Step into the heart of one of history's most dramatic encounters through the eyes of a man who lived it. Bernal Díaz del Castillo was a young soldier when he marched with Hernán Cortés into the Aztec Empire, and an old man when he set down what he saw: the first sight of Tenochtitlán rising from its lake, the marches and mutinies, the battles, bargains, and betrayals that ended an empire. Written in plain, unvarnished prose to correct grander official histories, his memoir has captivated readers for four centuries. This edition presents the complete, unabridged original text of Volume One — the full account as written by himself — accompanied by a new introduction and reader's notes that illuminate the people, places, and context behind the narrative. Whether you are a student of history or a lover of true adventure, this is the conquest of Mexico as its rank-and-file witnesses never forgot it. Part of The Founding Texts Library.