The Conquistadors: A Very Short Introduction [Paperback]

With startling speed, Spanish conquistadors invaded hundreds of Native American kingdoms, took over the mighty empires of the Aztecs and Incas, and initiated an unprecedented redistribution of the world's resources and balance of power. They changed the course of history, but the myth they established was even stranger than their real achievements. ThisVery Short Introductiondeploys the latest scholarship to shatter and replace the traditional narrativeWith startling speed, Spanish conquistadors invaded hundreds of Native American kingdoms, took over the mighty empires of the Aztecs and Incas, and initiated an unprecedented redistribution of the world's resources and balance of power. They changed the course of history, but the myth they established was even stranger than their real achievements. ThisVery Short Introductiondeploys the latest scholarship to shatter and replace the traditional narrative. Chapters explore New World civilizations prior to the invasions, the genesis of conquistador culture on both sides of the Atlantic, the roles black Africans and Native Americans played, and the consequences of the invasions. The book reveals who the conquistadors were and what made their adventures possible.PrefaceCh 1 A Great Many HardshipsCh 2 Many Victories, Great ConquestsCh 3 To Give Account of Whom I AmCh 4 By a Miracle of GodCh 5 A Shortcut to the GraveFurther ReadingMatthew Restallis Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of Latin American History and Director of Latin American Studies, Pennsylvania State University.Felipe Fern?ndez-Armestois William P. Reynolds Professor of History, University of Notre Dame. Dismissing hoary myths, revising the political narrative, integrating the new findings from ethnohistory, and never losing sight of the conquistadors themselves and their indigenous allies as the protagonists of the story, this book provides an intelligent and fresh overview of the conquest of Spanish America for tl£¾