Lou Albert's Machu Picchu Store
Books related to Incas and Peru
coverConquest 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. coverArt 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. 

coverThe 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 coverMacHu 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. 

coverHeaven'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. coverHistory 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. . . .
coverThe 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... 

coverThe 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.  coverThe 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. 
Mathematics of the Incas : Code of the Quipu by Marcia Ascher, Robert Ascher 
Ancestors of the Incas : The Lost. Civilizations of Peru  by Frederico Kauffmann-Doig, Eulogio Guzman (Translator), Federico Ksaffman-Doig ..
coverThe 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. coverThe 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 . 
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
tradition within the church.  But rebelling against the piety and poverty of his background, he chose instead an
academic career and married an heiress, a grand-daughter of the founder of Tiffany and Co. 

Search:
Keywords:
In Association with Amazon.com
DVD and Video related to Incas and Peru
 Music related to Incas and Peru

September 20, 2002


thought provoking quotes
WA8PHD
Weather
"FLUENT" APHASIA
Stoke and Diabetes
Aphasia, Stoke and Diabetes
Academic and Ph.D. Studies
Flying
Criminal Justice Work
 
pho-tog-ra-phy
 
 Inca Art
Machu Picchu
  Hiram Bingham
 
Personal and more
 
The Institute for Idiotic Pursuit's 
Internet store
The Institute for Idiotic Pursuits
(Home)
Site Map