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The cover of Ecological Imperialism: The Biological Expansion of Europe, 900–1900

Ecological Imperialism: The Biological Expansion of Europe, 900–1900

Alfred W. Crosby

Alfred W. Crosby shows how crops, livestock, weeds, and disease helped European settlers reshape temperate lands. His account links ecological change with conquest and Indigenous survival.

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13 parts, about 24 minutes to read.

At a glance

Author
Alfred W. Crosby
Parts
13 parts
Reading time
about 24 minutes
The whole book
Also to read in full

What the summary covers

  1. A question of ecology1 min
  2. The Neo Europe paradox1 min
  3. Separated worlds and an old inheritance3 min
  4. Early colonies that did not endure2 min
  5. Atlantic islands as a rehearsal2 min
  6. The winds make repeated crossings possible1 min
  7. Where settlement met limits1 min
  8. Weeds follow disturbance2 min
  9. Animals multiply beyond their keepers2 min
  10. Illness crosses ahead of settlers2 min
  11. New Zealand brings the strands together3 min
  12. Why the package worked in some places2 min
  13. A great migration, and its limits2 min

Read it alongside

  • Goes deeperGuns, Germs, and Steel

    Crosby shows how imported livestock aided settler expansion; Diamond explains an earlier source of that advantage: domestication requires several compatible traits, and Eurasia had more suitable candidates.

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