'This succinct book offers a useful synthesis of information concerning the ways Europeans imagined the new lands and peoples they encountered…the way the material is assembled, and the lucidity with which the authors summarise their sources makes this an engaging and perceptive study. A particular feature pf the book is the inclusion of striking black and white illustrations which pepper its pages, providing a helpful counterpart to the narrative… A well-structured and enjoyable read.' —Claire Jowitt, Nottingham-Trent University

 'This book is a wondrous map of the early modern worldview, tracing the contours of imagination and reality in the minds of European explorers, missionaries, and conquerors. What is truly delightful in reading (this) fine work is the scope of the collection of their materials. The international quality of the history is a mirror of the international quality of the book itself.' —Laura Ammon, Whittier College

'Offers fascinating insights into the ways in which a rich and complex variety of mythical narratives and images - of earthly paradises, golden cities, women warriors, and strange and wonderful creatures - structured the perceptions of European explorers and settlers of the indigenous peoples and landscapes of the New World.' —Susan Castillo, Professor of American Studies, Kings College London