The Black Middle

"Matthew Restall is an expert on the Maya . . . This is a crucial contribution to the history of a too neglected aspect of colonial management, the history of freedom and slavery, the history of witchcraft (in which African, indigenous, and Spanish elements were pixed, pagan, and Christian), and much more . . . The book is soundly researched. The personal stories add an important human touch to the general coverage." - Leonard R. N. Ashley (Bibliothèque d'Humanisme et Renaissance) "Matthew Restall's book is a wonderful addition to a number of fields, most prominently Latin American history, slave and Diaspora studies, ethnohistory, and Atlantic world history. The book is exceptionally well written with an engaging and informative style. The work draws on an impressive array of archival sources and nicely complements statistical evidence with real-life stories. The book's eloquence and revisionism ensure that it will be widely read and influential." - Jeremy Baskes (Enterprise and Society) "Restall has given us a full-blooded portrait of a historically important and interesting corner of the colonial world. In addition to his focus on the African-origin population of the Yucatan, Restall provides a full-scale, detailed, and eloquent social history of the entire region, demonstrating the ways in which his 'black middle' population was embedded in the larger society. The archival sources are truly impressive, expertly handled, and deployed with smart critical discussion." - Eric Van Young, University of California (San Diego) "Restall provides strong evidence supporting the important role that Afro-Yucatecans played in Spanish and Maya communities, and in Yucatecan society in general . . . Restall's ability to make arcane data come to life through stories and examples expands the work's readership beyond academia." - Mark Z. Christensen (Colonial Latin American Historical Review) "Restall opens each chapter with a detailed case study that makes for compelling reading and proves impressive in the depth of research and thoughtful and informed speculation required to give the stories depth and meaning. Restall's study will be of great interest to specialists in the African and Afro-American experiences in colonial Latin America and the wider Atlantic World." - Frank "Trey" Proctor III (The Americas)