This book uses a simple but profoundly effective strategy: interview the exile "leaders" and let them indict themselves with their own words. The book lists a veritable who's who of the exile terrorists ("mercenaries" in the title is an unwarranted kindness by the authors, in my view).

It is important for readers to realize, however, that not all exiles support the criminal activities of the few exiles who dream of seizing power in Cuba.

The book provides some background on the interviewees, thereby giving the work a good historical perspective. This book is indispensable to understanding the exile movement and the US government's complicity in its activities.

The US media would have you believe that Cuban Exiles are a bunch of freedom loving , non-violent group that seeks only to free Cuba of "dictatorship"

This book proves them to be liars. And proves it with their own words.

The authors interview Cuban Exile extremists and let the readers decide not from right wing Americans or Pro Castro Cubans, but decide from hearing them with their own words.

Exile terrorists have done thousands of terrorist acts in Cuba that have killed men women and children. Often done with the open support and approval of the US government.

And what did Castro do to get the Exile so upset? Kick out the US-backed, corrupt Batista dictatorship run by the Casinos and Mob with American Capitalists owning all the resources of Cuba.

And what did Castro accomplish? Near 100% literacy, a lower infant mortality rate than the US, Universal Heatlhcare system proclaimed by the World Bank as a "model" for the third world, free education through the university level, Free Housing, Guaranteed work, and the highest standard of living in all of Latin America and all this DESPITE US aggression, US Embargo, and Cuban Exile terrorism.

While most of the Latin American countries that Cuba has a higher standard of living than, receives open US aid and support, Cuba receives open hostility and embargoes.

And the Exiles not only abandon their country but attack it and whine about Americans not doing enough to help them!

Real nice guys huh?

The Cuban Exile Movement: Dissidents Or Mercenaries? is a riveting political expose of extremist Cuban exile groups living in, and operating out of, the United States. Hernando Calvo and Katlijn Declercq present the results of exceptionally detailed research and investigation of links between Cuban exile groups and the CIA, especially in reference to terrorist activities against Cuba and other members of the Cuban community in the United States. Included are candid interviews with principle members of the Cuban exile movement and commentaries on the Cuban exile movement by Wayne Smith and other authorities on the U.S.-Cuba conflict. The Cuban Exile Movement is highly recommended reading for students of Cuban/American politics, Cold War and Post-Cold War international relations, and western hemispheric studies.

This is by far the most comprehensible work on DeSoto that I've read to date. It fully brings to life the stuggles of the expedition, as well as the depridations done to the indeginous peoples of the Southeast. It reads much like a novel, bringing to life several key participates, both Spainards, and natives alike. This book is a masterpiece, decades in the making, wonderfully researched, and written. If the early exploration of the Southeast is of intrest to you, then this is a must own book.

I bought this book on a whim, but ... wow ... what a journey. Hudson has been intimately involved in combing through the journals and reports of the De Soto expedition, cross-referencing the reports with examinations of the geography of the areas covered and archeological/anthropological studies of the 16th century inhabitants of the region.

Hudson's approach to the expedition is interesting. He is a partisan arguing in favor of the route he delineates for the expedition, but he lays out the journey in a fairly straightforward manner that is very engaging. The Afterward, however, gives a quick rundown of the differences in opinion over the route, the still-unfolding evidence to support Hudson's claims, and what remains to be proven.

All it all, it is a vivid retelling of the first planned European expedition into southeastern North America, which was quite a different place than when much of it was colonized by Europeans a century later. The native cultures were near the end of the moundbuilding Mississippian culture, and Hudson notes how the disruptions of De Soto and his men may have contributed to the eventual changes in native society.

Fascinating.

This book uses journal entries from those who traveled with De Soto to recreate the Spaniards trek through the eastern United States. The book documents everything from the ordinary - such as the number of pigs the Spaniards had to the number of Indians encountered - to detailed and horrific accounts of the brutality the Spaniards exacted on those tribes who did not welcome them with open arms. This book provides a rare look at what life was like for those native to the Southeast on the cusp of great change. A bit sad but a fascinating read, especially if you are interested in gleaning details of pre-contact life for the Southeastern tribes.

Although Hernando De Soto: A Savage Conquest in the Americas is a biography, it reveals as much about the hideous cruelty the Spanish inflicted upon indigenous peoples as it does about the great conquistadors. In doing so, author David Ewing Duncan allows the reader to balance the triumphs of Soto with the vast human destruction he left in his wake. Neither an apologia nor a polemic, this book stays close to the facts and represents the best in popular history.

Meticulously researched and beautifully written, De Soto unfolds like a riveting novel as it follows the explorer from his impoverished youth to his anti-climatic death near the Mississippi River. To anyone interested in the European conquest of the Americas (or in the decimation of the Indians and their cultures) this book is a must read.

