Cambridge University Press (2024)
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Oxford University Press (2020)
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Oxford University Press (2016)
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Dumbarton Oaks and Trustees for Harvard University (2020)
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University Press of Colorado (2013)
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University Press of Colorado (2014)
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University of Pittsburgh and Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (2011)
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Featured Publication
Collision of Worlds: A Deep History of the Fall of Aztec Mexico and the Forging of New Spain. Oxford University Press, 2020.
Mexico of five centuries ago was witness to one of the most momentous encounters between human societies, when a group of Spaniards led by Hernando Cortés joined forces with tens of thousands of Mesoamerican allies to topple the mighty Aztec Empire. It served as a template for the forging of much of Latin America and initiated the globalized world we inhabit today. The violent clash that culminated in the Aztec-Spanish war of 1519-21 and the new colonial order it created were millennia in the making, entwining the previously independent cultural developments of both sides of the Atlantic.
Collision of Worlds provides a deep history of this encounter, one that considers temporal depth in the richly layered cultures of Mexico and Spain, from their prehistories to the urban and imperial societies they built in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. Leading Mesoamerican archaeologist David Carballo offers a unique perspective on these fabled events with a focus on the physical world of places and things, their similarities and differences in trans-Atlantic perspective, and their interweaving in an encounter characterized by conquest and colonialism, but also resilience on the part of Native peoples. An engrossing and sweeping account, Collision of Worlds debunks long-held myths and contextualizes the deep roots and enduring consequences of the Aztec-Spanish conflict as never before.
Collision of Worlds: A Deep History of the Fall of Aztec Mexico and the Forging of New Spain. Oxford University Press, 2020.
Mexico of five centuries ago was witness to one of the most momentous encounters between human societies, when a group of Spaniards led by Hernando Cortés joined forces with tens of thousands of Mesoamerican allies to topple the mighty Aztec Empire. It served as a template for the forging of much of Latin America and initiated the globalized world we inhabit today. The violent clash that culminated in the Aztec-Spanish war of 1519-21 and the new colonial order it created were millennia in the making, entwining the previously independent cultural developments of both sides of the Atlantic.
Collision of Worlds provides a deep history of this encounter, one that considers temporal depth in the richly layered cultures of Mexico and Spain, from their prehistories to the urban and imperial societies they built in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. Leading Mesoamerican archaeologist David Carballo offers a unique perspective on these fabled events with a focus on the physical world of places and things, their similarities and differences in trans-Atlantic perspective, and their interweaving in an encounter characterized by conquest and colonialism, but also resilience on the part of Native peoples. An engrossing and sweeping account, Collision of Worlds debunks long-held myths and contextualizes the deep roots and enduring consequences of the Aztec-Spanish conflict as never before.
Reviews of Collision of Worlds
"This book is a monumental work of long range historical and archaeological comparison of ethnicities, myths, cities, markets, world views, and human actions. No other history of the war for the Aztec capital reveals the cultural depth or historical breadth of what was truly at stake when the Aztec ruler Cuauhtemoc yielded to Cortés at the pyramids of Tlatelolco in August of 1521."
Davíd Carrasco, author of The Aztecs: A Very Short Introduction
"Collision of Worlds is a unique and resonant achievement, an old story told in a new way. By adopting an archaeologist's perspective, David Carballo is able to offer a fresh and thought-provoking take on the history of the Spanish-Aztec encounter. And by reaching back into the deep Mesoamerican and Iberian pasts, he helps us to better understand that encounter, its outcomes, and its significance."
Matthew Restall, author of When Montezuma Met Cortés
“I so recommend David M. Carballo's dazzling and masterful book on the Aztecs and the Spanish, their similarities and differences.”
Simon Sebag Montefiore, Aspects of History
“A thorough, balanced, and nuanced view of the Spanish invasion and conquest of Mesoamerica and the establishment of colonial New Spain.... This book not only helps us to better understand the centuries-long experiences in New Spain but also illustrates how weaving together multiple histories, at both macro- and micro-levels, can provide insights about culture contact—the collision of worlds—and its analysis.”
Janine Gasco, American Anthropologist
"In this remarkable work of comparative history and archaeology, David Carballo situates the Spanish-Mexica wars of the 16th century within a parallel account of Iberia and Mesoamerica, stretching back into humanity's deep past."
David Wengrow, author of The Dawn of Everything
"Collision of Worlds takes a new look at the world-changing events of 1519-1521 and the Spanish invasion of Mexico. Archaeologist David Carballo begins by examining two landscapes--Medillín, Spain, home of Hernando Cortés, and Cholula, Mexico dominated by its Great Pyramid--to illustrate the entanglements of deep history and place that shaped New Spain and the foundations of the global world."
Deborah Nichols, coeditor of The Oxford Handbook of the Aztecs
“We have long needed just such a book, and I imagine that for many years historians will consult this volume whenever they need to understand more about archaeology's contributions to the study of early Mexico.”
Camilla Townsend, Hispanic American Historical Review
“Well researched, up-to-date, and even-handed, Collision of Worlds is a much-needed retelling of the Aztec overthrow, giving due weight to archaeological findings and indigenous sources, especially those written in Nahuatl by eyewitnesses who let us see into the Mexican side of a complex tragedy long told from mostly European viewpoints.”
Ronald Wright, Times Literary Supplement
"David Carballo weaves a fascinating historical tapestry. Collision of Worlds is authoritative, evenhanded, and draws on a broad array of sources. This outstanding account helps us understand the roots of today's globalized world."
Brian Fagan, author of The Little Ice Age
For other books that inspired me in writing this one, see my Shepherd.com post on "The Best Books on the Aztec-Spanish War."
