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Ontmoetingen in het Westen. Een wereldgeschiedenis
Al in de eerste eeuwen van onze jaartelling was de wereld een lappendeken van routes en contactzones. De druk bevaren Middellandse Zee was een uitwisselingsplek voor vele christenen en moslims. De Sahararoutes verbonden West-Afrika met het Euraziatische continent. Toen in 1492 Amerika bereikt werd, breidde het wereldtoneel nog verder uit. De Afrikaanse slavernij en het vermengen van de autochtone bevolking met nieuwkomers maakten het Amerikaanse continent volop deelgenoot van de Euraziatische culturen.
Dit boek vertelt een veelheid aan geschiedenissen van de zevende tot de eenentwintigste eeuw, over de Middellandse Zee, West-Afrika en de oostkusten van het Amerikaanse continent. De lezer ontdekt de wereldgeschiedenis vanuit ongewone perspectieven: de Middellandse Zee vanuit de islamkant gezien, West-Afrika als actieve speler op het internationale toneel, zuid-Atlantische uitwisselingen tussen Brazilië en Afrika, en de Caraïben als een culturele bemiddelingszone. Deze alternatieve wereldgeschiedenis toont aan dat globalisering van alle tijden is en dat de Atlantische wereld al eeuwenlang het decor is voor grootschalige interculturele uitwisselingen.
Dit boek vertelt een veelheid aan geschiedenissen van de zevende tot de eenentwintigste eeuw, over de Middellandse Zee, West-Afrika en de oostkusten van het Amerikaanse continent. De lezer ontdekt de wereldgeschiedenis vanuit ongewone perspectieven: de Middellandse Zee vanuit de islamkant gezien, West-Afrika als actieve speler op het internationale toneel, zuid-Atlantische uitwisselingen tussen Brazilië en Afrika, en de Caraïben als een culturele bemiddelingszone. Deze alternatieve wereldgeschiedenis toont aan dat globalisering van alle tijden is en dat de Atlantische wereld al eeuwenlang het decor is voor grootschalige interculturele uitwisselingen.
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
360 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2019
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October 21, 2024This book (‘Encounters in the West’) is a unique attempt (at least for the Dutch-speaking region) to map the historical interconnectedness of the western hemisphere. The author describes in detail how Western Europe, the Mediterranean, Sub-Saharan Africa, and North, Central and South America, in an intense interaction, have made the world what it is today. The emphasis constantly is on the complex exchanges and interactions between the various regions, which rightly puts the classical Western discourse (the globalization of history only started with the discovery of America by Columbus and was propelled by further Western discoveries) into perspective. Verberckmoes not only surfs on the wave of Global, Transnational and Interconnected History, that characterize the historiography of the last decades, but he also places strong 'Subaltern' accents that give space to a perspective from the South.
In comparison with other works which follow the same trend, he gives a lot of attention to the Saharan transit trade (originally from West Africa to the Middle East), the métissage process in Central and South America and especially to the slave trade and its demographic and cultural consequences. He also corrects the image of the transatlantic triangular trade (Western Europe-Africa-America), and strongly relativizes the importance of that trade before the 19th century. It is also very interesting how he adjusts the classic story of world history driven by homogeneous units (for instance the nation states): behind this so-called homogeneity lies an infinitely complex diversity within each region and each time period, which always results in unique configurations that propel history forward in a contingent manner.
It is a real pity that this study only has a Dutch edition, because it really deserves a wider audience. However, there are also limitations to this book (which the author chivalrously admits in an epilogue). In the first place, the field of view is limited to the western hemisphere, obviously due to lack of space, but also because this book has a brother in the book written by his university colleague Patrick Pasture, ‘Encounters in the East’ Ontmoetingen in het Oosten. Een wereldgeschiedenis, in which the interactions in the eastern hemisphere are studied. This western view of Verberckmoes necessarily somewhat distorts a truly global view of world history. This is most evident from the fact that, for example, the history of the Ottoman Empire is included in this (western) part, while it could just as well have been covered in the other one. In terms of form, Verberckmoes sometimes commits too great an accumulation of facts and trivia, as a result of which this book at times has an encyclopaedic flavour. He also does not quite live up to his promise that he will mainly focus on cultural exchanges and developments: his world history still is dominated by economic factors, and the cultural aspects are only marginally discussed (among these there's a remarkable amount of attention for syncretistic religions). And finally, it is also abundantly clear that Verberckmoes' expertise lies mainly in the Modern Period (15th to 18th century), and that Central America and especially Brazil also are among his preferred points of interest (there's remarkably limited attention to Mexico, Chile and Argentina).
