Originally titled Historia Verdadera de la Conquista de la Nueva Espaa (The True History of the Conquest of New Spain), this first-person narrative by the military adventurer, conquistador, and settler Bernal Daz del Castillo (1492-1584) recounts the fall of Aztec Emperor Moctezuma II, the defeat of the Aztec Empire, and his participation in the Spanish military campaigns that brought them about. Daz served in three Mesoamerican expeditions, that of Francisco Hernndez de Crdoba to the Yucatn peninsula (1517); that of Juan de Grijalva (1518), and finally the expedition of Hernn Corts (1519) in the Valley of Mexico. Amongst chroniclers, Daz was most celebrated as Daniel Defoe (1660-1731) was amongst novelists.
Beyond the sheer adventure and conflict, Daz del Castillo's work serves as a crucial document for understanding the complexities of Spanish colonization, the clash of civilizations, and the inevitable changes it brought to the New World. His account not only sheds light on the strategic military maneuvers and alliances formed with various indigenous groups but also reflects on the cultural exchanges, misunderstandings, and the human aspects of this epochal period. The Conquest of New Spain stands not just as a testament to the indomitable spirit of the conquerors, but also as a poignant reminder of the worlds that were irrevocably changed in the wake of their ambitions.