The Conquest of New Spain (Penguin
Classics) by Bernal Diaz del Castillo
Indy Jones Who?
Vivid, powerful and absorbing, this is a first-person account of one of the
most startling military episodes in history: the overthrow of Montezumas
doomed Aztec Empire by the ruthless Hernan Cortes and his band of
adventurers. Bernal Diaz del Castillo, himself a soldier under Cortes,
presents a fascinatingly detailed description of the Spanish landing in
Mexico in 1520 and their amazement at the city, the exploitation of the
natives for gold and other treasures, the expulsion and flight of the
Spaniards, their regrouping and eventual capture of the Aztec capital.
Personal Review: The Conquest of New Spain (Penguin
Classics) by Bernal Diaz del Castillo
Of all of the writers of history, none may be as accurate in their accounts
as are actual witnesses to the events being chronicled. Yet at the same
time, we're all aware that honest witnesses to crimes and accidents often
present contradicting testimony to what they believe they have seen. But it
is for more than this that should give us pause when reading this book.
Bernal Díaz didn't begin to write the memoirs of his experiences as a
conquistador until about 35 years following those events. How many
senior citizens reading this can remember so much detail from their life 35
years ago? How well could Bernal accurately quote from the mouth of
Cortés, Montezuma and many others? Every reader must wonder to what
extent three and a half decades might have affected the accuracy of Diaz's
writing.
But even with the above in mind, The Discovery and Conquest of
Mexico has the privilege of being written by an actual witness of events as
they happened. Whether it was the slick-talking Hernán Cortes smoothing
over his artful cheating of his own men for personal gain, the emotions felt
when entering the Aztec city Tenochtitlan, describing the treasures of the
new world, witnessing human sacrifices, his many voyages, or the bloody
description of fierce combat, Díaz was there, writing from his own
experience. It is likely that there is hardly a book as rich in description with
such relevance to the history of the Americas as is this narrative by Bernal
Díaz. I heartily recommend it.
Bruce Stores has lived in Mexico since 1995, currently residing in the city
of Oaxaca. He is author of the historical fiction book, "THE ISTHMUS:
Stories from Mexico's Past, 1495 to 1995", iUniverse 2009
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