Letters from Mexico
Letters from Mexico by Hernan Cortes, published by Yale University Press in 2001, is a new edition that spans 563 pages. This work comprises Cortés’s letters written over a seven-year period to Charles V of Spain, detailing the conquest of Mexico from the establishment of Veracruz to his expedition to Honduras in 1525. The English translation by Pagden is based on a thorough examination of the earliest surviving manuscript and the first printed editions, accompanied by a new introduction that offers an innovative interpretation of the conquest and Cortés’s role in it.
Readers will find a detailed narrative that explores the complexities of Cortés’s interactions with the Crown and his conflicts with Diego Velazquez, the governor of Cuba. The edition includes an introductory essay by J. H. Elliot that contextualizes these conflicts within the broader historical framework. The book provides insights into the traumatic clash of civilizations in Latin America, making it a significant resource for those interested in the history of Mexico and its colonial past.
Official synopsis Publisher
Hernán Cortés’s Cartas de Relacíon, written over a seven-year period to Charles V of Spain, provide an extraordinary narrative account of the conquest of Mexico from the founding of the coastal town of Veracruz until Cortés’s journey to Honduras in 1525. Pagden’s English translation has been prepared from a close examination of the earliest surviving manuscript and of the first printed editions, and he also provides a new introduction offering a bold and innovative interpretation of the nature of the conquest and Cortes’s involvement in it. J. H. Elliot’s introductory essay explains Cortes’s conflicts with the Crown and with Diego Velazquez, the governor of Cuba.
“The definitive edition [of the letters] in any language. . . . The book is a ‘must’ for all those who are seriously interested in this traumatic clash of civilizations and the consequences, both for good and ill, which ensued.”–C. R. Boxer, English Historical Review
“One of the most fascinating Machiavellian documents to come out of the Renaissance.”–Carlos Fuentes, Guardian
“[Pagden] provides us with two important innovations: the first reliable edition of the most important Spanish text . . . and annotations that draw on Pagden’s own profound knowledge of Mesoamerican cultures.”–Helen Nader, Sixteenth Century Journal
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