Vasco Núñez de Balboa: historia del descubrimiento del Océano Pacífico

What it is

This book was written by Ángel Ruíz de Obregón y Retortillo and published in Barcelona in 1913, marking the four-hundredth anniversary of Balboa's discovery of the Pacific Ocean. It is 191 pages long and was digitized from the Internet Archive.

Why it matters

Written four centuries after the event, this history shows how later generations of Spanish writers interpreted and retold Balboa's achievement. It is a secondary source that reflects early twentieth-century views of exploration and national pride rather than an eyewitness account.

Look closer

• Why might the author have chosen to write this book specifically for the four-hundredth anniversary?
• What does the author's other published works tell you about his background and interests?
• How might a book written 400 years after an event differ from a firsthand account?