Mandingo Paperback – June 16, 2016

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.

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.

I’d give it 3 1/2, perhaps, because it IS the censored, abridged version. (Which I didn’t realize). The story is BASICALLY the same, except for the 200 or so pages of Hammond’s (the main character) travels, and the unusual to say the least people he meets, and sometimes stays with overnight. However, cutting those parts out also takes away a lot of what he thinks about, and his often baffled thoughts about them. You know his character much better with them. And imo makes the book more interesting, colorful. The censoring part, is whatever, it is pretty salacious, and is fine without including it, imo. I’m not sure if there’s an even/or version. I have a copy of the original 1957, so I know what is taken out. If you want the whole book, get the 660 page. Not for the kiddos to learn about the antebellum south! Trashy Pulp fiction, for sure. But like another reviewer who didn’t even like it said, “I finished it, still not sure why”. It IS compelling, you need to know what happens.

Looked for this book for thirty years. Finally, I got to finish reading it. Thoroughly enjoyable perusing the life in the South, prior to the Civil war. Another time, completely irrelevant of the present.

I was very pleased with the response of this seller. I would rate the seller a five out of five stars. I have not finished reading this book as yet. Bought it for my son to do a book review. I am sure it will be just fine. But just wanted others to know that if they need a book, please use this seller because the service is excellent and this seller is extremely keen on customer service and satisfaction.

Learned a lot. The presentation of the slave owners speech as unlearned was very informative. The method of continuing slavery after the slave trade was stopped was interesting

This is the story of the Falconhurst Plantation. Own by the Maxwell family. This plantation raise slaves not cotton. This book show the love, death and life of slaves and people of a plantation.