Wild Majesty presents an anthology of writings about the Amerindian inhabitants of the Caribbean, from such diverse sources as the first reports of Columbus, French missionary tracts, the diaries of English colonial administrators, and modern ethnographers, travel writers, and film makers. This written and visual material has been carefully selected to illustrate the development of non-Amerindian knowledge of and attitudes to the society and culture of the so-called "Island Caribs," who once dominated the whole of the Lesser Antilles and continue to act today as a potent symbol of resistance to, and independence from, the modern nation-state. The volume breaks new ground in the anthropological use of literary and historical sources, as well as providing new translations of better-known texts, and original translations of rare printed works and previously unpublished documents from the European archives. This fascinating collection is essential for students of history, cultural studies, and anthropology, and all general readers interested in Columbus, the Caribbean, or exploration. "Through its imaginatively chosen and carefully documented selection of 36 writings, the anthology shows how the European perceptions of the Caribs shifted down the centuries."-- The Guardian "A magnificent anthology with fine introductory and bibliographical materials, worthy of the proud Carib peoples who are viewed here through the lenses of European conquest and colonialism....It encourages exploration of the far more nuanced ethnic realities that must have obtained among the islanders who had the misfortune to witness the tall masts of Columbus' ships looming above the turquoise Caribbean."--Richard Price, Princeton University "This book deserves to win a place on the library shelves of institutions of higher learning, and all those associated with rescuing history from the fraudulent clutches of white charlatan historians."-- Caribbean Times "Ideal for the undergraduate student of Native American culture. Hulme and Whitehead have made many texts available which would otherwise have been overlooked."--Dr. Morgan N. Lewis, Centenary College of Louisiana "This is a marvelous collection....An example of "multicultural" and Quincentennial history at its best...Oxford University Press is to be commended for its simultaneous publication of this handsome book in a paperback edition suitable for classroom use."-- The Americas presentation of the interplay between persistant Western Wild Majesty presents an anthology of writings about the Amerindian inhabitants of the Caribbean, from such diverse sources as the first reports of Columbus, French missionary tracts, the diaries of English colonial administrators, and modern ethnographers, travel writers, and film makers. This written and visual material has been carefully selected to illustrate the development of non-Amerindian knowledge of and attitudes towards the society and culture of the so-called 'Island Caribs', who once dominated the whole of the Lesser Antilles and who continue to act today as a potent symbol of resistance to, and independence from, the modern nation-state.