
391. The Fall of the Aztecs: The Last Emperor (Part 8)
Books Mentioned

“The phrase 'broken spears' was used as the title of the translation of a book by the Mexican historian Miguel León Portillo.”

“Camilla Townsend's wonderful book, Fifth Son, discusses the mistranslation of 'broken spears' as 'shattered bones'.”
“If people want a sense of the kind of debate, they could just read a book by Matthew Restle, who emphasises the near-genocidal approach of the Spaniards.”

“Then you read Fernando Cervantes on the other, who is very keen to dispel what he sees as the black legend.”
“Matthew Restles, the final chapter in his book on Moctezuma meeting with Cortez gives a terrifying portrait of it.”
“The Fall of the Aztecs is often a very bloody story. For centuries, people used to tell it as a clash between wicked Aztecs and gallant Spaniards. These days, it's more common to tell it from the opposite angle, casting the Aztecs as noble underdogs and the Spanish conquerors as greedy monsters.”