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The Broken Spears by Miguel León-Portilla
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The Broken Spears

The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico

The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico

The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico

By Miguel León-Portilla

By Miguel León-Portilla

By Miguel León-Portilla

By Miguel León-Portilla

By Miguel León-Portilla

By Miguel León-Portilla

Best Seller

Part of Beacon Classics

Paperback $22.00

Nov 15, 2006 | ISBN 9780807055007

Hardcover $24.00

Jun 10, 2025 | ISBN 9780807019054

Ebook $16.99

Feb 07, 2011 | ISBN 9780807095454

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    The Broken Spears by Miguel León-Portilla
    Paperback $22.00
    Nov 15, 2006 | ISBN 9780807055007

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    • $22.00

      Nov 15, 2006 | ISBN 9780807055007

      Buy from Other Retailers:

    • $24.00

      Jun 10, 2025 | ISBN 9780807019054

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    • Feb 07, 2011 | ISBN 9780807095454

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    About The Broken Spears

    For hundreds of years, the history of the conquest of Mexico and the defeat of the Aztecs has been told in the words of the Spanish victors. Miguel León-Portilla has long been at the forefront of expanding that history to include the voices of indigenous peoples. In this new and updated edition of his classic The Broken Spears, León-Portilla has included accounts from native Aztec descendants across the centuries. These texts bear witness to the extraordinary vitality of an oral tradition that preserves the viewpoints of the vanquished instead of the victors. León-Portilla’s new Postscript reflects upon the critical importance of these unexpected historical accounts.

    About The Broken Spears

    For hundreds of years, the history of the conquest of Mexico and the defeat of the Aztecs has been told in the words of the Spanish victors. Miguel León-Portilla has long been at the forefront of expanding that history to include the voices of indigenous peoples. In this new and updated edition of his classic The Broken Spears, León-Portilla has included accounts from native Aztec descendants across the centuries. These texts bear witness to the extraordinary vitality of an oral tradition that preserves the viewpoints of the vanquished instead of the victors. León-Portilla’s new Postscript reflects upon the critical importance of these unexpected historical accounts.

    About The Broken Spears

    For hundreds of years, the history of the conquest of Mexico and the defeat of the Aztecs has been told in the words of the Spanish victors. Miguel León-Portilla has long been at the forefront of expanding that history to include the voices of indigenous peoples. In this new and updated edition of his classic The Broken Spears, León-Portilla has included accounts from native Aztec descendants across the centuries. These texts bear witness to the extraordinary vitality of an oral tradition that preserves the viewpoints of the vanquished instead of the victors. León-Portilla’s new Postscript reflects upon the critical importance of these unexpected historical accounts.

    Read An Excerpt

    Product Details

    Category: Latin American World History

    Paperback | $22.00
    Published by Beacon Press
    Nov 15, 2006 | 264 Pages | 5-2/5 x 8 | ISBN 9780807055007

    Category: Latin American World History

    Hardcover | $24.00
    Published by Beacon Press
    Jun 10, 2025 | 216 Pages | 6 x 9 | ISBN 9780807019054

    Category: Latin American World History

    Ebook | $16.99
    Published by Beacon Press
    Feb 07, 2011 | 264 Pages | ISBN 9780807095454

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    Praise

    A moving and powerful account, a unique reading experience which should not be missed by any reader interested in history.—Los Angeles Times

    Table Of Contents

    Illustrations
     
    Translator’s Note
     
    Foreword
     
    Introduction
     
    Chapter One Omens Foretelling the Arrival of the Spaniards
     
    Chapter Two First Reports of the Spaniards’ Arrival
     
    Chapter Three The Messengers’ Journeys
     
    Chapter Four Motecuhzoma’s Terror and Apathy
     
    Chapter Five The Spaniards March on Tlaxcala and Cholula
     
    Chapter Six The Gifts of Gold: The God Tezcatlipoca Appears
     
    Chapter Seven The Spaniards Are Welcomed in Tezcoco
     
    Chapter Eight The Spaniards Arrive in Tenochtitlan
     
    Chapter Nine The Massacre in the Main Temple during the Fiesta of Toxcatl
     
    Chapter Ten The Night of Sorrows
     
    Chapter Eleven The Siege of Tenochtitlan
     
    Chapter Twelve Spanish Raids into the Besieged City
     
    Chapter Thirteen The Surrender of Tenochtitlan
     
    Chapter Fourteen The Story of the Conquest as Told by the Anonymous Authors of Tlatelolco
     
    Chapter Fifteen Elegies on the Fall of the City
     
    Chapter Sixteen Aftermath
     
    Appendix
    Postscript
    Selected Bibliography
    Index 

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