Rare Book Monthly
Book Catalogue Reviews - December - 2003 Issue
Catalogue Review – South Americana<br>From Flo Silver Books
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Items 511-527 are all about the infamous William Walker. Walker is what was known as a “filibuster,” a soldier of fortune who set out to rule his own nation. For a while, he came close to carving out a nation in northern Mexico, but was eventually forced to retreat. In 1855, he sailed for Nicaragua with 58 men. With help from one side of the local power struggle, he was able to take over the country. He declared himself president. However, revolts were launched and by 1857 he was forced to retreat to the United States. He made a second and finally a third attempt to recapture the country in 1860. This time, he went through Honduras, but as things went bad, he surrendered to a British naval captain for protection. Instead, the captain turned him over to Honduran authorities who executed Walker a few days later.
Item 438 is Martin Townsend’s Prehistoric Structures of Central America. Who Erected Them? Taken from a lecture given in 1895 in Troy, New York, Townsend’s thesis was that ancient Greek and Roman scholars knew of America through voyages by the Phoenicians. Certain similarities between prehistoric structures in the new world with those in the old remain a mystery to this day. $125.
And finally, there’s item 266, Pedro Martinez. A Mexican Peasant and his Family. Surely this is not the same Pedro Martinez who today pitches for the Boston Red Sox and earns $15 million a year. $10.
Flo Silver Books may be reached at 317-255-5118.
