First published in 1555; Cabeza de Vaca's narrative of his South American expeditions is a detailed account of his five years as governor of Spain's province of the Rio de la Plata in South America. Cabeza de Vaca was already a celebrated explorer by the time he went to La Plata; known for his great trek across North America in the 1520s and 1530s and for the Relación he wrote about that journey. His tales of his river and forest explorations in South America show that he had lost none of his early curiosity and drive. He was the great secular champion of the native peoples of the New World and the only Spaniard to explore the coasts and interiors of two continents.This book is one of the great first-person accounts of the Spanish conquest of the Americas in the sixteenth century. Morrow's new translation makes Cabeza de Vaca's adventures available to a wide English-speaking audience for the first time.
#4557094 in Books University of Missouri 2008-09-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x .80 x 6.00l; 1.05 #File Name: 0826218075232 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy randall s. ritsemaThanks!0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Decent MemoirBy CJIt's aright. I've read more interesting accounts of life on the ground in the First World War; but it's still pretty good. It definitely has some gripping sections. I wish more maps were included as sometimes I had a difficult time telling where he was exactly.12 of 14 people found the following review helpful. My Grandfather's BookBy David PrinceFirst of all; a disclaimer. My grandfather; Horace Baker; wrote this book; so its interest to me is probably more than to most. This book was originally printed in 1927 and saw very limited distribution. Contrary to what says; Dr. Ferrell is not the author. However; what Dr. Ferrell did do for this reprint was to add some pertinent endnotes to link my grandfather's close (and sometimes incorrect) view of what was happening to the bigger picture of the Meuse-Argonne battle. Also; some helpful maps and a few photos have been added as well. About the text itself: Horace Baker's text begins on arrival at the front and ends with the armistice. It is well written with a simple; usually matter-of-fact style. There are a few purple passages but they do not distract too much from the facts and there are even a few bits of humor. It is very readable and flows easily.The recurring themes are the same that sadly occur thoughout most wartime experiences: exhaustion; hunger; exposure to the elements; fear; and violent death.I would recommend this book for anyone who has serious interest in The Great War. I also recommend Dr. Ferrell's book "America's Deadliest Battle: Meuse-Argonne; 1918" as a companion to this in order to understand what was happening on a larger scale.
