History

his will be a splendid and useful book for teachers of courses focusing on the nineteenth century who have been frustrated at the lack of accessible sources in English. . . . the selection of texts is as near to impeccable as possible in trying to capture Latin American thinking between Bolívar in 1819 and Arguedas in 1909. . . . this is a worthy collection of primary sources, and it will certainly be of use in bringing neglected texts and authors to the audience of students who have no Spanish."
     —Matthew Brown, University of Bristol

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Includes a translator’s preface, note on the text, and suggestions for further reading.

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“An excellent selection. There is nothing else like it available in print, and the price makes it very attractive for use in courses. . . . overall the editors did a superb job of choosing those excerpts from Darwin’s published works and his correspondence and notebooks that will give the reader a sense of the full range of his interests and the substance of his ideas. The editorial remarks are . . . perceptive and directly relevant to the content.”
     —Gene Cittadino, New York University

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The second edition of Aquinas, On Law, Morality, and Politics retains the selection of texts presented in the first edition but offers them in new translations by Richard J. Regan—including that of his Aquinas, Treatise on Law (Hackett, 2000). A revised Introduction and glossary, an updated select bibliography, and the inclusion of summarizing headnotes for each of the units—Conscience, Law, Justice, Property, War and Killing, Obedience and Rebellion, and Practical Wisdom and Statecraft—further enhance its usefulness.

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Contents include a selected bibliography and an editor's Introduction broken into two sections. The first section provides a brief sketch of the historical, social, and biographical context in which Mill wrote and the second traces the central line of argument in the text to aid in the comprehension of the essay's structure, method, and major theses.

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(Part II of Thoughts Out of Season)

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Reflecting the broad range of interests of a major Renaissance philosopher and his distinctive brand of syncretism, this anthology offers in their entirety three central works of Pico’s. On the Dignity of Man, the quintessential expression of Renaissance humanism, appears in the context of two lesser known but equally representative mature works: On Being and the One, a treatise defending what Pico held to be the agreement between Aristotle and Plato on the relation between unity and being, and Heptaplus, an interpretation, influenced by a blend of cabalism and Christian doctrine, of the first verses of Genesis. New Selected Bibliography.

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"The translations are accurate and clear, and the introductory essay does a wonderful job of distilling complicated theological controversies into terms that are comprehensible by an undergraduate audience. The edition's greatest asset, though, is the range of texts that it includes. By including works by Luther's Catholic opponents and his erstwhile allies, this edition demonstrates that On the Freedom of a Christian represented not only a high point in Luther's thought, but also a starting point in a debate that spanned Christendom and had massive social and political implications." —Philip Haberkern, Boston University

"On the one hand, [the related texts] introduce readers to the key theological concepts taught by Luther, the Catholic theologians, and the radical reformers. On the other hand, they disclose the social, cultural, and economic aspects—topics that are of paramount interest in recent Reformation scholarship. The introductory essay in each section is crisp, clear, and concise. The success of this work is the ability to distill complicated theological controversies and divergent contents into nuances that are accessible to a wider audience." —Dennis Ngien, Tyndale University College & Seminary, in Renaissance and Reformation

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"Hackett’s On the Genealogy of Morality (we now have even the correct title!) may very well change the entire climate for reading Nietzsche in English—especially if read in conjunction with their equally splendid Twilight of the Idols. . . . Competing translations of Nietzsche’s late, utterly influential masterpieces have often made them a chore, rather than a delight, to read; and their introductions generally obscure, rather than illuminate, the texts’ situations. Clark and Swensen (and Polt and Strong) have made the Genealogy and Twilight accessible and exhilarating—while leaving them, as they are, enigmatic and problematic. Finally, readers of Nietzsche in English can—begin!”
     —William Arctander O’Brien, University of California, San Diego

