That rare thing ,an interesting and engaging history book., 08 Apr 2001
The activities in this book are well thought out with step by step instructions which make the book easy to read, browse through and work from. This book would be an ideal aid to any child's Aztec project in school, help children develop an interest in world history or simply fill a rainy day. All the activities in the book are supported by historical facts which are clearly explained in child-friendly language that can be easily read and understood. I have seen this book used in a primary school and would also reccommend it highly to any teacher who is embarking upon the topic of the Aztecs as a good source of activity ideas which give good opportunities for adaptation according to ability. My only complaint about the book is that there isn't more of it!

That rare thing ,an interesting and engaging history book., 08 Apr 2001
The activities in this book are well thought out with step by step instructions which make the book easy to read, browse through and work from. This book would be an ideal aid to any child's Aztec project in school, help children develop an interest in world history or simply fill a rainy day. All the activities in the book are supported by historical facts which are clearly explained in child-friendly language that can be easily read and understood. I have seen this book used in a primary school and would also reccommend it highly to any teacher who is embarking upon the topic of the Aztecs as a good source of activity ideas which give good opportunities for adaptation according to ability. My only complaint about the book is that there isn't more of it!

Absolutely superb insight into the life of an ordinary Spanish Conquistador, 06 Jun 2008
Over the last couple of years I've been quite interested in the Spanish conquest of South America, and I had heard this book referred to a couple of times, so thought I would pick it up.

Anyone with even just a passing interest in South America history should grab a copy. It's easily one of the most gripping and interesting books I've ever read.

The story is translated from the original Spanish of a soldier who traveled with Hernan Cortes and his small band of soldiers, who eventually overthrew a rich and powerful civilisation.

Bernal Diaz' story starts with his involvement in a couple of early investigations of the Mexican coast, moving onto his expedition with Cortes. He explains the movements and battles in detail, meetings between 2 cultures who didn't really know what to make of each other, building towards the incredible climax of fearsome resistance and house to house fighting in the fall of Tenochtitlan.

A truly amazing book that is a must read for anyone with an interest in history.

Couldn't put it down. Fact with the grip of fiction., 25 Apr 2002
The translator, Cohen, has drawn the salient facts from someone who was actually there, Bernal Diaz.

Helps you to understand the scale of what was achieved, how it was achieved, and what drove them to achieve.

Excellent. Written in a straightforward manner. Read it, then read it to my children who found it gripping.

Brilliant, 18 Dec 2001
.. it is probably the best historical book i have read. the fact it was written 500 years ago and is still interesting to the average person is rare. diaz writes without bias and dispite being and old book and translated it reads easy. if you are thinking of finding out about the conquest or the Aztecs this is the best book to start with.

A great book - pity about the edition, 13 Dec 2001
Bernal Diaz's account of the conquest of Tenochtitlan by the Spanish is one of the best documents of that famous event. He is not the world's best writer, but for sheer historical interest his work is fascinating in itself.

However, prospective buyers ought to be aware that this edition cuts out significant portions of the text on really quite important sections - for instance, the Tepeaca campaign; the arrival of Panfilo Narvaez; and others - and so it is no subsitute for consulting the full book in its Spanish original in a good library.

Still, it is better than nothing.

Conquest of a Continent, 02 Jul 2001
Bernal Diaz's account of his expirences in New Spain (i.e, Mexico and the Aztec Empire) is one of the key texts associated with the expansion into and colonisation of Central and South America by the Spanish in the Sixteenth Century. His first hand account of the Mexica and the practices of the Aztecs, as well as his description of the events leading up to the eventual defeat of the once mighty Aztec Empire by a small band of Spanish adventurers provides important and interesting information about this period and on South American History.

While there are notable inaccuracies and biases in Diaz's account, the editor (J.M. Cohen)provides an excellent interpretation of this primary document and points the reader in the right direction as far as what interpretation to give Diaz's text (written when the former soldier was a very old, and probably bitter, man). However, through no fault of the editor, Diaz suffers from considerable verbal diahorea and much of his account is neither intersting or relevant. Nevertheless, this is one of the most important and complete contemporary documents on the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs, and also one of the few to survive.

That rare thing ,an interesting and engaging history book., 08 Apr 2001
The activities in this book are well thought out with step by step instructions which make the book easy to read, browse through and work from. This book would be an ideal aid to any child's Aztec project in school, help children develop an interest in world history or simply fill a rainy day. All the activities in the book are supported by historical facts which are clearly explained in child-friendly language that can be easily read and understood. I have seen this book used in a primary school and would also reccommend it highly to any teacher who is embarking upon the topic of the Aztecs as a good source of activity ideas which give good opportunities for adaptation according to ability. My only complaint about the book is that there isn't more of it!

Absolutely superb insight into the life of an ordinary Spanish Conquistador, 06 Jun 2008
Over the last couple of years I've been quite interested in the Spanish conquest of South America, and I had heard this book referred to a couple of times, so thought I would pick it up.

Anyone with even just a passing interest in South America history should grab a copy. It's easily one of the most gripping and interesting books I've ever read.

The story is translated from the original Spanish of a soldier who traveled with Hernan Cortes and his small band of soldiers, who eventually overthrew a rich and powerful civilisation.

Bernal Diaz' story starts with his involvement in a couple of early investigations of the Mexican coast, moving onto his expedition with Cortes. He explains the movements and battles in detail, meetings between 2 cultures who didn't really know what to make of each other, building towards the incredible climax of fearsome resistance and house to house fighting in the fall of Tenochtitlan.

A truly amazing book that is a must read for anyone with an interest in history.

Couldn't put it down. Fact with the grip of fiction., 25 Apr 2002
The translator, Cohen, has drawn the salient facts from someone who was actually there, Bernal Diaz.

Helps you to understand the scale of what was achieved, how it was achieved, and what drove them to achieve.

Excellent. Written in a straightforward manner. Read it, then read it to my children who found it gripping.

Brilliant, 18 Dec 2001
.. it is probably the best historical book i have read. the fact it was written 500 years ago and is still interesting to the average person is rare. diaz writes without bias and dispite being and old book and translated it reads easy. if you are thinking of finding out about the conquest or the Aztecs this is the best book to start with.

A great book - pity about the edition, 13 Dec 2001
Bernal Diaz's account of the conquest of Tenochtitlan by the Spanish is one of the best documents of that famous event. He is not the world's best writer, but for sheer historical interest his work is fascinating in itself.

However, prospective buyers ought to be aware that this edition cuts out significant portions of the text on really quite important sections - for instance, the Tepeaca campaign; the arrival of Panfilo Narvaez; and others - and so it is no subsitute for consulting the full book in its Spanish original in a good library.

Still, it is better than nothing.

Conquest of a Continent, 02 Jul 2001
Bernal Diaz's account of his expirences in New Spain (i.e, Mexico and the Aztec Empire) is one of the key texts associated with the expansion into and colonisation of Central and South America by the Spanish in the Sixteenth Century. His first hand account of the Mexica and the practices of the Aztecs, as well as his description of the events leading up to the eventual defeat of the once mighty Aztec Empire by a small band of Spanish adventurers provides important and interesting information about this period and on South American History.

While there are notable inaccuracies and biases in Diaz's account, the editor (J.M. Cohen)provides an excellent interpretation of this primary document and points the reader in the right direction as far as what interpretation to give Diaz's text (written when the former soldier was a very old, and probably bitter, man). However, through no fault of the editor, Diaz suffers from considerable verbal diahorea and much of his account is neither intersting or relevant. Nevertheless, this is one of the most important and complete contemporary documents on the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs, and also one of the few to survive.

PAZ PERFECTLY DESCRIBES WHO MEXICANS ARE AND WHY THEY ARE, 03 Mar 1999
No other book has been able to accurately describe the Mexican psyche as Paz has done in this book. His eloquent prose style captivates the Mexican spirit in all its grace and in all its sadness. He brings all of Mexico's conflicts and taboos together and strips off all its masks to reveal the Mexican. I found his style to be poetic, eloquent, and majestic. Never had I read a book as powerfull and truthfull as Paz's. It is no wonder Paz was honored to receive the Nobel prize for this work. Any individual willing to read this book will finish it understanding Mexican culture and history better.

