"Hernán Cortés was a Spanish conquistador who overthrew the Aztec Empire and won Mexico for Spain in the early 1500s. In order to do this, he took the Aztec ruler Montezuma captive and killed many people of this ancient civilization. Whats more, he burned his own boats in order to force his own troops to stay on task! Cortés is just one of the most ruthless conquerors in history-and this book offers readers nine more to learn about. The interesting content supports reader engagement and knowledge building, both components of the science of reading"-- Provided by publisher.