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On Savage Shores

How Indigenous Americans Discovered Europe

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On Savage Shores

By: Caroline Dodds Pennock
Narrated by: Caroline Dodds Pennock
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About this listen

 A New Statesman Best Book of the Year 2023. A Waterstones Book of the Year 2023. An Economist Book of the Year. One of Smithsonian Magazine's Ten Best History Books of 2023. A BBC History Magazine Book of the Year 2023. Winner of the Voltaire Medal.

'An untold story of colonial history, both epic and intimate, and a thrilling revelation' Adam Rutherford

'Mind-blowing . . . this is how history should be told' Benjamin Zephaniah

In this groundbreaking new history, Caroline Dodds Pennock recovers the long-marginalised stories of the Indigenous Americans who - as enslaved people, diplomats, explorers, servants and traders - left a profound impact on European civilisation in the 'Age of Discovery'. On Savage Shores is a sweeping account of power and influence in America and Europe - one which could forever change the way we understand our global history. Civilization Europe Social Sciences World Middle Ages Colonial Period Africa Latin American

Critic reviews

On Savage Shores is a work of historical recovery . . . few books make as compelling a case for such a reimagining (David Olusoga)
In On Savage Shores, Dodds Pennock has performed a monumental work of historical excavation. Beautifully written and painstakingly researched, this is first-rate scholarship (Susannah Lipscomb)
A thrilling, beautifully written and important book that changes how we look at transatlantic history, finally placing Indigenous peoples not on the side-lines but at the centre of the narrative. Highly recommended (PETER FRANKOPAN)
Dodds Pennock's unpeeling of the indigenous experience from obscure manuscripts . . . is a much-needed and refreshing take on our all-too Eurocentric telling of the past (Andrea Wulf)
Not only changes how we think about the first contact between America and Europe but also sets the methodological standard for a new way of understanding the origin of the modern world
On Savage Shores is mind-blowing, and it's an important contribution to struggle for a fair and more balanced telling of history - I felt genuinely enlightened. Dodds Pennock is a truth teller of the highest order, and a first class communicator. This is how history should be told (BENJAMIN ZEPHANIAH)
On Savage Shores offers a welcome non-Eurocentric narrative about how the great civilisations of the Americas discovered Europe . . . an important book
An untold story of colonial history, both epic and intimate, and a thrilling revelation, not about the invasion of the Americas by Europeans, but the journeys of Indigenous people to Europe. Caroline Dodds Pennock is the perfect guide, cannily and eloquently shifting the axis of global history away from its Eurocentric grip (ADAM RUTHERFORD)
Caroline Dodds Pennock's utterly original book is chock full of remarkable stories . . . there is much to enjoy in this unusual history of a forgotten corner of our past
Deftly weaves diverse and fascinating tales of the exciting adventures, complex diplomatic missions, voyages of discovery, triumphant incursions, and heartbreaking exploitations - of the many thousands of Indigenous travellers to new lands. Essential reading for anyone interested in how the events of the "Age of Exploration" shaped the modern world (JENNIFER RAFF, author of ORIGIN)
Inspiring and important . . . Expertly researched, convincingly argued, erudite yet readable, and introduces new readers to the reality of Indigenous American experience
Caroline Dodds Pennock offers a remarkably fresh and compelling account of the so-called Age of Discovery. Whether arriving as ambassadors or enslaved, these travellers experienced Europe as a new and disorienting world: a place of shocking violence and perplexing social norms. Pennock, a leading authority on Indigenous Mexico, tells their stories with insight and humanity. A must read (BRETT RUSHFORTH, author of BONDS OF ALLIANCE: INDIGENOUS AND ATLANTIC SLAVERIES IN NEW FRANCE)
All stars
Most relevant
An excellently researched book that brings previously unexplored issues to life in a new way. Makes you think about the past differently. Well worth a listen . Passionately presented.

A Worthy and Informative Read

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Loved this book. Listened to it alongside the kindle version. Dodds Pennock reads her work with clear enthusiasm and it enhances the messages delivered. I think "The Stuff of Life" chapter was my favourite as I am particularly interested in Material Culture & Food History. It was clear that this is only the scratching the surface of what happened between indigenous Americans & Europeans but this is all the sources can tell us.

Foregrounding the Indigenous experience

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This book vividly brings to life the indigenous people, from all over the Americas, who travelled to Europe in the late 15th and 16th centuries. It changes the way we think of the 'Discovery of America". I would recommend downloading the attached .pdf before you start reading.

It is beautifully written and read by the author.

A Fascinating Listen

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Thought provoking and a needed text to address the complexities of how different societies encountered each other historically

Interesting and necessary

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This fascinating book tells the story of the eastward journeys made by native peoples during the early colonisation of the Americas. I had no idea there were so many. It gave me a totally new perspective. The stories also provide an excellent vehicle to explore wider issues such as slavery, colonialism and ownership of cultural heritage, which resonate loudly in the present day.

A new perspective

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