Bernal Díaz del Castillo, a soldier under Cortes, presents a fascinatingly detailed description of the Spanish landing in Mexico in 1520. In this vivid, powerful and absorbing account of one of the most startling military episodes in history, he details their amazement at the city, the exploitation of the natives for gold and other treasures, the expulsion and flight of the Spaniards, and their regrouping and eventual capture of the Aztec capital.

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