The Conquistadors

The Conquistadors (1972) – Hammond Innes
Fontana / Collins | ISBN: None
Condition: Good | Sold by Crappy Old Books

The Conquistadors. Those extraordinarily ambitious gentlemen who sailed across the Atlantic in search of gold, glory, God and the opportunity to claim enormous territories on behalf of a monarch who had never been anywhere near them. Armed with swords, horses, religious conviction and a remarkably flexible interpretation of other people’s property rights, they proceeded to transform the history of an entire continent, frequently with consequences that were rather less glorious for the people already living there.

In The Conquistadors, acclaimed adventure writer Hammond Innes turns his attention to the dramatic Spanish conquest of the Americas, exploring an extraordinary period of exploration, ambition, violence and cultural upheaval that changed the world forever.

The story of the conquistadors reads like an adventure novel written by someone with an unusually extravagant imagination. Hernán Cortés marched into the heart of the Aztec Empire with a relatively small force of Spaniards and substantial indigenous alliances, ultimately helping bring down one of the most powerful civilisations in the Americas. Francisco Pizarro achieved similarly astonishing results in the Inca Empire, demonstrating that an appetite for gold, political opportunism and superior weaponry could prove a deeply unpleasant combination.

Naturally, the official justification for much of this activity involved spreading Christianity and civilisation, although the enormous quantities of precious metal subsequently shipped back to Spain suggest that spiritual enlightenment was not the only consideration.

Hammond Innes, celebrated for his gripping adventure novels and fascination with remote landscapes, dangerous journeys and individuals confronting extraordinary circumstances, brings an adventurer’s sensibility to this turbulent historical subject. The conquistadors’ expeditions were filled with the ingredients of extraordinary drama: treacherous mountains, impenetrable forests, unfamiliar diseases, political intrigue, military confrontation and the ever-present possibility of being killed somewhere thousands of miles from home.

Yet behind the spectacular achievements of exploration and conquest lies a darker history of destruction, exploitation and the devastation of indigenous societies. The arrival of Europeans brought not merely new political masters but diseases, forced labour, religious upheaval and the dismantling of civilisations whose achievements were every bit as remarkable as those of their conquerors.

The fascination of the subject lies partly in its contradictions. These were men capable of extraordinary courage, endurance and resourcefulness, yet also responsible for acts of astonishing brutality. Their exploits helped establish the foundations of a new global order, while exposing the uncomfortable truth that one civilisation’s heroic adventure can be another’s catastrophe.

This 1972 Fontana / Collins paperback, offered in Good condition by Crappy Old Books, is an appealing addition to the shelves of readers interested in exploration, Spanish colonial history, the Americas and the colourful, frequently disturbing personalities who shaped the early modern world.

A compelling journey into an age when maps contained vast blank spaces, fortunes could supposedly be found beyond the next mountain, and European adventurers regarded the discovery of an inhabited continent as an excellent excuse to announce that they owned it.

Because nothing says civilisation quite like arriving uninvited, planting a flag and demanding to know where everyone keeps their gold.

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