Conquistador: Hernan Cortes, King Montezuma, and the Last Stand of the Aztecs

Buddy Levy has written quite an ambitious historical piece in Conquistador, which was published in 2008. The book chronicles the life and times of Hernan Cortes, who lived in the early 1500's, and was in the prime of his life. As some readers may already be aware, he was an early Spanish explorer who sailed to the New World in search of adventure, fame, and fortune. Although he was initially sponsored by the Governor of Cuba, Diego Velasquez, other powerful businessmen, such as his own wealthy father, and a good number of investors, Cortes generally acted independently on behalf of the greater common good; namely, that of the sovereign of their nation, King Charles V of Spain. In doing so, he had a marked tendency to behave as an ambitious upstart and an adept social climber, who well understood his place in society and in the larger scheme of European politics at the same time; yet, by the same token, he acted on his own recognizance in the capacity of a completely dedicated legal professional and free-lance diplomat. In short, he became a self-appointed self-made man in the capacity of a high-ranking politician, if not a demigod, having proven himself on numerous occasions as a highly-charged emissary, judge advocate, and competent military commander, over the years. His most immediate, lofty goal was to claim "Mesoamerica" for Spain, and convert its people into up-standing, law-abiding citizens, devout Christians, and good taxpayers. But, as Cortes discovered the hard way, "this was easier said, than done." Fortunately for him, Cortes met a great many pro-active and influential people along the way who would contribute to helping him realize his goals and ambitions. A long list of these people would have to include the following, and many others besides: Antonio de Alaminos, the ship's navigator; Diego Velasquez, Cortes's benefactor; Pedro de Alvarado, ship's captain; Melchior, Mayan interpreter; Bernal Diaz, expedition journalist; Jeronimo de Aguilar, priest and translator; Malinche, interpreter; Cuitlalpitoc, Aztec chief; Ambassador Tendile, Aztec representative; Tlacochcalcatl, Totonac chief; Olintetl, Xocotlan chief; Xicotenga, Tlaxcalan chief; Father Olmeda, counselor; Cacama, King of Texcoco and Montezuma's nephew; Montezuma, Aztec emperor; Juan Velasquez de Leon, Spanish military leader; Gonzalo Sandoval, Spanish military leader; Diego de Ordaz, Spanish military leader; Martin Lopez, carpenter and ship-builder; Panfilo Narvaez, Spanish military leader; Cuitlahuac, Aztec chief, ruler; Matlatzincatzin, Aztec chief; Maxixcatzin, Hueyotlipan chief; Andres de Duero, Spanish invester and friend; Franciso de Eguia, African ship's porter; Catalina Suarez Mercaida Cortes, Hernan Cortes's wife; Cuauhtemoc, the 8th Aztec emperor; Coanacochzin, King of Texcoco; Ixtlilxochitl, Aztec chief, Montezuma's nephew, ruler; Julian de Alderete, Royal Fifth treasurer; Antonio de Villafana, Spanish soldier; Cristobal de Olea, Spanish soldier; Cristobal de Olid, Spanish military commander; Charles V, King of Spain, Holy Roman Emperor; Juan de Fonseca, the Bishop of Burgos; Alonso Garcia Bravo, architect; Don Pedro Montezuma, Mexico City administrator, surviving son of Montezuma; Jean Florin, French pirate; and Martin Cortes, son of Hernan Cortes and Dona Maria Malinche. I know, the list doesn't exactly read like the cast of characters in your typical Shakespearean play, but the contributions they make to the book is why it is so particularly interesting. You want to go on vacation and visit some of the places for yourself, see their museums, take a closer look at their statues, meet these people in person. Mitigating and aggravating circumstances, which might have assisted or impeded the progress Cortes was making toward achieving his goals include the following, and many others besides: Smoking and actively erupting volcanoes in the region; the Aztec and other Indian practices of making human sacrifices for religious purposes; conflicts caused by warring tribes and unwavering factionalism; the harsh, diverse weather patterns, whereby the Spaniards were freezing cold in the mountains one day, and in stifling hot and humid conditions in the low-lying plains on the next; a preponderance of mosquitoes and malaria; the sudden exposure of the local inhabitants to smallpox by infected crew members disembarking from the vessels of the Spanish armada; the shocking introduction of Christianity to the unsuspecting Mesoamerican population at large; the wide variety of wildlife, dangerous, exotic animals, birds, flora, and fauna; the resounding clash of Spanish and Aztec cultures; the bizarre presence of Aztec gods; and shortages of fresh drinking water. Pronunciation is the least of our concerns over the many names of persons, places, and gods encountered upon reading the book, which is enough to slow down the average reader, who wants to persevere nonetheless in making a gallant attempt at conquering the mystery that surrounds the history being lavishly portrayed; its heritage so rich and meaningful. The reader wants nothing better than to gain a precise understanding of what actually happened in Mesoamerica, and who exactly were the aggressors, responsible for causing such terrible transgressions and calamities. The "few, proud, and brave" claiming knowledge of the truth may purposefully state, perhaps with a vengeance, that it was a complicated, unchecked chain of events that ultimately led to an inevitable conclusion. I wonder what Cortes and Montezuma might have done differently in order