In this first complete translation into English of the Hist?ria do Futuro by Ant?nio Vieira, a famous Portuguese/Brazilian preacher, diplomat and missionary who lived in the 1600s. Karl A. Kottman Jr. draws on more than forty years of scholarship to provide detailed commentary on the book, including its theme that modern history is a surprise and not like the past. In addition to commentary, the book examines the compelling philosophical themes that pervade Vieira?s work and includes a robust biography to assist readers in approaching this Portuguese work in English.