Exploring firsthand accounts written by Maya nobles from the sixteenth through the nineteenth centuries-many of them previously untranslated-Restall offers the first Maya account of the conquest. The story holds surprising twists: The conquistadors were not only Spaniards but also Mayas; reconstructing their own governance and society; and the Spanish colonization of the Yucatan was part of an ongoing pattern of adaptation and survival for centuries.
#761452 in Books Beacon Press 2001-05-25 2001-05-25Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.79 x .59 x 5.73l; .61 #File Name: 0807009725128 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. The Persistent ParentheticalBy Michael HollowayAs a passenger in a car speeding toward disaster; West gives nervous but intelligent instructions as he tries to grab the steering wheel. With a voice intelligent and packed to the temples with the facts of events and markers of history; he leaves the reader feeling both the rapid exhaust of his thought and the decompression of racial futures. Maybe we have a shot at freedom without each other; but I doubt it. We can but only if we love ourselves without shame and respect each other.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. IntriguingBy The Gustavich EffectMy interest in this book came from a sociology class and a literature course I had in college around the time the book was published. I graduated years ago and cherish my memory of discussions and lectures in both.One of my favorite lecturers at that time was an ambassador to South Africa and I hope to someday attend a lecture by Cornel West. I hope to be prepared by reading this and his wonderful memoir. I enjoyed his memoir more as it is celebration and far less clinical.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Critically important work on the subject of race relations in the United States.By Ben WechslerA very interesting look at race relations and race issues from the perspective of the black person. This is certainly not the only book I have read on this topic; but West really goes into a lot of detail in a short piece. Excellent work.
