Working slavery, pricing freedom : perspectives from the Caribbean, Africa and the African diaspora/

This collection grew out of a conference on the occasion of B.W. Higman's departure from the University of the West Indies, Mona, and includes essays by many of the leading scholars of Caribbean history, including Richard Sheridan, Stanley Engerman, Hilary Beckles, Nigel Bolland, and Mary Turner. The volume's stated goal is to move beyond scholarly investigations that focus on one island to develop a broader Pan-Caribbean, even trans-Atlantic, perspective on issues of slavery and emancipation in the region. It is impossible to do justice to this volume in so brief a review, especially because the collection contains many excellent articles. They range in time from a consideration of the development of Port Royal in the 17th century to an examination of the role of labor and political organizations in Jamaica and St. Kitts during the early part of the 20th, but a preponderance focus on the 19th century and on issues related to emancipation. Most essays concern the Caribbean islands--ten deal specifically with Jamaica--but some address the impact of slavery in West Africa, Britain, and Guyana, and a fine essay by the editor examines the trade in East Indian servants, which developed in the postapprenticeship period. An important book for libraries with graduate or undergraduate collections in Caribbean and Atlantic World studies. M. Mulcahy Loyola College in Maryland