Book Description
Hernán Cortés's Cartas de Relacíon, written over a seven-year period to Charles V of Spain, provide an extraordinary narrative account of the conquest of Mexico from the founding of the coastal town of Veracruz until Cortés's journey to Honduras in 1525. Pagden's English translation has been prepared from a close examination of the earliest surviving manuscript and of the first printed editions, and he also provides a new introduction offering a bold and innovative interpretation of the nature of the conquest and Cortes's involvement in it. J. H. Elliot's introductory essay explains Cortes's conflicts with the Crown and with Diego Velazquez, the governor of Cuba.
Customer Reviews:
Powerful documents that prove Cortes started the "Cortes is.......2003-03-01
This book is an excellent new translation of five letters to Charles V, the HRE, four written by Cortes. The first letter, not written by Cortes, seems to have been written with Cortes leaning over the writer's shoulder, for it fits in perfectly with the four Cortes letters, both in sequence and in theme.
The running theme of all five letters seems to be this: Cortes is a great man who works to bring wealth and glory to Charles V, while overcoming amazing obsticles presented by both Indian and Spanish sources.
What can be learned from these letters? Not much that can be trusted, other than Cortes is good at "selling" Cortes to the royal court.
The letters are full of obvious exagerations and vast silences.
Interesting read.......2002-04-03
Anthony Pagden, Harry C. Black Professor of History at Johns Hopkins University, presents his readers with what he feels is the definitive edition of Hernan Cortes letters. Pagden states in his introduction that although his translation was not the first in English, the previous were, "more or less unsatisfactory" (page lxxix). Pagden sticks to the verisimilitude of the letters as much as possible, presenting Cortes' original spellings and place names. The main liberty Pagden admits to have taken, dividing the text into further paragraphs, does not distract the reader or destroy the intent of the work. By using the earliest available manuscripts, the original translations, and numerous primary sources as evidenced by an extensive bibliography, Pagden allows the reader to enter another world, and delve into the mind of the most talked about of all conquerors, Hernan (Hernando, Fernando) Cortes. Five letters are presented for synaptic digestion. However, the first letter presented is actually not written by Cortes. The unknown author speaks highly of Cortes, though. The other letters, penned by Cortes, describes the exact minutiae of what he paints as a perilous journey. What makes these letters so readable and enjoyable is the reader gains an intimate knowledge of the pageantry of the 16th century, and a first-hand account of what must have been clash of Spanish and New World cultures. The letters written by Cortes are revelatory. He must have had either a tremendous memory (the shortest letter is fifty-six pages long whereas the longest is 122 pages) or a fervent imagination. It is not inconceivable, then, and Cortes' prose intimates this, that he was an educated man. The letters also show that Cortes was very deferential - as he addresses his head of state, every few pages Cortes begins a new thought with phrases such as, "Most Powerful and Invincible Lord", "Your Majesty", and "Most Catholic Lord." For the contemporary reader this can be distracting. From the triumph of Conquest, the reader finds Cortes ends as a broken man, literally begging King Charles for monies to pay his increasing debts. Certainly these are not all the letters Cortes wrote to his monarch. What letters presented represent a unique opportunity. Herein lays the thinking of the man who led a handful conquerors and New World allies to bring down an empire. In this respect, the work succeeds brilliantly, for the mind of Cortes leaps out in his letters.
I might have read a different edition than the one advertised, so the page numbers might not match up.
Oranges and Hernan Cortes.......2000-09-10
The story begins with the planting of A Orange Tree and ends with the the conquest of Mexico. Cortes is a man driven by adventure and the lure of wealth in the new lands. It is however sad that he ends up in love with the place and culture that he finally destroys. The book gives a blow by blow description of the political intrigue of the church, the crown and of course Cortes men. At one point in the book the fighting is so brutal that Cortes is literally hacking the Aztec warroirs to death as steel meets wood in a no contest.Montezouma is perhaps the most tagic figure given that he is a child not a leader. The insights that Cortes rrecordrds give a fascinating account in a true historical sense. It is a book that destroys the idea that conquistidores like Cortes are bigger than life.The book reaffirms a tragic tale with its detail descriptions. A great read for enthusiasts of Mexican history Leigh Collins
Book Description
=
"It is a magnificent epic," said William H. Prescott after the publication of History of the Conquest of Mexico in 1843. Since then, his sweeping account of Cortés's subjugation of the Aztec people has endured as a landmark work of scholarship and dramatic storytelling. This pioneering study presents a compelling view of the clash of civilizations that reverberates in Latin America to this day.
----"Regarded simply from the standpoint of literary criticism, the Conquest of Mexico is Prescott's masterpiece," judged his biographer Harry Thurston Peck. "More than that, it is one of the most brilliant examples which the English language possesses of literary art applied to historical narration. . . . Here, as nowhere else, has Prescott succeeded in delineating character. All the chief actors of his great historic drama not only live and breathe, but they are as distinctly differentiated as they must have been in life. Cortés and his lieutenants are persons whom we actually come to know in the pages of Pres-cott. . . . Over against these brilliant figures stands the melancholy form of Montezuma, around whom, even from the first, one feels gathering the darkness of his coming fate. He reminds one of some hero of Greek tragedy, doomed to destruction and intensely conscious of it, yet striving in vain against the decree of an inexorable des-
tiny. . . . [Prescott] transmuted the acquisitions of laborious research into an enduring monument of pure literature."
