First published in Venice in 1565, Benzoni's book was an immediate best seller and available in at least five languages before the end of the century. It spanned the years 1541-56, providing detailed descriptions of native flora and fauna, exciting narration of harrowing exploits, and a surprisingly critical perspective on the expanding Spanish Empire's methods of conquest and governance, in which Benzoni highlighted the struggles of indigenous peoples. This edition follows the three-book structure of the original account but focuses on Benzoni's own experiences, omitting episodes to which he was not a witness and excising repetition and hyperbolic hearsay.