Summary
El Dorado, the South American "Lost City of Gold," became a siren call for Spanish conquistadores eager to obtain fame and fortune by discovering the undiscoverable. Lives and fortunes were lost, reputations were made and lost, but El Dorado always seemed to be tantalizingly out of reach. With the original story growing out of a religious ritual practiced by Indians living in present-day Bogota, the tales and rumors of this gold-laden city were soon embellished by their tellers, and soon, men went in search of a city filled with untold fortunes. El Dorado explores the origins of the legend of the golden city, tells the thrilling stories of the explorers who risked their lives for gold, and includes information on the latest archaeological discoveries that seem to indicate the very real possibility that the legend being chased may have been real after all.
Specifications
Full-color and black-and-white photographs and illustrations. Maps. Index. Bibliography. Glossary. Chronology. Timeline. Web sites. Further resources.
About the Author(s)
Dennis Abrams is the author of several books for Chelsea House, including biographies of Barbara Park, Xerxes, Rachael Ray, Eminem, Albert Pujols, and Cotton Mather, as well as books on the Treaty of Nanjing and the history of the automated assembly line. He attended Antioch College, where he majored in English and communications. A voracious reader since the age of three, Abrams lives in Houston, Texas, with his partner.