Camilla Townsend has made the extraordinary happen. She has written a chronological history of the Mexica (Aztecs) from their origins into the sixteenth century relying principally on documents that they themselves generated. Bookshelves of those of us who study the Mexica are replete with titles that begin The Aztecs, followed by a colon. Nearly all of these are written by scholars who are not historians. These books seem to capture the Mexica at a moment in time and discuss the various aspects of their culture. With the exception of Nigel Davies's 1973 book, none traces the Mexica from their origins, through the Spanish invasion, and into the period of colonial domination. Certainly, none relies heavily on documentation written in Nahuatl by Native peoples. Until now.
The title of Townsend's book is taken from one of the Mexica's origin stories, that the world has gone through four incarnations before the...