Daily Life of the Aztecs on the Eve of the Spanish Conquest [Paperback]

Jacques Soustelle (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Soustelle’s great book about the Aztecs . . . takes us deep into the life of this great society. . . . Soustelle has the rare quality of entering into the minds of those he is studying and seeing things from their point of view. . . . [His] book is one of the best ever written about the Aztecs, his portrait of their society is a triumph of scholarship, understanding, and literary skill.”—The Times Literary Supplement

“Probably the best general summary available of Aztec culture, both for the general reader and for the student.”—Hipanic American Historical Review

“An able condensation of the enormous mass of material on Aztec life, comparable to the non-historical parts of Vaillant’s Aztecs of Mexico or that fine classic, Joyce’s Mexican Archaelogy. Soustelle embellishes his faithful picture of Mexican life with many acute, well-turned observations.”—Man

“A precise and lively picture of Aztec life. . . . The sources on which Soustelle has based this analysis of Mexican life are very complete. . . . A most exciting book.”—Mexico City News

“For the student who wants an informed and knowledgeable book about the Aztecs, this is highly recommended. . . . This excellent translation brings to life the Aztec people of the first part of the sixteenth century.”—Kliatt

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: French

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Product Details

• Paperback: 348 pages
• Publisher: Stanford University Press; 1st Ppbk Ed Publ in 1970 by Stanford Uni edition (June 1, 1961)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804707219
• ISBN-13: 978-0804707213
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #619,972 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #87 in Books > History > Ancient > Aztec

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best general introduction to the Mexica, February 23, 2011

By 

Nican Tlaca - See all my reviews

This review is from: Daily Life of the Aztecs on the Eve of the Spanish Conquest (Paperback)

This is the best introductory book for someone wanting to learn about Mexican history or about their Mexican heritage.

Jacques Soustelle takes you on a beautiful tour through the Mexica Civilization (aka "Aztecs"). It is a world of cities, schools, books, government, laws, calendars, engineering, hospitals, poets, merchants, and warriors.

The book is highly readable and positive. It is about the daily life of the people called the Mexica (incorrectly called "Aztecs"). The book is divided into chapters that discuss the structure of Mexica society starting with general topics (the city, government, laws, and social customs) and moving on to more specific aspects (birth, death, war, art, etc).

I have read this book several times over, and each time I read it, I come away with something new. This book is like a miniature version of The Florentine Codex, a 16th century encyclopedia written by Spanish priest Bernardino Sahagun.

This is an excellent choice for students who need to do a report on "the Aztecs". You will come away with a better appreciation of this important civilization. It is jam-packed with facts.

The author ends the book with a beautiful quote: "Their culture, so suddenly destroyed, is one of those that humanity can be proud of having created."

(One place where there is a glaring discrepancy is where the author says that Tenochtitlan had 1 MILLION residents. The current thinking is that it was somewhere closer to 350,000.)

5.0 out of 5 stars daily life of the aztecs on the eve of the spanish conquest, October 12, 2009

By 

Sergio Juarez Jr. "chilango" (morrison hotel,ca) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Daily Life of the Aztecs on the Eve of the Spanish Conquest (Paperback)

this was an excellent book, it really beautifully paints a picture of life in the time of the mexica. it is the equivalent of someone writing about our society and describing the physical surroundings and its inhabitants. it gave me further insight into my peoples culture, and showed me that we were a people of schools and art, and were deeply spiritual people. showed me how our culture was equal if not superior to that of the Europeans. an overall great read. highly recommended not just for the individual who is reclaiming their culture but for the student as well.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If I Could Only Give This 6 Stars!!, October 14, 2011

By 

Roy K. Farber (Grand Junction, CO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Daily Life of the Aztecs on the Eve of the Spanish Conquest (Paperback)

This is not about the blood and guts we so often read, and is so very far removed from the 1st person perceptions of the Christian Conquistadors and those who have founded their version of reality thereon, and yet answers the central question of how so few such Uglies could kill so many and obliterate something as great as the Mexica Civilization. But Cortez is more of just a stopping point, the zenith of this civilization that was so rapidly maturing, becoming increasingly ever-finer, more dignified, literate, majestic, on its path to somewhere we'll now never know, with with rules of honorable behavior and thought that made them so unfortunately ill-prepared for the coming of The Aliens! Oh, but they had truly been Barbarians, we might all be speaking Nahuatl....