A Tale of Two Plantations

A remarkable achievement. By tracking the enslaved populations on Jamaica’s Mesopotamia estate and Virginia’s Mount Airy plantation in minute detail, Dunn explores major themes in the history of slavery through the experiences of particular people and their social networks. His meticulous research, considered analysis, and unparalleled authority on the subject have set a new benchmark for histories of Anglo-American slavery. -- Vincent Brown, author of <i>The Reaper’s Garden: Death and Power in the World of Atlantic Slavery</i> A Tale of Two Plantations is the first book to describe with vivid detail the lived realities of the radically different slave societies of the Caribbean and North America. Based on deep research in plantation records, Dunn’s comparison explains how the lives of slaves in different parts of the Anglo-Atlantic world could be so different. By illuminating the family lives of enslaved people like Sarah Affir and Winney Grimshaw, he has breathed life into the old account books that listed people as nothing but property. -- Edward Rugemer, author of <i>The Problem of Emancipation: The Caribbean Roots of the American Civil War</i> A Tale of Two Plantations reads beautifully, is argued persuasively and provides a wealth of insights into a world that flourished until little more than a century ago and which, thankfully, is lost forever. -- Nicholas Canny * Irish Times *