Men of iron mounted on strange beasts out to conquer an Empire There can be few more substantial and all embracing accounts of the Conquistadors than that of Bernal Diaz del Castillo. Whilst all first-hand accounts are invaluable it is unusual to find them as comprehensive as that of Bernal Diaz particularly from the 16th century. His work is so expansive it fills two substantial volumes in this special Leonaur edition. The deeds of the Conquistadors-literally conquerors-are broadly known by all. Here were small armies of determined and ruthless men from the Old World sailing perilous oceans into the unknown to set foot in the equatorial jungles of a New World. They came for fame, discovery, new lands to expand European Empires-and for gold. They brought organised war to an unsuspecting indigenous people and they toppled civilisations with sword, lance and gunpowder-men mounted on beasts of war unlike anything their more numerous enemy had ever beheld. This is the common view of a far more complex time. Diaz lived through the conquests in New Spain and Mexico and recounts a time of violence and blood perpetrated seemingly without let by both sides; and he reports the constant infighting and divisions between the Conquistadors themselves in such a way that far off times come vividly back to life and legend takes the form of real men as his words whisper history into our imaginations. This is an exceptional two volume set of books by any standards. For those who know something of the history of the Conquistadors it will be an essential addition to their libraries and for the curious it will be a revelation.