Historia de las Indias (vol. 1 de 5)

This volume opens a sweeping chronicle of the early Spanish encounters in the New World, penned by a bishop who lived through the first decades of conquest. Compiled over the last years of his long life, the narrative blends personal testimony, official documents and vivid eyewitness detail, offering a rare glimpse into the complexities of power, belief, and survival on both sides of the Atlantic.

The first part concentrates on the period up to 1520, describing the arrival of explorers, the founding of settlements, and the initial clashes with Indigenous societies. Las Casas records not only battles and voyages but also the everyday rhythms of colonial life—missions, trade, and the heartbreaking impact of disease and forced labor. His prose, preserved in its original orthography, reads like a living diary, inviting listeners to hear the voices of a world in rapid, often violent transformation.