Lost City of the Incas

A must read before an adventure in Peru!

An interesting and easy enjoying historical account.

Really good read of South America discovering macho picho

Enjoyable history of an ancient race.. Not a book to be read at one sitting. PICKUP, READ FOR A WHILE AND BOOKMARNK YOUR PAGE.

I read this in preparation for a trip to Peru and found it fascinating. A really well written interesting account of the trials and tribulations leading to the discovery of what surely has to be one of the most amazing sites in the world, as well as an insight into Inca history. Hiram Bingham is Indiana Jones incarnate; an academic and explorer/adventurer but with a wonderfully matter of fact way of describing huge hardships and fabulous finds. He comes across as being likeable and dependable. I would thoroughly recommend this to anyone thinking of visiting Macchu Picchu as it really puts the enormity of what was achieved into context.

Book arrived in excelent conditions and fast deliver. The book is very interesting, its an account of the Bingham travels in Peru in the discover of Machu Pichu. I recommend it.

It is what it is.

Just come back from visiting Machu Pichu so wanted to find out about the person who found it. It's a good read.

Reading this book is tantamount to understanding how Machu Picchu was discovered and restored to its current majestic viewing. A single man's drive to find the hideout of the last Inka king lead to its discovery. A great read and also a great gift.

マチュピチュに詳しい人なら聞いたことのある名前、マチュピチュの発見者とされているHiram Bingham、の探検物語です。 前半はスペイン侵攻後のインカ王たちの悲しい顛末が侵攻したスペイン人や宣教師たちの年代記に基づいて記述されています。 そしてその資料を基にクスコを追われた王たちの幻の都を探す物語が後半に続きます。 急流、凄い崖、悪天候などに悩まされながらも、がんばって道なき道を進んだ、と書かれています。 物語としてはとても面白く読み応えがあると思います。 但し、写真や動画が氾濫している現代では、建物の構造や壷の形などを文章で説明されても何かシックリきません。 それから然したる考古学的検証も無くマチュピチュの人口の多くは女性だった、とか、、色んなことを想像で決め付け過ぎているようにみえます。 要は、この本は探検物語、として読むべきでインカの正しい知識を知りたければ別の本を探すべきです。 でもインカ道を歩いてマチュピチュやビトコスなどを訪れてみたいと思わせてくれる本です。 英語は少し古めかしいですが慣れれば読み易いと思います。

Gut verständliches Englisch, gibt alles in allem das her was man an Information erwarten würde. Der Schreibstil von Mr. Bingham ist allerdings nicht gerade fesselnd.

Indispensável para quem está indo para o Peru!!! Faz toda a diferença ao visitar os sítios arqueológicos Inca!!!

I had started this book before leaving for our Machu Picchu trip, but got distracted reading other things about the trip and did not finish it beforehand. I did finish the book a couple of weeks after returning, which in hindsight, is the best way to absorb the material. After having travelled through the Sacred Valley, through Ollantaytambo and along the Urubamba River and witnessing firsthand the marvelous scenery and geography of Peru, it was so much more meaningful to read about Bingham's adventures in locating the Lost City of the Incas. The steep cliffs and valleys, thick jungle vegetation and narrow passes are still foreboding today, let alone over 100 years ago without the benefit of highways and GPS ! Additionally, it was useful to read the book after having heard from our professional Peruvian guides how they feel about Bingham's adventures. The Peruvians seem to have a love/hate relationship with Bingham. They acknowledge him as the "scientific discoverer" of the ruins, but they also state that the Indians were living and farming at the ruins and knew about them all along. Many of the gravesites had already been plundered over the centuries. They also acknowledge that Bingham's determination and commitment essentially created the modern tourism industry in Peru. They also believe that Bingham and his crew took away valuable artifacts (perhaps gold and silver) which were never accurately catalogued and disclosed. It was interesting to read about the excavation and process of discovery of landmarks in the ruins that we had had a chance to see firsthand. The pictures were particularly fascinating as they demonstrated how challenging it was to clear the ruins of the hundreds of years of jungle growth and try to discover the use and meaning of each dwelling and structure. For all the criticism lodged against Bingham over the years, he documented the site thoroughly with over 12,000 photos and drawings and kept meticulous records. His writing was also clear and thorough and concise, and he had a great reverence for the significance of this wonderful sanctuary. Highly recommended for anyone who is about to visit Machu Picchu or has already visited. You can't go there without understanding the impact of Bingham on the modern history of Peru.