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Historia general y natural de las Indias, islas y tierra firme del mar océano

Historia general y natural de las Indias, islas y tierra firme del mar océano

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Historia general y natural de las Indias, islas y tierra firme del mar océano

by Oviedo y Valdés, Gonzalo Fernández de (1478-1557)

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  • Hardcover
  • first
Condition
Very good to fine
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About This Item

Four volumes: cxii+632+[1] pages with five plates; vii+511+[2 errata] pages with three plates (two of which are folding maps); viii+651+[2] pages two plates (of which one is a map); viii+619+[1 errata] pages plus five plates (of which one is a color folding map). Folio (13" x 9 1/2") bound in quarter leather with five raised spine bands decorated in gilt and red labels in gilt lettering over brown boards. Deckle edges. (Palau, 89532; Sabin 57990) First edition.

Gonzalo Fernandez de Oviedo y Valdes (1478-1557) was a Spanish historian and writer who united a classical humanistic education with extensive experience in the New World. As a youth he entered the service of Alphonso of Aragon, nephew of Ferdinand the Catholic and soon afterward he became a page of Prince John, the son of Ferdinand and Isabella. Throughout his life he retained close contacts with the royal court. He was present at the return of Christopher Columbus in 1493. He traveled and studied in Italy. He went to the New World in 1514 in the expedition of Padrarias Davila as supervisor of gold smelting. During his life he held many offices in the New World--regidor of Nuestra Senora de la Antigua, governor o Cartagena, regidor and alcalde o the fortress of Santo Domingo--and he crossed the ocean a dozen times. Oviedo's humanistic curiosity led him to note down the novelties of the land, nature, and peoples of the New World, as well as the history of the discovery and conquest. He began to write his Historia general y natural de las Indias during the second stay in the Indies (1520-1521). In 1526 he published a brief work which is known as the Sumario de la natural historia de las Indias. It gained him the attention of the Emperor, who appointed him official Chronicler of the Indies in 1532. All the authorities of the Indies were obliged to send him whatever relations and information he requested. He did a large part of his writing in Santo Domingo. The first nineteen books of his Historia general y natural de las Indias were printed in Seville in 1535. The twentieth book did not appear until 1557, perhaps because of the bitter opposition of the influential Bishop Las Casas. The complete fifty books of the history were printed only in 1851-55. No complete English translation of the Historia was ever published. For the ethnohistorian Oviedo's Historia is one of the most valuable of the early chronicles. He is especially important for southern Middle America, where he had considerable personal experience. For other areas he used many firsthand sources which are now lost to us. The strongest criticism that has been directed against him is that he followed his sources uncritically and is a more a chronicler than historian. But because of his interest in all aspects of the New World, he recorded much that is of interest to the student of Indian life at the time of Contact. Of particular interest for Middle America are books 28-35 and 40-43, but there are also valuable ethnological data in the books devoted to natural history. (Handbook of Middle American Indians volume 13).

Condition:

Some age toning to plates else a very good to fine copy. Due to the size and/or weight of this lot extra shipping and/or handling charges may apply.

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Details

Bookseller
The Book Collector ABAA, ILAB, TBA US (US)
Bookseller's Inventory #
CA1112
Title
Historia general y natural de las Indias, islas y tierra firme del mar océano
Author
Oviedo y Valdés, Gonzalo Fernández de (1478-1557)
Book Condition
Used - Very good to fine
Quantity Available
1
Edition
First
Binding
Hardcover
Publisher
Imprenta de la real Audiencia de la Historia
Place of Publication
Madrid
Date Published
1851-1855
Pages
Four volumes: cxii+632+[1] pages with five plates; vii+511+[2 errata] pages with three plates (two of which are folding maps); v
Size
Folio
Weight
0.00 lbs
Keywords
Mexico
Bookseller catalogs
Colonial America;
Note
May be a multi-volume set and require additional postage.

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The Book Collector ABAA, ILAB, TBA

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About the Seller

The Book Collector ABAA, ILAB, TBA

Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 3 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Biblio member since 2005
Fort Worth, Texas

About The Book Collector ABAA, ILAB, TBA

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Glossary

Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:

Folio
A folio usually indicates a large book size of 15" in height or larger when used in the context of a book description. Further,...
Edges
The collective of the top, fore and bottom edges of the text block of the book, being that part of the edges of the pages of a...
First Edition
In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
Fine
A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
Gilt
The decorative application of gold or gold coloring to a portion of a book on the spine, edges of the text block, or an inlay in...
New
A new book is a book previously not circulated to a buyer. Although a new book is typically free of any faults or defects, "new"...
Spine
The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....

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