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Described as 'a history of quests for El Dorado' - noted as being written by a science fiction writer but 'very scrupulously researched, very serious book' that describes Aguirre as 'the single most villainous figure in the annals of the Spanish conquest'

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Referenced as 'a brilliant book about the fall of the Incas' written by 'the great historian of the Amazon' - Hemming is quoted describing Aguirre as 'simply cruel, psychopathic, a man of unmitigated evil'

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Referenced as a thematic comparison to the Aguirre story, discussing how Europeans venture into remote areas and encounter darkness - the hosts note they 'did a podcast on a few weeks ago' about this book

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Brief reference comparing Aguirre's nihilistic philosophy ('the earth was for the strongest') to 'the judge in Blood Meridian'

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Described as 'a very recent book' that was the author's PhD thesis, arguing that Aguirre was 'the first revolutionary' and that the accounts of his madness were exaggerated by complicit parties trying to avoid blame