Bernal Daz del Castillo (1492-1584) was a foot soldier in the army of Mexico's conqueror Hernn Corts, and participated in the campaigns that led to the fall of the Aztec empire in 1521. This 1928 translation of his journals derives from the 1904 edition by the Mexican historian Genaro Garca - the first edition based on the original manuscript. Written as a corrective to accounts that overemphasised Corts' exploits, Daz's epic focuses on the experiences of the common soldier. The most complete contemporary chronicle of the Mexican conquest, this important historical document is also a captivating adventure narrative that combines factual accuracy with many dramatic anecdotes. Volume 1, in which Daz recounts his first two expeditions to the Yucatn coast and the beginning of his service in Corts' army, contains chapters 1-81 and includes part of Garca's 1904 introduction to his edition.
Bernal Daz del Castillo (1492-1584) was a foot soldier in the army of Mexico's conqueror Hernn Corts, and participated in the campaigns that led to the fall of the Aztec empire in 1521. This 1928 translation of his journals derives from the 1904 edition by the Mexican historian Genaro Garca - the first edition based on the original manuscript. Written as a corrective to accounts that overemphasised Corts' exploits, Daz's epic focuses on the experiences of the common soldier. The most complete contemporary chronicle of the Mexican conquest, this important historical document is also a captivating adventure narrative that combines factual accuracy with many dramatic anecdotes. Volume 1, in which Daz recounts his first two expeditions to the Yucatn coast and the beginning of his service in Corts' army, contains chapters 1-81 and includes part of Garca's 1904 introduction to his edition.
