Conquest History

In 1519, Hernando Cortés arrived in Mexico to investigate stories of a wealthy empire. What he encountered was beyond his wildest dreams; an advanced civilization with complex artistic, political, and religious systems (involving extensive human sacrifice) and replete with gold. This was the Aztec empire, headed by the aloof emperor, Montezuma.

Bloomsbury presents Conquest: The Roman Invasion of Britain, written and read by Ferdinand Addis. An epic, visceral history of the Romans in Britain, from Caesar's first invasion attempt in 55 BC to the fall of the Roman empire. Britain wasn’t conquered in a day. Caesar invaded twice, but...

Esta crónica, publicada en 1568 se presenta como un testimonio de primera mano que desafía las versiones oficiales y más idealizadas de otros cronistas contemporáneos, como Hernán Cortés en sus Cartas de Relación y Francisco López de Gómara en su "Historia de la conquista de México". Bernal Díaz del Castillo se propone corregir lo que él considera omisiones o distorsiones de los hechos, ofreciendo una narrativa más terrenal y menos heroica de los eventos.

An upstart French duke who sets out to conquer the most powerful and unified kingdom in Christendom. An invasion force on a scale not seen since the days of the Romans. One of the bloodiest and most decisive battles ever fought.

A sweeping, authoritative history of 16th-century Spain and its legendary conquistadors, whose ambitious and morally contradictory campaigns propelled a small European kingdom to become one of the formidable empires in the world “The depth of research in this book is astonishing, but even more...

Experience the dramatic clash of civilizations as a fractured Inca Empire faces the brutal dawn of Spanish colonialism. Perfect for a gripping commute, this immersive narrative history transports you directly to the sixteenth-century Andes. Witness the fateful convergence at Cajamarca where...

In just over a hundred years - from the death of Muhammad in 632 to the beginning of the Abbasid Caliphate in 750 - the followers of the Prophet swept across the whole of the Middle East, North Africa, and Spain. Their armies threatened states as far flung as the Franks in Western Europe and the Tang Empire in China. The conquered territory was larger than the Roman Empire at its greatest expansion, and it was claimed for the Arabs in roughly half the time.

An impossible city. A conqueror willing to risk everything. A woman caught between two worlds. In 1519, Hernán Cortés lands on the shores of an unknown territory. His ambition drives him to defy the gods, destiny, and the mighty Aztec Empire itself. Through jungles, volcanoes, and lakes, he will fight wars, endure betrayals, and witness human sacrifice. Amid the storm rises Doña Marina—La Malinche—his interpreter and ally, a woman capable of building a bridge between two civilizations. Across the seat of power, Moctezuma, the huey tlatoani, watches the arrival of the bearded men as a...

From acclaimed and prizewinning historian Paul Gillingham, the rich and fascinating history of one of the world’s most diverse, politically groundbreaking, and influential of countries From its outset, “Mexico was more profoundly, globally hybrid than anywhere else in the prior history of...

Experience the gritty World War II military history of 1945 as brutal urban combat destroys the Third Reich forever. Whether you need a deeply immersive narrative for a long commute or a gripping historical deep dive to fuel your focus, this intense account thrusts you directly onto the ruined...

A prize-winning scholar’s new and expansive telling of the Hundred Years’ War, revealing how the lines drawn on medieval battlefields forged the modern world  “A riveting page-turner that brilliantly revises centuries of history” (Bernard Cornwell, New York Times–bestselling author...

Bloomsbury presents Son of the Serpent by Shauna Lawless, read by Amy McAllister, Kevin Hely, Clara Harte, Gerry O’Brien, Sam McArdle, Conor Dunne, and Atli Gunnarsson. The thrilling second volume in Gael Song: Era II sees invaders mass on Irish soil, kings lose their crowns, and Ireland's...

In 1532, the magnificent Inca empire was the last great civilization still isolated from the rest of humankind. The Conquest of the Incas is the definitive history of this civilization's overthrow, from the invasion by Pizarro's small gang of conquistadors and the Incas' valiant attempts to expel the invaders to the destruction of the Inca realm, the oppression of its people, and the modern discoveries of Machu Picchu and the lost city of Vilcabamba. 

A new history of Assyria, the ancient civilization that set the model for future empires. "Truly extraordinary." —Times (London) At its height in 660 BCE, the kingdom of Assyria stretched from the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. It was the first empire the world had ever seen. Here...

With gripping detail and firsthand accounts that sound like a novel, renowned author Warren Carroll unveils the events that led up to the divine intervention in which Our Lady of Guadalupe was sent to an Aztec, known now as St. Juan Diego. Here is the untold story of the faith and valor of the Spanish as they encounter an early Aztec culture marked by an immorality and an idolatry of epic proportions, along with the hardships they endured in the face of unspeakable cruelty.

The Norman Conquest in English History, Volume 1: A Broken Chain? pursues a central theme in English historical thinking over seven centuries. Covering more than half a millennium, this first volume explains how and why the experience of the Norman Conquest prompted both an unprecedented campaign in the early 12th century to write (or create) the history of England, and to excavate (and fabricate) pre-Conquest English law.

England did not fall in 1066 because it was weak. It fell because one of medieval Europe’s strongest kingdoms was forced to confront three rival claimants, two invasions and a succession crisis at the same moment. When Edward the Confessor died without a son, Harold Godwinson was crowned king. He was England’s most experienced military leader and the man best placed to defend the realm. Across the Channel, William of Normandy insisted that Edward had promised him the crown and that Harold had sworn to support his claim. From Norway came Harald Hardrada, one of Europe’s most feared ...

From Julia Quinn, the author of Bridgerton—along with close friends and bestselling authors Eloisa James and Connie Brockway—comes an enchanting tale of a country house party in which three heroines find their happily ever after! And You’re Invited! Given a house party explicitly designed...

Dive into the epic military history and devastating clash of civilizations that toppled two pre-modern superpowers. Perfect for your daily commute, this deeply immersive audio journey transports you directly to the vibrant streets of Tenochtitlan and the rugged peaks of the Andes. Discover how...

Using a wide array of sources, historian Matthew Restall highlights seven key myths, uncovering the source of the inaccuracies and exploding the fallacies and misconceptions behind each myth. This vividly written and authoritative book shows, for instance, that native Americans did not take the conquistadors for gods and that small numbers of vastly outnumbered Spaniards did not bring down great empires with stunning rapidity. We discover that Columbus was correctly seen in his lifetime - and for decades after - as a briefly fortunate but unexceptional participant in efforts.