Fifth Sun offers a comprehensive history of the Aztecs, spanning the period before conquest to a century after the conquest, based on rarely-used Nahuatl-language sources written by the indigenous people.

In this rich and surprising book, Frances F. Berdan shines fresh light on the enigmatic ancient Aztecs. She casts her net wide, covering topics as diverse as ethnicity, empire-building, palace life, etiquette, origin myths, and human sacrifice. While the Aztecs are often described as “stone age,” their achievements were remarkable. They constructed lofty temples and produced fine arts in precious stones, gold, and shimmering feathers. They crafted beautiful poetry and studied the sciences. They had schools and libraries, entrepreneurs and money, and a bewildering array of deities and dramatic ceremonies. Based on the latest research and lavishly illustrated, this book reveals the Aztecs to have created a civilization of sophistication and finesse.

Masterly....The complexities of Mexico's ancient cultures are perceptively presented and interpreted.--Library Journal

Richard Townsend gives the complete history of the Aztec civilization's rise from humble nomads to empire builders.

See the ancient Aztec civilization in all its complexity--from the start of the first civilization in Mexico to the organization of the vast Aztec Empire. The magnificent palace of Montezuma, the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan, a typical Aztec house and the temple of the Aztec Knights are all featured in stunning see-through page spreads. Full color.

Some sixty years after the Spanish conquest of Mexico, a group of Nahua intellectuals in Mexico City set about compiling an extensive book of miscellanea, which was recorded in pictorial form with alphabetic texts in Nahuatl clarifying some imagery or adding new information altogether. This manuscript, known as the Codex Mexicanus, includes records pertaining to the Aztec and Christian calendars, European medical astrology, a genealogy of the Tenochca royal house, and an annals history of pre-conquest Tenochtitlan and early colonial Mexico City, among other topics. Though filled with intriguing information, the Mexicanus has long defied a comprehensive scholarly analysis, surely due to its disparate contents. In this pathfinding volume, Lori Boornazian Diel presents the first thorough study of the entire Codex Mexicanus that considers its varied contents in a holistic manner. She provides an authoritative reading of the Mexicanus’s contents and explains what its creation and use reveal about native reactions to and negotiations of colonial rule in Mexico City. Diel makes sense of the codex by revealing how its miscellaneous contents find counterparts in Spanish books called Reportorios de los tiempos. Based on the medieval almanac tradition, Reportorios contain vast assortments of information related to the issue of time, as does the Mexicanus. Diel masterfully demonstrates that, just as Reportorios were used as guides to living in early modern Spain, likewise the Codex Mexicanus provided its Nahua audience a guide to living in colonial New Spain.

Welcome to one of the most important societies of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. Of the three high civilizations of this region—Olmec, Maya, and Aztec—the Aztecs were the last, flourishing during the final centuries before Hernan Cortes landed on the Gulf Coast of Mexico. The activities in this book provide insight into the history, religion, culture, art, and life of the ancient Aztecs. The eight full-color transparencies at the back of the book (print books) or the included PowerPoint slides (eBooks) can be used alone or with specific activities listed in the table of contents.

Learn the unbelievable true history of the great warrior tribes of Mexico. More than thirteen centuries of incredible spellbinding history are detailed in this intriguing study of the rulers and warriors of Mexico. Dozens of these charismatic leaders of nations and armies are brought to life by the deep research and entertaining storytelling of Peter Tsouras. Tsouras introduces the reader to the colossal personalities of the period: Smoking Frog, the Mexican Machiavelli, the Poet Warlord, the Lion of Anahuac, and others . . . all of them warlords who shaped one of the most significant regions in world history, men who influenced the civilization of half a continent. The warlords of Mexico, for all their fascinating lives and momentous acts, have been largely ignored by writers and historians, but here that disappointing record is put right by a range of detailed biographies that entertain as they inform. Students of the area, historians working in American history, and long-term visitors and tourists to the region will gain a much clearer understanding of the background history of these territories and the men who formed and reformed them. Lavishly illustrated with dozens of photographs and color paintings, Warlords of Ancient Mexico is essential reading for anyone interested in this tumultuous, endlessly captivating period of Central American history. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history--books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

A vivid and comprehensive account of the Aztecs, the best-known people of pre-Columbian America. It examines their origins, civilization, and the distinctive realms of Aztec religion, science, and thought. It describes the conquest of their empire by the Spanish, and their present-day survival in Central Mexico, making use of the results of the latest excavations, historical documentation, and the author's first-hand knowledge. There is also a detailed account of the daily life of the Aztec people, including their economy, family life, class system, and food.

The landing of Hernan Cortes in Mexico in 1519 marked the end of the Aztec Empire. Spectacular, sometimes unpublished finds presented in this volume demonstrate the wealth of this culture while providing comprehensive insight into the fascinating history of the Aztec Empire. Renowned experts tell of the political, societal, and economic structures, of cultural achievements such as the complex calendar system and the Aztec language, and of religious rites. Previous objects from the magnificent furnishings of the palace of Emperor Moctezuma and the main temple Temple Mayor, including recently discovered sacrificial offerings that have never previously been exhibited, bear witness to the high standards of Aztec art and craftsmanship.