Hernando Cortes and the Conquest of Mexico (Explorers of the New World)

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Summary: Hernando Cortes: ruthless, greedy, fearless and clever
Review: "Hernando Cortes and the Conquest of Mexico" looks at one of the most famous explorers of the New World whose reputation has suffered over the years because of his destruction of the Aztecs (see Neil Young's song "Cortes and the Killer). Author Gina De Aneglis points out that like many of the other Spanish conquistadors, Cortes was brutal in his treatment of the natives, but that he was also a fearless general and a brave explorer. Cortes was one of numerous soldiers sent by the Spanish to explore unknown lands after the discovery of the New World by Columbus in 1492. De Angelis relates how Cortes first arrived in the New World as a teenager, fighting against natives on Hispaniola and Cuba. He later convinced the king to let him explore the Yucatan peninsula, the area that is now Mexico. With a few hundred soldiers Cortes invaded the mighty Aztec empire, captured the emperor Montezuma, and conquered the natives. Whatever young readers may end up thinking about Cortes as a human being, he clearly helped shape the Mexico of today. Teachers and students can deal with questions of whether he should be judged by the standards of his own time or our own.

This book includes native artwork of Aztec rituals and the arrival of the Spaniards, as well as European paintings of other events described. You will find a Chronology from the founding of Tenochtitlan in 1325 to the death of Cortes in 1566, along with a Glossary, list of Further Reading, and Index. This book is part of the Explorers of the World series, which has 30 titles focusing on explorers from Marco Polo and the Vikings to Sir Edmund Hilary and the Apollo Astronauts.

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Summary: A Century of Explorers
Review: If you like this book of inquires then read Morgan Freeman, Black American Of Achievement by Gina Deangelis. It explains about Morgan Freeman and his times. This book shows his importance and how he evolve in life. What he stands for and so forth. This is also a very good Black History book. There is also a move out from this book and i belive the book would be good in a mini series about his life.