Read & Co. History presents this brand new edition of The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African , an autobiography published in 1798. Equiano (c. 1745-1797) was an African writer and abolitionist, who was taken into slavery as a child and transported to the British colony of Virginia. This personal account depicts the narrative of Equiano’s life during his years as a slave: from being purchased as a valet to a Royal Navy Lieutenant and his consequent journeys at sea; to being taught to read and write in Britain; and then his placement with Robert King, the wealthy trader who would eventually allow him to buy his freedom. Equiano’s memoirs were published 22 years after his release, once he had settled in London and became involved in the abolitionist movement. The work is one of the earliest published by a black African author, and achieved far-reaching popularity and critical acclaim, ultimately contributing to the passing of the British Slave Trade Act of 1807.