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"Martin Ferguson Smith has for many years been one of the leading Lucretian scholars in the world. . . . We should expect from the beginning then that we are in the hands of a wise and learned guide as soon as we open his Lucretius, and this expectation is certainly borne out by the quality of this sensitive and thoughtful edition. . . . The Introduction . . . is excellent. Smith outlines in a highly accessible manner what little is known of Lucretius' life and times, the poem's position and status in the Epic and Didactic tradition, and the philosophy of Epicurus that Lucretius puts forward, but also manages to include some of the most up to date research, including recent scholarship on the Herculaneum papyri. . . . But of course, the translation is the most important part of the work . . . [and] it is streets ahead of the competition. . . . I can recommend this book unreservedly." —Gordon Campbell, Hermathena

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Designed for students with little or no background in ancient Greek language, history, and culture, this new abridgment presents those selections that comprise Herodotus’ historical narrative. These are meticulously annotated, and supplemented with a chronology of the Archaic Age, Historical Epilogue, glossary of main characters and places, index of proper names, and maps.

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"Philip Barnard and Stephen Shapiro have produced an awesome edition of Brown's Ormond by providing copious explanatory notes and helpful documentation of the essential historical context of feminist, radical, egalitarian, and abolitionist expression. Oh, ye patriots, read it and learn!" —Peter Linebaugh, University of Toledo

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"An excellent edition that will give students a clean, well-translated text without too much clutter. The introduction is magisterial."
    —Srinivas Aravamudan, Duke University

With skill and artistry, Raymond MacKenzie’s stunning new translation accurately reflects the mood and character of the work. In his richly conceived Introduction, MacKenzie seamlessly weaves together an overview of the period with details of Montesquieu’s life, including the influences that inspired the Persian Letters, the character and power of the book, and its reception.

This edition also includes a Calendar of the Persian Letters, a Bibliography of Works in English, and a Bibliography of Works in French. Related texts provide insight into the legacy of the Persian Letters. They include selections from works by George Lyttelton, Voltaire, Oliver Goldsmith, and Maria Edgeworth.

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This volume brings together Rosenzweig’s central essays on theology and philosophy, including two works available for the first time in English: the conclusion to Rosenzweig’s book Hegel and the State, and Rosenzweig’s famous letter to Rudolph Ehrenberg known as the “Urzelle of the Star of Redemption,” an essential work for understanding Rosenzweig, Weimar theology and philosophy, and German idealism and the existential reaction of the period. Additional selections are presented in new or revised translations. Introduction and notes by Franks and Morgan set Rosenzweig’s works in context and illuminate his role as one of the key thinkers of the period.

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A superb text for teaching the philosophy of Descartes, this volume includes all his major works in their entirety, important selections from his lesser known writings, and key selections from his philosophical correspondence. The result is an anthology that enables the reader to understand the development of Descartes’s thought over his lifetime. Includes a biographical Introduction, chronology, bibliography, and index.

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"Ellington has made Kant's writings seem clear and elegant. Indeed, he has produced one of this most readable translations of any of Kant's works. His essay 'The unity of Kant's thought in his philosophy of corporeal nature' appearing after the main text is a masterly interpretation of the Foundations."
    —Choice, in review of Metaphysical Foundations of Natural Science

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Selected by CHOICE Magazine as an Outstanding Academic Title for 2020.

"[A]n exceptional resource for investigating early modern piracy . . . Highly recommended."  — M. Reardon, West Texas A&M University, in Choice

"This volume represents a sea change in educational resources for the history of piracy. In a single, readable, and affordable volume, Lane and Bialuschewski present a wonderfully diverse body of primary texts on sea raiders. Drawn from a variety of sources, including the authors’ own archival research and translations, these carefully curated texts cover over two hundred years (1548–1726) of global, early-modern piracy. Lane and Bialuschewski provide glosses of each document and a succinct introduction to the historical context of the period and avoid the romanticized and Anglo-centric depictions of maritime predation that often plague work on the topic." —Jesse Cromwell, The University of Mississippi

