Lewis examines how slavery functioned differently in Islamic lands compared to the transatlantic trade, while also highlighting the evolution of racial prejudice in the region.

Reviewers from the Journal of Social History and The New York Times have praised Lewis for his detailed use of primary sources, including Arabic and Persian literature, to show how prejudice often "won out over pious sentiments". However, some critics suggest the book focuses heavily on elite households and could have benefited from a deeper look at the broader assimilation of races in Islamic empires. Race and Slavery in the Middle East - Bernard Lewis

: Until the early 20th century, slaves included both white Europeans (such as Slavs and Circassians) and black Africans.