While hundreds of thousands of black Africans were slaves in the Middle East during the 19th century, little has been known about them. Using newly accessible records, this book lifts a part of the historical veil from the lives of these non-elite Africans, building a picture of their lives and, when possible, letting them speak in their own voices. Essay topics include black slavery in Egyptian houses headed by Europeans; the lives of freed female slaves; the attempt of an Egyptian ruler to create an all-slave army; and the lives of African slaves in rural Egypt. Extending our understanding of the lives of Africans who were forcibly brought to the Middle East, this book is an important contribution to scholarship on the region. Distributed in North America by Oxford University Press. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)