The Conquistador

1492–1550

The Conquistador cover

Description

Many accounts portray the conquest of the New World as a remarkable military achievement, with Cortés' vastly outnumbered but better armed Spaniards defeating hordes of superstitious savages. However, the reality of these events is far more complex and no less significant. The first Conquistadors who had sailed in search of prosperity, inspired by dreams of unlimited riches, soon became disillusioned and restless. With disease rampant, resources exhausted, and the Caribbean populations dwindling, they had little alternative but to find new territories and peoples to exploit. This title shows how, bolstered by influxes of war-hardened veterans from Europe and an army of over 30,000 allied Indian troops, they came to rely on and perfect what they knew best - killing for profit, and without mercy.

Table of Contents

Introduction · Recruitment and Mobilization · Training
Arms and Armor · Campaigning · Diplomacy · Tactics · The Fate of the Conquistadors · The Far Horizons

Product details

Published Nov 25 2001
Format Paperback
Edition 1st
Extent 64
ISBN 9781841761756
Imprint Osprey Publishing
Illustrations 49 b/w; 10 col
Dimensions 248 x 184 mm
Series Warrior
Short code WAR 40
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Illustrator

Adam Hook

Adam Hook studied graphic design, and began his wo…

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