IR VERDICT:
The life of a wealthy English planter in Barbados doesn’t lend itself to much excitement – except one uprising, one disastrous hurricane, and the abolition of slavery in English territories. Henry Peter Simmons, by his own admission, is an unusual character, one who flaunts propriety and yet gains stature among his colleagues and servants. A read for history buffs who specialize in learning more details about once-prevalent practices.