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This famous work is the most extensive book on the New World written up to the time of publication, and is one of the chief sources to this day for many of the facts relating to the early history of the Spanish conquest of the New World. The colophon leaf is signed by Oviedo, as is found in some copies. Oviedo was a witness to that history from the beginning, having seen as a young page at the Spanish court the return of Columbus in 1493. In 1505 he went out to the Indies himself as an official, and subsequently served in a number of important administrative posts. Over the next three decades he kept extensive notes on the history of the Spanish in the New World and all he observed there, especially natural history and the indigenous peoples he encountered. He also interviewed all of the Spanish explorers to whom he had access. In 1526 he published a short work on the natural history of the Indies, followed nine years later by the present work. His industry provides an extraordinary description of the period, one that his high offices and education gave him a unique ability to record. Oviedo was the first writer to gather detailed and accurate information on the natural history of the New World. Over half of the Historia General is devoted to natural history, especially focusing on plants and trees. The text is illustrated with numerous woodcuts, which are the earliest extant reliable pictures of things in the New World. These include a number of botanical subjects. This famous work is the most extensive book on the New World written up to the time of publication, and is one of the chief sources to this day for many of the facts relating to the early history of the Spanish conquest of the New World. The colophon leaf is signed by Oviedo, as is found in some copies. Oviedo was a witness to that history from the beginning, having seen as a young page at the Spanish court the return of Columbus in 1493. In 1505 he went out to the Indies himself as an official, and subsequently served in a number of important administrative posts. Over the next three decades he kept extensive notes on the history of the Spanish in the New World and all he observed there, especially natural history and the indigenous peoples he encountered. He also interviewed all of the Spanish explorers to whom he had access. In 1526 he published a short work on the natural history of the Indies, followed nine years later by the present work. His industry provides an extraordinary description of the period, one that his high offices and education gave him a unique ability to record. Oviedo was the first writer to gather detailed and accurate information on the natural history of the New World. Over half of the Historia General is devoted to natural history, especially focusing on plants and trees. The text is illustrated with numerous woodcuts, which are the earliest extant reliable pictures of things in the New World. These include a number of botanical subjects including prickly pear, as well as artifacts including the hammock, and indigenous peoples, the most famous of which depicts natives panning for gold. Quite notably, according to Arents, this work also contains the "first occurrence in print of the now almost universal word 'tobacco,'" as well as the first printed account of smoking tobacco for pleasure. Books 8 and 9 are entirely devoted to trees and plants, while books 10 and 11 cover plants with medicinal qualities. The illustrations which accompany these chapters are the earliest illustrations of American plants drawn from nature. Book 7 is entirely devoted to agriculture in the New World, describing cultivated fruits and plants raised for food by indigenous Americans. Books 12, 13, 14, and 15 describe water animals (including his famous manatee description), birds, insects, and mammals. The first edition of Oviedo's book publishes the first nineteen parts of his history. The twentieth part appeared as part of Ramusio’s VIAGGI in 1551, and the remaining thirty were not published until 1851. This first edition is one of the outstanding early books on the New World, and a foundational work of the initial Spanish conquest. READ MORE Quarto (287 x 215 mm). ✠⁴ a-z⁸ &¹⁰(- &10); [4], cxciii leaves, lacking terminal blank. 18th-century mottled calf, spine gilt extra, leather label. Numerous in-text woodcuts, title page printed in red and black. Marginal notes in at least three hands. Remnants of title-leaf mounted, with upper and right compartments of title border supplied from clippings of other contemporary borders, text on verso supplied in manuscript. Following leaf supplied and remargined to fit, paper repairs to lower corner through leaf xxxiii. The final leaf inscribed by Oviedo, as proper. Arents 4; Church 71; European Americana 535/12; Harrisse (BAV) 207; JCB (3) I:118; Medina (BHA) 4; Nissen Zoology 3032; Reese & Miles, Creating America 10; Servies, p.1.

"La Historia General de las Indias" by Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés is a seminal work that chronicles the early exploration and colonization of the Americas by the Spanish. Written in the 16th century, Oviedo's work is not just a historical account but also a rich source of ethnographic, botanical, and zoological information, offering a comprehensive view of the New World as it was first encountered by Europeans. Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés (1478-1557) was a Spanish historian and writer who served as the official Chronicler of the Indies for the Spanish Crown. Oviedo's extensive travels in the Americas and his direct involvement in the administration of Spanish colonies provided him with a unique vantage point from which to document the conquest and colonization of the New World. His work is distinguished by its empirical approach; Oviedo was keen on direct observation and often included detailed descriptions of the flora, fauna, and peoples he encountered. "La Historia General de las Indias" is divided into several books, each detailing different aspects of the Spanish conquests, from the initial voyages of Christopher Columbus to the establishment of colonial governments and the exploitation of natural resources. Oviedo's work is notable for its detailed descriptions of indigenous cultures, including their social structures, customs, and ways of life, which he often contrasted with European practices. He also provides accounts of the natural environment, meticulously documenting the diverse species of plants and animals unique to the region. One of the most valuable aspects of Oviedo's narrative is his firsthand accounts of interactions between Europeans and indigenous peoples, including the often brutal consequences of these encounters. While Oviedo sometimes exhibited the biases typical of his era, portraying indigenous peoples in a manner that reflected European superiority, his work nonetheless offers critical insights into the impacts of colonization on native populations. "La Historia General de las Indias" is considered one of the first comprehensive descriptions of the Americas in the period following their discovery by Europeans. It served as a crucial source of information for Europeans, who were fascinated by Oviedo's accounts of exotic lands filled with unknown peoples and riches. The work significantly influenced European perceptions of the New World, shaping the policies and strategies of further exploration and colonization. Oviedo's detailed observations also make his work an invaluable resource for modern historians and anthropologists seeking to understand the early colonial period in the Americas. His descriptions of indigenous societies before their widespread destruction due to disease, warfare, and enslavement provide a glimpse into cultures that would otherwise be lost to history. The publication of "La Historia General de las Indias" contributed to the burgeoning curiosity and enthusiasm for exploration among Europeans. The detailed and sometimes fantastical descriptions of the New World fueled imaginations and ambitions, leading to increased expeditions and the eventual establishment of permanent colonies. However, the work also reinforced certain stereotypes and rationalizations for the subjugation and exploitation of indigenous peoples, which would have lasting consequences for the Americas.