Subject: History of Slavery

Documents from the African Past
Collins, Robert O., editor

Subject: Africa

This fascinating collection spans two millennia, beginning with a first-century merchant’s guide to the Red Sea and Indian Ocean ports. Primary sources describe ancient and medieval trade routes, China’s discovery of Africa, the slave trade, kingdoms and court life in …

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East Africa and the Indian Ocean
Alpers, Edward A.

Subject: Africa, World History

For centuries, East Africa has played a central role within the Indian Ocean world. The Arabs built the first trade networks there; these were laid siege to by the Portuguese in the sixteenth century, followed by British colonialists in the …

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Empire, Enslavement and Freedom in the Caribbean
Craton, Michael

Subject: Africa, Caribbean

The author describes and explains the origins of West Indian slave plantations, plantocracies, and the relationship between plantocrats and Amerindians. He then examines the African background of Caribbean slavery, depicts slave lives and behavior, and discusses modern perceptions of slavery …

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Eunuchs and Castrati: A Cultural History
Scholz, Piotr (translated by Shelley L. Frisch)

Subject: World History

This fascinating study of eunuchs guides readers as they travel through various lands and periods, familiarizing themselves with the duties and responsibilities, the unspeakable torments, and the passions and joys of these individuals. Eunuchs were not simply “bedchamber attendants,” as …

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First Sultan of Zanzibar: Scrambling for Power in the Nineteenth-Century Indian Ocean
Nicolini, Beatrice

Subject: World History

The Indian Ocean was long one of the world’s most important trade zones, controlled by Arab and Indian merchants. But in the 19th century, the British-French rivalry spilled over into the Indian Ocean. Pirates looted, adventurers sought their fortunes, and …

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History of the Caribbean: Plantations, Trade, and War in the Atlantic World
Moya Pons, Frank

Subject: Caribbean

“Frank Moya Pons, the authority on the history of the Dominican Republic, has written a classic.” — New West Indian Guide

“A clearly written and comprehensive narrative.” — HAHR: Hispanic American Historical Review

“A very good read. Historically sound, …

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Inward Hunger: The Education of a Prime Minister
Williams, Eric (introduction by Colin Palmer)

Subject: Caribbean

“When the author, the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, was a lad, his country was a British crown colony, and its government offered one university scholarship a year to the entire population. Young Williams won it, and went off …

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Lamu: History, Society, and Family in an East African Port City
Romero, Patricia

Subject: Africa, Women's History

This book depicts the history of Lamu, once an important East African port city but now known as an unspoiled tourist destination and scenic location for Hollywood movies.

Records from both the distant past and the more recent period give …

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Libète: A Haiti Anthology
Arthur, Charles and Michael Dash, editors

Subject: Caribbean

Haiti’s dramatic history, pressing social problems, and rich culture make it one of the most fascinating nations in the Americas. This book aims to reflect some of Haiti’s extraordinary diversity through the best of writing. While many journalistic accounts are …

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Life in a Haitian Valley
Herskovits, Melville J. (introduction by Sidney W. Mintz)

Subject: Caribbean

This book is a precious document in the intellectual history of the black Americas. Its author was surely the first academically respectable white scholar to take seriously the cultural achievements of Afro-Americans, throughout the hemisphere. His influence is still keenly …

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