The Condor and the Cross: An Adventure Novel of the Conquistadors

by Michael Bentine

Out of the lightening darkness before dawn, on 20th October 1530, a tall man, anonymously wrapped in a black woollen riding cloak, walked his horse along the east bank of the Guadalquivir River and slowly rode through the main gate of Seville. His destination was the Spanish Inquisition.

So the reader begins his journey through one of the most dramatic, violent and exotic stories in all history, a story of romance, swords and sorcery, and of one man of incomparable vision and daring: the Captain-General, Don Francisco Pizzaro. Peru in these days is a land of mystery and magic, Midas-rich with gold and silver for the taking, its sun-worshippers ruled over by a master-sorcerer, the Sapa Inca. Twice Pizzaro has failed to conquer it for Spain; now, at the age of fifty-two, he sets out on his last attempt.

The Condor and The Cross is no less than a triumph of historical reconstruction and powerful story-telling.

400 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Michael Bentine CBE (26 January 1922 – 26 November 1996) was a British comedian, comic actor and founding member of the Goons. He was Peruvian Briton as a result of his father's nationality. In 1971, Bentine received the Order of Merit of Peru following his fund-raising work for the 1970 Great Peruvian Earthquake.

Reviews

[Dave McBain · Rating 2 out of 5]

Odd book, it felt like a rip-roaring adventure but turned out to be quite a hard read. Couldn't quite put my finger on why it didn't flow, but in the end have to admit I didn't enjoy it as much as I should have.
Tale of two former prisoners who followed Pizarro on a trail of pillage across South America.