This book presents the reader with a fascinating history of the inter-relationships between population, land, resources, and disease in Europe. Professor Livi Bacci integrates the key component of culture to provide a vivid social and narrative history from the first peopling of Europe through centu[...]

The search for gold and for the mythical El Dorado gripped the imagination of the conquistadors from the beginning of the sixteenth century. Crossing over the Andes, they explored the unknown eastern forests and jungles, launching expeditions that were often disastrous and always disappointing.[...]