Corte s and Montezuma: History's Greatest Tale of Adventure and Conquest

by Maurice Collis

Book is reader quality with name sticker and price marked inside cover. Shelf wear. (bin 18)

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography

Paperback

First published January 1, 1954

About the author

Maurice Stewart Collis

Reviews

[Pete · Rating 5 out of 5]

i have, for reasons that are not entirely clear to me, read like six books about the conquest of mexico by hernan cortes (not counting the neil young track "cortez the killer" and covers of). it is a completely batshit story, is part of what keeps me coming back to it, and is also batshit in the specific way that like, donald trump accidentally becoming president is batshit -- a lot of weird things had to go wrong in weird ways in order for this to happen. the historical coincidences of cortes accidentally but consistently doing things that reaffirm montezuma's fear that he is queztalcoatl, returned from the east and mad about all the human sacrifices, are, in a word(s), very batshit. anyway, this book is short on boring military stuff and long on a kind of tender portrait of montezuma and a radiant love for bernal diaz, dotty old man recounting his youth as a conquistador. i feel for montezuma more than i previously did. he had a bad couple years there at the end. anyway highly recommended if you want like a very very gently sassy british grandpa from 70 years ago to tell you about how the white man destroyed the mexica and brought his poison to new worlds this is the book for you.

[Mariya · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a captivating narrative of a crucial moment in the history of America! Both the main actors in this drama with all their flaws and strengths have fascinating personalities.
Collis has a way of telling historical events like a fairytale, granted a bloody and terrifying tale, but engaging and mesmerizing nonetheless, and I just couldn’t put the book down. Oh, how I long to see the long lost Totonac gardens, the fierce warriors of Tlaxcala, the treasures of Moctezuma!
I have not the slightest idea whether all the events described are or can be proven true, but both facts and speculations were presented logically and convincingly. Either way, it is a very pleasant read, and I would recommend it to anyone interested in the history of Mexico.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing story, so well told. This is history that reads like fiction. And of course, good history needs a good storyteller. I'm curious what the historians of Mexico think of this book.

[Esther Perez Trejo · Rating 2 out of 5]

While the narrative pace is fast and keeps the story interesting, this book is highly biased and prejudiced, as the Conquest of Mexico is viewed through white-European eyes. The pages of this book are full of self-righteousness when judging the Mesoamerican cultures, which are depicted as "intellectually inferior to Europeans" and "savages". The author (British) should get off his high horse and acknowledge that equally henious acts to those committed by the Aztecs as part of their religion, have been commonplace in European history (ahem, witch hunting, massacres during centuries of colonization, chambers of torture, religious wars, slavery, etc, etc.). Humans can be barbaric, period, regardless of which culture we come from and which our cosmovision is. It's enraging that this author gets his mouth full by calling Mesoamerican civilizations highly supersticious, while Europe went through centuries of suffering as a result of religious wars (hypocrisy much?). Another aspect of the book that lowers its quality is that the author hardly cites any source of his statements. This is not a piece of historical research, it's simply a piece of entertaining, barely researched, historical fiction. Not recommended at all. There are way more serious and objective works on the topic. I wish I hadn't wasted my time on this book.

[Desislava Filipova · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Кортес и Моктесума" на Морис Колис не се отличава с образност и някакъв впечатляващ стил, тя е толкова проста и истинска, че представя фактите през очите на един от съвременниците на Кортес Бернал - обикновен войник, който в края на живота си пише мемоар за събитията, на които е бил очевидец.
Книгата представя сблъсъка две личности, за които не знаем много, но всеки от тях е изключителен, но това е сблъсък на две цивилизации, различни и противоречиви. Ацтеките (термин, който въвеждат европейците) са доста напреднали в много отношения - имат пътища, градове, модерно управление, развити занаяти, добри астрономи са, но имат жестоки и първични богове, които омилостивяват с човешки жертвоприношения, нарочно водят войни, за да се сдобиват с пленници, които да принесат в жертва. Очудващо е, как мексиканците са се оставили да бъдат завладяни, защото са вярвали, че Кортес е прероденият бог Кетцалкоатъл и е предопределено да ги завладее.
Книгата е много интерсна и обогатяваща, за един период от историята, който е преломен.

[Elijah Shears · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have any interest in the subject matter you will be satisfied with this purchase.

This book was a reminder to me of how much history channel sucks. You will learn more in one chapter of this book than in any four documentary films on or surrounding the topic. To this I must add that it is infinitely more vivid than film, and also brings about catharsis in the ending it chooses to draw for the story. Bravo Maurice! Bravo!

[Firiel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cortes is a fucking creepy pants!

[Merciful · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic! Heavily recommended!

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do tej książki podchodziłem sceptycznie i to tylko z tego powodu, że kupiłem ją za kilkanaście złotych w jednej z sieci "tanich książek".

