
audiobook
A freshly translated early‑modern chronicle, this work presents a first‑hand view of the Spanish push into what was then called the VVeast India, later dubbed New Spain. Framed as a letter to a senior royal official, the narrator weaves together recollections of veteran captains, merchants, and explorers who shaped the early conquests, offering a vivid portrait of their ambitions, hardships, and the moral language they used to justify their ventures.
The text moves through daring sea voyages, encounters with unfamiliar peoples, and the relentless hunt for the legendary gold that sparked European interest. Along the way it records the discipline of soldiers, the political maneuverings of commanders, and the personal sacrifices made in pursuit of empire. Listeners will hear a candid, contemporary perspective on the early stages of colonial expansion, revealing both the grandeur and the peril that defined this transformative era.
Full title
The pleasant historie of the conquest of the VVeast India, now called new Spayne atchieued by the vvorthy Prince Hernando Cortes, marques of the Valley of Huaxacac, most delectable to reade
Language
en
Duration
~12 hours (712K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by RichardW and The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
Release date
2014-08-07
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1511–1564
A Spanish priest and historian of the early colonial Americas, he became famous for vivid accounts of Hernán Cortés and the conquest of Mexico. His writing was widely read and deeply influential, even though he never traveled to the Americas himself.
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