History of the Conquest of Mexico; vol. 1/4

The work opens with a survey of precontact Mexico, detailing climate, topography, agricultural products, social institutions, religion, and military organization of the Aztec peoples; it then traces the arrival of external armed expeditions, their political and military interactions with native rulers and cities, the campaigns, sieges, and negotiations that led to the collapse of the imperial polity, and the establishment of foreign rule. Throughout, the author interweaves descriptive passages on landscapes and antiquities with documentary evidence and commentary on sources, examining causes, tactics, cultural contrasts, and consequences for indigenous society.