Download Description
Prescott's thrilling and romantic history of "savages" and conquerers
Customer Reviews:
The Wonder of the Spanish Conquests Brought to Life!.......2007-06-14
Prescott was one of the first historians to credit the Native Americans with the founding of the ancient American civilizations; rather than some lost white race or wandering tribe of Hebrews.
Maya explorer John Lloyd Stephens was another famous person from the 1840s who realized that ancient American civilization arose independently in the New World. When it is considered that almost everyone else was pointing to lost white races as the originators of these civilizations, the vision of these two men is remarkable.
Nevertheless, Prescott's "Conquest of Mexico" and "Conquest of Peru" (bound together in the "Modern Library Giant" edition) are stunning as historical narratives based on original sources. What an achievement by a man who was half blind!
I would rank these two volumes as the two most captivating books I ever read. The audacity and bravery (and cruelty) of the Spanish leaves your mouth agape.
Read these two histories and relive the wonder of the Conquests of Mexico and Peru. Ten stars!
One of the great histories written... ever.......2005-10-26
Wow. I studied History and Literature at Harvard... and they never introduced me to this book! Shame on Harvard. Prescott is a true fusion of history and literature. Built on deep reading and comprehensive research of original sources and shot through with critical insights blended with fairness, Prescott's work is so different from much modern history (which is the manipulation of facts to satisfy politcal agendas).
Gosh, I know Prescott is disavowed/not read because of the discrimination against dead white males. But he's just flat-out better than the historian practitioners of today.
A Great History.......2005-07-10
William H. Prescott was nearly blind for most of his life and never visited Mexico. Nevertheless, his work contains vivid, almost cinematic, descriptions of landscapes, cities and battles. It is dramatic and entertaining in the manner of great imaginative literature. Surely there has never been a story like that of Cortes and Montezuma and the destruction of the Aztec empire. Here is the collision of late medieval Europe with a civilization closely resembling that of the ancient Egyptians. This story of one race subjugating another should put the reader in mind of the recent conquest of Iraq. Nothing fundamental has changed in the past five hundred years, except that we have no Prescott to tell the tale.
One of Our Greatest Works of Historical Art.......2003-10-15
This book is one of the greatest works of world literature, but it can be a deeply disturbing read. By turns, the heart races in outrage and sinks in sorrow at the retelling of the events surrounding Cortes's conquest of the Aztec Empire from 1519 to 1521. There has seldom been an event in history with greater drama, greater conflict, greater peril, and greater moral consequence. Though the conquest is not a turning point in world history, its events can help us fathom many of the most pressing and profound moral and political issues we face down to this day. Prescott tells the story of the conquest superbly, with depth, precision, elegance, sympathy, drama, and emotional power. There are few prose stylists as fine as William Hickling Prescott in the history of English literature, and this is not known widely enough. Many a swollen six-volume history from centuries past has become the province of scholars; few are the classic histories that still can command the attention of lay readers. This is one of them. Many lay readers and scholars testify that this book has lost none of its savor or substance. Prescott emulated Gibbon, that marvel of magnificence in English prose, but thankfully Prescott's style isn't quite as magnificently glorious as the historian's who laid out the momentous decline and fall of the Roman Empire. Prescott's prose stands a bit lower on the register than Gibbon's heroic grandeur; yet Prescott achieves a depth of perception, elegance, and insight that is matched by few writers in all of English literature. As with Gibbon, Prescott's sentences and paragraphs stand as works of art; they not are to be hurried through for the story only, but pondered with an expectation of almost unbounded discovery. Also like Gibbon, Prescott was a master of the subtle, sly aside and the telling tangent.
At the center of Prescott's story is the enthralling conquistador Hernan Cortes, that extraordinarily daring captain of the expedition to conquer the Aztecs; in two years, Cortes led a preposterously small band of Spanish soldiers across the Empire and succeeded, highly improbably, in toppling it. Is this one of the key moments of history? For Central America, certainly, but for world history probably not. Nonetheless, it is one of the most riveting stories of early modern times, and you should know it well. Moreover, our evaluations of the actions and ideas of Cortes and his men can help us understand what it means to be good, to toil as servants of the good, and to create a good society. It is easy to get furious with Cortes's band as we read of them fulfilling their audacious mission of conquest. It is easier still to morally condemn them. It could be that they deserve condemnation. But perhaps the matter deserves a very close look, and Prescott can help us examine and judge their actions better than any historian ever. In my view, there are three crucial events that demand our account: (1) the massacre at Cholula, (2) the Noche Triste, an escape of the Spaniards from Tenochtitlan at mid-conquest, and (3) the brutal siege of Tenochtitlan in the final act. Through these and the other events of the conquest, Prescott can guide us in evaluating our principles of morality, government, war, liberty, and religion, as well as the meaning of life and society. This book is a classic now, having been written some 150 years ago. Many histories and studies of the conquest have been written up to the present, but none matches Prescott's in the power and depth of its insights into human nature and society, and none matches it in the beauty and power of its prose. Prescott has much to say about why people behave as they do, about the power of religion, the thirst for gold and glory, the temptations of ambition, the rationalization of crimes and sin, and much, much more. Surely by now you realize that I cannot recommend this great history highly enough. It remains in print in several editions, which is a testament to its enduring appeal both to scholars and readers, and it is most deserving of all the attention it still receives.
