Conquistador

Hernan Cortes, King Montezuma, and the Last Stand of the Aztecs

By: Buddy Levy

Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor

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 his intentions is one of the most remarkable and tragic aspects of this unforgettable story.

In Tenochtitlán, Cortés met his Aztec counterpart, Montezuma: king, divinity, and commander of the most powerful military in the Americas. 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.

©2008 Buddy Levy (P)2008 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Lively account of the Spanish conquest of Mexico." ( Kirkus)
"Drawing heavily on both Spanish and Aztec sources...Levy gives a straightforward telling of the entire story.... Well-written.... Highly recommended." ( Library Journal)

This will give you the rest of the story.

I chose this book because I love history and knew NOTHING about Cortez except some vague high school history or Hollywood account of greedy Spaniards unnecessarily wiping out the poor, innocent Aztecs . Um. Not the whole story. Granted, the Aztecs were minding their own business when Cortez arrived - having built the largest civilization on the planet. Granted, there was the whole gold and greed thing, but there was also disgust for human sacrifice and roasted babies. Which was worse? This book does a great job of explaining how the whole conquering thing went down. The book was really good and the narrator did a good job. Other reviewers commented on his silly Spanish accent - and I agree. But, it made me snort/laugh every time I heard it - so that's not so bad, is it? I agree with another reviewer - I would have liked to have seen the wonders that Cortez saw.

History I have never heard.

Every moment was a surprise with compelling detail and a suspense that made me listen closely.

An Awesome Story Well Told

History is as good as any fictional novel if it is well researched and written. This book is, very glad I got it.

Randy

One of the best books I have ever owned!! One of the few history books far far from boring!

a very engaging listen.

I learned a lot. It's well laid out making it easy to listen to.