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  • A Land So Strange

  • The Epic Journey of Cabeza de Vaca
  • By: Andres Resendez
  • Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
  • Length: 7 hrs and 13 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (211 ratings)
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A Land So Strange cover art

A Land So Strange

By: Andres Resendez
Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
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Summary

In 1528, a mission set out from Spain to colonize Florida. But the expedition went horribly wrong: Delayed by a hurricane, knocked off course by a colossal error of navigation, and ultimately doomed by a disastrous decision to separate the men from their ships, the mission quickly became a desperate journey of survival.

Of the 300 men who had embarked on the journey, only four survived - three Spaniards and an African slave. This tiny band endured a horrific march through Florida, a harrowing raft passage across the Louisiana coast, and years of enslavement in the American Southwest. They journeyed for almost 10 years in search of the Pacific Ocean that would guide them home, and they were forever changed by their experience. The men lived with a variety of nomadic Indians and learned several indigenous languages. They saw lands, peoples, plants, and animals that no outsider had ever seen before.

In this enthralling tale of four castaways wandering in an unknown land, Andres Resndez brings to life the vast, dynamic world of North America just a few years before European settlers would transform it forever.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.

©2007 Andres Resendez (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Told from an intriguing and original perspective, Reséndez's narrative is a marvelous addition to the corpus of survival and adventure literature." ( Publishers Weekly)
"A must-read for anyone interested in the early history of European exploration in North America—or in real-life adventure, compellingly told." ( Bookmarks)

What listeners say about A Land So Strange

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    5 out of 5 stars

Fascinating and well narrated

I enjoyed the story which was completely unknown to me beforehand. It provided a fascinating insight into the New World prior to colonisation along with the story of a doomed expedition.

Narration, I thought, was excellent and conveyed the tone of the written work well and was engaging throughout.

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8 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Should be a movie!!

The most fascinating story i have ever heard, so gripping and exciting at every turn. The narration is great too. The only thing i think could have been improved is some passion and energy into the writing which is somewhat lacklustre by the author and not be so literal and logical; put some emotion to it, its a thriliing story!

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3 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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Amazing story

I need to listen again to this book. I love the story. But it's pronunciations of names, and also, the flat voice of the narrator, were not conducive to characterization. I couldn't establish a true connection to individuals within the story unfortunately. And as the story progressed it became increasingly complex, with more placenames and long character names repeatedly used. But still, the epic journey remains fascinating. Hence why I should and will listen to it again.

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1 person found this helpful

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Astonishing story well told

I had previously read a much shorter book about Cabeça de Vaca but this one benefitted from the extra context and the ‘whatever happened to?’ section at the end.

The story is well-told here and held my attention, so both narrative and narrator are good. I listened to it on 1.1x speed.

I think most people would be amazed at this story and find listening to the story time well-spent. I recommend it.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Fantastic

An incredible and unique book that opened my eyes to a totally new world. Insane life stories. Fantastic. Definitely give it a go.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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amazing story

one of the most amazing stories I've heard. it kept me interested and engaged throughout. 5/5 stars.

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1 person found this helpful

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Very interesting and insightful!

Thoroughly enjoyed this history lesson, I’d never heard of this amazing journey before, highly recommend!

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1 person found this helpful

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Wow! So much better than I expected

I think I would have finished it in one sitting if time would have allowed. Amazingly written, throughly researched, the book reads like an adventure novel. I really didn’t want it to end. I highly recommend it!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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The story is absolutely incredible

Reading was a bit monotonous sometimes. But overall pleasant experience and the story is amazing so worth trying.

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  • Overall
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Fascinating!

A great historical insight in to the early origins of the west in North America. What a life they had

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