But the sugar barons are by no means all repellent. Parker concentrates on three families in particular: the Draxes, the Codringtons and the Beckfords. They were all self-made, arrived at the start, and became fabulously wealthy (indeed, around 1800, the Beckfords produced Britain’s first commoner millionaire). Unsurprisingly, they all had their moments of monstrosity but there were also moments of enlightenment (like William Codrington’s will of 1703, leaving a vast fortune for the education of slaves). But what’s most striking of all is their ordinariness. Parker’s exhaustive research reveals them to have been savvy businessmen but not much more. Indeed, their legacy would consist of wealth but little else (except pineapples on gateposts, a West Indian sign of welcome). They aren’t ogres, just products of their time.

And that’s perhaps the genius of this book, shedding light on the moral climate of that age. After all, it’s an intriguing question: how did Britain, for so long, not only tolerate but support an industry that was so much at odds with its supposedly Christian values? Parker brings huge understanding to this subject. Of course, greed and opportunity played their part. But he also portrays a morally disorientated society. For much of the period between 1640 and 1800, even the most enlightened Englishmen (including the Quakers) were simply unable to compass the evil of slavery. This is partly because the lives of most Englishmen were themselves characterised by brutality, poverty and ignorance.

This is a magnificent account of a bleak and torrid era, told with great humanity and even some much needed humour. Parker’s descriptions of West Indian life are not only beautifully crafted but full of surprises. What’s more, his accounts of tropical combat are utterly compelling (in particular, Cromwell’s savage invasion of Jamaica in 1655, with an army comprised of the ‘scum of scums’). As a portrait of the heat, horror and vanity of that time, The Sugar Barons is surely without equal.

Blackwell Bookshop

Purchase your copy here, 10% off RRP