Overall, congratulations are in order. This is a masterful (if lengthy) synthesis of the encounter era written in a smooth, engaging, and easy style. It surpasses and complements other works, such as John Hemming'sThe Conquest of the Incas, published over fifty years ago, that narrate the history of the same era but without the wider geographical context and religious focus. Graduate students, archaeologists, historians, and others will benefit mightily from Covey's nuanced perspective.
R. Alan Covey is a professor of anthropology at the University of Texas at Austin, and a research associate at the American Museum of Natural History.