Slavery is not and has never been a ”peculiar institution,” but one that is deeply rooted in the history and economy of most countries. Although it has flourished in some periods and declined in others, human bondage for profit has never been eradicated completely.In Slavery: A World History renowned author Milton Meltzer traces slavery from its origins in prehistoric hunting societies; through the boom in slave trading that reached its peak in the United States with a pre-Civil War slave population of 4,000,000; through the forced labor under the Nazi regime and in the Soviet gulags; and finally to its widespread practice in many countries today, such as the debt bondage that miners endure in Brazil or the prostitution into which women are sold in Thailand. In this detailed, compassionate account, readers will learn how slavery arose, what forms it takes, what roles slaves have performed in their societies, what everyday existence is like for those enchained, and what can be done to end the degrading practice of slavery.
| |||||||||||||||
Book Description
Frequently Bought Together
Editorial Reviews
From Library Journal
Though subtitled "A World History," this work pretty much confines itself to the ancient Near East, Greece, Rome, and the West. However, it does deal with Nazi and Soviet slavery and contemporary slavery in such places as Brazil and Thailand.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
About the Author
Milton Meltzer, a distinguished historian and biographer, is the author of more than eighty books. Among his many honors are five nominations for the National Book Award. He collaborated with Langston Hughes on Black Magic(also available from Da Capo Press/Perseus Book Group) and A Pictorial History of Black Americans.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Comprehensive history of forgotten peoples,
By Randall (Newport, KY United States) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Slavery: A World History (Paperback)
A great book, scholarly but easy to read. Originally published in two volumes, the first half deals with slavery from ancient times to the Renaissance, the second half concentrates on the African slave trade, and also covers some of the modern uses of forced labor, gulags and other types of near-slavery. I particularly appreciated reading about slavery in earliest history, a topic that is rarely covered. The comprehensive nature of this book keeps slavery in perspective, but doesn't shy away from the worst abuses when people are classed as property.
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Some Needed Perspective,
By
This review is from: Slavery: A World History (Paperback)
Meltzer provides a readable overview of the role of slavery in human history. Any book that takes on a broad topic such as this is bound to come up short in some ways, but overall he does a creditable job of explaining slavery in various societies for the beginner. Too often Americans tend to particularize their history and fail to see the "big picture". Coming to understand the flow of the slave trade (where most slaves were shipped to the Islands and Brazil), how the British ended slavery, that slavery existed in South America for years after the United States Civil War and continued in the Arab countries helps put a different slant on the issue. Europeans, who are sometimes all too ready to judge the American experience, should consider Belgium's role in Africa.King Leopold's Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent survey,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Slavery: A World History (Paperback)
I am nearly finished with this book. It is not a gripping story, and it is written at a high school reading level, but it is very interesting, clear and, as far as I know, objective. The author starts from the earliest accounts of slavery, and describes the institution for every era in history. Recommended as a reference book, and a very good survey history.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Inside This Book
(learn more)
First Sentence:
It might come as a shock to some readers to learn that a number of historians consider slavery a step forward in the development of civilization. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
trained slaves, slaving voyage, public slaves Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
West Indies, New York, New England, United States, South Carolina, West Africa, East Africa, New Orleans, Middle Ages, Asia Minor, Black Sea, Middle Passage, North Africa, North America, Prince Henry, Soviet Union, Black Codes, Frederick Douglass, John Brown, Royal African Company, United Nations, Anti-Slavery International, North Carolina, Roman Empire, American Revolution New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
It might come as a shock to some readers to learn that a number of historians consider slavery a step forward in the development of civilization. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
trained slaves, slaving voyage, public slaves Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
West Indies, New York, New England, United States, South Carolina, West Africa, East Africa, New Orleans, Middle Ages, Asia Minor, Black Sea, Middle Passage, North Africa, North America, Prince Henry, Soviet Union, Black Codes, Frederick Douglass, John Brown, Royal African Company, United Nations, Anti-Slavery International, North Carolina, Roman Empire, American Revolution New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 100
books:
See all 100 books this book cites
10
books
cite this book:
See all 10 books citing this book
- The Arms of Krupp 1587-1968 by William Manchester on page 274, and Back Matter
- Black Abolitionists (Da Capo Paperback) by Benjamin Quarles in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- The Peloponnesian War by Thucydides on page 63, and page 88
- World History: The Story of Mankind from Prehistory to the Present by Hugh Thomas in Front Matter (1), and Front Matter (2)
- The African Slave Trade by Basil Davidson in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
See all 100 books this book cites
- The Atrocity Paradigm: A Theory of Evil by Claudia Card in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
- Christianity On Trial: Arguments Against Anti-Religious Bigotry by Vincent Carroll in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Slaves, Women & Homosexuals: Exploring the Hermeneutics of Cultural Analysis by William J. Webb on page 75, and Back Matter
- Piracy and Plunder: A Murderous Business by Milton Meltzer in Back Matter
- Understanding Global Slavery: A Reader by Kevin Bales in Back Matter
See all 10 books citing this book
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
|
|
