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The Lost Cities of El Norte: Coronado’s Quest, the Unconquered West, and the Birth of American Indian Resistance
Not yet published
Expected 14 Apr 26By the bestselling author of Astoria, a thrilling and masterfully crafted narrative of the Conquistador Francisco Coronado's expedition across 2,500 miles of the vast uncharted North American interior--"El Norte Misterioso" --where he was turned back by fierce indigenous resistance that would thwart white rule for the next three hundred years.
In 1540, the grandest exploring expedition ever assembled in the Americas paraded north from the ruins of the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan, a glittering column of 2,000 men heading into the unknown. Their destination was El Norte Misterioso--The Mysterious North, present-day United States--where fabulous cities of gold were rumored to shine beyond the horizon. Two years later, survivors began stumbling back, half dead. Lost to poisoned arrows, brutal deserts, starvation, cold, desertion, and countless other hardships, 90% of those who left would never return.
Led by Francisco Coronado and backed by the full weight of the Spanish empire, the superpower of its day, they had expected to seize the land, steal its riches, and subjugate its peoples, just as they had so recently done to the mighty Aztec and Inca empires. But instead they encountered the unconquered American West, populated by complex societies of indigenous nations, masters of a vast and unforgiving landscape who fiercely resisted this European "incursion" onto their lands.
Coronado and his people traversed 2,500 miles of unmapped terrain, ranging across the present-day U.S. states of California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, and finally Kansas. They were the first Europeans to gaze upon the Grand Canyon and the Rocky Mountains; made first contact with the Puebloan peoples; crossed the Sonoran Desert and the Great Plains, where they encountered endless herds of bison and the nomadic tribes who followed them. After leading the largest exploring cavalcade ever assembled in the New World, wearing his gilded armor and bobbing plume, Coronado retreated back to Mexico City two years later accompanied only by a hundred or so hangers-on and carried on a litter, a broken man. America's Southwest and Plains would remain unconquered for the next 300 years.
In 1540, the grandest exploring expedition ever assembled in the Americas paraded north from the ruins of the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan, a glittering column of 2,000 men heading into the unknown. Their destination was El Norte Misterioso--The Mysterious North, present-day United States--where fabulous cities of gold were rumored to shine beyond the horizon. Two years later, survivors began stumbling back, half dead. Lost to poisoned arrows, brutal deserts, starvation, cold, desertion, and countless other hardships, 90% of those who left would never return.
Led by Francisco Coronado and backed by the full weight of the Spanish empire, the superpower of its day, they had expected to seize the land, steal its riches, and subjugate its peoples, just as they had so recently done to the mighty Aztec and Inca empires. But instead they encountered the unconquered American West, populated by complex societies of indigenous nations, masters of a vast and unforgiving landscape who fiercely resisted this European "incursion" onto their lands.
Coronado and his people traversed 2,500 miles of unmapped terrain, ranging across the present-day U.S. states of California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, and finally Kansas. They were the first Europeans to gaze upon the Grand Canyon and the Rocky Mountains; made first contact with the Puebloan peoples; crossed the Sonoran Desert and the Great Plains, where they encountered endless herds of bison and the nomadic tribes who followed them. After leading the largest exploring cavalcade ever assembled in the New World, wearing his gilded armor and bobbing plume, Coronado retreated back to Mexico City two years later accompanied only by a hundred or so hangers-on and carried on a litter, a broken man. America's Southwest and Plains would remain unconquered for the next 300 years.
