Libraries that own a particular reference work often decide not to acquire a new edition when the topic is a well-established historical one, such as slavery and abolition. However, this update to the second edition is greatly expanded, with bolstered coverage of the often-overlooked history of slavery within Africa and more than 500 entries. For instance, it now includes noted Timbuktu scholar Ahmed Baba and Tunisian ruler Ahmed Bey, among many others. Klein broke out subtopics previously subsumed under broader entries, e.g., 'Assyria' (formerly in 'Ancient Middle Eastern Slavery'). He also expanded many unsubstantial entries. Klein claims that one rationale for this new edition is to illuminate contemporary forms of slavery; however, researchers looking at recent topics would be hard-pressed to find much beyond a few broad entries, such as 'Human Trafficking.' For example, Klein’s helpful chronology notes recent activity in Niger and includes the Temedt organization in Mali. . . .[T]his work presents a solid and expanded overview of historical slavery and will be a useful acquisition for academic libraries. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and above; general readers.

Choice Reviews

To cover a topic so vast from the dawn of history to the present in 300 pages or so is comparable to reducing a 30-volume encyclopedia to a single volume; yet, that is exactly what this study does, and the result is a surprisingly useful overview of one of humanity’s more enduring institutions. Martin A. Klein is amply qualified for the task, having studied and written on slavery for some 30 years. . . .[H]igh school and college students will find this study helpful, and reference librarians should consider adding it to their collections.

American Reference Books Annual