The true history of the conquest of New Spain
By: Bernal Díaz del Castillo ; translated with an introduction and notes [by] Janet Burke, Ted Humphrey
Contributors: Burke, Janet, 1943-; Humphrey, Ted, 1941-
Publisher: Hackett Pub. Co.; Hackett Publishing Company, Inc.
Published: 2012
Place of publication: Indianapolis, Indiana
Language: eng
Number of pages: 512
ISBN-13: 9781603842907; 9781603842914
Subjects: History
Work titles: Historia verdadera de la conquista de la Nueva España
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 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. --