Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Search - List of Books by Pedro Sarmiento De Gamboa

Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa (1532—1592) was a Spanish explorer, author, historian, astronomer, and scientist. His birthplace is not certain and may have been Pontevedra, in Galicia, where his paternal family originated or Alcalá de Henares in Castile, where he later is known to have studied . His father Bartolomé Sarmiento was born in Pontevedra and his mother María Gamboa was born in Bilbao , Basque Country.

At the age of 18, Sarmiento de Gamboa entered the royal military in the European wars. Between 1550 and 1555 the future navigator fought in the armies of Emperor Charles V. In 1555 he began his exploring career, sailing across the Atlantic Ocean. His first destination was what is today Mexico, where he lived for two years. Little is known of this period in his life, other than that he encountered difficulties with the Inquisition. He then sailed to Peru, where he lived for more than twenty years.

In Lima he was accused by the Inquisition of possessing two magic rings and some magic ink and of following the precepts of Moses.

He then joined Álvaro de Mendaña expedition through the Southern Pacific Ocean to find the Terra Australis Incognita, which, should Mendaña followed Sarmiento's indications, had reached New Zealand or/and Australia; but they discovered the Solomon Islands instead, in 1568.

In order to take credit of the discoveries for himself Mendaña threw the journals and maps made by Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa overboard and abandoned him in Mexico. A trial was then held in Lima, with the result giving Sarmiento credit for the discoveries.

In 1572 he was commissioned by Francisco de Toledo, the fifth Viceroy of Peru, to write a history of the Incas. Toledo hoped such a history would justify Spanish colonisation by revealing the violent history of the Incas. Sarmiento collected oral accounts first hand from Inca informants and produced a history that chronicles their violent conquest of the region. In his final history, he claimed that the origin inhabitants of Peru are descended from the mythical island of Atlantis. Historia de los Incas was then presented to King Phillip II with a covering letter dated March 1 1572.

Strait of Magellan   more

Later Life   more

This author page uses material from the Wikipedia article "Pedro Sarmiento De Gamboa", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0
Total Books: 28
Narratives of the Voyages of Pedro De Gamboa to the Straits of Magellan
Narratives of the Voyages of Pedro Sarmiento De Gamba to the Straits of Magellan
2009 - Narratives of the Voyages of Pedro Sarmiento De Gamba to the Straits of Magellan [no. 91] (Paperback)
ISBN-13: 9781151233509
ISBN-10: 1151233501
  ?

New Light on Drake A Collection of Documents Relating to His Voyage of Circumnavigation 15771580
History of the Incas
2009 - History of the Incas (Paperback)Paperback, Hardcover
ISBN-13: 9781150222498
ISBN-10: 1150222492
Genre: History
  ?

Viage Al Estrecho De Magallanes Por El Capitan Pedro Sarmiento De Gamboa
2009 - Viage Al Estrecho De Magallanes Por El Capitan Pedro Sarmiento De Gamboa [1768 - Spanish Edition] (Paperback)
ISBN-13: 9781104521745
ISBN-10: 1104521741
Genre: Literature & Fiction
  ?

History of the Incas and The Execution of the Inca Tupac Amaru
2007 - History of the Incas and the Execution of the Inca Tupac Amaru (Paperback)Hardcover
ISBN-13: 9781602068964
ISBN-10: 1602068968
  ?

Los viajes al Estrecho de Magallanes / The Trips across the Magellan
2007 - Los VIajes Al Estrecho De Magallanes / the Trips Across the Magellan [Literatura Alfaguara - Spanish Edition] (Paperback)
ISBN-13: 9788420603582
ISBN-10: 8420603589
Genres: History, Travel, Nonfiction, Science & Math
  ?

The History of the Incas
2007 - The History of the Incas [Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long Series in Latin American and Latino Art and Culture] (Hardcover)Paperback
ISBN-13: 9780292714137
ISBN-10: 0292714130
Genres: History, Nonfiction
  ?

Viajes al estrecho de Magallanes/Trip across the Magellan's
2000 - Viajes Al Estrecho De Magallanes/trip Across the Magellan's [Cronicas De America - Spanish Edition] (Paperback)
ISBN-13: 9788449202148
ISBN-10: 8449202140
Genres: History, Nonfiction
  ?

Derrotero al Estrecho de Magallanes
Derrotero Al Estrecho De Magallanes [Cronicas de America - Spanish Edition] (Paperback)
ISBN-13: 9788476790694
ISBN-10: 8476790694
Genres: Travel, Nonfiction
  ?

Historia de los Incas
Historia De Los Incas [Biblioteca de viajeros hispanicos - Spanish Edition] (Paperback)
ISBN-13: 9788478130061
ISBN-10: 8478130063
Genres: History, Nonfiction
  ?