The Aztecs [Paperback]

Richard Townsend (Author), Richard F. Townsend (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0500281327 | ISBN-13: 978-0500281321 | Publication Date: April 2000 | Edition: Rev Sub

A portrait of a fascinating, complex civilization. Beginning with the story of the Spanish conquest, the text then charts the rise of the Aztecs from humble nomads to empire builders. Within 100 years they established the largest empire in Mesoamerican history and, at Tenochtitlan, built a vast city in a lake, a Venice of the New World. This revised edition has been updated, assimilating information from archaeological excavations and ethnohistoric studies, and widening the picture of Aztec culture beyond their cities. Additional material on topics ranging from local crafts, trade, agriculture and food to architecture, society and women's roles depicts the richness of life in villages and regional centres. Illustrations of archaeological sites, pictorial manuscripts and monuments enhance the narrative.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

While studies of Aztec art, architecture, and religion have appeared at regular intervals, general textbooks have been infrequent. Thus, this comprehensive, exceedingly well-researched volume has merit, especially since it seeks to instruct rather than argue. The author's engaging prose breathes new life into even the most overworked topic--for example, the tale of Cortes's march to Tenochtitlan, repeated countless times, yet told here with novel freshness. Townsend, curator of the Art Institute of Chicago's department of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas, draws on new information and analyses from many fields of original research to create a strong competitor for Brian Fagan's excellent survey ( The Aztecs , Freeman, 1984), the most recent general text. Highly recommended for the general reader as the best available introduction to a complex subject.
- William S. Dancey, Ohio State Univ., Columbus
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews

Fine scholarly history of the Aztecs from their 12th-century Toltec origins through the 16th-century Spanish conquest by Cort‚s. How was it that, landing on the Tabasco Coast in 1519, Hern n Cort‚s and his 500 soldiers--sons with no inheritance, failed planters, ex-gold-miners, freebooters--were able utterly to defeat Motecuhzoma, Aztec king and most feared ruler in Mesoamerica, and by 1521 conquer the Aztec confederation of city- states, with their population of 350,000? Here, Townsend (Curator, Department of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas/Art Institute of Chicago) draws from archaeological discoveries, Spanish records, and recent scholarship to explain the Conquest of Mexico and to illumine less generally known aspects of Aztec history: the everyday lives of kings and commoners; the interlocking calendars and festivals through which priests controlled their subjects; and the 400-year line of warrior/conquerors before Motecuhzoma. Ironically, the Aztec ritual of human sacrifice--in which the hearts of defeated warriors were torn beating from their bodies--contributed to the defeat of Motecuhzoma's own warriors: While Cort‚s's men fought to kill, Aztecs attempted to capture enemies for sacrifice. Elsewhere, Townsend's discussion of Aztec schooling reveals the depth of Aztec culture. There were two classes of schools--one for commoners, the other for nobility. In both, boys and girls were taught rhetoric, history, ritual dancing, and singing; in the calmecac for future leaders, the curriculum included law, architecture, arithmetic, astronomy, and agriculture. Interestingly, despite the Aztec success in the building arts and in supplying food for large cities, they had no beasts of burden- -everything was transported by water or by human porters; horses were introduced by the Spanish. A substantial history of satisfying scope and depth. (Illustrations--140--not seen.) -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson; Rev Sub edition (April 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0500281327
• ISBN-13: 978-0500281321
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,003,144 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Best Gets a Little Better, April 21, 2000

By 

David Edwards (San Diego ([e-mail])) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Aztecs (Paperback)

From the standpoint of an interested amateur, the first edition of Dr. Townsend's book "The Aztecs" was the best scholarly-but-general presentation of the Aztec civilization, culture, life, religion, art, and history available. The book was comprehensive and vastly informative but never -- thanks to excellent writing -- dull.

