Author: Patricia Ann Lynch File Type: pdf Presents detailed coverage of the deities, legendary heroes and heroines, important animals, objects, and places that make up the mythic lore of the many peoples of North America.**From BooklistThese volumes are part of the Mythology A to Z series from Facts On File. Each volume has a similar format an introduction includes a history of the culture(s), an explanation of the book, and a pronunciation guide, followed by a time line and a map. The main text is an alphabetical listing of names, places, and ideas important to the mythology of the culture. The definitions are mostly brief--a single paragraph--although some are as lengthy as a page. Many black-and-white illustrations, mostly of artifacts, enhance the text. Each volume includes a good bibliography with Internet addresses. The series is designed for young people in junior high and high school, and it is appropriate for younger children who are better readers or interested in mythology. Except in the Celtic volume there is not much storytelling since the volumes are intended to be encyclopedias rather than collections of stories. They will help students to make connections between mythological characters and images and compare similarities between cultures. The indexes are constructed to help make those connections, too. Multiculturalism and world history are an integral part of most school curricula, and this series fits both of these themes.Although the pronunciation guides in the introductions are excellent, a young audience also needs pronunciations at appropriate entry headings. It is difficult to remember strange pronunciations or to flip to the front of the book to figure out how to say foreign names. It seem a disservice to the Native American, Meso-American, and African cultures to lump so many of their mythologies into such a few pages. Another disservice is the use of some English translations as main entries in the Native American volume, with see references from the Native American terms. Although this is explained in the introduction, it reinforces attitudes of cultural superiority. That being said, these titles are an excellent introduction to the mythologies of these cultures and should be in most public and school libraries. Robin Hoelle American Library Association. lt

Author: William H. Prescott File Type: epub In a series of episodes as fantastic as any fiction, a powerful civilization crumbled at the hands of a small band of warriors. Written by one of Americas great historians, this gripping chronicle draws upon the firsthand accounts of eminent sixteenth-century captains and statesmen to relate the overthrow of the Inca empire by the Spanish adventurers under Pizarros command. Author William H. Prescotts immensely readable narrative crackles with drama as he characterizes both conqueror and conquered. Rich in vivid anecdotes, it recaptures the glories of Inca society before European contact, and it paints fascinating portraits of the conquistadors and their courage, cruelty, and pride. Prescotts reconstructions of the attitudes and motivations behind the tumultuous events of the Spanish conquest offer memorable, insightful views of New World history that have made this book a popular classic.**From the Inside FlapOriginally published in 1847, History of the Conquest of Peru, a companion volume to William H. Prescotts masterly History of the Conquest of Mexico, continues his vivid chronicle of Spanish exploits in the New World. The books commanding vision of Pizarros tumultuous overthrow of the Inca empire has secured its reputation as a classic in the literature of Latin American history. ------History of the Conquest of Peru represents an authors triumph over his materials, observed Donald G. Darnell, one of the historians several biographers. Prescott exploits to the fullest any opportunities for dramatic effects that history might provide him. . . . If there is one [distinguishing] feature of the Conquest of Peru . . . it is the portrayal of the Spanish character, that striking fusion of courage, cruelty, pride, and gallows humor. . . . We seem to be overhearing dialogue and observing firsthand the interaction between the Spaniards as they struggle for control of an empire. . . . Although Peru lacks a noble protagonist . . . it is still an immensely readable history. The description of the Inca civilization, particularly its wealth, the precise explanation of the cause of the conflict between the conquerors, and the depiction of the Spanish character--these together with the careful research, the sheer abundance of anecdotes, and the exploitation of primary materials all contribut e to the historys continuing popularity. About the Author Prescott was from a prosperous, old New England family. In 1811 he entered Harvard, where his academic record was good but undistinguished he had serious difficulties with mathematics, and in later life the prospect of appraising the mathematical achievements of the aboriginal Mexicans almost prevented him from completing his work. Near the end of his junior year, a crust of bread thrown during a melee in the student commons caused virtual blindness in his left eye the weakness of his other eye, caused by infection, sometimes prevented him from carrying on any kind of literary work. Throughout his life, Prescotts vision seems to have fluctuated from good to total blindness, and he often resorted to the use of a noctograph, a writing grid with parallel wires that guided a stylus over a chemically treated surface. Substantial portions of all his books and correspondence were composed on this device. He died in 1859.