Conquistadors: Searching for El Dorado, the Terrifying Spanish Conquest of the Aztec and Inca Empires

by John Pemberton

In the 16th century the King of Spain issued his soldiers with a three pronged to find gold, spread the word of Christianity and claim new territories for Spain. The conquistadors, as they became known, set off into the world to do just that, and nothing was to stand in their way. Their amazing journeys took them from Florida to Machu Picchu via the Amazon and Lake Titicaca. Their epic voyages revolutionised world geography and society was transformed by the bizarre foods they brought back - potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, pineapple, tobacco and chocolate, as well as exotic human freight. However, there is a much darker side to the story, for as the King of Spain sat in his court watching Mexican jugglers, his blood-stained emissaries massacred Aztec warriors, raping, branding and enslaving their women and murdering their kings in the name of religion. They spread European diseases such as smallpox, malaria and typhoid, decimating the local populations with tens of millions dying in their wake.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

448 pages, Paperback

First published August 15, 2011

About the author

John Stith Pemberton (July 8, 1831 – August 16, 1888) was an American pharmacist, and is best known for being the inventor of Coca-Cola.

Reviews

[Chris Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read. A really interesting and accessible intro to the topic that I couldn't put down. The sheer audacity, luncacy and barbarity of the Spanish conquistadors is beyond shocking, driven mad by greed and the quest for gold. In just a few years they managed to decimate ancient civilizations across the south American continent, a staggering loss of culture and knowledge that's hard to comprehend. The conquistadors became wealthy beyond their wildest dreams, while the indegenous people have faced misery and hardship for hundreds of years since. We should all be sad for the world we've lost, ruined by colonialism.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book really interesting and the perfect pick up and put down book if you were reading something else and fancied a quick read.
It's very enlightening and interesting to read what happened as the Conquistadors basically ravaged South America in search of gold, wealth, prestige and land, all in the name of King, country and religion. But my word, the death tolls and battles that took place are mind boggling.
Like I said great quick read but my reason for putting this book down (and picking it back up again) is that despite it being interesting the way events and people were described just got massively repetitive for me. A Spanish nobleman would get a lot of money, get a party together, go and explore some hidden unknown land, run into massive problems with lack of food, disease, heat and battles with local tribes. Massive losses would ensue and the Spanish would triumph due to them having horses, cannon and Toledo steel. Rinse and repeat. It read like an entertaining textbook.
The end of the book regarding the never-ending search for El Dorado I found to be a brilliant metaphor for the entire campaign of the Conquistadors. The wealth that they hoped for just wasn't there but mass globalisation came about due to this pipe dream. Amazing to think about.

[Zoë · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a quick read; couldn't put it down. Very unbiased and frank with a touch of dry humour. So much I didn't know about the conquest of the New World and the unique civilizations that were destroyed by the Spanish savages. The characters and events stayed with me long after reading... so good... One of those books you don't want to end.

[Liam Ostermann · Rating 1 out of 5]

So bad a book - apparently, for most GoodRead reviewers, the Spanish conquests in the American continent is a virgin story told for the first time by Mr. Pemberton - if you are not actually new to the idea that the Spanish conquered The Aztec and Inca empires and are interested in history that goes beyond cliche and black legends then I strongly suggest you avoid this book. It could have been written fifty years ago. For goodness sakes read John Hemmings or any of the far more interesting and enlightening books about these events and period. Utterly bad book - and badly written as well.

[Ramij Raja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative. Good narrative. Enjoyable.
Now I want to read more about these historical events from other books as well for more information.

[Tijmen Gengler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative and a good read. Hard to put down

[paul ellmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short and worthwhile read

This is a well written and fast paced overview of the subject. Worth reading of you don't know the story of the conquistadors

[Oscar Angulo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book that helps you understand present issues of Latin America. I really enjoyed this book.