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W.

W. Empire pod UK.com. Every man knows that slavery is a curse, whoever denies this, his lips liable his heart.

So that's a quote from someone called Theodore Dwight Weld. He's a prominent American abolitionist

from the 19th century and it outlines the horrors of slavery,

American slavery, the transatlantic slave trade. That's something we're going to come

on to a bit later in this series, but today in this our first episode of the new series on slavery, we're going to focus

on slavery at the very beginnings of human existence.

And we've got a very special guest, haven't we, William?

Oh, so exciting. This is my fan boy moment. I spent my Christmas holidays reading David Wenggrows,

wonderful orange Bible as it's known in my family now,

because he's carried around with me all over the Christmas hole,

the dawn of everything, a new history of humanity,

which David published last year, tragically, just immediately after the death of his co-author David Graber.

And the book got astonishing reviews around the world.

It's one of the most successful non-fiction books to come out of this

country in America propelling the two David's into the top of the bestseller list with extraordinary

coverage across the globe and we're very very lucky to have David here.

I mean that's that's what he's saying to your face behind your back.

He's been sending me pictures of your billboards going, oh bloody hell he's got another

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