Review

General Books

Hernán Cortes' military campaign against the Nahuatl-speaking peoples of central Mexico, which enabled a group of less than 2,000 Spanish soldiers to join forces with native enemies of the Aztec empire and defeat the mighty Aztec warriors, is arguably one of the most compelling moments in world history. Schwartz's excellent Victors and Vanquished, part of the Bedford Series in History and Culture, provides a comprehensive comparison and analysis of the primary sources historians and ethnohistorians rely on when discussing events leading up to, and the immediate consequences of, this Conquest. Designed for classroom use, Schwartz's book includes two main sections of text, a Chronology of the Conquest of Tenochtitlan which serves as a useful resource for those not familiar with this history, and a handy glossary of Spanish and Nahua terms. Additionally, he includes a "Questions for Consideration" section at the back that students can consult to enhance their reading of the text.	1
Part One provides a concise twenty page introduction to the history and diversity of the indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica on the eve of the conquest, and an overview of primary sources produced by Spanish and indigenous chroniclers. As a context for the analysis of texts that follows, Schwartz describes the arrival of the Aztec empire and founding of their capital Tenochtitlan, acrimonious relations between the Mexica (Aztec) and the indigenous groups they conquered, and the nature of the Spaniards who conquered and settled the Caribbean and Central America. In this section he discusses differences in Spanish and indigenous systems of recording history, noting that the latter produced hieroglyphic texts that were accompanied by tales, dance, and song before the Conquest. Schwartz discusses the political, cultural and personal motivations that resulted in the production of different versions of this period, and stresses that indigenous accounts frequently vary as much from each other as they do from Spanish sources reporting the same events, which also vary from each other. In Part Two, Schwartz contrasts English translations of sources produced by the Spanish, Mexica, and their enemies. The primary Spanish sources he excerpts include well-known memoirs written by conquistadors, namely Bernal Díaz del Castillo's The True History of the Conquest of New Spain. Díaz del Castillo wrote this classic more than fifty years after the Conquest in response to other publications such as Cortes' Letters to Charles V, which is also included here. Additional Spanish sources include Diego Durám's The History of the Indies of New Spain and lesser known accounts written by priests, monks and encomendados (settlers given grants of land and Indian labor by the Spanish crown. Destruction of indigenous documents (codices) by the Spanish means that most accounts of Mexica pre-conquest life were produced after contact. Among the post-Conquest indigenous sources discussed here are the Codex Mendoza, Lienzo de Tlaxcala, Chronicles of Michoacán, Cantares mexicanos, and The Florentine Codex, a comprehensive account of pre-conquest Mexica life produced by Nahua-speakers under the direction of Fray Bernardino de Sahagún.	2
Analysis of the texts occurs in eight sections, including "Forebodings and Omens" (events alleged to have occurred prior to the conquest but quite possibly influenced by the outcome), "Preparations," "Encounters," "The March Inland: Tlaxacala and Cholula" (which all focus on how the Spanish made allies of or decimated the Aztec's enemies and allies), "Things Fall Apart: Toxcatl and the Noche Triste," "The Siege and Fall of Tenochtitlan (which all describe contact between the Spanish and Mexica) and finally, "Aftermath: Tradition and Transformation" (focusing on the long-term consequences of the Encounter). Schwartz's analysis examines these themes while identifying the motivations of the writers, as he distinguishes accounts which appear to have been written to appease a patron or because of devotion to Catholicism from those written to justify an individual's participation in the Conquest. For example, he notes that despite Díaz del Castillo's reliable accounts of events he witnessed himself, his account of the massacre of Mexica nobles in the "Things Fall Apart" section is based on others' reports. In another example, Schwartz points out that Tlaxacallan accounts were written by former enemies of the Mexica, with survivors painting their former foes in the worst possible light.	3
Schwartz's insightful analysis of sources and their production makes this book an excellent reference for scholars and teachers of Mesoamerican and world history. Students in upper division or graduate courses focusing on Latin America, colonialism, or methodology will also find this book a valuable resource.	4
California State University, Long Beach   Jayne Howell

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