Conquistadors and Aztecs: A History of the Fall of Tenochtitlan

by Stefan Rinke Narrated by Luis Moreno

Overview

Five hundred years ago, a flotilla landed on the coast of Yucatán under the command of the Spanish conquistador Hérnan Cortés. While the official goal of the expedition was to explore and to expand the Christian faith, everyone involved knew that it was primarily about gold and the hunt for slaves.
That a few hundred Spaniards destroyed the Aztec empire-a highly developed culture-is an old chestnut, because the conquistadors, who had every means to make a profit, did not succeed alone. They encountered groups such as the Tlaxcaltecs, who suffered from the Aztec rule and were ready to
enter into alliances with the foreigners to overthrow their old enemy. In addition, the conquerors benefited from the diseases brought from Europe, which killed hundreds of thousands of locals. Drawing on both Spanish and indigenous sources, this account of the conquest of Mexico from 1519 to 1521
not only offers a dramatic narrative of these events-including the fall of Tenochtitlan and the flight of the conquerors-but also represents the individual protagonists on both sides, their backgrounds, their diplomacy, and their struggles. It vividly portrays the tens of thousands of local warriors who faced
off against each other during the fighting as they attempted to free themselves from tribute payments to the Aztecs.
Written by a leading historian of Latin America, Conquistadors and Aztecs offers a timely portrayal of the fall of Tenochtitlan and the founding of an empire that would last for centuries.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

03/06/2023

Historian Rinke (Latin America and the First World War) revisits in this comprehensive and insightful chronicle the fall of Tenochtitlan and the Mexica (or Aztec) Empire in the early 16th century. Adding depth and nuance to historical accounts of a small band of conquistadors swiftly overcoming a massive empire through technological and tactical superiority, Rinke draws on Indigenous and Spanish sources to uncover a much more complex series of events. He sketches Hernán Cortés’s youth in Spain and departure for the Caribbean in 1504, before shifting gears to focus on Mexica ruler Moctezuma II and the empire’s state of disarray prior to Cortés’s expedition to Mesoamerica in 1519. Much attention is paid to the Spaniards’ interactions with the Totonacs, Tlaxcalans, and other Mexica vassal states and enemies who proved to be invaluable allies in the battle for Tenochtitlan, which lasted for more than a year and involved victories and setbacks for both sides. Only in subsequent histories, primarily by non-Indigenous peoples, was the fall of the Mexica Empire viewed as inevitable. Rinke’s prodigious research enables him to disentangle the biological, psychological, military, and sociocultural factors behind this much mythologized conquest. The result is a vital reconsideration of the history of the New World. Illus. (June)

From the Publisher

"A riveting one-volume history of the 1519-21 Spanish Conquest of Mexico... Where the primary sources contradict one another (as they often do), Rinke explains and interprets the differences, instead of eliding complexity in favor of a contrived history. Although numerous historians have studied the downfall of the Aztec state, Rinke's monograph ranks among the best. VERDICT Enthusiastically recommended for students, scholars, and general readers seeking a thoughtful introduction to a complex and controversial historical moment." — Library Journal (starred review)

"Rinke's engaging new study is a significant contribution to the increasingly dynamic field of early Mexico's New Conquest History, adding much to the debate." — Matthew Restall, Author of Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquest

"Stefan Rinke has written an accurate and well-documented retelling of the long known but ever-changing history of the conquest of Mexico. This book is one of the best recent historical narratives of the conquest written in any language, and a good introduction to the new and surprising interpretations of these events." — Federico Navarrete, Cambridge University

"Detailed and narrative, focusing on the military conquest and cultural changes in Mesoamerica around 1520...By including methodological debates, recent research problems, and a broad range of Spanish primary sources, Rinke has created a highly recommendable introduction for students and scholars as well as a broader public." — Fabian Fechner, The Americas

"Rinke's book... is brilliantly, even stirringly, written. He manages to present the characters as human beings, not just as actors populating contexts." — Ulf von Rauchhaupt, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

"[Rinke] presents the motives, perspectives and backgrounds of the individual actors and clears up myths that are still entwined with the conquest of America. Rinke not only describes the conquests, but also explains who actually met there and what the starting situation was." — Sebastian Hollstein, Spektrum der Wissenschaft

"Rinke repeatedly points out the contingency of the process and thus reminds us that sometimes chance, topographical circumstances, or linguistic and cultural misunderstandings could be decisive. Overall, this richly detailed and highly readable book, which deals with an extremely exciting subject, should appeal to a wide audience and attract many readers." — Vitus Huber, Zeitschrift für Geschichtswissenschaft

"Conquistadors and Aztecs covers well-known episodes with freshness and acuity: Moctezuma's puzzling decision to allow Cortés's army to enter Tenochtitlan; the ominous sight (and stench) of bloodstained Mexica priests; Cortés's up-and-down fortunes; Moctezuma's capture and death; Alvarado's point-of-no-return massacre of unarmed Mexica nobility at the festival of Toxcatl; the bleak Spanish retreat ("La Noche Triste"); their determined siege and re-entry; and the decimating effect of smallpox on the native population." — Maxwell Carter, Wall Street Journal

"Historian Rinke revisits in this comprehensive and insightful chronicle the fall of Tenochtitlan and the Mexica (or Aztec) Empire in the early 16th century. Adding depth and nuance to historical accounts of a small band of conquistadors swiftly overcoming a massive empire through technological and tactical superiority, Rinke draws on Indigenous and Spanish sources to uncover a much more complex series of events...Rinke's prodigious research enables him to disentangle the biological, psychological, military, and sociocultural factors behind this much mythologized conquest. The result is a vital reconsideration of the history of the New World." — Publishers Weekly

"This book is a solid contribution to a topic that already has received significant interest. It recognizes the contribution of Indigenous peoples to the invasion and draws on some Indigenous sources while maintaining a generally European point of view." — John F. Schwaller, Hispanic American Historical Review

Library Journal

03/01/2024

Written by a leading scholar of Latin American history, this gripping book provides a new examination of how the Spanish Conquest unfolded. Gleaned from both Indigenous and Spanish sources, this title posits that Hernan Cortés, a colonist and commander of the conquistadors, was able to successfully attack the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan because of alliances with Indigenous adversaries of the Aztecs. Diseases, like smallpox, brought from Europe killed hundreds of thousands of locals too.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940178659458
Publisher:	Recorded Books, LLC
Publication date:	06/27/2023
Edition description:	Unabridged

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