The conquest of Guatemala was brutal, prolonged and complex, fraught
with intrigue and deception, and not at all clear-cut. Yet views persist of it
as an armed confrontation whose stakes were evident and whose
outcomes were decisive, especially in favor of the Spaniards. A critical
reappraisal is long overdue, one that calls for us to reconsider events and
circumstances in the light of not only new evidence but also keener
awareness of indigenous roles in the drama.
While acknowledging the prominent role played by Pedro de Alvarado
(14851541), Strike Fear in the Land reexamines the conquest to give us
a greater appreciation of indigenous involvement in it, and sustained
opposition to it. Authors W. George Lovell, Christopher H. Lutz, and
Wendy Kramer develop a fresh perspective on Alvarado as well as the
alliances forged with native groups that facilitated Spanish objectives.
The book reveals, for instance, that during the years most crucial to the
conquest, Alvarado was absent from Guatemala more often than he was
present; he relied on his brother, Jorge de Alvarado, to act in his stead. A
pact with the Kaqchikel Maya was also not nearly as solid or long-lived as
previously thought, as Alvarados erstwhile allies soon turned against the
Spaniards, fomenting a prolonged rebellion. Even the story of the Kiche
leader TecÚn UmÁn, hailed in Guatemala as a national hero who fronted
native resistance, undergoes significant revision.
Strike Fear in the Land is an arresting saga of personalities and
controversies, conveying as never before the turmoil of this pivotal period
in Mesoamerican history.
This is the best book-length study, to date, of any of the Spanish invasions
of the Maya area. Strike Fear in the Land shows how a sensitive reading
of both European and Mesoamerican sources can produce a succinct and
significant contribution to the New Conquest History. Matthew
Restall, author of When Montezuma Met Cortés: The True Story of
the Meeting That Changed History
About Author/s
W. George Lovell is Professor of Geography at Queens University in
Kingston, Ontario, Canada, and author of A Beauty That Hurts: Life and
Death in Guatemala. Christopher H. Lutz is author of Santiago de
Guatemala, 15411773: City, Caste, and the Colonial Experience. Wendy
Kramer is author of Encomienda Politics in Early Colonial Guatemala,
15241544: Dividing the Spoils.
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