Sex and Conquest : Gendered Violence, Political Order and the European Conquest of the Americas
Trexler (history, SUNY-Binghamton) examines the male sexual culture in Europe, particularly Spain, and in America at the time of the Spanish conquest, delineating the relationship between power and homosexual practices. He finds similar patterns of gendered dominance and submission in both regions and shows how the Spanish understanding of the situation at home is reflected in the writings of the Spanish conquerors and clergy on the natives of America. Trexler builds his arguments carefully, beginning in the ancient world and tracing the sexual expression of power and economic relationships up to the time of the Spanish conquest of the Americas. He is well aware of the limitations of his sources, which are all Spanish since the American natives left no writings, and he uses them with care. His scholarly work is not easy to read or digest, and it will give pause to most undergraduates. Recommended for graduate students and specialists in the history of sexuality.?Stephen H. Peters, Northern Michigan Univ. Lib., MarquetteCopyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to theHardcoveredition.