Born to Die: Disease and New World Conquest, 1492-1650 (New Approaches to the Americas) [Paperback]

Noble David Cook (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521627303 | ISBN-13: 978-0521627306 | Publication Date: February 13, 1998

Noble David Cook explains, in vivid detail and sweeping scope, how the conquest of the New World was achieved by a handful of Europeans--not by the sword, but by deadly disease. The Aztec and Inca empires with their teeming millions were destroyed by a few hundred Europeans whose most important weapons, though the conquerors did not realize it at the time, were diseases previously unknown in the Americas. The end result of the colonizing experience in the Americas, whether of the Portuguese, Dutch, Spanish, English, or French, was the collapse of native society.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The book challenges the Black Legend, which attempts to place all of the blame for the injustices of conquest on the Spanish, to demonstrate how all Old World peoples carried, literally though unwittingly, the germs of the destruction of American civilization." UC MEXUS NEWS

"...an important work that shows New World societies reeling from forces far beyond their control." Choice

"The book's strength lies in the extensive use of primary data from the various libraries. Those interested in medical history will find this monograph a pleasant and informative source of information. Overall, I found Born to Die a fascinating work that will appeal to anyone interested in the social, economic, and medical history of the New World immediately after its discovery and conquest." Robert C. Kimbrough III, MD; JAMA

"...[Cook] has produced a notable and well-written counterargument to some of the virulently anti-Spanish texts of the early 1990s." Foreign Affairs

"This is an important book which needs to be read by all who are interested in understanding the catastrophe that confronted the Amerindian peoples..." William T. Walker, Sixteenth Century Journal

"[Born to Die]...will become a standard reference in the literature of the European conquest of the Americas." J.H. Galloway, The International History Review

"Whether one is an expert or not in the role of diseases in the conquest of the New World, this book will prove an enlightening addition to your collection." Michael T. Campbell, Revista Interamericana

Book Description

Noble David Cook explains, in vivid detail and sweeping scope, how the conquest of the New World was achieved by a handful of EuropeansVnot by the sword, but by deadly disease. The Aztec and Inca empires with their teeming millions were destroyed by a few hundred Europeans whose most important weapons, though the conquerors did not realize it at the time, were diseases previously unknown in the Americas. The end result of the colonizing experience in the Americas, whether of the Portugese, Dutch, Spanish, English, or French, was the collapse of native society.

Product Details

• Paperback: 268 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (February 13, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521627303
• ISBN-13: 978-0521627306
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 6.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #42,812 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #18 in Books > Arts & Photography > Schools, Periods & Styles > Renaissance
  • #37 in Books > History > Americas > South America
  • #51 in Books > History > Americas > Central America

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Compelling assesment of diseases in 16th century America, March 10, 2000

By 

Chris Wiley (Bayonne,NJ Usa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Born to Die: Disease and New World Conquest, 1492-1650 (New Approaches to the Americas) (Paperback)

The collapse of the native population of the western hemisphere, where some 90 percent of the inhabitants perished within a century, was one of the greatest demographic disasters in history. In this well-detailed analysis, Cook lays the effect of Old World epidemics on a virgin soil population. Completely free of the impassioned polemical tones which so often characterized many of the books on the Columbian exchange,Cook presents a the framework needed for students of 16th century America. While not ignoring cruelty and war as a factor in the decline of certain groups, Cook points out that the number of Spaniards present during the 16th century was too small(less than 250,000)to have killed or worked to death the tens of millions already present in the Western Hemisphere. Smallpox,measles, and influenza ripped through the natives like a hurricane,preparing the way for European conquest and settlement.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thorough and Scholarly Study of Crucial Issue, July 4, 2003

By 

R. Albin (Ann Arbor, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Born to Die: Disease and New World Conquest, 1492-1650 (New Approaches to the Americas) (Paperback)

This is a very thorough and well organized study of one of the most important and ghastly events in human history. In the century following the European discovery of the Americas, approximately 90% of the native population perished. The agents of this demographic and cultural catastrophe were an apparently unceasing series of epidemics transmitted by European and African immigrants to the Western Hemisphere. Isolated for millenia from the Western Hemisphere, the native peoples of the Americas were virgin soil for smallpox, plague, influenza, measles, and a wide range of other serious infections. Native American susceptibility to epidemic disease and not any technological or cultural advantage was the key factor allowing Europeans to conquer the Americas. The conquest of Western Hemisphere and European dominance of its resources resulted in a huge economic and ecological windfall for European states. This windfall was a key factor propelling the global dominance of European culture and states.
Cook does an excellent job of systematically surveying the various epidemics and their demographic impacts. This is difficult because of the need to cover an extended period of time, a broad variety of regions, and the fragmentary nature of the data. This book is an excellent summary of available knowledge on this important topic. Very organized and written competently, this book will be the standard reference on this topic.

4.0 out of 5 stars Very well done., December 22, 2006

By 

Lehigh History Student (Bethlehem, PA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Born to Die: Disease and New World Conquest, 1492-1650 (New Approaches to the Americas) (Paperback)

What role did disease play in shaping the conquest of the New World. This book accounts for more than just the Aztec invasion but covers the Caribbean and South America as well. It is very well written and takes an interesting look at the epidemiology of the region. For those interested in either the imperial conquests of Spain or the development of epidemiology this is a great book. Cook writes very well and in most places his epidemiological accounts are well supported.