Book Description

"Hoig tells this story with a sharp eye for human details--sometimes gruesome but nonetheless compelling details--that bring Coronado, Oñate, and other Spanish soldiers and priests alive in ways that I have never read. After examining Hoig's account, I will never see the Spanish entrada or conquest in the same way. . . Parts of this manuscript left me stunned."—Durwood Ball, University of New Mexico Guided by myths of golden cities and worldly rewards, policy makers, conquistador leaders, and expeditionary aspirants alike came to the new world in the sixteenth century and left it a changed land. Came Men on Horses follows two conquistadors--Francisco Vásquez de Coronado and Don Juan de Oñate--on their journey across the southwest. Driven by their search for gold and silver, both Coronado and Oñate committed atrocious acts of violence against the Native Americans, and fell out of favor with the Spanish monarchy. Examining the legacy of these two conquistadors Hoig attempts to balance their brutal acts and selfish motivations with the historical significance and personal sacrifice of their expeditions. Rich human details and superb story-telling make Came Men on Horses a captivating narrative scholars and general readers alike will appreciate.