America Magica: When Europe Conquered Paradise - Softcover

De Beer, Jean-Marc; Magasich-Airola, Jorge

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1843311860 ISBN 13: 9781843311867

Publisher: Anthem Press, 2005

Synopsis

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?

About this title

Book Description:

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.

From the Back Cover:

'...a dramatic tale of human greed, as Spaniards, Germans and others sought for the sources of gold in El Dorado. The authors elegantly show where myth and reality met one another.'
David Abulafia, Professor of Mediterranean History, University of Cambridge

The central characters in this book are the myths born of the European collective imagination about the 'mysterious' lands beyond Europe and the beings who inhabited them. The New World exerted 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.

America Magica is an enthralling account of the conflicting experiences of discovering the New World.  Hoping to find Paradise, King Solomon's mines, the Fountain of Youth, headless giants and the armies of the Amazons, America soon became a reflection of the fears and desires of Europe. The authors invoke the unique exhilaration of exploration, finding a basis for 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?

About this edition

• Publisher: Anthem Press
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 1843311860
• ISBN 13: 9781843311867
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 300