Presents 35 original essays by scholars from around the world, representing a range of different approaches to Melville. Considers Melville in a global context, and looks at the impact of global economies and technologies on the way people read Melville. Takes account of the latest and most sophisticated scholarship, including postcolonial and feminist perspectives. Locates Melville in his cultural milieu, revising our views of his politics on race, gender and democracy. Reveals Melville as a more contemporarywriter than his critics have sometimes assumed.