A first-person account of the overthrow of Montezuma's doomed Aztec Empire by the ruthless Hernan Cortes Bernal Díaz del Castillo, a soldier under Cortes, presents a fascinatingly detailed description of the Spanish landing in Mexico in 1520. In this vivid, powerful and absorbing account of one of the most startling military episodes in history, he details their amazement at the city, the exploitation of the natives for gold and other treasures, the expulsion and flight of the Spaniards, and their regrouping and eventual capture of the Aztec capital. Penguin Classics is the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world, representing a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.