The De Soto Chronicles: The Expedition of Hernando De Soto to North America in 1539-1543

Rating:
Summary: Depends on what you're looking for
Review: If you're looking for a great read, this book isn't it. It's dense going, awkward throughout, and filled with sidenotes and vignettes that aren't terribly interesting.

However, if you're interested in the earliest explorations of North America, it's a truly fine book. The detail and minutiae that make it a lousy casual read also make it a treasure trove of facts, impressions, and experiences as the Spaniards encountered the Indians of the Southeast.

The adventure itself is also one of the greats, and De Soto's demise is truly the just reward for a man who came to Florida with great mastiffs that he used to hunt Indians for "recreation and sport." The scholarship behind the book is extremely solid, and the University of Alabama Press has published an excellent book.

Rating:
Summary: Volume II: De Soto chronicle La Florida is second to Diaz
Review: This work is a complete collection of chronicles for the De Soto expedition into La Florida (which is most of the south-east USA). Due to the fact that this work comprises two volumes of almost 600 pages each, I have so far only read volume II which is the complete account "La Florida" by Garcilaso de la Vega. Following others (including the Narvaez expedition that de Vaca relates) De Soto went into Florida to find gold and eventually settle the new land. Garcilaso used one captain from the expedition as his source and is a great storyteller, claiming his abhorrence of exaggerating the contents, much of it is told with the heroic chivalry and noble virtue of the times, whether speaking of Spaniards or Indians, and always some purposeful enthusiasm. If all you know of De Soto is that he was the first to see the Mississippi, that doesn't begin to say anything about what happens during the expedition, and even to the way those who were on it considered it afterwards. It shows also the real nature of the natives, showing great differences in their treatment of the Spanish, their use of slavery, and the brutatilty they showed towards other tribes. (Not as placid as Las Casas would have you believe). Also describing the native cultures and life-styles to some degree. All wonderful and interesting stories. The volumes contain some maps and black and white illustrations. Volume I contains all the other existant accounts including the more historical one by the Gentleman of Elvas. Well worth the price.