Mandingo

I read this book back in the 1970s or 80s, and decided to re-read it on my Kindle. Glad I did. Had forgotten much of the story over the years. Fascinating read about how some plantation owners went from cotton crops to crops of slaves when their land was all used up. Family life on an old plantation was such that not many knew much of what went on in the country, much less the world. Uneducated and ignorant to all else except their breeding of slaves and their own way of plantation life, even though the planters were supposedly "gentlemen born and bred" with wealth and power in their own regions. Their speech was not much better than the slaves they were raising for sale. Their morals were suspect at best, even if they claimed to be "good Christian white gentlemen and ladies". This book is a prime example of that depravity and less than Christian way of life. Slaves were nothing more than cattle to be fed and cared for so their value increased for later sale. Sad tales, and not for the feint of heart reader who knows nothing about slavery and its system.

A thought provoking book that illustrates the cruelty of slavery as well as its corrosive influence upon both slave and slave owner, the Kindle version is an abridgment of the original book. Nothing of serious import is lost, but the deleted scenes and descriptions were interesting to the story line. I first read this book in the early '60s and was immersed in the despair and poverty of even the "gentlemen" of the slave trade. The sheer hopelessness of the black lives caught in this evil culture is overwhelming to our modern sensibilities. Far from being a tribute to slavery, as many readers seem to think, this is a condemnation of a practice that never should have been countenanced by humanity.

I read this book many years ago and thought I would like to read it again, so I was pleased to see it had been reprinted. Unfortunately, it will be difficult to read due to the printing process. The letters are so inconsistently inked that many pages look like they were typed with a typewriter ribbon that was running out of ink...almost faded in appearance. Though the font size is small, it would be manageable if the letters were more legible. The Amazon sample is much more readable than the actual book. I certainly expected better from a $30 paperback. Such a disappointment. Wish I could post copies of some pages.

I read this book first as a kid. My parents should have been shot!The story is one of taboo sex in the Antebellum South. Master Hammond Maxwell, the young crippled master of Falconhurst and his ignorant alcoholic father, Warren raise slaves for the market. In the interim, Hammond casually rapes black women (a young white master's duty!) and producing 'suckers' or slave babies. But Hammond's mulatto children cannot be the heirs of the run-down Falcomhurst. So he 'marries up' with a cousin, Blanche, who turns out to specialize in incest and becomes an alcoholic.Meantime, Hammond buys a "fighting" Negro, Mede of pure Mandingo stock. The Maxwells then 'breed' Mede (who is unaware of this) to his mother and sister. Mede becomes a formidable fighter and along with the light skinned Ellen his "bed wench," Hammond's prize possessions. Trouble comes to Falconhurst as Blanche becomes increasingly jealous of Ellen and plots her revenge for Hammond's abandonment of her incestuous marriage bed.Written in the 50s, Kyle Onstott, is a bit ahead of the curve as he never really romanticizes the slave masters. He shows them in all of their cruelty, ignorance and greed. Most of the African American characters are equally disturbing, motivated by greed, a perverse sort of Puritan ethic, and ignorance. On the other hand, the true objective of this book is a lurid (well at the time) depictions of interracial sex. If you are looking for a real history of slavery, best look elsewhere. The prose in "Mandingo" is a bit turgid, and the plot often meandering, but it is a bit of a good read despite all of the flaws.

I read this book in my early twentys and I was very suprised that it was rereleased again and I am now 74 ! My sister who is 12 years younger than me just admitted to me that she used sneak into my room after I went to work and read my Mandingo Books when I was not home that schocked me ! I would probable read the whole series if you rereleased them.

Just recently watched the movie and was so impressed. I decided to go back and read book. The book was great. Master Hammond and his father were crazy.

Unreadable. The type looks like it was photocopied - faint and uneven.

Been looking for this book, for years! Remember reading it, about 40 years ago. Never owned the book, Tickled pink with it

Best book ever written of the life in the deep South in America , the Falconhurst series are frilly written .

Was acceptable in the day I suppose but hard to read about such dreadful treatment of fellow human beings in this day and age. Would rather not have bought this book.

Still a thrilling read now as when I read it 30 years ago. Slavery was very cruel to black people, who weren’t treated as well as animals. The end is barbaric and cruel but no doubt reflects the reality of that period.

I hope there is more to come by this auther.I used to read these sort of books in the 70s not been able to find any of these books.like master of falcon Hurst am sure managing was the first book I read.

An amazing book. Although very harrowing