I recently read the new book “Conquistadores” by Fernando Cervantes, which attempts to explain the conquest via the mindset of medieval Europe. This book seems like a perfect pairing, and I’ll definitely read it next. I live in CDMX and have written about how the wave of recent immigration of remote workers is often framed within the conqueror/conquered binary - in a way I feel is quite limiting and fails to capture the complexity of globalization. Perhaps reading this book will give me more context for the present moment. Thank you for sharing.
I happened to read Dr. Townsend's book before it won the Cundhill (it was nice to have a rooting interest as they whittled down the list). Thought it was a fantastic read. Hard to believe the Nahuatl texts were sitting there the whole time and so few others were utilizing them!
I read 7 Myths of the Spanish Conquest for a class my daughter took at DePaul last year. Townsend’s book appears to tackle myths and ideologies from the Latino angle, not the invaders’ angle like 7 Myths. I can hardly imagine a more complicated several centuries to explicate. Thank you for this interesting post.
Yeah, this book definitely not from the perspective of the invaders. It's a really humane look at the Aztecs themselves, and uses some cool Nahuatl sources.
Thank you for sharing your insights on Townsend's book. I am all for telling fuller, more complex narratives to humanize inhabitants of the past and am heartened to hear Tonwend's book has had that impact, I'll have to check it out!
I recently read the new book “Conquistadores” by Fernando Cervantes, which attempts to explain the conquest via the mindset of medieval Europe. This book seems like a perfect pairing, and I’ll definitely read it next. I live in CDMX and have written about how the wave of recent immigration of remote workers is often framed within the conqueror/conquered binary - in a way I feel is quite limiting and fails to capture the complexity of globalization. Perhaps reading this book will give me more context for the present moment. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for your recommendation, too! I hadn't heard of that book, Conquistadores! Will check it out.
I happened to read Dr. Townsend's book before it won the Cundhill (it was nice to have a rooting interest as they whittled down the list). Thought it was a fantastic read. Hard to believe the Nahuatl texts were sitting there the whole time and so few others were utilizing them!
I read 7 Myths of the Spanish Conquest for a class my daughter took at DePaul last year. Townsend’s book appears to tackle myths and ideologies from the Latino angle, not the invaders’ angle like 7 Myths. I can hardly imagine a more complicated several centuries to explicate. Thank you for this interesting post.
Yeah, this book definitely not from the perspective of the invaders. It's a really humane look at the Aztecs themselves, and uses some cool Nahuatl sources.
Thank you for sharing your insights on Townsend's book. I am all for telling fuller, more complex narratives to humanize inhabitants of the past and am heartened to hear Tonwend's book has had that impact, I'll have to check it out!