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The Broken Spears: The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico
Average Customer Review : 4.0/5 based on 24 reviews
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Editorial Reviews
A new expanded version of the classic account of the Spanish conquest of Mexico, as told by Aztec voices—with a new Postscript by the editor
For hundreds of years, the history of the conquest of Mexico and the defeat of the Aztecs has been told in the words of the Spanish victors. Miguel León-Portilla has long been at the forefront of expanding that history to include the voices of indigenous peoples. In this new and updated edition of his classic The Broken Spears, León-Portilla has included accounts from native Aztec descendants across the centuries. These texts bear witness to the extraordinary vitality of an oral tradition that preserves the viewpoints of the vanquished instead of the victors. León-Portilla's new Postscript reflects upon the critical importance of these unexpected historical accounts.
Spotlight Reviews
The Broken Spears (2008-06-02)
Customer Review : 3
A very good introductory book to the Conquest of Latin America. Though I do have to say, use only as an introduction. It is not a very good book to cite for any research. A very good example of showing both sides of the story; Spanish vs. Native.
Re: Doomsdayer520 - Bernal Diaz's integrity (2007-12-04)
Customer Review : 3
Not a review of this book.
Just to emphasized that no one who has read Bernal Diaz del Castillo's "Conquest of Mexico" would hold to any of the misconceptions noted in doomsdayer520's first paragraph. His famous memoir shows that Bernal Diaz was honest and clear-eyed, and perpetually open to the humanity of the Aztecs and the aware of, even the victim of, the venality of his countrymen.
Could have used more explanation but still very useful (2006-12-22)
Customer Review : 3
Broken Spears does something very interesting in his book that no one else has ever tried to do. He approaches the invasion of Mexico from the perspective of the Aztecs. He looks at the court of Montezuma and tells us how the invasion looked from their perspective. This is a very astute look at the invasion and one of the most unique out there. It is very well written and holds the readers interest. The biggest downfall of the book is that if you are not familiar with the story you will find it lacking in information. It assumes a great deal of information about the invasion that can be gotten from other books. It also takes into account the rise and fall of Montezuma and how the kingdom was not as unified as it appeared. If you are going to study Latin American history than this is a must read.
An important work (2005-07-17)
Customer Review : 4
This book is important because it is scholarly, yet written for the average person interested in history of this period. It is very important in that it is the only contemporary book I know of which specifically and consciously attempts to present the native side of the story. It is not a work of pandering, left-wing revisionism. It is a compilation of native historical sources: the Tlaxcala, and the Mexica themselves--often through Spanish priests who recorded their words, including poetry. The thing to remember is that it is the Aztec/Mexica point of view, and we usually get the Euro-centric version--there is a difference. Both are useful and needed to make a complete picture.
Exceedingly Sweet action!!! (2004-08-17)
Customer Review : 5
I got this book because I find pre-columbian Mesoamerica fascinating, and I also enjoy the vivid clash of cultures which occured when the Spaniards arrived there. This book describes the conflict between the Aztecs and Spaniards superbly! This book is somewhat unique among histories because it takes the point of view of the vanquished rather than the victors. It starts from before the Spaniards arrive with eerie premonitions of eminent doom to the fall of Tenochtitlan and the suffering associated with that, then proceeds to give a short account of the plight of the native Nahuas after the conquest. Leon-Portilla uses a vast array of native sources from the Florentine Codex to the Cantares Mexicanos(which consists of Native American songs about the conquest), and combines them to create a lively and pleasant read, and its fairly short length add to its overall unburdensome style. In fact for me this book was harder not to read than to read. The tale is full of lively adventure, fascinting omens and cultural tidbits(such as the Aztec dedication to human sacrifice and their belief that the Spaniards were gods), violence, and sorrow. This book is a must for the Aztec fan, the conquistador fan, or anyone who likes an engaging story that just happens to be history.
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