The Conquistadores (Men-at-Arms) [Paperback]

Terence Wise (Author), Angus McBride (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Men-at-Arms | Publication Date: July 24, 1980

On 12 October 1492 Columbus discovered the New World. In the following decade a number of Spanish colonies were founded in the West Indies, many of the settlers being ex-soldiers. They were a hardy, adventurous and unruly crew, no longer able to find suitable employment in Europe. They carved a foothold for Spain in the Indies, but quickly became restless in the role of settler. Anxious to avoid the dull work of the administrators and planters, these men began to seek new territories to exploit, once again turning their faces towards the unknown. This title documents both the Conquistadores themselves, and their formidable enemies in the New World - the Aztecs, Incas and Maya.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Packed with specially commissioned artwork, maps and diagrams, the Men-at-Arms series is an unrivalled illustrated reference on the history, organisation, uniforms and equipment of the world's military forces, past and present.

About the Author

Terence Wise is one of Osprey’s most popular authors. Terence has been a respected historical writer for over 25 years. With numerous books and articles to his credit, he has contributed more than a dozen titles to the Men-at-Arms series, mainly on medieval subjects including studies of military orders and the Wars of the Roses.

Product Details

• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing; First Edition edition (July 24, 1980)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0850453577
• ISBN-13: 978-0850453577
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 0.1 x 9.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #302,496 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #89 in Books > History > Europe > Portugal

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Military history of forgotten peoples, September 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Conquistadores (Men-at-Arms) (Paperback)

The title of this book is misleading: it is not only the story of Cortez and Pizzaro, but also of their opponents, the Aztecs, the Incas, and the Mayas. The book clearly explains where the military advantages of the Spaniards lay (it wasn't gunpowder as you might think!) and also describes the strengths and weaknesses of the cultures they subdued, sometimes with relative ease and sometimes with great difficulty. You will come away with new respect for all the combatants.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Conquistadores, the last knights, November 19, 2001

By 

"bokkerijder" (Sprundel, Noord-Brabant Netherlands) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Conquistadores (Men-at-Arms) (Paperback)

This book is one of osprey finest, its a pity that the section of the conquistadores is so small, but it contains a lot of good information. And it is always cool to read about 400 men with armour and swords who conquer a whole nation. I Love the helmets.
P.S. Osprey is publishing a new book about the conquistadores.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Conquistadores, April 7, 2007

By 

K. Murphy "Fortune favors the Bold" (The thriving metropolis of Masury, OH) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Conquistadores (Men-at-Arms) (Paperback)

This book really helped flesh out Bernal Diaz's account of the fall of the 'Aztec' Empire for me. The first part of the text concerns the gear of the Conquistadores themselves, with the following catagories being the Aztecs/Mexica, the Inca, and the Maya, the three major enemies the Spaniards found in the New World. The plates are awesome, depicting, among others, noble Incan warriors, a freaky-looking Maya spearman, and a plain nasty Aztec priest with the heart of his most recent victim.