A Historical Masterpiece.......2000-07-05
In his "History of the Conquest of Mexico" and it's companion volume, the "History of the Conquest of Peru", William Prescott achieves the remarkable feat of portraying the action and adventures of the Spanish cavaliers in a highly readable format for those with little prior knowledge of the Conquests. The subject matter for these books is basically the clash of cultures that occurred between the Old World (in the form of Catholic Spain) and the New (in the form of the Aztecs in Mexico and the Incas in Peru). It is interesting to note that these books were written by in the early 19th century by a partially sighted American author who had never visited the countries but who had access to all available historical documents. The style of writing is such that the reader is never overwhelmed by detail and is continually impressed by the heroic feats of the Spanish and at the same time shocked by their cruelty to the indigenous poeples.
In the "History of the Conquest of Mexico", Prescott provides an excellent acount of the origin and nature of Mexican civilization at the time of the conquest, describing how the Aztecs dominated the many races of Mexico with savage brutality, indulging in regular human sacrifices. He then goes on to describe the key player in this adventure, Hernando Cortes, and how he and a small party of cavaliers overcame overwhelming odds to defeat the armies of the Aztecs. While it is impossible not to admire the genius of Cortes, the reader is left in no doubt that the Spaniards were motivated by the promise of Aztec gold and not by the desire to "spread the word of God to the heathen". However, Prescott excuses the means by which Cortes overthrew the Aztec empire as it put an end to the Aztec practice of human sacrifice. In the second book, "History of the Conquest of Peru", Prescott finds no excuse for the manner in which Pizarro and Almagro conquered the relatively peaceful empire of the Incas. As with the first book, an interesting description of the Inca way of life precedes the action. While equally enthralling as the conquest of Mexico, Pizzaro accomplished the overthrow of the Incas by brute force, without the finesse of Cortes. The second half of this book deals with the remarkable events which followed the conquest; the two civil wars and their resolution by Pedro de la Gasca on behalf of the Spanish crown. It is difficult to find fault with Prescott's scientific approach to his writings; all of the events are backed up by references to documents written at the time of, or shortly after the conquests and these are given as valuable footnotes on each page. In addition, at the end of some of the chapters, Prescott writes short essays about his sources, describing which are trustworthy and which are prejudiced. If there were to be a fault with Prescott's approach, then it would his sympathy with the Catholic church during the years of the Conquest and his excusing of the Spanish atrocities as a means of spreading Christianity. But then we should bear in mind that Prescott was writing in the 1840s and was obviously a serious Christian. A second problem is that some of the footnotes are left in their original text, i.e. Spanish, Latin or sometimes Greek which presents problems to non-polyglots. The publishers have obviously not thought to translate these. In conclusion, these two books are essential reading for anyone interested in the empires of the Aztecs and Incas, and their overthrow by the Spanish Conquestadors. I have not read any other books on the subject which compare to Prescott's masterpieces.
Book Description
THE UNPARALLELED HISTORY OF THE FALL OF OLD MEXICO
Drawing on newly discovered sources and writing with brilliance, drama, and profound historical insight, Hugh Thomas presents an engrossing narrative of one of the most significant events of Western history.
Ringing with the fury of two great empires locked in an epic battle, Conquest captures in extraordinary detail the Mexican and Spanish civilizations and offers unprecedented in-depth portraits of the legendary opponents, Montezuma and Cortés. Conquest is an essential work of history from one of our most gifted historians.
Customer Reviews:
Even Without Cortes The Indian Empires Would Have Been Doomed.......2007-03-02
This outstanding book, which gives a detailed description of the
amazing story of Hernan Cortes' conquest of the Mexica (Aztec) Empire
with a few hundred men, along with some horses and cannons, forces
us to look realistically at the encounter between the Europeans and
the Indian cultures of the New World. Thomas avoids political-correctness
by pointing out that the Aztecs had an aggressive, imperialistic political
system that was resented by their neighbors whom they oppressed. He also points out that the effect of disease, although certainly horrific, were
not of the scale recent studies have claimed. Although they were bad enough, Europe itself experienced major depopulations such as that due to the Black
Plague in the 14th century or the Thirty Years War in Germany in the 17th, and yet there was a recovery and civilization continued. Thus, this by itself, can not explain the complete upheavals the Indian population suffered in the hundred years following the European arrival.
Reading this book brought me to the conclusion that the Indian civilization that existed could not continue, even if the encounter with the Europeans had been less intrusive or brutal. Even if the Europeans had totally pacific intentions, satsifying themselves with localized
settlement and trade, and had not forcibly conquered the existing Indian
cultures, those cultures still would have been irrevocably changed.
For example, the introduction of new plants and animals from Europe would
have changed the ecology of the New World and disrupted the existing
agricultural patterns of the Indians (e.g. pigs who escaped from the European settlements on the island of Hispaniola ruined the agricultural
plots of the local indians). We know that the taming of wild horses by the Plains Indians in the US radically changed their culture and made their wars against their White AND Indian neighbors more efficient. There is no way the existing religious cult system based on idol worship
and human sacrifices could have continued to exist for very long, just as slavery would have ended in the Confederacy within 20 years even if the South had won the Civil War...the outside world would just not have tolerated such practices and no doubt internal pressures would have also occurred as Indians became exposed to the message of Christianity.
