Savage Civilisation by Tom Harrisson

“I came by chance to live there especially and to learn their ways. I gathered and killed pigs myself to enter their first stage towards chiefliness. The balanced system of classless capitalism, typical of the whole New Hebrides, came easy to me. I was fascinated by this intricate, unnecessary system which defeated the attempts of a damp, static environment. Every man had more than enough for himself and success …” In the following chapter, Harrisson proceeded to write a history of the first encounter with Europeans – a shipload of Spaniards. He summarizes the experience of the locals: “These unfamiliar people whom they had welcomed as something supernatural, turned out to be not only sudden, unaccountable butchers … but also treacherous thieves, men who mutilated corpses and even broke the rules of war so far as to kill a chief. To the natives it seemed incredible that there were people who could actually steal pigs. That made the breach irreparable.".

Publisher:	Victor Gollancz/Left Book Club
Year:	1937
Binding:	Softcover
Condition:	Fair
Description:	Cover very worn and dog-eared; spine warped & creased, tanned and foxing.

This image is of the actual book.

SKU: 1599336
Location: Social Sciences