This volume investigates the global history and institutional evolution of slavery from antiquity to the modern era. Editors Seymour Drescher and Stanley L. Engerman compile a series of scholarly essays that synthesize decades of empirical research to challenge traditional historical narratives. By examining slavery as both a structural institution and a lived experience, the authors provide a comprehensive framework for understanding its persistence and variation across diverse cultures.

Experts recognize this collection as a significant reference for students and researchers seeking a broad, evidence-based overview of global servitude. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which serves as a foundational text for those interested in the complexities of historical labor systems.