Schneider's thorough research and vivid writing create a fast-paced; moving story; one that is difficult to believe and impossible to forget. ―The New York Times Book ReviewA gripping survival epic; Brutal Journey tells the story of an army of would-be conquerors; bound for glory; who landed in Florida in 1528. But only four of the four hundred would survive: eight years and some five thousand miles later; three Spaniards and a black Moroccan wandered out of the wilderness to the north of the Rio Grande and into Cortes's gold-drenched Mexico. The survivors of the Narváez expedition brought nothing back other than their story; but what a tale it was. They had become killers and cannibals; torturers and torture victims; slavers and enslaved. They became faith healers; arms dealers; canoe thieves; spider eaters. They became; in other words; whatever it took to stay alive.
#60610 in Books Henry Holt n Co 1992-10-15 1992-10-15Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 235.71 x 50.42 x 6.06l; 2.52 #File Name: 08050239681088 pages
Review
56 of 58 people found the following review helpful. ... rate this book up there with one of the best I have readBy M. BrownI have to rate this book up there with one of the best I have read; in spite of the fact that there was a point in the book; about a fourth of the way through; when I wondered if I would finish it. I struggled a bit; reading about Churchill as a boy; and also his early political life. He was an odd child; and not having a great understanding of the British Parlimentary system; it dragged on some. That being said; in the end; I would not remove any of that from the book if I were editing it; which I clearly don't have the qualifications to do. Without them; it would be hard to fully understand the life of this unique and magnificent man. I don't believe there is a more significant character in the 20th century than Winston Spencer Churchill and without an understanding of this man; it is impossible to understand World War II and why the allies won the war.Martin Gilbert does such a wonderful job of weaving the narrative of; not only Churchill's life; but the multitude of events in the 20th century that he played a role; that even though I knew the outcome; I couldn't put the book down. In the end; I came away with not just a deeper admiration for WSC; but a greater understanding of the history of his era. Churchill is one of the heroes of history; and Gilbert does an admirable job of proving that point. Highly recommended.62 of 65 people found the following review helpful. Comprehensive...Detailed...NOT Balanced or ObjectiveBy Michael LapelosaThis is a massive; one volume biography of one of the twentieth century's true Titans The book encompasses Churchill’s youth; education and early military career; his journalistic work; and his political leadership. As one would expect; the narrative peaks during WWII. Churchill's leadership during this dark time was superb. He was one of those historic characters who was EXACTLY the right man; in the right place; at the right time!! His imprint on world history and Great Britain is indelible. The span of the man's life and his accomplishments in several diverse fields is absolutely astonishing. All of this is driven home by the author's excellent prose. The narrative is augmented by Churchill's own speeches and excerpts from his writing. The man's words leap off the page and engross the reader.However; I was disappointed and I fully recognize that my rating and my opinion runs counter to the vast majority of other reviews posted here. My concerns are as follows:- I thought way too much trivial detail was spent on Churchill's youth. While I understand how important youthful experiences are in shaping and defining later attitudes and motivations; I came away with little insight into young Churchill's soul. I was disappointed that not more effort was spent on sharpening the focus of his relationships with his parents and family. Less space taken up with Churchill's report cards and more attention to the "inner" youth would have been; I believe; more profitable for the reader.- My major issue with the book is that it is in no way objective. Churchill's every move; every phrase; every political position; every forecast is treated as outright success or draped in positive connotations. Failures that are attached to Churchill's name are actually the fault of others or unavoidable circumstances. There was no "what if"analysis. No discussion of alternatives. Everything Churchill thought or did was presented with such certainty and free from doubt. Frankly; half way into the book I really got sick and tired of reading about the multiple unbroken successes that an larger than life portrait that the author presented.- I didn't feel that I get to know Churchill "The Person" His fears; doubts; motivations; feelings; themes and emotions were presented; but not fully developed. Churchill is depicted in almost mythic proportions I didn't get to know Churchill as a real living creature; beset by doubts and emotions. It was like looking at a coloring book....images are presented in outline; you get a reasonable idea of the subject; but it is still an outline; not fully developed by color and shading.I greatly enjoy non-fiction that is balanced; objective with sufficient discussion to provide the reader with perspective; insight and thought provoking scenarios. After I finished this book; I learned what Churchill did; what he accomplished but not who he was.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. The days of Winston ChurchillBy Jonathan FeldschuhAn incredibly detailed journey through the days and public thoughts of WC. I can only imagine the level of detail for the full 8-volume treatment! Not a lot of analysis of wider trends or context; but provides huge amounts of quotations from Churchill's public and private writings. Strains for objectivity; although it is as admiring as a biography could possibly be.One interesting point for readers of the KINDLE EDITION - it LACKS the year indication that appears on EVERY EVEN PAGE of the print edition in the upper right (e.g. page 4 deals with the year 1882). This may seem like a small point; but the text is written assuming that these indications are present; and it can be confusing to follow an already dense narrative without them.
