Super Short Summary

The Broken Spears by Miguel León-Portilla reorients the narrative of the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire from the perspective of the Indigenous Peoples. The book provides a primer on Aztec society before the arrival of the Spaniards, describes initial interactions and conflicts culminating in the fall of Tenochtitlan, and covers the aftermath of the war, including mournful poems written by the Aztecs. The text includes distressing scenes of violence, war, and colonial oppression.