Red Gold by John Hemming

Red Gold by John Hemming

'A comprehensive and absorbing account' Economist Red Gold covers the history of the Brazilian Indians from 1500 to 1760, from the point of first contact through to their conquest by the Portuguese. The first contacts between Europeans and stone-age natives aroused mutual wonder and even admiration. The Indians appeared to the Portuguese as `people good and of pure simplicity’ and so the myth of the `noble savage’ was born. The whites seemed god-like beings whom the Indians venerated for the metal knives and axes which would help them wrest a living from the jungle. However, this uneasy friendship was not to last. The colonists revealed themselves as brutal, greed fuelled men who abused the hospitality of the Indians, using their women as concubines and their men as slaves. As if this wasn’t enough. European disease and tribal vendettas – stirred by the colonists – depleted and depopulated the tribes. This terrifically comprehensive history of the impact of European settlement, details the subjugation of almost 2,500,000 people, and starts a historical trilogy of breathtaking ambition.

"'A comprehensive and absorbing account' Economist"

John Hemming was Director of the Royal Geographical Society in London from 1975 to 1996. He has been on several surveying and environmental expeditions to unexplored parts of Amazonia, and has probably visited more Indian tribes than any other non-Brazilian. For this work he has been awarded the Brazilian Order of the Southern Cross and the Peruvian Order of Merit for contributions to their countries. He is the author of several books.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780330427326
ISBN 10	0330427326
Title	Red Gold
Author	John Hemming
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Pan Macmillan
Year published	2004-08-06
Number of pages	704
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note	Unavailable