Conquistadors

The Spanish conquest of the Americas in the 16th century was one of the most important and cataclysmic events in history. Spanish expeditions endured incredible hardships in order to open up the lands of the 'New World', and few stories in history can match these for drama and endurance. In Conquistadors , Michael Wood follows in the footsteps of some of the greatest of the Spanish adventurers travelling from the forests of Amazonia to Lake Titicaca, the deserts of North Mexico, the snowpeaks of the Andes and the heights of Machu Picchu. He experiences the epic journeys of Cortes, Pizarro, Orellana and Cabeza de Vaca, and explores the turbulent and terrifying events surrounding the Spanish conquest of the Aztec and Inca empires. Wood brings these stories to vivid life, highlighting both the heroic accomplishments and the complex moral legacy of the European invasion. Conquistadors is Michael Wood at his best - thoughtful, provocative and gripping history. "In Conquistadors Michael Wood travels in the footsteps of some of the greatest of the Spanish adventurers, from Amazonia to Lake Titicaca and from the deserts of North Mexico to the heights of Machu Picchu. He experiences first hand the reality of epic journeys, such as those made by Hernan Cortes, and Francisco and Gonzalo Pizarro, and explores the turbulent and terrifying events surrounding the Spanish conquest of the Aztec and Inca empires. He also retraces Orellana's extraordinary voyage of discovery down the Amazon and Cabeza de Vaca's journey across America to the Pacific." "As well as bringing history alive with text and stunning pictures, Michael Wood grapples with the moral legacy of the European invasion. The stories in Conquistadors are not only of conquest, heroism and greed, but of changes in the way we see the world, in our view of history and civilization, justice and human rights."--Jacket "Following in the footsteps of the greatest Spanish adventurers, Michael Wood retraces the path of the conquistadors from Amazonia to Lake Titicaca, and from the deserts of North Mexico to the heights of Machu Picchu. As he travels the same routes as Hernán Cortés, and Francisco and Gonzalo Pizarro, Wood describes the dramatic events that accompanied the epic sixteenth-century Spanish conquest of the Aztec and Inca empires. He also follows parts of Orellana's extraordinary voyage of discovery down the Amazon and of Cabeza de Vaca's arduous journey across America to the Pacific. Few stories in history match these conquests for sheer drama, endurance, and distances covered, and Wood's gripping narrative brings them fully to life."--Publisher's description Follows in the footsteps of some of the greatest of the Spanish adventurers travelling from the forests of Amazonia to Lake Titicaca, the deserts of North Mexico, the snowpeaks of the Andes and the heights of Machu Picchu. This work explores the turbulent and terrifying events surrounding the Spanish conquest of the Aztec and Inca empires. The conquest of the New World allowed Europe to dominate the globe because a small number of Europeans were able to dispossess the peoples of America and exploit their riches. Michael Wood explores the history of the period