A history of the two Indies: a translated selection of writings from Raynal's Histoire philosophique et politique des etablisments des Europeans dans les des deux Indes

First published in 1770 and running to over one million words, Raynal?s Histoire philosophique et politique des ?tablissements des Europ?ens dans les Deux Indes was an immediate bestseller that was to go through numerous editions in various languages.

Taking a radical anti-imperialistic stance, the nineteen books that comprised the original work covered the history of European colonisation of India, the East Indies, China, parts of Africa, and the Americas.

Much of the success, and subsequent reputation, of the Histoire was based on its attacks on tyranny, slavery and colonial exploitation, and it quickly became one of the basic texts for the humanitarian movement.