to alter the course of human history any further. If that were even possible. What could they have done to avoid so much of the brutality and hostility, chaos and devastation, the murder and intrigue? First of all, Montezuma made the drastic mistake of trusting the Spaniards and cordially inviting them into his happy home; men, who were hell-bent on conquering his nation and taking all of the vast treasure for themselves, given the opportunity. Secondly, Montezuma made the drastic mistake of blindly trusting the highly suspect and superstitious Aztec Priesthood for divine guidance and advice, most notably those of whom may have had absolutely no idea whatsoever as to what the intelligent life is and what it involves that rules the universe. Obviously, they never would in their bleak, dismal short-lived future, whereby there is only the power struggle between mere mortal men on earth that seems to matter. Some may suggest, that these spiritual guides must have been total frauds and pretenders, "fruits and nuts," worshiping and idolizing ferocious predatory animal spirits, such as the imaginary jaguar, eagle, and poisonous snake creatures. I wouldn't know for sure, myself, but being invited to dinner, and then finding myself battered, breaded, and boiling in oil in a large, round, iron cauldron over a hot-burning fire would have convinced me otherwise of the soundness of their religious beliefs. I, for one, would have liked to have read that Leonardo de Vinci was among the crew of new arrivals in Hernan Cortes's party to Tenochtitlan. A practical, scientific man, he would have seen right away that if the loyal Aztecs were bound and determined to throw people off of their temple rooftops as a mere matter of routine, he might at least give them a fighting chance by fitting them out with hang-gliders beforehand, so they could make a fortuitous attempt at flying to safety; thus, testing out a few of his theories about full-fledged flight on the "Aztec Air Force." Naturally, I continue to ponder on Hernan Cortes's role in the grand scheme of things as well. He could have done things radically different himself. An acting scene from a possible future Broadway play, based on the book, comes to mind: "Cortes lays deep in a coma. The loss of Montezuma's treasured friendship weighs heavily on his mind." Next, I begin to consider the thousands upon thousands of misguided, restless natives wandering around in the wilderness. They are homeless, frightened refugees. What would they have done differently if they truly had had a choice, free will, and a mind of their own? Conduct poetry in motion? Face the music like the good community college brass band they emulate, when their very lives depended on it? "Driving the party wild, dancing around a huge bonfire, beating war drums, chanting banana banana beer; banana banana beer; beer beer banana; beer beer banana; banana banana banana, they eventually run out of beer and bananas. They roam around in the darkness, and yet, miraculously, are no longer afraid." From where in the world did they originate? Speculating, I would tend to hazard an educated guess that some eons ago, perhaps millions and millions of years ago, when South America and Africa were part of the same continent, many of the people there had lived in the African part, and some lived in the far western part, which just so happened to have quaked, crumbled, and broken off in a great cataclysmic, geological rift from the main continent. It slowly began to float and drift across the vast Atlantic Ocean, and gradually formed its very own, isolated continent, having grounded to a complete stop due to massive amounts of heat and friction; reconnected and fused with the solid rock shelf lying just above the earth's molten lava core at its present location. Much later on, probably at some time during the ice age, a great many of the peoples living in this new continent of South America began to migrate northward toward tropical Central America, where the climate was much warmer and food was plentiful. There they settled and there they lived out their lives, for generations upon generations. Primitive, half-naked and unashamed, these lost and abandoned, extended families could have been escapees from Moorish, African, Indian, Egyptian, and other desert tribes. Or, then again, I could be completely mistaken. Maybe they did drop out of the sky. The results of those DNA tests have not come in. R. Royce is looking for answers. He wants to buy a bass boat for backwater and lake fishing, but he is uncertain as to which manufacturer's brand he prefers, "Bass-tracker" or "Ranger." He considers the optimal shape of the hull, the boat lengths, horse-power, "Mercury" and "Evinrude" motors, canopy style. He likes the idea of a canvas Bimini top above the steering wheel console. He would settle for twin-engine outboards, swivel chairs on pedestals, a flat-top deck, with the look and stability of an aircraft carrier, and stainless steel railings all around the bow, so he wouldn't suddenly take the plunge into the lake if the water becomes too choppy due to inclement weather, or go overboard in the event a cresting wave comes sweeping over the deck, while he was trying to reel in a fish. "Let's go to Florida and go fishing in the ocean," said Cornelius Korn, his friend of many years and long-time business associate. "I haven't ever thought about buying an ocean-going yacht," replied Royce. "Aren't they expensive?" "They can be. Buy a big enough boat, and you can sink your entire life savings into it," said Korn. "Or, we could just go to one of the marinas and charter a