In 1560, General Pedro de Ursúa led an expedition through the Amazon in search of El Dorado. Three months later, Ursúa was murdered. His replacement, Fernando de Guzmán, was also murdered. Emerging from the chaos was the Biscayan Lope de Aguirre, who turned away from El Dorado and led his men to Peru to overthrow the royal forces and declare independence from the Spanish Crown. When Aguirre was finally killed, the aftermath was astonishing: hundreds dead, entire towns depopulated, and a nascent revolution quashed.
Deliberately provocative, Evan Balkan's The Wrath of God examines Aguirre, a symbol of Basque fury and rampage, arguing that Aguirre's historical representation as a one-dimensional madman deserves revisiting. Indeed, Aguirre may be the Americas' first true revolutionary, a view shared by Simón Bolívar, among others. 2011 marks the 450th anniversary of one of the most extraordinary and least known events in the history of the Americas, and Balkan's work offers a timely investigation into the revolutionary's life and controversial methods.

The Wrath of God: Lope de Aguirre, Revolutionary of the Americas

Biographies & Memoirs

Balkan, Evan L.

Community & Culture

University of New Mexico Press

Within an hour's drive of Maryland's largest city, an abundance of natural and scenic places remain. From hikes within the city, including a new 14-mile greenway running through the largest unbroken urban forest in the United States, to the solitude of rural Carroll and northwest Baltimore Counties, 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Baltimore is a guide to great hikes in the area. Not only are the big state parks and reservoirs covered, but readers will also find hidden treasures throughout the city and six surrounding counties, from vigorous day hikes to pleasant strolls. Walk along beaches, rivers, rolling farmland, waterfalls, mixed forests, the Chesapeake Bay -- even a prairie; areas rich in history and wildlife await the Baltimore area hiker. This book tells readers how to get there and what to see once they are there.

60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Baltimore: Including Anne Arundel, Carroll, Harford, and Howard Counties

Health, Fitness & Dieting

Menasha Ridge Press

For readers who relish the image of clinging to a sinking makeshift raft while fighting off sword-wielding and delirious mutineers wrenching the last cask of water from a sailor's sun-scorched hands (while sharks circle in famished anticipation), Shipwrecked! Adventures and Disasters at Sea is an irresistible read. A heady voyage through human suffering at the hands of unforgiving oceans, cruel captains, and implacable fate, this latest collection of Evan Balkan's impeccably researched true adventures details 14 major maritime disasters. Included are such legendary stories as the 1629 maiden voyage of the Batavia that ended in mutiny and murder, and the dramatic destruction of the majestic three-masted barquentine Endurance in ice-clogged Antarctic waters in 1912. A vast spectrum of human emotion and activity is featured in these exciting profiles, from deadly incompetence and brutish cannibalism to surprising self-sacrifice and quiet heroism.

Shipwrecked!: Deadly Adventures and Disasters at Sea

History

World

Whether hiking within the city or out in the rural Carroll and northwest counties, this guide provides hikers with expertly drawn trail maps and profiles. Included are hikes in the major state parks and reservoirs and six surrounding counties, covering beaches, forests, and the Chesapeake Bay.

Exercise & Fitness

Maryland's natural beauty can be fully experienced only by visiting, and what better way to do so than to pitch a tent in one of the varied locations Maryland has to offer: the Atlantic Ocean lies nearby, as do the Allegheny Mountains and the Chesapeake Bay. Maryland is a camper's dream, and this valuable guide assists outdoor enthusiasts of all stripes. Including a five-star rating system, detailed travel and contact information for each site, latitude and longitude coordinates, and regional maps, this guide is an incomparable resource for anyone roughing it in this beautiful state.

The Best in Tent Camping: Maryland: A Guide for Car Campers Who Hate RVs, Concrete Slabs, and Loud Portable Stereos (Best Tent Camping)

In the best adventures, the intrepid explorer returns home to banner headlines and a hero’s welcomebut what of the men and women who don’t return home? This collection proves their stories are just as compelling. From the disappearance in Utah of cowboy roamer Everett Ruess to the loss of billionaire explorer Michael Rockefeller in the wilds of New Guinea, the tales ring with mystery, intrigue, and excitement. Whether murdered, drowned, or eaten alive, their disappearances are likely to remain unsolved, but never forgotten.

Vanished!: Explorers Forever Lost

Historical

Best Tent Camping: Maryland: Your Car-Camping Guide to Scenic Beauty, the Sounds of Nature, and an Escape from Civilization

<div>Called "America in Miniature" byNational Geographic editor Gilbert Grosvenor, Maryland packs an extraordinary amount of natural diversity into a relatively small area. With the Atlantic Ocean in the east, Allegheny Mountains in the west, and the country's largest estuary--the Chesapeake Bay--splitting the state down the middle, any outdoors enthusiast finds a happy home in Maryland. Splitting the state into three distinct geographical regions--Western Maryland, Central Maryland, and Southern Maryland/Eastern Shore--Best Tent Camping: Maryland, byEvan Balkan, will guide campers to 50 of the best campgrounds the state has to offer. Within these 50 profiles are campgrounds with every imaginable facility, as well as primitive campsites far from population centers and everything in between. For camping in Maryland, this is an indispensable guide. </div>

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Balkan, Evan L.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Balkan, Evan L.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Balkan, Evan L.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Wrath of God: Lope de Aguirre, Revolutionary of the Americas

60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Baltimore: Including Anne Arundel, Carroll, Harford, and Howard Counties

Shipwrecked!: Deadly Adventures and Disasters at Sea

60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Baltimore: Including Anne Arundel, Carroll, Harford, and Howard Counties

The Best in Tent Camping: Maryland: A Guide for Car Campers Who Hate RVs, Concrete Slabs, and Loud Portable Stereos (Best Tent Camping)

Vanished!: Explorers Forever Lost

Best Tent Camping: Maryland: Your Car-Camping Guide to Scenic Beauty, the Sounds of Nature, and an Escape from Civilization