"A really exciting volume. The wide range of archival material collected here from around the world will allow readers to explore the early modern world, and real-life experience of piracy, first hand. But the book also serves as an effective introduction to such broader topics as working with, and learning from, sources; how researchers use archives; how historians can make dramatically different arguments about the same document; and how historians construct a narrative based on available evidence."
 —Mark G. Hanna, University of California, San Diego

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“An indispensable storehouse of information and analysis—essential reading nowadays just as in 1935, when it first appeared. . . . Plato’s Cosmology continues to be the constant reference point of any serious study of the Timaeus.”
    —John M. Cooper, Princeton University

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Series: Critical Themes in World History

"A really interesting and provocative take on 1968. This book addresses the truly global dimensions—and the unexpected, often long-term consequences—of that year of protest. It’s an original and highly usable comparative history sure to attract student interest." —Peter N. Stearns, George Mason University

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In this unique collection, noted historian Edmund Morgan focuses upon three ideas that lay at the root of Puritan political theory and have had a continuing significance in our history: calling, covenant, and the separate spheres of church and state. The selections show the origin of these ideas in the writings of the early English Puritans before the colonization of America, in seventeenth century New England, and finally in new contexts in the eighteenth century. One may read these documents as primary sources of Puritan thought per se, as sources of American intellectual history, or as sources of a political theory that flowered in the early years of the new constitutional republic.
     —from the Foreword

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“Kahn’s excellent knowledge of the texts is apparent and his familiarity with the scholarly literature is manifest. . . . The volume is attractively written and and produced, and will do a real service in making the Pythagorean tradition . . . accessible to non-specialists.”
     —Richard McKirahan, Philosophy in Review

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"This highly affordable, lively and wide-ranging anthology will be an invaluable study resource for courses on ancient identities and ideas about foreigners. . . . It will also appeal to the general reader interested in exploring what Greeks and Romans thought and wrote about peoples often styled 'barbarian,' not least because knowledge of such material was instrumental in the formation of the modern disciplines of anthropology, ethnography and geography. Both the high quality of the translation and the fact that it presents sizable chunks of text for students to ponder make it an ideal teaching text. Wild flights of fancy, tales of mythical monstrosity and cruel/bizarre stereotypes sit side-by-side. Dicaeopolis's response seems the most apt: 'Wowzers!'" —Journal of Classics Teaching

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“A distinctive and superior collection of texts suitable for both graduate and undergraduate courses. There is nothing like it elsewhere. Steinberger’s commentary is succint, accurate, and very useful.”
     —Dr. Melvin Kulbicki, York College of Pennsylvania

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This anthology includes writings of both well-known theorists such as Thomas Aquinas and John of Salisbury as well as those lesser known, including Christine de Pisan and Marie de France, and will be of value to students of the history of political theory as well as those of medieval intellectual history.

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"Idema and West have been collaborating on the production of scholarly works on, and translations of, Chinese vernacular literature for decades and their work has set a very high standard for scholarly value, accuracy, and readability. This is their second volume on popular treatments of the famous Three Kingdoms period, a fascinating age that has dominated as a topic both traditional Chinese fiction and drama. . . . Records of the Three Kingdoms in Plain Language . . . presents a comprehensive introduction to all of the main characters (Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Cao Cao, Zhou Yu, etc.) and events (the Oath in the Peach Garden, The Battle at the Red Cliff, The Single Sword Meeting, etc.) that are so well known in China and deserve to be even better known in the West."  —David Rolston, University of Michigan

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“Pocock is, without question, the leading historian of eighteenth-century British-American political thought. . . . All of his skills are brilliantly employed in the Introduction. . . . In addition to being the best treatment of Burke’s thought in context, it is . . . the best and most concentrated presentation of Pocock’s own view of the main contours of eighteenth-century political thought. . . . Finally, the Reflections and other texts by Burke are then woven into this rich fabric, thus providing the reader with an understanding of Burke’s thought which is deeper and more complex (and surely more historically sensitive) than any available in the secondary literature.”
    —James Tully, McGill University

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"A superb anthology of primary sources relating most directly to sixteenth-century Reformation movements. The initial selection is from the late fourteenth century and the final two from the mid-eighteenth century. The fifty texts here are wide and well focused. They are drawn from forty-one authors with diversities across many categories—birth, occupation, gender, religious orders, and 'the rest married women of middling and noble rank.' . . . This book has many excellencies. It can be highly recommended as a well-conceived collection of well-constructed presentations and as an eminently useful textbook."
—Donald K. McKim, in Renaissance Quarterly

Click here to see the complete Table of Contents (PDF).

