'If one is interested in the history of the American south then this book is as essential as Fogel's many works on this subject. It gives a completely new dimension to the darker side of slavery. Much of the published work of recent years mitigates some of the hardships of a slave's existence. As one might expect from a professor of sociology there is a great emphasis on the emotional and tragic disintegration of slave family life due to economic circumstances beyond the control of the slave. It is almost a euphemism to say this book is essential reading on the subject of slavery, nevertheless on this occasion it is a fact.' Open History

• Introduction; 1. Slave trading and forced labor migrations; 2. Family diasporas and parenthood lost; 3. Malnutrition, ecological risks, and slave mortality; 4. Reproductive exploitation and child mortality; 5. Slave household subsistence and women's work; 6. The impacts of Civil War on slave families; 7. The risks of emancipation for black families; 8. Reconstruction threats to black family survival; Theoretical reprise.

'If one is interested in the history of the American south then this book is as essential as Fogel's many works on this subject. It gives a completely new dimension to the darker side of slavery. Much of the published work of recent years mitigates some of the hardships of a slave's existence. As one might expect from a professor of sociology there is a great emphasis on the emotional and tragic disintegration of slave family life due to economic circumstances beyond the control of the slave. It is almost a euphemism to say this book is essential reading on the subject of slavery, nevertheless on this occasion it is a fact.' Open History

• Introduction; 1. Slave trading and forced labor migrations; 2. Family diasporas and parenthood lost; 3. Malnutrition, ecological risks, and slave mortality; 4. Reproductive exploitation and child mortality; 5. Slave household subsistence and women's work; 6. The impacts of Civil War on slave families; 7. The risks of emancipation for black families; 8. Reconstruction threats to black family survival; Theoretical reprise.

'If one is interested in the history of the American south then this book is as essential as Fogel's many works on this subject. It gives a completely new dimension to the darker side of slavery. Much of the published work of recent years mitigates some of the hardships of a slave's existence. As one might expect from a professor of sociology there is a great emphasis on the emotional and tragic disintegration of slave family life due to economic circumstances beyond the control of the slave. It is almost a euphemism to say this book is essential reading on the subject of slavery, nevertheless on this occasion it is a fact.' Open History

• Introduction; 1. Slave trading and forced labor migrations; 2. Family diasporas and parenthood lost; 3. Malnutrition, ecological risks, and slave mortality; 4. Reproductive exploitation and child mortality; 5. Slave household subsistence and women's work; 6. The impacts of Civil War on slave families; 7. The risks of emancipation for black families; 8. Reconstruction threats to black family survival; Theoretical reprise.