Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 482 4 M Q U P S P R I N G 2 0 1 7 The incalculable influence of Alexander von Humboldt (1769–1859) on biology, botany, geol- ogy, and meteorology deservedly earned him a reputation as the world’s most illustrious scientist before Charles Darwin. Humboldt’s breath-taking explorations of Mexico and South America from 1799 to 1804 are akin to Europe’s second “discov- ery” of the New World – this time, a scientific one. His Political Essay on the Kingdom of New Spain is a foundational document about Mexico and its cultures and is still widely consulted by anthropologists, geographers, and historians. In Humboldt’s Mexico, Myron Echenberg pres- ents a straightforward guide with historical and cultural context to Humboldt’s travels in Mexico. Humboldt packed a lifetime of scientific studies into one daunting year, and soon after published a four-volume account of his findings. His adven- tures range widely from inspections of colonial silver mines and hikes to the summits of volcanoes, to meticulous examination of secret Spanish colo- nial archives in Mexico City and scientific discus- sions of archaeological sites of pre-Hispanic Indigenous cultures. Echenberg traces Humboldt’s journey, as described in his publications, his diary, and other writings, across the heartland of Mex- ico, while also pursuing Humboldt’s life, his sci- ence, his experiences, his influence on scholars of his time and after, and the various efforts by others to honour and at times to denigrate his legacy. Part history, part travelogue, and always highly readable and informative, Humboldt’s Mexico is an engaging account of a gifted scientist and visionary that ranges across topics as diverse and broad as natural history was in his era. Myron Echenberg is professor emeritus of history and classical studies at McGill University. B I O G R A P H Y • N AT U R A L H I S T O R Y Humboldt’s Mexico In the Footsteps of the Illustrious German Scientific Traveller myron echenberg A study of a gifted scientist and visionary who embodies the spirit of adventure and discovery. S P E C I F I C AT I O N S May 2017 978-0-7735-4940-1 $39.95T CDN, $34.95T US, £29.99 cloth 6 x 9 272pp 15 b&w photos, 4 colour photos, 1 map, 2 tables eBook available