The saga of Cortes, Montezuma, and the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire
has been chronicled repeatedly, and with justification, since it is one of
the seminal events in world history. There is probably no new information
on the conquest left to uncover, but it is a thrilling, moving, and tragic
story well worth retelling. Levy is not a professional historian, but he is
a fine writer who knows the material, and he is wise enough to allow the
pure excitement and drama of the story to unfold naturally. At the center
of the tale, of course, are the two protagonists. Cortes is viewed as an
intriguing combination of ruthless ambition, religious piety, and surprising
tenderness. Montezuma, also deeply religious, was less a man of action than
Cortes, and his contemplative nature probably sealed his doom. As Levy
illustrates, this was also an earthshaking clash of civilizations that is
still working itself out five centuries later. This is a superb work of
popular history, ideal for general readers.

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