Spanish Explorers

Spanish ships have been sailing the coast of Alta California for more than two hundred years. Majestic Manila galleons laden with riches from the Orient cruise past regularly, bound for the port of Acapulco. But no Spaniard has ever ventured inland to explore the inhospitable country lying beyond the rocky shoreline. The King of Spain, Carlos III, is concerned about the predations of English pirates and Russian encroachment from the north. He wishes to secure his possessions in America and has appointed Gaspar de Portolá to the governorship of both Alta and Baja California. Portolá has ...

In July 1776 a pair of Franciscan friars, Francisco Atanasio Dominguez and Silvestre Velez de Escalante, were charged by the governor of New Mexico with discovering a route across the unknown Southwest to the new Spanish colony in California. They had other goals as well, some of them secret: converting the indigenous natives along the way to the true faith, discovering a semi-mythical paradise known as Teguayo, hunting for sources of gold and silver, and paving the way for Spanish settlements from Santa Fe to Monterey. In strict terms, the expedition failed.

Cristina Morató viajó por primera vez a África en 1983 y desde entonces ha recorrido varios países de este continente atraída por sus gentes y la grandeza de sus paisajes. Al igual que ella un buen número de extraordinarias viajeras y exploradoras sintieron en el pasado la «llamada de África». Estas damas que en plena selva se vestían formalmente para cenar o tomaban el té de las cinco en sus tazas de porcelana, también sabían cabalgar, cazar con arco, disparar un fusil, organizar una expedición con cientos de porteadores y construir un hogar en regiones inhóspitas.

Chasing El Dorado: A Daring Quest in 16th-Century South America is a gripping historical exploration narrative set during the tumultuous era of European colonialism in South America. In this riveting tale, follow the exploits of Spanish adventurers driven by the promise of untold riches, leading them through perilous jungles, hostile territories, and intense cultural interactions. Discover the story of Gonzalo Ximenes de Quesada, the determined explorer who, in his quest for the mythical city of gold, El Dorado, navigates through dense forests, combats sickness, and negotiates with native ...

One of the earliest known autobiographies by a woman, this is the extraordinary tale of Catalina de Erauso, who in 1599 escaped from a Basque convent dressed as a man and went on to live one of the most wildly fantastic lives of any woman in history. A soldier in the Spanish army, she traveled to Peru and Chile, became a gambler, and even mistakenly killed her own brother in a duel. During her lifetime she emerged as the adored folkloric hero of the Spanish-speaking world. This delightful translation of Catalina's own work introduces a new audience to her audacious escapades.

Viajero insaciable, nómada por naturaleza, este fotógrafo es un gigante de la imagen moderna. Nació en la población francesa de Chanteloup, en 1908, y murió el 3 de agosto de 2004. Fue llamado padre del fotorreportaje y admirado por el testimonio visual de sus visitas a muchos países en momentos de cambio y revolución. Poeta de la imagen, surrealista, nació en la pintura y a ella volvió; aunque se hizo grande con la fotografía declaró importarle solo como medio para entender la vida y congelar sus instantes más flagrantes.

The original recounting of the events from Sir Francis Drake himself. Listen to Drake's piratical raid on the Spanish Main and the various battle and adventures therein.

Julia and Raph come back in this beautiful Valentine’s Day edition audiobook about opposites. Help your children build their Spanish vocabulary, compare two different things, and develop descriptive skills with things they see around them during this special holiday.

¿Sabes cuál es el verdadero color de un oso polar? ¿O que los ojos del avestruz son más grandes que su cerebro? En esta fascinante guía de nuestro planeta descubrirás fascinantes acontecimientos históricos, asombrosos hechos científicos e intrigantes detalles sobre el cuerpo humano. Sorprende a tu familia y amigos con nuevos conocimientos.

Download this audiobook to hear the exciting history of the conquistadors and the Columbian exchange!

