A Land So Strange

The Epic Journey of Cabeza de Vaca

By: Andres Resendez

Narrated by: Jonathan Davis

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

"Told from an intriguing and original perspective, Reséndez's narrative is a marvelous addition to the corpus of survival and adventure literature." ( Publishers Weekly)

"A must-read for anyone interested in the early history of European exploration in North America—or in real-life adventure, compellingly told." ( Bookmarks)

Loved It!

I love SW Spanish American history! So different from the typical colonial USA stories.

This one is a must read!

Excellently crafted story, wonderful adventure history. Concise and to the point, very clear.

Performance is flawless! One of my favorites ever!

Both an adventure novel and a history book

This was in essence a very well written adventure novel using only factual accounts of the real life events. At times this does mean the listener is left to speculate or ponder certain things, but that's true of most any objective account of history where perfect knowledge is impossible. I found the entire thing deeply captivating and very educational on the lesser known early period of European and native American interactions (as opposed to the much more often considered 1800s timeframe). highly recommended read!

Solid story

Pretty good story. This could be converted to an incredible TV series or movie. I enjoyed the listen.

Remarkable

This story is totally nuts. The people, the interactions, the astronomical chances… everything. It’s worth reading this gripping adventure to help better understand how the Spaniards traversed and went about conquering the Americas, and the many missteps that occurred in the process.

compelling story!

extraordinarily narrated, I've enjoyed it twice in a row! highly recommended to all the history buffs!