Sons of Japheth

A historically grounded novel of captivity, diplomacy, and survival in the ruthless world of seventeenth-century North Africa. Based on documented events, maritime records, and diplomatic accounts, the story brings to life the political, economic, and human realities of the early modern Mediterranean. 1678. The Dutch trader ship Sint Joris leaves the Dutch Republic in high spirits, bound for Paramaribo (Suriname) with a hold full of Schiedam gin and a handful of unsuspecting passengers. But off the Cape Verde Islands, disaster strikes: Algerian corsairs overwhelm the ship, and every soul on board is thrown into chains. What begins as a routine crossing becomes a nightmare as the Dutch disappear into the brutal world of Moorish slave markets, forced labor, and desperate bargaining for freedom. In Algiers, envoy Thomas Hees fights a different battle. Tasked with securing a peace treaty to protect Dutch merchant ships from Mediterranean piracy, he enters a city shaped by power struggles, corruption, and political intrigue. But the English and French have the same goal-and they are willing to sabotage negotiations, manipulate rivalries, and spill blood to dominate the region's maritime trade.Amid shifting alliances, court conspiracies, and the crushing machinery of North African slavery, a darker threat descends upon Algiers: the Black Death, cutting down rich and poor alike and sending the city into chaos. On the Barbary Coast delivers an unflinching portrayal of a world where diplomacy is as deadly as warfare, where survival depends on calculated loyalty, and where the line between captor and captive is thinner than anyone dares to admit. Meticulously grounded in original seventeenth-century accounts, maritime records, and diplomatic history, the novel recreates the political, economic, and cultural realities of the early modern Mediterranean world. This is not a tale of swashbuckling pirates. It is a raw and immersive journey into a society held together by fear, ambition, and the fragile hope of redemption-a historical novel that brings documented history to life through human experience. On the Barbary Coast (original Dutch title: In Barbarije) is the second of four standalone historical novels (Sons of Japheth Series) about the Dutch and the slave trade in the 17th century. It was first published in the Netherlands by LM Publishers in 2021. The novel is included in the literature list of the new Historical Canon of the Netherlands (November 2021), in the section 'VOC and WIC. John Meilink (1961) is a Dutch author of historically grounded novels set in the seventeenth century. Raised near the ports of Amsterdam and Zaandam - the cradle of Dutch seafaring - he grew up immersed in maritime history and the landscapes of North Holland.He is the author of the historical series Sons of Japheth, a cycle of novels examining the Dutch Republic's involvement in the global slave trade and the interconnected power structures of the early modern world - from West Africa and the Mediterranean to the Caribbean and the Indonesian archipelago. The series was originally published in the Netherlands and Belgium by a regular Dutch publisher and has been recognized through inclusion in the official Historical Canon of the Netherlands, the national framework guiding the teaching of Dutch history.Alongside his literary work, Meilink has built an international career as a software engineer, working across the United States, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Germany, and the Netherlands.

Black Cattle is a gripping tale that transports readers to the tumultuous 17th-century world of Dutch colonial expansion and the transatlantic slave trade. Set against the vivid backdrop of the West African coast, the story intertwines the lives of sailors, merchants, and the enslaved with the political intrigue of powerful indigenous kingdoms.The narrative follows the Dutch slave ship Griffin as it embarks on a perilous voyage through treacherous waters and morally fraught territory. As alliances shift and tensions rise, the characters grapple with survival, ambition, and the devastating realities of the slave trade. The story captures the intricate politics of the African kingdoms and their uneasy entanglements with European traders, shedding light on the complexities of resistance, collaboration, and exploitation.Rich in maritime detail and historical authenticity, Black Cattle delves into themes of morality, resilience, and the human cost of empire. Perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwell, Patrick O'Brian or Hilary Mantel, this thought-provoking novel offers an unflinching look at a dark chapter in history, exploring its far-reaching echoes through compelling storytelling. Black Cattle (original Dutch title: Kroesvee) was published in the Netherlands in 2019 and has since been reprinted three times. The novel is included in the literature list of the official historical Canon of the Netherlands (June 2020). 400 pages. John Meilink (1961) debuteerde in 2019 met de historische roman Kroesvee, het eerste deel uit een serie van vier los van elkaar staande verhalen over Hollanders en de slavenhandel in de zeventiende eeuw (onder de overkoepelende reeksnaam 'Zonen van Jafeth'). In 2022 verscheen deel twee: In Barbarije. Beide romans zijn inmiddels opgenomen in de literatuurlijst van de nieuwe Canon van Nederland (venster VOC en WIC). In elk van de vier boeken wordt een facet van de slavenhandel onder de loep genomen: In West-Afrika (Kroesvee), in Algiers (In Barbarije), het Caraïbisch gebied (Asiento) en Indonesië (Banda Neira).

A historically grounded novel of slavery, power, and survival in the ruthless world of the seventeenth-century Caribbean 1685. When the Dutch merchant Balthasar Coymans secures the coveted Spanish Asiento contract-the exclusive right to supply enslaved Africans to Spain's American colonies-he gains access to the richest slave market in the Atlantic world. Control of this trade promises immense wealth, but it also unleashes fierce competition among merchants, colonial officials, and rival trading networks determined to claim their share. Across the Caribbean and the ports of Spanish America, fortunes rise and fall with every shipment of human cargo. Contracts are fragile, loyalties shift constantly, and corruption thrives in the shadow of colonial power. Traders, sailors, agents, and intermediaries become entangled in a vast web of commerce, intrigue, and betrayal. But another power stands in the way. In the Spanish colonies, the Holy Office of the Inquisition watches closely over foreign merchants and their dealings. Suspicion, denunciation, and religious scrutiny can destroy fortunes as quickly as political rivals. In a world where profit depends on fragile privilege, one accusation may be enough to bring the entire enterprise crashing down. Asiento offers an unflinching portrayal of the economic machinery that sustained the seventeenth-century slave trade to Spanish America. Through vividly drawn characters and meticulously researched historical settings, the novel reveals the ambitions, rivalries, and moral compromises that shaped the Caribbean world. This is not a tale of swashbuckling adventure. It is a dark and immersive exploration of a system where human lives became commodities-and where power belonged to those who controlled the trade. Asiento is the third of four standalone historical novels (Sons of Japheth Series) about the Dutch and the slave trade in the 17th century. The novel is included in the literature list of the new Historical Canon of the Netherlands (2025).