Distinguished historian Serge Gruzinski brings us this comprehensive study on the “Iberian globalization” that took place in the 16th century when the Spanish and Portuguese divided up the world. From Japan to the coasts of India, Africa and Brazil, and from Mexico to the Pacific islands, conquerors, missionaries, merchants, and savants were discovering a new world. And in their quest for domination, they not only waged war against the countries they sought to take over, but also acquired local knowledge and took part in a global economic growth. The resulting mix of civilizations, religions, daily-life customs, and the revolution in the perception of time and space show that globalization was already making its appearance.

The author shows how globalization spread across the world, and how it has been understood by our contemporaries through vivid descriptions of historical public figures such as Cortez or Aristotle, and beautiful reproductions of paintings, drawings, sculptures, maps, and objects.