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Lost Civilizations
Incas: Lords of Gold and Glory
Describes the history and culture of the Incas, looks at Inca ruins and artifacts, and recounts the Spanish conquest
168 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1992
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 20, 2022
from potatoes to Pizarro
I was reading a few books on Peru and the Incas back in 2012. Some were classics, others lesser travel offerings. If you want a single book, with a marvelous set of pictures, a good map or two, and a lot of information in clear, succinct form, I don't think you'll do better than to get hold of this book. It's a TIME/LIFE book, so OK, don't expect leftwing political views, but this one is part of a series on lost civilizations. Though the peoples who formed the Inca Empire are still very much around in Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia, their ancient civilization was crushed. I was very impressed by the way the editors started with the conquest and destruction of the Inca world by the Spanish conquistadors, then went on to Machu Picchu and the earlier creation of the Inca Empire by Pachacuti, one of those Napoleonic/Alexander the Great-type figures that appear every so often in human history. The authors then write about the cultures like Chimu, Moche and Tiahuanaco, to name three, which preceded the Incas and provided a cultural foundation for them to build on. The last part of the book focusses on the many cultural achievements, religion, economy, and political organization in the Inca world. Every topic is at least touched on, from roads and jewelry to mining and agriculture. You can find a very interesting `aside', with many photos, on mummies. No doubt the book contains a lot of information and cannot go into deep detail, but it is extremely well-presented. It's not academic; it's meant for anyone interested in the subject. I highly recommend it.
I was reading a few books on Peru and the Incas back in 2012. Some were classics, others lesser travel offerings. If you want a single book, with a marvelous set of pictures, a good map or two, and a lot of information in clear, succinct form, I don't think you'll do better than to get hold of this book. It's a TIME/LIFE book, so OK, don't expect leftwing political views, but this one is part of a series on lost civilizations. Though the peoples who formed the Inca Empire are still very much around in Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia, their ancient civilization was crushed. I was very impressed by the way the editors started with the conquest and destruction of the Inca world by the Spanish conquistadors, then went on to Machu Picchu and the earlier creation of the Inca Empire by Pachacuti, one of those Napoleonic/Alexander the Great-type figures that appear every so often in human history. The authors then write about the cultures like Chimu, Moche and Tiahuanaco, to name three, which preceded the Incas and provided a cultural foundation for them to build on. The last part of the book focusses on the many cultural achievements, religion, economy, and political organization in the Inca world. Every topic is at least touched on, from roads and jewelry to mining and agriculture. You can find a very interesting `aside', with many photos, on mummies. No doubt the book contains a lot of information and cannot go into deep detail, but it is extremely well-presented. It's not academic; it's meant for anyone interested in the subject. I highly recommend it.
July 16, 2020
A good review of Inca History with Time-Life's usual collection of great pictures.
February 2, 2024
The history of the Inca civilization is very interesting. I especially enjoyed the section in this book about Machu Picchu.
May 7, 2014
This is a decent overview of Incan discoveries and known Incan history. I particularly enjoyed the section on preparing for the afterlife and the Incan mummification. The Inca were truely a magnificent society.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews