Reseñas proporcionadas por Syndetics

Library Journal Review

This is a wonderfully illustrated essay on the discovery and conquest of the Caribbean, and by extension, America. The book begins with Columbus's initial voyage of discovery (1492) and traces in summary fashion subsequent events in the Caribbean up to the destruction of the Native American population of St. Croix in 1515. Much of the text is from reports and letters of Spanish participants in the conquest and highlights Spanish lust for gold and the destruction of native life. Although there are more substantive and critical analyses of the conquest, the author effectively captures the larger significance of Columbus's ``discovery'' and its more immediate consequences. The book should be successful in whetting the appetites of nonspecialists, generating interest in fuller analyses of the European invasion of America.-- Daniel T. Reff, Ohio State Univ . , Columbus (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

School Library Journal Review

YA-- The rather ironic title sets the tone for this collection of letters and eyewitness accounts by Columbus and his contemporaries during three voyages to the New World. Included in this fascinating account is his well-known letter to Queen Isabella describing the beauty, wealth, and natives of the islands. Excerpts from journals and logs of others who made the journey, including Columbus's sons and brothers, tell of Carib Indians' reactions to the intruders; adventures of lost exploring parties; meetings with cannibals; and the ruthless justice meted out by the Crown against the Indians and its own citizens when crossed in its intent to accrue more wealth and power. The later writings reveal the increase in Indian slavery, the usurping of the food supplies on the islands, the wasting of resources, and the conflicts among Columbus, the Crown, and other nobles as they jockeyed for positions in the new Spanish Empire. The clearly written text is enhanced by beautiful illustrations by artists of that era, woodcuts, old maps, and photographs of the islands as they must have looked then. A valuable perspective on history. --Deanna Kuhn, Thomas Jefferson Sci-Tech, Fairfax County, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.