In addition, even without the military force of the Europeans, the encounter between the Europeans and Indians would have exposed the Indians to the European's diseases ravaging the Indians, although as I stated above, it is unclear how much effect this would have had by itself.
Thus, by giving an unsentimental view of the titanic clash of civilizations
personified by Montezuma and Cortes, we get a better view of the true
nature of that clash and the values they represented.
The best analysis of the invasion of Mexico.......2006-12-28
This is probably the best book on the Fall of Old Mexico and the rise of Spanish power. This book tracks Cortez illegal mission and the dealings he has with the Indians when he arrives. It also details his encounters with Montezuma and other aspects of the invasion. Overall it is very well written and provides a through account of what happened. Thomas is an expert in this area and his dedication to his field show through this book.
Irrelevant rubbish.......2006-12-18
It does not often happen that a book is rendered useless by a single sentence. This is one of them. Apparently in an attempt to legitimize the hideous cruelty of the inhabitants of old Mexico the author makes the following statement:
Every people, it is now generally supposed, has its own right to conduct itself as its national customs provide.
This is so incredibly stupid that it makes the author a self-professed idiot and therefore irrelevant. Fortunately it comes early in the book, so that no discerning reader need waste too much time on this garbage.
Extremely fascinating true story.......2006-07-28
Ask a friend or an average person this:"Regarding empires of the past, what countries come to your mind?" His most likely answer would be Rome,Greece,Egypt,China or Persia. He may or may not go further to include Turkey(Ottoman),Mongolia, Japan or Britain. Ask him where the Pyramid of the Sun (which is in Mexico) is and his reply would probably be Egypt or somewhere there. Yet how many AVERAGE person would give an answer of the Aztec Empire in Mexico or Inca Empire in Peru? None to not many,I'll bet.
Yet these empires created by North and South American Indians, completely isolated from the Western and Eastern worlds,were discovered in their magnificent splendor beyond the wildest imagination of the first Europeans(the Spanish)who witnessed them! HughThomas'"CONQUEST" describes in detail those feelings of the Spanish Conquistadors when they entered Tenochtitlan,the Aztec capital,an incredible city beyond their imagination of any city in Spain or Europe that they had ever seen. In fact,many of the Conquistadors and accompanying friars themselves were wondering if they were dreaming,as recorded in their diaries,
chronicles, letters to Spain and their documentss called codices!
Hugh Thomas did a splendid job in his exhaustively researched
"CONQUEST", written like a fantasy trip to the unkown yet so remarkable in the authenticity and undisputability of its existence in America. The reader of the book will share with both conquerors and conquered their feelings,their hardships,
their sorrow,fears of the unknown,blood curdling human sacrifices,their battles,victories and defeats,death and destinies.Made more incredible by the FACT of how a "handful" of Spaniards(300 to 400)led by Hernan Cortes strategically managed to conquer a million or more fierce Aztec warriors ruled by the Aztec Emperor Montezuma.These events were recorded by the Spanish conquistadors corroborated by records(codices) of the Aztec Indians themselves.
What is Hollywood and Steven Spielberg waiting for? Are we not too saturated with movies of the Roman Empire,Greece,Troy,Alexander the Great, Egypt,etc? Why not let the AVERAGE American,North and South,be more aware of the existence of fantastic huge empires in their own continent (the NEW WORLD)? C'mon Spielberg and Hollywood! The conquest of Mexico, and even that of Peru,would be fabulous colorful,and not to say the least, DRAMATIC blockbusters! In the meantime, we can just read Hugh Thomas' outstanding book,"CONQUEST".
must read.......2006-07-17
Buy it, dont hesitate. It feels like "being there". Just the introduction to the culture of the beginning is a bit dry and sometimes disturbing (kids tortured) but a must be to understand what you are getting into with the conquistadores.
Book Description
A new edition of the mid-20th century popular classic of a Spanish nobleman who accompanies Cortez to conquer Mexico.
Customer Reviews:
A great adventure novel.......2007-06-28
I'll be brief. If you're a fan of adventure, of swashbuckling, of novels like Dumas' "The Count of Monte Cristo" - this book is for you. It's a thrilling novel and a great story in history and Pedro is an extremely interesting character that you'll come to love, even through all the mistakes he makes. Buy it, read it, and I don't think you'll be disappointed.
Adequate.......2006-08-28
This one had a lot of promise. Written by a fairly reputable author, still in print after fifty years, a best-seller in its time, and with the Cortez conquest of Mexico as its backdrop, it seemed like can't-miss historical fiction. Well, it isn't awful or anything, but there is much, much better out there.
The story is about Pedro de Vargas, the scion of a Spanish nobleman. His family becomes ensnared by the Inquisition through machinations of the one-dimensionally evil Diego de Silva, and they must flee Spain. The father and mother make it to Italy, and Pedro goes to Cuba, where he meets up with and joins the Cortez expedition.
This, of course, makes up the bulk of the novel and as far as it goes, it's pretty good. You really can't go wrong with subject matter such as this; my goodness, this has to be one of the most thrilling stories in history. And Shellabarger gets the details right: there's Cortez burning his ships, there's Montezuma as a Spanish captive, there's Alvarado massacring the natives, and there's the Spanish retreat on the night of tears.
