ePub No Settlement; No Conquest: A History of the Coronado Entrada by Richard Flint in History

Review

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful. A highly informative narrativeBy Roy K. FarberOne could almost be a member of Coronado's Entrada. Absent only are two vital elements; the first being the emotional mystery and passion of this adventure into the vast unknown reaches of the Southwest; and the second being a deeper level description of their equipage that allowed them to proceed across the uncharted leagues.And yet its author succeeds in a manner that others writing of the early Borderlands have not; portraying this expedition's organization; how they traveled in groups; the role of their Indian allies; the multiple and cumulative errors of their Conquistador's perception as contrasted with that of the Pueblos they encountered; and placing this Entrada in light of the many others occurring during this grand period of exploration; and how the memory of its participants influenced the future.One spectacular addition to our understanding of the multiple mistakes that drove Coronado is Mr. Flint's hypothesis entitled "A Collapse of Time"; whereby he posits that the Pueblo did not attempt to deceive to rid themselves of these invaders; but rather described to these Conquistadors civilizations and riches which had existed in the past; but in present tense terms without time-perspective; the Chaco phenomenon; and the Mound Builders far to the east; which were the living memories and of these peoples who've a circular and not a lineal history; which were relayed by them in a manner whereby Coronado failed discern that they were but descriptions times and places hundreds of years past.I do not recommend this as an introduction to Coronado's Entrada. For that; please consider the Narrative of the Coronado Expedition (Relacion De La Jornada De Cibola ; written by its participant; Pedro de Castaneda de Najera). Rather; this is an outstanding supplement; to be used to obtain a much broader understanding and historical perspective.1 of 2 people found the following review helpful. A History of CoronadoBy Carl RobinsonWhen I was growing up in the American South-West; the story of Coronado was often told in school and other aspects of local lore. This book brings out the history of that ill-fated expedition. While this book is good; the expeditionis not that good of a story. It is not like the nail biting conquest of the Aztecs or the dashing fight with the Incas. Instead the Spaniards wander about North America; conquering tiny Pueblos. It does explain that Coronado had to finance the expedition himself; and as a business proposition; it failed utterly.6 of 6 people found the following review helpful. The best account of the Coronado expeditionBy CJAfter nearly 500 years of myth and disinformation; historian Richard Flint uses recent archaeological and documentary discoveries to explain how and why Spaniards invaded the present-day United States 1540-42. Their arrival resulted in the little-known Tiguex War; America's first named Indian war. Flint also offers a new insight into the Pueblo Indians who successfully resisted conquest. Their resistance was a major factor in forcing the Spaniards and their 2;000 Mexican Indian allies back to Mexico.It is by far the best introduction to Coronado's expedition. It is true that the eyewitness account by Pedro de Castañeda; written in about 1560; is the major foundation for what we know about the expedition. However; Castañeda's account is also filled with errors; deliberately omits key events; is prone to the eyewitness tendency to put himself and friends in the best light possible; and glorifies the conquistadors to the extent of distorting the role of Indians -- both the expedition's Mexican allies and its Pueblo foes.