When Montezuma Met Cortés

In this book, Matthew Restall reevaluates the meeting between Cortés and Montezuma, using rare primary sources to challenge the conventional view of the Spanish conquest.

He argues that the traditional narrative of Cortés's military genius and Montezuma's cowardice is flawed, offering a nuanced understanding of this pivotal moment in history.

The book explores how this encounter has been mythologized and how it continues to influence our understanding of the Americas.