Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

Preview
  • 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 (217 ratings)

£0.00 for first 30 days

Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

A Land So Strange

By: Andres Resendez
Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £14.99

Buy Now for £14.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

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.
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Listeners also enjoyed...

The Tragedy of Great Power Politics cover art
A Brief History of Life in the Middle Ages cover art
Over the Edge of the World cover art
From the Edge cover art
Island of the Lost cover art
Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca cover art
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World cover art
The Narrative of Cabeza de Vaca cover art
The Challenge of Things cover art
Letters to a Young Poet cover art
American Legends: The Pilgrims and the Mayflower cover art
British Legends: The Life and Legacy of Sir Francis Drake cover art
Robinson Crusoe cover art
Great South Land cover art
Conquistador Voices cover art
Blood and Thunder cover art

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

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    147
  • 4 Stars
    55
  • 3 Stars
    13
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    135
  • 4 Stars
    42
  • 3 Stars
    3
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    138
  • 4 Stars
    36
  • 3 Stars
    8
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The story is absolutely incredible

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

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

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.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The amazing details

I wanted to listen to the story from start to finish in one session. This is the second time I’ve listened to an amazing tale.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    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.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

What a story!

Great book overall as an introduction to this fascinating account.

There is enough detail to ellicit an understanding of the circumstances surrounding characters and events, as well as sufficient inference regarding the people in the story.

Certain complex economic or political details are omitted, but perhaps for the best - this is a historical work but reads almost like a novel.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fascinating!

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

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

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!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

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.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

amazing story

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

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing

I had never heard this amazing story previously! It was very well told and kept me interested until the final word!
Thoroughly enjoyed it!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!