An Unofficial 'The Rest Is History' Reading List

308: Columbus: Death in the Caribbean (Part 3)

February 27, 2023

Description

Columbus returns to the remnants of his first voyage to the "Indies", having convinced Isabella and Ferdinand to fund a larger second trip. Desperate to make his mission financially fruitful, his...
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Books Referenced

Rivers of Gold

Author: Hugh Thomas

Context:

Referenced when discussing the incident where Columbus gave a captured indigenous girl to Miguel Cuneo. The historian Hugh Thomas (Lord Thomas) described Cuneo's account as 'the first account of lovemaking in the new world' - a characterization the hosts note would not be written today, as it would now be recognized as describing rape.

Conquistadores

Author: Fernando Cervantes

Context:

Referenced when discussing Spanish religiosity and motivations for colonization. The hosts mention this book by the Mexican historian based in Britain, noting that Cervantes takes Spanish religiosity seriously and argues that the Spanish genuinely cared about theological matters and bringing people to God, not just money.