Conquistador: Hernan Cortes, King Montezuma, and the Last Stand of the Aztecs

by Buddy Levy

In an astonishing work of scholarship that reads like an adventure thriller, historian Buddy Levy records the last days of the Aztec empire and the two men at the center of an epic clash of cultures. “I and my companions suffer from a disease of the heart which can be cured only with gold.” —Hernán CortésIt was a moment unique in human history, the face-to-face meeting between two men from civilizations a world apart. Only one would survive the encounter. In 1519, Hernán Cortés arrived on the shores of Mexico with a roughshod crew of adventurers and the intent to expand the Spanish empire. Along the way, this brash and roguish conquistador schemed to convert the native inhabitants to Catholicism and carry off a fortune in gold. That he saw nothing paradoxical in his intentions is one of the most remarkable—and tragic—aspects of this unforgettable story of conquest.In Tenochtitlán, the famed City of Dreams, Cortés met his Aztec counterpart, king, divinity, ruler of fifteen million people, and commander of the most powerful military machine in the Americas. Yet in less than two years, Cortés defeated the entire Aztec nation in one of the most astonishing military campaigns ever waged. Sometimes outnumbered in battle thousands-to-one, Cortés repeatedly beat seemingly impossible odds. Buddy Levy meticulously researches the mix of cunning, courage, brutality, superstition, and finally disease that enabled Cortés and his men to survive.Conquistador is the story of a lost kingdom—a complex and sophisticated civilization where floating gardens, immense wealth, and reverence for art stood side by side with bloodstained temples and gruesome rites of human sacrifice. It’s the story of Montezuma—proud, spiritual, enigmatic, and doomed to misunderstand the stranger he thought a god. Epic in scope, as entertaining as it is enlightening, Conquistador is history at its most riveting.Praise for Conquistador“Prodigiously researched and stirringly told, Conquistador is a an invaluable history lesson that also happens to be a page-turning read.”—Jeremy Schaap, bestselling author of Cinderella James J. Braddock, Max Baer and the Greatest Upset in Boxing History, and  The Untold Story of Jesse Owens and Hitler’s Olympics “Sweeping and majestic . . . A pulse-quickening narrative.”—Neal Bascomb, author of Red Eleven Fateful Days on the Battleship Potemkin

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, War, World History, Audiobook, Historical

448 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 24, 2008

About the author

Buddy Levy BIO--
Writer, educator, public speaker and entertainer, Buddy Levy is the author of Realm of Ice and Sky (St. Martin's Press, 2025); Empire of Ice & Stone (St. Martin's Press, 2022); Labyrinth of Ice: The Triumphant and Tragic Greely Polar Expedition (St. Martin’s Press, 2019); No Barriers: A Blind Man’s Journey to Kayak the Grand Canyon (co-authored with Erik Weihenmayer, Thomas Dunne Books, 2017; a national bestseller and Honorable Mention Award Winner in the Outdoor Literature category of the 2017 National Outdoor Book Awards); Geronimo: Leadership Strategies of An American Warrior (with Mike Leach, Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster, 2014); River of Darkness: Francisco Orellana’s Legendary Voyage of Death and Discovery Down the Amazon (Bantam Dell, 2011). His other books include Conquistador: Hernan Cortes, King Montezuma, and the Last Stand of the Aztecs (Bantam Dell, 2008), which was a finalist for the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Award, 2009, and nominated for the Before Columbus Foundation American Book Award, 2009, and the PEN Center USA Award 2009; American Legend: The Real-Life Adventures of David Crockett (Putnam, 2005, Berkley Books, 2006); and Echoes On Rimrock: In Pursuit of the Chukar Partridge (Pruett, 1998). His books have been published in six languages. CONQUISTADOR is currently being considered for a television series.
As a freelance journalist Levy has covered adventure sports and lifestyle/travel subjects around the world, including several Eco-Challenges and other adventure expeditions in Argentina, Borneo, Europe, Greenland, Morocco, and the Philippines. His magazine articles and essays have appeared in Alaska Airlines Magazine, Backpacker, Big Sky Journal, Couloir, Discover, Denver 5280, Hemispheres, High Desert Journal, Poets & Writers, River Teeth, Ski, Trail Runner, Utne Reader, TV Guide, and VIA. He is clinical associate professor of English at Washington State University, and lives in northern Idaho with his wife Camie, and his black Labs Dugan and CJ.

Reviews

[Nika · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I found Buddy Levy's account of the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire clearly written and informative. The author blends engaging storytelling with historical facts, using both Spanish and surviving Aztec sources to present a well-rounded portrayal of these world-shaping events.

In 1519, Hernán Cortés landed on the shores of Mexico, driven by the ambition of empire expansion. He soon discovered the Aztec Empire, ruled by Montezuma, who commanded both reverence and fear. The enigmatic Montezuma did his best to prevent the Spanish from marching into his lands. He sent rich and varied gifts to assert his unchallengeable dominance, but they had an opposite effect on the conquistadors, only piquing their greed and curiosity.
The Aztecs, shaped by their beliefs and governed by their values, could not understand the psychology and desires of these interlopers coming from another world. The Spaniards saw the indigenous peoples as “aliens” whose souls were damned unless they converted to Catholicism.
Having been tempted by the rich offerings of Montezuma's emissaries, Cortés decided to lead his limited military contingent into the unknown territory in the hope of gaining more wealth and power.
This perilous journey would result in the fall of the Aztec civilization and in innumerable deaths and suffering of the Indians.

In the Mexican lands, circumstances collided with the will of certain individuals, such as Cortés, Montezuma, and those who assumed the Aztec leadership after Montezuma had been discredited. Cuauhtémoc became the last emperor of the Aztecs, who would defend his city against the Spanish and their Indian allies.

The book brings the elaborate cities of the Aztecs and the breathtaking nature of the Mexican valley to life. You comprehend why the Spanish invaders were enchanted by the views unfolding before them. They called the Aztecs' capital, Tenochtitlan, the City of Dreams and acknowledged the advanced culture and engineering talents of the people who inhabited it.

In Mexico, two different cultures met. Both were brutal in our modern terms, as the author notes. The Spaniards were ready to torture and kill in the name of their religion and plunder to make their actions in the Americas approved by their king.

