The Conquest of the Last Maya Kingdom

Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1998. xxvii, 568 pages, illustrations, maps; 23 cm. Tight, clean text. Small previous owner's signature/half-title page, otherwise unmarked. "The first complete account of the conquest of the Itzas to appear since 1701, this book details the layers of political intrigue and action that characterized every aspect of the conquest and its aftermath. The author critically reexamines the extensive documentation left by the Spaniards, presenting much new information on Maya political and social organization and Spanish military and diplomatic strategy. This is not only one of the most detailed studies of any Spanish conquest in the Americas but also one of the most comprehensive reconstructions of an independent Maya kingdom in the history of Maya studies. In presenting the story of the Itzas, the author also reveals much about neighboring lowland Maya groups with whom the Itzas interacted, often violently." - Publisher. CONTENTS: The Itzas and their neighbors; Itza-Spanish encounters, 1525-1690; Itza society and kingship on the eve of conquest; Power politics; The birth of the Camino Real; Franciscans on the Camino Real; The Itza emissaries; Avendano and Ajaw Kan Ek'; Itza-Spanish warfare; The costs of the Camino Real; The eve of conquest; Occupation and interrogation; Prisoners of conquest; Reconquest, epidemic, and warfare; Missions, rebellion, and survival. . Paperback. Very Good. 8vo.