The Slave Route: From Africa to America

Of all institutions, common to all societies throughout human history, slavery is the only constant. It would not be wildly inaccurate to suggest that well over 90% of all humanity has been subjected to slavery of some description. In one form or another, the institution has been the basis of human progression. For example, slaves built the Egyptian pyramids, as they did the Mayan and Aztec pyramids in the Americas; the Golden Years of Greece and Rome were the result of slavery; slaves built the Parthenon. Today through China, India, Africa, the Middle East, Eurasia, the Americas and Indonesia - through varying degrees of indentured labour - slavery continues to underpin our lives, and what we consume.

The Slave Route is an entertaining account of one man s journey through distant lands. Artist Harry Holcroft visits over twenty countries across Africa and America as he retraces the path of the ancient slave routes, adopting the various historical means of travel along the way. An enthusiastic storyteller, Holcroft s diary conveys the idiosyncratic charm of these exotic lands and a unique collection of over 100 paintings and sketches capture the haunting atmosphere of some of the world s most evocative places.