tall cabin cruiser, one that's completely stocked with food, beverages, fishing poles, and bait." "We can always go out for a day trip and see how well we like it," said Royce. He suddenly became animated and enthusiastic about the prospect." "There are plenty of good resort hotels nearby where we can stay in the meantime," said Korn. "If we find out that the life of ocean fishermen appeals to us, we might want to sail down to Belize or Mexico for marlin and tuna." "We'll fly the girls down to Vera Cruz or Belize City for a vacation, upon our arrival," said Royce. He was all aboard now with the plan. What Korn had judiciously failed to mention was the fact that sailing the vessel to Central America was actually going to be their latest job assignment. Their task was to deliver a newly purchased yacht, imported directly from the manufacturer in South Korea, which had recently arrived at the Port of Dodge Island in Miami, Florida, promptly to its ultimate destination and new owner in Vera Cruz, Mexico. "We'll just hug the coastline in a southerly direction, when we cross the Gulf," said the Skipper, Captain Francis Drake. "After we get in a few days of good fishing for marlin, grouper, and red snapper." "Of course, we have to make sure the 'Donna Maria' is seaworthy," said Royce. He was eager to reel in his very first large ocean fish. Unfortunately, the vessel was taken over by three armed pirates intercepting them with a cigarette speedboat on the high seas just off the southeastern coast of Florida before they could catch a single fish. They meant to rob Royce, Korn, and the good Captain of their valuables, throw them overboard, and steal away with their vessel. It was not a pretty picture that was developing. "Why don't you let me fix you a nice lunch before you depart?" offered Korn, cordially. "I make a sensational margarita and an equally superb daiquiri." "What do you say? Take the cash, watches, and jewelry. Leave us the life-raft," suggested Royce. He sounded convincing. "We won't tell anybody what happened. The yacht is fully insured. Everybody wins." "Take the ship. It's brand new. Worth a fortune," said the Captain, pleading for his life. "Put on a coat of new paint, fiberglass, re-design the hull and interior. Re-register the vessel in Panama. Nobody will recognize the old girl." Along about that time something really strange and bizarre happened. A large marlin leaped up over the back starboard side of the ship and would have landed on the deck, had not one of the pirates been standing directly in the path of its trajectory. Tragically he was run-through by the swordfish's long, sharp-pointed sword and pinned solidly to the nicely lacquered mahogany deck, while the big fish flopped around trying to free itself from its predicament. The men stood by aghast, not knowing exactly what to do to save the man's life. The sword and teeth had gored a large gaping hole in the middle of the man's chest. He was bleeding profusely. The other pirates could not react quickly enough as Royce and Korn each brandished matching .357 caliber, stainless steel, magnum revolvers and knocked the men unconscious. They bound and gagged the two men. They could do nothing for the third pirate. He had expired quite suddenly from shock and blood-loss. The quick-reacting Captain grabbed a gaff hook off the wall and subdued the large marlin, having repeatedly punctured its brain with the hook and holding on for dear life, until it too expired. "Our fish only weighed 600 pounds, said the Captain, modestly. "The largest of the marlins around here usually weigh in at a hefty 800 to 900 pounds." The three fishermen gained the full cooperation of the two remaining pirates and had them clean the fish, cut it into fillets, package the pieces in large zip-lock freezer bags, and transfer them into the cold-storage unit for another, much more pleasant, auspicious occasion. "Have you ever considered going into another line of work?" Korn asked the two would-be pirates. He proceeded to actively engage the men in a meaningful conversation which lasted more than an hour and a half, during which time they returned all of the items and cash that was stolen. They provided the fishermen with all of the requested information as to their identities, where they lived, and where they worked. Then, they washed away "the blood of the lamb." They removed the dead body from the yacht and put it on their cigarette boat. "I think they've learned their lesson," said the Captain. He felt sorry for the two fellows, having heard the pathetically sad, terrible story of their lives. They had obviously gone wrong as teenagers, had never been caught before today, but wanted an opportunity to change for the better, perhaps the only chance they would ever get in order to redeem themselves. They were definitely up for rehabilitation. So, Royce and Korn decided to let them go. "Accidents happen," said Raquel Remington, somberly, when the party met up a few short weeks later to celebrate the successful delivery of the Donna Maria to its rightful, proud new owner in Belize. She was Royce's significant other and their full-fledged business associate. "I've never caught so many fish in my life," exclaimed Royce. "Me neither," admitted Korn. He had not only insured delivery of the vessel, but he also functioned as the yacht broker who sold the vessel, and quite a few others besides over the years. "The funds have been electronically transferred to our bank accounts early this morning," reported Alexis Sue Shell, the fourth member of the party, Cornelius Korn's significant other and formal business partner.

You’ll learn many things about the natives and Spaniards in this book that gen ed schools and colleges won’t cover, a well written book that has captivated me in a way that few books do.

Freelance journalist and creative writing professor Buddy Levy has branched outside of his realm of expertise and has entered the world of history. Buddy Levy’s Conquistador: Hernán Cortés, King Montezuma, and the Last Stand of the Aztecs is a novelesque rendering of Hernan Cortes’s life. Levy has a bachelor's degree in Literature and a masters in English, his concentration is creative writing. Levy obtained both his undergraduate and masters from the University of Idaho. Other works by Levy include, American Legend: The Real-Life Adventures of David Crockett, Chicken Soup for the Chiropractic Soul, and Echoes on Rimrock: In Pursuit of the Chukar Partridge. In addition to authoring books, he has written a multitude of articles whose subjects vary from sports to adventure seeking. Most recently he has been featured on The History Channel’s television series Decoded. Levy chose a fairly well known historical figure as the focus of his book: Hernán Cortés. While many people are familiar with the name Cortés, it is unlikely that the vast majority of people would be able to list off more than just superficial factoids about the Spanish Conquistador. Levy asserts that Cortés intended to claim the “New World” for Spain, the royalfamily; he wanted to perform what he viewed as his Christian duty to convert the inhabitants of this New World to Catholicism; to amass a fortune for himself by acquiring as much gold and silver as he could manage. His thesis argument portrays Cortés in a very valiant manner, even going so far as to refer to him as a “grand adventure”; from the very start of this book it is clear that Levy has a profound respect and fascination for Cortés. When Levy approaches events that illustrate Cortés committing acts of deception, murder, torture, and womanizing he appears to merely writes these things off with the explanation that Cortés was product of his era and thus his actions warrant no further examination. Throughout this account a tone of hero worship is easily detected. It becomes clear that despite some of the more unsavory antics Cortés has been involved with that the author respects Cortés as a commander despite having no formal training, but army training. It is difficult to quantify how well Levy argues his thesis because he doesn’t necessarily assert any arguments. Rather than boldly make his accusations he regurgitates information he has pulled from other sources to fill in the timeline of events that Cortés was involved in. To his credit, Levy does present a story that continuously ties into his thesis, however the amount of evidence he ties to his claim is severely lacking merit. Levy is an author by occupation, not a historian. This distinction is crucial: Levy has yet to acquire credentials that substantiate his ability to write in a historical context. Writing as a journalist requires a separate skill set than that of a historian, by this extension the target audience differs. Journalism requires the author to be able to reach a large audience that have differing levels of education and interests. While writing as a historian, it is required that the author explains the significance of the evidence that is presented and how it relates to theirthesis, anything less than absolute certainty and the door is left open for scrutiny. From the first pages of this book it becomes evident that Levy holds little interest in targeting the academic community as his core audience. This book reads like a novel; Levy compulsively writes from an observational standpoint. If a reader were unaware that nearly 500 years had lapsed between the events in this book and its publication it would be easy to assume that Levy personally witnessed these events. It is pivotal for an author to confidently display his thoughts, however there is a fine line between confidence and haughtiness. There are many debates that historians and archeologists engage in to this do as to how certain events unfolded between those of the Western hemisphere and Europeans. For Levy to state unequivocally that his version of events is the most correct is overweening in the least. While his writing style is flashy on a superficial level it does little to promote confidence in the authors ability to convey historical accuracies. Levy writes from a single perspective with the mindset of a novelist. This limits his ability to explain how and why as he discuses the biographical timeline that is Cortés’s life. He has an extensive bibliography page and a multitude of sources that he consulted: academic journals, primary sources, maps, photos and several secondary book sources are found among the appendices and bibliography pages. There is a plethora of untapped potential confined to the bibliography pages. It is evident that a great deal of effort was placed into this project. Levy had the resources at his disposal to produce a spectacular final product that would hold absolute cogency. Aside from a few larger quotes in the book, the bulk of hard scholarly information is found a handful of times within each chapter in the form of footnotes on certain pages. This type of organization implies that Levy considers this sort of information as extra or additional, not apriority. It is disappointing to view that this information has been brushed to the bottom while lyrical phrases supplement large ideas and concepts. Levy has an interesting way in which he incorporates his sources with his writing. He combines his natural tendencies and instincts as a novelist/journalist and mixes this fiction style with credible sources. A bold choice, there are instances in the book that his natural instincts as a creative writer mesh well with the inclusion of scholarly sources. On the other side of things, there are situations where the transition between Levy’s own words and evidence feels discombobulated and out of place. If Levy could master his ability to blend his natural writing talent with tangible evidence it would be an incredible combination. The photos that are incorporated into the book are vibrant and apply to the material that is referred to, however, the placement of where he choses to place these photos feels arbitrary. Photos can be a powerful tool when discussing and explaining anything in a historical context, they allow the viewer to connect with the material on multiple levels: mentally, visually, and in certain instances, emotionally. Levy kept the photos grouped together instead of placing them as to what they could have been applied to what he was explaining adding additional substance to his material. In terms of comparison to other books available within the same subject matter David Stannard’s American Holocaust:The Conquest of the New World is by far a superior specimen. Stannard not only provides accurate accounts of the conflicts Cortés was involved in, he is able to legitimize Cortés motives on multifaceted levels. Stannard is able to honor the accomplishments and military endeavors while still respecting the victims of Cortés’s brutality. Levy has a tendency to be one side with his judgment and critical thinking. When Levy discussesreligious and cultural practices that native Mesoamericans followed he radiates a judgmental tone. Levy clearly shares the same opinion that Cortés and his men had on the subjects of human sacrifice and polygamy, this disdain is evident from the amount of time he spends negatively explaining Montezuma and the Aztec religion. While is understood that neither of these topics are savory, Levy’s double standard is noticed, he does not scrutinize Cortés’s womanizing way are duely noted, but makes no mention of the European practice of burning witches at the stake. Unlike Levy, Stannard is more interested in providing a detailed record that contains explanations and motives. It is in these revelations of motives and explanations that historians are able to break down the time barrier and achieve a greater understanding of the past. Buddy Levy is a gifted author who has the ability to tell a good story, and this book can be critiqued on multiple levels. Examining this as a biographical account, with no previous training as a historian, this is an entertaining read that provides a very Wikipedia style of displaying general information in an uncomplicated fashion. Many times books and articles formulated like this have the ability to inspire the reader to continue to pursue the subject forcing the reader to seek further enlightenment independently; it is in this form that books like Levy’s can truly be beneficial. Examining this as an overall piece from the mindset of a historian, however, is a completely different opinion. Historical accounts and biographies are not just stories that should be told and retold, they are events that have shaped and created our current present. It is the responsibility of the author to present their thesis, to highlight compelling arguments, and present irrefutable evidence. While it is impossible to deny that this account is informative on a superficial level it lacks historiographical substance and accountability.

Prior to reading this book I had no knowledge of Hernan Cortes or much about the Aztec empire and how it ended.This has to be one of the craziest conquest stories of all time. It is epic as anything you’ve read.The characters, the struggle, the crazy turns and the fact that in many ways it was the first time that such and such happened.I was absolutely thrilled by it.Shout out for the author, who did an amazing job putting all together beautifully.

Best book I've read in my life. Enjoyed it from start to finish. I recommend anyone with an interest to read this book

Very interesting

This is a cracking book - highly recommended

Well written book about one of the most amazing historical events,the collide of two worlds appart.Good thing about the spansih conquistadores or adventurers is that they were not only happy with staying on shore, but always pushing deep into the unknown no matter what,and that is ,one hell of a story.