The most complete and detailed radiography of Mexico., 26 Feb 1999
Some say that when this masterpiece appeared in Mexico it was perceived as a mexican offending his own country, many censured Paz ideas:the birth of criticism and freedom of speech was taking place in Mexico.Since those years (the 50's), this radiography hasn't change a lot and this book has become a truly must read book. Its like a pre guide tour of one of the most mysterious countries in the world.Paz wrote about mexicans masks and inner faces. His sensual poetic prose dances with intelligence and beauty.

Magnificant top of the line, 12 Nov 1998
To Octavio Paz you were a great writer to bad you have perished. This is book that will help any gringo who doesn't understand the mexican mentallity will be able to consume it verbally. And also for those who have some background of mexican ancestry will not be ignorant of there culture and learn more about it. Viva Mexico!

That rare thing ,an interesting and engaging history book., 08 Apr 2001
The activities in this book are well thought out with step by step instructions which make the book easy to read, browse through and work from. This book would be an ideal aid to any child's Aztec project in school, help children develop an interest in world history or simply fill a rainy day. All the activities in the book are supported by historical facts which are clearly explained in child-friendly language that can be easily read and understood. I have seen this book used in a primary school and would also reccommend it highly to any teacher who is embarking upon the topic of the Aztecs as a good source of activity ideas which give good opportunities for adaptation according to ability. My only complaint about the book is that there isn't more of it!

Absolutely superb insight into the life of an ordinary Spanish Conquistador, 06 Jun 2008
Over the last couple of years I've been quite interested in the Spanish conquest of South America, and I had heard this book referred to a couple of times, so thought I would pick it up.

Anyone with even just a passing interest in South America history should grab a copy. It's easily one of the most gripping and interesting books I've ever read.

The story is translated from the original Spanish of a soldier who traveled with Hernan Cortes and his small band of soldiers, who eventually overthrew a rich and powerful civilisation.

Bernal Diaz' story starts with his involvement in a couple of early investigations of the Mexican coast, moving onto his expedition with Cortes. He explains the movements and battles in detail, meetings between 2 cultures who didn't really know what to make of each other, building towards the incredible climax of fearsome resistance and house to house fighting in the fall of Tenochtitlan.

A truly amazing book that is a must read for anyone with an interest in history.

Couldn't put it down. Fact with the grip of fiction., 25 Apr 2002
The translator, Cohen, has drawn the salient facts from someone who was actually there, Bernal Diaz.

Helps you to understand the scale of what was achieved, how it was achieved, and what drove them to achieve.

Excellent. Written in a straightforward manner. Read it, then read it to my children who found it gripping.

Brilliant, 18 Dec 2001
.. it is probably the best historical book i have read. the fact it was written 500 years ago and is still interesting to the average person is rare. diaz writes without bias and dispite being and old book and translated it reads easy. if you are thinking of finding out about the conquest or the Aztecs this is the best book to start with.

A great book - pity about the edition, 13 Dec 2001
Bernal Diaz's account of the conquest of Tenochtitlan by the Spanish is one of the best documents of that famous event. He is not the world's best writer, but for sheer historical interest his work is fascinating in itself.

However, prospective buyers ought to be aware that this edition cuts out significant portions of the text on really quite important sections - for instance, the Tepeaca campaign; the arrival of Panfilo Narvaez; and others - and so it is no subsitute for consulting the full book in its Spanish original in a good library.

Still, it is better than nothing.

Conquest of a Continent, 02 Jul 2001
Bernal Diaz's account of his expirences in New Spain (i.e, Mexico and the Aztec Empire) is one of the key texts associated with the expansion into and colonisation of Central and South America by the Spanish in the Sixteenth Century. His first hand account of the Mexica and the practices of the Aztecs, as well as his description of the events leading up to the eventual defeat of the once mighty Aztec Empire by a small band of Spanish adventurers provides important and interesting information about this period and on South American History.

While there are notable inaccuracies and biases in Diaz's account, the editor (J.M. Cohen)provides an excellent interpretation of this primary document and points the reader in the right direction as far as what interpretation to give Diaz's text (written when the former soldier was a very old, and probably bitter, man). However, through no fault of the editor, Diaz suffers from considerable verbal diahorea and much of his account is neither intersting or relevant. Nevertheless, this is one of the most important and complete contemporary documents on the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs, and also one of the few to survive.

PAZ PERFECTLY DESCRIBES WHO MEXICANS ARE AND WHY THEY ARE, 03 Mar 1999
No other book has been able to accurately describe the Mexican psyche as Paz has done in this book. His eloquent prose style captivates the Mexican spirit in all its grace and in all its sadness. He brings all of Mexico's conflicts and taboos together and strips off all its masks to reveal the Mexican. I found his style to be poetic, eloquent, and majestic. Never had I read a book as powerfull and truthfull as Paz's. It is no wonder Paz was honored to receive the Nobel prize for this work. Any individual willing to read this book will finish it understanding Mexican culture and history better.

The most complete and detailed radiography of Mexico., 26 Feb 1999
Some say that when this masterpiece appeared in Mexico it was perceived as a mexican offending his own country, many censured Paz ideas:the birth of criticism and freedom of speech was taking place in Mexico.Since those years (the 50's), this radiography hasn't change a lot and this book has become a truly must read book. Its like a pre guide tour of one of the most mysterious countries in the world.Paz wrote about mexicans masks and inner faces. His sensual poetic prose dances with intelligence and beauty.

Magnificant top of the line, 12 Nov 1998
To Octavio Paz you were a great writer to bad you have perished. This is book that will help any gringo who doesn't understand the mexican mentallity will be able to consume it verbally. And also for those who have some background of mexican ancestry will not be ignorant of there culture and learn more about it. Viva Mexico!

La Noche Triste: The Spanish conquest of the Aztecs, 14 Jan 2006
The most striking aspect of "The Sad Night: The Story of an Aztec Victory and a Spanish Loss," is the artwork by Sally Schofer Mathews, which is based on the stylized codex art of the ancient Aztecs. I remember being fascinated by the ancient pictures of the Aztec rituals and Spanish soldiers who marched into Mexico in 1519. Mathews comes up with a book filled with colorful illustrations, dynamic ink and electric-hued watercolor art, that both reflect the ancient tradition and help to tell the story. However, besides enjoying the wonderful artwork, teachers and students alike will certainly learn more about this episode of history than they will find in their history textbook.

"The Sad Night" refers to the terrible battle between the Aztecs and the Spanish when the natives finally fought back against their invaders. Young readers will learn of how the Spanish came to the land of the Aztecs looking for treasure and how Moctezuma II welcomed Hernan Cortes as a god. However, eventually the series of misunderstandings and betrayals led to the one victory of the Aztecs against the Spaniards. In the back of the book Mathews explains more about the Aztecs and Cortes, including an explanation of the day symbols and other signs found on the Aztec Calendar (the giant round one; if you have ever seen it, you will remember it). Although all of the Aztec codex created before 1519 were destroyed by the Spanish conquerors, Mathews creates a dynamic tribute to that style of art and to the Aztec culture that was destroyed.

That rare thing ,an interesting and engaging history book., 08 Apr 2001
The activities in this book are well thought out with step by step instructions which make the book easy to read, browse through and work from. This book would be an ideal aid to any child's Aztec project in school, help children develop an interest in world history or simply fill a rainy day. All the activities in the book are supported by historical facts which are clearly explained in child-friendly language that can be easily read and understood. I have seen this book used in a primary school and would also reccommend it highly to any teacher who is embarking upon the topic of the Aztecs as a good source of activity ideas which give good opportunities for adaptation according to ability. My only complaint about the book is that there isn't more of it!

Absolutely superb insight into the life of an ordinary Spanish Conquistador, 06 Jun 2008
Over the last couple of years I've been quite interested in the Spanish conquest of South America, and I had heard this book referred to a couple of times, so thought I would pick it up.

Anyone with even just a passing interest in South America history should grab a copy. It's easily one of the most gripping and interesting books I've ever read.

The story is translated from the original Spanish of a soldier who traveled with Hernan Cortes and his small band of soldiers, who eventually overthrew a rich and powerful civilisation.

Bernal Diaz' story starts with his involvement in a couple of early investigations of the Mexican coast, moving onto his expedition with Cortes. He explains the movements and battles in detail, meetings between 2 cultures who didn't really know what to make of each other, building towards the incredible climax of fearsome resistance and house to house fighting in the fall of Tenochtitlan.

A truly amazing book that is a must read for anyone with an interest in history.

