History of New Mexico [Hardcover] Gaspar. Translated by Gilberto Espinosa. Introduction and Notes by F. W. Hodge Perez de Villagra

Description

1933 edition, No. 271. Hardcover has significant wear, scuffs, small marks, stains and small tears. No dust jacket. Spine has significant reading creases and wear, large tears and is loose in some spots. Pages have some marks and small tears on some pages but largely are clean and the binding is slightly loose. Readable copy.

This well-worn copy of Gaspar Perez de Villagra’s “History of New Mexico” offers a window into the early Spanish colonial experience in the American Southwest. Originally published in 1610, it is one of the earliest and most important accounts of the Spanish conquest of New Mexico, written by a soldier who accompanied the expedition led by Juan de Oñate in 1598. Despite its aged condition, this 1933 English translation by Gilberto Espinosa, with an introduction and notes by F.W. Hodge, remains a valuable primary source for scholars and enthusiasts of early American history and literature.

Villagra’s epic poem, written in the style of Renaissance chivalric romances, vividly depicts the hardships, battles, and eventual establishment of the first Spanish settlement in New Mexico. Beyond its historical significance, the work offers insights into the colonial mindset, blending European literary traditions with descriptions of the Native peoples and landscapes encountered by the conquistadors. This copy’s well-worn state speaks to its status as a cherished resource, pored over by generations of readers fascinated by the complex legacy of Spanish exploration and colonization in the region.