What are some books about colonialism that aren't just the author ranting about how it's evil and Europeans bad? Pic related is solid and fairly unbiased.
>>25251981Hernan Cortez’s letters to Charles V are pretty cool I guess.
>>25251981
>>25252002>Pro-colonialism Liberal Nigel Biggarreality is often sillier than fiction
>>25252440>On 21 January 2025, he was made "Baron Biggar" of Castle Douglas in the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright"Also the author of "In Defence of War" and was nominated for a life peerage by Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the Conservative Party who has a lot of great lines like "lunch is for wimps" and that she doesn't identify as having Nigerian ancestry, rather she prefers to specify that she has Yoruba ancestry so as not to be lumped in with with northern Nigerians for they are her "ethnic enemies," which to be clear is consistent with her position that immigrants do not automatically abandon ancestral ethnic hostilities at the border. Britain is a funny place.https://youtu.be/e1iRaS3gqws
>>25251981>Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad>The Oregon Trail by Francis Parkman>Benin, the city of blood by Commander Bacon"War before Civilization" by Professor Keeley is worth reading as well. It is not about colonialism but does examine some primitive societies.
>>25251997>>25251981Mesoamerican history anon here.While I obviously would suggest reading Cortes's letters, Bernal Diaz's account, and any other primary sources about encounters with Mesoamericann civilizations, you need to keep in mind that they were very much writing to glorify and justify their own actions and a lot of the information they provide is contradicted by other accounts. Diaz was also writing many decades after the fact where memory is an issue and he (intentionally or not) incorporated many myths and misconceptions into his telling that had become popularized in the time since the events of the expeditionThe books I recommend as companions to any such primary sources are "7 Myths of the Spanish Conquest" and "When Montezuma Met Cortes" by Matthew Restall. I talk more about the latter here: >>25237421In relation to what OP is asking for, there's absolutely some moments in both books where Restall is going hard with moralizing stuff and stressing the plight of say Indigenous women in particular, but both books, especially the latter, are excellent overall for the reasons I state in the linked post and I'd recommend them.
This is a good book on the changes that colonialism brought in the people that it interacted with To my suprise it dosn't really take a stance on things besides narrating the events of the story
>>25251981Can also recommend this. Very good and fair overall from a man who loves the continent.