The Memoirs of the Conquistador Bernal Diaz del Castillo, Vol 2 (of 2)
 Written by Himself Containing a True and Full Account of the Discovery and Conquest of Mexico and New Spain.

by Bernal Díaz del Castillo

"The Memoirs of the Conquistador Bernal Diaz del Castillo, Vol 2 (of 2)" by Bernal Díaz del Castillo is a first-person narrative written in 1568. This eyewitness account chronicles the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire from a common soldier's perspective. Díaz del Castillo defends the conquistadors' role while challenging other histories that glorified commanders or emphasized Spanish cruelty. Writing decades after the events, he expresses both pride in their achievements and regret over Tenochtitlán's destruction, candidly admitting they came "to serve God, and also to get rich."