'Affirms Hugh Thomas' record as one of the most productive and wide-ranging historians of modern times' - "The New York Times". Inspired by hopes of both riches and of converting native people to Christianity, the Spanish adventurers of the fifteenth century convinced themselves that an Earthly Paradise existed in the Caribbean. This is the story of the hundreds of conquistadors who set sail on the precarious journey across the Atlantic - taking with them wheat, the horse, the guitar and the wheel as well as guns, malaria and slaves - to create an empire that made Spain the envy of the world. In this epic history Hugh Thomas brings Spain's rise to empire vividly to life, capturing the spirit of an ebullient age. 'Splendid! bold and strong in its outlines, rich in fascinating details' - Paul Johnson, "Literary Review". 'So steeped is he in the spirit of the time, so familiar with its people and places that we almost feel he must have been there at the time' - "Sunday Telegraph". 'A vivid, dramatic and compelling narrative' - Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. 'As a historian, Thomas is master of the big picture! "Rivers of Gold" sweeps us restlessly on' - Jonathan Keates, "Spectator".
'An epic history of an extraordinary age' - Michael Kerrigan, "Scotsman".
