Samuel Wiseman's Book Of Record

Michael Oberg's edition of Samuel Wiseman's 'Book of Record' makes available to student and scholar what may well be the most important and wide-ranging document of early American history hitherto unpublished. The crisis of Indian relations, the beginnings of African slavery, the roots of popular politics, even the origins of the American Revolution, all are illuminated here. -- Stephen Saunders Webb Michael Oberg has performed an invaluable service for historians by transcribing and editing Samuel Wiseman's never-before-published 'Book of Record.' Oberg's introduction deftly situates the text within the history and historiography of seventeenth-century Virginia. Anyone writing on Bacon's Rebellion will benefit from Oberg's edition. -- Erik R. Seeman By making accessible Samuel Wiseman's lengthy, contemporary investigation of Bacon's Rebellion, Michael Oberg makes a signal contribution to our understanding of a critical event in early Anglo-American history, whose meaning and legacy has long divided historians. Wiseman's account goes beyond the rebellion and its suppression to shed light on Anglo-Indian relations, pre-existing political and social tensions, subsequent imperial strategies to more closely integrate Virginia within an emerging English Atlantic, and the personal cost of revolt to many ordinary Virginians. Oberg's edition provides ample new material for students and scholars alike to debate the course and significance of Bacon's Rebellion... -- Michael J. Jarvis Samuel Wiseman's 'Book of Record' provides unparalleled insight into the conflict known as Bacon's Rebellion, an event that altered the course of American history. Michael Oberg's excellent edition of the text makes this a must read for anyone with a serious interest in the Anglo-American colonies in the seventeenth century, particularly those concerned about relations between Native Americans and European colonists. -- Peter Mancall Samuel Wiseman's manuscript 'Book of Record' is essential reading for all who would comprehend Bacon's Rebellion and its consequences. Oberg deserves congratulations for bringing this invaluable source within easy reach of students and scholars alike. -- Warren M. Billings By making accessible Samuel Wiseman's lengthy, contemporary investigation of Bacon's Rebellion, Michael Oberg makes a signal contribution to our understanding of a critical event in early Anglo-American history, whose meaning and legacy has long divided historians. Wiseman's account goes beyond the rebellion and its suppression to shed light on Anglo-Indian relations, pre-existing political and social tensions, subsequent imperial strategies to more closely integrate Virginia within an emerging English Atlantic, and the personal cost of revolt to many ordinary Virginians. Oberg's edition provides ample new material for students and scholars alike to debate the course and significance of Bacon's Rebellion. -- Michael J. Jarvis