Written by the founder of Britain's Cambridge University's Anthropology Department, this pioneering work traces the origins of the world's nations as they are found on all continents in terms of their ancestral migrations across the globe. Starting with an overview of the basic concepts involved (defining a mass migration, the driving forces for such movements, religious fervour and so on), this remarkable work then moves on to a chapter-by-chapter discussions of the great Völkerwanderungs which led to the peopling of the continents. A vital work for anyone seeking an understanding of just how the indigenous populations of the world came to be resident in their regions. This is a completely reset edition, with all original five maps digitally restored to the highest standards possible. It also contains a new index and a brief biography of the author.