Fifth Sun: A New History of the Aztecs

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Fifth Sun presents an accessible and humanized depiction of the Aztecs, offering a revisionist history of their conquest by the Spaniards. The book explores the experience of a once-powerful people facing trauma and finding ways to survive, providing an empathetic interpretation for experts and non-specialists alike.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 336 pages
Publication date: 04 November 2021
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

In November 1519, Hernando Cortés embarked on a journey along a causeway that led to the capital of the Aztec kingdom, encountering Moctezuma in a moment that has been recounted numerous times. However, the narrative presented by the Spaniards has often dominated the storytelling, as we have been taught. It is believed that the Europeans held the pen, shaping the narrative. Nevertheless, the Native Americans were intrigued by the Roman alphabet and, unknown to the newcomers, utilized it to craft intricate histories in their native language of Nahuatl. These sources remained obscure, partially translated, and seldom consulted by scholars until recent times. In Fifth Sun, Camilla Townsend presents a comprehensive and humanized portrayal of the Aztecs, offering a departure from the exotic and bloody figures often depicted in European stereotypes. The conquest, depicted in this work, is not an apocalyptic event or an origin story that propelled Mexicans into existence. The Mexica people had a rich history preceding the arrival of the Europeans and did not surrender to Spanish culture and colonization. Instead, they realigned their political allegiances, accommodated new obligations, adopted new technologies, and endured. This engaging revisionist history of the Aztecs, narrated through their own words, explores the experience of a once-powerful people confronting the trauma of conquest and finding ways to survive. It provides an empathetic interpretation for both experts and non-specialists, shedding light on a lesser-known chapter of history.

Weight: 352g
Dimension: 139 x 208 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780197577660