Enormous but enjoyable .. Imposing at 700 pages, Gillingham’s book is nevertheless an engrossing read, from the droll cadences of its skeptical first line describing the embellished Spanish estimates of the Indigenous armies they encountered ... On page after page, his narrative remains grounded in the smaller-scale experience of the communities that persisted under a power that has always been more spectacular than strong.
Breathtaking ... Gillingham...writes with sparkling verve and reveals Mexican history in all its kaleidoscopic complexity ... By the end, readers will have a clearer understanding of why Mexico has had so many struggles.
