Hey guys, first of all thanks for your time and help here :)
So basically I'm really interested in the whole Age of Discovery (broad I know) and I want to have a in depth knowledge of those events, but I have no idea where to begin to accumulate that kind of information. Books, essays, records?
To specify, the main areas of that period of time in which I am most interested are around the Spanish and the Portuguese's travels to South America, their impact on the cultures there, what the cultures (Aztecs, Incans etc) were like before [as a side note if any one knows where to read about Aztec and Incan history I'd love to know that as well] and the general journeys undertaken during that period.
Another main focus would be the discovery and exploration of teh Caribbean and America and the countries that arrived there, their journeys and all other information about it.
I hope that I have been clear enough so you guys are able to help me out, any suggestions on what to read about these areas, or the age of discovery in general would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again everyone :)
When I took my Colonial Latin America class, probably the best book we read was Ambivalent Conquests: Maya and Spaniard in Yucatan, 1517-1570. The book covers Spanish conquest of the Maya from the first expeditions to the first meaningfully large conquest. It also talks a fair bit about Mayan culture pre-conquest and how it dealt with Spanish invasion.
While I'd welcome any more specific requests regarding topics, sources, or really anything about the pre-Columbian and conquest period Andes, you can begin by checking our book list on the side panel.