​​   We’re approaching the 500th anniversary of a foundational event in our nation’s history. This Narváez expedition to "La Florida" (1527-28) was the first land and sea exploration of the continental U.S. and the first major interaction between Europeans and native peoples from Florida to the American Southwest. The expedition from the Spanish point of view was a tragic disaster. Still, it inspired other explorations of North America by Soto, Coronado, Cabrillo and others. As a failed conquistador, Pánfilo de Narváez is not so well known. But the personal account of the expedition, La Relación, written by a survivor, Cabeza de Vaca, is one of the great adventure stories of all time. It's the back story for my latest novel, Alien Coast, about a modern-day reenactor of the expedition survivors. He’s a similarly colorful and flawed character who courts disaster of another kind, also imperiling the lives of his followers.

   Here are some factual sources about the expedition, with further commentary provided in my blog. Check here for newer updates on the 500th anniversary only two years away!

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Primary Sources:​

The Account of Cabeza de Vaca: A Literal Translation with Analysis and Commentary, by David Carson. Living Water Specialties, 2022. (Note: Other English translations may have taken more liberties with the text for editorial or literary purposes.)​

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Children of the Sun: Following in the Footsteps of Narváez and Cabeza de Vaca, by David Carson. Living Water Specialties, 2022.

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A Land So Strange, by Andrés Reséndez. Basic Books, N.Y., 2007.