The problem is that there's nothing especially illuminating about any of this. The Cortez character is about what you'd imagine him to be, no more, no less. The same for Montezuma, the vacillating emperor. History shows that he was weak-minded. He's weak-minded in the novel. The Spanish soldiers lusted for gold and were devoutly Catholic; the Aztecs practiced human sacrifice and lived in the stone age. Just like we've all been taught.
In the meantime our hero has a book-long love affair with a cabaret dancer and a book-long faithful friend who suffers his triumphs and tribulations along with him. The tension comes from de Silva who follows him all over the place to give Pedro and us something to worry about, and also the pretty but empty-headed noble girl he left behind in Spain and whom he feels guilty about not marrying.
Again, this isn't a terrible read. But for adventure, Sabatini and G. M. Fraser are more entertaining; for fiction with this subject matter, Aztec, by Gary Jennings, is more imaginative; and for a strictly historical aspect, The History of the Conquest of Mexico, by Prescott, though a history, is frankly more exciting.
My all time favorite book.......2006-02-01
Captain From Castile is my all time favorite book. I have read Samuel Shellabarger's other novels and enjoyed them also, but "Captain" remains my favorite. When my husband (without my knowledge)stored the box with my hardbond issue in a storage unit when we moved, where it ended up getting ruined I was very upset. I have had to be content with the paperback version. I recently thought I was going to be able to purchase a new issue version, but could not get it afterall. Hopefully, it will be re-published and perhaps the full book be made into a movie as the one previously did not deal completely or well with the true contents of the story. Its a marvelous read of a period of history full of details that are wonderful and sad and delightful to read and re-read. I have been doing so since 1964.
V. Vasquez
A must read swashbuckler.......2005-09-16
"On the evening of June 28th, 1518, young Pedro de Vargas, aged nineteen, confessed his sins of the month to Father Juan Mendez."
So begins Captain from Castile, a great adventure set in Renaissance era Spain. Pedro de Vargas is an eminently likable young man who gets by through quick thinking and a deft hand. The story is quick paced, taking the reader on a journey that leaps from imprisonment in the dungeons of the Inquisition, to the invasion and conquest of Mexico to intrigues in the court of Emperor Charles V. The treatment of the native populations may come across as dated but definitely true to the views of the 1500s. This is pure swashbuckling action written at a time when Tyrone Power and Errol Flynn ruled the box office. Swashbuckler fans won't be disappointed with this book.
In my Top Ten books of all time.......2005-01-15
I love this book completely. I found it in a used bookstore when I was thirteen (1993) and completely fell under its spell. It's an incredibly EPIC and rich tale, following Pedro de Vargas from the Spanish Inquisition at home to the New World, with lots of drama and swashbuckling in between. I must have read this yearly through early high school. However, it has probably sat on my shelf for the last 6 or 7 years, which is a tragedy. (Confession time: I am a NUT for historical epics, in both literature and film, I love the grandure, the sweeping scale, the broad vistas). Recently, I was gripped by a need to partake in something EPIC so I pulled this off the shelf and it's been such a delightful ride, again. I've been long enough removed from the story that, while it is familiar, I am still in suspense for all but the largest of plot twists. I'm so glad that this is being published again. This was written in the 40s and deserves a chance at a new audience.
After re-reading this recently, I found that it is even BETTER than I remembered. The story is so rich and complex...warm fuzzies! I stayed up WAY TOO LATE last night trying to get past all the "tense" moments so I could get some sleep. UG! But then, there were only twenty pages left so I stopped because I didn't want it to be over just yet. It was very interesting seeing the 16th Century Spaniards' sentiments toward the Native Americans, and then Shellabarger (the author) as an "enlightened" 1930's male trying to justify/explain them. Yet, the author had NO ISSUE with his characters' treatment of women. While several of the female characters are much more than dish rags (yay!) the concept of beating a woman into obedience is treated as an acceptable solution. I had forgotten that part and how it had rankled me during my readings of this a dozen years ago. Still, it's a tiny 2 page blight on a 500 page great adventure.
Average customer rating:
|
La Ruta de Hernan Cortes (Lecturas Mexicanas, 7)
Manufacturer: Cultura SEP, Fondo de Cultura Economica
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Mexico
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Spanish
| Foreign Language Nonfiction
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
México
| Las Américas
| Historia
| Libros en español
| Formats
| Books
No-Ficción
| Libros en español
| Formats
| Books
| Automotriz
| Ciencias Sociales
| Crimen y Criminales
| Educación
| Estudios de la Mujer
| Feriados
| Filosofía
| Gobierno
| Hechos Verídicos
| Planeamiento Urbano y Desarrollo
| Política
| Sucesos de Actualidad
| Transportación
ASIN: 9681615328 |
Product Description
Spanish language discussion of the travels of Hernando Cortez.
Book Description
Adventurous explorer or ruthless imperialist? In 1519, Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés led a daring expedition to the heart of the Aztec Empire, in what is now central and southern Mexico. Within two years, this highly advanced civilization had fallen to the might of Cortés's Spanish conquerors, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of Aztecs. This engaging title explores two cultures in conflict--and the personality of a man driven by both insatiable greed and service to his country.
Book Description
The ruthless explorer Cortés devastated an entire people in his search for fame and gold for himself and for his country. Witness the conquering of the Aztec Empire during the Age of Discovery.
Book Description
The convergence of Corts and Montezuma is the most emblematic event in the birth of what would come to be called "America." Landing on the Mexican coast on Good Friday, 1519, Hernn Corts felt himself the bearer of a divine burden to conquer and convert the first advanced civilization Europeans had yet encountered in the West. For Montezuma, leader of the Mexicans, April 21,1519 (known in their sophisticated astronomical system as 9 Wind Day) was the precise date of a dire prophesy: the return of Quetzalcoatl, a fearsome god predicted to arrive by ship, from the East, with light skin, a black beard, robed in black--exactly as Corts would. The ensuing drama is described by eminent historian Maurice Collis in a style that is equal parts story and scholarship. Though its consequences have been treated by writers as diverse as D.H. Lawrence and Charles Olson, never before have the facts of this event been rendered with such extraordinary clarity and elegance.
Customer Reviews:
A Must-Read whether interested in pre-Hispanic Mexico or not.......2003-12-07
If you¡¯re interested in pre-Hispanic America this book is a must read. Maurice Collis tells it in a way that makes you see the real thinking of both Montezuma and Cortez. And if you aren¡¯t already interested in ancient Mexico this book is still a great read. It reads like a novel rather than a history.
There are things that are hard to imagine until you compile the Cortez letters, the friar¡¯s notes, and previous historical documents as Mr. Collis has expertly done. For example there¡¯s a section about how the Spanish soldiers were wearing chain-mail so they were burning up under the desert sun during day and then (when the temperature dived down as desert weather is apt to do) froze at night.
This book is filled with the harsh realities that both sides faced. This gives a reader a greater understanding of the rationales for decisions. Also, Mr. Collis has a great cultural- or anthropological-sensitivity so we see how Aztec cosmology, predictions, and religion influenced Montezuma¡¯s standpoint. At the time of invasion, the Aztec army could have quickly destroyed the Spanish soldiers. The forces that prevented this outcome are beyond common Western thinking.
This book shares the complexities that both of these great men faced. And it treats Moctezuma deservedly as one of the world¡¯s great men. Often books have a pro-Spanish feel to them. This book is as close to fair as I have seen.
Also, consider Broken Spears by Miguel Leon-Portilla.
One of the very best!.......2002-02-21
I have read other accounts of the Mixica, most notably by Michael D. Coe, but none of them hit upon the complexity involving the meeting of Cortes and Montecuzoma as this book did. Drawing on dialog from Bernal Diaz (The Discovery and Conquest of Mexico-also another great read), Collis has stripped away the dryness of other books, on this subject, that were written primarily for academia, leaving the intimate human perspective to the greatness of both of these men and the circumstances that caused each to react as he did. As did Diaz's book, this book made me feel as though I were sitting beside Cortes and Montecuzoma as the drama of their meeting unfolded. For those who are students, as a vocation or avocation, of the ancient cultures that inhabited this continent this is a must book to read and have on hand to reread over and again because you won't want it to end.
The Esoteric Drama of the Conquest of Mexico.......2002-01-21
The incredible chain of events that led to the conquest of Mexico by a small group of Spaniards is wonderfull told by Maurice Collis in this fascinating book. Well organised and stylishly written, the book includes many quotations from contemporary sources, as well as some very vivid descriptions of the places and persons involved. Collis's understanding of the events and his clear and involving style make Cortes and Montezuma an extraordinary piece of historical writing.
The complex characters and motivations of both central figures are explained in detail. According to Collis, Montezuma was a generous, devout and able ruler, but at the same time he was a tyrannical monster who indulged in endless orgies of ritual murder; Cortes was a civilized and enterprising explorer who brought enlightenment to a oppressed land but he was also the bringer of death and destruction to a complex and fascinating civilization. The author also explains the amazing astrological-magical religion of the Mexicans and how it made the conquest possible.
This is probably the best book on the subjet, a veritable page turner that will help you understand one of the most incredible events in history.
A New Perspective on an Incredible Story.......2001-01-24
The story of the conquest of the remarkable Aztec civilization by Cortes' handful of Spaniards is an incredible drama. The accounts of Bernal Diaz and Prescott tell it well, but at considerable length, and with only a superficial comprehension of what motivated the Mexicans' responses to Cortes' invasion. What makes Corliss's succinct and compelling account so insightful and remarkable, to me, is his sympathetic understanding of the Mexicans' and Montezuma's complex astrological-magical religion, and how it decisively shaped their actions. He understands a pre-modern time when religious beliefs were the predominant context for social and individual actions, as well as the importance of Cortes' religious faith, and he notes the fascinating paradoxes and ironies that resulted from the primary actors' actions based on their respective religious convictions.
But regardless of that, this is simply a wonderful read. My one regret is that the book wasn't accompanied by illustrations to convey the extraordinary richness (and horror) of the Aztec civilization, as well as the difficult and stunning terrain where the action took place.
As a footnote, it is fascinating to contrast the ethos of the Conquistadores with that of the North American settlers so well described in Albion's Seed.
A Great Story and a Great Tragedy.......2000-09-08
My best friend's wife was in the hospital, and I was put in charge of their son for a few hours. I decided to tell him the story from memory of how Hernan de Cortez, with a handful of men, brought down an entire world. I had just finished reading Collis's book, and also Bernal Diaz's first-hand account of the same story and Prescott's able retelling in THE CONQUEST OF MEXICO, so it was still fresh in my mind. The boy was entranced.
