Is there a go-to book on global, historical slavery to read? One that discusses al forms of slavery throughout history, not just American slavery?
Maybe it even includes misperceptions of slavery, like Irish slavery in America?
Basically, I want a resource to use to combat those who want to downplay American slavery by justifying it with other forms found in history. Or, find what real comparisons there are, in case I’ve missed key aspects of slavery.
Most historians of slavery tend to focus on a national context or perhaps compare a couple of locations. But there are some more broadly focused works out there that might be more in line with what you’re looking for. Check out Seymour Drescher’s Abolition: A History of Slavery and Antislavery, and David Briton Davis’s Inhuman Bondage: The Rise and Fall of Slavery in the New World. Some of Davis’s other works might also be helpful.