The Memoirs of Darien, 1514-1527
Hardback
Publication Date: 01/08/2006
Gonzalo Fernandez de Oviedo is the 16th-century author of ""Historia general y natural de las Indias"", a general and natural history of the peoples and places he encountered in his travels to Spanish America. Oviedo was educated at the court of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella and held several early appointments to the royal household, first as page to their son, John. In 1513, he accepted the appointment as inspector of the gold mines of Castilla de Oro on the Isthmus of Panama in Darien, the first viable Spanish settlement on the American mainland. His first year at the very edge of the known world converted Oviedo into a lifelong resident of America and, more importantly, marked the beginning of his campaign to appropriate the topic of the Indies and become its interpreter to Europe. As G. F. Dille points out in his introduction, this work earned Oviedo the title of many firsts - first historian, first enthographer, first naturalist, first anthropologist, and first sociologist of the New World. Dille adds to that list first autobiographer and first novelist of the Americas. This annotated translation contains the section of Oviedo's work that recounts his experience in the New World during his service in Panama. Dille includes a brief introduction to Oviedo and provides general information on the political background of Spain and on the Spanish colonial system, the printing history of the text, a description of the reception of Oviedo's work, and notes on the translation.
- ISBN:
- 9780817315184
- 9780817315184
- Category:
- History of the Americas
- Format:
- Hardback
- Publication Date:
- 01-08-2006
- Language:
- English
- Publisher:
- The University of Alabama Press
- Country of origin:
- United States
- Edition:
- 2nd Edition
- Pages:
- 232
- Dimensions (mm):
- 229x152x21mm
- Weight:
- 0.51kg
Click 'Notify Me' to get an email alert when this item becomes available
Great!
Click on Save to My Library / Lists
Click on Save to My Library / Lists
Select the List you'd like to categorise as, or add your own
Here you can mark if you have read this book, reading it or want to read
Awesome! You added your first item into your Library
Great! The fun begins.
Click on My Library / My Lists and I will take you there
Click on My Library / My Lists and I will take you there
Reviews
Be the first to review Writing from the Edge of the World.
Share This Book: