Lanyon, Anna. The New World of Martin Cortes.

LANYON, Anna. The New World of Martin Cortes. De Cape Press. 272p. illus. bibliog. index. c2003. 0-306-81421-8. $16.95. SA

Ever since Hernando Cortez and a handful of warriors landed on the shores of Mexico, there have been two ways of looking at the ruthless conquest that followed. The first, popular ever since that day in 1519, views the Spanish soldiers and missionaries as brave and outnumbered men, suffering to bring Christianity and civilization to a continent of benighted heathen. A counterpoint appeared almost immediately, in 1522, when the Dominican reformer Bartolome de Las Casas penned a flaming diatribe condemning the conquerors as cruel, greedy, and violent. The resulting Black Legend was eagerly seized by Spain's enemies, and still inflames today's social values.

The real truth, of course, lies somewhere in the middle. Mexico takes justifiable pride in its mestizo ("mixed") racial heritage, a symbolic and actual fusion of two very different cultures. Here is where Anna Lanyon's book fits so neatly into the picture. Her biographical account of Martin Cortes (or Cortez), the mixed-race son of the great conquistador, opens the curtain on the immediate post-Conquest world, not only in Mexico, but also throughout Renaissance Europe. Commonly known as the "first Mestizo," Martin found himself in the middle of the yeasty time when Spain was building a powerful empire and the rest of Europe was struggling to deal with that fact.

Lanyon, a freelance professional historian, handles her interesting subject with gusto and skill. Her facts are meticulous, her observations thoughtful, and her stance is noticeably balanced yet sympathetic to all concerned. One slightly disturbing feature is her willingness to insert herself into her story, keying her narrative to the various places and scenes that she has visited. Raymond Puffer, Ph.D., Historian, Edwards AFB, Lancaster CA

S--Recommended for senior high school students.

A--Recommended for advanced students and adults. This code will help librarians and teachers working in high schools where there are honors and advanced placement students. This also will help extend KLIATT's usefulness in public libraries.