"The Memoirs of the Conquistador Bernal Diaz del Castillo, Vol 1 (of 2)" by Bernal Díaz del Castillo is a first-person narrative written in 1568. This eyewitness account chronicles the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire from a common soldier's perspective. Written in his sixties, Díaz del Castillo defends the conquistadors' actions while challenging official histories that glorified commanders like Hernán Cortés. He argues for recognition of the seven hundred enlisted soldiers who fought alongside their indigenous allies, candidly expressing both pride and regret over the destruction of Tenochtitlán.