America Magica (2nd Edition) - Paperback
by Jean-Marc de Beer (Author), Jorge Magasich-Airola (Author), David Abulafia (Foreword by)
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.
'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 The central characters in this book are the myths born of the European collective imagination about the lands beyond Europe and the beings who inhabited them. The New World was an irresistible attraction to Renaissance Europe and the great geographical discoveries of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries represent a unique moment in history, not only on account of the technical and human feat involved but also because the discoverers came to believe that they had reached the land of legends. This is 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?
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.
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