Iberian Visions of the Pacific Ocean, 1507–1899

In this work, Buschmann incorporates neglected Spanish visions into the European perceptions of the emerging Pacific world. The book argues that Spanish diplomats and intellectuals attempted to create an intellectual link between the Americas and the Pacific Ocean.

“In Iberian Visions of the Pacific Ocean, 1507–1899, Rainer F. Buschmann provides a valuable, well-informed, and stimulating essay on Spanish responses to these changes from the early sixteenth century onward. … The author masters the literature impressively, reads accurately the sources he uses, and wields their evidence perceptively, informatively, and sometimes vividly.” (Felipe Fernández-Armesto, American Historical Review, Vol. 121 (4),October, 2016)

“Iberian Visions of the Pacific Ocean is a very ambitious project, encompassing nearly half a millennium of Pacific ‘visions’ when the ocean was not even a figment in most people’s imaginations. … Iberian Visions offers an incisive political history that documents closely the debates arising from the growing interest in the area. … especially interesting for political historians and those seeking information about the ‘legality’ of conquest and colonialism, extending our knowledge of the political backdrop of European imperial rivalries.” (Mercedes Camino, The Journal of Pacific History, Vol. 50 (2),May, 2015)

"This is a rigorous scholarly work in which archival research, printed sources from the time, and up to date secondary scholarship is deployed opportunely and clearly. The book is easy to read, very well organized and extremely informative. In addition to being a considerable contribution to the study of Spanish historiography, the book is relevant to Pacific studies, Eighteenth century studies and the cultural and scientific history of Imperial Spain. Academics and graduate students - historians of different fields, geographers, anthropologists, cultural studies practitioners, etc. - will profit a great deal from its innovative approach and its rich knowledge." - Arturo Giraldez, University of the Pacific, USA