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The Discovery And Conquest Of Mexico

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Several decades ago, as a college sophomore, I was assigned to read Bernal Díaz' work as part of a Latin American history course. The title did not give me much hope. I imagined having to force myself to sit at a desk night after night in order to finish the book. To my great surprise, once I began to read this incredible eye-witness account, I could not put it down. Still, some 38 years later, Bernal Díaz' story, as one of the soldiers who accompanied Cortés, remains forever as one of the best books I have ever read on any subject.

Vivid, eye-witness description of the whole story of the Conquest of Mexico in 1519 will rivet you to the pages, if you have even the slightest sense of history or desire to imagine strange events in faroff places. Here is the tale of how the Spanish soldiers, led by Cortés, despite tremendous odds, toppled an ancient civilization, destroying it utterly, and began a new society that would eventually become modern Mexico. Where else are you going to read words like these, describing the Spaniards' first arrival in Tenochtitlan, which would become Mexico City ? "When we saw so many cities and villages built both in the water and on dry land, and this straight, level causeway, we couldn't restrain our admiration. It was like the enchantments told about in the book of Amadis, because of the high towers, temples, and other buildings, all of masonry, which rose from the water. Some of our soldiers asked if what we saw was not a dream." Alliances, intrigues, battles, retributions, strange gods and the clash of utterly different cultures fill this amazing book. If you have any fondness for history, if you have any curiosity about vanished civilizations, if you would like to ponder about Fate with more substance than usual (!), then Bernal Díaz is your man. Do not pass this book by.

Let me share with you one of the most beautiful reveiws of Bernal's epic, writen by the great Guatemalan writer and poet Luis Cardoza y Aragón (from his book "Guatemala: The Lines of Her Palm", translated into English by Michelle Suderman): I started leafing through The Discovery and Conquest of Mexico at my student's desk, at night by lamplight. I skimmed summaries, the odd page, then began my reading in an orderly fashion. Tirelessly, I penetrated further and further into the enchanted forest, mesmerized by the story and by this encounter with my warrior culture, with the conquest. I was entering a distant and fascinating world. I witnessed and experienced the legendary campaign. I saw and heard it. I smelled its odor of iron, gunpowder and tired bodies. I was awed by the descriptions of Tenochtitlan, the markets and Moctezuma's court. The blood looked fresh on the steps of the pyramids. As Humboldt points out, the exhilaration of a newly discovered world is better transmitted by chroniclers than by poets. My first contact with this work was positively prodigious. Exhaustion came after reading for many hours without being able to stop. Captivated by descriptions and memories, I kept going, reading a little more, just a little more. I finally left off when the light of the new day began singing in my window. This is the most comprehensive work on the conquest of America, though it speaks only of New Spain. It contains a wealth of information, and details of all orders, that we do not find in posterior writings on related events-not even adding them together. It was written in Antigua Guatemala, where Díaz del Castillo took up residence in 1545 at the age of forty-nine, and where he died in 1584 after having lived there for about thirty-nine years. He was an old man when he wrote his Discovery and Conquest, nearly half a century after the siege of Mexico Tenochtitlan and the conquest of Guatemala. Bernal Díaz del Castillo's chronicle is the most important and engaging of all, the most truthful and comprehensive account of the conquest of America. He wrote it not only in his quest for truth, to refute the chronicles of Cortés's chaplain, Gómara, and his followers, but out of a need to relive the conquest, out of the same hunger that engendered Don Quixote in Cervantes. Old wounds were opened as he wrote: he himself confesses that he slept with his arms loaded, and that in his old age, he slept fully dressed, accustomed to the exhausting days he spent in Mexico. He was twice conqueror, but the true conquest was the one he carried out seated at his desk, still wearing armor, but no longer wielding the saber.

There are very close ties between this work and the author's life. There was nothing else he could have written. His heart was spilling over with it. Chroniclers would write of the Peru campaigns, campaigns against Turkey, Flanders or Italy, of strangers fighting strangers. Díaz del Castillo wrote about his life and about the land where he placed it at risk countless times. That is what makes his work unique, superior to the writings of historians for the perfect spontaneity of his testimony. He is the unknown soldier, the sweating troops bearing their arms and spoils, walking alongside the chief's mount; through him, they were given a voice, immorality. Pen in hand, he became the great adventurer, with the same fury as when he wielded his sword, with the faith that made his companions envision St James slaughtering Indians in the name of the Lord. He left us the conquest, fresh and bloody, gasping for all eternity.

