The mighty Aztecs

by National Geographic Staff ; Gene S. Stuart, Louis S. Glanzman (Illustrator), Mark Godfrey (Photographer)

national geographic

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Archaeology, Art, Anthropology

200 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1981

Reviews

[Danny Druid · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am extremely fascinated by Aztec civilization, and this book satisfied some of my curiosity. It touches upon everything a north american would probably want to know about the ever-exotic Aztecs - their brutal (to us) religion, their truly excellent art, architecture, history, etc. All of the topics are touched upon briefly but with great respect. I look forward to reading more about the Aztecs, and other mesoamerican civilizations, in the future.

Some of the things I learned that I found fascinating were the fascination that the Aztecs had with the even more ancient and mysterious Toltecs, the fascinating rise to power of the benevolent, poetic, and pious king Nezahualcoyotl, and the cynicism that coloured the Aztec worldview.

[Davy Bennett · Rating 3 out of 5]

I saw Apocalypto.
A brutal religion and people.
Like Europe was at this time.
If you have interest in this book, you may want to consider these two:

1491 by Charles Mann

Discovery and Conquest of Mexico
by one fighter that rode with Cortez named Bernal Diaz.

It does not demean Montezuma and the Mexicans in any way, that I could see. In fact, it is pointed out how clean everything was before the Spaniards arrived. Advanced in astronomy, they were.

I am culling this book out in favor of keeping Aztecs & Conquistadors by. John Pohl...

[Bryan Borgman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some good information but the layout was wonky and not as easy to read as some of the other book in our library on the same topic.

[J.D. Steens · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a fairly good summary of the Aztecs who settled in the Valley of Mexico (Mexico City) in the 1300s to 1520 CE. The book traces the Aztecs' movement from the north as an unwelcomed Indian people who, in time, established a highly developed civilization in central Mexico. As old as this civilization was, it was preceded by highly developed Indian cultures. The monumental ruins of Teotihuacan and Monte Alban, for example, go back to before the advent of the current era. The Aztecs and these earlier cultures developed independently of (isolated from) those of our West and the Far East and, perhaps, give us a peak into human nature. Central to Aztec culture, and likely influenced by the cultures that preceded the Aztecs, is human sacrifice on a significant scale. Perpetual war with surrounding "city states" was necessary to obtain prisoners in sufficient quantity to appease the gods. This prompts a larger question about whether the capacity of the modern mind (250,000 BCE - to current)for abstract thought is prone to create an illusory, made-up world that is controlled by magical means ranging from ritual and prayer to animal and human sacrifice. As one would expect from a National Geographic Society publication, the book is filled with good pictures. The obsidian mask on the book cover is alone worth running this book down.

[Dee Renee Chesnut · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Mighty Aztecs is another book from my home library shelf of books published by The National Geographic Society. Now, I take the time to read the text that accompanies the photographs by Mark Godfrey. Seven chapters have seven essays. "The Setting" introduces us to the geography and climate of Mesoamerica where the early tribes such as the Olmec and Toltec built their cultures. "The Wanderers" tells how this wandering tribe fought their enemies and sacrificed them to build "The City" and "The Empire."
If a student needs a reference for a report about the Aztecs, then this book can still be an excellent reference.

[Kendra]

Section A-1, By National Geographic

[Zola]

It's got some awesome pictures in it, but I've yet to actually READ the book.

[Gerry Cragun]

Mainly I reviewed the pictures and some of the text. The people are too bloody for me.