"Iberian court life came to southern Brazil with the military expeditions sent to subdue the Jesuit missions in the 1750s. This fascinating description of the pomp of European war in the backlands of southern Brazil includes glimpses of song, dance, theater, medieval ritual, and sumptuous banquets where Guarani musicians provided entertainment. Includes reproductions of documents and beautifully designed maps"--Handbook of Latin American Studies, v. 58.