Couldn't put it down. Fact with the grip of fiction., 25 Apr 2002
The translator, Cohen, has drawn the salient facts from someone who was actually there, Bernal Diaz.

Helps you to understand the scale of what was achieved, how it was achieved, and what drove them to achieve.

Excellent. Written in a straightforward manner. Read it, then read it to my children who found it gripping.

Brilliant, 18 Dec 2001
.. it is probably the best historical book i have read. the fact it was written 500 years ago and is still interesting to the average person is rare. diaz writes without bias and dispite being and old book and translated it reads easy. if you are thinking of finding out about the conquest or the Aztecs this is the best book to start with.

A great book - pity about the edition, 13 Dec 2001
Bernal Diaz's account of the conquest of Tenochtitlan by the Spanish is one of the best documents of that famous event. He is not the world's best writer, but for sheer historical interest his work is fascinating in itself.

However, prospective buyers ought to be aware that this edition cuts out significant portions of the text on really quite important sections - for instance, the Tepeaca campaign; the arrival of Panfilo Narvaez; and others - and so it is no subsitute for consulting the full book in its Spanish original in a good library.

Still, it is better than nothing.

Conquest of a Continent, 02 Jul 2001
Bernal Diaz's account of his expirences in New Spain (i.e, Mexico and the Aztec Empire) is one of the key texts associated with the expansion into and colonisation of Central and South America by the Spanish in the Sixteenth Century. His first hand account of the Mexica and the practices of the Aztecs, as well as his description of the events leading up to the eventual defeat of the once mighty Aztec Empire by a small band of Spanish adventurers provides important and interesting information about this period and on South American History.

While there are notable inaccuracies and biases in Diaz's account, the editor (J.M. Cohen)provides an excellent interpretation of this primary document and points the reader in the right direction as far as what interpretation to give Diaz's text (written when the former soldier was a very old, and probably bitter, man). However, through no fault of the editor, Diaz suffers from considerable verbal diahorea and much of his account is neither intersting or relevant. Nevertheless, this is one of the most important and complete contemporary documents on the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs, and also one of the few to survive.

PAZ PERFECTLY DESCRIBES WHO MEXICANS ARE AND WHY THEY ARE, 03 Mar 1999
No other book has been able to accurately describe the Mexican psyche as Paz has done in this book. His eloquent prose style captivates the Mexican spirit in all its grace and in all its sadness. He brings all of Mexico's conflicts and taboos together and strips off all its masks to reveal the Mexican. I found his style to be poetic, eloquent, and majestic. Never had I read a book as powerfull and truthfull as Paz's. It is no wonder Paz was honored to receive the Nobel prize for this work. Any individual willing to read this book will finish it understanding Mexican culture and history better.

The most complete and detailed radiography of Mexico., 26 Feb 1999
Some say that when this masterpiece appeared in Mexico it was perceived as a mexican offending his own country, many censured Paz ideas:the birth of criticism and freedom of speech was taking place in Mexico.Since those years (the 50's), this radiography hasn't change a lot and this book has become a truly must read book. Its like a pre guide tour of one of the most mysterious countries in the world.Paz wrote about mexicans masks and inner faces. His sensual poetic prose dances with intelligence and beauty.

Magnificant top of the line, 12 Nov 1998
To Octavio Paz you were a great writer to bad you have perished. This is book that will help any gringo who doesn't understand the mexican mentallity will be able to consume it verbally. And also for those who have some background of mexican ancestry will not be ignorant of there culture and learn more about it. Viva Mexico!

La Noche Triste: The Spanish conquest of the Aztecs, 14 Jan 2006
The most striking aspect of "The Sad Night: The Story of an Aztec Victory and a Spanish Loss," is the artwork by Sally Schofer Mathews, which is based on the stylized codex art of the ancient Aztecs. I remember being fascinated by the ancient pictures of the Aztec rituals and Spanish soldiers who marched into Mexico in 1519. Mathews comes up with a book filled with colorful illustrations, dynamic ink and electric-hued watercolor art, that both reflect the ancient tradition and help to tell the story. However, besides enjoying the wonderful artwork, teachers and students alike will certainly learn more about this episode of history than they will find in their history textbook.

"The Sad Night" refers to the terrible battle between the Aztecs and the Spanish when the natives finally fought back against their invaders. Young readers will learn of how the Spanish came to the land of the Aztecs looking for treasure and how Moctezuma II welcomed Hernan Cortes as a god. However, eventually the series of misunderstandings and betrayals led to the one victory of the Aztecs against the Spaniards. In the back of the book Mathews explains more about the Aztecs and Cortes, including an explanation of the day symbols and other signs found on the Aztec Calendar (the giant round one; if you have ever seen it, you will remember it). Although all of the Aztec codex created before 1519 were destroyed by the Spanish conquerors, Mathews creates a dynamic tribute to that style of art and to the Aztec culture that was destroyed.

Don't waste your Time!, 11 Jun 2003
I read this when a friend bought it by accident, thinking
it was a different "wheel of time" book. The quotations
are so lacking in logic, and inconsistent with each other, that
it's almost worth a chuckle. Almost. There is nothing deep
or insightful in this book. A total waste of brain-minutes.

Spinning the Wheel of Time, 30 Jul 1999
The Wheel of Time was written for those individuals who have been caught up in the web of the Warriors way. By selecting these quotations in such a way, Carlos Castaneda deconstructed the rather numerous Shamanistic trickery associated with his teacher. In this way he insured that no one would be able to fall into the chaos which seems to inflict other travelers into the other side of things. The Wheel of Time was specifically written for practitioners with each quotation an expression of a particular problem which arises within the structure of this path. This book was not intended for speculation. It was intended as an avenue into the unknown which allows the warrior to remain free and unbroken.

More Carlos Castaneda In Swedish, 26 Jul 1999
please please please I like your books i Swedish. I have read 9 of them and I'm hungry for the rest. can you help me some way.

Iréne ps. Castaneda is my bible number1

More Carlos Castaneda In Swedish, 26 Jul 1999
please please please I like your books i Swedish. I have read 9 of them and I'm hungry for the rest. can you help me some way.

Iréne ps. Castaneda is my bible number1

Nose-dive ending left me "raw", 22 Jun 1999
Like his "Active Side of Infinity," CC ends this book with a surprise or two. Though the book left me feeling alone and unarmed, there was nothing there that I hadn't already opened myself to by reading the previous 10 books. --- Excellent quotations! He has done what most of his readers probably wished for - created a "Reader's Digest" version. Powerful. --- Interested to see what first-time CC readers have to say about this one!

That rare thing ,an interesting and engaging history book., 08 Apr 2001
The activities in this book are well thought out with step by step instructions which make the book easy to read, browse through and work from. This book would be an ideal aid to any child's Aztec project in school, help children develop an interest in world history or simply fill a rainy day. All the activities in the book are supported by historical facts which are clearly explained in child-friendly language that can be easily read and understood. I have seen this book used in a primary school and would also reccommend it highly to any teacher who is embarking upon the topic of the Aztecs as a good source of activity ideas which give good opportunities for adaptation according to ability. My only complaint about the book is that there isn't more of it!

Absolutely superb insight into the life of an ordinary Spanish Conquistador, 06 Jun 2008
Over the last couple of years I've been quite interested in the Spanish conquest of South America, and I had heard this book referred to a couple of times, so thought I would pick it up.

Anyone with even just a passing interest in South America history should grab a copy. It's easily one of the most gripping and interesting books I've ever read.

The story is translated from the original Spanish of a soldier who traveled with Hernan Cortes and his small band of soldiers, who eventually overthrew a rich and powerful civilisation.

Bernal Diaz' story starts with his involvement in a couple of early investigations of the Mexican coast, moving onto his expedition with Cortes. He explains the movements and battles in detail, meetings between 2 cultures who didn't really know what to make of each other, building towards the incredible climax of fearsome resistance and house to house fighting in the fall of Tenochtitlan.

A truly amazing book that is a must read for anyone with an interest in history.

Couldn't put it down. Fact with the grip of fiction., 25 Apr 2002
The translator, Cohen, has drawn the salient facts from someone who was actually there, Bernal Diaz.

Helps you to understand the scale of what was achieved, how it was achieved, and what drove them to achieve.

Excellent. Written in a straightforward manner. Read it, then read it to my children who found it gripping.

