A Vanished Arcadia: Being Some Account of the Jesuits in Paraguay 1607-1767

"A Vanished Arcadia: Being Some Account of the Jesuits in Paraguay 1607-1767" by R. B. Cunninghame Graham is a history that looks at the Jesuit missions in Paraguay during the 17th and 18th centuries, framed by the author's recollections of the area. He examines the Jesuits' connections with the native people and how their society worked. Even though the author says he wasn't really trained to write history, he admires how the Jesuits built a community-like system for the Indigenous population. But he also looks at the debates about them, what they wanted, and the stories that came out after they were kicked out. The story suggests a feeling of sadness, showing how things were good under the Jesuits but then fell apart once they left.