"A History of Slavery" embarks on a monumental journey through millennia of human bondage, revealing how this ancient institution, in myriad forms, has been inextricably linked to the rise and fall of civilizations across every continent. From its emergence with early agriculture in Mesopotamia and its industrial scale in ancient Rome, to the unique forms of servitude in classical Greece and Pre-Columbian Americas, this comprehensive account explores how societies justified, regulated, and relied upon the exploitation of human beings. It delves into the complex perspectives of major world religions and uncovers the vast, often overlooked, slave trades that crisscrossed the Sahara and the Indian Ocean for centuries.

The narrative then shifts to the catastrophic birth and devastating impact of the transatlantic slave trade, examining its unique race-based ideology, the horrors of the Middle Passage, and the brutal plantation economies it fueled in the Americas. It chronicles the resilient daily lives, culture, and resistance of the enslaved, alongside the profound economic forces that made human beings the most valuable commodity. The book illuminates the rise of the radical abolitionist movement, the seismic Haitian Revolution, and the American Civil War-events that slowly dismantled legal slavery. Finally, it confronts the persistence of new forms of servitude under colonialism in Africa and Asia, and the chilling reality of modern human trafficking in the 21st century, revealing that the struggle for global freedom is far from over. This is a vital, unflinching exploration of humanity's darkest chapters and its enduring fight for liberty.