This compact synthesis of David J. Weber’s prize-winning history of colonial Spanish North America vividly tells the story of Spain’s three-hundred-year tenure on the continent. From the first Spanish-Indian contact through Spain’s gradual retreat; Weber offers a balanced assessment of the impact of each civilization upon the other. Praise for the previous edition:"I cannot imagine a single book giving a more comprehensive and balanced study of Spain's presence in North America."―Louis Kleber; History Today "For readers seeking to understand the larger meaning of the Spanish heritage in North America; Weber's vivid narrative is a must. This is social and cultural history at its best."―Howard R. Lamar; Yale University "A superb study."―Choice "[A] deeply researched and splendidly conceived and written survey."―Alvin M. Josephy; Jr.; New York Times Book Review
#1150534 in Books 2006-08-15Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.74 x 1.07 x 6.78l; 2.17 #File Name: 0300119917480 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Another home run by David J. WeberBy Wesley RedfieldThose of us who study Spain's practices in the Americas suffered a great loss with the passing of David J. Weber of SMU. My primary interest is the borderlands (what is now the American Southwest and northern Mexico); but this book takes a broader view which helps one understand the borderlands.9 of 26 people found the following review helpful. informative but poorly writtenBy laolaohuI guess this is what passes for history these days. Make sure you pay homage to every point of view at every time and at every place; and never mind about organization. There's no doubt that Weber knows his subject; but come on; it's like he took all his notecards from a lifetime of research; shuffled them a few times; dropped them on the floor; and then wrote this book in the order that he picked them up. This book is all over the map; both figuratively and literally. I understand that all historical narrative is necessarily flawed; by point of view; cultural bias; etc.; but hey; give me credit for having the intelligence to uncover these flaws myself. A work like this demands structure; which unfortunately this book does not have. I rate this book three stars only because there is a wealth of information in here. But be prepared to dig!18 of 20 people found the following review helpful. Insight into the complexity of Spanish colonialism in the AmericasBy Lucia AmsdenAlthough this is a masterly piece of scholastic writing by perhaps the pre-eminent historian of Spanish colonialism in the Americas; it is also a vivid read for the non-scholar (such as myself). If you believe that the Spanish relationship to the native people in their American colonies was a consistently brutal and usurious one; this book will give you an appreciation of how highly varied and sometimes very moral (in the morality of the day); it actually was; especially toward the end.
