Camilla Townsend has weaved together numerous historical accounts to provide a thorough examination of the history of the Aztecs (Mexica). This is particularly challenging because prior to contact with Spanish colonizers very little was recorded about this civilization. Townsend is intellectually honest about the process of stitching a variety of sources together - explaining where an account came from, its bias, and likely reliability - and combines them into an engaging narrative.

For those looking to understand the context of colonialism in Mexico and Central America more broadly this is a book that I can highly recommend