Fifth Sun
A New History of the Aztecs
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Fifth Sun
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Narrated by:
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Christina Delaine
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By:
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Camilla Townsend
About this listen
In November 1519, Hernando Cortes walked along a causeway leading to the capital of the Aztec kingdom and came face to face with Moctezuma. That story - and the story of what happened afterwards - has been told many times, but always following the narrative offered by the Spaniards.
After all, we have been taught, it was the Europeans who held the pens. But the Native Americans were intrigued by the Roman alphabet and, unbeknownst to the newcomers, they used it to write detailed histories in their own language of Nahuatl. Until recently, these sources remained obscure, only partially translated, and rarely consulted by scholars.
For the first time, in Fifth Sun, the history of the Aztecs is offered in all its complexity based solely on the texts written by the indigenous people themselves. Camilla Townsend presents an accessible and humanized depiction of these native Mexicans, rather than seeing them as the exotic, bloody figures of European stereotypes.
The conquest, in this work, is neither an apocalyptic moment, nor an origin story launching Mexicans into existence. The Mexica people had a history of their own long before the Europeans arrived and did not simply capitulate to Spanish culture and colonization. Instead, they realigned their political allegiances, accommodated new obligations, adopted new technologies, and endured.
©2019 Oxford University Press (P)2020 TantorListeners also enjoyed...
What listeners say about Fifth Sun
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- F. murad
- 29-09-24
my best read of the year
well researched and engaging, this book brought the aztec to life. one of the finest history books I have read this year
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Christopher Hodder
- 26-01-24
Awesome work brining to life a truly alien culture
As the title suggests an awesome work, bring to life a truly alien culture to modern eyes.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 26-11-23
Fresh new angle.
A very interesting look into their world. The conquest is neither the start, nor the end.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 06-09-24
A new perspective on the story
This was a great piece of work that gave new insight into the history of the Mayan people and the arrival of the Spanish. The description of new sources and their perspectives on the events brought it to life. The one thing I would say is that I do not need every Nawal name spelled out after being said.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Johari
- 05-08-23
The Cathedral Speaks
1. Aztec Human Sacrifice is a lie created by the Spanish
2. If Human Sacrifice did exist is was limited and rare
3. If Human Sacrifice wasn’t rare it was solemn ritual received in awed silence
4. If Human Sacrifice was frequent it was justified and the victims deserved it
5. If Human Sacrifice was a huge raucous festival involving thousands it was a response to the Spanish
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- mernst
- 16-03-24
A noble effort
Good overview. Great cast of characters. Glad I listened. Would’ve liked a bit more drama at the fall of Tenochtitlan.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- L C
- 17-12-23
Very disappointing
I had high hopes for this, since I've read many books about Post-Colombian history but not so much on Pre-Columbian. Unfortunately, we are offered a banal trudge through the time. The narrator only serves to extend the pain with a badly pronounced and inane rendering of the book.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Christine Y
- 24-05-24
Heavy going
I wanted to love this book but I’m struggling to keep going. The central thesis and research are interesting and valuable but the narrative and performance are tedious, particularly the very annoying interruptions to reveal the spelling of every aztec word (there are many….).
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- James D
- 12-08-24
Much too long for the material she had available
Very interesting project but should have been half as long. The narration is very annoying as the reader spells out all the names
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