x-book ®

Mr Atkinson’s Rum Contract

Get in the xigxag app
Already purchased

Click to open directly in the xigxag app.

This book is not purchasable in your country. Please select another book. Pre-order Buy Now £{{ price }} Send as a gift
How does xigxag pricing work?

Listen to a sample

What to expect

Shortlisted for the RSL Christopher Bland Prize 2021

‘Rarely has family history been so vivid’ JENNY UGLOW

‘An extraordinarily original work’ AMANDA FOREMAN

Like many well-to-do Georgian families, the Atkinsons’ wealth was acquired at a terrible cost, through the labour and lives of enslaved Africans. Drawing on his ancestors’ private correspondence, Richard Atkinson pieces together their unsettling story, from the weather-beaten house in Cumbria where they once lived to the ruins of their sugar estates in Jamaica. This extraordinarily original work of detective biography is also a uniquely personal account of one of the most disturbing chapters in Britain’s colonial past.

Critics Review

‘Fascinating… Not only a minute examination of a family’s rise and fall, but a ringside view of the Caribbean slave trade and an impeccable guide to the legal and financial world of the Enlightenment… This is an epic tale, but it is moreover an epic piece of research… My guess is that many readers will now find themselves inspired to unlock their own time capsules and slip into another century’ Frances Wilson, Guardian

‘A towering achievement, founded on painstaking research, written with elegance and elan, salted with humour and shot-through with intelligent warmth and compassion’ Monica Ali

‘Enthralling… Full of drama, surprises, twists and turns. There are wars, sudden bankruptcies, doomed love affairs, tragic early deaths and bitter family feuds, all involving a cast of Atkinsons brilliantly brought to life… The surprises continue until the very last page’ Matthew Parker, Literary Review

‘An engaging tour de force of genealogical research… This fascinating personal family story is also the story of a colonial English past of which none of us should be proud, but of which all of us should be aware’ Brian Viner, Daily Mail

‘Remarkable… A three-dimensional portrait, not just of Richard Atkinson MP but his world – nefarious, buccaneering, amoral, but also containing a genuine love story… Family history can become an obsession and often a bore. But in this case it has produced gold. Love, adventure, skulduggery, moral outrage – what a story’ Clive Aslet, The Spectator

More from the same

Narrator

About xigxag and the x-book®

Enjoy the best audiobooks on xigxag, an innovative, user-friendly audiobook platform that makes it easy to find, purchase, and enjoy your favorite books in audio format. xigxag’s flexible pricing model offers bestselling audiobooks for less – affordable prices and the best audiobook deals with no subscription required.  Give the perfect gift with our audiobook gift cards and in-app audiobook gifting options

 

xigxag’s groundbreaking listen-and-read x-book® technology offers a truly immersive digital book experience.  Our technology combines the audiobook, text, and images into a brilliant integrated format, with exclusive audiobook features and a next-gen digital reading experience built in.  The x-book selection can be easily discovered by looking for the purple x-book ribbon, or filtering by x-book when searching for a book.

 

xigxag’s commitment to sustainability and ethical practices ensures a guilt-free listening experience from an exceptional digital book platform – an exciting alternative to big tech.  Enjoy audiobooks from the only B Corp certified UK audiobook service, a leader in audiobook innovation. Experience extraordinary customer service from their friendly UK support team.

 

Search effortlessly, read honest audiobook reviews evaluating both the book and the narration, and discover hidden gems.  Download or stream top audiobook titles anytime, anywhere and get the best possible listening experience on the UK’s best independent audiobook app.  Experience the future of audiobooks today.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Sign up to get tailored content recommendations, product updates and info on new releases. Your data is your own: we commit to protect your data and respect your privacy.