author
William Hickling Prescott
1796–1859
Best known for vivid histories of the Spanish conquest of Mexico and Peru, this Boston scholar helped shape historical writing in the United States. He kept working through severe eyesight problems, relying on assistants and an extraordinary memory to produce books that reached readers on both sides of the Atlantic.
11 Audiobooks
History of the Conquest of Peru
by William Hickling Prescott
The History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic — Volume 3
by William Hickling Prescott
The History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic — Volume 2
by William Hickling Prescott
The History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic — Volume 1
by William Hickling Prescott
History of the Reign of Philip the Second, King of Spain, Vols. 1 and 2
by William Hickling Prescott
History of the Conquest of Mexico; vol. 2/4
by William Hickling Prescott
History of the Conquest of Peru With a Preliminary View of the Civilization of the Incas
by William Hickling Prescott
History of the Conquest of Mexico; vol. 4/4
by William Hickling Prescott
History of the Reign of Philip the Second King of Spain, Vol. 3 And Biographical & Critical Miscellanies
by William Hickling Prescott
History of the Conquest of Mexico; vol. 3/4
by William Hickling Prescott
History of the Conquest of Mexico; vol. 1/4
by William Hickling Prescott
About the author
Born in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1796 and educated at Harvard, he became one of the most respected American historians of the 19th century. A serious eye injury in his youth, followed by long-term poor vision and health problems, made sustained reading difficult, but he continued his studies with determination and careful assistance.
His most famous books include History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic, History of the Conquest of Mexico, and History of the Conquest of Peru. These works brought dramatic storytelling together with deep research, and they helped establish his reputation as an early American historian working in a more modern, evidence-based way.
He spent much of his life in Boston and remained closely identified with New England literary culture, yet his subjects reached far beyond it, especially to Spain and the Americas. When he died in 1859, he was widely admired for both his scholarship and the persistence that allowed him to build a major body of work despite near-blindness.