Mirrors of a Disaster

<p>In Mirrors of a Disaster, Gérard Chaliand narrates the major events that followed the Spanish conquest of Mexico and Peru with the scope and rhythm of an epic poem. He seeks to make meaningful the strict chronicle of a conquest through those who lived it. Human details and the broader political background bring to life one of history's great tragedies.A new introduction by the author is included in this paperback edition. The comprehensive work is organized into three parts: "The Conquest of Mexico," "The Conquest of Guatemala and Yucatan," and "The Conquest of Peru." In each section, the author provides a summary prior to, in many cases, a day-by-day account of the events as they unfolded. Enriched by significant contemporary documents Mirrors of a Disaster relates the many facets of the conquest, presenting the Indians' perception of their defeat by the Spaniards, the conquerors' narratives of the same events, and the author's own retelling of a tragedy in which, he says, "the vanquished could not, ultimately, but be vanquished."</p> Part I. The Conquest of Mexico: Summary, Men from Distant Lands, The Aztec Omens, Reconnaissance, The March on Mexico, The night of sadness, The Siege and Fall of Mexico, Part II. The Conquest of Guatemala and Yucatan: The Conquest of Guatemala, Alvarado’s Letters to Cortes, The Conquest of Yucatan, Part III. The Conquest of Peru: Introduction, Summary, Preface, Cajamarca, From Cajamarca to Jauja, The Assault on Cuzco, Cuzco as seen by Pedro Sancho De la Hoz, Cuzco as seen by Pedro Pizarro, Cuzco as seen by Diego De Trajillo, The Inca Empire, The Expedition to Quito, The Great Rebellion