Chronicle of the Narvaez Expedition (Penguin Classics) [Paperback]

Alvar Nunez Cabeza De Vaca (Author), Harold Augenbraum (Editor), Fanny Bandelier (Translator), Ilan Stavans (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 25, 2002 | ISBN-10: 0142437077 | ISBN-13: 978-0142437070

This riveting true story is the first major narrative detailing the exploration of North America by Spanish conquistadors (1528-1536). The author, Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, was a fortune-seeking Spanish nobleman and the treasurer of an expedition sent to claim for Spain a vast area of today's southern United States. In simple, straightforward prose, Cabeza de Vaca chronicles the nine-year odyssey endured by the men after a shipwreck forced them to make a westward journey on foot from present-day Florida through Louisiana and Texas into California. In thirty-eight brief chapters, Cabeza de Vaca describes the scores of natural and human obstacles they encountered as they made their way across an unknown land. Cabeza de Vaca's gripping account offers a trove of ethnographic information, including descriptions and interpretations of native cultures, making it a powerful precursor to modern anthropology.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Spanish

About the Author

Ilan Stavans is Lewis-Sebring Professor in Latin American and Latino Culture at Amherst College and the author or editor of numerous books.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Classics (June 25, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0142437077
• ISBN-13: 978-0142437070
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #394,602 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars fascinating and frustrating by degrees, April 28, 2004

By 

marty mcfly - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chronicle of the Narvaez Expedition (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

I was intrigued by this strange chronicle when i lifted it from the dusty shelf of my local bookstore. I had never heard of it and I was surprised that such a thing even existed. A first-hand account of a 16th century conquistador expedition to the new lands of the Americas no less!

The book is short enough to hold the attention and the fact that it is a true tale holds the attention through periods of drab text and detailed descriptions of the lay of the land. In fact, two distinct points capture the attention, firstly the matter-of-fact way in which cabeza de vaca views the monstrosities he is faced with, from shipwreck to torture and hunger. Secondly, the altogether human way in which the natives are protrayed; they are not seen as unthinking savages but as children, scared and uncertain, that need to be cared for. This is certainly not the tale of a gross escapade to conquer primitive peoples, rather it is an 'expedition' in every respect and it is fascinating as a result.

At times it is a chore to plough through, but i believe the overall and lasting impression that the book leaves is a sufficient reward for the time spent on it.

And, hang on a minute, doesn't the name of the author mean 'head of the cow'? How strange....

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Impressive story about exploration and survival, June 28, 2007

By 

Luis Mansilla Miranda (Vińa del Mar, Chile) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Chronicle of the Narvaez Expedition (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

I didn't know anything about this real story until I watched BBC Conquistadors. When I learned about Cabeza de Vaca, I was eager to read the account of his years lost, wandering in the south part of North America for 9 long years until he found some "Christians" in the northwest part of Mexico. Although the book is short and simple, the information provided is invaluable, especially with the descriptions of the Indians in this region, its customs and way of living.
One thing that called my attention was all the hardships he had to endure during his long journey, going naked and feeding mostly of fruits and roots, proving in this case that he was a survivor by nature since others were not that lucky in the same precarious environment. And yes, what a strange name.

5.0 out of 5 stars A real 'honest-to-God' 16th century conquistador wrote this! OMG!, December 22, 2011

By 

April "Cheshire Cat" (Everett, WA, United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Chronicle of the Narvaez Expedition (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

A short, but informative report to a Spanish king by a real conquistador who explored North America in the early 1500's. After nine years of death defying travel, he returns to Spain 'naked'. De Vaca is one of four survivors from five ships that set out from Spain with 600 men. This was written before the invention of novels, so the narrative is not satisfactory in terms of "well-written", and it is an English translation of 16th century Spanish, and it is a basically a cut and paste version of several original documents. That said, READ this book, whatever edition. My thoughts: it's the real deal, a memoir by a real conquistador; while politically correct for the eyes of the King of Spain Ferdinand of Aragon, it is not PC for today and this is a terrificly honest account; as usual, the Indians get the worst of it; the glimpses of the various cultural practices by the Indian settlements is disappointingly spare and fascinating; the blindingly obvious historical tactic of Christianity to live up to its professed desire to spread the 'peace' of Christ by rape, robbery, blackmail, slavery, murder and torture is on display yet again, and despite constant prayers for safety God wiped out the vast majority of Spanish and Indian people through starvation, disease and murder including innocent children; and a militarily stronger force can kill, enslave and rape while telling itself it's saving the destroyed nation for God and stealing all the captured folk' wealth through enslavement and torture is God's will as an answer to earnest prayers for survival, witnessing for the Lord and forcing Christianity on subjected people through superstitious threats, burning of crops and houses, and stealing of women and children for rape and slavery; plus the pure adventure of a real explorer of a real raw and unmapped continent who literally is facing death every day by unfriendly natives, lack of food and water and medicine, horrible weather, insects, swamps, mountains, rivers and lakes, travel on foot because you had to eat the horses and dogs; and my final thought of what an amazing animal Man is in containing all of the ideas of heaven and hell within his brain justifying astounding feats beyond what seems possible yet drowning horrendous acts of terror and destruction in superstitious heartfelt songs of glory and good intentions. Murder and rape and theft, and then forced religious conversion under threat of death, and then thanking God for allowing the ignorant native to be a Christian through 'the Holy Spirit" and be completely blind to the complete absence of God, prayer answering or anyone seeing any good in Christianity.