discovery
lost city of the incasby hiramblinghamphoenix press (2003)
Bingham wrote his classic synthesis of adventure, discovery, and history in 1948, 37 years after his discovery of Machu Picchu and just a few years before his death. Bingham reconfirmed what he thought he had found in Machu Picchu, the legendary last fortress of the Incas. with machu picchu, he had definitely found a lost city, but not the lost city. Another of his discoveries in Espiritu Pampa was confirmed as the lost city in the 1970s. Although his conclusions about what he found are inaccurate, one cannot help but be drawn to his adventure in the jungle of the real life.
You are reading: Books about machu picchu
story
Last Days of the Incas by kim macquarriesimon and schuster (2008)
Macquarrie writes a detailed and narrative history of the Spanish conquest of the Incas. Dramatic and historical, this reads more like fiction than the modern standard bearer of John Hemmings’s epic tale of exploration and invasion, The Conquest of the Incas. It’s interesting to compare Macquarrie’s more serious story to Bingham’s Lost City to see where Bingham made his leaps of faith, as well as to understand how well researched his expeditions were. Macquarrie also devotes chapters to the history of Inca research and discovery since the conquest, including the adventures of Bingham and the work of explorer Gene Savoy in Espiritu Pampa.
guides
machu picchu guide: a self-guided tour by ruth m. wright and alfredo valencia zegarra3d press (2004)
the inca trail, cusco & machu picchu by richard danbury and alexander stewarttrailblazer publications (2005)
These two guides are the most detailed and accurate offerings in this category. machu picchu guide is a rich guide written by two machu picchu experts. Submit photos or drawings for each building and object on the site. The guide comes with a full-color architectural rendering of the site, as well as a poster that once accompanied an issue of national geographic magazine.
there are many kilometers of inca trails throughout the ancient empire, and the inca trail focuses on those in and around cusco and vilcabamba, including the famous inca trail that leads to Macchu Picchu. The book is filled with detailed trail maps as well as archaeological site maps of the ruins scattered throughout the region. an updated fourth edition is in development. A strong complement to these two guides is Machu Picchu: Exploring an Ancient Sacred Center by Johan Reinhard, which helps to synthesize what Machu Picchu and the surrounding sites can mean.
adventure/travel
turn right at machu picchu: rediscovering the lost city one step at a time by adult mark adamsdutton (2011)
See Also: What are YA books? – Bookstacked
Cradle of Gold: The Story of Hiram Bingham, a Real Life Indiana Jones, and the Quest for Machu Picchuby Christopher Heaneypalgrave Macmillan (2010)
While a little hard to classify, Adams’ Machu Picchu Right Turn is a serious (and very funny) travelogue, a clever and well-written story, and a report of research on perhaps the greatest archaeological discovery in the last century. Adams embarks on a rediscovery of Machu Picchu, in the same way that Bingham did 100 years ago this July, by hiking, climbing, hiking, camping and exploring his way through the jungles of Peru. his adventure culminates with a visit to the site that was recently named one of the new seven wonders of the world.
Cradle of Gold chronicles the discovery of Machu Picchu, but also delves into the expeditions that led to this seminal archaeological discovery, as well as subsequent expeditions and political intrigues that still exist today. Heaney offers a gripping account of Bingham’s travels, through the multifaceted lenses of reports related to the Peruvian expeditions, as well as his own well-known accounts of him.
for children
lost city: discovery of machu picchu by ted lewinphilomel books (2003)
This illustrated book traces Hiram Bingham’s journey from Cusco to his discovery of Machu Picchu. Some of the key characters involved in this part of Bingham’s 1911 journey are interspersed in the short book, but the boy who ultimately led Bingham to the ruins adds a dreamlike quality to the story. Lewin’s watercolors fill entire pages and explode with color. This book makes adventure into the heart of the Incas accessible and exciting for a would-be traveler and their family.
See Also: 21 Best Chapter Books for 7 Year Olds