This new edition differs in several slight but important ways from its predecessor. Most of the first edition's numerous and helpful halftone illustrations are retained, but a few have been deleted and a few added (total of three more in the new edition). Changes in the text for the most part reflect recent archeologic and ethnohistoric findings; references are dated to 1999. The extent of changes is not, however, striking, and certainly does not render the first edition obsolete, merely out of date in some details.

As is inevitable in any text of this breadth, there are a few minor quibbles and changes that might be made in subsequent editions: for example, what stairway are those statues leaning against in Fig. 121? (answer: the Great Temple)

It remains that this is THE book to read if you are interested in the Aztecs; it forms a solid basis for all other reading in the field. Second best is Michael E. Smith's monograph with the same title, which is also recommended. Dr. Smith's work tends to emphasize the day-to-day life of the Aztec villagers and peasantry, whereas Dr. Townsend focuses more on the grand sweep of cities, nobility, and empire. I prefer the latter, but if I were teaching a course I'd assign both books.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Scholarly yet accessable, August 26, 2009

By 

doc peterson (Portland, Oregon USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Aztecs (Paperback)

Townsend's _The Aztecs_ provides a great introduction to one of the great Mesoamerican civilizations. Opening with the Spanish arrival and eventual conquest of the Aztec empire, he then goes back to explore how the Aztecs - who were at the zenith of their power when Cortez arrived in 1519 - became such a powerful state, and how this led to their eventual demise. The complaints I have are rather nit-picky: I struggled with the Aztec names (of places, of titles, of dieties, of rulers); I also wish he had gone into more detail about social heirarchy and especially gender relations.

To be fair, the book is meant to be an introduction - and as such, it exceeds expectations. While Townsend leans a bit heavily on political history, he devotes time to urban culture of the Aztecs - the importance of Tenochtitlan as a religious as well as commercial center; and entire chapters discuss Aztec artisans and farmers, another family and education, and a fascinating chapter on Aztec religion. Still, much of the book centers on the founding, growth and expansion of the Aztec empire and the role (both culturally, politically and religiously) that warfare played in this. In fact, Townsend makes a very convincing case that "The Aztecs had mastered the arts of war but not those of government" which eventually led to its destruction at the hands of the Spaniards.

Matters of historical controversey are readily admitted (always appreciated, and too often not s forthrightly addressed in historical ntroductions), and splendidly cited using primary sources from both Aztec and Spaniard. For those seeking a great starting place in understanding Mesoamerican civilization, this is the book I would recommend.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Thames and Hudson success, January 31, 2008

By 

Douglas E. Libert "howitt" (parkersburg wv) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Aztecs (Paperback)

I wondered as i was reading this book how it was that the Aztecs who had historically recorded populations of 100,000 plus,never had a terrible ecological disaster as the Mayan civilization supposedly did.Surely with Aztecan confederacy type populations there must have been a high use/misuse of resources. Could it be that the Aztecs had thought out a way to avoid such disasters as faced the Mayan civilations.Probably?
One way was the setting aside of large areas of timber and etc. and designating them as sacred so people could not inhabit them without offending the Gods. This seems like an early form of todays National Parks,the Aztecs therefore early consevationists.These are some of the type interpretations a person could gather from reading Townsends' book.Tenochtitlan while no doubt an architectural splendour,would not have downgraded to any degree the vast Aztecan style ceremonial centers in the outlying and mountainous regions of the Mexican valley.You get the feeling from this book of the Aztecs as an industrious,religious,artistic type people.
No doubt however that Aztecan society was highly stratified and warfare, tied to their religion,a major force in the expansion of their empire.The Aztecan empire was still in existence when the Spanish arrived so there is some written records available.I found the descriptions and numerous pictures of the "skull racks" along with the authors familiarity with Aztec warfare and human sacrifice,morbidly fascinating.Ther are lots of pictures and maps.Another excellent Thames and Hudson book.I was wondering after reading the book and noting the similarities between these Mesoamerican Sun Kingdoms. Maybe when the Mayan civilization collapsed,the remnants moved to the Mexican valley and tried to improve on the lessons from the Yucatan Peninsula.