The Conquistadores (Osprey 101)

Reviewed by Paul Rice

The Conquistadores, by Terrence Wise, illustrations by Angus McBride (Osprey Men at Arms Series #101, July 1980).

Roughly half the text, and one quarter the plates, were about the Conquistadores. The other half was split among their opponents: Aztecs, Incas, and Mayans. Within the half on Conquistadores, Wise covered motivation, background, weapons, armor, and tactics. The descriptions of the Aztecs agrees with the other books I've read. I just wish the entire book had been about the Conquistadores. Wise pretty much fails to address the impact of disease. There are plenty of photos and sketches.

Here's an interesting quote:

At the end of the 15th century Europe's entire store of gold did not exceed 90 metric tonnes (88 tons): cast in a single ingot it would have formed a cube only two meters (6 feet) in each dimension.

Later he writes:

By 1560 it is estimated 101 metric tonnes (99 tons) of gold had been shipped to Spain from the New World, more than doubling Europe's entire store of that metal.

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