As for being "Michener-like" as someone said previously - Kandell doesn't even come close. Michener has a way of taking boring facts and turning them into an entertaining story. Kandell is just plain boring.
And, if it's true, as one of the other reviewers here mentioned, that George Bush recommended it as a good book - well, then shame on me for buying it - I should have known better.
As for the rest of the book (aside from pre-Hispanic history), I haven't gotten there yet. I will definitely finish this book in order to give it the benefit of the doubt, but I'm not looking forward to it.