For the first time, the WPA Slave Narratives are organized by theme, making it easier to examine-and understand-specific aspects of slave life and culture.

There is no better way to appreciate history than to experience it through the eyes of those who lived it. Slave Culture: A Documentary Collection of the Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers' Project brings together the memories of the last generation of enslaved African Americans gathered through interviews conducted between 1936 and 1938. This three-volume work stands apart from previous Slave Narrative collections in that it organizes the narratives thematically, bringing the rich tapestry of slave culture to life in a fresh way. Within each thematic area, multiple excerpts span time, gender, and geography. An introductory essay for each theme and a contextual explanation for each narrative help readers draw lessons from this vast collection, while an introduction to the work explains the Works Progress Administration's Slave Narrative project-illuminating still another era in American history.

Spencer Crew, PhD, is Clarence J. Robinson Professor of History at George Mason University.

Lonnie Bunch is the founding director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture at the Smithsonian Institution.

Clement Price, PhD, is Board of Governors Distinguished Service Professor of History and director of the Institute on Ethnicity, Culture, and the Modern Experience at Rutgers University.