Aztecs

by Michael E. Smith

This is a history of one of the best known peoples of pre-Columbian America. The Aztecs were the upstarts of Meso-America. Until the thirteenth century they were a little-known people practising subsistence agriculture in the north of what is now Mexico. At that time they migrated to the Valley of Mexico, and having first learnt military arts by hiring themselves as mercenaries to the Oaxacans and other established societies, promptly used these skills to subjugate their former masters, and to swallow up a succession of Meso-American kingdoms. By the time Cortes arrived they were the undisputed rulers of a large empire, which they kept subdued by regular human sacrifice and whose people they taxed to the bone (factors used by Cortes to foment rebellion).

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Latin American History, Anthropology

Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

See also:

Michael E. Smith, author on international relations
Michael E. Smith (Derbyshire)

Michael Ernest Smith (born 1953) is an American archaeologist working primarily with Aztec and general Mesoamerican archaeology. He has written numerous scholarly articles about central Mexican archaeology as well as several books about the Aztecs, among them a widely used textbook (Smith 2003). He is currently Professor of Anthropology in the School of Human Evolution and Social Change at Arizona State University. He is known for stressing the importance of assessing archaeological evidence independently of the ethnohistorical sources, and advocating its use as a source of knowledge about the Aztecs.

Reviews

[AskHistorians]

Comprehensive overview of Aztec (though primarily Mexica) history. This book is designed for a lay audience and summarizes both modern scholarship and primary sources. A great launching point for further reading. A bit heavier on the social aspects of life than the Townsend book.

[Celine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read the entire book for a Latin American civilizations class (one of many more to go rip), and I honestly truly enjoyed how comprehensive the information was. I'm someone who likes to take my classes seriously, but this one was special to me just because of my Hispanic/Latino heritage and because I really wanted to learn more about the history and culture of my family's homeland (viva Mexico!). I will say that I didn't once feel sick of reading this book, but that's just because, once again, I had a special bias for its topics. It was a very interesting read for me and it was eye-opening in the sense that I realized I also had this backwards idea of what Aztec societies were like, much like the Spanish pre-conquest. I also appreciated that the language was easily digestible and not too "scholarly" just for the sake of sounding academic. Overall, great read with great insight!

[Ted · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting and comprehensively researched overview of the Aztecs, written by an archaeologist and professor of anthropology with extensive fieldwork experience in Mexico. In short chapters, it covers the history of the Aztecs, their city states, social classes, governance, religious practices, sciences, arts, farming methods and many other aspects of their economy and culture. Each chapter is packed with information and duly footnoted with references to additional sources. The writing style is minimalistic which makes the book easy to read but also somewhat dry and at times short on detail.

I enjoyed the book and found it quite a compelling read. I especially liked the fact that the information presented was derived from serious academic research.

[Mia van den Dolder · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Aztecs by Michael Smith is amazingly written and jam packed with information surrounding all aspects of Aztec life. I found it extremely interesting how archeologists have derived all this information from such small pieces of a wider culture. I highly recommend this read as it contain interesting information of a civilisation long gone and adds a whimsical effect. This book may be morally confronting because of the gap in modern day and ancient culture but it creates an understanding of mexico's past that is often forgotten. Highly recommend 5/5

[Esteban Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informational regarding mesoamerican culture. Coming from the Azteca bloodline I have several tattoos tributing to the cultures. Learning more about my ancestors was great.

Did you know Azteca warriors used to believe they would reincarnate into hummingbirds after passing on the battlefield? Pretty sick

[Down With People · Rating 5 out of 5]

might get a lip plug because of this book

[Jordan Elings · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very informative and detailed book that will teach you much about the Aztec civilization and its complexities.

[Anastasiya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful information on the Aztec life - some history, interpretation of pictography, plenty of archaeological evidence backing up the text. Topics include warfare, merchants, artisanship, gender roles, myths, daily life. Not that much info on various festivals and celebrations.

I particularly recommend it because the author himself participated in many of the digs that he refers to. Both he and his wife are obviously very passionate experts on the subject. Many of the photographs he refers to were taken by him and several of the studies conducted were of his creation to answer specific questions he had.

[Esther Buddenhagen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a combination of excellent anthropology and history written by a guy who really knows his stuff and immerses the reader in the definitely different world of the Aztecs. Definitely worth reading. Mesoamerica is a world that is alien to most Norteamericanos, and this is a crime. We should immerse ourselves in our shared ancestors and relish the experience. This book is a fine place to start.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

While certainly not the most exciting book you will ever read, if you have any interest whatsoever in Mesoamerica cultures, then you will find elements of this book interesting. The parts about social constructs within the culture as well as religious rituals are especially riveting. Photographs, diagrams, and illustrations are included.

[Sasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a textbook; it's not light reading. But it's also the most authoritative account I could find of Aztec culture, and it's very informative. If you can find a more readable book with the same quality of info, I'd love to hear about it; otherwise, this will at least get the job done.

[Dfunky1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This text offers a good introduction to the culture of the Aztecs as well as excellent illustrations.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is very informative and interesting--it's not nearly as dry as most textbooks!

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Townsend and smith disagree on some point, but then this is still a growing subject and you can kind of expect that.