Good Faith and Truthful Ignorance: A Case of Trans-Atlantic Bigamy [Hardcover]

Alexandra Parma Cook (Author), Noble David Cook (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1991

Published on the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus' discovery of America, "Good Faith and Truthful Ignorance" uncovers from history the strange story of another, lesser-known Spanish explorer, Francisco Noguerol de Ulloa. In 1556, accompanied by his second wife, Francisco returned to his home in Spain after a profitable, 20-year sojourn in Peru. However, unlike other rich conquistadores who returned to their land of birth, Francisco was not allowed to settle into a life of leisure. Instead, he was charged with bigamy and the illegal shipment of silver, and was consequently arrested and imprisoned. Francisco's first wife (thought long dead) had filed suit in Spain against her renegade husband. So begins the legal tale of an explorer and his two wives, reconstructed through the authors' original archival research. Drawing on the records from the trial, the narrative of Francisco's adventures provides a window into daily life in 16th-century Spain, as well as the experience of conquest and settlement of the New World. Told from the point of view of the conquerors, Francisco's story reveals not only the lives of the middle class and minor nobility, but also much about those at the lower rungs of the social order.

Editorial Reviews

Review

OIt was impossible to put this book down. It is a superb example of excellence in historical reconstruction and narrative. It is also a fine example of how, through the window of daily live and personal experience, we can apprehend and understand complex social and institutional processes... For social historians who want their students to live history Oin the flesh,O this work is a must.O --Asuncion Lavrin, Hispanic American Historical Review

About the Author

Alexandra Parma Cook is an independent scholar.

Noble David Cooks is Professor of History at Florida International University. They are coeditors of The Discovery and Conquest of Peru, also published by Duke University Press.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Duke Univ Pr; 1St Edition edition (March 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0822310864
• ISBN-13: 978-0822310860
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 5.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,396,749 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sexual intrigue in the early Spanish empire., May 15, 2000

By 

Greendreams "anthusa" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Good Faith and Truthful Ignorance: A Case of Transatlantic Bigamy (Paperback)

Two worlds collide from across the Atlantic Ocean when a well-respected man is charged with the dishonorable crime of bigamy. The defendant, Francisco Noguerol de Ullua, is a true man of his time striving from humble beginnings to shake off the weight of his birth and claim glory in the Americas. His crime is the consequence of unfortunate circumstances of miscommunication, strained familiar relationships, and the resurrection of a dead wife. The Cooks chronicle these true events providing a peek into 16th century Spanish life and culture in the New World with commentary that is helpful and revealing. This book is crafted in a light that truly makes the events of 400 years ago come to life-an excellent choice for students of Latin American history, legal history, or social history. Maps, glossary, and a chronicle of events included.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great social history, April 11, 2005

By 

N. Pullen (SF Bay Area) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Good Faith and Truthful Ignorance: A Case of Transatlantic Bigamy (Paperback)

Not difficult to read, provides a look at many aspects of life in the Colonies and Iberia. Useful (especially for those who don't speak Spanish) references and maps in the back. I didn't give it five stars, however, because I think it was a bit choppy in the writing, jumping from place to place. I also think--even though I could be totally off the wall on this one--that the authors tried too hard to hide their bias for one of the women. I'm not much of a social historian, I'm much more of a structuralist, so I do recognize my own bias while reading this.

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Most boring book I've ever been forced to read, November 15, 2011

By 

College Grl 1 - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Good Faith and Truthful Ignorance: A Case of Transatlantic Bigamy (Paperback)

The title pretty much expresses my feelings about this book. It was incredibly boring. I purchased it because my professor required me to read it. It was literally hours of my life that I will never get back.

Totally Lame.