In addition to Soto, the author chronicles the achievements and savageries of such other notables as Cortez, Pizarro, Balboa, and Coronado. The book cleverly references and analyzes the works of American and Spanish historians, including those who were present as the conquerors murdered, raped, pillaged, enslaved, proselytized and bravely explored in South, Central and North America. Where there is a disparity in the record Duncan examines the conflict and suggests the account he considers the more reliable. At times the contemporary American Soto enthusiasts and the Spanish historians who are referenced throughout the book prove almost as intriguing as their subject matter.

Given the tremendous undertaking this work represents, Duncan manages to produce a highly readable and lively book. Even if the author can't help but reveal his personal revulsion at Soto's blatant inhumanity, Duncan also is objective enough to acknowledge flashes of true heroism and bravery. The Soto that the author presents is a historic Indiana Jones figure who descends into a Conrad-like Heart of Darkness.

The book cleverly incorporates maps, charts, paintings, and other graphics into the text. Further, although it may be tempting to skip the footnotes due to the length of the text, the reader is well advised not to do so. Buried in these footnotes are clever thoughts, insights and explanations.

This book richly deserves five stars and a second look by anyone who skipped it when it was first released.

I came to this book because I enjoyed the author's other work: Calendar is a fascinating read, and From Cape to Cairo is really compelling. When I started this biography of Soto, I was surprised about the academicness of the work--lots of footnotes, for example. But as I read on, I found the same qualities which make reading Duncan's other works such a joyful experience present here. Though Soto may not be a "fun" topic, Duncan's prose is a great pleasure. And, as always, I learned a lot.

This book is an interplay with a collection of Aztec incantations collected in the early 17th century. It includes translations, a glossary and an extensive bibliography in addition to the poetry by Alarcon. The book is primarily for lovers of poetry but is useful to anyone with an interest in MesoAmerican culture and religion.

Alarcon's poetry is typical of his style - extremely spare depending heavily on its images and the connotations (as opposed to the denotations) of words. In this particular book where the number of poems in each section is determined by Aztec associations, a few of the poems are a handful of words - a snippet of a phrase. Some of these work in much the same way haiku works - but a few fail as poetry. The longer poems are consistently successful - either as new incantations or as comtemporary poetry.

A rare and unique book indeed! Mr. Alarcon takes us on a spiritual path to the past with poems that are vibrant, full of wisdom, and rich in the voices of ancestors.

This work is a complete collection of chronicles for the De Soto expedition into La Florida (which is most of the south-east USA). Due to the fact that this work comprises two volumes of almost 600 pages each, I have so far only read volume II which is the complete account "La Florida" by Garcilaso de la Vega. Following others (including the Narvaez expedition that de Vaca relates) De Soto went into Florida to find gold and eventually settle the new land. Garcilaso used one captain from the expedition as his source and is a great storyteller, claiming his abhorrence of exaggerating the contents, much of it is told with the heroic chivalry and noble virtue of the times, whether speaking of Spaniards or Indians, and always some purposeful enthusiasm. If all you know of De Soto is that he was the first to see the Mississippi, that doesn't begin to say anything about what happens during the expedition, and even to the way those who were on it considered it afterwards. It shows also the real nature of the natives, showing great differences in their treatment of the Spanish, their use of slavery, and the brutatilty they showed towards other tribes. (Not as placid as Las Casas would have you believe). Also describing the native cultures and life-styles to some degree. All wonderful and interesting stories. The volumes contain some maps and black and white illustrations. Volume I contains all the other existant accounts including the more historical one by the Gentleman of Elvas. Well worth the price.

I have discovered that author Ronald Syme has written many historical biographies in particular for children. I may even have read something of his when I was kid, since he seems to have published since the 1960s. His books are timeless, well written and easy to follow, presented in a story-type format, and including interesting details to personalize the history. I read his book about DeSoto as part of my own research about the Spanish explorers of North America. As an adult reader of this book, I was able to glean a good understanding of who deSoto was and what he did. The last I had ever heard anything about deSoto was in sixth grade, along with a brief mention of the names and discoveries of other early explorers, such as Ponce deLeon. DeSoto's story is really fascinating, and Syme's version is sure to interest today's children. It covers the difficulties met by deSoto's men in crossing difficult territory and confronting hostile natives. It does mention the injustices the Spaniards meted to the natives, but not in the horrific detail that will be found in biographies meant for older readers. I recommend this book as well as other works by Syme to interest young readers in the subject of history.

OUTSTANDING ANALYSIS OFFERED BY TOP THINKERS WITHIN THE FIELD KNOWN AS LAW AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. EDGARDO BUSCAGLIA'S AND H. DE SOTO'S PIECES CAPTURE THE ESSENCE EXPLAINING THE LINKS BETWEEN THE JUDICIARY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. MORE OF BUSCAGLIA'S WORK SHOULD BE PUBLISHED BY THE IDB.

This is a derivative work which is most enjoyable if one has a tiny bit of knowledge about De Soto. For budding De Soto enthusiasts, Looking For De Soto is a must read.

Joyce Rockwood Hudson has written a lively and entertaining account of a six-week vacation she and her husband took in November-December 1984 where they followed the sixteenth century explorer De Soto's trail through the southeastern United States.

