Book in the collection
The Conquest of New Spain
Catalogued September 30, 2026
The Work
Drew's Copy
Mexican HistorySpanish ConquestAztec EmpireNew SpainHernán CortésPrimary SourcesMilitary HistoryHistory
Acquisition & Provenance
How This Copy Came to the Library
I picked up this book after listening to José Miguel bring the history to life in an almost five-hour conversation about the conquest of Mexico. I knew of Bernal Díaz and had heard that the conquest was an unbelievable tale of courage and adventure, but I did not know why. The conversation left me wanting more, and I bought Díaz’s account to go deeper into the subject.About This Copy
This is the Penguin Classics paperback of J. M. Cohen’s translation, first published in 1963. Díaz served under Hernán Cortés and wrote his account decades later as a participant’s history of the conquest of Mexico.Memories & Connections
South American and Latin American history have been gaps in my historical understanding. This book begins a deeper study of Spain and the conquistadors. I also purchased a second-hand DVD documentary on the conquistadors and The Great Courses’ History of Spain.Bernal Díaz del Castillo recounts the Spanish expedition into Mexico, the soldiers’ first sight of Tenochtitlan, their alliances and battles, their retreat, and the eventual fall of the Aztec capital. Written by a veteran of the campaign, the book is both a foundational primary source and a vivid, contested memory of the conquest.
The immediate catalyst for adding the book was the Church of the Eternal Logos conversation, “The Conquest of Mexico: How Cortés Toppled the Aztec Empire,” with José Miguel.
Drew's Copy
