New Worlds for Old: Reports from the New World and Their Effect on the Development of Social Thought in Europe, 1500-1800

by William Brandon

New Worlds for Reports from the New World and Their Effect on the Development of Social Thought in Europe, 1500-1800 William New Worlds for Reports from the New World and Their Effect on the Development of Social Thought in Europe, 1500-1800 Ohio University FIRST First Edition, First Printing. Not price-clipped. Published by Ohio University Press, 1986. Octavo. Hardcover. Book is very good with light spotting to the page ends. Dust jacket is very good with light shelf wear. 100% positive feedback. 30 day money back guarantee. NEXT DAY SHIPPING! Excellent customer service. Please email with any questions. All books packed carefully and ship with free delivery confirmation/tracking. All books come with free bookmarks. Ships from Sag Harbor, New York.Seller 366675 History We Buy Books! Collections - Libraries - Estates - Individual Titles. Message us if you have books to sell!

Genres: Nonfiction, History

Hardcover

Published January 1, 1986

About the author

William Brandon was an American writer and historian.

During his long career Brandon published a variety of short fiction, essays, and poetry, which appeared in magazines such as Esquire, The Atlantic Monthly, The Paris Review, The Saturday Evening Post, and Reader's Digest. However, he is best known for his historical work documenting Native Americans and the American West. Although Brandon's formal education ended after high school, his scholarship was sufficiently respected that he was from 1966–1967 a visiting professor at the University of Massachusetts, and later conducted a seminar series on Native American literature at California State College in Long Beach, California.

Brandon died in Clearlake, California, on 11 April 2002, of cancer.



-Wikipedia

Reviews

[Brent Ranalli · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book tackles the impact of the discovery of the Americas on European intellectual life (viz., "Western thought"). Demonstrates that early modern European/Neo-European political and social thinkers from More to Rousseau to the U.S. Founding Fathers to Marx were influenced not only by ancient Greek and Roman models resurrected during the Renaissance, but also by reports from European explorers, soldiers, missionaries, and settlers, especially reports about the equality and freedom enjoyed by American natives and the communalism of their societies. Modern ideals of democracy, libertarianism, socialism, and communism all have roots in the New World / Old World mashup.

There were those in Europe who viewed the American natives as beasts and savages to be pitied rather than noble savages to be admired and emulated. Brandon discusses this thread too. And he addresses the question of image versus reality (how accurate were the European explorers' portrayals of the native societies they encountered?). His scholarship is excellent. I'm amazed the book is not more widely known and read. I was tipped off to it by a footnote in Jack Weatherford's "Indian Givers"--more popular in style, less scholarly apparatus, also an excellent book.