In November, 1532, 168 Spanish conquistadors arrive in the holy city of Cajamarca, at the heart of the Inca Empire, in Peru. They are exhausted, outnumbered and terrified – ahead of them are camped 80,000 Inca troops. Yet, within just 24 hours, more than 7,000 Inca warriors lie slaughtered and the victorious Europeans begin a reign of colonial terror which will sweep through the entire American continent. Can Jared Diamond explain how America fell to guns, germs and steel?