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emersonito's review against another edition
4.0
This book is an excellent primary source of the conquest of Mexico. Reading this book felt like a novel, filled with outstanding storytelling about the brutal history of colonization. The bias of the conquistador who wrote this can be critiqued. However, it still pulls off the extraordinary task of retelling the experiences of people of many cultures hundreds of years ago.
gianni_francis's review against another edition
5.0
Bernal Diaz del Castillo was a conquistador who accompanied Cortes (and others) on the initial conquest of Tenochtitlan (Mexico). Gifted with a graphic memory and a sense of the dramatic, God allowed Mr. Diaz del Castillo to survive many near death experiences--including a spear-thrust to the throat and a near capture by Indians, dealing them a "few good thrusts," and saving himself, not without "a copious loss of blood." All by the age of 24.
Mr. Diaz del Castillo gives proper thanks to the Lord Our God and His Blessed Mother for his survival. As does Cortes and the other conquistadors. They are a reverent and faithful bunch, saying Mass and hearing confessions frequently, especially before imminent danger. When there is no chance for comfort or glory, faith is the conquistador's only companion.
"It was true that God had given us a victory in each battle great and small...and of His great mercy had supported us while he had been in this providence, but we ought not to tempt Him..."
With unintentionally comedic repetition, Mr. Diaz explains to all 500 of the native tribes they meet: "the purpose in sending us to their lands was to abolish human sacrifices and other evil rites they practiced, and that they not rob one another and that they cease to worship their accursed idols," and: "Now we have an opportunity to explain the truth of out holy faith." Yes, we get it lol
The same goes for descriptions of ritual human sacrifice Mr. Diaz sees evidence for in the cues(temples) by papas(priests) and witnesses firsthand, by all 500 of the native tribes they meet (even the friendly ones!): splitting open the chests of men and children, removing the hearts, cutting off the arms and legs to devour the flesh. Mr. Diaz admits to his tiresome repetition in his descriptions of these rites, somewhat post-ironically. The same goes for the endless and "tiresome descriptions" battles between the Mexicans and the Spanish after *spoilers* Montezuma is stoned to death by his own people.
Montezuma is a Kurtz-like enigma. The conquistadors communicate with him through messages sent by his caciquesfor the first 100 pages before meeting him almost halfway through the account. There meeting is a little tense at first, but then Montezuma and Cortes become friends, partly due to the legend of the teules (gods). (The natives considered the Spainards supernatural beings that were sent to rule over them.)
Cortes is a Catholic who wants to put a cross and a picture of Our Lady at the temple where Montezuma makes sacrifices to Huicholobos (Mexican god of death) and Tezcatlipoca (god of Hell) and for Montezuma to stop sacrificing human beings. What else?
Though Montezuma really likes and respects his new friends and "continued to show good will but never ceased his daily sacrifices of human beings [while in Spanish captivity]." Poor guy was torn between the new gods and the old gods, and *spoilers* sadly died before being baptized, though he did seem open to it. Baptism by desire anyone?
Mr. Diaz del Castillo gives proper thanks to the Lord Our God and His Blessed Mother for his survival. As does Cortes and the other conquistadors. They are a reverent and faithful bunch, saying Mass and hearing confessions frequently, especially before imminent danger. When there is no chance for comfort or glory, faith is the conquistador's only companion.
"It was true that God had given us a victory in each battle great and small...and of His great mercy had supported us while he had been in this providence, but we ought not to tempt Him..."
With unintentionally comedic repetition, Mr. Diaz explains to all 500 of the native tribes they meet: "the purpose in sending us to their lands was to abolish human sacrifices and other evil rites they practiced, and that they not rob one another and that they cease to worship their accursed idols," and: "Now we have an opportunity to explain the truth of out holy faith." Yes, we get it lol
The same goes for descriptions of ritual human sacrifice Mr. Diaz sees evidence for in the cues(temples) by papas(priests) and witnesses firsthand, by all 500 of the native tribes they meet (even the friendly ones!): splitting open the chests of men and children, removing the hearts, cutting off the arms and legs to devour the flesh. Mr. Diaz admits to his tiresome repetition in his descriptions of these rites, somewhat post-ironically. The same goes for the endless and "tiresome descriptions" battles between the Mexicans and the Spanish after *spoilers* Montezuma is stoned to death by his own people.
Montezuma is a Kurtz-like enigma. The conquistadors communicate with him through messages sent by his caciquesfor the first 100 pages before meeting him almost halfway through the account. There meeting is a little tense at first, but then Montezuma and Cortes become friends, partly due to the legend of the teules (gods). (The natives considered the Spainards supernatural beings that were sent to rule over them.)
Cortes is a Catholic who wants to put a cross and a picture of Our Lady at the temple where Montezuma makes sacrifices to Huicholobos (Mexican god of death) and Tezcatlipoca (god of Hell) and for Montezuma to stop sacrificing human beings. What else?
Though Montezuma really likes and respects his new friends and "continued to show good will but never ceased his daily sacrifices of human beings [while in Spanish captivity]." Poor guy was torn between the new gods and the old gods, and *spoilers* sadly died before being baptized, though he did seem open to it. Baptism by desire anyone?
mswm36's review against another edition
5.0
Diaz gives a first-hand account of the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire in 1519-1521. He paints a vivid picture of the action that took place during the conquest: the battles fought against, and alliances formed with, the various native tribes on the march to Mexico; the many challenges faced by the Spanish and their leader, Cortes, including significant internal division at times; and the siege and eventual capture of Mexico. His descriptions of the Mexican's ritual of sacrifice are particularly captivating, including this passage during the capture of Mexico:
We saw our comrades who had been captured in Cortes' defeat being dragged up the steps to be sacrificed. When they had hauled them up to a small platform in front of the shrine where they kept their accursed idols we saw them put plumes on the heads of many of them: and then they made them dance with a sort of fan in front of Huichilobos. Then after they had danced the papas laid them down on their backs on some narrow stones of sacrifice and, cutting open their chests, drew out their palpitating hearts which they offered to the idols before them. Then they kicked their bodies down the steps, and the Indian butchers who were waiting below cut off their arms and legs and flayed their faces, which they afterwards prepared like glove leather, with their beards on, and kept for their drunken festivals.
Diaz gave his account almost 50 years after the conquest. This naturally leads to questions about the reliability of Diaz's memory and the account. Nevertheless, his account is a gripping read and provides a fascinating insight into Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica and the events that led to the fall of the Aztec Empire.
We saw our comrades who had been captured in Cortes' defeat being dragged up the steps to be sacrificed. When they had hauled them up to a small platform in front of the shrine where they kept their accursed idols we saw them put plumes on the heads of many of them: and then they made them dance with a sort of fan in front of Huichilobos. Then after they had danced the papas laid them down on their backs on some narrow stones of sacrifice and, cutting open their chests, drew out their palpitating hearts which they offered to the idols before them. Then they kicked their bodies down the steps, and the Indian butchers who were waiting below cut off their arms and legs and flayed their faces, which they afterwards prepared like glove leather, with their beards on, and kept for their drunken festivals.
Diaz gave his account almost 50 years after the conquest. This naturally leads to questions about the reliability of Diaz's memory and the account. Nevertheless, his account is a gripping read and provides a fascinating insight into Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica and the events that led to the fall of the Aztec Empire.
dorthepedersen_reads's review against another edition
4.0
Denne bog er ikke en pageturner; men alene i kraft af, at den udgør en 500 år gammel øjenvidneberetning, er den historisk set voldsomt interessant! Stille og roligt fortæller Díaz om "hverdagen" under erobringen af Mexico, uden pomp & pragt, men med en meget troværdig intensitet.
betarayblake's review against another edition
5.0
Imagine going through Hell and all you get in the end is 60 pesos.
jamesorr70's review against another edition
4.0
Amazing that a 500yr old book can be so entertaining. Diaz is a great story teller, giving not just a first person narrative of the conquest but of the mind set of the Spaniards as well. This was written as a response to historians who Diaz thought had represented the events rather poorly and as a response to Las Casas so one has to keep in mind the intentions of Diaz. However the brilliance of Cortez from not just a military standpoint but a political one cannot be denied. One of the most interesting things I learned was how similar the ruling class of Moctezuma was to that of Europe, strengthening control through intermarriage and bribery.