This book traces the origin of the legend of El Dorado and the various expeditions that set out to locate that mysterious land of untold wealth in South America. Motivated by both fanciful rumors of a golden city ruled by a man who coated himself daily with gold dust, and the more practical allure of a region abundant in cinnamon trees (a spice that was worth its weight in gold to Europeans), many conquistadors convinced themselves that another native empire awaited their conquest. These quests for fortune and glory would lead to an encounter with fierce female warriors who were believed to be the Amazons of ancient Greek lore, and the discovery of the mighty river later named for the legendary Amazon tribe. The first half of this book details the lesser-known accounts of German interest in locating the wealth of a golden kingdom called Xerira and an elusive passage at Venezuela's Lake Maracaibo which supposedly led to the Pacific Ocean. The second section focuses on the various Spanish efforts to discover El Dorado, each of which was eventually doomed to despair, disappointment, and death.

William Hickling Prescott (1796-1859) was one of those rare historians who effectively melded history and literature in an elegant, compelling writing style that appealed to the casual reader, while still meeting the strict criteria of the scholar. Prescott was the first American historian to achieve international recognition with his critically acclaimed History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella. Plagued by poor vision and chronic health issues, he was determined to make his mark as a historian. His follow-up work, The History of the Conquest of Mexico, is considered his masterpiece. Prescott went on to write A History of the Conquest of Peru, History of the Reign of Philip II and a 200-page addendum to William Robertson's History of the Reign of the Emperor Charles V. Drawing on correspondence and journal entries, this book traces the life of one of America's most celebrated historians.

Daring exploits and astounding achievements were common for two 19th century adventurers--John Lloyd Stephens, a New York lawyer and best-selling author, and Frederick Catherwood, a London architect and renowned topographical artist. Separately, these explorers covered much of the same ground, touring Italy, Greece, Egypt, Arabia, and the Holy Land in search of ancient sites that were of historical significance. Jointly, these adventurers endured many life-threatening obstacles in a determined effort that led to the discovery of nearly fifty forgotten Mayan cities buried deep in the jungles of Central America and Mexico. The vivid accounts penned by Stephens coupled with the magnificent drawings of ruins by Catherwood brought back to life a vanished civilization that both considered equal to the greatness of ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. The story concludes with the premature and tragic deaths of the two.

A study of the first encounters between Spanish explorers and the indigenous tribes of the Americas, this work focuses on the life and times of Francisco Pizarro and his quest to locate the legendary wealth of a region the Spaniards called Peru. Chapters devoted to Inca history provide an overview of the vast empire that the conquistadors forged.

Spanish conquistadors attempted to conquer the New World nearly a century before the English colonists established a permanent settlement at Jamestown. This book examines the unsuccessful elements of Spain's attempt at expanding its empire in the Americas, focusing particularly on the misadventures of three conquistadors. Part One tells the story of Cabeza de Vaca who, along with three other survivors of the ill-fated Panfilo de Narvaez expedition to Florida, spent nearly eight years among the various tribes that wandered across Texas, New Mexico, and northern Mexico before finding his way back to civilization. Their tales of lands rich with earthly delights served as inspiration for two epic but failed expeditions that make up the second and third parts of the book: Francisco de Coronado's quest to find the golden cities of Cibola and Hernando de Soto's efforts to find the rich kingdoms of Florida.