First published in book form in 1852, Uncle Tom's Cabin quickly became a bestseller, recognised as a powerful contribution to anti-slavery debates. After more than 150 years, it remains one of the most widely discussed works of American literature. Debra Rosenthal: *examines the life and career of Harriet Beecher Stowe *sets the novel within its cultural contexts and reprints related documents from the period *surveys criticism of the book from publication to the present *reprints extracts from reviews and key critical texts *annotates crucial passages from the novel, linking them to the contextual and critical materials included elsewhere in the sourcebook *suggests directions for further reading. Bringing together a wealth of material with clear critical commentary, Debra Rosenthal offers the ideal starting point for anyone beginning to study this crucial American novel.