 Conquest
of the Incas by John Hemming, K. C. Jordan
(Illustrator) A reader from bethlehem, PA. This is a
readable and authoritative account of Pizarro's conquest of Peru and search
for El Dorado in the 1530's: a must-read backgrounder for those who plan
a trip to Cuzco and Machu Picchu and an astounding account of war strategies
and incredible upsets in a hostile mountain terrain between unequal forces
with vastly different technologies. It gives real understanding into present-day
relationships between the Spanish and native peoples in South America.
I couldn't put it down. |
 Art
of the Andes : From Chavin to Inca (World of Art) by Rebecca Stone-Miller
This wide-ranging survey has established itself as the best single-volume
introduction to Andean art and architecture. Now fully revised, it describes
the strikingly varied artistic achievements of the Chavín, Paracas,
Moche, Chimú, and Inca cultures, among others. Their impressive
cities, tall pyramids, shining goldwork, and intricate textiles constitute
one of the greatest artistic traditions in history.
For the second edition, Rebecca Stone-Miller has added new material covering the earliest mummification in the world at Chinchorros, wonderful new Moche murals and architectural reconstructions, the latest finds from the Chachapoyas culture, and a greater emphasis on shamanism. Throughout, Stone-Miller demonstrates how the Andean peoples adapted and refined their aesthetic response to an extremely inhospitable environment. 185 illustrations, 35 in color. --This text refers to the Paperback edition. |
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 The
MacHu Picchu Guidebook: A Self-Guided Tour by Ruth
M. Wright, Alfredo Valencia Zegarra, Alfredo Valencia Zegarra.
Machu Picchu is one of the most stunning archaeological sites on Earth.
Located in the heart of the Andes in Peru, this five-centuries-old Incan
relic attracts some 300,000 tourists yearly. Yet the significance of the
site itself is difficult to unravel without a lot of personal knowledge
or a comprehensive guidebook. Wright, who has studied the site for 25 years
and has worked at Machu Picchu since 1994, and Zegarra (anthropology and
archaeology, Univ. of Cuzco) have teamed up to produce a handy book for
visitors who wish to guide themselves at their own pace through the site.
A bound-in, fold-out color archaeological map of Machu Picchu keyed to
the book's chapters and an array of black-and-white as well as color photographs
will help users find and navigate the site easily and not depend on fractured
live tour guide information. After reading this book, you will want to
hop on the next flight to Peru. If you are unlucky enough never to visit
Machu Picchu, the guide will serve as an excellent virtual tour. Recommended
for general travel collections. Olga B. Wise, Compaq Computer Corp., Austin,
TX |
 MacHu
Picchu by Barry Brukoff (Photographer), Pablo Neruda, Isabel
Allende, Stephen Kessler (Translator).
Machu Picchu, one of those talismanic places that everyone dreams of visiting, is celebrated here in the visually stunning photography of Barry Brukoff that evokes the mystery and spiritual atmosphere of this sacred lost city. Interwoven with the images is Pablo Neruda's epic poem "Heights of Machu Picchu" that has been described as "one of Neruda's greatest poetic works." The book is a bilingual edition: a sparkling new English translation of Neruda's poem by noted translator Stephen Kessler runs side by side with the original Spanish. |
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 Heaven's
Mirror : Quest for the Lost Civilization by Graham Hancock, Santha
Faiia. In Heaven's Mirror, author Graham Hancock
continues the quest begun in his international best-seller Fingerprints
of the Gods: to rediscover the hidden legacy of mankind and to reveal that
"ancient" cultures were, in fact, the heirs to a far older forgotten civilization
and the inheritors of its archaic, mystical wisdom. |
 History
of the Conquest of Peru (Modern Library) by William H. Prescott.