This story might have been rejected as too far-fetched if it were offered as fiction, but it is history. The fact is that Bernal Diaz was an eyewitness to the entire Spanish conquest of the Aztecs, led by Hernan Cortes. The tale he so eloquently lays out for us in these pages ranks with the most interesting historical epics of all time.

Consider that when the Spanish arrived at the Mexican Gulf Coast in their galleons, the Aztecs had never seen ships, horses, steel swords, or even white men. In another bizarre twist, red-headed Cortes matched the description of a great Aztec god whose arrival signaled the end of their civilization. When word of this omen reached the ears of the great Aztec leader Montezuma in Tenochtitlan (Mexico City), he wept in panic. This arrival is comparable to a huge space ship landing on the White House lawn, and having an army of ray-gun-wielding aliens emerge to conquer us.

As Diaz points out, Cortes was quite a leader and driven man. To prevent mutiny once he'd opted to pursue conquest inland, he destroyed his own ships. He then sets out, hopelessly out-numbered, to conquer the Aztecs. In the next year, his tiny army either wins over or defeats all comers--including a second arrival of Spanish intending to destroy him. He makes his way to the incredibly rich and magnificent city of Tenochtitlan, and then the excitement begins.

Over the centuries, Cortes' brutal tactics have come under criticism. Conquest is rarely politically correct. We must remember the time and context, though. Cortes and Spain were spanning the globe in search of gold, but also to convert the masses to Christianity. They believed they were doing God's work, particularly after being introduced to the Aztec's practice of human sacrifice. Diaz does not attempt to justify the motives. He simply tells the tale, and what a tale it is. Most highly recommended. --Christopher Bonn Jonnes, author of Wake Up Dead.

It is something of a rarity to find a book that comprehensivly discusses an historical topic and yet still maintains our interest. Bernal Diaz manages to do this. His account of the Conquest of Mexico, from the perspective of a common foot soldier, is more enlightening than the letters sent back by Cortes purely because he has nothing to justify. Bernal Diaz attempts to give us an accurate representation of the events that somehow led to the defeat of the numerically huge Aztec Empire by the small force of Spaniards. It is full of contradictions, full of internal tensions, and it is these factors that make the book so compelling. The motivation of the conquistadores is laid bare, but never explicitly; Diaz is careful to highlight that they were working for the greater glory of the Catholic church, but the promise of gold suffuses every word. Moreover, Diaz begins to establish the untrue cliches that people churned out about the conquest for centuries, whilst still manageing to undercut what he says by his uncertainty. He obviously holds a great deal of respect for the Aztec warriors, and demonstrates genuine fear. This is not an account of unlimited glory and genius leadership by Hernan Cortes. Diaz implicitly shows the flaws in the Spanish judgement and, even though he was embroiled in the events, Diaz helps us to learn the importance of factors outside the control of the Spanish that aided the conquest (disease, the thousands of native troops who fought with the Spaniards, the inefficient tribute network, cultural misunderstandings, etc). I would recommend Ross Hassig to anybody interested in Aztec methods of attack, and Inga Clendennin for more general information regarding Aztec culture. Miguel Leon-Portilla offers an invaluable indigenous account.

This work by Bernal Diaz, gives an eyewitness account of a world that will never be seen again. His style is hardly that of a professional writer but his attention to detail paints vivid images of the events that forever changed the face and personality of Mexico. It may be necessary to put aside any predisposition to make either lead character a villain or hero. This work shows both the humanity and ferocity of Spaniard and the native tribes of Mexico as they each struggle for dominance. It begins with expeditions into the Yucatan and leads to the union of the author and the army of Hernan Cortes. Although there seems to be some enhancement of his own importance to Cortes and the expedition, Diaz tells, from a soldiers perspective, both the marvel and the horror of two great nations as their cultural and religious beliefs fatally collide. One can see the shwredness of Cortes as he rallied one tribe after another to help him get to the Aztec Emperor. Observe the strategy used by both leaders as they tested each other's resolve in the months that Cortes approached and entered Tenochtitlan. Diaz descibes with intimate detail the great city, it's 20 story pyramids and magnificent palace. Even the physical appearance and the depth of Emperor Moctezuma's character are meticulously accounted. You can feel the desperation of the attack against and the near catastrophic escape of the Spaniards from the island city on "La noche triste", as well as see Diaz's account of the apparently intentioned introduction of small pox to Mexico by a rival conquistador. Finally, after two years in a ruthless game of chess, the return to the climactic seige and clash of two great armies perhaps unequalled in size, in a single battle, in the western world until the U.S. Civil War. No writer of fiction could have imagined this both exciting and tragic account.

