<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: Informative book
Review: "The Broken Spears" is a very informative book and gives readers an insight on the Mexican/Aztec point of view of the conquest of Mexico by the Spanish.
The introduction is very helpful so don't skip it like I tried to! Some of the text does get boring at times but if you're reading this book for a college class keep your eyes open and notebook handy, you'll need it to keep places and names straight.
For all those below who hated the book, maybe you're right, but did you understand it and the point for the writting of this book?
Rating:
Summary: Informative book
Review: "The Broken Spears" is a very informative book and gives readers an insight on the Mexican/Aztec point of view of the conquest of Mexico by the Spanish.
The introduction is very helpful so don't skip it like I tried to! Some of the text does get boring at times but if you're reading this book for a college class keep your eyes open and notebook handy, you'll need it to keep places and names straight.
For all those below who hated the book, maybe you're right, but did you understand it and the point for the writting of this book?
Rating:
Summary: From the other side
Review: First a cautionary note: I don't believe in "good" or "bad" in history. Things happen because of the complex interrelations between many factors, and coincidence (yes, it plays a role). So the worst way to read this book is from a sentimental point of view: mean Spaniards conquest and kill good Indians. Just imagine what would have happened if the human-sacrifice-prone Aztecs had conquered Spain (but then again, they had no ships to cross the Ocean).Nevertheless, this is a crucial book, because it tells the story of the Conquest from the view of the conquered. That is needed to fully understand this vital historical process. The book is a selection of indigenous stories telling the event. One can perceive the utter terror and misery brought upon by the destruction of the Indian societies. The fear, the superstitions and the desolation of the Indians during and after the total destruction of their world. Leon Portilla has done a much-needed effort here. He deserves praise for it, and the book deserves to be read.
Rating:
Summary: Great account of the barbaric Europeans
Review: Great account of the attrocities committed by inhuman European criminals.
Rating:
Summary: Exceedingly Sweet action!!!
Review: I got this book because I find pre-columbian Mesoamerica fascinating, and I also enjoy the vivid clash of cultures which occured when the Spaniards arrived there. This book describes the conflict between the Aztecs and Spaniards superbly! This book is somewhat unique among histories because it takes the point of view of the vanquished rather than the victors. It starts from before the Spaniards arrive with eerie premonitions of eminent doom to the fall of Tenochtitlan and the suffering associated with that, then proceeds to give a short account of the plight of the native Nahuas after the conquest. Leon-Portilla uses a vast array of native sources from the Florentine Codex to the Cantares Mexicanos(which consists of Native American songs about the conquest), and combines them to create a lively and pleasant read, and its fairly short length add to its overall unburdensome style. In fact for me this book was harder not to read than to read. The tale is full of lively adventure, fascinting omens and cultural tidbits(such as the Aztec dedication to human sacrifice and their belief that the Spaniards were gods), violence, and sorrow. This book is a must for the Aztec fan, the conquistador fan, or anyone who likes an engaging story that just happens to be history.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent reference book
Review: The Broken Spears is the story of the conquest of Mexico, as told by the conquered: the citizens of Tenochtitlan and Tlatelolco. It's a beautiful book that reads something like an epic, with all the elements of tragedy, comedy and poetry. The passages are taken from different accounts and codices and translated into English. It starts out with the omens foretelling the coming of the Spaniards and ends with the elegies on the fallen city. There are quite a few illustrations and poems, all of which are beautiful. Some of the accounts read somewhat contradictorily, but I suppose that is to be expected, as most of these accounts were probably recorded orally. If you are at all interested in the history of the Aztecs, Mexico or Cortes, this book is a must read. It's not so often we get such a glimpse into a conquered people, and this book is a great compliment to books such as The Conquest of New Spain by Bernal Diaz.
Rating: 
Summary: The View from the Vanquished
Review: There are two sides to every story, and in history you usually only hear the victor's side. In standard Western-based histories of the Spanish conquest of Mexico, you are usually only told that Cortes and a few hundred valiant soldiers easily conquered the Aztec empire of several hundred thousand people. Another fallacy is that the Aztecs rolled over so easily because they thought the white men were gods returning from the sea. As can be seen in this book, this was true at first, but most of the Aztecs (except for the priests) quickly changed their opinion on the Spaniards when they saw their brutality and greed. The Spaniards also weren't such efficient conquerors - they had help from many thousands of natives who were the historical enemies of the Aztecs, especially the Tlaxcaltecas and Tezcocanos (they suffered just the same in the long run). Not to mention a handy smallpox epidemic that killed off a large chunk of the native population. This book (and countless others) shows that the soldiers were not driven by religious valor, hoping to save people in God's good name. Instead, they were driven by a greed for gold so virulent that they cried when they saw it, and a lust for heroism that could only be obtained through violent conquest. This book is a useful introduction to the native view of this important event. After reading these accounts along with more traditional history texts, you will have sufficient knowledge of both sides of the story to reach your own balanced conclusions. Portilla mostly avoids editorializing (except for a few slip-ups), and simply presents the native accounts without embellishment. A bonus is the chapter covering the literature of the modern descendents of the Aztecs, now called Nahuas, proving that the conquest is still a strong influence on the resilient culture of these people. The problems with this book include the self-serving and rather pompous intro by Klor de Alva, plus an under-representation of the native texts. Portilla has unearthed much important material, but only presents small excerpts here, as if he packaged the book merely for entertainment rather than scholarly value. More would definitely be better in this case.
Rating: 
Summary: bad writing, and boring
Review: this book was written so badley, and became so on going that, I could bearly stand reading it
Rating:
Summary: A must read for anyone intersted in the conquest of Mexico
Review: This is a beautiful, touching book, as well as being historically enlightening. History is written by the conquerors, and it's nice to see the other side of the coin shown. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Are you kidding?
Review: What a total joke of a book! This book is both non-informative and boring.
<< 1 >>
| 