Brilliant, 18 Dec 2001
.. it is probably the best historical book i have read. the fact it was written 500 years ago and is still interesting to the average person is rare. diaz writes without bias and dispite being and old book and translated it reads easy. if you are thinking of finding out about the conquest or the Aztecs this is the best book to start with.

A great book - pity about the edition, 13 Dec 2001
Bernal Diaz's account of the conquest of Tenochtitlan by the Spanish is one of the best documents of that famous event. He is not the world's best writer, but for sheer historical interest his work is fascinating in itself.

However, prospective buyers ought to be aware that this edition cuts out significant portions of the text on really quite important sections - for instance, the Tepeaca campaign; the arrival of Panfilo Narvaez; and others - and so it is no subsitute for consulting the full book in its Spanish original in a good library.

Still, it is better than nothing.

Conquest of a Continent, 02 Jul 2001
Bernal Diaz's account of his expirences in New Spain (i.e, Mexico and the Aztec Empire) is one of the key texts associated with the expansion into and colonisation of Central and South America by the Spanish in the Sixteenth Century. His first hand account of the Mexica and the practices of the Aztecs, as well as his description of the events leading up to the eventual defeat of the once mighty Aztec Empire by a small band of Spanish adventurers provides important and interesting information about this period and on South American History.

While there are notable inaccuracies and biases in Diaz's account, the editor (J.M. Cohen)provides an excellent interpretation of this primary document and points the reader in the right direction as far as what interpretation to give Diaz's text (written when the former soldier was a very old, and probably bitter, man). However, through no fault of the editor, Diaz suffers from considerable verbal diahorea and much of his account is neither intersting or relevant. Nevertheless, this is one of the most important and complete contemporary documents on the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs, and also one of the few to survive.

PAZ PERFECTLY DESCRIBES WHO MEXICANS ARE AND WHY THEY ARE, 03 Mar 1999
No other book has been able to accurately describe the Mexican psyche as Paz has done in this book. His eloquent prose style captivates the Mexican spirit in all its grace and in all its sadness. He brings all of Mexico's conflicts and taboos together and strips off all its masks to reveal the Mexican. I found his style to be poetic, eloquent, and majestic. Never had I read a book as powerfull and truthfull as Paz's. It is no wonder Paz was honored to receive the Nobel prize for this work. Any individual willing to read this book will finish it understanding Mexican culture and history better.

The most complete and detailed radiography of Mexico., 26 Feb 1999
Some say that when this masterpiece appeared in Mexico it was perceived as a mexican offending his own country, many censured Paz ideas:the birth of criticism and freedom of speech was taking place in Mexico.Since those years (the 50's), this radiography hasn't change a lot and this book has become a truly must read book. Its like a pre guide tour of one of the most mysterious countries in the world.Paz wrote about mexicans masks and inner faces. His sensual poetic prose dances with intelligence and beauty.

Magnificant top of the line, 12 Nov 1998
To Octavio Paz you were a great writer to bad you have perished. This is book that will help any gringo who doesn't understand the mexican mentallity will be able to consume it verbally. And also for those who have some background of mexican ancestry will not be ignorant of there culture and learn more about it. Viva Mexico!

La Noche Triste: The Spanish conquest of the Aztecs, 14 Jan 2006
The most striking aspect of "The Sad Night: The Story of an Aztec Victory and a Spanish Loss," is the artwork by Sally Schofer Mathews, which is based on the stylized codex art of the ancient Aztecs. I remember being fascinated by the ancient pictures of the Aztec rituals and Spanish soldiers who marched into Mexico in 1519. Mathews comes up with a book filled with colorful illustrations, dynamic ink and electric-hued watercolor art, that both reflect the ancient tradition and help to tell the story. However, besides enjoying the wonderful artwork, teachers and students alike will certainly learn more about this episode of history than they will find in their history textbook.

"The Sad Night" refers to the terrible battle between the Aztecs and the Spanish when the natives finally fought back against their invaders. Young readers will learn of how the Spanish came to the land of the Aztecs looking for treasure and how Moctezuma II welcomed Hernan Cortes as a god. However, eventually the series of misunderstandings and betrayals led to the one victory of the Aztecs against the Spaniards. In the back of the book Mathews explains more about the Aztecs and Cortes, including an explanation of the day symbols and other signs found on the Aztec Calendar (the giant round one; if you have ever seen it, you will remember it). Although all of the Aztec codex created before 1519 were destroyed by the Spanish conquerors, Mathews creates a dynamic tribute to that style of art and to the Aztec culture that was destroyed.

Don't waste your Time!, 11 Jun 2003
I read this when a friend bought it by accident, thinking
it was a different "wheel of time" book. The quotations
are so lacking in logic, and inconsistent with each other, that
it's almost worth a chuckle. Almost. There is nothing deep
or insightful in this book. A total waste of brain-minutes.

Spinning the Wheel of Time, 30 Jul 1999
The Wheel of Time was written for those individuals who have been caught up in the web of the Warriors way. By selecting these quotations in such a way, Carlos Castaneda deconstructed the rather numerous Shamanistic trickery associated with his teacher. In this way he insured that no one would be able to fall into the chaos which seems to inflict other travelers into the other side of things. The Wheel of Time was specifically written for practitioners with each quotation an expression of a particular problem which arises within the structure of this path. This book was not intended for speculation. It was intended as an avenue into the unknown which allows the warrior to remain free and unbroken.

More Carlos Castaneda In Swedish, 26 Jul 1999
please please please I like your books i Swedish. I have read 9 of them and I'm hungry for the rest. can you help me some way.

Iréne ps. Castaneda is my bible number1

More Carlos Castaneda In Swedish, 26 Jul 1999
please please please I like your books i Swedish. I have read 9 of them and I'm hungry for the rest. can you help me some way.

Iréne ps. Castaneda is my bible number1

Nose-dive ending left me "raw", 22 Jun 1999
Like his "Active Side of Infinity," CC ends this book with a surprise or two. Though the book left me feeling alone and unarmed, there was nothing there that I hadn't already opened myself to by reading the previous 10 books. --- Excellent quotations! He has done what most of his readers probably wished for - created a "Reader's Digest" version. Powerful. --- Interested to see what first-time CC readers have to say about this one!

Own it, like it, love it!, 15 Jun 2001
Well written, interesting and highly enjoyable! This book include informations about the individuals, the communities and their cosmos I haven't found in other books about Mesoamerican. And these highly enjoyable informations are even presented in sometimes poetic sentences. The book is an art in it's own right! And I'm not talking about the photos!

That rare thing ,an interesting and engaging history book., 08 Apr 2001
The activities in this book are well thought out with step by step instructions which make the book easy to read, browse through and work from. This book would be an ideal aid to any child's Aztec project in school, help children develop an interest in world history or simply fill a rainy day. All the activities in the book are supported by historical facts which are clearly explained in child-friendly language that can be easily read and understood. I have seen this book used in a primary school and would also reccommend it highly to any teacher who is embarking upon the topic of the Aztecs as a good source of activity ideas which give good opportunities for adaptation according to ability. My only complaint about the book is that there isn't more of it!

Absolutely superb insight into the life of an ordinary Spanish Conquistador, 06 Jun 2008
Over the last couple of years I've been quite interested in the Spanish conquest of South America, and I had heard this book referred to a couple of times, so thought I would pick it up.

Anyone with even just a passing interest in South America history should grab a copy. It's easily one of the most gripping and interesting books I've ever read.

The story is translated from the original Spanish of a soldier who traveled with Hernan Cortes and his small band of soldiers, who eventually overthrew a rich and powerful civilisation.

Bernal Diaz' story starts with his involvement in a couple of early investigations of the Mexican coast, moving onto his expedition with Cortes. He explains the movements and battles in detail, meetings between 2 cultures who didn't really know what to make of each other, building towards the incredible climax of fearsome resistance and house to house fighting in the fall of Tenochtitlan.

A truly amazing book that is a must read for anyone with an interest in history.

Couldn't put it down. Fact with the grip of fiction., 25 Apr 2002
The translator, Cohen, has drawn the salient facts from someone who was actually there, Bernal Diaz.

Helps you to understand the scale of what was achieved, how it was achieved, and what drove them to achieve.

Excellent. Written in a straightforward manner. Read it, then read it to my children who found it gripping.

