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| The Journey and Ordeal of Cabeza de Vaca: His Account of the Disastrous First European Exploration of the American Southwest | 
 enlarge | Author: Alvar Nunez Cabeza De Vaca
Publisher: Dover Publications
Category: Book
List Price: $8.95
Buy New: $4.94
You Save: $4.01 (45%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  (2 reviews)
Sales Rank: 489285
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 160
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 8.2 x 5.6 x 0.4
ISBN: 0486431800
Dewey Decimal Number: 970.016092
EAN: 9780486431802
ASIN: 0486431800
Publication Date: January 9, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Of the 300 Spanish explorers who set out to discover North America, only four returned. Cabeza de Vaca's account of the 1528-1536 expedition crackles with excitement, relating the survivors' journey across treacherous territory, rhapsodizing over the beauty of the American wilderness, and offering information on American Indian life before European influence.
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| Customer Reviews:
Great Service! April 16, 2008
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The Journey and Ordeal of Cabeza de Vaca: His Account of the Disastrous First European Exploration of the American Southwest
Good, fast service! Book exactly as stated by seller. Thank you.
First Hand Accounts are the most Fascinating May 7, 2007
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
This report of the 1528 to 1536 "journey" of Cabeza de Vaca is in his own words and that is really what makes this book so interesting, even to this day. The expedition was doomed by greed and stupid decisions from the start and then we follow the story of de Vaca as he survives for 8 years without even the clothes on his back as he travels 6000 miles through unknown geography before returning to "civilization". And although this story itself is interesting enough, it is to my mind most fascinating because it is a first hand account from that time. You can read about his changing attitudes towards the "Indians" who help him survive, yet enslave him. Ironically there is a slave among his small band of survivors. His attitude towards the Indians changes with time and when he is found by a group of Spanish Conquistadors he is digusted by how these treat the Indians that helped him. Yet de Vaca never seems to really consider that these savages are really as human as "Christians". He's constantly referring to himself and other members of his group as "Christians" although religious distinctions are hardly what he's referring to by this.
It is not just an interesting adventure story, it is also a look inside the mind of that age - something to make you wonder how 500 years from now others will read our memoirs and marvel at our superstitions and misinformed judgements.
The translation is easy to read and contains enough parenthetical additions that allow you to easily follow the journey on the modern map that is included.
Enjoy a "real" story for a change.
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