A. H. Keane – författare

Published in 1920, this volume puts forward a view of humanity based upon racial categorisation and taxonomy. Racial groups are analysed in terms of culture, geographical location, physiology, and temperament in order to reach conclusions regarding their innate characteristics. The text has value as a historical source reflecting, as it does, the prejudices of the time in which it was written. It also provides an insight into the ethnographical approach and the colonial mindset. Hingston Quiggin and Haddon extensively revised this edition from the original 1899 text written by Keane, reflecting the high level of interest in ethnography during the period. It will provide a useful resource for anyone with an interest in the history of anthropology and the colonial period.

The Cambridge Geographical Series originated in the late nineteenth century as a means of providing introductory guides to a broad variety of topics. In this volume, which was first published in 1896, the focus is on theories of ethnology and race as they existed at the time of publication. Whilst many of the concepts put forward will seem outdated to the modern reader, this remains a fascinating document of its period. It will be of particular value to anyone with an interest in the colonial mindset, the history of racial categorisation, or early developments in anthropology and ethnology.