Review by Tom rederiksen - http://members.aol.com/spdtom/index.html - AZTEC STUDENT TEACHER RESOURCE CENTER: Diaz is an accomplished writer and I was impressed with his attention to detail as it related to the daily life and inter-personal relationships between the Conquistadors. This is a fairly long book but reads easily and anyone that enjoys a good adventure or mystery novel will find this an interesting book. As there are precious few first hand accounts from this time period, this first hand narrative is a must read for anyone getting started in the study of the Mexican conquest time period. This book was written rather late in life by the author. Supposedly, Diaz read a copy of a book by Lopez de Gomara, Chronicle of the Conquest of New Spain, and was so outraged by references to "Cortes this", and "Cortes that", that the old soldier penned this classic. Were it not for the work of Diaz, the world would not have a comprehensive record of the conquest. A must read.

I heartily recommend this book to both history buffs and lovers of literature alike. Not only did it give me an understanding of Hernan Cortes and his expedition that I never before possesed, but it was also a pure joy to read. It is one thing to be able to read facts out of a history textbook, it is another to be able to truly "feel" what something was like. And despite the considerable length of this book, I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it. In fact, it reads less like a history lesson and more like a capitivating work of fiction. Diaz' work is rich, colorful, and without pretention. The language is eloquent and refined without being too wordy, and is absolutely beautiful; in fact, the last time I read language so delicious was while reading Cervantes' Don Quixote. And there is plenty action, and excitement, and plot twists, and conspiracies, and more human sacrifice than you might have ever expected. And, to be truthful, as politically incorrect as this may sound, a lot of notions I had were dispelled after reading this book. I no longer see Cortes as the ruthless, black-hearted conquistador that I once thought him to be; I now have a great respect for his courage, sagacity, and his great skill as a leader of men. Likewise, my belief that the Aztecs were merely some peaceful, Earth-hugging, "native" victims of European conquest has also died. And as unpopular as both of these sentiments might seem, I will stand by them, and I would say that it would do a lot of college students and liberal professors - those who are so outspoken in their hate of tyrants and fervid in their support of the oppressed - some good to read Senor Diaz' tale. And I, having once been one of those "liberally-minded" individuals never thought I'd hear myself saying these things, but I am.

There are two sides to every story. And though it is much easier to simply censure and villainize someone and label other people as victims - to make things black and white - I believe it is the job of a free-thinker to see all things as they truly are, from all sides, though I know that usually makes most people very uncomfortable.

Anyhow, do yourself a favor and get this book now. I only wish that there were another just like it.

This is one of the best books I have ever read, Bernal Diaz provides in great depth the CONQUEST OF MEXICO and the fall of the Mexica(Aztecs). For anyone interested in Mexican History or the history of the Western Hemisphere in general, this is a must. The chapters are short and easy to read, as well as addicting, especially during the final siege of Mexico. This is a great book to read especially if you're from Zapotlanejo, Jalisco or from Norwalk, California. This book is a great stepping stone on the subject and one should also check out Letters from Mexico(letters from Cortes himself) and Broken Spears(the Aztec account of the Conquest). Orale!

This is one of only two books that I always make sure to keep in duplicate. (The other is The Path Between the Seas about building the Panama Canal.) Not only do people refuse to return it (I live where they cannot go out and buy their own), but I might NEED it at any time...just so I can enthuse over it. I've read it twice, and think I may read it again soon. I DO read Spanish, but the English is OK, too, since the Spanish of Diaz is more difficult than what we use now and needed editing badly due to prolixity, redundancy, etc.
Bernal Diaz was WITH Cortez for the entire campaign to conquer Montezuma's Mexico, and he wrote about it in his old age. You are getting an eye-witness account of one of the most incredible episodes in world history, and you'd better believe it's exciting, even nail-biting, to be there in person, so to speak. Historians will tell you that his memory was not perfect, but not that bad, either. He pretty much nails it.

Forget political correctness and historical revisionism; read this with an open mind. Bernal Diaz, one of Cortez's minions, was there and present historians weren't. No historical figure gets off easy in this book. The Spanish were warriors and met Aztec warriors. Truly one of the best-written books ever. Though it is in translation, the style translates well into English and is simply riveting. The best Hollywood screenwriters couldn't invent this adventure though I bet it's influenced many writers.