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Ecological Imperialism: The Biological Expansion of Europe, 900-1900 (Canto)

by Alfred W. Crosby (Author)

4.3 21 ratings

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Ecological Imperialism 2ed: The Biological Expansion of Europe, 900-1900 (Studies in Environment and History)
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People of European descent form the bulk of the population in most of the temperate zones of the world - North America, Australia and New Zealand. The military successes of European imperialism are easy to explain; in many cases they were a matter of firearms against spears. But as Alfred Crosby explains in his highly original and fascinating book, the Europeans' displacement and replacement of the native peoples in the temperate zones was more a matter of biology than of military conquest.

Review

'Crosby argues his case with vigour, authority and panache ... 'Ecological Imperialism' could not ask for a more lucid and stylish exponent.' The Times Literary Supplement

'The biological bases of radically changing historical ecosystems must never be forgotten - and Crosby has made them intelligible as well as memorable.' Natural History

'Required reading for politicians worldwide.' The Guardian

'Crosby has unfolded with great power the wider biopolitics of our civilisation.' Nature

'One of the best illustrations of big history.' David Christian, New York Times

Book Description

The military successes of European imperialism are easy to explain; in many cases they were a matter of firearms against spear. But as Alfred Crosby explains in his highly original and fascinating book, the Europeans' displacement and replacement of the native peoples in the temperate zones was more a matter of biology than of military conquest.

ISBN-10

0521456908
ISBN-13

978-0521456906
Publisher

Cambridge University Press
Publication date

June 25, 1993
Language

English
Dimensions

5.51 x 1.02 x 8.58 inches
Print length

384 pages
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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Cambridge University Press (June 25, 1993)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0521456908
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0521456906
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15.7 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.51 x 1.02 x 8.58 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,754,421 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2,526 in Human Geography (Books)
- #3,278 in Ecology (Books)
- #47,465 in World History (Books)

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4.3 21 ratings

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hunter green

The history a botanist needs

Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2015

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Why plants are on the move. Naturalists awake! get this book.

Reviewed in the United States on December 10, 2005

Crosby brought up an argument that I've never heard before - and argued it quite well. This book has a wealth of well-researched information that documents the ecological dominance of nations that underwent neolithic developments over those that did not. He also is very careful to demonstrate his technical knowledge while at the same time making the book accessible to all students of history. Loved it.

One person found this helpful

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Dewi Retika

As described

Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2018

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The book is as described and fit for college students.

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dragondazd

Eye-opening, well written, and convincing!

Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2002

This is one of the most revealing books I have ever read. Crosby has made me gasp in awe more times in one paragraph than I have reading most entire books. He explains not only how Eureopean plants, animals, and people are in so many places, but how they got into such a position, what advantages they started out with, which ones they developed, and why they failed in other places.
His thesis is convincing because he gives several examples to prove his point, to show how his theory worked in each of these cases. I wish there were more books that were written so clearly and irrefutably. Written with the power of a true historian yet with the thrill of an action movie, it's a rare combination of skill.
If you liked the subject of Guns, Germs, and Steel, you'll find this book to be even more exciting and easier to read.

7 people found this helpful

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ccmann

Dazzling

Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2001

Alfred Crosby is one of the few historians who have changed the way people think. Back in the 1960s he got the crazy idea that the *biological* expansion of Europe into the rest of the world was the real story of the last few centuries. His book, The Columbian Exchange -- Europe sent over people and germs and got back the biological wealth of the Americas -- was rejected by a dozen publishers. This book is a restating and resharpening and amplification of this thesis, which by now is so well accepted in its basics that I was amused to see some of the Amazon reviewers say there was not that much new here. In a way, I guess they're right, but this book is nonetheless full of wonderful historical connections -- why smallpox caused the slave trade, why corn changed the history of Eastern Europe -- that you would never think of otherwise. I would also want to single out Crosby's writing, which is dryly humorous and even moving on occasion. Altogether amazing stuff, this book.

6 people found this helpful

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Dizziey

Fascinating

Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2002

Alfred Crosby's "Ecological Imperialism" is a provocative, well-written and definitely fascinating book. Crosby examines the reason Europeans were able to defeat the Indigenous people in American, Australia and New Zealand. Crosby argues that the biology and ecology factors played tremendous roles in their win. Crosy argues that the weeds, animals and the Europeans best allies, the germs or diseases that they brought with them to the New World dominated the Indigenous people. The Europeans sought to make the New World as similiar to that of the Old World. It was interesting for me because we were taught that the military superiority of the Europeans was the main factor. In addition, Crosy also examines the unsuccessful attempts of the Europeans at dominating Asia and Africa.
"Ecological Imperialism" definitely is a groundbreaking book in the field of environmental history.

3 people found this helpful

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emhahn@indiana.edu

Excellent Historical Analysis!

Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 1999

Crosby sets forth some basic principles that should be taught in every history classroom. Not only does he discuss the discovery of the America's and the underlying consequences of discovery, he also explains how similar situations occurred in New Zealand and Australia, too. This book is well worth the price, and worth referring to a friend as well.

One person found this helpful

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T. P. Ang

A landmark (but dated) study on the ecological dimension of European expansion

Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2006

Alfred Crosby is widely credited for popularising the ecological dimension of the history of imperial expansion. For this reason, and perhaps this reason alone, his book is worth a read.

The book, first published in 1986, revolutionised the way we think about European imperial expansion into the New World. How a few hundred disoriented Europeans armed with spears and misfiring guns managed to overwhelm entire Inca and Aztec civilisations in the early sixteenth century, for example. Crosby convincingly casts aside traditional political or military explanations by attributing the astonishing Portuguese and Spanish victories to bacteriology: how diseases such as smallpox and measles that the Europeans unwittingly carried with them wiped out thousands of New World inhabitants, severely crippling their defences.

The larger point that Crosby drives across is a profound one. Historical events - in this case, European expansion and imperialism - can be explained predominantly by ecological factors. In the clash of `biotas' between the Old and the New World, the Old World won. Convincingly. Hence the presence not just of Europeans in the Americas, but also of pigs and dandelions. According to this thesis, ecology shaped European expansion; creating `Neo-Europes' in the New World that facilitated European migration, precipitating the `Caucasian wave' from the 1820s to the 1930s. Unlike in most other histories, in Crosby's ecological history, humans form the backdrop and inexorable ecological forces take centre-stage.

Refreshing as this perspective is, the way that Crosby has rendered it is problematic in on a number of accounts. By excluding humans from the picture; or at best relegating human developments to the sidelines, Crosby emerges with a dangerously reductive picture of historical development. Deterministic ecological explanations cannot alone account for European expansion - after all, we must not forget that the first European transoceanic voyages were motivated by curiosity rather than necessity. More problematic is the book's implicit assumption that ecological influence was unidirectional. In concentrating on explicating the Old World's ecological victory over the New, Crosby neglects to examine the influence that New World ecology had on the Old.

Nonetheless, Crosby's work remains a landmark study that deserves a read. Moreover, it packs a punch as a piece of writing - its lucid narratives and provocative assertions laid out with the bold and elegant strokes of a master-artist. Yet Crosby's work is also increasingly a dated study that has been qualified over and over by new works in the field, or in the related field of environmental history. Those interested in the subject should by no means stop at Crosby's book.

23 people found this helpful

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清与河

我喜欢的研究内容

Reviewed in Japan on April 6, 2021

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书的状态非常好、适用于大学学习的参考书。

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