The book makes a significant contribution in that it moves beyond African slavery. It continues the narrative after abolition by showing how the capitalist impulse enabled Europe and the United States to devise other (non-slavery) ways of further exploitation of non-African people in third world countries. These nations fought this further exploitation in banding together to create the south-to-south nonaligned movement which gave mutual assistance in a number of areas. Most other works tend to separate these issues or deal with them on a regional basis. Eric Williams offers a comprehensive view, tying up many themes in a vast compendium.