Buying whiteness

"What does it mean to be white? When and why did European men buy the idea that they were "whites," and who sold it to them? The secret history of whiteness is told, for the first time, in this important book by an internationally-acclaimed cultural historian and journalist. Gary Taylor tracks the growth of modern white identity through the history of art, law, literature, science, and sexuality - and through the eyes of black and brown observers. Combining innovative use of modern databases with discoveries in unpublished manuscripts, Buying Whiteness uncovers a history with profound implications for everyone who is white - or not."--Jacket