The Aztecs and other indigenous peoples practiced human sacrifice in the name of their religion. They sacrificed humans to placate their gods, to ensure the daily rising of the sun, rain, and a good harvest, and ultimately to guarantee their own survival.
“This was neither sport nor entertainment—it was a requirement, needed to live, like air or water, needed for the continuation of the world.”
Religion permeated everything in the worldviews and politics of both the Aztecs and the Spanish.
The Spaniards brought a monotheistic religion and traditions that were deeply antagonistic to the native population. Thus, the stage was set for a colossal clash between the Aztecs and the invaders, with the latter assisted by local tribes dissatisfied with Montezuma’s harsh policies. Cortés was adept at exploiting some of the tribes’ long-standing animosity toward the Aztecs.

Cortés showed himself to be an effective warrior and determined leader of men. He was adventurous, calculating, duplicitous, ruthless, and able to compromise when forced to. Although compromise was probably not his strongest suit, he possessed significant powers of persuasion and knew the value of negotiation. Cortés was capable of compassion, at least in certain instances, extending it not only to his own men, but also to some local Indian chiefs who aided his cause.

There was one memorable episode during the nocturnal flight from the Aztec metropolis that the Spanish were forced to undertake after the massacre organized by one of Cortés’ deputies (Cortés himself was out of the city dealing with his Spanish opponents). Most of the Spaniards who were too greedy drowned during that flight, for they carried too much gold with them. Interestingly, the indigenous peoples valued feathers more than gold.
One of the most atrocious acts committed by Cortés and his men was the Tepeaca campaign, which took place after the Spaniards had been ousted from Tenochtitlán and when Cortés was preparing to recapture the heart of the Aztec Empire.

The conquistadors were fortunate to avoid a fiasco on several occasions. Cortés would probably reply that “fortune always favors the bold.” Several times, their fate hung in the balance. Several times, Lady Luck smiled upon them.

The newcomers used some of the local beliefs, such as the myth of the returning god, to their advantage. They relied on the Aztecs for food supplies, and yet they were not poisoned. The Spaniards were lucky to have Martín López, a gifted carpenter and naval engineer, among their ranks. His contribution would play a crucial role in Cortés’ campaign to recapture the Aztec capital. It is remarkable how many Indians aided the newcomers to bring down the Aztecs.

Another thing related to the local battle tactics played into the hands of the Spaniards.
The goal of the Aztecs and the design of their weapons was “to wound or injure in order to be able to take live prisoners for sacrifice, not necessarily to kill enemies on the battlefield”.
The Aztec warriors let slip a chance of annihilating Cortés twice because of their intention to take him alive.

Smallpox, “a virulent killer that was foreign to and unprecedented in the New World,” became one of the factors that significantly facilitated Cortés’ reconquest of Tenochtitlán. The pestilence killed a great many Aztec warriors and disabled many. It led to hunger as many of the Aztecs were too weak to grind maize or search for food. The deadly disease disoriented them and worked against them psychologically. Many Aztecs kept asking themselves why their gods had forsaken them.

Both before and during the siege of their capital, Cortés tried to make peace with the Aztecs on the condition that they accept becoming Spanish vassals. His overtures - who knows whether he was sincere in his attempts to negotiate - were declined. The proud people of Tenochtitlán defended their city with courage and determination.
At the very outset of the siege, Cortés dealt his enemy a serious blow by destroying the Aztecs' only viable water lifeline and cutting them off from fresh water.
Finally, the Spaniards, aided by thousands of Tlaxcalans and using cavalry and their freshly constructed brigantines, prevailed. Tenochtitlán was completely destroyed, and most of its inhabitants either perished or were forced to flee. The last Aztec emperor was captured, tortured, and killed a few years later.

To conclude my review, I will cite a passage from the epilogue of the book.

"An incredible confluence of circumstances occurred during the period of Cortés’s expedition, 1519–21. Looked at through the hindsight of history, this confluence can scarcely be believed. Cortés could certainly not have succeeded in his mission without the brave assistance of hundreds of thousands of allied warriors, bearers, cooks, and workers. Had smallpox not laid to waste a large percentage of the Aztecs’ fighting force, perhaps they could have held on.
But in the end it was Cortés, the consummate gambler, who staked great wagers and won. It was Cortés who scuttled his fleet to leave his men only one course of action—to proceed onward over the mountains and through the smoking volcanoes toward the ruling emperor Montezuma. It was Cortés who used guile and bravado and misinformation and politics to secure the indigenous armies necessary to march on the Aztec capital. It was Cortés who imprisoned Montezuma and who realized that his magical island city could be taken only by water. It was Cortés who imagined the building of the brigantines. It was Cortés who learned how to delegate power and authority over hand-selected captains and who wielded that power with the cutting sharpness of Toledo steel. It was Cortés who became, against the greatest odds, a supreme commander of allied forces, pitting Indians against Indians in civil war."

[Noah Goats · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want to know what an alien invasion would be like, don't read science fiction, read this book instead. Just imagine how horrifying and strange it must have been for the Aztecs to have Cortes and his men show up in huge technologically advanced ships from a strange land they had never heard of. Imagine their reaction at seeing these men who looked so different from themselves with their beards, white skin, and shining armor. Imagine their horror as these Spaniards rode terrifying animals they had never seen before, and killed with cannons and other flaming, smoking weapons. In the end, these aliens destroyed the Aztec's culture and reduced many to slavery.

This book tells the gripping story of how Cortes used violence, diplomacy, lies, courage, native allies, technology and brilliant tactics (along with a big assist from smallpox) to bring down what to the Mexicans had seemed like an unbeatable empire. I wish I could go back in time and see the glorious city of Tenochtitlan before the Spanish reduced it to rubble. It was possibly the largest city in the world at the time and it was constructed in the middle of a large lake. Like Venice, it was a city of canals packed with beautiful buildings and artistic treasures. It also had huge temples built to the Aztec gods who demanded a constant stream of human sacrifices (and cannibalism). It's all gone now.

Buddy Levy's writing style may be a tiny bit clunky, but still, his narrative is never boring. I liked this book quite a bit.

[Leftbanker · Rating 4 out of 5]

For those complaining about the “eurocentrism,” or whatever, of this book and others regarding the conquest of the Incas and the Aztecs, perhaps they weren’t aware that the Native American peoples had no written language. There were no historians among them. Everything we know of the encounter between the Spanish and the Aztecs comes down from Spanish chroniclers. It’s like people want to take modern ideas of political correctness and extrapolate in reverse to come up with some other version of this episode.

