The Conquest of Peru, by William H. Prescott, was written in the mid 1800's and so is written in the language of the time. Much more expressive (flowery?) than a story told today. It is also very thin on how the native peoples were treated during and immediately after the conquest period covered in this book, although that is to be expected considering (1) what the focus of the book was/is - the conquest itself, and (2) the lack of importance that was put on the plight of native peoples at the time. That being said, the story of the Conquest of Peru seems to be taken from source materials such as letters, diaries, and official documents. These accounts give us an appreciation of the conditions the conquistadors lived through to accomplish what they did. I was never bored as the descriptions of the individuals are three dimensional and colorful.
The book actually starts out with a wonderful framework of how the Incan Empire worked. The tiered hierarchy of life in Peru before the advent of the Spanish. As I read the accounts of daily life of these people, from the lowest worker to the highest ranking Inca, I watched several documentaries on the subject. I had thought that, perhaps, the information Prescott worked with had radically changed over the many decades of archeological studies. It has not. There has been some "filling in the blanks" as to daily life, but, the basic framework of life is the same as when Prescott was alive. Most probably this information also came from the same sources I previously alluded to: letters, diaries, and official documents. As it was, prior to moving in to fully conquer the Incas, Pizarro and his ilk made peaceful expeditionary explorations to learn the lay of the land.
All in all, I defiantly am happy to have read this book. It was from my dad's library which I inherited after he died. ( )

1/25/23

the actual volume in this library is published in the early 1900's by L.Burt Company... Hard cover.

Prescott and Parkman are the two big American Romantic Historians, and I've read them both. While there are now better books on this topic, Prescott is still a good man for an epigraph, when your chapters require one. It reads well, and my 1942 Everyman's library reprint fit well in my luggage for a trip. The book was published in 1847, nearly the three hundredth anniversary. ( )

Quite superb piece of writing, very much of its time (early 19th century) and no doubt overtaken in research terms but a true joy to read. Seccombe's introduction also well worth reading but leave it until you have enjoyed the book itself - and the 19th century perspective on this amazing story of the Spanish conquistadores and their doings. ( )