European Encounters with the New World: From Renaissance to Romanticism

The book "Interpreting America" by Anthony Pagden is a thought-provoking exploration of how Europeans interpreted their encounters with the New World after Columbus's voyages.

This comprehensive study delves into the strategies used by Columbus and early chroniclers to describe a continent and its inhabitants so unfamiliar to Europeans that they seemed hardly real.

The book examines various European reactions to these descriptions in the 17th and 18th centuries, including the invigoration of scientific discovery and the decline of wonder.

Through an exploration of responses from influential thinkers like Alexander von Humboldt, Denis Diderot, and Johann Gottfried Herder, Pagden sheds light on the complexities of cultural interpretation and the impact of colonization on global perspectives.

This insightful book is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the complex historical context of European encounters with the Americas.