Reviews for Dark Vanishings: Discourse on the Extinction of Primitive Races, 1800-1930

The average rating for Dark Vanishings: Discourse on the Extinction of Primitive Races, 1800-1930 based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2008-07-22 00:00:00 Joe Shmow This book examines the racist justification for imperialism that "primitive" or "savage" races would become extinct. Lately I've been into reading about the problematic past of natural history and this book fits right in. I appreciated that this book escaped from the purely U.S. focus of most of my readings and looked at the greater conglomeration of US and European imperialist thought. The first chapter is entitled "Pre-Darwinian Theories." This is followed by a Chapter on the "Vanishing Indians" and one on Slavery, which was from the framework of indigenous peoples in Africa. The next was on "The Irish Famine" then one on Austrian aboriginals and yet another on the South Seas. This book truly gives a sense of the wide scope of the evil European/American expansionist enterprise. The final chapter,entitled "Darwin and After," fueled my interest in sitting down one day to read The Voyage of the Beagle and The Descent of Man.

Review # 2 was written on 2013-08-17 00:00:00 Norlynn Price Most of it is his war with France. The good and bad of what he was able and not able to do. Pretty much every page has some sort of primary text. If English and French military history are of interest this can help.