Anyway, there is no question that Verberckmoes has made a valuable contribution – for the Dutch language area – to broadening our historical view and, above all, to pay more attention to the complex interregional interweaving of demographic and economic factors, and of multicultural and intercultural aspects. There's so much more there could be said about this book and its contents!
In comparison with other works which follow the same trend, he gives a lot of attention to the Saharan transit trade (originally from West Africa to the Middle East), the métissage process in Central and South America and especially to the slave trade and its demographic and cultural consequences. He also corrects the image of the transatlantic triangular trade (Western Europe-Africa-America), and strongly relativizes the importance of that trade before the 19th century. It is also very interesting how he adjusts the classic story of world history driven by homogeneous units (for instance the nation states): behind this so-called homogeneity lies an infinitely complex diversity within each region and each time period, which always results in unique configurations that propel history forward in a contingent manner.
It is a real pity that this study only has a Dutch edition, because it really deserves a wider audience. However, there are also limitations to this book (which the author chivalrously admits in an epilogue). In the first place, the field of view is limited to the western hemisphere, obviously due to lack of space, but also because this book has a brother in the book written by his university colleague Patrick Pasture, ‘Encounters in the East’ Ontmoetingen in het Oosten. Een wereldgeschiedenis, in which the interactions in the eastern hemisphere are studied. This western view of Verberckmoes necessarily somewhat distorts a truly global view of world history. This is most evident from the fact that, for example, the history of the Ottoman Empire is included in this (western) part, while it could just as well have been covered in the other one. In terms of form, Verberckmoes sometimes commits too great an accumulation of facts and trivia, as a result of which this book at times has an encyclopaedic flavour. He also does not quite live up to his promise that he will mainly focus on cultural exchanges and developments: his world history still is dominated by economic factors, and the cultural aspects are only marginally discussed (among these there's a remarkable amount of attention for syncretistic religions). And finally, it is also abundantly clear that Verberckmoes' expertise lies mainly in the Modern Period (15th to 18th century), and that Central America and especially Brazil also are among his preferred points of interest (there's remarkably limited attention to Mexico, Chile and Argentina).
Anyway, there is no question that Verberckmoes has made a valuable contribution – for the Dutch language area – to broadening our historical view and, above all, to pay more attention to the complex interregional interweaving of demographic and economic factors, and of multicultural and intercultural aspects. There's so much more there could be said about this book and its contents!
February 3, 2026
hopelijk erdoor voor mijn examen.
October 15, 2021
Unfortunately there is no English translation of this book ('Encounters in the West, a World History), although it really deserves it. Dutch review below, English commentary in my History-account on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...)
Dit is een omvangrijk en heel condens geschreven boek dat de economische, demografische, politieke en culturele uitwisselingen in het westelijk halfrond reconstrueert, in de periode van de 7de tot de 20ste eeuw. Johan Verberckmoes, professor moderne geschiedenis aan de universiteit van Leuven, heeft een enorme berg algemene en gespecialiseerde studies verwerkt in dit boek, en dat is eraan te merken: hij heeft er misschien iets te veel ingestoken, want van de lezer wordt wel wat uithoudingsvermogen gevergd. Dat neemt niet weg dat Verberckmoes zijn doelstelling wel bereikt, namelijk tonen dat de ‘westerse’ geschiedenis een oneindig complex kluwen was van interacties tussen heel verschillende regio’s. In die zin is het inderdaad een geslaagde wereldgeschiedenis die het eenzijdige beeld van een volledig door het Westen gedomineerde en gestuurde globalisering grondig bijstuurt.
Dit is een omvangrijk en heel condens geschreven boek dat de economische, demografische, politieke en culturele uitwisselingen in het westelijk halfrond reconstrueert, in de periode van de 7de tot de 20ste eeuw. Johan Verberckmoes, professor moderne geschiedenis aan de universiteit van Leuven, heeft een enorme berg algemene en gespecialiseerde studies verwerkt in dit boek, en dat is eraan te merken: hij heeft er misschien iets te veel ingestoken, want van de lezer wordt wel wat uithoudingsvermogen gevergd. Dat neemt niet weg dat Verberckmoes zijn doelstelling wel bereikt, namelijk tonen dat de ‘westerse’ geschiedenis een oneindig complex kluwen was van interacties tussen heel verschillende regio’s. In die zin is het inderdaad een geslaagde wereldgeschiedenis die het eenzijdige beeld van een volledig door het Westen gedomineerde en gestuurde globalisering grondig bijstuurt.
September 21, 2024
voor school, wel heel interessant
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews