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The Memoirs of the Conquistador Bernal Diaz de Castillo, Volume 1
A personal account of the discovery and conquest of Mexico and New Spain.
408 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1568
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About the author
Bernal Díaz del Castillo
164 books53 followersBernal Díaz del Castillo (1492 – ca. 1580) was a conquistador, who wrote an eyewitness account of the conquest of Mexico by the Spaniards under Hernán Cortés, himself serving as a rodelero under Cortés. Born in Medina del Campo (Spain), he came from a family of little wealth and he himself had received only a minimal education. He sailed to Tierra Firme in 1514 to make his fortune, but after two years found few opportunities there. Much of the native population had already been killed by epidemics and there was political unrest. So he sailed to Cuba, where he was promised a grant of Indian slaves. But that promise was never fulfilled, leading Díaz, in 1517, to join an expedition being organized by a group of about 110 fellow settlers from Tierra Firme and similarly disaffected Spaniards. They chose Francisco Hernández de Córdoba, a wealthy Cuban landowner, to lead the expedition. It was a difficult venture, and although they discovered the Yucatán coast, by the time the expedition returned to Cuba they were in disastrous shape.
Nevertheless, Díaz returned to the coast of Yucatán the following year, on an expedition led by Juan de Grijalva, with the intent of exploring the newly discovered lands. Upon returning to Cuba, he enlisted in a new expedition, this one led by Hernán Cortés. In this third effort, Díaz took part in one of the legendary military campaigns of history, bringing an end to the Aztec empire in Mesoamerica. During this campaign, Díaz spoke frequently with his companions in arms about their experiences, collecting them into a coherent narration. The book that resulted from this was Historia verdadera de la conquista de la Nueva España (English: The True History of the Conquest of New Spain). In it he describes many of the 119 battles in which he claims to have participated, culminating in the fall of the Aztec Empire in 1521.
As a reward for his service, Díaz was appointed governor of Santiago de los Caballeros, present-day Antigua Guatemala. He began writing his history in 1568, almost fifty years after the events described, in response to an alternative history written by Cortés's chaplain, who had not actually participated in the campaign. He called his book the Historia Verdadera ("True History"), in response to the claims made in the earlier work.
Díaz died in 1585, without seeing his book published. A manuscript was found in a Madrid library in 1632 and finally published, providing an eye-witness account of the events, often told from the perspective of a common soldier. Today it is one of the most important sources in understanding the campaign that led to the collapse of the Aztec Empire and the Spanish conquest of Mexico.
Nevertheless, Díaz returned to the coast of Yucatán the following year, on an expedition led by Juan de Grijalva, with the intent of exploring the newly discovered lands. Upon returning to Cuba, he enlisted in a new expedition, this one led by Hernán Cortés. In this third effort, Díaz took part in one of the legendary military campaigns of history, bringing an end to the Aztec empire in Mesoamerica. During this campaign, Díaz spoke frequently with his companions in arms about their experiences, collecting them into a coherent narration. The book that resulted from this was Historia verdadera de la conquista de la Nueva España (English: The True History of the Conquest of New Spain). In it he describes many of the 119 battles in which he claims to have participated, culminating in the fall of the Aztec Empire in 1521.
As a reward for his service, Díaz was appointed governor of Santiago de los Caballeros, present-day Antigua Guatemala. He began writing his history in 1568, almost fifty years after the events described, in response to an alternative history written by Cortés's chaplain, who had not actually participated in the campaign. He called his book the Historia Verdadera ("True History"), in response to the claims made in the earlier work.
Díaz died in 1585, without seeing his book published. A manuscript was found in a Madrid library in 1632 and finally published, providing an eye-witness account of the events, often told from the perspective of a common soldier. Today it is one of the most important sources in understanding the campaign that led to the collapse of the Aztec Empire and the Spanish conquest of Mexico.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 20, 2017
It is a long but fascinating read. This is the only written history of Cortes in Mexico penned by an eye-witness, and therefore is the only primary source for historians. One should remember this being that other writings were written by political factions within the Spanish monarchy, the vice-royalty systems, and the Catholic Church, all with clear political agendas of their own. Bernal Diaz’ memoir is an exploration and battle diary from an authentic conquistador who participated in the explorations and in the battles.
What is evident to me is that Mexico was never really “conquered.” Montezuma was not murdered by Cortes as is often stated, but was killed by his own men during a quasi-civil war. Cortes actually had to retreat out of Mexico and suffered losses regularly at the hands of the Aztecs. Mexico was not a conquest per se with some mythologized brutal end to their civilization, but the Spanish kept coming and it appears that the cultures simply merged. When one goes to Mexico today, it is clearly seen that 70% of the population is Native American. That could hardly be characterized as genocide; something that actually happened in English North America, and not in Spanish America. It appears that the hacienda and encomienda systems attributed to Spain were already in place when Cortes arrived and that Spain modified these systems to their own advantage.
Neil Young. He is an idiot. I have to laugh at the ignorance of his lyrics in “Cortez the Killer.” Unfortunately, many choose to get their history and politics from celebrity singers. It should be noted that Montezuma was a “killer” himself and that the Aztec Empire was an empire made by blood and was still expanding when the Spaniards arrived. Neil Young chooses to describe the New World as a mythical paradise. What a fool!
Both volumes 1 and 2 are free on your e-reader. This is a very worthwhile read for us real men, but it is a long investment in time. Read it at your leisure over time; because I do not believe it can all be digested in short order.
What is evident to me is that Mexico was never really “conquered.” Montezuma was not murdered by Cortes as is often stated, but was killed by his own men during a quasi-civil war. Cortes actually had to retreat out of Mexico and suffered losses regularly at the hands of the Aztecs. Mexico was not a conquest per se with some mythologized brutal end to their civilization, but the Spanish kept coming and it appears that the cultures simply merged. When one goes to Mexico today, it is clearly seen that 70% of the population is Native American. That could hardly be characterized as genocide; something that actually happened in English North America, and not in Spanish America. It appears that the hacienda and encomienda systems attributed to Spain were already in place when Cortes arrived and that Spain modified these systems to their own advantage.
Neil Young. He is an idiot. I have to laugh at the ignorance of his lyrics in “Cortez the Killer.” Unfortunately, many choose to get their history and politics from celebrity singers. It should be noted that Montezuma was a “killer” himself and that the Aztec Empire was an empire made by blood and was still expanding when the Spaniards arrived. Neil Young chooses to describe the New World as a mythical paradise. What a fool!
Both volumes 1 and 2 are free on your e-reader. This is a very worthwhile read for us real men, but it is a long investment in time. Read it at your leisure over time; because I do not believe it can all be digested in short order.
June 26, 2024
The way I would listen to this book is I would rip a blinkerton of the Penjamin and then I would go in the steam room with the audiobook playing in my AirPods for about 10 minutes. After that, I would get out and rinse off with cold water and then hop in the sauna for about 20 to 35 minutes depending on how I’m feeling. I don’t know what it is but something about being gassed up, being Mexican, sitting in a incredibly hot room with your heart beating really fast and listening to these memoirs I think I triggered some ancestral memory inside of me and now I can’t stop thinking about how awesome it would be to witness any of the battles described in the book
February 1, 2017
History is written by the victors, and Bernal Diaz del Castillo certainly falls into that category. As a conquistador into New Spain (Mexico) under the command of Henan Cortez, Bernal Diaz had a front row seat to the invasion of Mexico under emperor Charles the 5th.
This memoir, written many years after the events took place, is Bernal Diaz's attempt to answer Gomara's history of the conquest of Mexico, where the latter heaps all the credit upon Cortez, and present Diaz's "true" version of history, focusing on the bravery of his fellow men and correcting inaccuracies in Gomara's version.
The careful reader will note that coquisatadors are portrayed with vanity: brave, zealous, good Christians (who are cool with enslaving people and picking out the most beatifull women as "companions". Hey, they are saving their mortal souls!) and the majority of Indians are portrayed as kniving, untrustworthy and evil. Diaz's history is an excellent source of material about the history of the conquest of Mexico, and certainly of the amazing adventures that the conquistadores experiences, but it should also be taken with a grain of salt and read with a skeptical eye.
This memoir, written many years after the events took place, is Bernal Diaz's attempt to answer Gomara's history of the conquest of Mexico, where the latter heaps all the credit upon Cortez, and present Diaz's "true" version of history, focusing on the bravery of his fellow men and correcting inaccuracies in Gomara's version.
The careful reader will note that coquisatadors are portrayed with vanity: brave, zealous, good Christians (who are cool with enslaving people and picking out the most beatifull women as "companions". Hey, they are saving their mortal souls!) and the majority of Indians are portrayed as kniving, untrustworthy and evil. Diaz's history is an excellent source of material about the history of the conquest of Mexico, and certainly of the amazing adventures that the conquistadores experiences, but it should also be taken with a grain of salt and read with a skeptical eye.
May 5, 2016
It history, I did learn perspective from it. Can't rate it higher or lower.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews