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Mayan Civilization: A History From Beginning to End
Mayan History Making sense of our universe...It's an age-old practice that transcends cultures and generations. From our vantage point, the larger than life Maya civilization grappled with the urge in a grand scale. Join us as we take a voyage to understand the ways of the Maya. Inside you will read about... ✓ Who Made Contact? Early Explorers and their Impact ✓ How the Maya Wanted to Be Represented - History Written by the Victors ✓ Different Periods of Maya History ✓ Larger Than Life ✓ New Findings We'll learn what they held as sacred, how the sacred manifested itself in their lives, and about efforts to accurately portray them, despite romanticized versions. This eBook provides a deeper look at their pre-Columbian battling dynasties and their highly-structured approach to religion, science and society, as we explore their glories and misfortunes.
146 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2016
666 people are currently reading
1051 people want to read
About the author
Henry Freeman
63 books88 followersHenry Freeman is an author and archaeologist. He has a passion for history and loves to travel the world exploring various historical sites.
Henry graduated from the University of Cambridge with a double major in History and Archaeology and shortly after that started his career as an archaeologist.
After traveling the world getting first-hand experience with history, Henry was determined to take up his dream of becoming a best-selling author.
He decided to partner up with the newly formed publishing company Hourly History writing short, concise and straightforward history books that never takes more than one hour to read.
Henry graduated from the University of Cambridge with a double major in History and Archaeology and shortly after that started his career as an archaeologist.
After traveling the world getting first-hand experience with history, Henry was determined to take up his dream of becoming a best-selling author.
He decided to partner up with the newly formed publishing company Hourly History writing short, concise and straightforward history books that never takes more than one hour to read.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
June 28, 2017
The Mayan civilization is one of my favorite things to read about. I've always been super intrigued by the Maya and their whole society. So it's not a surprise that I ended up really enjoying this book.
This was a really great book if you want to learn more about the Mayan civilization. It was informative and with 61 pages it can be read so fast. The new findings especially were very interesting to me. I also loved learning about the connection with Charles Lindbergh and Edgar Allan Poe. I didn't know that before this book.
There's also so much more to learn about the Maya. If the invaders hadn't destroyed so many Mayan artifacts we'd know and understand their culture so much more. But new discoveries can always be made, of course. We can only hope.
Overall, Mayan Civilization: A History From Beginning to End was another great Hourly History book that I enjoyed immensely. As usual with these books, I would highly recommend this one as well.
This was a really great book if you want to learn more about the Mayan civilization. It was informative and with 61 pages it can be read so fast. The new findings especially were very interesting to me. I also loved learning about the connection with Charles Lindbergh and Edgar Allan Poe. I didn't know that before this book.
There's also so much more to learn about the Maya. If the invaders hadn't destroyed so many Mayan artifacts we'd know and understand their culture so much more. But new discoveries can always be made, of course. We can only hope.
Overall, Mayan Civilization: A History From Beginning to End was another great Hourly History book that I enjoyed immensely. As usual with these books, I would highly recommend this one as well.
March 26, 2017
Want to know how much shitty a book can be? Try this!
Ancient civilizations always interest me. I love knowing about the past and I guess everyone loves it. Obviously, I was excited to read this, but all I found in this book was mini boring history book full of dates and other irrelevant stuff! (my academic history book is umpteenth times more interesting than this! )
The only things you can learn from this book are:
Mayans knew about cocoa.
Spanish missionaries destroyed the majority of Mayan historical records.
Maya civilization used to do trade with Olmecs (another ancient civilization)
That’s all! Seriously!
The author of the book did no editing whatsoever! It seems like all he did was to copy paste newspaper clippings! It would have been far better if the author had mentioned whatever we know about Mayans in a chapter & had dedicated other chapters to mentioning dates, archaeologists etc.
It would have been far better if the author had mentioned whatever we know about Mayans in a chapter & had dedicated other chapters to mentioning dates, archaeologists etc.
I never thought that a book on Maya civilization could be this boring.
Now I understand why this book is available for free on kindle. (the author did no effort in writing it & got marketing for his other paid books of hourly history series for free)
-----------------------------------
Please use the comment section to warn me & other fellow bloggers of other shitty books out there!
Have a nice day ahead
Ancient civilizations always interest me. I love knowing about the past and I guess everyone loves it. Obviously, I was excited to read this, but all I found in this book was mini boring history book full of dates and other irrelevant stuff! (my academic history book is umpteenth times more interesting than this! )
The only things you can learn from this book are:
Mayans knew about cocoa.
Spanish missionaries destroyed the majority of Mayan historical records.
Maya civilization used to do trade with Olmecs (another ancient civilization)
That’s all! Seriously!
The author of the book did no editing whatsoever! It seems like all he did was to copy paste newspaper clippings! It would have been far better if the author had mentioned whatever we know about Mayans in a chapter & had dedicated other chapters to mentioning dates, archaeologists etc.
It would have been far better if the author had mentioned whatever we know about Mayans in a chapter & had dedicated other chapters to mentioning dates, archaeologists etc.
I never thought that a book on Maya civilization could be this boring.
Now I understand why this book is available for free on kindle. (the author did no effort in writing it & got marketing for his other paid books of hourly history series for free)
-----------------------------------
Please use the comment section to warn me & other fellow bloggers of other shitty books out there!
Have a nice day ahead
July 5, 2022
most i had already know a few new things but if u have looked into the mayan and their stuff u have heard just about everything
July 12, 2020
This book gives you some initial information about the Mayan Civilization. Small but informative for all.
October 9, 2017
Less information about the Maya's. The book is good at getting basics about the birth of this civilization. Not much is given about the kings also.
December 30, 2016
A quick short read. Good to develop perspective on the Maya people and their ways.
February 7, 2024
2024 52 Book Challenge - 46) Featuring Indigenous Culture
I quite enjoyed this book as I knew literally nothing about the Mayans going into it (unless you count a two hour documentary about a Mayan Temple on the History Channel), so for me, I felt like it was a lot of new information.
The editing is pretty poor, and considering that it's a pretty short novel, I feel like a bit more effort could have been put in regarding this.
I quite enjoyed this book as I knew literally nothing about the Mayans going into it (unless you count a two hour documentary about a Mayan Temple on the History Channel), so for me, I felt like it was a lot of new information.
The editing is pretty poor, and considering that it's a pretty short novel, I feel like a bit more effort could have been put in regarding this.
Read
April 1, 2023I feel weird rating a history book so there is no rating for me. My husband got me this book for our cruise and it was pretty interesting to learn about the Mayan culture and how it started and got destroyed. A quick read condensed for anyone wanting to learn about the history of them.
May 21, 2021
Its a nice book
February 6, 2021
Mayan culture is premised on a yearly cycle between destruction and creation which stems from maize production. Mayan civilization is ancient but not well know because many of their records were destroyed by missionaries. What is known is that many states rose and fell before the coming of Europeans. Their use of the environment and politics doomed them. Unsustainably used their ecology which prevented a stable nutrient supply. Going from centralized controlled conflict, to state conquest, to destructive warfare. Maya leaders continuously ignored problems within their society while trying to showcase their power and status.
Maya had detailed historical records of their history but the majority of the records were destroyed by Spanish missionaries. Many Maya images and books were defaced or burned by missionaries who perceived the works to be heretical, heathen. The surviving records from political state clashes show their leaders describing their victory and reasons for the clash in ways they wanted themselves to be represented. The intellectual history show mastery in math and astronomy which was used to chronicle events.
As the Maya grew in population, they became more politically centralized. Hierarchal social structure. Politically ruled by chiefdoms whose chiefs were perceived to hold supernatural contracts or abilities. The Maya people are generally perceived as having respect for nature, but the Maya have also caused environmental damage. Part of the collapse of the Maya is in their overused of their environmental infrastructure. Maya population contained many elites who continued to demand more from the population even with eroding environmental conditions.
Although the Maya were seen as fractured independent states, they were seen as being peaceful with each other. Further research showed that the fractioned Maya societies had frequent clashes. The Mayan culture survived the collapse of centralized political system. By the time Columbus reached the New World, the Maya were politically less centralized and had frequent warfare. An attempt was made to unify Mayan factions to overcome the Europeans, but alliance attempt failed to rein in invaders. In the process, the capital of Tenochtitlan was destroyed.
Maya had detailed historical records of their history but the majority of the records were destroyed by Spanish missionaries. Many Maya images and books were defaced or burned by missionaries who perceived the works to be heretical, heathen. The surviving records from political state clashes show their leaders describing their victory and reasons for the clash in ways they wanted themselves to be represented. The intellectual history show mastery in math and astronomy which was used to chronicle events.
As the Maya grew in population, they became more politically centralized. Hierarchal social structure. Politically ruled by chiefdoms whose chiefs were perceived to hold supernatural contracts or abilities. The Maya people are generally perceived as having respect for nature, but the Maya have also caused environmental damage. Part of the collapse of the Maya is in their overused of their environmental infrastructure. Maya population contained many elites who continued to demand more from the population even with eroding environmental conditions.
Although the Maya were seen as fractured independent states, they were seen as being peaceful with each other. Further research showed that the fractioned Maya societies had frequent clashes. The Mayan culture survived the collapse of centralized political system. By the time Columbus reached the New World, the Maya were politically less centralized and had frequent warfare. An attempt was made to unify Mayan factions to overcome the Europeans, but alliance attempt failed to rein in invaders. In the process, the capital of Tenochtitlan was destroyed.
February 22, 2017
This is a review of the book on Mayan Civilization released by Hourly History. Many would have heard of them because of their calendar by which there was a widespread belief that the world would end by the end of 2012 (there was even a movie with the same theme) for the Mayan calendar did not have beyond December, 2012. Some others, including myself, would have heard of them because of Age of Empires.
For the rest, the Mayans were an ancient civilisation who inhabited much of the modern day Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and parts of Southern Mexico (north of which, I believe were the Aztecs). They are known for the complex pyramids and other structures that they constructed; the most notable being the Chichen Itza; a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Apart from that, they are also noted for the sophisticated cities they built and their contributions to astronomy and number system.
The book touched upon all these aspects; starting with the origins of the civilisation and how they lived along with the other Mesoamerican civilisations. It then moved on to their first contact with Europeans (expeditions of Columbus) and eventually, the eventual conquest by Hernan Cortez. It also focused on the various traditions and how their rituals played a key part in maintaining order, be it in daily life or securing alliances or running a kingdom. The book also dispelled notions that the Mayans were a homogenous group of people and in fact, had various city states and internal strife and also the fact that war and human sacrifice (usually of the defeated) was critical to please their gods. It concluded with the attempts being made by present day North Americans to revive their traditions and form a hybrid Christian – Mayan culture.
I felt the book gave an excellent insight into the history but then, I also felt that it touched upon personalities who built the civilisations very little; for instance, when talking about Aztecs, one could immediately visualise Montezuma or Chuahtemoc and similarly, if there was some focus on Mayan personalities of the past, the book could have been better.
On the whole, I would award the book a four.
For the rest, the Mayans were an ancient civilisation who inhabited much of the modern day Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and parts of Southern Mexico (north of which, I believe were the Aztecs). They are known for the complex pyramids and other structures that they constructed; the most notable being the Chichen Itza; a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Apart from that, they are also noted for the sophisticated cities they built and their contributions to astronomy and number system.
The book touched upon all these aspects; starting with the origins of the civilisation and how they lived along with the other Mesoamerican civilisations. It then moved on to their first contact with Europeans (expeditions of Columbus) and eventually, the eventual conquest by Hernan Cortez. It also focused on the various traditions and how their rituals played a key part in maintaining order, be it in daily life or securing alliances or running a kingdom. The book also dispelled notions that the Mayans were a homogenous group of people and in fact, had various city states and internal strife and also the fact that war and human sacrifice (usually of the defeated) was critical to please their gods. It concluded with the attempts being made by present day North Americans to revive their traditions and form a hybrid Christian – Mayan culture.
I felt the book gave an excellent insight into the history but then, I also felt that it touched upon personalities who built the civilisations very little; for instance, when talking about Aztecs, one could immediately visualise Montezuma or Chuahtemoc and similarly, if there was some focus on Mayan personalities of the past, the book could have been better.
On the whole, I would award the book a four.
February 4, 2019
I've read a number of these Hourly History books and this is probably the first one that I didn't particularly enjoy reading. There didn't seem to be a lot of definitive information, but that's not the author's fault. There wasn't a whole lot to go on since the Spanish conquistadors and missionaries destroyed almost all of the manuscripts that the Maya had kept regarding their history. That, along with enslaving native people, plundering the gold of the area and spreading fatal diseases among natives seems to be about all they were good for.
I thought that the author spent a lot of time getting wrapped up in the debates and assumptions of how the Maya lived, what their culture was and their philosophy of the world. Nothing wrong with sharing his opinions on the subjects; I just thought it carried on a bit long and became kind of boring regarding subjects that can only be speculated on due to a lack of concrete evidence.
I was hoping to read more detailed information about their temples, pyramids and other engineering innovations that have been discovered, but found the book lacking in that respect.
I thought that the author spent a lot of time getting wrapped up in the debates and assumptions of how the Maya lived, what their culture was and their philosophy of the world. Nothing wrong with sharing his opinions on the subjects; I just thought it carried on a bit long and became kind of boring regarding subjects that can only be speculated on due to a lack of concrete evidence.
I was hoping to read more detailed information about their temples, pyramids and other engineering innovations that have been discovered, but found the book lacking in that respect.
August 6, 2019
I've studied the Aztec and Mayan History in primary & secondary Schools. This book looks at the day to day chores and how they lived, worshipped, traded including meeting Christopher Columbus and showing him what every child in the world drinks as hot chocolate as well as how they used chocolate for medicinal uses as well. To the point of being raided by the Spanish Solider lead by Hernan Cortes
November 30, 2016
Very interesting!
As an immigrant in Mexico I was looking for the history of their culture and this book provides a great view of it. I recommend it. It's updated and is perfect to start the journey into the Maya history.
As an immigrant in Mexico I was looking for the history of their culture and this book provides a great view of it. I recommend it. It's updated and is perfect to start the journey into the Maya history.
June 4, 2017
Wow
This is a good subsidiary for this civilization to help breach holes left by the American Education System. Definitely recommend
This is a good subsidiary for this civilization to help breach holes left by the American Education System. Definitely recommend
November 22, 2017
To my chagrin, I must admit to knowing next to nothing about ancient South and Middle American history. In this state of almost total ignorance, anything I could glean from this short publication would be a plus. I was fascinated to discover that, almost completely isolated from the rest of the world; the Mayans built structures, constructed complicated calendars, and made significant studies of the heavenly bodies. For being so isolated, the Mayan civilization was remarkably advanced. In 1492 Christopher Columbus made his monumental discovery of the New World. The Mayan culture began a decline in the tenth and eleventh centuries but when Columbus first set foot on Mayan territory on July 30, 1502, his initial introduction was far from auspicious. This would mark the beginning of the end to a civilization and culture that had lasted for more than a thousand years.
The Mayans and the Aztecs lived in relatively close proximity to each other but even with a consorted effort, they were unable to defeat the Spanish invaders and both eventually succumbed to the inevitable. It is impossible to condense a history spanning so many centuries into a narrative of fewer than fifty pages. It does highlight certain aspects of the culture and contains enough information to spawn an interest in discovering more. Many contemporary works are sighted to aid in a more in-depth and comprehensive study of the Mayan civilization, beliefs, and social structure.
I have always been drawn to history but growing up in Texas; I always regarded the histories of Mexico and Central America too close to home to generate any real interest. Since my migration to Europe, the tables have turned and the Mayan and Aztec civilizations now breed much more significance.
The Mayans and the Aztecs lived in relatively close proximity to each other but even with a consorted effort, they were unable to defeat the Spanish invaders and both eventually succumbed to the inevitable. It is impossible to condense a history spanning so many centuries into a narrative of fewer than fifty pages. It does highlight certain aspects of the culture and contains enough information to spawn an interest in discovering more. Many contemporary works are sighted to aid in a more in-depth and comprehensive study of the Mayan civilization, beliefs, and social structure.
I have always been drawn to history but growing up in Texas; I always regarded the histories of Mexico and Central America too close to home to generate any real interest. Since my migration to Europe, the tables have turned and the Mayan and Aztec civilizations now breed much more significance.
May 18, 2023
A one time read that talks about the impressive architectural wonders, advanced astronomical knowledge, and intricate hieroglyphic writing system that was present during the Mayan Civilization.
When I compare it with other major civilizations, this is what I would like to say.
⭐Egyptian Civilization vs Mayan Civilization⭐
While the Egyptian Civilization showcased monumental pyramids and a focus on the afterlife, the Mayan Civilization stands out with its intricate calendar system and profound emphasis on astronomy.
⭐Roman Civilization vs Mayan Civilization⭐
Similarly, the Roman Civilization excelled in military conquests and governance, but the Mayans captivate readers with their remarkable achievements in mathematics and engineering, demonstrated through their elaborate city structures.
⭐Indus Valley Civilization vs Mayan Civilization⭐
In contrast to the organized urban planning of the Indus Valley Civilization, the Mayans were known for their dense urban centers and complex social hierarchy, which the book effectively explores and analyzes.
When I compare it with other major civilizations, this is what I would like to say.
⭐Egyptian Civilization vs Mayan Civilization⭐
While the Egyptian Civilization showcased monumental pyramids and a focus on the afterlife, the Mayan Civilization stands out with its intricate calendar system and profound emphasis on astronomy.
⭐Roman Civilization vs Mayan Civilization⭐
Similarly, the Roman Civilization excelled in military conquests and governance, but the Mayans captivate readers with their remarkable achievements in mathematics and engineering, demonstrated through their elaborate city structures.
⭐Indus Valley Civilization vs Mayan Civilization⭐
In contrast to the organized urban planning of the Indus Valley Civilization, the Mayans were known for their dense urban centers and complex social hierarchy, which the book effectively explores and analyzes.
June 10, 2024
Published in 2020 by Hourly History.
Hourly History specializes in e-book biographies and histories that take most readers about an hour to read. In some cases, an hour to cover a topic seems about right. For example, I really enjoyed their book on the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Of course there is a massive difference in the time involved with the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Mayan Civilization - one lasted for weeks, the other for centuries. That makes a big difference with what can be dealt with the series' self-imposed one hour time constraint and that difference really hurt this e-book.
I have zero problems with the facts presented in this book, but I do have a problem with the way they were presented. I found this book to be oddly written. My pet theory as I was reading it was that it was an early experiment with an AI author program - but there is an actual name attached to my kindle e-book - Henry Freeman. Oddly, the Amazon website does not list Freeman as the author.
I rate this e-book 2 stars out of 5.
Hourly History specializes in e-book biographies and histories that take most readers about an hour to read. In some cases, an hour to cover a topic seems about right. For example, I really enjoyed their book on the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Of course there is a massive difference in the time involved with the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Mayan Civilization - one lasted for weeks, the other for centuries. That makes a big difference with what can be dealt with the series' self-imposed one hour time constraint and that difference really hurt this e-book.
I have zero problems with the facts presented in this book, but I do have a problem with the way they were presented. I found this book to be oddly written. My pet theory as I was reading it was that it was an early experiment with an AI author program - but there is an actual name attached to my kindle e-book - Henry Freeman. Oddly, the Amazon website does not list Freeman as the author.
I rate this e-book 2 stars out of 5.
December 30, 2022
So I've read a few of these, I didn't find it as informative as some of the others.
Main Points:
(1) The Maya were not a SINGLE tribe (as I thought) but several dozen independent communities that lived in the same area and had a shared culture
(2) They were distinguished by having a very sophisticated religion and cosmology with rather involved rituals (which included human sacrifices) and in general putting great weight on spirituality and connecting with nature.
(3) 1502, June 30 - First contact by Europeans with a Maya group in the person of Christoper Columbus (THE Christopher Columbus)
(4) 1519 - When the Maya were broadly conquered by Europeans in the form of Hernan Cortes (the same one who would conquer the Aztecs)
In general, it seems not too much is known about the Maya, other than that they had a lot of sophisticated rituals. But there is definitely something fascinating about them ...
Main Points:
(1) The Maya were not a SINGLE tribe (as I thought) but several dozen independent communities that lived in the same area and had a shared culture
(2) They were distinguished by having a very sophisticated religion and cosmology with rather involved rituals (which included human sacrifices) and in general putting great weight on spirituality and connecting with nature.
(3) 1502, June 30 - First contact by Europeans with a Maya group in the person of Christoper Columbus (THE Christopher Columbus)
(4) 1519 - When the Maya were broadly conquered by Europeans in the form of Hernan Cortes (the same one who would conquer the Aztecs)
In general, it seems not too much is known about the Maya, other than that they had a lot of sophisticated rituals. But there is definitely something fascinating about them ...
August 8, 2017
This was a reasonably good short introduction to several topics in Mayan history. It only briefly touches on all topics of Mayan culture, religion, or history, but does give a decent timeline for when the culture developed. The book was a little bit unfocused, and the brevity meant there wasn't a lot of detail, but it did emphasize that despite the currently popular belief that the Mayans had a particular closeness to nature, they still had problems with failing soils, a growing elite class that used up resources, and a tendency to solve problems by going to war. It puts the culture in context as just another human culture, and rather similar to its contemporaries, but also gave me a better idea about how the Mayan culture related to surrounding Mesoamerican cultures, as well. This was only 61 pages, so it isn't a complete history, but it was a good way to get started reading more.
November 4, 2017
Good Consolidation of available knowledge.
There is a great deal of efforts taken to gather pieces of information known about the Maya.
There are some points I would like to add from a personal point of view -
The construction of sentences is difficult to understand at times and had to read some parts multiple times to get the actual meaning.
There has been frequent use of long sentences which disturbs the reading flow.
I appreciate that the book gave a good insight in a few number of pages, albeit the reading experience can be enhanced.
These are personal viewpoints and might also be a result of not having read much in this genre, still, might give it a thought.
There is a great deal of efforts taken to gather pieces of information known about the Maya.
There are some points I would like to add from a personal point of view -
The construction of sentences is difficult to understand at times and had to read some parts multiple times to get the actual meaning.
There has been frequent use of long sentences which disturbs the reading flow.
I appreciate that the book gave a good insight in a few number of pages, albeit the reading experience can be enhanced.
These are personal viewpoints and might also be a result of not having read much in this genre, still, might give it a thought.
November 18, 2021
Extremely dry, snooze-worthy read.
1 star...only because I couldn't give 0 star.
One of the MOST boring, incomprehensible books I have had the displeasure to happen upon in years. An overly cited novella that relies too much on other authorities' work, it is laden with unpronounceable Mayan name and locales. The addition of maps and a pronunciation guide would have assisted this reader greatly, but the writer no need to include them.
I will not waste further time on this review. Suffice it to say I do not recommend this book, nor did I enjoy it. Tedious, monotonous and a definite "sleeper," if you deduce my sarcastic inference.
1 star...only because I couldn't give 0 star.
One of the MOST boring, incomprehensible books I have had the displeasure to happen upon in years. An overly cited novella that relies too much on other authorities' work, it is laden with unpronounceable Mayan name and locales. The addition of maps and a pronunciation guide would have assisted this reader greatly, but the writer no need to include them.
I will not waste further time on this review. Suffice it to say I do not recommend this book, nor did I enjoy it. Tedious, monotonous and a definite "sleeper," if you deduce my sarcastic inference.
May 31, 2018
This book reads as if it were written in 2012. It fails to mention that the latest innovation in Mayan studies is the use of LIDAR to find hitherto hidden Mayan settlements. It should be updated to include this and other advancements in Mayan studies. The information provided is interesting but the inclusion of full titles and authors of reference material is an intrusion on your train of thought as you read the text. Using footnotes wou7ld have been preferable. Despite those faults, I ded learn a few things about the Mayans that I had not come cross in my readings before.
March 28, 2019
It is like someone slapped this together using cut and paste, and did it sloppily because some of the paragraphs repeat. For example, look at the page before the chapter, Conclusion. Notice how the middle of one overlong paragraph then repeats again as a second paragraph directly below. I don't think anyone even read this over after it was written. The sentences meander and are often very hard to understand. I am giving this two stars because there is some information about Mayan culture there is you want to pick through the rubble.
August 21, 2020
an excellent & easy to understand overview of the maya civilization. lots of references & researches are called out by name in the text, making further research easy to do.
i appreciated the author’s discussion of contemporary maya trying to reclaim their history a lot—& also the reminder / insistence not to a) only research colonial views and b) that the civilization was complex & intricate, and doesn’t always match up to how we see things.
i appreciated the author’s discussion of contemporary maya trying to reclaim their history a lot—& also the reminder / insistence not to a) only research colonial views and b) that the civilization was complex & intricate, and doesn’t always match up to how we see things.
December 26, 2022
This book is a serviceable history of the Maya that provides a very fast, surface-level history. It tries to cover a lot in a very, very short time (it's supposed to be readable in under an hour) and accomplishes enough to be worth your time. It replicates some claims that range from colonialist in nature to outright strange, but can be an okay jumping point or potentially a refresher. I'd encourage a different book for beginners, but this one isn't bad.
June 23, 2017
Great reading
Excellent read. Learned more about the Mayan civilizations and their cultures. Took me back to the Mayan tribes and their customs, religions, agriculture, hierarchy, and their trade and war dealings amongst other Mayan tribes. From the expansion and decline of the Maya, this book is a must for your book shelf.
Excellent read. Learned more about the Mayan civilizations and their cultures. Took me back to the Mayan tribes and their customs, religions, agriculture, hierarchy, and their trade and war dealings amongst other Mayan tribes. From the expansion and decline of the Maya, this book is a must for your book shelf.
September 29, 2017
I've read a few of these short Hourly History books now, and this is probably my least favorite. There was some decent information, but overall I still feel quite ignorant about Mayan Civilization. The writer's voice is very weak and reminds me of my terrible essays back in college, and it's in serious need of a good editor. This one can be skipped.
December 23, 2017
Excellent book
A very good book on the Maya and their civilization. I learned many things that were not taught in school about their social groups, architecture, farming etc. A good book for anyone interested in the Mayan culture.
A very good book on the Maya and their civilization. I learned many things that were not taught in school about their social groups, architecture, farming etc. A good book for anyone interested in the Mayan culture.
April 4, 2018
Nice outline of the civilisation.
This book deserves atleast 4 stars. It is a good collection of data from various sources. Lines citing other books and works is useful for further deep study. People who want to get a gust of Mayans, this book is for you.
This book deserves atleast 4 stars. It is a good collection of data from various sources. Lines citing other books and works is useful for further deep study. People who want to get a gust of Mayans, this book is for you.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews