Incomparable World

By S. I. Martin, S.I. Martin, Steven Martin

Book Overview

In the years just after the American Revolution, London was the unlikely refuge for thousands of black Americans who had fought for the British in exchange for a promise of freedom. Incomparable World is their story, an unconventional debut novel that follows the adventures of three African Americans who have escaped their master's lash only to find themselves outcast once again-but this time on the harsh streets of London's West End. After the British defeat, Buckram, Georgie George, and William Supple sail to London, preferring to attempt a new life there than face possible recapture and a return to slavery. Penniless, without any prospects for employment, and treated as outsiders by British society, they are forced into a life of hustling and petty crime. Their only hope for escape, Georgie George manages to convince them, is an outrageous robbery that would make them rich beyond their wildest dreams. Full of vivid prose and accurate period detail, Incomparable World is a rich historical thriller that reveals a forgotten chapter of American history.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 080761436X
• ISBN13: 9780807614365
• Release Date: August 1998
• Publisher: George Braziller
• Length: 213 Pages
• Weight: 0.31 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.8" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

A gripping and original novel

I greatly enjoyed "Incomparable World", with its vivid picture of eighteenth-century London. I won't soon forget its accurate and frightening description of the casual daily violence in its streets, and its equally accurate description of the many cultures that lived together.

Fantastic Look at Life of Free Blacks in 18th Century U.K.

My wife and I love going to London each year. But as an African American, I had always been perplexed by my fascination with, and attraction to, this place. After all, my family is from the Tidewater area of southeastern Virginia, where black slaves first landed in 1619. What affinity then could I possibly have with a country that held the greatest market share in trafficking of the souls and flesh of my African ancestors?S. I. Martin's Incomparable World has put it all in perspective. I was at the same time skeptical and intrigued when the first chapter began with black people kicking back in a pub in London in 1786. I then became rivited and entirely engrossed in the book when the characters recounted their experiences as soldiers in the British army during the Revolutionary War - running across the corn fields of the plantations where my ancestors lived. I then realized the bond we African Americans share with our Londoner brothers and sisters thanks to S. I. Martin! The ensuing chapters then beautifully entwine your mind with a great story and adventure, and is truly enjoyable.My thanks to my friend Gary Lee at The Washington Post who gave me a copy of the book and who has met the author.

As stunning achievement, beautifully written

Author S.I. Martin mines a vein that has been largely ignored: black slaves in America who fought for the king in exchange for freedom and transport to Jamaica, Nova Scotia and England. Set in regency London, this story paints a vivid and moving picture of life among the destitute and, ergo, the desperate during this era. It is a powerful, evocative story of the resilience of the human spirit among violence and suffering so great yet so routine that nothing shocks. A wonderful book from a hugely talented new author.