Brilliant, 18 Dec 2001
.. it is probably the best historical book i have read. the fact it was written 500 years ago and is still interesting to the average person is rare. diaz writes without bias and dispite being and old book and translated it reads easy. if you are thinking of finding out about the conquest or the Aztecs this is the best book to start with.

A great book - pity about the edition, 13 Dec 2001
Bernal Diaz's account of the conquest of Tenochtitlan by the Spanish is one of the best documents of that famous event. He is not the world's best writer, but for sheer historical interest his work is fascinating in itself.

However, prospective buyers ought to be aware that this edition cuts out significant portions of the text on really quite important sections - for instance, the Tepeaca campaign; the arrival of Panfilo Narvaez; and others - and so it is no subsitute for consulting the full book in its Spanish original in a good library.

Still, it is better than nothing.

Conquest of a Continent, 02 Jul 2001
Bernal Diaz's account of his expirences in New Spain (i.e, Mexico and the Aztec Empire) is one of the key texts associated with the expansion into and colonisation of Central and South America by the Spanish in the Sixteenth Century. His first hand account of the Mexica and the practices of the Aztecs, as well as his description of the events leading up to the eventual defeat of the once mighty Aztec Empire by a small band of Spanish adventurers provides important and interesting information about this period and on South American History.

While there are notable inaccuracies and biases in Diaz's account, the editor (J.M. Cohen)provides an excellent interpretation of this primary document and points the reader in the right direction as far as what interpretation to give Diaz's text (written when the former soldier was a very old, and probably bitter, man). However, through no fault of the editor, Diaz suffers from considerable verbal diahorea and much of his account is neither intersting or relevant. Nevertheless, this is one of the most important and complete contemporary documents on the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs, and also one of the few to survive.

PAZ PERFECTLY DESCRIBES WHO MEXICANS ARE AND WHY THEY ARE, 03 Mar 1999
No other book has been able to accurately describe the Mexican psyche as Paz has done in this book. His eloquent prose style captivates the Mexican spirit in all its grace and in all its sadness. He brings all of Mexico's conflicts and taboos together and strips off all its masks to reveal the Mexican. I found his style to be poetic, eloquent, and majestic. Never had I read a book as powerfull and truthfull as Paz's. It is no wonder Paz was honored to receive the Nobel prize for this work. Any individual willing to read this book will finish it understanding Mexican culture and history better.

The most complete and detailed radiography of Mexico., 26 Feb 1999
Some say that when this masterpiece appeared in Mexico it was perceived as a mexican offending his own country, many censured Paz ideas:the birth of criticism and freedom of speech was taking place in Mexico.Since those years (the 50's), this radiography hasn't change a lot and this book has become a truly must read book. Its like a pre guide tour of one of the most mysterious countries in the world.Paz wrote about mexicans masks and inner faces. His sensual poetic prose dances with intelligence and beauty.

Magnificant top of the line, 12 Nov 1998
To Octavio Paz you were a great writer to bad you have perished. This is book that will help any gringo who doesn't understand the mexican mentallity will be able to consume it verbally. And also for those who have some background of mexican ancestry will not be ignorant of there culture and learn more about it. Viva Mexico!

La Noche Triste: The Spanish conquest of the Aztecs, 14 Jan 2006
The most striking aspect of "The Sad Night: The Story of an Aztec Victory and a Spanish Loss," is the artwork by Sally Schofer Mathews, which is based on the stylized codex art of the ancient Aztecs. I remember being fascinated by the ancient pictures of the Aztec rituals and Spanish soldiers who marched into Mexico in 1519. Mathews comes up with a book filled with colorful illustrations, dynamic ink and electric-hued watercolor art, that both reflect the ancient tradition and help to tell the story. However, besides enjoying the wonderful artwork, teachers and students alike will certainly learn more about this episode of history than they will find in their history textbook.

"The Sad Night" refers to the terrible battle between the Aztecs and the Spanish when the natives finally fought back against their invaders. Young readers will learn of how the Spanish came to the land of the Aztecs looking for treasure and how Moctezuma II welcomed Hernan Cortes as a god. However, eventually the series of misunderstandings and betrayals led to the one victory of the Aztecs against the Spaniards. In the back of the book Mathews explains more about the Aztecs and Cortes, including an explanation of the day symbols and other signs found on the Aztec Calendar (the giant round one; if you have ever seen it, you will remember it). Although all of the Aztec codex created before 1519 were destroyed by the Spanish conquerors, Mathews creates a dynamic tribute to that style of art and to the Aztec culture that was destroyed.

Don't waste your Time!, 11 Jun 2003
I read this when a friend bought it by accident, thinking
it was a different "wheel of time" book. The quotations
are so lacking in logic, and inconsistent with each other, that
it's almost worth a chuckle. Almost. There is nothing deep
or insightful in this book. A total waste of brain-minutes.

Spinning the Wheel of Time, 30 Jul 1999
The Wheel of Time was written for those individuals who have been caught up in the web of the Warriors way. By selecting these quotations in such a way, Carlos Castaneda deconstructed the rather numerous Shamanistic trickery associated with his teacher. In this way he insured that no one would be able to fall into the chaos which seems to inflict other travelers into the other side of things. The Wheel of Time was specifically written for practitioners with each quotation an expression of a particular problem which arises within the structure of this path. This book was not intended for speculation. It was intended as an avenue into the unknown which allows the warrior to remain free and unbroken.

More Carlos Castaneda In Swedish, 26 Jul 1999
please please please I like your books i Swedish. I have read 9 of them and I'm hungry for the rest. can you help me some way.

Iréne ps. Castaneda is my bible number1

More Carlos Castaneda In Swedish, 26 Jul 1999
please please please I like your books i Swedish. I have read 9 of them and I'm hungry for the rest. can you help me some way.

Iréne ps. Castaneda is my bible number1

Nose-dive ending left me "raw", 22 Jun 1999
Like his "Active Side of Infinity," CC ends this book with a surprise or two. Though the book left me feeling alone and unarmed, there was nothing there that I hadn't already opened myself to by reading the previous 10 books. --- Excellent quotations! He has done what most of his readers probably wished for - created a "Reader's Digest" version. Powerful. --- Interested to see what first-time CC readers have to say about this one!

Own it, like it, love it!, 15 Jun 2001
Well written, interesting and highly enjoyable! This book include informations about the individuals, the communities and their cosmos I haven't found in other books about Mesoamerican. And these highly enjoyable informations are even presented in sometimes poetic sentences. The book is an art in it's own right! And I'm not talking about the photos!

The Conquest of the Aztecs, 09 May 2008
Letters from Mexico is the complete collection of letters written by the Spanish Conquistador, Hernan Cortes, to the Emperor Charles V and Queen Dona Juana. These five letters (stretching from 1519 to 1525) tell the story of the conquest of the Aztecs from the perspective of the man responsible for their overthrow. They are, in the words of Mexican novelist Carlos Fuentes: "One of the most fascinating Machiavellian documents to come out of the Renaissance."

The book is introduced by Anthony Pagden and J.H Elliott who present a few short essays on Cortes relationship to Charles V, as well as the history and veracity of the letters. These essays are interesting even by themselves as they shed a whole new light on Cortes' writings. In one section they mention that Moctezoma's speech to Cortes when he first arrived at Tenochtitlan is almost certainly the work of Cortes imagination, as his speech is highly implausible. They describe how Moctezoma's speech echoes the Gospels and 16th century European legal formulae - these are certainly not the words of an Aztec. These essays make you consider the letters in a different perspective.

The Five letters themselves are rather long, with their whole length reaching over 500 pages. Cortes is a much more erudite writer then Bernal Diaz, (the contemporary who followed him on his expedition) but he lacks Diaz's eye for detail and his many strange anecdotes. As I have already mentioned, Cortes writings can't be completely trustworthy as he was attempting to justify the conquest to his superiors, and therefore he twists the truth quite often. That said, the letters truly are a fascinating document.

The book is also filled with modern day maps of the area, which are useful for locating Cortes path through Mexico, as well as a few maps from the 16-19th centuries. The book is pepperd with illustrations from Mexican Codices and old European books. It also contains a few interesting paintings from the era, especially the 'wobbly' headed Charles V by Cranach the Elder on page 64.

Letters from Mexico is worth purchasing for anyone who has an interest in this bloody period of history, and is invaluable to any historian who studies the Renaissance. They are the definitive edition of Cortes' letters in any language, and ought to be brought by anyone who has an interest in Spanish, Mexican or Aztec history.

