America Magica: When Renaissance Europe Thought it had Conquered Paradise / Edition 2

by Jean-Marc De Beer, Jorge Magasich-Airola, David Abulafia

Overview

An enthralling account of the conflicting experiences of discovering the New World, drawing upon the intriguing tales of early discovery and amazing illustrations of the day. The authors invoke the unique exhilaration of exploration, investigating the conflict between the ambitious idealism and harsh realities that have always characterized and torn the country. After all, did people not go to America in search of both the Garden of Eden and the tribes of the damned?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781843312925
Publisher:	Anthem Press
Publication date:	07/01/2007
Series:	Anthem Studies in Travel
Edition description:	Second Edition
Pages:	226
Sales rank:	355,851
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 8.50(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Jorge Magasich Airola is Professor of Latin American History at the Institut des Hautes Etudes des Communications Sociales (HECS) in Brussels.

Marc de Beer is Professor at the Institut de Radio électricité et de Cinématographie (INRACI) in Brussels.

David Abulafia is Professor of Mediterranean History at the University of Cambridge.

Table of Contents

Foreword by David Abulafia; Preface; Introduction; In Search of the Earthly Paradise; On the Threshold of Paradise; King Solomon’s Mines in America; The Realms of Gold; The Indomitable Amazons; The Legendary Isles of the Ocean Sea; Wondrous Creatures; The Patagonian Giants; Epilogue; Notes; References; Index

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

 'This succinct book offers a useful synthesis of information concerning the ways Europeans imagined the new lands and peoples they encountered…the way the material is assembled, and the lucidity with which the authors summarise their sources makes this an engaging and perceptive study. A particular feature pf the book is the inclusion of striking black and white illustrations which pepper its pages, providing a helpful counterpart to the narrative… A well-structured and enjoyable read.' —Claire Jowitt, Nottingham-Trent University

 'This book is a wondrous map of the early modern worldview, tracing the contours of imagination and reality in the minds of European explorers, missionaries, and conquerors. What is truly delightful in reading (this) fine work is the scope of the collection of their materials. The international quality of the history is a mirror of the international quality of the book itself.' —Laura Ammon, Whittier College

'Offers fascinating insights into the ways in which a rich and complex variety of mythical narratives and images - of earthly paradises, golden cities, women warriors, and strange and wonderful creatures - structured the perceptions of European explorers and settlers of the indigenous peoples and landscapes of the New World.' —Susan Castillo, Professor of American Studies, Kings College London

Editorial Reviews

‘At its best, ‘America Magica’ exhibits one of the most impressive aspects of early 1990s work on Europe’s early modern encounter with the wider world: integrated consideration of ancient and medieval intellectual legacies, early modern cultural constructions, and the practical realities of fifteenth- and sixteenth-century life. […] A handy reference for those perusing European explorers’ journals or geographic treatises and wondering where these odd ideas about griffins, lost cities, and dog-headed men came from.’ —Paul Mapp, College of William & Mary, ‘Journal of World History’

From the Publisher