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John K . Thornton , A cultural history of the Atlantic world, 1250-1820 (New York and Cambridge : Cambridge University Press , 2012). Pages xviii + 524 + Index. $94/£57 hardback, $30.99/£20.99 paperback.
This survey, magnificent in scope and magnanimous in detail, is a synthesis of recent work on Atlantic history and represents a herculean effort to rethink the narrative, 'heritage' histories that underpin the modern nations bordering on the Atlantic Ocean. If the origins of Atlantic history may be found in the scholarly effort to demonstrate that Europe and the Americas (especially North America) share a common history, John Thornton's grand synthesis urges a more capacious understanding, stressing the interpenetration of African, Amerindian and European history in the making of the Atlantic world. Given Thornton's linguistic dexterity (the copious footnotes refer to texts in several European languages) and pioneering work as an historian of Africa and Africa's Atlantic connections, the book's range and foci are unusually broad and original in perspective. Most Atlantic histories are either monolingual or else privilege either European or American sources and contexts.
The book is divided into four parts. Part I deals with the formation of...