The Man Who Stole Himself

The Slave Odyssey of Hans Jonathan

Nonfiction, History, Scandinavia, Biography & Memoir, Historical
Cover of the book The Man Who Stole Himself by Gisli Palsson, University of Chicago Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Gisli Palsson ISBN: 9780226313313
Publisher: University of Chicago Press Publication: September 16, 2016
Imprint: University of Chicago Press Language: English
Author: Gisli Palsson
ISBN: 9780226313313
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Publication: September 16, 2016
Imprint: University of Chicago Press
Language: English

The island nation of Iceland is known for many things—majestic landscapes, volcanic eruptions, distinctive seafood—but racial diversity is not one of them. So the little-known story of Hans Jonathan, a free black man who lived and raised a family in early nineteenth-century Iceland, is improbable and compelling, the stuff of novels.
            In The Man Who Stole Himself, Gisli Palsson lays out the story of Hans Jonathan (also known as Hans Jónatan) in stunning detail. Born into slavery in St. Croix in 1784, Hans was taken as a slave to Denmark, where he eventually enlisted in the navy and fought on behalf of the country in the 1801 Battle of Copenhagen. After the war, he declared himself a free man, believing that he was due freedom not only because of his patriotic service, but because while slavery remained legal in the colonies, it was outlawed in Denmark itself. He thus became the subject of one of the most notorious slavery cases in European history, which he lost. Then Hans ran away—never to be heard from in Denmark again, his fate unknown for more than two hundred years. It’s now known that Hans fled to Iceland, where he became a merchant and peasant farmer, married, and raised two children. Today, he has become something of an Icelandic icon, claimed as a proud and daring ancestor both there and among his descendants in America.
            The Man Who Stole Himself brilliantly intertwines Hans Jonathan’s adventurous travels with a portrait of the Danish slave trade, legal arguments over slavery, and the state of nineteenth-century race relations in the Northern Atlantic world. Throughout the book, Palsson traces themes of imperial dreams, colonialism, human rights, and globalization, which all come together in the life of a single, remarkable man. Hans literally led a life like no other. His is the story of a man who had the temerity—the courage—to steal himself.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The island nation of Iceland is known for many things—majestic landscapes, volcanic eruptions, distinctive seafood—but racial diversity is not one of them. So the little-known story of Hans Jonathan, a free black man who lived and raised a family in early nineteenth-century Iceland, is improbable and compelling, the stuff of novels.
            In The Man Who Stole Himself, Gisli Palsson lays out the story of Hans Jonathan (also known as Hans Jónatan) in stunning detail. Born into slavery in St. Croix in 1784, Hans was taken as a slave to Denmark, where he eventually enlisted in the navy and fought on behalf of the country in the 1801 Battle of Copenhagen. After the war, he declared himself a free man, believing that he was due freedom not only because of his patriotic service, but because while slavery remained legal in the colonies, it was outlawed in Denmark itself. He thus became the subject of one of the most notorious slavery cases in European history, which he lost. Then Hans ran away—never to be heard from in Denmark again, his fate unknown for more than two hundred years. It’s now known that Hans fled to Iceland, where he became a merchant and peasant farmer, married, and raised two children. Today, he has become something of an Icelandic icon, claimed as a proud and daring ancestor both there and among his descendants in America.
            The Man Who Stole Himself brilliantly intertwines Hans Jonathan’s adventurous travels with a portrait of the Danish slave trade, legal arguments over slavery, and the state of nineteenth-century race relations in the Northern Atlantic world. Throughout the book, Palsson traces themes of imperial dreams, colonialism, human rights, and globalization, which all come together in the life of a single, remarkable man. Hans literally led a life like no other. His is the story of a man who had the temerity—the courage—to steal himself.

More books from University of Chicago Press

Cover of the book African Successes, Volume I by Gisli Palsson
Cover of the book Thirty Years of Phoenix Poets, 1983 to 2012 by Gisli Palsson
Cover of the book Culture and Practical Reason by Gisli Palsson
Cover of the book Eating the Enlightenment by Gisli Palsson
Cover of the book Forgive and Remember by Gisli Palsson
Cover of the book Judicial Reputation by Gisli Palsson
Cover of the book The Scientific Journal by Gisli Palsson
Cover of the book Violent Sensations by Gisli Palsson
Cover of the book The Death Penalty, Volume II by Gisli Palsson
Cover of the book The Chicago Guide to Writing about Numbers, Second Edition by Gisli Palsson
Cover of the book Serengeti IV by Gisli Palsson
Cover of the book The Mosaic Constitution by Gisli Palsson
Cover of the book Talk of Love by Gisli Palsson
Cover of the book Blackface Nation by Gisli Palsson
Cover of the book More Than a Feeling by Gisli Palsson
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy