Product Description
Title: Pictorial History of Mexico and the Mexican War : Comprising an Account of the Ancient Aztec Empire, the Conquest by Cortes, Mexico Under the Spaniards, the Mexican Revolution, the Republic, the Texan War, and the Recent War With the United StatesPublisher: Philadelphia : Charles DesilverPublication date: 1862Subjects: Mexican War, 1846-1848Mexico -- HistoryNotes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be numerous typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more

Product Description
This definitive reference offers enthralling insights into the art and architecture, myths and legends, and everyday life of the people of Mexico and Central America. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great collection of imagery; text is a little wanting in coherence and rigor
I bought this book because I am interested in the Maya.The scope of the imagery is stunning.Every spread contains between one and three beautiful, full-color photographs of countless sites and artifacts, as well as maps and illustrations (such as Cortes's sketch of Tenochtitlan).The text is well researched, and the style is engaging throughout.

There are a few issues, however, with the text.The first is that there are no references.In my mind, this is a very serious shortcoming--the reason this book is 2 stars short of perfect.In my view, encyclopedias are starting points for more in-depth research.It is difficult to delve further into specific topics without any familiarity with the literature on Mesoamerican history and archeology, and so I need to be pointed in the right direction.Consider too that even elementary school students have to cite references in their reports.It therefore comes across as odd that at the level of professional publishing, academic rigor is not important.(What message will this send to elementary school students who read this?Citing isn't important past the fifth grade?)

Another issue concerns the maps.First, there is no main map and no map index.There is a large map near the beginning, but it does not include all of the major cities.Several spreads have maps in them, but curiously, they do not include every location that is discussed on that spread!One would assume that when such-and-such a city is used as a geographic reference point, then the map that appears *on the same page* would include said city.Not the case here.This gives the impression of a lack of coherence.

The overall scope of this book is impressive, and the imagery captures the imagination.However, one wonders whether it would have killed the author to accompany each section with a brief "Further Reading" paragraph of references.Also, the maps are not the most useful.

Get this book!
Wonderful book on the history of the Aztecs & Mayas as well as the Olmecs and others in Meso America.It also has many beautiful color photographs of cultural artifacs and art.As a former history teacher and cultural admirer I would recommend this book as both a gift or for your own enjoyment. ... Read more

Product Description
Journey back through the centuries to Central America at a time before Europeans arrived in search of gold. History records the Aztecs and Maya as bloodthirsty warriors withpriests who committed brutal acts of human sacrifice. Yet this is not the full ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

good afternoon read
I found "The Ancient Kingdoms of Mexico" an enlightening introduction to Mesoamerica and a welcome break from the incessant focus on the Aztec and Maya to the exclusion of all others. The book is refreshingly well written, generally accessible and almost artfully cited on the middle ground between children's books ("daily life in" etc.) on the one hand and more or less scientific, serious, but rather dry books on the other. ... Read more

Product Description
The Aztec empire centered on Tenochtitlan (modern Mexico City) embraced nearly all the peoples of central America during the 15th and early 16th centuries. Renowned for their architecture, agriculture, jewelry and textiles, the Aztecs also developed a form of pictographic writing and a complex calendar system. However, they are chiefly, if unfortunately, remembered for their human sacrifices; tearing the heart from the living body to offer to their Sun god. This introduction to one of the world's most fascinating lost civilizations examines its history and culture, and concludes with an account of its violent destruction by the Spaniards in 1521. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A poor idea.
I found this book to be a very poor refernece, full of factual errors, slanted writing, and other offences against good history.The section near the beginning where the author bemoaned the hardships endured by the Spanish in reaching the Aztec capitol, and praised their preservation of conquored peoples, was particularly shocking.I found it extremely ironic, considering the Spaniards suffered light casualties due to travel and fights along the way to whipe out better than a third of the population of the capitol city and almost completely destroy the Aztec culture.All told, I would say a good encyclopedia would provide a better view of the Aztec Empire than this book. ... Read more

Product Description
This work explores basic pre-Columbian beliefs about the soul among ancient Mesoamerican peoples. It focuses on the Central Mexican Aztecs (the "Mexica"), who believed in multiple souls that gave humans their shared and individual characteristics and survived the body after death. ... Read more

Product Description
This essential guide to the art and architecture of ancient Mesoamerica succinctly and evocatively summarizes the artistic achievements of the high pre-Columbian civilizations—Olmec, Maya, Teotihuacan, Tolec, Aztec—as well as those of their less well-known contemporaries. The pyramids and palaces, jades and brightly colored paintings emerge from these pages as vividly as when they first astonished Cortés's men in 1519. There was a surprising unity in Mesoamerican culture from Mexico to Honduras and from 1500 BC to the Spanish Conquest. Among many features shared were a 260-day ritual calendar and a preoccupation with gods representing natural forces. Current research also emphasizes the great importance of rites of kingship, including warfare and blood sacrifice. In this third edition, Mary Miller opens up new windows on the ancient past with fresh readings of works of art, all the while offering careful archaeological interpretations. Recent hieroglyphic decipherments provide insights into ancient art, spelling out long-distance connections between the Maya and their neighbors. Updated throughout, with special attention to evidence for dating, the new Art of Mesoamerica is the ideal companion for students and travelers. 193 illustrations, 44 in color. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

ready for the trashcan
This book is in terrible condition.It does not rate any star or even partial star.

IT REEKS OF TOBACCO!

And there was something sticky spilled all over the back cover which disgusted me to touch. I had to immediately wash it with alcohol hand cleaner to be able to open it.It is dog eared and has large amounts of underlining, some in pen and some in yellow marker.I don't want it in my house!I don't think I can stand having it in my hands to read it.

The invoice included with it is for another book [Torts (Law in a Flash Cards) by Emanuel, Steven L] and for another buyer, Elizabeth Zager in Holly Springs NC.I suppose the person purchasing this item now has my name and address.I don't like this.

Somebody really goofed up here and I AM NOT HAPPY.

This book in NO WAY qualifies as GENTLY USED.It is a mess.

I have been taken.I want my money back.

Sincerely,
Celeste Turcotte

Waste of time
The content of this book is so dry I'm amazed it didn't light up in my hands.Unless you already have an intimate knowledge of the subject this book does little to educate you.It presents few facts, only one "likely" scenario after another.In fact I count 46 "likely" scenarios in the first three chapters alone.I am "likely" to burn this book after the class that requires it is over.If you are taking a class that requires this book, drop it. Unless you are a pretentious art history major that would love to debate the finer points of the late formative style of Maya artistry, stay away from this book.

Successfull challenge
This book has deeply increased my motivation for learning more of the complex precolombian culture, and to visit again the Museo Nacional Antropologica, Mexico. I would recommend to read first David Carrasco " Religions of Mesoamerica ".

This is very Interesting
Excelent book, great author and great information.
Olmecs,Maya and Aztecs are studing by Mary Eller.

Worthwhile but dense
A solid, useful one-volume survey of Mesoamerican art.Miller is a notedexpert in the field, and she does a commendable job of presenting a largeamount of information in a short space without resorting to superficiality. The text is clear and the photographs are both copious and well-chosen,with numerous color plates adding to the enjoyment.

Almost of necessity,however, the writing style tends to be fairly dense.Those looking for areadable "History of Mesoamerica" should probably go elsewhere. Nonetheless, most readers will find this book rewarding -- after which theywill want to turn to more specific and detailed volumes by Linda Schele andMichael Coe, among others. ... Read more

Product Description
The Aztecs are known for their large stone temples, but did you also know that the Aztecs were one of the first cultures to make a chocolate drink? They also made clothing from cactus fibers, and they sacrificed humans to please their gods. Find out more about what life was like in the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan. In this book, you'll learn about people's daily activities, religion, buildings, inventions, and leaders. Photographs and vivid comic-style illustrations help bring this culture to life! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

This is a very nice, engaging introduction to the Aztec history and culture in ancient Tenochtitlan!
If you were an Aztec child living in ancient Tenochtitlan, you would be expected to be "well behaved" or you would be punished.If you take a close look at one of the pictures in this book, the consequences don't look pretty.The Aztecs, who called themselves "Mexica," were divided into two classes, the nobles and the commoners. They did have slaves that were captured during war time.Of course there were some major differences between classes and, in some cases, if the "rules" were violated it could result in death.For example only nobles could have a chocolate drink.

They ate a variety of foods such as popcorn, peanuts, fruit, vegetables (maize or corn was their most important food), fish, waterbirds and the Aztecs have been suspected for raising dogs as a food source.All children went to school and the boys learned a lot about war because it was "a big part of Aztec life" and every man was expected to fight when needed.You will learn about the Aztec weaponry, their unusual way of dressing for war, their religion, their two hundred gods, Huitzilopochtli the sun god, Tlaloc, the rain god, the Great Temple, their many festivals, their human sacrifices (including children), their marketplace, the fact that cacao beans were used as currency, the tlatoani (emperor), their writing, their two calendars, their aqueducts, their chinampa or "floating farms" and much more!

This is a very nice introduction to the Aztec history and culture in ancient Tenochtitlan.The writing was very engaging and it was obviously this work was quite well researched.It had a nice flow to it and I found out many interesting and unusual facts I was unaware of.The combination of colorful graphic style illustration and a few photographs gave it a very appealing, ancient look.I liked the unusual overlay of the ancient Tenochtitlan Great Temple over an illustration of modern day Mexico City.In the back of the book is an index, a glossary, a timeline (1325-1987), a pronunciation guide, and additional recommended book and website resources.Did you know that a mere commoner could be killed if he built a two-level house?There are some amazing facts in this book! ... Read more

Product Description
With practical projects, fact boxes and maps, the past is broought alive and children can understand how people lived day-to-day in ancient worlds.Ideal for young readers at home or at school. ... Read more

Product Description
A comprehensive exploration of Aztec lifestyles, traditions, and beliefs. ... Read more

Product Description
CD-ROM version 1.0 covers all three civilizations, Aztecs, Vikings, Ancient Egyptians, all on this one disc. Designed for both Macintosh and Windows multi-platform systems. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description

This book introduces readers to who Aztec warriors were, where they were from, and how they fought.

... Read more

Product Description
Full-color photos. Unravel the remarkable mysteries of the ancient peoples

who built great palaces and pyramids, and developed an accurate calendar and a

knowledge of astronomy without the benefit of telescopes or written language.




... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Aztec, Inca, and Maya (DK Eyewitness Books)
Quick delivery.Good service.My grandson is enjoying this book immemsely. This series of books is excellent.I highly recommend these to anyone, even adults.They are brimming with information.

Another solid entry in the Eyewitness Books series
This is another excellent entry in the Eyewitness Books series, for young readers.The illustrations, as always, are wonderful.The slick pages speak to a quality production. The text is written well and conveys information accessible to the series' audience.

The volume begins with an historical perspective on the three civilizations--Aztec, Maya, and Inca.After that, as with other volumes in the series that focus on civilizations, we read of the everyday life and context of the people being examined. What topics are considered?Farming, hunting/fishing, cities, family and home life, food and drink, religion, medicine, literacy and numbers, clothes, the arts, and so on.All discussions provide enough detail to give young readers a pretty good sense of each society.

This particular work ends with the Spanish conquest of the New World and, with it, the end of these three impressive societies.

So, to summarize. . . .A strong entry in the series of Eyewitness Books.Young readers interested in these early civilizations will enjoy this work.

Eyewitness Books are a Great Help in the Classroom!
I am an ESOL teacher who has to teach about a variety of topics daily.I am currently teaching about Native Americans and this book helped quite a bit with teaching about Maya, Aztecs and the Inca.The topic is so absorbing, I'm having trouble fitting the North Americans in!The pictures and articfacts are very interesting and I thought well presented.I think we have mostly small items related to these civilizations so it is hard to see how Eyewitness could have differentiated them more.I could be wrong but think this book was really helpful to my students.They have little concept of these cultures as all come from Asia.It's fun and not as boring as they thought.

geared more towards really young or really simple
this book said it was okay for middle school kids and i found it to be a little too childish even for that. some good information, but would have liked more of it.

Aztec, Inca, and Maya(DK Eyewitness Books)
I am an adult who found the booka quick and easy way to be introduced to a subject I did not know much about. I am using it to discuss Mexican artists during student and adult tours at my local art museum. ... Read more

Product Description
Who were the Aztecs?Did they grow their own food?Did they build cities?Who did they worship?What was it like to live in the Aztec world?

This series takes an exciting look at religion, history, and culture through the everyday lives of people from all over the world.Using color photographs and detailed illustrations, each book helps young people ask questions and leads them toward a better understanding of a particular historical era, faith or civilization. ... Read more