Wrażenie jak najbardziej błędne, musiałem skorygować już w trakcie czytania książki. Autor, jeśli chodzi o źródła historyczne, powołuje się głównie na książkę "Historia verdadera de la conquista de la Nueva Espana" autorstwa Bernala Diaz del Castillo. Czasem wtrącił również cytat zaczerpnięty z "Kodeksu Florentyńskiego" Bernardina de Sahagun.

Opierając się na tych źródłach, autor, co jest niezwykle ważne, wyciąga swoje własne wnioski, w niektórych sprawach opierając się na domysłach, w innych na pewnym stopniu prawdopodobieństwa. Osobiście z większością jego sformułowanych opinii się zgadzałem, ale nie ze wszystkimi. I tu jest właśnie ryzyko czytania tej książki. Jeżeli ktoś nie miał nigdy do czynienia z historią podboju Meksyku, może łatwo przyjąć tezy autora za pewnik, miast skonfrontować je z własną opinią. Dlatego zalecam najpierw zgłębić jakąś inną książkę traktującą o podboju azteckiego imperium, która będzie bardziej obiektywna, a później dopiero sięgnąć po tę pozycję.

Ale że po tę pozycję sięgnąć warto, nie ma wątpliwości. Polecam.

[Paul Sarbaugh · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book dismantles the traditional narrative of the fall of the Aztec Empire by replacing it with the myth of the Noble Savage. It is an exercise in alternative history. At one moment the population of the Aztec Empire is discounted so as to minimize its conquest, while in another place gnocidaal numbers killed are credited to the Spaniish .The author likes debunking. He claims the American Revolution is another such mytic narrative full of the lies and deceit as much as the Spanish. He even compares what happened in the 1500s in Mexico to American atrocitiies in Vietnam in the twientieh century. The work deserves a prize for the fictional edifice it erects on second guesses and hypotheses. If you expect new documentary discoveries to be the basis of the book - there are none.

[Łukasz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cortes. Bohater czy morderca? Odkrył piękny Meksyk pełen bogactw, czy zniszczył doszczętnie wyjątkową cywilizację? Te dylematy od zawsze za mną chodzą i to się nie zmieni. Co do samej książki, to niestety mogłaby być lepsza. Ratują ją fakty i bardzo dobry materiał źródłowy, chociaż mam wrażenie, że to głównie przekład pamiętnika Bernala Diaza plus kilka analiz. Dla świadomości - warto się zapoznać.

[Hugh Downs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty crazy story.

[Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviews about this book have mentioned its partiality to the Spanish. I am a novice of history and of this episode particularly; however, considering historical sources on events so antiquated are dubious at best, the author took a fine stab at an objective view of the complex and seemingly conflicted cultural policies and devices of the Mexicans. To be sure, most of the book is lifted from Bernal's admittedly clumsy portrayal of the events, looking back as an old man. But I for one was enlightened about the conquistadors' relationship with Montezuma and other sympathetic Mexicans, and I came away with a much more balanced and informed view of the conquest of Mexico.

[Justiceb99 · Rating 4 out of 5]

the genre of the book is biography, has a lot of action and violence involved,Landing on the Mexican coast on Good Friday, 1519, Hernán Cortés felt himself the bearer of a divine burden to conquer and convert the first advanced civilization Europeans had yet encountered in the West. For Montezuma, leader of the Mexicans, April 21, 1519, He was the precise date of a dire prophesy: the return of Quetzalcoatl, a fearsome god predicted to arrive by ship, from the East, with light skin, a black beard, robed in black—exactly as Cortés would.

[Cristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

A highly readable, action-packed, work of historical non-fiction. Maurice Collins renders the complex series of events that precipitated the Spanish conquest of Mexico intelligently and compassionately, although his factual accuracy should probably be called into question. As far as I can tell, the work is based almost entirely on Bernal's "True History of the Conquest of Mexico" (1632) which makes me think that Montezuma's side of this story must be under-represented.

[Adi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've never really been too familiar with Cortés' adventures and conquests, I only knew about a few major events, related to him. This book however was a really great introduction what an amazing life he had. A brave leader, he was the kind of person, who feared nothing and nobody. I enjoyed reading about him, and learning more about his courageous quests in Central America.

[Evan Kolacny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to read this for a class, and I'm currently starting a paper about my reflections on how I believe that Montezuma was a genuine person. One thing that was hard was that this book is nearly one sided towards the Spanish side, but it would be awesome to see what Montezuma's side was like.

[Alanseinfeld · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good book, excellent read. Collis, presents a vivid picture of events, that, changed the world. Full of adventure, shocks and more importantly keeps the reader interested. This is a history book - highly recommend.

[Mark Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written narrative of the events of the conflict.

[Kobe Bryant · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked that Montezuma thought Cortes was Quetzalcoatl, a God, but just wanted him to leave him alone

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic source. Perfectly clear and concise. Highly recommend it.