Aztecs

Frances F. Berdan is Professor Emerita of Anthropology, California State University San Bernardino. Among her numerous books and articles are (with Michael E. Smith) Everyday Life in the Aztec World (2020), Aztec Archaeology and Ethnohistory (2014), and (ed. with Patricia Anawalt) The Codex Mendoza (1992).

"[Written] with style and verve . . . Berdan’s Aztecs is more of a general survey, but one based on a lifetime of research and study." - New York Review of Books"Most of this knowledgeable and accessible introduction to the Aztecs – the fruit of a lifetime’s study – is concerned with matters such as food and drink, textiles and dress, pottery and art objects, dwellings and architecture, the social divisions of society, trade and the economy, religion and mythology, and, inevitably, the notorious Aztec penchant for human sacrifice . . . Some excellent illustrations add to the volume’s readability." - Science"In this compact illustrated volume, Berdan provides us with a wealth of fascinating detail about Aztec life. For the general reader, her book makes a wonderful introduction to the subject, wearing its considerable scholarship lightly and bringing this lost civilisation of Mesoamerica to vivid life." - Minerva magazine"This accessible book is thorough, well-illustrated, and highly recommended as a comprehensive insight into a fascinating civilisation." - Mark Merrony, Antiqvvs"Part of the Lost Civilizations series published by Reaktion Books, The Aztecs suggests new ways of seeing its subject: instead of focusing on leaders like the ill-fated Motecuhzoma Xocoyotzin, she expands her lens to include the people they governed." - Mexico News Daily"The Aztecs is wonderfully informative and insightful, totally up to date and draws together a large body of evidence about Aztec society and culture, from codices to ethnohistory and archaeology. Written by a leading Aztec scholar who has spent decades producing pivotal and groundbreaking research, this book is a delight – accessible yet intellectually challenging, and full of stimulating information and captivating detail." - Elizabeth Baquedano, Senior Honorary Lecturer at the Institute of Archaeology, UCL