Bitterli distinguishes three basic forms of cultural encounter: superficial contact, as in the early relations between Europe and China; a prolonged relationship, like that between missionaries and the North American Indians; and collision, leading to the destruction of the weaker partner, as happened in the Spanish Conquest of the West Indies and of Mexico. In a series of case studies Bitterli examines these types of cultural encounter, drawing on a wide range of primary sources.

'A delight to read ... a major contribution to colonial history ... it is a book that should influence the research and writing of others, for years to come.' Journal of Historical Geography

'This book deserves a place on the shelf of any scholar interested in the way cultures, cosmologies, and economic systems interact.' The Historian

'Uniquely readable.' Phoblacht / Republican News

'This book will serve for many readers as an English language introduction to the work of the Swiss historian, Urs Bitterli. Besides its interesting interpretations, the book will be valued for its introduction to a large body of documentary sources....' AJPH

Urs Bitterli is the author of numerous works on the cultural history of colonization, including Die `Wilden' und die `Zivilizierten'.