Based on Maudslay's translation and illustrated with 16th Century Indian Drawings.
This is an eye-witness narrative of the Spanish conquest of Mexico in 1521, told by one of Cortez followers, Bernal Diaz del Castillo. One of the world's great adventure stories, it tells the epic tale of how a handful of Spaniards sailed from Cuba, landed on the Mexican coast, burned their boats behind them, fought and brazened their way to the fabulous city of Mexico, boldly took its ruler Monte- zuma a prisoner, besieged the city, captured it, and secured for Spain the treasure of the Indies.
Diaz's narrative is also an important record of Aztec civilization, for he gives a vivid picture of Mexican society: their religion with its temples of human sacrifice, their political organization, and the dominance of the ruling Aztec race over the less warlike native stock.
The illustrations are from a famous series of 16th century drawings, made after the con- quest by Indian artists for Fra Bernardino Sahagun, first chronicler of New Spain. In themselves the basis of Mexican history, these pictures convey detail and flavor as no modern illustrations can.
—from the dust jacket
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