The Zorg

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Brought to you by Penguin.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Cobalt Red, discover the incredible true story and page-turning account of the 18th century slave ship, often known as the Zong yet actually named the Zorg, that sparked the human rights campaign to end the slave trade. Perfect for fans of David Grann’s The Wager and The Wide, Wide Sea by Hampton Sides.

In 1781, the Zorg set off from The Netherlands to West Africa and from there onto the Caribbean. The fateful voyage would alter the course of history forever.

By the time its journey ends, the Zorg would become the first undeniable argument against slavery.

When a series of unpredictable weather events and navigational errors led to the Zorg sailing off course and running low on supplies, the ship's captain threw more than a hundred slaves overboard in order to save the crew and the most valuable slaves. The ship's owners then claimed their loss on insurance, a first for slaves who had not been killed due to insurrection or died of natural causes.

The insurers refused to pay due to the higher than usual mortality rate of the slaves on board, leading to a trial which initially found in their favour, in which Chief Justice Mansfield compared the slaves to horses. Thanks to the outrage of one man present in court that day, a retrial was held. For the first time, concepts such as human rights and morality entered the discourse on slavery in a courtroom case that boiled down to a simple yet profound question: Were the Africans on board people or cargo?

In his riveting new book, bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize finalist Siddharth Kara brings history to life, showcasing how the Zorg’s fateful voyage exposed the harsh reality of the slave trade.

The case catapulted the emerging anti-slavery movement to one of the most consequential moral campaigns that changed the course of history.

The Zorg is the astonishing yet little-known true story of one of the most consequential ships that ever crossed the Atlantic.

‘Remarkable, riveting’, Adam Hochschild, historian and bestselling author of King Leopold's Ghost and Bury the Chains

© Siddharth Kara 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025

Critics Review

A compelling, meticulously researched tale told with compassion and clarity, The Zorg reveals the horrors of the Atlantic slave trade and the humanity that led to its demise.
Hallie Rubenhold, author of The Five and Story of a Murder
Siddharth Kara has uncovered a story of profound historical and moral importance. The Zorg shines a piercing light on one of the darkest chapters of human history, tracing the harrowing voyage that forced courts and society to confront the fundamental question of whether enslaved Africans were human beings or mere cargo. By unearthing new material and bringing it vividly to life, Kara reminds us that the fight for justice, dignity, and human rights is never won once and for all but must be defended in every generation. This is an essential and powerful book.
Cherie Blair CBE KC
This remarkable, riveting book about a famous event of nearly two and a half centuries ago finds a raft of new information that generations of historians (myself included) have missed. And the episode involved was not just one more atrocity onboard a slave ship at sea; it was the spark that helped ignite the greatest human rights movement of all time.
Adam Hochschild, author of King Leopold's Ghost, Bury the Chains, and American Midnight
The history at the heart of The Zorg is urgent, unflinching, and utterly essential. Siddharth Kara brings overdue attention to stories that demand to be known.
Anthony Delaney, author of Queer Georgians
This enthralling and elegant history … is both a harrowing glimpse of slavery’s horrors and an incisive investigation into one of history’s most reviled crimes.
Publishers Weekly Starred Review
Mass murder aboard a slave transport, half-forgotten today but an iconic event...A vivid historical footnote, but also a milestone.
Kirkus Reviews

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