No matter how long you hold your breath in opposition, the end result of this conflict isn’t going to change. The Spanish were some ruthless motherfuckers, no doubt, but you can’t rewrite history just because your 21st century feelings are hurt.

My suggestion is to take this book with a grain of salt and make your own judgements about the events. Almost every chronicler of history from Herodotus to Shelby Foot has heaped on a lot of embellishment concerning their point of view.

On a side note, there is a television series based on Jared Diamond’s Guns, Germs, and Steel in which they demonstrated the value of a Spanish war horse ridden by a skilled rider. I have been at the football stadium here in Valencia for big games where security is tight. Some of the police ride similar war horses and I can vouch for the intimidating nature of these beasts on a crowd of people on foot. Think of them as medieval tanks against foot soldiers.

[Brett C · Rating 4 out of 5]

"In just over two years, using horses and calvary techniques developed over thousands of years on the Iberian Peninsula, employing nautical warfare and remarkable military engineering, and driven by political genius and an immeasurable will to succeed, Cortés vanquished the Aztecs and their ruler, which at fifteen million people was the largest empire in Mesoamerican history. For the Aztecs, the onslaught was so sudden and incomprehensible. No other great ancient civilization suffered such complete devastation and ruin in so short of time." pg 6

This was a well-written account of Hernán Cortés and his conquest of Montezuma and the Aztecs. The narrative explanation of the events leading up to the time-line of conquest: Aztec history, Spanish papal authority for exploration, the Cuban campaign and using Cuba as a launching pad for extended expedition, interactions with the indigenous population in and north of the Yucatan, inner turmoil with his men, and the infamous sinking of his own ships to start his "no turning back" operation for riches and fame. The author presented clearly how this became an all-out war of attrition and extermination visioned on both sides—no one to be left alive.

The author did a good job of interjecting Mesoamerican (Aztec, Tlaxcala, Tabascan, Cholula, Texcoco) cultural & linguistic idiosyncrasies, confederation and organization (Montezuma's Triple Alliance), religion and mysticism, and historical context into the narrative. The more brutal interactions were the Spaniard-organized massacres of villages, the ravages from the Great Rash smallpox, and the slavery & selling of captured women among the conquistadors. In my opinion this boosted the reading to create a real learning opportunity beyond the scope of a military campaign.

Overall this was an excellent book. The author was thorough without being boring or shotguning with information overload. I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in colonial history and Spanish exploration & conquest. Thanks!

[Lyn Fuchs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Traveling from Veracruz to Mexico City is not a major journey - unless you do it on foot, wearing full metal armor, offroad without good maps, and with thousands of ferocious warriors trying to kill you. Who would attempt this? Only one guy. Buddy Levy's book Conquistador allows us to march alongside one of history's most insanely-courageous leaders: Hernan Cortes.

The book compels readers eagerly down this deadly road for God, gold and glory. Despite an avalanche of facts, the complexities of weapons, battles, alliances and negotiations are made clear without slowing the riveting drama.

The narrative documents three controversial propositions. 1) Hernan Cortes was a military genius of Napoleonic or Alexanderic magnitude. He pulled off an incredibly-ballsy, nearly-impossible feat, regardless of how we view it ethically.

2) This wasn't a simple confrontation between Europeans and Natives. What Cortez orchestrated was a new-world civil-war, pitting Aztecs against oppressed neighbors, who hated them enough to fight bravely with Cortes as the lesser of two evils.

3) Despite foul hypocrisy and kindergarden theology, Hernan is to the Americas what Constantine is to Europe: a bloody apostle who spread the Word with the help of swords and prophetic visions. (Constantine saw a cross in the sky by which he'd conquer; Montezuma saw a kingdom from across the sea by which he'd be conquered. These two omens helped propel an Asian called Jesus into a global faith.)

If you doubt the long-term religious influence of the cruel Cortes, consider my recent experience. Visiting a remote Chinantec village in Mexico, I commented on what looked like a Day of the Dead altar. Villagers rebuked me insisting "We are Catholics, this is an All Saints' Day altar, and Day of the Dead is pagan necromancy!" Point taken. To say Hernan Cortes was merely a marauder with no spiritual impact is to say you haven't traveled Latin America much. Admire him or hate him, this guy matters, so the gripping Conquistador matters too.

[Dax · Rating 5 out of 5]

The conquest of Mexico is the New World's version of Troy, though in this case we have historical fact supported by primary sources from both sides. Levy's book on Hernan Cortez's destruction of Tenochtitlan and the Aztec empire is remarkable. His descriptions of events and historical figures is compelling, but the primary and secondary sources he uses allows him to provide not only a wonderfully two-sided story, but also introduces the reader to the immense culture clash that took place in a space of just three short years.

There might not be a more complicated historical figure than Hernan Cortez, but the feats he accomplished in Mexico are nothing short of extraordinary. He is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of natives and his accomplishments gave rise to the age of colonialism, but it is also impossible to dismiss his intelligence, decisiveness, political genius, and immense good luck.

This is a captivating read for its adventurous tales of battles and exploits, but it is also valuable for its social, religious and cultural observations. Bravo to Levy. Five stars.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Exciting, edge of your seat reading. “Popular” history told narrative style, but supported with extensive research. An “I was there” kind of history, though by the end you’re certainly glad you weren’t. A wonderful book marred only by an occasional carelessness in the prose – facts are sometimes repeated within a page or two of one another, as though one instance was not removed when the other was inserted. But this happens infrequently and doesn’t spoil the pace of the story. As for that story! Well, I thought I knew about Cortés and the Aztecs, but my knowledge and understanding only scratched the surface. You can’t admire the Gran Conquistador’s cruelty, but you can his determination, leadership, and cleverness. And to be honest, sometimes you can’t really say who the bad guys are – the invading Spaniards or the Aztecs who oppressed hundreds of thousands of other Mexican peoples. One thing’s for sure: there are stains of blood – from battle or sacrifice – on every page of this outstanding book.

[Alfredo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disparates geográficos como «el puerto caribeño de Veracruz»; «San Vicente Chimalhuacán» —no Chicoloapan; Xochimilco, una ciudad ubicada al sudoeste de Tenochtitlan —a la que invariablemente se llama «Tenochtitlán»; el canal «Toltec» y la ciudad de «Tlacopán»; Cortés dedicado a edificar la Tepeaca española —Segura de la Frontera— en un monte. Tonterías léxicas del tamaño de «tabascano», «cempoalenses» o «tepeacanos». Imprecisiones que mueven a risa, como españoles que eran «armados caballeros», soldados que soportaban temperaturas «de hasta noventa grados», extraños «higos silvestres» llamados «tunas», curas que «gestionaban» tamplos y capillas o encuentros bélicos llamados «guerras florales». Todo ello se encuentra en un solo libro, Conquistador, de Buddy Levy. Un libro tan malo que ni siquiera debería merecer una reseña en este espacio.

Lo dicho en otras ocasiones en torno a lo que sale de la pluma de los escritores que se meten a manosear la historia —bodrios auténticos, nada menos— es perfectamente perceptible en este caso. No sé qué tanto conozca Levy acerca de la historia de España, o de la historia de la conquista, o incluso de la historia de Mesoamérica. Vistos sus errores, podría decirse que su conocimiento es cercano a cero, o se limita a aquello que le brindan las fuentes más elementales que ha podido pescar. Fuentes de las que toma una serie de datos básicos, mismos que integra a su relato y que adereza con una serie de conceptos por demás torpes, anacrónicos o, en el mejor de los casos, equivocados. El autor —que, a juzgar por el apellido, es judío, cosa que le impide comprender de qué va el catolicismo y, peor aún, de qué va el catolicismo de un español que vive en el siglo XVI— jamás consigue desprenderse de su contexto ni, por ende, de sus prejuicios. Cierto es que, en repetidas ocasiones, deja ver la admiración que siente por Cortés y su portentosa empresa, tanto como por los indígenas a los que somete, y que habían desarrollado una civilización de alcances inimaginados para los que se aprestaron a someterlos. No obstante, esa admiración no le condujo a documentarse, no le llevó a ampliar sus horizontes ni a tratar de entender qué era lo que sucedía en aquel entonces, ni cuáles eran las causas que lo movían. Su historia, entonces, es un relato de españoles que cometen atrocidades con toda naturalidad, pero que al mismo tiempo se espantan ante las atrocidades que llevan a cabo los indígenas. Tal cual. Una historia de atrocidades. No de seres humanos impulsados por una cultura que normaliza lo que se hace, sino de individuos hipócritas que se espantan porque el de enfrente hace cosas menos peores que las que ellos mismos realizan. Ignorancia pura. Ignorancia, además, alimentada por el hecho de que Levy decidió, por razones desconocidas, no leer ninguna de las biografías de Cortés que hay en el mercado, ni la del autopublicista Duverger, ni la del chabacano Miralles, ni mucho menos la exquisita obra de Martínez. Nada de eso. Prefirió tomar un libro de José López Portillo que le aportaba mucho menos que estos y hacerse bolas con él. Los resultados están a la vista.

La ignorancia supina de Levy está presente a lo largo de todo el texto. El autor no entiende por qué los españoles se niegan a empuñar los remos de los bergantines y lo achaca a que ello «es impropio de su rango militar». No se entera de lo que era la hidalguía, ni de las trabas que la misma imponía al comportamiento de los sujetos. Tampoco entiende que el hecho de que unos indígenas combatieran a otros no se traducía, necesariamente, en la existencia de una «guerra civil», lo que supondría que todos los indígenas pertenecían a una sola entidad política. Menos aún entiende los elementos religiosos que gobiernan la vida de unos y de otros; si acaso, sabe que ciertas cosas tienen un fondo religioso. Pero, más allá de ello, nada. Tampoco comprende —quizá ni siquiera lo pensó— los cambios habidos en el paisaje y en el clima de la región que aborda en su libro a lo largo de los últimos quinientos años. Levy, muy ufano, explica en la introducción de su obra que se subió a una camioneta y que, a bordo de ella, hizo el viaje entre Cholula y Paso de Cortés, lo que encontró sumamente enriquecedor. De igual forma, es posible que, al seguir los pasos de Cortés, haya realizado buena parte de su recorrido en camión, desde el cual tomó nota de los distintos tipos de clima y de paisaje presentes entre la costa y el Altiplano, mismos que se apresuró a poner por escrito en su texto, repito, sin pensar. Para él es lo mismo lo visible hoy que lo visible hace centurias. Así, luego de dejar atrás una parte de la sierra, se adentró en un altiplano árido, lo que posiblemente sea el valle de Puebla-Tlaxcala. Si uno lo mira hoy en día —máxime si efectúa tal observación entre noviembre y mayo—, el valle es algo más que seco. Hoy. Quinientos años después de que se transformó el paisaje, se talaron los bosques, se insertaron zonas de cultivo y extensos potreros. Hoy. Hace quinientos años el calor era menor, había más humedad y, por consiguiente, más vegetación. Todo ello le pasa de noche al asombrado autor, que una y otra vez trata de trasladar el clima a su texto, lo que medianamente consigue al estar en la costa —cosa que no es difícil, al tratarse de calor, humedad y más calor—, pero que le representa un escollo monumental en cuanto se adentra en las tierras altas y las temperaturas varían.

El libro tiene, no se crea que no, un lado humorístico. De puro humorismo involuntario, pero muy simpático a fin de cuentas. De entre los innumerables episodios que podrían considerarse como tales, seleccioné dos que, si se les mira bien, son hasta tiernos. En el primero, según Levy, Cortés atravesó una quebrada que separa al Ajusco de las estribaciones del Popocatépetl. Una quebrada. Menos mal que no se le ocurrió decir «atravesó en un santiamén», o «de un salto», porque la quebrada a la que se refiere el autor, como puede imaginarlo cualquiera que habite estas latitudes, tiene cerca de cincuenta kilómetros de extensión. Menuda quebrada. En tanto, el segundo es solo un error de atención. Decir que los mexicas —a los que el tipo, neciamente, llama «aztecas» a lo largo de todo el libro— dependían de un acueducto que corría por Chapultepec es ser inocente en grado sumo. O bobo. O distraído. Si quería indicar el dato, bastaba con decir «el acueducto que arrancaba en Chapultepec», no más. Pero indicar que el acueducto corría por Chapultepec —y solo por ahí, lo que hacía que no llegara a Tenochtitlan— es un error elemental.

Entonces, si el libro es tan malo, ¿por qué le confiero una calificación de dos estrellas? Porque hace más que muchos otros libros que abordan el mismo tema: narra. Entretiene. Quiere que se le lea. Eso, para mí, vale mucho. Valdría más si la obra fuera mejor pero, en este caso, al haber información buena y útil en medio de tantos absurdos, el texto se salva de la quema. No es, de ninguna manera, un ejemplo a seguir en cuanto al procesamiento de los datos o incluso en cuanto a la argamasa narrativa empleada. Sí lo es, en cambio, en cuanto al deseo explícito de contar la historia, de hacerla inteligible, de lograr que se entienda, se apropie y, quizá, se le tome el gusto. Que de eso se trata esto de escribir historia, a final de cuentas.

[Mervyn Whyte · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read, although one that occasionally, just occasionally, veers away from history and moves towards historical fiction. I'm sure Levy has done a mountain of research, but some of the thoughts and feelings he puts into the minds of the protagonists he can't possible know. Can he? That aside, it's still an incredible story well told. Before reading this, I often wondered how so few Europeans could conquer so many Mexicans. I know disease and superior weapons helped. But what really swung it for the Europeans was the assistance they got from many of the local tribes. Without this Cortes and his fellow Spaniards would've failed. Even if they had, more Europeans would've turned up. There was too much gold and silver on offer for them to stay away. More's the pity. Not that sixteenth century Aztec culture should be over-romanticised. Not with all that human sacrifice and cannibalism.

[Anna]

I really don't know what to think of this book. The author's use of adjectives in praise of Cortes gets tiresome really fast. How many ways can you say he was one tactical, ruthless mother fucker? Not that many, it turns out, since Levy calls him a "brilliant strategist" about a dozen times. Seriously, it ends up reading like the epithets in Greek epics, but instead of "grey-eyed Athena" it's "battle-hardened Spanish soldiers." These repetitions are grating not only for their literary merits, but also because the space they take up in Levy's prose furthers the myth that only a few hundred conquistadors were able to take Tenochtitlan, a city of 300,000 inhabitants, with only passing mentions here are there of the 40,000 Tlaxcalan warriors who fought as allies with the Spanish, as well as allies from Atlixco, Chalco, Texcoco, and many other indigenous states. To his credit, Levy does mention these strikingly large numbers of indigenous troops, but in contrast to his fawning over Cortes' "strategic cunning", it's easy for the force of these numbers (mentioned almost in passing) not to really sink in.

My biggest issue with this book, however, is not with the author, but with the voice actor who did the narration on the audiobook. Patrick Lawlor has apparently won prizes (or at least nominations) for other audiobooks he has recorded, but I can't see why. In some ways, his stilted, awkwardly formal way of speaking was well matched with the text's numerous technical details. Descriptions of the dimensions of various causeways, a full accounting of the number of mares and harquebuses that the Spanish had in working order at various points during the conquest, a recounted geography of the various causeways connecting Tenochtitlan to the mainland, these are details that are hard to bring to life verbally. My main beef with him was his butchering of the pronunciation of various Spanish and indigenous Mexican names. Aguilar is pronounced Ah-ghee-lar, not Ah-gwi-lar. This is a forgivable error to someone who isn't used to pronouncing Spanish names, but seriously, you're narrating a book about a bunch of Spaniards: learn how to say their names.

The weirdest part about his narration, however, was that when the text quoted Cortes, Lawlor uses this bizarre "Spanish" accent when speaking his words. Think: Señor Wencez, but much more sinister. I ended up looking forward to these parts because of the comic relief they offered.

Despite all the complaints I have about this book, I must say that I listened to the whole thing. Not only that, but I returned it to the library when it was put on hold by someone else, and because I hadn't finished it earlier, I checked it out again. This might say more about how compelling the story of the conquest is, but perhaps some credit should be given to Buddy Levy and the way he tells the story. I found myself turning off my car and thinking, "I wonder what is going to happen in this battle," or "How will Cortes get out of this one?!?" The story pulls you along (except where it stalls with the weight of excessive detail) and made me want to go out and read about six more books on this topic from different perspectives.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of Cortez and his quest to conquer Montezuma is a very interesting and entertaining g story. Most of the book is detailed accounts of how people on each side were tortured and killed but the fact that each side fought so courageously surprised me. Neither would capitulate. That Spain sent people to fight and take authority from Cortez all while he was still fighting the indigenous people makes me think that he was truly an impressive military commander.

Each side continuously tricked each other into thinking they had won or would surrender. It’s absolutely crazy what greed did to Cortez and what happened to the Aztecs because of it. I understand why the Spanish Christian’s were shocked by the human sacrifice and cannibalism the Aztecs practiced but I am saddened that their culture was destroyed.

The descriptions of Tenochtitlan as the Spaniards saw it do indeed make it sound like paradise.

It’s also interesting to me that the slave whom was given to Cortez as a translator became his mistress is seen as a traitor to Mexico and its people while Spain sees her as the mother of New Spain.

This book is full of interesting stories, myths and history that peaked my interest to research this era more in depth.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before reading this book I had only the vaguest outline of the Spanish invasion and colonization of Mexico - if someone had recounted only half of this story to me I would have thought they were full of nonsense.

Levy not only penned a page-turning adventure tale, this book is also an incredible work of scholarship. This book is not a dry recitation of facts and dates.

Highly recommended for my friends who enjoy history and great story telling.

[Vivek KuRa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book of Buddy Levy for me. First book I read was the impressive “River of Darkness”, a book about the European rediscovery of Amazon River by Francisco Orellana. Buddy delivered in both the books. He is a master storyteller of history in a non-boring and gripping tone.
I have known the story of Hernan Cortez’s famous invasion of Mexica aka Aztecs through the BBC documentary series “Conquistadors” by Michael Woods. But this book still surprised me with more unknown facts and trivia. It was like watching a movie or a footage which brought the lives of the conquistadors, Mayans and Aztecs vividly when you read this book.
Author introduces us to the main protagonists and Antagonists (Depending upon with whom you side with) Hernan Cortez and Montezuma II. Also, other key characters like Malinche and Cuauhtemoc the last Aztec King.
The conquest of Aztecs is a perfect example of how even the greatest dynasties with a large army can be annihilated by a small group of mercenaries with technological advantages (In this case Toledo steel sword/armor, gun powder, horses etc) and biological advantages (Immunity to smallpox and other western diseases). Also, it is a perfect example of how religion can be used to justify heinous crimes and occupation. The Spanish “Encomienda system” the euphemism for slavery is another example of that post conquest. Another fantastic book to read is “Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond on this subject.
Book also educated me on the differences between the Mayan and Aztec civilizations. Both Mayans and Aztecs had similar deities they worshiped (Huitzilopochtli, Quetzalcoatl) and the pyramid shaped temples. But that is where the similarities end. Adding to the confusion, Mel Gibson’s “Apocalypto” inaccurately portrays Human sacrifice as Mayan ritual. But, it was the Aztecs who practiced those rituals.
Learned a lot about the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan (Modern day Mexico City) and the now drained endorheic lake Texcoco. The Spaniards literally made the lake disappear like how the Soviets drained the Aral Sea. By doing so, several species went extinct or pushed to critically endangered status including the not very but beautiful known Axolotl.
A comprehensive history of conquistador Hernan Cortez’s colonizing campaign of the Aztecs and how it led to founding of modern Mexico.
PS. All the foot notes in this book are a delight to savor.

[Nel · Rating 4 out of 5]

it was quick and engaging account of Cortés's exploits in the Americas. although, the last couple of chapters (depicting the siege and ravaging of the 'city of dreams') read as excitingly as a long laundry list - so maybe a tighter editing wouldnt have been amiss here.

the book also follows 'the great man' narrative gassing Cortés up as quite the figure. i personally take it with a generous pinch of salt as it's obvious that the sources are very much skewed to the spanish side and Levy doesn't really have the impetus to tell us otherwise (his gushing over Cortés is sometimes all too obvious) - i dont blame him, he needs to sell his book and 'the great man' books sell better than 'it was a bit more complicated than that' books, those are for nerds.

but the truth is that Cortés had to rely heavily on the native tribes (Tlaxcalans, Totonacs, etc.) even though Levy sidelines them a whole lot designating them to 'well they helped'. oh did they? or was it the spanish who helped THEM to get rid of their arch-enemies, the Aztecs? after all, it was them who did most of the fighting (Cortés was loath to waste spaniards and their resources), not to mention logistics, construction, reconnaissance, etc and etc.

but im glad ive read this book. its an entertaining book overall (i dont mind biased books either, all books are gonna be biased to a certain degree) and it made me wanna seek out books with different perspectives now.

[Alex O'Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most thought provoking and interesting books I have read in quite some time, on a period of history that I know very little!

Montezuma and Cortes are both such fascinating characters, and I understand why there is an entire library of literature trying to parse the personalities of these men. It is remarkable to me that Cortes is not in every circle mentioned in the same breath as Alexander, Napoleon, Atilla, and the other great conquerors of history. Morality aside, the conquest of Mexico was one of the most daring and for lack of a better word, insane, military campaign ever successfully carried out.

Looking forward to reading further books on this time period - utterly fascinating read.

[Nikhil Krishnan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rich and comprehensive history of the Spanish conquest of Mexico and the fall of the Aztec empire, bringing to life characters of the likes of Cortes and Montezuma. The accounts from both sides are almost able to present a neutral view of the event and the depictions of battles and Aztec culture are nothing short of spectacular.

[Mati · Rating 5 out of 5]

This true story of the conquest of the Aztecs blew my mind. It is so griping, wild, violent, and shattering as to only reflect the scope of empires crashing in who's wake we all still live. Cortes is Both hero and insatiably vicious.

[Joe Kraus · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of the great mysteries of history has to be why Montezuma capitulated as he did to Hernan Cortes. It’s a pretty easy what-if to contemplate that, if he’d followed what appear to have been his instincts, he’d have either held out longer or he’d have been able to give sufficient resistance to buy his Aztec empire some time. Imagine how history would be different if, given an additional decade, the Aztecs had been able to acquire even a few of the horses and guns the Spaniards used. They might never have “won” against the colonizing forces, but they might not have left the vacuum of political power that they did.

Buddy Levy’s history sets out to address that question in part, but it does so by telling the larger narrative of the conquest. To his credit, Levy seems to want to challenge the Spanish-centered narrative that we necessarily know – after all, the victors get to tell the story. The trouble is that there are almost no sources for the Aztec perspective. We get suppositions about what Montezuma and his allies were thinking, but there’s no way Levy or anyone else can really know.

As a result, there’s a vacuum in the narrative as well. Levy’s structure compels him to fill in that mystery, and there are times it feels clumsy. Above all, I have a hard time forgiving him for a throwaway observation that Montezuma may well have fallen prey to what we know today as Stockholm Syndrome in which he came to identify with his captors rather than with the community he’d known his whole life.

Is that possible? Maybe. It feels like a stretch to me, but the real issue is how the sources we do have might indicate that. And Levy isn’t especially forthcoming there.

I always feel compelled to caution that an absence of a sense of the sources may be a result of my listening to this rather than reading it. It may be that Levy has footnotes that, as a reader, I could follow but that are invisible (or inaudible) to a listener.

What emerges, though, is both too much speculation and – in the spaces where we clearly do have documentation – overly detailed accounts of skirmishes and battles. We’ll get the casualty counts of a conflict, complete with the names of each wounded conquistador, and then I’ll realize I’ve lost track of the implications of the battle itself – unless, as always, it was about Cortes’s relentless pursuit of conquest.

There are some powerful questions in play here. Beyond Montezuma’s motivation, we have the challenge of weighing the morality of the Aztecs. They deserve our sympathy for being exterminated, but they were clearly bloodthirsty themselves. Levy has a moment where he imagines Cortes bewildered by the fact that a religious ceremony without a human sacrifice was as alien to the Aztecs as a Catholic Mass without the eucharist. That’s a striking way to put it, but I like to think that any feeling human would have been horrified at the sight of those human sacrifices. That is, the genocide that followed is one of the great crimes of human history, but the violence and terror that sustained the Aztec empire seem criminal to me as well.

The ultimate challenge, though, is to balance the details we do have with the larger narrative in play. Near the end, Levy declares that the battle for Tenochtitlan was the costliest battle – in terms of life – in world history. That’s a striking claim, but it’s one that doesn’t seem supported by the context of the larger story.

There’s a lot to learn here – I’m glad to revisit the story and get the level of detail we do – but I think this falls short of the ambition it holds for itself.

[Carlos · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this book a huge missed opportunity. Levy writes this book as an adventure story of the odds-defying conquest by Hernan Cortes of the Aztec people. While I’m sure there are those who think that a history book aimed at a popular audience precludes a more nuanced narrative, I wholly disagree. Levy’s choice of words, either consciously or unconsciously, perpetuate the myths of the inherent superiority of the Europeans to the indigenous people of the Americas.
Time and time again Levy states that “60 Spanish soldiers” withstood the onslaught of “innumerable” Aztecs, only to later state that “several thousand Tlaxcalan [indigenous tribe allied with the Spanish against the Aztecs] warriors” died in the same battle. Not only does this mislead the reader regarding the numerical disadvantage of the Spanish but it further implies that the Spanish soldiers survived what thousands of other indigenous warriors couldn’t rather than what actually happened, the Spanish soldiers survived BECAUSE the thousands of allied warriors took the brunt of the fight. Similarly, and specially highlighting the importance of historical context, Levy constantly portrays the Aztec warriors as “disorganized” against the Spanish and yet never considers recounting how these “disorganized” warriors could have subjugated the rest of the indigenous tribes of what is now Mexico and Guatemala. It is this context that I found the book so disappointing.
I am aware that no amount of historical nuance will change the fact that the Spanish did conquer the Aztecs, but being honest about the advantages of superior military technology, of the numerous disgruntled neighboring tribes willing to aid the Spanish, of the appeasing policy that the Aztecs initially had towards the Spanish and of the devastating effect of the newly introduced contagious diseases in wiping out the native population of the Americas will go a long way in subverting the idea of the inherent inferiority of the conquered peoples. Also let me acknowledge that Levy’s book recognizes all of these details at some point in his narrative but they all seem to fly out the window when he is describing Cortes’ victories and it is only my own suspicion against his narrative that kept those details fresh in my mind.

[GD · Rating 3 out of 5]

Books like this make me really wonder who is worse in the situations where some more advanced European group comes in and stomps the shit out of some barbaric cannibal child-sacrificing group.

This book was pretty good, it was actually written sort of like a novel, with lots of liberties taken by the writer with adjectives and the feelings of the people involved. But I don't think it's really meant to be an academic history book, more a history book for normal people like me, and the writer's literary embellishments don't really detract from the raw facts.

Considering that Montezuma is dead about halfway through the book, I don't think his name should have appeared in the title.

In the epilogue, there is some mention of further adventures of Cortes, all of them failures. I need to check out these books. I can't see how someone can conquer Mexico, and then get beaten back by Honduras. Kind of like America almost single-handedly winning the Pacific war and then getting spanked by the North Vietnamese.

[Ed Mestre · Rating 3 out of 5]

Addicted to this tale over many years I just had to read one more version. Not nearly as thorough as Hugh Thomas excellent book "Conquest" (also reviewed by me on Goodreads) I enjoyed it nevertheless. At times I found some silly errors (saying the Toltec city of Tula is present day Mexico City & the Latin name for a bison as the Latin name for a mammoth), but for the most part it was pretty well researched & does give Thomas' acknowledgement for the work he did with previously unknown documents. For those not familiar with this remarkable story this is a much quicker read than Thomas, the classic Prescott story, or the eyewitness account by Bernal Diaz. What boosts this version with new details I didn't know before is the tale of the final assault on the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan (the real present day Mexico City). I always knew Cortes used ships on the lake that existed then surrounding the capital, but this really drove home that in many ways this was a true naval battle. Lots of "I didn't know that" moments in the final act.

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

While this was an informative book, the number of times I had to read Cortes' plans described as "ingenious" (especially in the instances this description was immediately followed with a description of how said plans failed) steadily wore on my nerves, especially when it was paired with descriptions of "blood-crazed" Aztec generals and euphemized rape. The icing on the cake: smoothly sliding past Cortes' over-the-top obvious murder of his wife Catalina in order to praise his brilliance in conquering the smallpox-decimated Triple Alliance, oh, and only with the small contribution of hundreds of thousands of indigenous allies.

I get that Buddy Levy is primarily relying on Spanish sources, but part of studying history involves reading through the BS people come up with to justify the atrocities they commit. On the plus side, I really want to read more nuanced histories on the subject now.

[Adrian · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an adventure !!!
In 1519 Hernan Cortes lands with ~300 men in present day Mexico and sets on a path which will make him inmortal.
The book follows this military genius as he conquers the Aztec Empire, an empire of hundreds of thousdands of warriors !
To fully grasp the scale of this endevaour you really need to read this book, as this is a story of courage, barbarity,luck, camaraderie.
So interesting were the battles, the skirmishes between the sheer numbers of aztec warriors against the superior firepower (arquebusiers), cannons and horses of the Spanish, both sides continously adapting to the new warfare.

As i was reading i was continously checking the maps to see where Cortes band of ragged men were.

I didn't know that the real war started only after the great Battle of Otumba, and after Emperor Montezuma's death. I also didn't know that present day Mexico City was laid upon the remnants of the Aztec's capital Tehnoctitlan or that Cortes continued his conquests long after Mexico was under the spanish crown (he and his men went to Honduras, Guatemala and some even tried in present day Florida).

It was a very short , dangerous life for his fellow soldiers , but it was one full of adventure and courage !


Very interesting , totally recommeded !

[John Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engaging history read about Cortez’s hostile takeover of an Aztec ruled Mexico. The Spanish, like all powerful countries, show no mercy and if they see wealth they will not only take everything you have, but may also slaughter or enslave you all.

I recommend this book to anyone interested in North American history but if you want an in depth analysis into Aztec culture and history, I recommend Aztecs by Camilla Townsend

[Barry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book tells the remarkable, and sometimes horrifying, story of Cortés and the conquest of the Aztecs. I was familiar with the general outline of the history, but it always seemed a bit puzzling to me how several hundred Spaniards were able to conquer the dominant empire of the Americas— and their city of Tenochtitlán, the largest city in the world at the time with a population of 250,000. Well, the answer is through cunning and deception, military superiority, and sheer audacity. Mounted cavalry gave the conquistadors a huge advantage against people who had never seen a horse. Also critical were the alliances forged with other native peoples who were oppressed by the Aztecs, and of course the devastatingly lopsided effects of the smallpox virus.

There were shocking atrocities on both sides, and Levy tries to be evenhanded in his account. He is frank in describing the practice of human sacrifices and cannibalism by the Aztecs, as well as the greed, ruthlessness, dishonesty, and hypocrisy of the Spaniards.

[Sebastian Gebski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unbelievably story. Amazingly, it all really happened ...

The book is focused solely on the conquest - the author has saved us a presentation of the general geopolitical background, Cortes's efforts to acquire funds, etc. The book is full of interesting details and it's in general fun to read.

What you should know before reaching out for it?
* the author doesn't experiment much with the form - no fictionalized interludes, etc.
* it's not a typical academic, historical book - e.g. the author doesn't document sources/references carefully
* the author puts emotions and political correctness aside - and tries to depict what has happened in a cool, even dispassionate manner
* there's not much analysis around the story; there are very few "what-ifs" / speculations

The actual aftermath is also very brief. So e.g. if you're interested in any attempts to re-collected drowned treasures (the remnants of "La Noche Triste"), you won't learn about them from this book.

To summarize: a very entertaining story that could have been even better (with some more effort/elaboration). 4-4.2 stars.

[Jerome Otte · Rating 4 out of 5]

A readable, interesting and well-written narrative history of Cortés’s conquest.

Levu does cover Montezuma, but the narrative is mostly from Cortés’s perspective. Levy ably shows how Cortés got by on intelligence, military prowess, and sheer willpower, and how he drove the expedition. Cortés comes off as his own man, while Montezuma comes off as trapped by his trappings: status, advisers, high priests, and gods.The narrative is well-written and engaging, and Levy does a great job bringing the setting to life without getting lost in trivia. The coverage of the battles is vivid and he does a fine job conveying the tensions of the encounter between cultures.

Levy, however, doesn't really explain Montezuma’s passivity. He also refers to the Maya as “Mayan,” and calls their language Nahuatl (the Aztec language). Also, some more on the historical context would have been helpful; the book reads almost like a standalone adventure story sometimes.

A rich, well-researched work.

[Alexandru · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an excellent book! Conquistador covers the Hernan Cortes' expedition and conquest of the Aztec Empire between 1519 and 1521. It is unbelievable how such a small rag tag expedition managed to bring down a great empire of millions of inhabitants. If there was ever an argument in favour of the great man of history theory then it's Hernan Cortes.

The book doesn't cover much of Cortes' back story and it starts directly with the start of his expedition from Cuba. There is a bit of background for Montezuma and the aztec empire but by all intents the story starts with Cortes' landing in Mexico. Cortes not only took over Veracruz and usurped the power of the governor of Cuba but he set fire to his own ships to eliminate the possibility of retreat. What followed is a tale of bravery, savagery and conquest which led to the destruction of an empire and almost disappearance of a whole people from war and especially disease.

The epic meeting between the Aztec Emperor Montezuma II and Cortes is one for the history books. The clash of two totally foreign civilisations changed the world forever. Awed by these foreign arrivals dressed in metal and riding strange beasts the Aztecs were perplexed and turned to their religious texts which heralded the arrival of their gods.

The eventual battle between these two forces was uneven as the Aztecs had not discovered iron and their flint weapons were no match for the heavily armoured Spanish with their canons and cavalry. Two forces from the completely different eras faced each other and the numerical advantage was not enough for the Aztecs. There were epic battles such as the battle of Otumba or siege of Tenochtitlán where time and time again the Spanish were victorious. Cortes managed to even defeat a Spanish force from Cuba and build a river fleet from scratch.

My first main takeways from the book was that just as the Spanish were a great conquering empire so were the Aztecs. They had conquered and subordinated over 600 smaller states within their empire. They charged tribute, oppressed and regularly went to war against other states and performed ritual human sacrifice and cannibalism. They were hated by the smaller states.

That takes me to the second takeway which is that the Spanish would have never managed to defeat the Aztecs without the help of the local allied tribes. Starting with the Totonacs and the Tlaxcalans, Cortes weaved a complex web of alliances with the locals who hated the Aztecs and were glad to join in battle against them. The Spanish force was miniscule (in the order of hundreds up to a couple of thousands) compared to their native allied forces which at one point numbered in the hundred of thousands.

This was an unbelievably entertaining and informative book about a subject which I had known less compared to European history. It has whetted my appetite for Native American and Latin American history in general.

[Nate Hooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I and my companions suffer from a disease of the heart which can be cured only with gold.” - Hernan Cortez

This book was phenomenal, fascinating, gritty and reads like a well crafted novel.
Drawing mainly from Cortez himself, it paints a vivid and unsettling portrait of conquest. This book at a surface level tells of the famed clash between Spaniards and Aztecs, however in truth, it examines a story of two worlds and the intersection of technological superiority, religious zeal, the destruction of an empire and culture, and the rise of another.

Despite the Spaniards’ distinct advantages of guns, germs, steel—and especially horses—Cortés’s subjugation of the Aztec Empire remains one of history’s most astonishing feats. At the time, Tenochtitlan was the largest city in the world, a marvel of architecture, engineering, and beauty. Even Cortés, consumed by his European savior complex, admitted it was “the most beautiful thing in the world,” calling it “the city of dreams.”

The book also doubles as a study in religious fanaticism. Cortés’s relentless, often brutal devotion to Christ—believing it his divine destiny to spread the gospel��stands in stark contrast to Montezuma’s towering temples dedicated to human sacrifice.

One group worshipped the Son of God who sacrificed himself for humanity, while the other actively sacrificed humanity to their sun god. The Son vs the sun if you will.

The collision of steel, gunpowder, obsidian, quetzal feathers, religious zealots, politics, and the lust for God, gold, and glory makes this book read less like dry history and more like a cautionary thriller with a moral—an exploration of the catastrophic dangers of unchecked ego and greed.

“fortune always favors the bold.” Encapsulates the insanity, zealous nature of Cortez and his campaign.

“when the Christians were exhausted from war, God saw fit to send the Indians smallpox.”

"Even by the most conservative estimates, the battle for the Aztec empire ranks in terms of human life, as the costliest single battle in history."

"[Cortez] remains- like his arch enemy Montezuma- enigmatic and misunderstood sometimes revered, sometimes reviled, and always controversial."

[Arnis · Rating 4 out of 5]

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