That rare thing ,an interesting and engaging history book., 08 Apr 2001
The activities in this book are well thought out with step by step instructions which make the book easy to read, browse through and work from. This book would be an ideal aid to any child's Aztec project in school, help children develop an interest in world history or simply fill a rainy day. All the activities in the book are supported by historical facts which are clearly explained in child-friendly language that can be easily read and understood. I have seen this book used in a primary school and would also reccommend it highly to any teacher who is embarking upon the topic of the Aztecs as a good source of activity ideas which give good opportunities for adaptation according to ability. My only complaint about the book is that there isn't more of it!

Absolutely superb insight into the life of an ordinary Spanish Conquistador, 06 Jun 2008
Over the last couple of years I've been quite interested in the Spanish conquest of South America, and I had heard this book referred to a couple of times, so thought I would pick it up.

Anyone with even just a passing interest in South America history should grab a copy. It's easily one of the most gripping and interesting books I've ever read.

The story is translated from the original Spanish of a soldier who traveled with Hernan Cortes and his small band of soldiers, who eventually overthrew a rich and powerful civilisation.

Bernal Diaz' story starts with his involvement in a couple of early investigations of the Mexican coast, moving onto his expedition with Cortes. He explains the movements and battles in detail, meetings between 2 cultures who didn't really know what to make of each other, building towards the incredible climax of fearsome resistance and house to house fighting in the fall of Tenochtitlan.

A truly amazing book that is a must read for anyone with an interest in history.

Couldn't put it down. Fact with the grip of fiction., 25 Apr 2002
The translator, Cohen, has drawn the salient facts from someone who was actually there, Bernal Diaz.

Helps you to understand the scale of what was achieved, how it was achieved, and what drove them to achieve.

Excellent. Written in a straightforward manner. Read it, then read it to my children who found it gripping.

Brilliant, 18 Dec 2001
.. it is probably the best historical book i have read. the fact it was written 500 years ago and is still interesting to the average person is rare. diaz writes without bias and dispite being and old book and translated it reads easy. if you are thinking of finding out about the conquest or the Aztecs this is the best book to start with.

A great book - pity about the edition, 13 Dec 2001
Bernal Diaz's account of the conquest of Tenochtitlan by the Spanish is one of the best documents of that famous event. He is not the world's best writer, but for sheer historical interest his work is fascinating in itself.

However, prospective buyers ought to be aware that this edition cuts out significant portions of the text on really quite important sections - for instance, the Tepeaca campaign; the arrival of Panfilo Narvaez; and others - and so it is no subsitute for consulting the full book in its Spanish original in a good library.

Still, it is better than nothing.

Conquest of a Continent, 02 Jul 2001
Bernal Diaz's account of his expirences in New Spain (i.e, Mexico and the Aztec Empire) is one of the key texts associated with the expansion into and colonisation of Central and South America by the Spanish in the Sixteenth Century. His first hand account of the Mexica and the practices of the Aztecs, as well as his description of the events leading up to the eventual defeat of the once mighty Aztec Empire by a small band of Spanish adventurers provides important and interesting information about this period and on South American History.

While there are notable inaccuracies and biases in Diaz's account, the editor (J.M. Cohen)provides an excellent interpretation of this primary document and points the reader in the right direction as far as what interpretation to give Diaz's text (written when the former soldier was a very old, and probably bitter, man). However, through no fault of the editor, Diaz suffers from considerable verbal diahorea and much of his account is neither intersting or relevant. Nevertheless, this is one of the most important and complete contemporary documents on the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs, and also one of the few to survive.

PAZ PERFECTLY DESCRIBES WHO MEXICANS ARE AND WHY THEY ARE, 03 Mar 1999
No other book has been able to accurately describe the Mexican psyche as Paz has done in this book. His eloquent prose style captivates the Mexican spirit in all its grace and in all its sadness. He brings all of Mexico's conflicts and taboos together and strips off all its masks to reveal the Mexican. I found his style to be poetic, eloquent, and majestic. Never had I read a book as powerfull and truthfull as Paz's. It is no wonder Paz was honored to receive the Nobel prize for this work. Any individual willing to read this book will finish it understanding Mexican culture and history better.

The most complete and detailed radiography of Mexico., 26 Feb 1999
Some say that when this masterpiece appeared in Mexico it was perceived as a mexican offending his own country, many censured Paz ideas:the birth of criticism and freedom of speech was taking place in Mexico.Since those years (the 50's), this radiography hasn't change a lot and this book has become a truly must read book. Its like a pre guide tour of one of the most mysterious countries in the world.Paz wrote about mexicans masks and inner faces. His sensual poetic prose dances with intelligence and beauty.

Magnificant top of the line, 12 Nov 1998
To Octavio Paz you were a great writer to bad you have perished. This is book that will help any gringo who doesn't understand the mexican mentallity will be able to consume it verbally. And also for those who have some background of mexican ancestry will not be ignorant of there culture and learn more about it. Viva Mexico!

La Noche Triste: The Spanish conquest of the Aztecs, 14 Jan 2006
The most striking aspect of "The Sad Night: The Story of an Aztec Victory and a Spanish Loss," is the artwork by Sally Schofer Mathews, which is based on the stylized codex art of the ancient Aztecs. I remember being fascinated by the ancient pictures of the Aztec rituals and Spanish soldiers who marched into Mexico in 1519. Mathews comes up with a book filled with colorful illustrations, dynamic ink and electric-hued watercolor art, that both reflect the ancient tradition and help to tell the story. However, besides enjoying the wonderful artwork, teachers and students alike will certainly learn more about this episode of history than they will find in their history textbook.

"The Sad Night" refers to the terrible battle between the Aztecs and the Spanish when the natives finally fought back against their invaders. Young readers will learn of how the Spanish came to the land of the Aztecs looking for treasure and how Moctezuma II welcomed Hernan Cortes as a god. However, eventually the series of misunderstandings and betrayals led to the one victory of the Aztecs against the Spaniards. In the back of the book Mathews explains more about the Aztecs and Cortes, including an explanation of the day symbols and other signs found on the Aztec Calendar (the giant round one; if you have ever seen it, you will remember it). Although all of the Aztec codex created before 1519 were destroyed by the Spanish conquerors, Mathews creates a dynamic tribute to that style of art and to the Aztec culture that was destroyed.

Don't waste your Time!, 11 Jun 2003
I read this when a friend bought it by accident, thinking
it was a different "wheel of time" book. The quotations
are so lacking in logic, and inconsistent with each other, that
it's almost worth a chuckle. Almost. There is nothing deep
or insightful in this book. A total waste of brain-minutes.

Spinning the Wheel of Time, 30 Jul 1999
The Wheel of Time was written for those individuals who have been caught up in the web of the Warriors way. By selecting these quotations in such a way, Carlos Castaneda deconstructed the rather numerous Shamanistic trickery associated with his teacher. In this way he insured that no one would be able to fall into the chaos which seems to inflict other travelers into the other side of things. The Wheel of Time was specifically written for practitioners with each quotation an expression of a particular problem which arises within the structure of this path. This book was not intended for speculation. It was intended as an avenue into the unknown which allows the warrior to remain free and unbroken.

More Carlos Castaneda In Swedish, 26 Jul 1999
please please please I like your books i Swedish. I have read 9 of them and I'm hungry for the rest. can you help me some way.

Iréne ps. Castaneda is my bible number1

More Carlos Castaneda In Swedish, 26 Jul 1999
please please please I like your books i Swedish. I have read 9 of them and I'm hungry for the rest. can you help me some way.

Iréne ps. Castaneda is my bible number1

Nose-dive ending left me "raw", 22 Jun 1999
Like his "Active Side of Infinity," CC ends this book with a surprise or two. Though the book left me feeling alone and unarmed, there was nothing there that I hadn't already opened myself to by reading the previous 10 books. --- Excellent quotations! He has done what most of his readers probably wished for - created a "Reader's Digest" version. Powerful. --- Interested to see what first-time CC readers have to say about this one!

Own it, like it, love it!, 15 Jun 2001
Well written, interesting and highly enjoyable! This book include informations about the individuals, the communities and their cosmos I haven't found in other books about Mesoamerican. And these highly enjoyable informations are even presented in sometimes poetic sentences. The book is an art in it's own right! And I'm not talking about the photos!

