Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #314848 in Books
• Published on: 1995-03-06
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 246 pages

Customer Reviews

Excellent and persuasive arguments.
This book is superb. Blaut provides a convincing framework showing how 'traditional' views of history and geography have conspired to provide 'Western culture' with justifications for the appaling treatments it has inflicted upon much of the world, its colonies and dominions. The trouble is...nothing much has changed!

Enlightening view of world history since Columbus
The author contends that prior to 1492 most of the sea-faring cultures of the "Old World" (Europe, Africa & Asia) were, for the most part, equal in technological, political and economic status. It was only geographic proximity (and luck) that allowed the Europeans to "discover" America, which had advanced cultures, too. This "discovery" allowed the Europeans to be the first to exploit the natural and human resources of America and therefore position itself as the world powerhouse, that still exists today. Colonization and capitalism followed from the silver trade, then eventually the fur, rum and slave trades. The rest is history. Along the way, Mr. Blaut easily dismisses the notion that it was European culture or character (either good or evil) that led to their "advancements." But it is that main point that really opened my eyes: that other cultures, in all hemispheres, were equally advanced as Europe in 1492, and that Europe's colonization of America was just luck and their "advancement" truly sprung from just that. It is a good complement to "Indian Givers," by Jack Weatherford.