Description: Translation of this late 16th century text, recently termed "the first manual of guerrilla warfare ever published," will contribute to a deeper understanding of the history of Spanish colonization, and of the history of science and medicine.
Review Quotes: "In translating Bernardo Vargas Machuca's Indian Militia (Milícia Indiana) and Description of the Indies, Kris Lane and Timothy F. Johnson have provided English-speakers with the first glimpse into the experiences of one of Spanish America's most important military writers. Beyond its value to military historians, the text also contains valuable information on the colonial history of New Granada, as well as information for the burgeoning field of natural history in the Americas. Because Vargas provides little information regarding the location of the events he described, Kris Lane's introduction usefully places him in northern South America, identifies the native peoples he fails to name and provides the necessary geographic and historical context that the text itself does not provide." - Patricia Seed, Journal of Military History