The History of the New World is an abridged, unique English translation of sixteenth-century Italian merchant Girolamo Benzoni's popular account of his adventures in the Americas and the Spanish colonies.

First published in Venice in 1565, Benzoni's book was an immediate best seller and available in at least five languages before the end of the century. It spanned the years 1541-56, providing detailed descriptions of native flora and fauna, exciting narration of harrowing exploits, and a surprisingly critical perspective on the expanding Spanish Empire's methods of conquest...