
A Land So Strange
The Epic Journey of Cabeza de Vaca
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Narrated by:
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Jonathan Davis
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By:
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Andres Resendez
About this listen
In 1528, a mission set out from Spain to colonize Florida. But the expedition went horribly wrong: Delayed by a hurricane, knocked off course by a colossal error of navigation, and ultimately doomed by a disastrous decision to separate the men from their ships, the mission quickly became a desperate journey of survival.
Of the 300 men who had embarked on the journey, only four survived - three Spaniards and an African slave. This tiny band endured a horrific march through Florida, a harrowing raft passage across the Louisiana coast, and years of enslavement in the American Southwest. They journeyed for almost 10 years in search of the Pacific Ocean that would guide them home, and they were forever changed by their experience. The men lived with a variety of nomadic Indians and learned several indigenous languages. They saw lands, peoples, plants, and animals that no outsider had ever seen before.
In this enthralling tale of four castaways wandering in an unknown land, Andres Resndez brings to life the vast, dynamic world of North America just a few years before European settlers would transform it forever.
Download the accompanying reference guide.©2007 Andres Resendez (P)2011 Audible, Inc.Critic reviews
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Performance is flawless! One of my favorites ever!
Loved It!
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Both an adventure novel and a history book
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compelling story!
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Slow build up, but worth the effort
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Fabulous story and historical piece!
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Eye opening encounters of different native cultures
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Wonderful book
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It's a shame that no one wanted to hear from Cabeza de Vaca that there might be a better way to interact with the Indigenous people of the "Indies" - not that his approach was any good by today's standards, but one wonders how many lives it would have saved, and what legacies would have resulted. Of course, we catch a glimpse of his approach in action near the end of this narrative, but you'll have to read it yourself to find out what resulted from that....
History that reads like a novel
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Solid story
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Remarkable
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