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28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Original "Survivor", April 25, 2001
This review is from: The Account: Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca's Relacion (Recovering the Us Hispanic Literary Heritage) (Paperback)
Cabeza De Vaca's account of his expedition into the new land is a grand tale of true adventure and survival. The degree of privation and outright danger with which his ever-dwindling band of explorers was constantly faced is perhaps unmatched in any other annals. Separated from their ships early on, and led by inept commanders, the survivors are left to fend for themselves as they make their inexorable trek across the continent and towards "civilization." Along the way, De Vaca describes the various tribes he is at turns befriended, then enslaved by as he makes his way west. Some of these tribes live on the lowest rung of subsistence, and engage in the most savage customs, such as killing all the females in their societies, and even their young boys, in some convoluted system they have worked out with enemy tribes. All they have for food is roots, pecans (when in season), and the occasional insect or salamander. De Vaca is subjected to the worst privation of all when he loses his clothes when a barque, which he and a couple of escaping comrades have constructed, capsizes and he is forced to go naked for almost twenty months. The tide turns finally in his favor when the Indians come to believe that he and his fellows are blessed with healing powers. As they make their way west, from tribe to tribe, news of their great power precedes them and they are given gifts, which they turn over to the guides that accompany them. By the time they reach what is now New Mexico, their fame has spread and they are seen as gods who bestow healing and blessings on the Indians they encounter, whereas the other Spanish Conquistadors in the new world have instilled fear and suffering amongst the native peoples. This does not go over well with Diaz' captain who first encounters them after their long trek. Instead of welcoming his long-lost compatriots with open arms, he orders their arrest. The survivors do eventually make it to Mexico City, however, where they are much more warmly received and after a harrowing sea voyage, involving storms and pirates, they finally make it home. What really distinguishes De Vaca's account from those of Diaz, Pissarro, Cortez and other explorers is his humane view of the tribal cultures with which he interacted. Apart from being extremely brave, he is also truly "Christian" in his willingness to forgive even those at whose hands he received the cruelest treatment. He implores his King, at whose behest the account is written, to show mercy on the natives, maintaining that a great deal more could be accomplished through helpful assistance, than by force and slavery. Unfortunately, given what history tells us of the Spanish conquest, the royal ear was never truly turned De Vaca's way. This is a relatively short, but extremely interesting, even compelling, read. It would serve well as an entry-level portal into the history of Spanish exploration and conquest for young readers. I would recommend that if you find the subject interesting that you go on to read Diaz' account and Prescott's monumental work.
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20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very Good translation of Cabeza de Vaca's Relacion, August 12, 1998
By A Customer
This review is from: The Account: Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca's Relacion (Recovering the Us Hispanic Literary Heritage) (Paperback)
Most recent translation by the US Hispanic Literary Heritage. This story is one of the most important and incredible works in the world. It relates the adventures of a Spaniard who travelled on the first foray into Florida, under the command of Governor Narvaez who was eager to find rich cities to conquer, as Cortez had recently done against the Aztecs. Navarez, however, was no Cortez, and one mistake after another put the entire expedition in jeopardy. De Vaca's account relates what became of this expedition into Florida and the American West. It is no exaggeration to claim that this is one of the most significant books ever to be written. This translation surpases that of Cyclone Covey for its readability. Explanations are given in endnotes and requires some page flipping, but at least provides it for those who are interested. It would have been nice to see more maps and photos, but there is one map included. The only thing I missed was that they didn't include an Afterword like Covey's had. I look forward though to other books from this series dealing with the conquest.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Sensational Human Adventure, July 24, 2002
This review is from: The Account: Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca's Relacion (Recovering the Us Hispanic Literary Heritage) (Paperback)
In 1527 Cabeza de Vaca was sailing to the "New World" with a Spanish expedition of conquest. As his ship ran aground in rough seas off the coast of Florida strife erupted and his detachment was abandoned, 300 Spaniards in all. Eight years later Cabeza de Vaca and two other Spaniards arrived in Culiacan--the northern most Spanish settlement in Mexico--more than 6,000 miles from their starting point. This book is their harrowing story. If one considered only the duration of the trip and the circumstances under which it was undertaken, De Vaca's journey would surely rank among the most miraculous tales of human survival ever recorded. And yet that accomplishment is only part of de Vaca's amazing story. For this narrative is much than another story of the human struggle against the apathetic forces of nature, while some aspects of it do indeed have this flavor. On the contrary, Cabeza de Vaca's Relacion represents an extraordinary account of the de Vaca's harrowing encounters with several indigenous tribes, while wandering what is now the Southern US and the cooperative, interdependent relationship which resulted. During De Vaca's travels he and his companions encountered numerous tribes, forging unlikely alliances and friendships. During this journey de Vaca details his self-transformation from conquistador to Indian medicine man. In addition to supplying invaluable knowledge about a variety of indigenous peoples and their "exotic" customs, de Vaca was also the first to describe the flora and fauna of what is now the Southern United States: Florida, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. Even nearly 500 years later, de Vaca's account is still considered an indispensable source of first-hand information on the pre-colonial Southwest. Ultimately, de Vaca's narrative is the story of teh triumph of simple understanding and human cooperation. For during the eight years of travel, not only did de Vaca come to a greater understanding of himself and his purpose in life, but, more importantly he was one of the first Spaniards to acknowledge the humanity of those he first thought only to be "barbarous savages". It is in the playing out of this cultural dialectic and transformation of one conquistador's colonial consciousness, which is where its most enduring value lies.
--Hayduke66
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