Read Margaret King's post, Teaching the Reformation in a Secular Age, on The Hackett Colloquim blog.

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"By far the best collection of sources to introduce readers to Renaissance humanism in all its many guises. What distinguishes this stimulating and useful anthology is the vision behind it: King shows that Renaissance thinkers had a lot to say, not only about the ancient world—one of their habitual passions—but also about the self, how civic experience was configured, the arts, the roles and contributions of women, the new science, the 'new' world, and so much more."
—Christopher S. Celenza, Johns Hopkins University

Read Margaret King's post, Teaching the Reformation in a Secular Age, on The Hackett Colloquim blog.

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“Claeys has done a fine job of situating Paine’s famous text in the intellectual and practical context, drawing out the most important themes, and referring the reader to the best secondary literature. . . . An excellent textbook for undergraduate courses in political theory.”
     —James Tully, McGill University

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"Professor Warrior's book is a useful anthology of readings which, diligently chosen and intelligently arranged, display the essential elements of Roman religion in its most interesting period." —Christopher McDonough, Boston College

"I am currently using Valerie M. Warrior’s Greek Religion: a Sourcebook and her Roman Religion: a Sourcebook for my class on Paganism. They are absolutely outstanding, in terms of the selection, the range of topics, and the level of detail provided. I will keep using these as long as I keep teaching the class (I hope for decades!). I would recommend them to anyone. Perfect to supplement a class based mainly on lectures, and to get students digging into the real sources of our knowledge and engaging with them." —Jack Mitchell, Department of Classics, Dalhousie University

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Roman Sports and Spectacles: A Sourcebook contains numerous translations from the Latin, including famous authors, such as Cicero, Seneca, Tertullian and Augustine, and the not so famous, including graffiti, advertisements and tombstones to paint a world view of what sports Romans played and what they thought of them. The world of Roman sports was similar in many ways to our own, but there were significant differences. For one thing Roman sports centered during religious festivals and the participants were most often slaves. Roman sports were not team sports, but individual competitions. And sports like chariot racing and gladiatorial competitions were very dangerous. Each document includes an introduction to the source material.

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This substantially revised new edition of Rousseau: The Basic Political Writings features a brilliant new Introduction by David Wootton, a revision by Donald A. Cress of his own 1987 translation of Rousseau’s most important political writings, and the addition of Cress’ new translation of Rousseau's State of  War. New footnotes, headnotes, and a chronology by David Wootton provide expert guidance to first-time readers of the texts.

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"An excellent anthology. . . . [This] book has a wide range of selections, which offers the students a deep understanding of the many different voices and groups in Russia during this time. The introductions to the selections are clear and place the documents within their historical context. The selections are very interesting and informative. I would strongly recommend this book for undergraduate classes in modern Russian history. The book makes this very complex period come to life by giving such a broad selection of documents."
     —Mary Louise Loe, James Madison University

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Listen to Thomas Conlan's interview with Jingyi Li about Samurai and the Warrior Culture of Japan on The New Books Network here.