Maurice Collis's is by far the best telling of the story as such. (Prescott and Diaz are both worth reading if you have the chance.) I collect Collis and love everything I have ever read by him.
There are, of course, two sides to every story. Cortez's gain was Montezuma's loss: And it was the Aztecs' loss. According to J. Eric S. Thompson in MAYA HISTORY AND RELIGION, approximately 80% of the population of what is now Mexico died of measles, smallpox, malaria and other diseases brought by the Spanish within a very short time. The Aztecs' sacred books were burned as heresy; their language (Nahuatl) is dying out; and the name and image of Montezuma are absent in the Mexico of today. Only Cuauhtemoc, who resisted Cortez and his lieutenants, is honored.
Read this book and marvel at how tenuous a civilzation can be. It took Rome over a thousand years to fall: Tenochtitlan fell in a year.
Customer Reviews:
Keep extra copies.......2006-06-29
This is one of only two books that I always make sure to keep in duplicate. (The other is The Path Between the Seas about building the Panama Canal.) Not only do people refuse to return it (I live where they cannot go out and buy their own), but I might NEED it at any time...just so I can enthuse over it. I've read it twice, and think I may read it again soon. I DO read Spanish, but the English is OK, too, since the Spanish of Diaz is more difficult than what we use now and needed editing badly due to prolixity, redundancy, etc.
Spellbinding. Better than fiction........2003-11-14
Forget political correctness and historical revisionism; read this with an open mind. Bernal Diaz, one of Cortez's minions, was there and present historians weren't. No historical figure gets off easy in this book. The Spanish were warriors and met Aztec warriors. Truly one of the best-written books ever. Though it is in translation, the style translates well into English and is simply riveting. The best Hollywood screenwriters couldn't invent this adventure though I bet it's influenced many writers.
Stay away....unless..............2003-10-14
I have never seen a book that loses so much with its translation. It's pathetic. You MUST stay away from this book, specially if you have the chance to read the Spanish version. Just an example of pathetic: The value given to treasure found by the Spanish in Mexico in early 1500s, is in US Dollars !!!!!!!!!
Life is way too short. Stay away !!!!!!
a must read for anybody in the western hemisphere.......2003-08-24
Quite simply, this is an amazing read. An eyewitness account of the Spanish march to modern day Mexico, it spares few details.
Of particular interest is the feud between the two Spanish camps early on and the manner in which it was resolved. Then to top it off, there is the slow and arduous march toward central Mexico, with alliances forged and broken, and diplomatic gestures galore. The account of the what is now Mexico City is breathtaking. Often times, I felt as if I were reading about some kind of world created in a J.R.R. Tolkien story.
I can't recommend this book enough, along with the notes by Hugh Thomas, which I believe provide a fair and proper context for understanding both the actions of the Conquistadors and the Aztecs.
HISTORY, ADVENTURE, THIS IS AN EPIC STORY!!.......2003-03-06
This is one of the best books I have ever read, Bernal Diaz provides in great depth the CONQUEST OF MEXICO and the fall of the Mexica(Aztecs). For anyone interested in Mexican History or the history of the Western Hemisphere in general, this is a must. The chapters are short and easy to read, as well as addicting, especially during the final siege of Mexico. This is a great book to read especially if you're from Zapotlanejo, Jalisco or from Norwalk, California. This book is a great stepping stone on the subject and one should also check out Letters from Mexico(letters from Cortes himself) and Broken Spears(the Aztec account of the Conquest). Orale!
Book Description
The controversy, the conquest, the mission, the vision. Columbus - conquistador or Christ-bearer? Did Christopher Columbus exploit the people of America, or did he evangelize them? What were his true goals, his motives, his reasons for undertaking the dangerous voyage? Cortez - militarist or missionary? Did Hernando Cortez subjugate the people of Mexico - or did he liberate them?
And why all the controversy over these explorers? Is it really to correct the historical record? Or is it an assault on the values of Western Civilization and Christianity which is the source of those values?
Customer Reviews:
Balance and truth demolishing diversity.......2006-12-09
It takes a lot of guts to go against the current prevailing Christian
bashing done by the pretenders to sophisticated intellect. Eidsmoe
does this and more as his pen makes a sweep through some of the
bloodiest carnage in tribal history. At the same time the author
reveals the blemishes in all, including Cortez or Columbus. The real
question one needs to ask is, Did the conquored people get a better
way of life? I think the Christian Haters ought to seek counciling
for their Christophobia. To bring history full circle, one should
contemplate the precolumbian "flowery war" with that of the Heglian
dialectic as applied to say the "cold war", fighting communism in one
part of the world while aiding it in others, WMD and Iraq, and ultimately
fighting a war on terror while simultaneously building a North American
Union while dropping any pretense at U.S. border security.
Professor you "done" good.
A Rebuttal to Those Who Bash Christopher Columbus.......2006-06-14
Eidsmoe gives a refreshing perspective on Columbus. He does NOT defend slavery, but points out that slavery had been virtually universal for thousands of years, yet it was the Christians who eventually put an end to the very institution of slavery. Eidsmoe rejects the common relativistic idea that all value systems are equally good. He argues, for instance, that the Caribs were better off even if Christianity had been imposed on them than they had been earlier (when they engaged in cannibalism). Eidsmoe also shows that Columbus and Cortez cannot be blamed for bringing smallpox to the Indians, because the spread of disease was not understood at the time. Finally, it is interesting to note that, contrary to the portrayal of the European explorers as incurable racists who could never imagine Native Americans their equals, some Aztecs eventually married into the Spanish royal family (p. 269).
