Just Finished Reading: The Conquistadors – A Very Short Introduction by Matthew Restall and Flipe Fernandez-Armesto (FP: 2012)

From the late 15th century and for over a hundred years afterwards a group of largely Spanish adventurers invaded, mapped and removed untold wealth from Central South America. These where the fabled Conquistadors spoken of in admiring terms at the time and with either pride or horrified disgust ever since. The myths surrounding them, and many myths there are, where largely created by the men themselves, not only in an attempt at self-aggrandisement (though there was certainly enough of that to go around) but in an attempt to impress their royal sponsors back home who had it within their power to grant titles, land grants and payment for services rendered. Big stories and dramatic adventures sold books, made reputations and by extension made people rich and powerful.

The reality was of course somewhat more grubby and down to earth. Most of the Conquistadors where uneducated, unsophisticated and uninterested in anything as prosaic as glory. They wanted, more than anything else, to amass a suitably large fortune and then retire to a farm back in Europe. Few managed this and most died on the voyage out, due to disease on arrival or in the constant warfare they engaged in in South America against local tribes and each other. A few, a very few, achieved fame and a smaller number achieved both fame and fortune but these where very much the exception – so much so that the generally known individuals could probably be counted on the fingers of one hand. Amongst the lessor known, rather surprisingly, where a few Conquistadora’s – female Conquistadors who managed to hide their gender (not easy in that environment I should think) until uncovered and sent back to Spain as almost other-worldly celebrities. The very existence of such creatures surprised me a great deal. I wonder how many other women throughout history had done this sort of thing. How many women fought in early wars or explored the furthest reaches of the world disguised as men? I’m sure that there’s a PhD or at least a book buried somewhere in that question.    

The authors certainly weave a good tale as they unravel the truth hidden in the myths and self-publication of the age of conquest. The tale they put forward is frankly fascinating and it’s no surprise that this event or series of events continues to attract the imagination of authors and film makers and continues to hold the interest of the reading and watching public. Definitely recommended.