Coast" (Ghana); and Charleston; SC. Liverpool; as Phillips remarks; has been in terminal decline since the end of the slave trade. It was once the most prosperous city in England; with numerous magnificent public buildings (that Phillips attempts to visit; with varying degrees of success); as well as stately Georgian mansions that have now been divided up into numerous flats for those aforementioned "colonials." Phillips notes that racism is more deeply rooted in Liverpool than elsewhere; with its soccer team being the last major English team to hire a black (and still; the bananas where thrown onto the pitch!) The "racism" even extends to the "old-line" black residents; who resent the newer arrivals.Phillips visits the old coastal forts in Ghana that were used to "store" the slaves; awaiting shipment to America. Throughout the book; Phillips presents biographies of individuals who were prominent during the slave trade period; or dealing with its aftermath. And thus; Phillips juxtaposes his present experiences with histories that were unknown; at least to me. In Liverpool; Phillips relates the experience of William Nath Ocansey; who was the son of a Gold Coast native; and trader; who found out that his Liverpool "partner" had cheated him out of his funds. In Ghana; it is Philip Quaque; who was the first black missionary "to his people." Also; in Ghana; the author relates the sad tale of Mohammed Mansour Nassirudeen; and his continual attempts to leave his native land; of "no opportunity;" for the "First World;" a tale which resonates so strongly with the ubiquitous desires to do the same; as related in Mark Weston's The Ringtone and the Drum: Travels in the World's Poorest Countries. Finally; Phillips' sardonic powers of observation culminate in his attendance at the in-gathering of "exiles" at the African Pan-fest. I would have criticized his observations as being too much like the patronizing ones of V.S. Naipaul; save for the fact that Phillips' are done on an "equal opportunity basis."Most of the "cargo" arrived at Charleston; SC; though; as Phillips notes from the Pan-fest; the ocean floor is covered in the bones of the slaves that did not make it. The author chose to highlight the effort of Federal Judge; J. Waties Waring; in the early `50's; to undue; in part; the legacy of slavery; by bringing to an end legal segregation; and the denial of rights to blacks. In one of the quirks and ironies of history; was one of the spurs to his efforts the rejection by Charleston "society" of his second wife; a Yankee divorcee?As an epilogue; Phillips relates how some Blacks converted to Judaism; and "return" to their "home" in the Negev desert. Although "home;" they are literally stateless; since the State of Israel; while providing them rudimentary shelter; does not recognize their form of Judaism.Phillips is an excellent; knowledgeable writer; with strong insights into the human condition. This book deserves a wider readership. 5-stars; plus.6 of 6 people found the following review helpful. Unexpected tone; aim and even subject matter. It's excellentBy CodyforOrangeI picked this book up in the library probably because of its alluring cover image and title; I'll admit it. And I was prepared to even enjoy what I thought was coming: an intellectual travel book of the Paul Theroux ilk; with perhaps the added sarcasm and chip on the shoulder due any returing British colonial.It was; however; immediately more interesting and engrossing than any of those books Mr. Theroux has written; and it had even more honesty than Maya Angelou's book about coming to Africa; "All God's Children Need Traveling Shoes." For a long time I was not sure if it was meant to be novel or not. It was acertainly a novel idea; to make such trips; one after the other; in the time that one would need to see the places one was visiting (although I get the feeling that he might have strayed further afield in Africa than he did. There is an element of depression at times that was perhaps strongest in Africa; that kept some of his questions from being asked; so that he decided to move on and end any meandering reflection.) He was always interested in takling to people of the places he visited; but not to justify or romanticize about some book-learned image of the place. He aims more to appreciate what the possibilities of the places he visits are now; and then more importantly; what people there feel their history to be.It is almost as if he goes to visit a relative in each place; (although he never does this) and in the process was not recognised as a visitor or tourist (was not recognised as anything; perhaps; something that helped lend the novel air to the book; and an interesting element of his reflection. I guess it is based upon the narrator's (and author's; I suppose) African heritage; colonial experience; and English mother tongue; despite his never having lived in America; Britain; or Africa.)I recomend this book as history and even as a novel. I Guess it is a new sort of book for this age; frank and real and yet also curiously fictitious. It is hard to put down. I look forward to reading it again.