Customer Reviews

I Was There: Lost Temple of the Aztecs (I Was There Books)

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Tanaka attempts to portray Cortez's invasion of Mexico from the persective of the Aztecs. Illustrations are vivid and there is lots of information and food for discussion in these pages. Minor discrepancies exist, but overall an excellent book to help balance the Western view of history.

I'm an adult, but I found this book very helpful in the study about the Aztecs. The illustrations really help to bring the period to life. It covers some mature topics though, like human sacrifice that I hope won't disturb kids reading this book. A great overview about the conquest of Mexico.

If you ever wanted to know what happened when the Aztecs were invaded by Cortez's band of thugs - uhm, I mean "explorers," then Shelley Tanaka's book is the one to read. This book is designed for older children and teens and gives a fascinating overview of the Aztecs, how their leader Moctezuma was so easily fooled by the offers of goodwill by Cortez, and how Cortez and his men slaughtered the city of Tenochtitlan and eventually built upon it another colony in the Spanish conquest.

The illustrations by Greg Ruhl are very well maintained, drawn realistically and do not have a cartoon look - nearly photographic!

I also enjoyed the flavor of the book. The blood sacrifices that occured at the time were not watered down - we get to see where the hearts were thrown! And new photos of the archeologic digs in Mexico City were also fascinating and interesting.

This book is part of the "I Was There" series, five titles illustrated by Greg Rhul.

- The Buried City of Pompeii
- In The Time of Knights
- Lost Temple of the Aztecs
- Secrets of the Mummies
- First on the Moon