Conquistadores (or Conquistadors) were the Spanish and Portuguese conquerors who invaded parts of the world that hadn’t been discovered by the Europeans before the 16th century. Some were incentivized by greed, lust, and dominance, which caused them to pillage, steal, and enslave the indigenous people they encountered. In this audiobook, you will learn more about one infamous sadist in particular: Francisco Pizarro, who abused and attacked the Peruvian peoples, acted as an inquisitor for the Catholic Church, and inflicted physical and psychological wounds on his subjects.

Meyer Kayserling (1829-1905) was a leading Jewish scholar who wrote Christopher Columbus and the Participation of the Jews in the Spanish and Portuguese Discoveries by request of the Spanish government in honor of the 400th anniversary of the discovery of America. An assortment of fascinating individuals feature in the book, including the astronomer Abraham Zacuto and the jurist Luis de Santangel. Christopher Columbus himself is thought to be of Jewish descent, and many Jews provided support for Columbus’ voyages in the fields of technology, funding, and personnel.

We are going to Spain on holiday! Imagine all the things we will see, the people we will meet and the new words we can learn. Get your passport and suitcase ready, because we are going on an adventure! This interactive adventure is written to help young children confidently learn new language skills, while having some fun along the way. During the course of this action-packed hour, children will learn simple greetings, directions and range of helpful Spanish phrases. They will have help from our expert guide and they will be learning some brilliant facts about Spain, too!

In the early 16th century, Spanish adventurers swarmed over the islands of the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, and South America. Portuguese explorers and merchants pushed into the Indian Ocean and beyond to the Spice Islands of the South Pacific. The names of the leaders of these overseas conquests are well known: Hernán Cortés, Francisco Pizarro, Hernando de Soto, Afonso de Albuquerque, and Ferdinand Magellan. This audiobook explores the details of their incredible lives in service of their monarchs and personal wealth.

Conquistador español de Puerto Rico y descubridor de Florida, y eterno buscador de la 'fuente de la eterna juventud', fue paje en la corte de Fernando el Católico y combatió en la conquista del reino de Granada. Sin embargo, tras su primer viaje a América lo con Cristóbal Colón en 1493, alcanzaría la inmortalidad histórica.

Juan Sebastián Elcano, aquel vasco cuidadoso en el vestir y parco de palabras, cuya excepcional inteligencia hizo posible el éxito final de la arriesgada travesía, se yergue como el protagonista indiscutible de una hazaña que dejó atónitos a sus contemporáneos y que, sin duda, volverá a asombrar ahora al lector actual con esta obra apasionante en la que también hay espacio para el humor y los enredos galantes.

Nacido en el año 1254, veneciano de corazón, este notable explorador italiano ha pasado a la historia por ser uno de los primeros hombres que llegó a China, país del que aprendió su arte, idioma, y difusión por sus notables avances culturales. Su libro, Las Aventuras de Marco Polo, causó admiración en la Europa del siglo XIII, al extremo de considerarlo un hombre bendecido por la suerte y a admiración.

Navigating the Spanish Lake examines Spain's long presence in the Pacific Ocean (1521-1898) in the context of its global empire. Building on a growing body of literature on the Atlantic world and indigenous peoples in the Pacific, this pioneering book investigates the historiographical "Spanish Lake" as an artifact that unites the Pacific Rim (the Americas and Asia) and Basin (Oceania) with the Iberian Atlantic.

Get ready to have some fun and learn Spanish beside Julia and Raph. In Frío y Caliente, kids will identify objects and activities that fall into these two categories and that they use every day.

El pionero del slow mountain, Juanjo Garbizu, nos explica por qué caminando cuesta arriba se piensa mucho mejor en su celebrado best seller, el libro de referencia para los que aman la montaña. A través de sus propias experiencias, Garbizu nos transporta a las altas cimas, donde se suceden vivencias inolvidables. Conoceremos situaciones límite en las que cdambian las prioridades y que nos ofrecen enseñanzas para llevarnos a casa en la mochila.