Barbaric Others

The word barbarian is derived from the Greek term 'barbaroi' - or one who cannot speak Greek. As the Greeks believed that language was the tool of reason, non-Greek speakers, therefore, were considered devoid of the facility to reason or to act according to logic. This concept of barbarism in turn shaped the early anthropological observations of Columbus and the first European visitors to the Americas.

Barbaric Others examines the convenient myopia which through the ages has allowed - and continues to allow - the West to see other peoples as 'barbarians', infidels, even 'savages'. In the book, the authors present a succinct history of racism, xenophobia and the concept of 'otherness' from ancient Greece to the present day. Topics covered include the representation of the 'other' in mythology, the medieval fascination with demons and the idea of the wild man, a critical overview of Columbus and 15th century exploration and the 'other' as colonial subject.

'[Constitutes] a bold attempt at the de-masking of the iconography of evil in out times. Full of factual detail, it seeks to crush the reader by the sheer weight of meticulously researched and daringly analysed historical information.' Muslim World Book Review

'Barbaric Others provides a valuable introduction for the non-specialist reader to some of the tactics colonial nations have utilised to dominate the territories and peoples they have encountered.' Patterns of Prejudice