"This sourcebook provides, for the first time in English, translations of the key primary sources for the study of the history of the samurai across all eras of Japanese history. Conlan has framed these sources with compelling historical analysis, making the book required reading not only for students of the warrior class but for everyone interested in the broad sweep of Japanese history. This is an astounding resource."  —Morgan Pitelka, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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"This rich and engaging book looks at instances of sanctified violence, the holy wars related to religion. It covers it all, from ancient to present day, including examples of warfare among Sikhs, Hindus and Buddhists, as well as Christians, Jews and Muslims. It is a comprehensive and readable overview that provides a lively introduction to the subject of holy war in its broadest sense—as ‘sanctified violence’ in the service of a god or ideology. It is certain to be a useful companion in the classroom, and a boon to anyone fascinated by the dark attraction of religion and violence." —Mark Juergensmeyer, University of California, Santa Barbara

"With Andrea and Holt as sure-footed guides, Sanctified Violence tackles a vast subject: the global history of holy war in its many forms across the millennia. From cosmic struggles between forces of good and evil at the dawn of mythic time to apocalyptic battles at history’s end, this book explores the transcendental impulses and religious ideologies that fuel and shape collective violence in virtually every culture and age. Modern military chaplains and armed Buddhist monks keep company with medieval Templars and Aztec Flower warriors. Sanctified Violence never pretends to have all the answers to difficult questions about warfare and the sacred, but rather invites reflective readers to appraise their complicated relationship for themselves. Richly illustrated, each chapter offers a detailed commentary on its major historical sources and poses questions for further analysis, making the volume ideal for the classroom." —Brett E. Whalen, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill

Contents: Introduction: What Is Holy War?, Chapter 1: Holy Wars in Mythic Time, Holy Wars as Metaphor, Holy Wars as Ritual, Chapter 2: Holy Wars of Conquest in the Name of a Deity, Chapter 3: Holy Wars in Defense of the Sacred, Chapter 4: Holy Wars in Anticipation of the Millennium, and an Epilogue: Holy Wars Today and Tomorrow.

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The Second Treatise is one of the most important political treatises ever written and one of the most far-reaching in its influence.

In his provocative 15-page introduction to this edition, the late eminent political theorist C. B. Macpherson examines Locke's arguments for limited, conditional government, private property, and right of revolution and suggests reasons for the appeal of these arguments in Locke's time and since.

"Macpherson provides for his readers a tightly written, meaty, and often invigorating critical assessment of Locke's argument.  In it one finds some of the best of Macpherson's now famous criticism of liberal-democratic government."
    —Gregory E. Pyrcz in Canadian Philosophical Review

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“The availability of a paperback version of Boyle’s philosophical writings selected by M. A. Stewart will be a real service to teachers, students, and scholars with seventeenth-century interests. The editor has shown excellent judgment in bringing together many of the most important works and printing them, for the most part, in unabridged form. The texts have been edited responsibly with emphasis on readability. . . . Of special interest in connection with Locke and with the reception of Descarte’s Corpuscularianism, to students of the Scientific Revolution and of the history of mechanical philosophy, and to those interested in the relations among science, philosophy, and religion. In fact, given the imperfections in and unavailability of the eighteenth-century editions of Boyle’s works, this collection will benefit a wide variety of seventeenth-century scholars.”
    —Gary Hatfield, University of Pennsylvania

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"This valuable anthology of the framer's essential writings allows readers to experience the panoramic depth of Madison's mind.  For those just beginning their study, Ketcham's choices offer a meaningful introduction to Madison's complex view of the whole. . . . Of special note is the final section, in which Ketcham provides a selection of Madison's treatises on issues that cut the Union asunder in the decade prior to the Civil War.  In this reviewer's mind, the editor is to be praised for his efforts in assembling such a comprehensive, cohesive, and concise collection.  Summing Up: Essential."
     —M. J. C, Taylor, CHOICE

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Series: Myths of History

"Northrup’s highly accessible book breaks through the most common barriers that readers encounter in studying African history. Each chapter takes on a common myth about Africa and explains both the sources of the myth and the research that debunks it. These provocative chapters will promote lively discussions among readers while deepening their understanding of African and world history. The book is strengthened by its incorporation of actors and issues representing the African diaspora and African Americans in particular." —Rebecca Shumway, College of Charleston

