£2 Talk Drax of Drax Hall: How One British Family Got Rich (and Stayed Rich) from Sugar and Slavery, with Dr Paul Lashmar
£2 Talk Drax of Drax Hall: How One British Family Got Rich (and Stayed Rich) from Sugar and Slavery, with Dr Paul Lashmar
Dr Paul Lashmar is the author of seven books. He began researching the Drax family following the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020. The hardback was published in 2025, with paperback and audiobooks in 2026.
- The Blueprint of Slavery: How Drax ancestors pioneered the British sugar industry and created the model for slave-based plantation economies.
- Violent Origins: The brutal realities of early British colonialism in the Caribbean.
- Royal Connections: Intricate local histories, including King George III’s high-profile visits to Dorset.
- Modern Warfare: Admiral Drax’s critical roles and military impact during WWI and WWII.
- Inherited Privilege: How centuries of colonial wealth quietly entrenched themselves into the English countryside today.
Don’t miss this gripping, comprehensive look into a history that shaped our modern world.
Biography
Dr Paul Lashmar is an investigative journalist, academic and historian. A former Head of Journalism at City, University of London, his career spans roles at The Observer, The Independent, and Granada Television’s World in Action. He began investigating the Drax family following the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020.
Endorsements:
‘Important and timely … Paul Lashmar uses the story of the Drax family’s history as enslavers in Barbados as a microcosm of Britain’s involvement in the transatlantic slave trade’
Laura Trevelyan, journalist and author of A Very British Family
‘A family story straight out of Game of Thrones … Old-school investigative reporting married with a fearless historian’s eye for the truth. A brilliant book that anyone still trying to defend Britain’s colonial history in the Caribbean will choke on’
Alex Renton, author of Blood Legacy
‘A timely retelling of the story of how one Englishman led the introduction of sugar and racial slavery to the Caribbean, as well as an eye-opening exploration of how the vast resulting profits were consolidated and enjoyed by generations of his descendants’
Matthew Parker, author of The Sugar Barons
‘This book is a must-read’
Jon Lee Anderson, journalist, The New Yorker
Tickets also from Port Hall Stores (cash) and may be available on the door.
£2.00