The Conquest of the Aztecs, 09 May 2008
Letters from Mexico is the complete collection of letters written by the Spanish Conquistador, Hernan Cortes, to the Emperor Charles V and Queen Dona Juana. These five letters (stretching from 1519 to 1525) tell the story of the conquest of the Aztecs from the perspective of the man responsible for their overthrow. They are, in the words of Mexican novelist Carlos Fuentes: "One of the most fascinating Machiavellian documents to come out of the Renaissance."

The book is introduced by Anthony Pagden and J.H Elliott who present a few short essays on Cortes relationship to Charles V, as well as the history and veracity of the letters. These essays are interesting even by themselves as they shed a whole new light on Cortes' writings. In one section they mention that Moctezoma's speech to Cortes when he first arrived at Tenochtitlan is almost certainly the work of Cortes imagination, as his speech is highly implausible. They describe how Moctezoma's speech echoes the Gospels and 16th century European legal formulae - these are certainly not the words of an Aztec. These essays make you consider the letters in a different perspective.

The Five letters themselves are rather long, with their whole length reaching over 500 pages. Cortes is a much more erudite writer then Bernal Diaz, (the contemporary who followed him on his expedition) but he lacks Diaz's eye for detail and his many strange anecdotes. As I have already mentioned, Cortes writings can't be completely trustworthy as he was attempting to justify the conquest to his superiors, and therefore he twists the truth quite often. That said, the letters truly are a fascinating document.

The book is also filled with modern day maps of the area, which are useful for locating Cortes path through Mexico, as well as a few maps from the 16-19th centuries. The book is pepperd with illustrations from Mexican Codices and old European books. It also contains a few interesting paintings from the era, especially the 'wobbly' headed Charles V by Cranach the Elder on page 64.

Letters from Mexico is worth purchasing for anyone who has an interest in this bloody period of history, and is invaluable to any historian who studies the Renaissance. They are the definitive edition of Cortes' letters in any language, and ought to be brought by anyone who has an interest in Spanish, Mexican or Aztec history.

Takes the New out of New World, 28 Nov 2002
The Lost Realms is one of the most speculative and interesting books in Sitchin's Earth Chronicles series. The ruins and structures of Egypt and the Near East have been wondered at and studied for centuries, and there is a veritable wealth of information from Near Eastern papyri, stelae, monuments, and similar artifacts. The ruins of Mesoamerica have largely been rediscovered only in the past couple of hundred years; indeed, unknown wonders surely remain hidden by South America's dense jungles. The immensely important records and artifacts of New World societies such as the Mayan, Inca, and Aztec civilizations were for the most part lost and destroyed at the hands of greedy Spanish conquistadors, and further site degradation has resulted from the pilfering of ancient stones by recent natives of the area for use in the construction of their own buildings. Thus, the earliest history of the lower Americas remains frustratingly impossible to understand. We are left with giant edifices with significant similarities to Near Eastern constructions in size, orientation, and purpose, many of them seemingly containing very advanced structures built for unknown purposes. Even the age of the artifacts is hotly debated, with many scientists refusing to believe scientific findings point back to as early as 2000 B.C.

Sitchin's arguments fit very nicely with the history of Sumeria, Egypt, and the Near East that he laid out in his earlier books. Basically, he argues that the Americas were exploited by the gods for the production of gold and other metals such as tin, which the Andean mountains in particular hold in abundance. Metals were refined here and shipped back to the Near Eastern lands long before Columbus ever sailed the ocean blue. Sitchin believes that the Olmecs, of which very little is known besides what has been gleaned from the artifacts they left behind, particularly in the form of large stone blocks representing men of obvious African descent, did indeed come from Africa very early on--in fact, it was the Egyptian god Thoth who brought his followers here when he was displaced by Marduk. While the Olmecs mysteriously disappeared, other societies were formed by white gods and giants from across the sea. The traditions of the diverse Indian groups all shared a common mythology, including the story of a Great Flood; they also possessed amazing arts, technologies, and sciences (particularly astronomy) very similar to those of Sumeria and Egypt. The inadequacy of artifacts in the Americas necessarily hinder any scientist studying their earliest histories, but Sitchin constructs a remarkably compelling timeline in which the story of Mesoamerica fits very neatly into the history he has gleaned of the Annunaki and their relationships with mankind in its earliest days.

Even if Sitchin were dead wrong on everything he suggests, this book would still be worth reading just for the information about the amazing ancient cities and monuments built in the lower Americas that are only now emerging from their jungle tombs. The Olmecs, Toltecs, Mayans, Incas, and Aztecs are more mysterious than the Near Eastern cultures, and the suggestion that men traveled from the Old World and Africa centuries before Columbus is as compelling as it is fascinating. The illustrations in this book are sometimes rather grainy and hard to examine closely, but the images they convey, such as that of the giant stone heads left by the Olmecs, do much to enhance Sitchin's theories. This is thought-provoking, educational, stimulating material.

Entertaining but unconvincing, 23 Nov 2002
I love all Sitchin's books but I am very cautious about his theories, since he's made very unscientific claims about languages before and he is suspiciously quiet about the later history of his postulated "12th" planet Nibiru that supposedly caused the end of the last ice age and is supposed to come close to the earth every 3600 years. According to his chronology, Nibiru should have passed the earth in 100BC, but there is no historical record of any such thing, nor is there evidence of geological upheavals at that time. The info in this book is not all original either, I have seen it before in the work of Robert Bauval, Erich von Daniken and many others. But still an entertaining read.

Outstanding and intelligent offering., 30 Sep 1997
Few persons are ready to read what this man has researched. His conclusions require an open and somewhat disciplined mind devoid of pre-conceived or conditioned response to anything considered critical to fundimental teachings. He touches what we all crave to understand! Where did we come from and what makes us the way we are. If one chooses not to think, don't read him. Otherwise, feel the thrill of a fresh wind blowing through clogged passages of the mind. I sincerely appreciate his efforts. Clifton H. Bush

That rare thing ,an interesting and engaging history book., 08 Apr 2001
The activities in this book are well thought out with step by step instructions which make the book easy to read, browse through and work from. This book would be an ideal aid to any child's Aztec project in school, help children develop an interest in world history or simply fill a rainy day. All the activities in the book are supported by historical facts which are clearly explained in child-friendly language that can be easily read and understood. I have seen this book used in a primary school and would also reccommend it highly to any teacher who is embarking upon the topic of the Aztecs as a good source of activity ideas which give good opportunities for adaptation according to ability. My only complaint about the book is that there isn't more of it!

Absolutely superb insight into the life of an ordinary Spanish Conquistador, 06 Jun 2008
Over the last couple of years I've been quite interested in the Spanish conquest of South America, and I had heard this book referred to a couple of times, so thought I would pick it up.

Anyone with even just a passing interest in South America history should grab a copy. It's easily one of the most gripping and interesting books I've ever read.

The story is translated from the original Spanish of a soldier who traveled with Hernan Cortes and his small band of soldiers, who eventually overthrew a rich and powerful civilisation.

Bernal Diaz' story starts with his involvement in a couple of early investigations of the Mexican coast, moving onto his expedition with Cortes. He explains the movements and battles in detail, meetings between 2 cultures who didn't really know what to make of each other, building towards the incredible climax of fearsome resistance and house to house fighting in the fall of Tenochtitlan.

A truly amazing book that is a must read for anyone with an interest in history.

Couldn't put it down. Fact with the grip of fiction., 25 Apr 2002
The translator, Cohen, has drawn the salient facts from someone who was actually there, Bernal Diaz.

Helps you to understand the scale of what was achieved, how it was achieved, and what drove them to achieve.

Excellent. Written in a straightforward manner. Read it, then read it to my children who found it gripping.

Brilliant, 18 Dec 2001
.. it is probably the best historical book i have read. the fact it was written 500 years ago and is still interesting to the average person is rare. diaz writes without bias and dispite being and old book and translated it reads easy. if you are thinking of finding out about the conquest or the Aztecs this is the best book to start with.

A great book - pity about the edition, 13 Dec 2001
Bernal Diaz's account of the conquest of Tenochtitlan by the Spanish is one of the best documents of that famous event. He is not the world's best writer, but for sheer historical interest his work is fascinating in itself.

However, prospective buyers ought to be aware that this edition cuts out significant portions of the text on really quite important sections - for instance, the Tepeaca campaign; the arrival of Panfilo Narvaez; and others - and so it is no subsitute for consulting the full book in its Spanish original in a good library.

Still, it is better than nothing.

Conquest of a Continent, 02 Jul 2001
Bernal Diaz's account of his expirences in New Spain (i.e, Mexico and the Aztec Empire) is one of the key texts associated with the expansion into and colonisation of Central and South America by the Spanish in the Sixteenth Century. His first hand account of the Mexica and the practices of the Aztecs, as well as his description of the events leading up to the eventual defeat of the once mighty Aztec Empire by a small band of Spanish adventurers provides important and interesting information about this period and on South American History.

While there are notable inaccuracies and biases in Diaz's account, the editor (J.M. Cohen)provides an excellent interpretation of this primary document and points the reader in the right direction as far as what interpretation to give Diaz's text (written when the former soldier was a very old, and probably bitter, man). However, through no fault of the editor, Diaz suffers from considerable verbal diahorea and much of his account is neither intersting or relevant. Nevertheless, this is one of the most important and complete contemporary documents on the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs, and also one of the few to survive.

PAZ PERFECTLY DESCRIBES WHO MEXICANS ARE AND WHY THEY ARE, 03 Mar 1999
No other book has been able to accurately describe the Mexican psyche as Paz has done in this book. His eloquent prose style captivates the Mexican spirit in all its grace and in all its sadness. He brings all of Mexico's conflicts and taboos together and strips off all its masks to reveal the Mexican. I found his style to be poetic, eloquent, and majestic. Never had I read a book as powerfull and truthfull as Paz's. It is no wonder Paz was honored to receive the Nobel prize for this work. Any individual willing to read this book will finish it understanding Mexican culture and history better.

The most complete and detailed radiography of Mexico., 26 Feb 1999
Some say that when this masterpiece appeared in Mexico it was perceived as a mexican offending his own country, many censured Paz ideas:the birth of criticism and freedom of speech was taking place in Mexico.Since those years (the 50's), this radiography hasn't change a lot and this book has become a truly must read book. Its like a pre guide tour of one of the most mysterious countries in the world.Paz wrote about mexicans masks and inner faces. His sensual poetic prose dances with intelligence and beauty.

Magnificant top of the line, 12 Nov 1998
To Octavio Paz you were a great writer to bad you have perished. This is book that will help any gringo who doesn't understand the mexican mentallity will be able to consume it verbally. And also for those who have some background of mexican ancestry will not be ignorant of there culture and learn more about it. Viva Mexico!

La Noche Triste: The Spanish conquest of the Aztecs, 14 Jan 2006
The most striking aspect of "The Sad Night: The Story of an Aztec Victory and a Spanish Loss," is the artwork by Sally Schofer Mathews, which is based on the stylized codex art of the ancient Aztecs. I remember being fascinated by the ancient pictures of the Aztec rituals and Spanish soldiers who marched into Mexico in 1519. Mathews comes up with a book filled with colorful illustrations, dynamic ink and electric-hued watercolor art, that both reflect the ancient tradition and help to tell the story. However, besides enjoying the wonderful artwork, teachers and students alike will certainly learn more about this episode of history than they will find in their history textbook.

"The Sad Night" refers to the terrible battle between the Aztecs and the Spanish when the natives finally fought back against their invaders. Young readers will learn of how the Spanish came to the land of the Aztecs looking for treasure and how Moctezuma II welcomed Hernan Cortes as a god. However, eventually the series of misunderstandings and betrayals led to the one victory of the Aztecs against the Spaniards. In the back of the book Mathews explains more about the Aztecs and Cortes, including an explanation of the day symbols and other signs found on the Aztec Calendar (the giant round one; if you have ever seen it, you will remember it). Although all of the Aztec codex created before 1519 were destroyed by the Spanish conquerors, Mathews creates a dynamic tribute to that style of art and to the Aztec culture that was destroyed.

Don't waste your Time!, 11 Jun 2003
I read this when a friend bought it by accident, thinking
it was a different "wheel of time" book. The quotations
are so lacking in logic, and inconsistent with each other, that
it's almost worth a chuckle. Almost. There is nothing deep
or insightful in this book. A total waste of brain-minutes.

Spinning the Wheel of Time, 30 Jul 1999
The Wheel of Time was written for those individuals who have been caught up in the web of the Warriors way. By selecting these quotations in such a way, Carlos Castaneda deconstructed the rather numerous Shamanistic trickery associated with his teacher. In this way he insured that no one would be able to fall into the chaos which seems to inflict other travelers into the other side of things. The Wheel of Time was specifically written for practitioners with each quotation an expression of a particular problem which arises within the structure of this path. This book was not intended for speculation. It was intended as an avenue into the unknown which allows the warrior to remain free and unbroken.

More Carlos Castaneda In Swedish, 26 Jul 1999
please please please I like your books i Swedish. I have read 9 of them and I'm hungry for the rest. can you help me some way.

Iréne ps. Castaneda is my bible number1

More Carlos Castaneda In Swedish, 26 Jul 1999
please please please I like your books i Swedish. I have read 9 of them and I'm hungry for the rest. can you help me some way.

Iréne ps. Castaneda is my bible number1

Nose-dive ending left me "raw", 22 Jun 1999
Like his "Active Side of Infinity," CC ends this book with a surprise or two. Though the book left me feeling alone and unarmed, there was nothing there that I hadn't already opened myself to by reading the previous 10 books. --- Excellent quotations! He has done what most of his readers probably wished for - created a "Reader's Digest" version. Powerful. --- Interested to see what first-time CC readers have to say about this one!

Own it, like it, love it!, 15 Jun 2001
Well written, interesting and highly enjoyable! This book include informations about the individuals, the communities and their cosmos I haven't found in other books about Mesoamerican. And these highly enjoyable informations are even presented in sometimes poetic sentences. The book is an art in it's own right! And I'm not talking about the photos!

The Conquest of the Aztecs, 09 May 2008
Letters from Mexico is the complete collection of letters written by the Spanish Conquistador, Hernan Cortes, to the Emperor Charles V and Queen Dona Juana. These five letters (stretching from 1519 to 1525) tell the story of the conquest of the Aztecs from the perspective of the man responsible for their overthrow. They are, in the words of Mexican novelist Carlos Fuentes: "One of the most fascinating Machiavellian documents to come out of the Renaissance."

The book is introduced by Anthony Pagden and J.H Elliott who present a few short essays on Cortes relationship to Charles V, as well as the history and veracity of the letters. These essays are interesting even by themselves as they shed a whole new light on Cortes' writings. In one section they mention that Moctezoma's speech to Cortes when he first arrived at Tenochtitlan is almost certainly the work of Cortes imagination, as his speech is highly implausible. They describe how Moctezoma's speech echoes the Gospels and 16th century European legal formulae - these are certainly not the words of an Aztec. These essays make you consider the letters in a different perspective.

The Five letters themselves are rather long, with their whole length reaching over 500 pages. Cortes is a much more erudite writer then Bernal Diaz, (the contemporary who followed him on his expedition) but he lacks Diaz's eye for detail and his many strange anecdotes. As I have already mentioned, Cortes writings can't be completely trustworthy as he was attempting to justify the conquest to his superiors, and therefore he twists the truth quite often. That said, the letters truly are a fascinating document.

The book is also filled with modern day maps of the area, which are useful for locating Cortes path through Mexico, as well as a few maps from the 16-19th centuries. The book is pepperd with illustrations from Mexican Codices and old European books. It also contains a few interesting paintings from the era, especially the 'wobbly' headed Charles V by Cranach the Elder on page 64.

Letters from Mexico is worth purchasing for anyone who has an interest in this bloody period of history, and is invaluable to any historian who studies the Renaissance. They are the definitive edition of Cortes' letters in any language, and ought to be brought by anyone who has an interest in Spanish, Mexican or Aztec history.

Takes the New out of New World, 28 Nov 2002
The Lost Realms is one of the most speculative and interesting books in Sitchin's Earth Chronicles series. The ruins and structures of Egypt and the Near East have been wondered at and studied for centuries, and there is a veritable wealth of information from Near Eastern papyri, stelae, monuments, and similar artifacts. The ruins of Mesoamerica have largely been rediscovered only in the past couple of hundred years; indeed, unknown wonders surely remain hidden by South America's dense jungles. The immensely impor