The True History of The Conquest of New Spain (Hackett Classics)

Translated, with an Introduction and Notes, by Janet Burke & Ted Humphrey. This rugged new translation-the first entirely new English translation in half a century and the only one based on the most recent critical edition of the Guatemalan MS-allows Diaz to recount, in his own battle-weary and often cynical voice, the achievements, stratagems, and frequent cruelty of Hernando Cortes and his men as they set out to overthrow Moctezuma's Aztec kingdom and establish a Spanish empire in the New World. The concise contextual introduction to this volume traces the origins, history, and methods of the Spanish enterprise in the Americas, it also discusses the nature of the conflict between the Spanish and the Aztecs in Mexico, and compares Diaz's version of events to those of other contemporary chroniclers. Editorial glosses summarize omitted portions, and substantial footnotes explain those terms, names, and cultural references in Diaz's text that may be unfamiliar to modern readers. A chronology of the Conquest is included, as are a guide to major figures, a select bibliography, and three maps. Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Contents 8 Acknowledgments 10 Introduction 12 Note on the Translation 33 Figures Prominent in Bernal Diaz del Castillo's True History 38 Timeline for the Conquest of Mexico 43 Sources and Further Reading 46 The True History of the Conquest of New Spain 50 1. I am Bernal Díaz del Castillo 52 2. A Gentleman Named Hernando Cortés 62 3. On the Tenth Day of February, 1519, We Set Sail 76 4. I am the Spaniard 84 5. Doña Marina, They Spread It Around That She Had Died 105 6. We Ordered the Creation, Founding, and Settling of a Town 121 7. The Caciques and Papas Saw How Just We Were 142 8. We Left for Tlaxcala 159 9. We Entered This City on the 23rd of September, 1519 191 10. Our Road Was through Cholula 209 11. The Great Montezuma Stepped Out of the Litter 228 12. To Secure Our Lives, We Should Seize Montezuma 258 13. All Men Generally Desire Gold 281 14. Pánfilo de Narváez Was Coming by Sea 310 15. Alvarado Was Besieged and Mexico Was in Revolt 350 16. In Mexico They Elevated Another Lord 382 17. Guatemuz Should Come in Peace 407 18. Without the Brigantines We Could Not Invade 434 19. For Ninety-Three Days We Were Constantly Battling 468 20. Epilogue 491 This rugged new translation-the first entirely new English translation in half a century and the only one based on the most recent critical edition of the Guatemalan MS-allows Diaz to recount, in his own battle-weary and often cynical voice, the achievements, stratagems, and frequent cruelty of Hernando Cortes and his men as they set out to overthrow Moctezuma's Aztec kingdom and establish a Spanish empire in the New World. The concise contextual introduction to this volume traces the origins, history, and methods of the Spanish enterprise in the Americas, it also discusses the nature of the conflict between the Spanish and the Aztecs in Mexico, and compares Diaz's version of events to those of other contemporary chroniclers. Editorial glosses summarize omitted portions, and substantial footnotes explain those terms, names, and cultural references in Diaz's text that may be unfamiliar to modern readers. A chronology of the Conquest is included, as are a guide to major figures, a select bibliography, and three maps. - Publisher's description This rugged new translation -- the first entirely new English translation in half a century and the only one based on the most recent critical edition of the Guatemalan MS -- allows Diaz to recount, in his own battle-weary and often cynical voice, the achievements, stratagems, and frequent cruelty of Hernando Cortes and his men as they set out to overthrow Moctezuma's Aztec kingdom and establish a Spanish empire in the New World. The concise contextual introduction to this volume traces the origins, history, and methods of the Spanish enterprise in the Americas; it also discusses the nature of the conflict between the Spanish and the Aztecs in Mexico, and compares Diaz's version of events to those of other contemporary chroniclers. Editorial glosses summarise omitted portions, and substantial footnotes explain those terms, names, and cultural references in Diaz's text that may be unfamiliar to modern readers. A chronology of the Conquest is included, as are a guide to major figures, a select bibliography, and three maps Castillo, a soldier in Cortés's army, participated in the discovery and conquest of New Spain (which included much of North America below Canada, Mexico and most of the rest of Central America) in the early 1500s, and wrote of his experiences as an "ordinary" soldier in the conquest of the Aztec Empire. While it is certainly not the only translation of this historical narrative, translators Burke and Humphrey (ethics and Latin American intellectual history, Arizona State U.) took pains to remain true as true as possible to the original prose. Annotation ©2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) A follower of Hernando Cortez describes how a small group of Spaniards was able to defeat the mighty Aztecs and lay claim to their territory and treasures for Spain.