You have to love people who shun the cruise ships and Disneyworld and Madison Avenue in order to tromp around in the mud of backwater swamps while on vacation.

One might reasonably ask, who is this lady, and why should we care? She is the wife of noted anthropology professor Charles Hudson, and we should care because Professor Hudson has set forth an alternative route for the De Soto expedition, differing in important ways from the route as determined by the Swanton Commission (published by Smithsonian Press, 1939).

The issue has not been settled - that of De Soto's precise route - but Professor Hudson's theories are interesting and taken seriously by academia as well as people such as myself who enjoy visiting historic places.

If you are lost, don't feel alone. So are the Hudsons. That's the point. No one really knows where De Soto went, exactly, but the author ignites interest. She also describes in an engaging way a portion of the field work conducted while on "vacation", adding weight to Professor Hudson's theories.

And remember, folks, this is only one theory of many. That's most of the fun. Those of us who consider ourselves southerners can relate. It is sort of like arguing whether Alabama's football team is number one, or Georgia's or Florida's...

Only this stuff happened four hundred and fifty years ago, and the debate rages.

These Conquistador fellows didn't ask for directions, they just snatched the first native American that came along and clapped him in chains if he didn't speak right up.

Mrs. Hudson keeps you moving right along, with interesting detours about pecans, zinc mining, salt making, etc. She writes clearly, has a keen eye for the absurd, and knows how to deliver a punch line. I'm still laughing over the French colonial town of Smackover. I would also imagine that if you poke too many holes in her husband's theories, she might chew off your ear. A stand up lady.

One or two fly specks in the book. A map comparing Hudson and Swanton routes would have helped enormously. You'll find yourself sorting through the Atlas and a dusty copy of the Swanton report. The author also fails to mention the name of a good rib place in Memphis. Unconscionable. The Afterword updates the reader on happenings through 1992, when the book was published.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I wish De Soto would have had someone like Joyce Rockwood Hudson along. Even epic tales of death, disease, despair, and war require the female touch.

REVIEW: If you have an interest in Mexica incantations, Mexica medicine, or first hand accounts of the every day life of the Mexica, this editorial team has translated one of the best source books you can find. Written in 1629 by Alcaron as a guide to understanding the Mexica religion and beliefs that were hampering the conversion of the Indians.

Alcaron's goal was to prepare other Catholic Priests by education of the past. Along the way, Alcaron wrote a fascinating collection of various incantations used by the Mexica for such things as blessing a fishing net to curing a broken heart. His attention to Mexica herbal medicine along with generous recent research by the editorial team, has combined to serve as a textbook on the subject.

The book is easily read and the incantations are in Nahuatl as well as paraphrased in English. Some of the more interesting incantations related are: About the Incantation and Spell of Those Who Rig Lime Kilns, About the Incantation or Witchcraft That They Use in Order to Hunt, Beginning with the Hunting of Fowls, About Fortune-telling with the Hands. Further contains a host of incantations for medical purposes including, belly pains, bone fractures, and others simple and complex illnesses.

Appendices attached to this book are full of information relating to place names and linguistic terms that will be of interest to a serious reader. Of interest is the attention to the breakdown of the meaning of the Nahuatl terms to the root level. This work will leave you questioning traditionally accepted terminology and academically accepted myth.

I agree that this book would have been more interesting if read before Mystery, but now the mystery is gone.

This is good stuff just the same.

Lots of good points that are useful in a classroom.

In many ways, I am disappointed that I read this book after reading de Soto's other book, "The Mystery Of Capital". Both this and his other book largely contain the same ideas, but "The Other Path" focuses more intently on de Soto's experiences in Peru rather attempting to answer a very broad question. Because "The Other Path" focuses on squarely on Peru, it can more completely chronicle how his ideas have been used to better the lot of poor Peruvians, and have contributed to the defeat of Sendero Luminoso.

I would have preferred it if the book did not purport to be a general answer to terrorism. While his ideas are very applicable with respect to Maoist revolutionaries attempting to (in theory) uplift the poor, they seem less relevant to "non-economic" terrorists, such as certain rich scions of Saudi families that fly airplanes into buildings, for example. But that is a minor point.

I enjoyed this book but was spoiled because I first read "The Mystery of Capital" and then this. This book's stats are somewhat outdated because so much has happened in the last 15-20 years, which takes away from the crispness of the argument, but the argument is still apparent and sound. Although I agree that eliminating government red tape to let more people become a part of the economic system and therefore become plugged into the benefits of the system (eg, a legal work address for customers to reach you at, legal recognition so to advertise, etc.) and thereby allow government to collect more taxes so to (hopefully) put more money toward fighting social problems; I hope de Soto agrees that the economic answer to terroism is not the only answer. Stregthening the economic infrastructure is a strong part of the answer, but much more is also needed for some people to not desire to kill other people, and that may be something which can never be had. Although I would say "The Mystery of Capital" is a must read, this is nonetheless a great supplement to "The Mystery of Capital".