Shaping the New World: African Slavery in the Americas, 1500-1888 (International Themes and Issues)
This highly readable overview of slavery in the Americas has an admirably ambitious scope. It synthesizes a vast array of recent research on the subject while still incorporating important older works of scholarship. Nellis offers us a broad comparative framework that is sensitive to the varieties of slavery and slave experiences throughout the Americas. It may be the best overview available for an introduction to the subject. With its vast scope, its extensive and up-to-date bibliography, several important comparative statistical tables and some helpful maps, Nellis's book will be both an ideal text for undergraduates and a helpful reference tool for more advanced scholars.