Originally published in 1847, History of the Conquest of Peru, a companion
volume to William H. Prescott's masterly History of the Conquest of Mexico,
continues his vivid chronicle of Spanish exploits in the New World. The
book's commanding vision of Pizarro's tumultuous overthrow of the Inca
empire has secured its reputation as a classic in the literature of Latin
American history. "History of the Conquest of Peru represents an author's
triumph over his materials," observed Donald G. Darnell, one of the historian's
several biographers. "Prescott exploits to the fullest any opportunities
for dramatic effects that history might provide him. . . . If there is
one [distinguishing] feature of the Conquest of Peru . . . it is the portrayal
of the Spanish character, that striking fusion of courage, cruelty, pride,
and gallows humor. . . . We seem to be overhearing dialogue and observing
firsthand the interaction between the Spaniards as they struggle for control
of an empire. . . . |
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 The
Secret of the Incas : Myth, Astronomy, and the War Against Time
by William Sullivan, William Sulllivan. At
its peak, the Inca empire was the largest on Earth. Yet in the year 1532,
it was conquered by fewer than 200 Spanish adventurers. How could this
happen? Approaching the answer clue by clue, scholar William Sullivan decodes
the myths of the Incas to reveal an astoundingly precise record of astronomical
events. The Incas accepted their fate as written in the stars. |
The
Meaning of MacHu Picchu by James S. Westerman
Editorial Reviews Carlos Ponce Sangines, Director of the Center of Anthropological
Investigations at Tiwanaku This book is treated as extremely interesting
in two distinct aspects, since in one part it refers to two important archaeological
discoveries and in the other it relates the ups and downs that James Westerman
had to confront in the course of his investigations.....I harbor the conviction
that the present book by James Westerman will have a favorable reception
from the reader and that it will become a successful publication.
Book Description - There is a worldwide fascination with the ruins of Machu Picchu and the people who built it. Ever since its discovery by Hiram Bingham in 1911 it has puzzled and fascinated the mind of man. Up to now no one has been able to come up with a completely plausible explanation as to why the Incas built this spectacular city high up on a ridge in the rugged mountains of the Andes. In 1995, motivated by a series of unusual coincidences and personal experiences, James Westerman put together an... |
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 The
Ancient Kingdoms of Peru by Nigel Davie
Archaeologist and Incan expert Nigel Davies offers astonishing revelations
about the remarkable empire of the Incas and the civilizations that preceded
them. From the desert at Nazca to the great coastal civilization of Chimor,
this compelling overview makes accessible the latest research on all the
ancient kingdoms of Peru. 6 maps. 31 figures. |
 The
Sacred Landscape of the Inca: The Cusco Ceque System by Brian S. Bauer"A
major contribution to Andean studies. . . . Bauer not only provides a grand
synthesis of what is known about the ceque system, but also provides new
description, fieldwork, and interpretation. The book will have a wide audience."
-Clark L. Erickson, Associate Professor of Anthropology, University of
Pennsylvania The ceque system of Cusco, the ancient capital of the Inca
empire, was perhaps the most complex indigenous ritual system in the pre-Columbian
Americas. From a center known as the Coricancha (Golden Enclosure) or the
Temple of the Sun, a system of 328 huacas (shrines) arranged along 42 ceques
(lines) radiated out toward the mountains surrounding the city. This elaborate
network, maintained by ayllus (kin groups) that made offerings to the shrines
in their area, organized the city both temporally and spiritually. |
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 The
Incas : People of the Sun (Discoveries) by Carmen Bernand, Carmen
Bernard, Paul G. Bahn (Translator) . A narrative
history of the great Inca Empire of Peru describes the daily life, innovative
agricultural techniques, architectural wonders, metalworking skills, and
religious practices of the Incas, as well as the devastating impact of
European colonization. |
 The
Cities of the Ancient Andes by Adriana
Von Hagen, Craig Morris, Adriana Von Hagen, Raig Morris (Contributor) The
largest empire of pre-Columbian America was toppled in under a decade by
a handful of Spanish invaders who looted the fabled riches of its greatest
city, Cuzco, and severed its 15,000 mile system of roads. But this Inca
empire was only the final link in a chain of urban development stretching
back to 2500 B.C. How did cities evolve in the ancient Andes? What were
they like to live and work in? Who built them, and how do we know?
Here, the authors answer these questions and many more. 150 illustrations
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| Machu
Picchu : Portrait of Hiram Bingham by Alfred M. Bingham Written by
his son Alfred M. Bingham, this biography conveys the ambitious, multifaceted
personality of Hiram
Bingham III, the explorer who rediscovered the lost Inca ruins of Machu Picchu. It is a life of both high accomplishments and very human failings. The son and grandson of New England missionaries in the Pacific, Hiram
Bingham was raised to carry on the family
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