The History of the Conquest of New Spain by Bernal Díaz del Castillo by Davíd Carrasco (University of New Mexico Press)

This is an eyewitness account by a soldier who participated in all the major expeditions of the conquest of Old Mexico (now called the Aztec empire) by conquistadors and also a brief account of the conquest of the Mayan lands of Guatemala. The major figure of the first conquest is Hernan Cortes and of the second, Pedro de Alvorado. This edition provides essential, clear, and extremely important maps, as well as a number of short essays to contextualize the participants and the culture of the Mexica Indians or, as we now call them, Aztecs. For example, we learn of La Malinche, the Aztec woman who served as both the mistress and interpreter of Cortes at every stage of the invasion; other essays cover sexuality in the conquest and the cultural context of human sacrifice. It is a riveting story, even though, or perhaps because, the author is a simple man: a good soldier who provides an objective chronicle of the episodes of this monumental conquest. Del Castillo's character study of Montezuma, including the account of his death, is masterful and infinitely sad. Both sides, from their own viewpoint, routinely practiced savage cruelty and at the same time were capable of courage, magnanimity, and refinement. This account -- one of the the greatest adventures of all time -- filled me with awe, pity, and dread.