Conquistadors and Aztecs

A History of the Fall of Tenochtitlan

By: Stefan Rinke, Christopher Reid

Narrated by: Luis Moreno

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.

©2023 Oxford University Press (P)2023 Recorded Books

truths not myths

Great information on the true "conquest" of Mexico. Unfortunately at times the narrator is robotic. But the subject matter is enticing.

Textbook History

This read like a textbook history….a boring textbook history. Heavy on analysis, low on humanity. The human aspect was obliterated much like the Aztec empire.

Gold and Death

When the Spanish arrived in the new world, they were first seen as gods, and then slowly, the wonder turned to terror. The Spanish had one thing on their mind - gold. They would do anything to get it, and slowly they began working through the country, conducting warfare.

The history that is presented in this book is so well done - and I actually listened to this book twice, as there were so many things that I wanted to hear again, or refresh. I am still almost lost writing this review, as I want to say so many things, but the words are just not wanting to come.

Loved this one! Absolutely one of my favorites for the year.

Interesting but dry

The pacing of the book itself is weird. Somehow it moves through the story really fast but you still get lost in some minute details. Overall it was fine, not great but not bad.