"This is a very good book. . . . Northup uses the seven myths formula to address some major issues in African historiography. These range from addressing older debates about whether Africa has a history at all, to Ethiopian exceptionalism, to the effects of long distance trade, to ethnic formation, to the Afro-pessimist-Afro-optimist debate. His approach to these topics is wide ranging. . . . All of this is delivered in an accessible, jargon-free, undergraduate-friendly style. . . . Perhaps the best thing about the book is that it does not stop with confronting popular misconceptions and myth making about Africa. It also addresses debates within the discipline. . . . Using material from this book would be a way to expose students to debates within the field and help to dispel the notion that there is an agreed upon narrative about Africa’s past." —Erik Gilbert, Arkansas State University, in International Journal of African Historical Studies

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"This brief, provocative, and accessible book offers snapshots of seven pernicious myths in military history that have been perpetrated on unsuspecting students, readers, moviegoers, game players, and politicians. It promotes awareness of how myths are created by 'the spurious misuse and ignorance of history' and how
misleading ideas about a military problem, as in asymmetric warfare, can lead to misguided solutions. Both scholarly and engaging, this book is an ideal addition to military history and historical methodology courses. In fact, it could be fruitfully used in any course that teaches critical thinking skills, including courses outside the discipline of history. Military history has a broad appeal to students, and there’s something here for everyone. From the so-called 'Western Way of War' to its sister-myth, technological determinism, to the ‘academic party game’ of once-faddish ‘Military Revolutions,’ the book shows that while myths about history may be fun, myth busting is the most fun of all."
 —Reina Pennington, Norwich University

“Why does military history generate so many myths? Is it because easily digestible myths make the subject easier to teach and study? Or because such myths help to paper over the simple but depressing fact that mankind has, since its very origins, permitted the slaughter of millions, often for the most minor of reasons? While such questions are difficult if not impossible to answer, in bringing together seven of the world’s finest military historians to dispel seven of these myths, John Hosler provides a great service in laying bare the myths’ origins. Anyone interested in the subject should read this book first, before embarking on further study.”
 —Kelly Devries, Loyola University Maryland

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Series: Myths of History

 "Seven Myths of Native American History will provide undergraduates and general readers with a very useful introduction to Native America past and present. Jentz identifies the origins and remarkable staying power of these myths at the same time he exposes and dismantles them."
—Colin G. Calloway, Dartmouth College

"Misconceptions continue to shape public perceptions of American Indians. Deeply ingrained cultural fictions, what Jentz (history, North Hennepin Community College) refers to as myths, have had a lasting hold on popular understanding of Native Americans. In this readable and engaging overview, Jentz provides an important corrective, one that not only catalogs key stories and stereotypes but also lays a foundation for challenging them. As the title indicates, Jentz seeks to demystify seven fundamental ideas about American Indians through critical histories. Following a helpful introductory discussion, he devotes a chapter to each myth. Specifically, he unpacks (1) the noble savage, (2) the ignoble savage, (3) wilderness and wildness, (4) the vanishing native, (5) the authentic Indian, (6) the ecological Indian, and (7) the mystical native. Throughout, Jentz employs clear language and tangible examples to clarify each myth and its significance. [T]his work will greatly benefit nonspecialists, including high school teachers and students. The volume will be useful as either a textbook in introductory courses in Native American studies or as secondary reading. Summing Up: Highly recommended."
—C. R. King, Washington State University, in Choice

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"In fast-paced, crystal-clear prose, these four veteran historians quash not just seven myths about the American Revolution but dozens. If you think that slavery was inevitable, that British commanders were lazy nincompoops, or that Indigenous warriors were nothing more than British pawns, you will savor the challenge of Seven Myths of the American Revolution just as much as I did."
—Woody Holton, University of South Carolina, author of Liberty Is Sweet: The Hidden History of the American Revolution (Simon & Schuster, 2021)

