Narrative of the Incas

April 15, 1996
De Betanzos, an interpreter who married the Inca princess Dona Angelina Yupanqui, was a little-known contemporary recorder of Peru's Incan heritage. His narrative of the Incas begins with Viracocha's peopling of the world and continues to the Spanish conquest. For over 400 years, de Betanzos's work was known only in an 18-chapter fragment, but recently the translators of this volume have discovered the complete manuscript. Their translation and compilation of several old variants provides the most accurate and intelligible version available of de Betanzos's narrative. As a literal translation of a 16th-century manuscript, and even with punctuation inserted to improve its readability, it retains a long-winded quality characteristic of Spanish from that era. This translation is a triumph of historical scholarship and a treasure for scholars, but it isn't likely to hold the interest of the average reader. Recommended for academic libraries only.--Ken St. Andre, Phoenix P.L.