Spanish explorer and historian PEDRO SARMIENTO DE GAMBOA (1532-1592) spent more than twenty years in Peru. During that time he collected what was, at the time of its writing in 1572, the most accurate history of Incan civilization. De Gamboa personally interviewed many Incas around Cuzco in order to hear the songs and stories of their ancestors. This history was not gathered without an ulterior motive, however. De Gamboa aimed to show that the Inca were cruel tyrants who had usurped the land they were living on when the Spaniards found them. By showing that the Inca deserved the treatment they got from the Spanish crown, De Gamboa hoped to save his country's reputation on the world stage. Scholars and amateur historians will find here fascinating Incan mythology as well as thorough explanations of Incan society. This replica of a 1907 British edition also includes The Execution of the Inca Tupac Amaru, by the 16th-century Spaniard CAPTAIN BALTASAR DE OCAMPO.

The History of the Incas may be the best description of Inca life and mythology to survive Spanish colonization of Peru. Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa, a well-educated sea captain and cosmographer of the viceroyalty, wrote the document in Cuzco, the capital of the Inca Empire, just forty years after the arrival of the first Spaniards. The royal sponsorship of the work guaranteed Sarmiento direct access to the highest Spanish officials in Cuzco. It allowed him to summon influential Incas, especially those who had witnessed the fall of the Empire. Sarmiento also traveled widely and interviewed numerous local lords (curacas), as well as surviving members of the royal Inca families. Once completed, in an unprecedented effort to establish the authenticity of the work, Sarmiento's manuscript was read, chapter by chapter, to forty-two indigenous authorities for commentary and correction.

The scholars behind this new edition (the first to be published in English since 1907) went to similarly great lengths in pursuit of accuracy. Translators Brian Bauer and Vania Smith used an early transcript and, in some instances, the original document to create the text. Bauer and Jean-Jacques Decoster's introduction lays bare the biases Sarmiento incorporated into his writing. It also theorizes what sources, in addition to his extensive interviews, Sarmiento relied upon to produce his history. Finally, more than sixty new illustrations enliven this historically invaluable document of life in the ancient Andes.

This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ++++ The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to ensure edition identification: ++++ The Discovery Of The Solomon Islands By Alvaro De Mendana In 1568, Volume 2; Works Issued By The Hakluyt Society; Hakluyt Society; The Discovery Of The Solomon Islands By Alvaro De Mendana In 1568; Basil Thomson Baron William Amhurst Tyssen-Amherst Amherst, Hernan Gallegos Lamero, Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa, alvaro Mendana de Neira, Gomez Hernandez Catoira William Amhurst Tyssen-Amherst Amherst (baron), Basil Thomson Printed for the Hakluyt Society, 1901 Solomon Islands

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Spanish explorer and historian PEDRO SARMIENTO DE GAMBOA (1532-1592) spent more than twenty years in Peru. During that time he collected what was, at the time of its writing in 1572, the most accurate history of Incan civilization. De Gamboa personally interviewed many Incas around Cuzco in order to hear the songs and stories of their ancestors. This history was not gathered without an ulterior motive, however. De Gamboa aimed to show that the Inca were cruel tyrants who had usurped the land they were living on when the Spaniards found them. By showing that the Inca deserved the treatment they got from the Spanish crown, De Gamboa hoped to save his country's reputation on the world stage. Scholars and amateur historians will find here fascinating Incan mythology as well as thorough explanations of Incan society. This replica of a 1907 British edition also includes The Execution of the Inca Tupac Amaru, by the 16th-century Spaniard CAPTAIN BALTASAR DE OCAMPO.