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Series: Myths of History

"Readers of this book who thought they knew a lot about the U.S. Civil War will discover that much of what they 'knew' is wrong. For readers whose previous knowledge is sketchy but whose desire to learn is strong, the separation of myth from reality is an important step toward mastering the subject. The essays will generate lively discussion and new insights." —James M. McPherson, Professor Emeritus, Princeton University

"Wesley Moody's clear, engaging book tackles enduring Civil War myths with grace, candor, and persuasive evidence. By exploring a wide range of subjects including the war's causes, soldiers, leaders, prisons, and battlefields, this volume's group of talented historians accomplishes more than myth busting. Each scholar reveals deeper, more satisfying stories hidden beneath Civil War fallacies and falsehoods. As a result, Civil War students and enthusiasts will find more than facts in this compelling book; they’ll encounter the complexities of real war, the long shadows of memory, and the hard work that historians conduct to illuminate the past." —Jason Phillips, Eberly Professor of Civil War History, West Virginia University

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Series: Myths of History

"Crusade historians frequently lament the wide gulf that separates modern scholarship from popular beliefs regarding the holy wars of the Middle Ages. In this lively book a group of those scholars tackle seven of the most intractable myths that obscure our view of the crusades. With erudition, energy, and a dose of humility this book makes the case that solid historical research brings us ever closer to historical accuracy—and that matters. The myths of the crusades may be legion, but breaking down seven of them is an excellent place to start."
      —Thomas F. Madden, St. Louis University

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"This fascinating volume is a major contribution to our understanding of the Russian Revolution, from World War I to consolidation of the Bolshevik regime. The seven myths include the exaggeration of Rasputin’s influence; a purported conspiracy behind the February Revolution; the treasonous Bolshevik dependence on German support; the multiple Anastasia pretenders to the royal inheritance; the antisemitic claims about “Judeo-Bolsheviks”; distortions about America’s intervention in the civil war; and the “inevitability” of Bolshevism. In each case the authors analyze the facts, uncover the origins of the myth, and trace its later perseverance (even in contemporary Russia). To assist readers, the volume includes three reference guides (people, terms, dates), nine maps, and twenty-nine illustrations. The result is immensely valuable for undergraduate courses in Russian history."
—Gregory L. Freeze, Raymond Ginger Professor of History, Brandeis University

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“Gretchen Starr-LeBeau has given us a deeply researched, wide-ranging correction of the various myths attached to the Spanish Inquisition. Her ability to track and explain the development of those myths over time is remarkable. The volume is wonderfully written and consistently accessible for a student audience. I learned a great deal from it and look forward to assigning it in my classes.”
—Lu Ann Homza, William and Mary

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Series: Critical Themes in World History

"Gordon’s survey of the topic makes it clear that slavery in the Americas can be understood much better if we put it in this larger context, in terms of both time and place. His chapters on East African and Mediterranean slavery are especially valuable, since these were contemporary with so-called Atlantic slavery and can provide students with valid points of comparison, revealing both the similarities and the variable nature of early-modern bondage. The final chapter is especially timely, reminding readers that much of what we think of as enslavement hasn’t really gone away, but simply slipped below the radar of the world media. All in all, Gordon makes it clear that, though it has arisen in different guises and at many different times and places, slavery has been and remains deeply rooted in human society. A rewarding introduction for anyone looking to better understand slavery as a world-wide institution."
     —Robert Davis, The Ohio State University

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"This new English edition of some of Sieyes' key texts is to be warmly welcomed. . . . Michael Sonenscher's scholarly Introduction is devoted to a discussion of different aspects of Sieyes' political ideas, rather than to a detailed examination of the texts themselves. He concentrates mainly, and quite properly, on Sieyes' concept of representation, which he analyses with sensitivity, linking it to Sieyes' concept of the nation, and distinguishing it carefully from the conventional view of representation held by the man in the street. . . . Sonenscher has researched widely and his allusions are original and stimulating. . . . [He] has done a good service in making these compelling and subversive writings more widely available."
     —Murray Forsyth, History of Political Thought

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