432 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication April 14, 2026
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130 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
I LOVED this book. Following along Coronado's expedition into the American Southwest was fascinating. Every challenge along the way painted a broader picture of the devisive and sometimes sickening nature of conquistador colonialism. As the book progresses, the sense of dread and the expedition's meaninglessness grow ever clearer. We are only a month into 2026, but this book is already likely to be a contender for my favorite history book of the year. Perhaps I am just a sucker for Southwestern history, but I found every chapter fascinating.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Did you know that there was a time when Spanish conquistadors were actively not trying to be murderous to American Indians? Yes, they failed like almost every other time, but it did happen! It was 1540 in Mexico and the conquistador Francisco Coronado undertook an expedition to "El Norte Misterioso." Of course, the target was anyplace where they could find a lot of gold. It was always gold with these guys. Well, they would have settled for some nice places to set up shop with abundant water and good land. What they found was the Puebloan peoples who were pretty accommodating...until they weren't. You see, the Spanish around this time had this uncanny knack for overstaying their welcome and taking advantage of good hospitality. The Spanish did get to see the Grand Canyon, though. Most people say it's worth the trouble. Coronado probably didn't agree.
Lucky for us readers, this story is being told by the wonderful Peter Stark in The Lost Cities of El Norte: Coronado’s Quest, the Unconquered West, and the Birth of American Indian Resistance. I quote the whole title and subtitle because I do love it when the entire thing makes sense to the story. Stark is no stranger to adventure stories which contain a fair bit of bad luck, violence, and malice. For my fellow readers who read Stark's Astoria, this is like an old friend coming back home. Stark still has the ability to make the writing come alive whether it's gazing upon an unending group of bison, enduring unquenchable thirst, or the way a poison arrow makes your arm fall off. Yes, all of those examples are in the book.
I am not sure I remember this from Stark's previous books, but he also seems to have added a willingness to lighten the mood with some modern vernacular. Don't worry, this is not a case of an author forcing contemporary sayings into the story directly. Instead, he'll give a kind of wink to the reader and say this is the 1500s equivalent of a modern idea. The story kind of needs it. Conquistadors are not known for their sense of humor, and there is no shortage of tragedy in the pages of this narrative. This is a brutal story of an even more brutal journey. The real surprise is that anyone survived at all. As I would say of any of Stark's books, don't miss this one. It's too good.
(This book was provided as an advance reader copy by NetGalley and Mariner Books.)
Lucky for us readers, this story is being told by the wonderful Peter Stark in The Lost Cities of El Norte: Coronado’s Quest, the Unconquered West, and the Birth of American Indian Resistance. I quote the whole title and subtitle because I do love it when the entire thing makes sense to the story. Stark is no stranger to adventure stories which contain a fair bit of bad luck, violence, and malice. For my fellow readers who read Stark's Astoria, this is like an old friend coming back home. Stark still has the ability to make the writing come alive whether it's gazing upon an unending group of bison, enduring unquenchable thirst, or the way a poison arrow makes your arm fall off. Yes, all of those examples are in the book.
I am not sure I remember this from Stark's previous books, but he also seems to have added a willingness to lighten the mood with some modern vernacular. Don't worry, this is not a case of an author forcing contemporary sayings into the story directly. Instead, he'll give a kind of wink to the reader and say this is the 1500s equivalent of a modern idea. The story kind of needs it. Conquistadors are not known for their sense of humor, and there is no shortage of tragedy in the pages of this narrative. This is a brutal story of an even more brutal journey. The real surprise is that anyone survived at all. As I would say of any of Stark's books, don't miss this one. It's too good.
(This book was provided as an advance reader copy by NetGalley and Mariner Books.)
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The book is about Conquistador Francisco Coronado’s 1540 expedition across upper Mexico and North America. Their destination was El Norte Misterioso. It was an exciting and well researched read. Two thousand men were marching into the unknown expecting to find vast wealth, where fabulous cities of gold were rumored to be there. This was a century before the pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock. The Conquistador were always chasing gold. They run up against the indigenous nations of the new lands. They were worn down pushing their way though the new lands. Ninety per cent never make it back. History is my favorite subject and this is a great lesson. I would like to thank NetGalley
and HarperCollins for a free advance copy.
and HarperCollins for a free advance copy.
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February 12, 2026review text for 93
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews