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Binding: HardcoverDewey Decimal Number: 972.02 EAN: 9780553805383 ISBN: 055380538X Label: Bantam Manufacturer: Bantam Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 448 Publication Date: June 24, 2008 Publisher: Bantam Release Date: June 24, 2008 Studio: Bantam Editorial Review: Product Description: 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 Cortés It 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, Montezuma: 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. Average Rating:
 Rating:  - Just more of the same lies...These "historical" accounts are nothing more than a further rehash of the same old lies told by the Europeans. There was never a "King" in Mexico. The title was "Supreme Speaker" and he could be removed from office. The Mexicans were never conquered, they sent the Spaniards totally defeated from Tenochtitlan. The Spanish were from the filthy, disease ridden, continent of Europe where the plague, smallpox and open sewers were the norm. The Spaniards won because they carried smallpox which the daily ... Read More Rating:  - somewhat lightweight and innacurateThe book is well written and it is a readable account of the Conquest of the Mexica empire. Unfortunately, in my opinion the author fails to situate the episode in its temporal and cultural context; it feels more like an adventure story than history. It is also full of innacuracies, which suggest that the author is only superficially familiar with its topic. For example, Levy writes that the ancient city of Tula is located in what is today Mexico City, when in reality is in the state of Hidalgo, some ... Read More Rating:  - A very compelling work that marries true history with high adventureBuddy Levy's work on Cortes has to be among the pinnacle of available historical literature on the subject of America's conquest and the key personality that shaped that chapter of history. What's even better is the way Mr. Levy delivers the tale--you'll find it impossible to put down. Whether you are a history buff or a casual reader of historical non-fiction, do yourself a favor and buy this book. Unlike what one may expect with such a scholarly piece, the book is not dense because the author is ... Read More Rating: - Great ReadA brilliant synthesis. I thought i knew this subject well but Mr. Levy heightened my experience of it. Wonderfully nuanced descriptions and the characters come to life. Very well done and hard to put down. Rating: - This is a great readI have read quite a bit about the conquest of the Aztec and the destruction of Tenochtitlan, to include Hernan Cortes' Conquest of Mexico. This is the easiest and most compelling description I've read to date. Levy makes you feel as if you there as part of Conquest. His description of the smallpox plaque and how that helped Cortes is one of the best analysis of factors that I've read to date. If you want to understand the Conquest, this is the book you need to read. |
