Gisli Palsson is professor of anthropology at the University of Iceland. He is the author, editor, or coeditor of many books.
"Some books captivate. . . . Gisli Palsson's masterful tale of Hans
Jonathan's odyssey (1784-1827) is one of them. . . . It is a
fascinating story - not least because, as Palsson makes clear in
the introduction, it is the story of imperialism, colonialism,
racism, human rights, and globalism squeezed into one extraordinary
life. . . . This book is innovative in both form and content and is
also broadly encompassing. It makes absolute sense to use it in
teaching a wide range of subjects at both the bachelor's and
master's level (anthropology, sociology, history, area studies on
subjects dealing with everything from colonialism and migration to
anthropological dissemination and scientific theory), but is
certainly also a good read for anyone with an interest in an
unusual, well-told family story."
-- "Tidsskriftet Antropologi (Translated from Danish)"
"A welcome addition to the use of biography in anthropology and for
its contribution to our understanding of slavery."-- "Journal of
the Royal Anthropological Institute"
"If you're a history buff, this incredible story of an escaped
slave will enthrall you. . . . The Man Who Stole Himself is an
amazing story about how one lucky man used his wit and education to
escape slavery, but it's also about how people in small Icelandic
communities understood race at a time when none of them had met
anyone of African ancestry before. It's simply riveting."-- "Ars
Technica"
"There can be no doubt that Palsson has with this fine monograph
rendered a great service."-- "American Ethnologist"
"The Man Who Stole Himself is absorbing and captivating. Palsson
engagingly assembles and thoughtfully narrates the biography of
Hans Jonathan, who was born into slavery on St. Croix, came of age
enslaved in Denmark, and claimed his freedom in Iceland. Palsson
offers up a meditation on slavery and race--past and
present--thoughtfully raising complex issues involving race,
memory, and family. Palsson does not offer easy answers either;
rather, he pushes readers to ponder through these issues on their
own. A beautifully written and accessible book."-- "Terri L.
Snyder, author of The Power to Die: Slavery and Suicide in British
North America"
"More than simply a captivating biography, Palsson's book explores
the many worlds that Jonathan navigated. . . . The Man Who Stole
Himself is a welcome addition to the literature on race and slavery
in the Atlantic World. Accessible and engaging, this book will
appeal to historians, anthropologists, and graduate students
working in the histories of race, slavery, colonialism,
imperialism, and their legacies in the modern world."-- "The
American Historical Review"
"With wondrous sleuthing, Palsson has recreated the life of a
runaway slave, whose story lay hidden for centuries in the memories
of an Icelandic family. Hans Jonathan, born to a slave mother in
St. Croix and transported to Copenhagen as a boy, escaped in
secrecy to Iceland. There he lived as tradesman, farmer, and
married man. Palsson paints vividly the multiple worlds that Hans
Jonathan saw--from vindictive slave-owners to folks willing to
challenge the doctrines of race. A gripping read, The Man Who Stole
Himself shows the powerful resonance that slavery and freedom have
for our own time."-- "Natalie Zemon Davis, author of The Return of
Martin Guerre"
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