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CHOICE Review

Stedman's Narrative was first published in England in 1796. More than 20 subsequent versions, all based on the 1796 edition, have been printed in several languages. An outsider's view of Surinam in the 1770s, the Narrative became a source for abolitionist propaganda, and has been widely cited by scholars. With this new edition, scholars at last have available a copy of Stedman's 1790 manuscript, the original basis for the much edited 1796 publication. The result is a more personal account of Stedman's more than four years as a military officer in Surinam, and a franker and more damning depiction of an extraordinarily brutal slave society. The editors have done their job brilliantly. The introduction explores Stedman's life and attitudes, and examines the nature of the changes made to the 1790 manuscript by his publisher's editor. Enhanced by reproductions of more than 80 plates, valuable editors' notes, fauna identifications, sources for literary citations, and a list of references cited, the Narrative is a model of scholarly editing. Every major academic and public library should own it. -M. A. Burkholder, University of Missouri--St. Louis