Worse than I could have imagined.......2005-12-05
This book argues that just because the European conquerors did "bad" things, that doesn't mean they weren't good Christians. The author never gets specific about the atrocities committed by the conquering Christians (enslavement, rape, torture, murder); he only vaguely, infrequently, and euphemistically refers to them as "sins" and "errors," and he rationalizes that Columbus and other conquerors were simply normal for the time period in which they lived. Here is a short summary from the first section of the author's perspective on Columbus: 1) Columbus was not obsessed with gold; he just had a natural and healthy desire for wealth. Besides, Columbus needed capital to finance his voyages, so his need for gold can be compared to a modern academic needing a research grant. 2) Columbus didn't steal land from Native Americans because they didn't have any real (i.e. European) concept of ownership. 3) Columbus made slaves of free people, but that was okay because slavery was widespread in the world, and besides, Christians could enslave other people as long as they weren't Christians. 4) It is true that Columbus forced Christianity and western culture on Native Americans, but as a result, millions of people are in heaven. Need I say more?
What a racist book!.......2004-11-30
The underlying theme of this book is that God used Columbus to exercise His wrath on pagan people- another instance in which God is used to justify the selfish motivations of conquering nations. There is great emphasis on the pagan, sinful nature of the original peoples of the Americas. This is an awful book and I would not recommend it to anyone.
What you don't learn about Columbus & Cortez in school..........2002-10-23
Dr. John Eidsmoe's treatment of Columbus' career (and character) is refreshingly grounded in real history, based upon diligent usage of the primary sources, as opposed to trite, dime-a-dozen journalist-"impressionism" that all-too-frequently foists socio-political opinions and judgmental dribble as substitutes for the hard work of actually digging out and reconstructing WHAT really hapened in world history, and WHY. Cortez defeated the 16th century Aztecs with an army of 99+% Native Americans (i.e., less than 1% of his soldiers were Europeans)! Why? And why is this unusual fact of history a "secret"? Dr. Eidsmoe, who teaches legal history, evidence rules re admissibility, and the like (at an East Coast law school), & has served as an international lecturer on 16th century Meso-American political history; Eidsmoe is over-qualified to screen the chaff from the mines of Euro-American history, and he does so like a judge who insists on discarding unreliable hearsay -- as he weighs the best evidence of what happened in the lives and documented exploits of Columbus, Cortez, and their contemporaries. [BTW: disregard the reviewer who ignores Eidsmoe's treatment of the Vikings and CORTEZ; -- that reviewer apparently skimmed some of the book's Columbus section, found historical info not to his liking, & rushed to (unscholarly) "judgment".] FYI, I have taught political history and international studies at local colleges since 1991, and I routinely use Dr. Eidsmoe's journal articles and his books as the definitive word on topics he has taken the unrushed time, scholarly accuracy, & insightful expertise to cover. Anyone who is especially interested in military issues will be delighted; Dr. Eidsmoe's military background comes through in his analysis and insights into how and why Cortez (and Columbus) achieved what they did. Also, Dr. Eidsmoe's generous inclusion of many extended quotations from 16th century diaries (of soldiers & other eye-witnesses) allows you, the reader, to draw your own conclusions about the trans-Atlantic adventures of Columbus & Cortez. Beware, tho'! Reading eye-witness quotations from the historical record for yourself may jolt a few preconceived impressions and/or grade school-learned stereotypes! >
<> JJSJ
(a college professor, part-time judge, & internat'l lecurer)
Books:
- Letters to My Son: A Father's Wisdom on Manhood, Life, and Love
- Losing My Virginity: How I've Survived, Had Fun, and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Way
- Mama's Boy, Preacher's Son: A Memoir
- Medal of Honor: Portraits of Valor Beyond the Call of Duty
- Men Who Hate Women and the Women Who Love Them : When Loving Hurts and You Don't Know Why
- My Last Chance to Be a Boy: Theodore Roosevelt's South American Expedition of 1913-1914
- Over the Edge of the World: Magellan's Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe (P.S.)
- Paths of Glory: The Life and Death of General James Wolfe
- Phil Gordon's Little Blue Book: More Lessons and Hand Analysis in No Limit Texas Hold'em
- Positive Magic: Ancient Metaphysical Techniques for Modern Lives
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- The Role of Government in East Asian Economic Development: Comparative Institutional Analysis
- John Shaw's Nature Photography Field Guide
- Christmas in July: The Political Economy of German Unification Reconsidered
- For Common Things: Irony, Trust and Commitment in America Today
- History: Fiction or Science
- Neuroscience: Exploring the Brain
- Irish Wild Plants: Myths, Legends & Folklore
- 501 Sentence Completion Questions
- Cookwise The Hows and Whys of Successful Cooking
- Empress of the Splendid Season: A Novel
The Conquest of New Spain (Penguin Classics)
The Broken Spears: The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico
Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies
The Discovery and Conquest of Mexico: 1517-1521
Conquest: Cortes, Montezuma, and the Fall of Old Mexico
