Lost City of the Incas (Phoenix Press)

This book is valuable for many reasons. First and foremost, it presents us with the views and attitudes of one of the world's foremost anthropologist-explorers from the beginning of the 20th century. This means lots and lots of passion and enthusiasm, a willingness to risk one's life in pursuit of an elusive goal and an ability to follow one's gut instincts. All traits which, sadly, have practically dissapeared from modern anthropology. In addition, of course, the book is permeated with the spirit of the times (1910-40ies) - which means patronizing attitudes toward the natives (the "savages", who for the most part clearly resented the tasks of having to clear the jungle, build bridges across impassable rapids and climb hills infested with snakes) and an eurocentric view of the world which now seems a bit naive.
All this being said, I must emphasize that this book is a treasure and a must read for anyone about to visit Macchu Picchu - if only to contrast the conditions encountered by Bingham and his Indians to those that exist today, when busloads of clueless tourists are delivered straight to the Temple of the Sun. The first third of the book consists of a superb Introduction including a recapitulation of the16th century records of the Incas and their empire (including the awesome Pachakuti Inca), very competent review of Inca technology (many of their and an excellent recapitulation of the life stories of the last 4 Incas. The last part describes the actual "discovery" of Macchu Picchu which occured by procuring, for a silver coin, the services of Anacleto Alvarez, a local Qechua who had been living among the ruins all along. Macchu Pichu therefore had never been truly "lost" and "discovery" has in this context many interesting connotations.
For my part, I have a respect for Bingham and for his guts that served him so well. In time, for example, they led him to the US Senate (from Connecticut). I suspect it will take many a pachakuti (turning of the Wheel of Time) till another anthropologist gets an opportunity to represent Democracy and the People.

GREAT source to prepare for your first visit to Machu Picchu. Lots of history. How much of the book is 'propaganda' ? Yes it was written many years after Bingham made his discovery, and yes some parts may have been embellished a bit - that's ok. Most of the book is very interesting to someone (me) who had not much knowledge of Inca history. I recommend - if you're going, read this book first.

Just came back with my 9 year old son and 13 year old daughter from a 3 week trip to PERU (we visited machu picchu twice). I was homeschooling them while on this trip. So before we left i ordered a bunch of fiction and non fiction books about Peru (some to read before, during or after this trip)

That being said, this book was interesting to my daughter. I also enjoyed learning more

It was informative and it helped prepare my kids for this trip.

No issues with seller or shipping. Book was as described.

This is a very special book to me. It helped me understand Machu Piccu before and after I visited there. The man explains step by step how he proceeded. I found him a curious and interesting man who should have done more great things--but this was essentially what he is known for.

Although some (actually many)of Bingham's ideas/theories have since been disproved, this is none-the-less a great true story about how he discovered Machu Pichu. He was actually a professor (and political representative) that went to Peru to increase his knowledge about South American history for teaching purposes. He decided to go back with a team of experts to try and find the lost city of the incas. And he did find it! It is great "adventure" reading...hiking through jungles, steep and dangerous terrain, exploring a long forgotten (and uncharted) area of Peru.

He also shares a lot of history about the incas in the book. We "owe" a lot to them. For instance, they domesticated/cultivated some of the common agriculural foods we still eat today. And they domesticated the guinea pig. Your kids can thank the incas for their furry little pet!

If you are considering visiting Peru and Machu Pichu, I'd highly recommend this book. It is a great starting point to learning more about this country and culture.

Interesting, but to often felt I was walking hip-high through sand. Better choice to read is the very funny and interesting book, Turn Right at Machu Picchu

Just got around to reading the whole book and realized this copy is missing page 31-79 (48 pages), with a repeat of pages 191-238. Obviously some pages dropped to the floor when binding this book. A number of interesting pages are missing, and 47 pages inserted to read a second time is very unnecessary. Disapointing.

This book was originally written in 1948, and the thinking and research findings about the Incan empire have changed significantly since then. There are new introductions, but figuring just what is still believed to be true is confusing.

Also, factual writing has improved significantly since this book was written, in my opinion. So, it's a little dry. I am nearly half-way through it, and we still haven't reached Machu Picchu yet.

Nothing better to illustrate a visit to Cusco and Machu Picchu than the fascinating recount by MP's discoverer, the original Indiana Jones, professor Hiram Bingham, Yale University lecturer in South American History. Sent as a delegate to the First Pan-American Scientific Congress in Santiago, in 1908, he took advantage of the trip to visit Peru. The ruins of Choquequiran impressed him a lot, and he felt the urge to learn more about Peru's pre-Hispanic and Colonial history. After exhaustive documentation, he became rather obsessed with the idea of finding the Inca's last capital, and so he returned in 1911 for a long, trying, dangerous and epic trip which turned out to be more than fruitful, resulting not only in the discovery of Machu Picchu, but also of the ancient city of Vitcos and many other ruins, besides calling attention to the unknown and wonderful regions situated between the rivers Apurimac and Urubamba.

The book is divided in three parts. The first one summarizes the principal characteristics of the people now known as the "Incas": their civilization, agriculture, engineering, irrigation systems, husbandry, language, ceremonies, ceramics, metal works, textiles, habits and religion. Bingham discusses the obscure origin of the Incas and, with the help of contemporary sources, tells what can be known about the four last emperors (the Incas, from where the people have taken incorrectly their common denomination): Manco II, Sayri Tupac, Titu Cusi, and Tupac Amaru.

Armed with this context, Bingham proceeds to tell with good prose and a sense of humor of his travels through those peculiar lands, which include snowed peaks and tropical jungles full of what once were roads, cities and towns, as well as vigilance posts spread everywhere and many of them unknown to the very natives of the place. It reads like a real-world adventure novel, with many fascinating stories. The third part is more arid and technical, but also indispensable. It depicts in detail the findings of Machu Picchu, as well as the theories and speculations which they prompted.

Excellent both as story and testimony. Bingham's intellectual passion, courage and erudition shine through in this book, the high point of a fascinating life.

The book is almost painfully slow in its buildup to the discovery of Machu Picchu, and is a little stiff in its narrative style. Keeping in mind it was written around 1912, with some later updating by the author, it manages to present a fairly compelling story of revelation and discovery. This real life inspiration of the Indiana Jones movies should at its core stir the heart of all would be explorers. One of the disturbing facts was the use of native Peruvians as impressed labor to help in the discovery. It was discussed in a very matter of fact fashion, but read today the forced used of those natives is unseemly at best. Nonetheless, having just returned from Machu Picchu, I can attest to the incredible excitement when the ruins first come into view, and Hiram Bingham does describe this adequately.