Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquest: Debunking Historical Misconceptions | Perfect for History Buffs, Students & Educators

This is a phenomenal book, and I think everyone who lives in the Western Hemisphere should read this.The author first explains that this is not just a battle of myth vs fact or of conquistador lies vs historian's truth. Rather, this book is about how the Conquest is remembered and has been remembered for 500 years. In a sense, this is a dialogue between three histories - the primary accounts from the historical moment, the subsequent secondary histories, and the most modern histories with the benefit of their own research and evidence. Myths are NOT lies - myths are real to their progenitors, and modern history can be based on myth (including the many modern histories based on some of these myths).With that being said, here are the 7 myths which Restall brilliantly dispels.1. Myth of a few great men - perpetuated by modern pop history.2. Myth of Spanish armies sent by the king - perpetuated by modern pop history.3. Myth of only a handful Spanish conquistadors - originated with conquistadors.4. Myth of a complete conquest - originated with conquistadors.5. Myth of miscommunication - perpetuated by modern academic historians.6. Myth of the destruction of native culture - perpetuated by modern pop and academic history.7. Myth of Spanish superiority - perpetuated by conquistadors, modern academic, and modern pop history.For me, the most important feature of this book is that throughout the text it emphasizes that Native cultures did not simply wither or collapse - they adapted, they accommodated, they collaborated, they resisted, and they demonstrated a vitality and resilience that outlasted the Empire itself. The book also emphasizes that these 7 myths - while they do NOT reflect reality - are not lies. Rather, they are myths which were earnestly believed by many people in the service of particular worldviews or material goals, and perpetuated not only by conquistadors but also perpetuated in academic history and pop history up to the present. I think that is important because it demonstrates how pervasive these myths are and why it is therefore important for people to unlearn them.My one critique is that I disagreed somewhat with the Epilogue, in which Restall attempts to provide his own reasons for the real causes of Conquest. For instance he lists specifically steel swords, which I would argue is not very impactful. A handful of Spanish swordsmen is inconsequential in the face of thousands of enemy soldiers, especially in light of the fact that most of the Spanish themselves were not even proper soldiers, that they depended on Native allies, and that many Spanish entradas failed. I am also not sure if disease is convincing as a causative factor given that 1) chronologically the most severe epidemics occurred during/after the Conquest and cannot be separated from the broader ecology of imperialism, and 2) even with disease, Indians were still overwhelmingly the majority throughout the mainland. Despite that caveat, I still highly recommend this book to everyone.