Nigel Claude Byam Davies

Background

Nigel Davies was born on the 2nd of September, 1920 in Hendon, Barnet, United Kingdom; the son of Claude and Nellie Davies.

Education

Nigel Davies educated at Eton, after that he studied at the University of Aix-en-Provence in 1937 and briefly at the University of Potsdam in Berlin before attending the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

Career

Nigel Davies began his career as a military intelligence when joined the Grenadier Guards during World War II. His first work experience was in the business world, where he was managing director of the glazing company Windolite Ltd. in Harlow, England, from 1947 to 1961. During that time, he also entered politics. He was elected to Parliament as a conservative representing the Epping division of Essex from 1950 to 1951. But Davies quickly learned that being a freshman politician could be a frustratingly impotent position, and he abandoned that career.

Moving to Mexico City in 1962, he became fascinated with the ancient Aztec and Toltec cultures. Even though he was already in his forties, he decided to go back to school to study archaeology in London.

When Nigel returned to Mexico and embarked on a successful research and writing career, publishing the well-received "The Aztecs: A History" in 1973. This was followed by several more books about pre-Hispanic history, including "The Toltecs: Until the Fall of Tula" that was published in 1977, "The Ancient Kingdoms of Mexico" in 1983, "The Aztec Empire: The Toltec Resurgence" in 1987 and "The Ancient Kingdoms of Peru" in 1997.

Achievements

• Nigel Davies's contributions to history were recognized by the Mexican government, which awarded him the Aztec Eagle in 1981.

Works

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  • Voyagers to the New World, fact and fantasy

    (In light of popular theories about the impact of the Phoe...)

    1979
  • Human Sacrifice

    (A detailed account of the widespread practice of human sa...)

    1981
  • The Aztecs

    (The Aztecs, as the people of the valley became generally ...)

    1973
  • The Toltecs

    (Uses archaeological records and documentary sources to ch...)

    1976
  • The Ancient Kingdoms of Peru

    (This essential book draws on the evidence of recent excav...)

    1997
  • The Toltec Heritage

    (Nigel Davies succeeds in a difficult task unifying the fr...)

    1980
  • The Aztec Empire

    (Describes the achievements of the Aztecs, explains their ...)

    1987
  • The Rampant God

    (Examines the variety of sexual customs and attitudes towa...)

    1984
  • The Ancient Kingdoms of Mexico

    (This outstanding study spans four rich civilizations in a...)

    1982
  • The Incas 1995
  • Trends in the Sicilian Dragon 1993
  • Bevor Columbus kam 1976