The Discovery and Conquest of Peru

by Pedro Cieza de León, Noble David Cook (Editor)

Dazzled by the sight of the vast treasure of gold and silver being unloaded at Seville’s docks in 1537, a teenaged Pedro de Cieza de León vowed to join the Spanish effort in the New World, become an explorer, and write what would become the earliest historical account of the conquest of Peru. Available for the first time in English, this history of Peru is based largely on interviews with Cieza’s conquistador compatriates, as well as with Indian informants knowledgeable of the Incan past.
Alexandra Parma Cook and Noble David Cook present this recently discovered third book of a four-part chronicle that provides the most thorough and definitive record of the birth of modern Andean America. It describes with unparalleled detail the exploration of the Pacific coast of South America led by Francisco Pizarro and Diego de Almagro, the imprisonment and death of the Inca Atahualpa, the Indian resistance, and the ultimate Spanish domination.
Students and scholars of Latin American history and conquest narratives will welcome the publication of this volume.

Genres: History, Literature, Memoir, Nonfiction, War

520 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1553

About the author

Spanish conquistador and chronicler of Peru. He is known primarily for his history and description of Peru, Crónicas del Perú. He wrote this book in four parts, but only the first was published during his lifetime; the remaining sections were not published until the 19th and 20th centuries.

Reviews

[Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating, especially the first half or so. This is both history and historical artifact, as it was written by a Conquistador only a short time after the conquest. De Leon is often surprisingly even-handed and sympathetic toward the Incas, for his time, and his account of the political intrigues among both Spaniards and Incas is detailed and revealing. I found the second half, after the conquest was more or less complete and various sorts of infighting were going on, to be pretty heavy going. Still, well worth reading.

[Mmonchi · Rating 3 out of 5]

La historia en sí es muy interesante, la conquista de un imperio tan grande como el inca hecha por un grupo pequeño de personas. Resulta difícil entender cómo pudieron conseguirlo, incluso teniendo en cuenta la guerra civil que había o la ventaja de las armas de acero y los caballos. Pero la mejor forma de comprender lo que pasó es mediante el relato de alguien que fue contemporáneo a esos hechos y pudo hablar con los que los vivieron.
Sin embargo el lenguaje es confuso, el autor trata de ser muy riguroso y eso le hace no ser tan buen narrador. Como documento histórico es impagable, pero como libro le falta orden y claridad.