First published in 1928. 'These letters, well edited tell of a great conqueror, fighting for God and his king, and reveal the might proportions of the truly Elizabethan character that was Hernando Cortés.' Times Literary Supplement. Cortés's letters to the Emperor from Mexico are half-letters, half-despatches. The letters were all written between 1519 and 1526. Letter One: Despite the original never having been recovered, there is little doubt about the contents of this letter. The earliest discoveries of the mainland from 1517 onwards are outlined. Letter Two: Arguably the most dramatic of the five, this letter opens with the advance into the heart of the hostile country and the capture of the monarch. Letter Three: This letter covers the advance of Cortés into Culua, the assault on the capital itself and the various enterprises undertaken by the Conqueror to extend his power throughout Mexico. Letter Four: This letter is mainly concerned with organizational affairs, with the visit of Garay, causing rebellion in Pánuco, and concluding with the Frenchman's death, being the most important incident. Letter Five: Beginning with the start of the expedition to Honduras, and chronicling the trials and tribulations of the daring journey, this letter ends with an account of Cortés' triumphant return to the post of Governor after several years' absence.
In this astonishing work of scholarship that reads like an edge-of-your-seat adventure thriller, acclaimed historian Buddy Levy records the last days of the Aztec empire and the two men at the center of an epic clash of cultures perhaps unequaled to this day. It was a moment unique in human history, the face-to-face meeting between two men from civilizations a world apart. In 1519, Hernán Cortés arrived on the shores of Mexico, determined not only to expand the Spanish empire but to convert the natives to Catholicism and carry off a fortune in gold. That he saw nothing paradoxical in carrying out his intentions by virtually annihilating a proud and accomplished native people is one of the most remarkable and tragic aspects of this unforgettable story. In Tenochtitlán Cortés met his Aztec counterpart, Montezuma: king, divinity, commander of the most powerful military machine in the Americas and ruler of a city whose splendor equaled anything in Europe. Yet in less than two years, Cortés defeated the entire Aztec nation in one of the most astounding battles ever waged. The story of a lost kingdom, a relentless conqueror, and a doomed warrior, Conquistador is history at its most riveting.
Written over a seven-year period to Charles V of Spain, Hernan Cortes's letters provide a narrative account of the conquest of Mexico from the founding of the coastal town of Veracruz until Cortes's journey to Honduras in 1525. The two introductions set the letters in context.
In 1519, with a small band of a few hundred soldiers, Cortes invaded the mighty Aztec empire. Although the Aztecs greatly outnumbered them, Cortes's men were able to conquer the natives and capture their emperor. The arrival of Cortes in 1519 helped shape
Describes the life of Hernando Cortés, the Spanish explorer who discovered Baja California and explored the Pacific coast of Mexico, but who is best remembered for conquering the Aztec Empire.