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The Mayas, Incas, and Aztecs were three groups of people found living in the ancient Americas. Though they were clearly alike, they were also unique. All three civilizations ended when Spanish explorers moved into the Americas. ... Read more

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This volume is produced from digital images created through the University of Michigan University Library's large-scale digitization efforts. The Library seeks to preserve the intellectual content of items in a manner that facilitates and promotes a variety of uses. The digital reformatting process results in an electronic version of the original text that can be both accessed online and used to create new print copies. The Library also understands and values the usefulness of print and makes reprints available to the public whenever possible. This book and hundreds of thousands of others can be found in the HathiTrust, an archive of the digitized collections of many great research libraries. For access to the University of Michigan Library's digital collections, please see http://www.lib.umich.edu and for information about the HathiTrust, please visit http://www.hathitrust.org ... Read more

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Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire. Peruvian Ancient Cultures, Inca Empire, Peruvian War of Independence, Colombia¿Peru War, Battle of Cajamarca, Viceroyalty of Peru, Spanish colonization of the Americas, Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire ... Read more

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greatest book on the mayas aztecs and incas
no revie ... Read more

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History of Ecuador - Ancient cultures of Ecuador,Pre-Columbian Ecuador, Las Vegas culture (archaeology),Valdivia culture, Inca Empire, Royal Audience of Quito,Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire, Spanishcolonization ofthe Americas, Ecuadorian War of Independence, Luz deAmérica, Simón Bolívar, Battle of Pichincha, Guayaquilconference, Gran Colombia, Ecuador, Juan José Flores,Marcist Revolution, History of Ecuador: Era ofConservatism,History of the Ecuadorian?Peruvian territorial dispute,Indigenous peoples in Ecuador, Machalilla culture,Historyof Ecuador: The Early Republic, The History ofEcuador: Ruleof the Liberals, History of Ecuador 1925-1944:Reform, Chaosand Debacle, Constitutional Rule of Ecuador, MilitaryGovernments of Ecuador (1960-1979) ... Read more

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It's just a copy of Wikipedia
The books from Alphascript Publishing are described as "by John McBrewster, Frederic P. Miller, and Agnes F. Vandome". They are called editors in the book listings. The only content of most of these books is free, re-packaged Wikipedia articles!

It is a rip-off, folks!

The articles are often poorly printed, characters from foreign languages will go missing, and numerous images of arrows instead of linked text that was present in Wikipedia. Just read and print out the original articles for free at the Wikipedia website than pay this ridiculous amount of money for what has been described as a scam or hoax. Advertising for the books at Amazon and elsewhere does not reveal the freely-licensed source of the content. It is only revealed inside the books, AFTER you've been suckered with making a purchase.

As an example of the level of care given to the books, the book "History of Georgia (country)" is about the European country Georgia but has a cover image of Atlanta in the American state of Georgia.

The publisher is hiding out in Mauritius in the Indian Ocean.What does that tell you? ... Read more

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History of Chile - Monte Verde, Mapuche, Inca Empire,Conquest of Chile, Spanish Empire, Captaincy General ofChile, Arauco War, Chilean War of Independence, PatriaVieja, Chilean Civil War of 1829, War of theConfederation,Chilean Civil War, History of Chile during theParliamentaryEra (1891-1925), 1925 Chilean coup d'état, SocialistRepublic of Chile, Radical Governments of Chile,Chile underAllende, 1973 Chilean coup d'état, Chile under Pinochet,Chilean transition to democracy, Politics of Chile,Economichistory of Chile ... Read more

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Francisco Pizarro González, 1st Marqués de los Atabillos (c. 1471 or 1476 ? 26 June 1541) was a Spanish conquistador, conqueror of the Incan Empire and founder of Lima, the modern-day capital of Peru. Pizarro was born in Trujillo, Extremadura, modern Spain. Sources differ in the birth year they assign to him: 1471, 1475?1478, or unknown. He was an illegitimate son of Gonzalo Pizarro Rodríguez de Aguilar (senior) (1446-1522) who as colonel of infantry served in the Italian campaigns under Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba, and in Navarre, with some distinction. His mother was Francisca González Mateos, a woman of slender means from Trujillo, daughter of Juan Mateos, of the family called Los Roperos, and wife María Alonso, labradores pecheros from Trujillo. His mother married late in life and had a son Francisco Martín de Alcántara, married to Inés Muñoz, who from the beginning was at the Conquest of Perú, where he then lived, always at his brother's side, who held him always as one of his most trusted men. Through his father, Francisco was second cousin to Hernán Cortés, the famed conquistador of Mexico. ... Read more

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A passage from the book... It was evening. The sun had just set beneath the waters of the Pacific, which could be distinguished in the far distance; and the whole western sky, undimmed by a cloud, was burning with a radiant glow of splendour such as to the eyes of the untutored Peruvians might well appear an emanation from the Deity they worshipped.I was looking out, with others of my family, from the windows of the country house we inhabited, on the glorious spectacle. We were residing in Peru, that romantic region with which the name of the conqueror Pizarro must be for ever associated-the kingdom of the once powerful and enlightened Incas, on the western shore of South America. At the time of which I speak, however, its greatness, its prosperity and happiness, had passed away; it was a mere province of Old Spain, and governed by a viceroy sent from that country, while the race of its ancient sovereigns, though still existing, was humbled and disregarded, and almost unknown.My parents were English, and England was my native land. My father, Mr Henry Rexton, had been a soldier in his youth; but when he married my mother, who was the daughter of an eminent British merchant, he quitted the army; and my grandfather induced him, by advantageous offers, to take a share in his house of business ... Read more

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Originally published in 1877.This volume from the Cornell University Library's print collections was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format by Kirtas Technologies.All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks notations and other marginalia present in the original volume. ... Read more

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In 1532, when Pizarro conquered Peru, the Inca realm was one of the largest empires on earth, graced by gold masterpieces, towns with great palaces and temples, and an impressive network of roads. But this glittering culture only obscured the rich and diverse civilizations that had preceded it: Chavin, Moche, Nazca, Tiwanaku, Huari, and Chimú. Described as a "masterly study" and an "outstanding volume" on its first publication, The Incas and Their Ancestors quickly established itself as the best general introduction to the cultures and civilizations of ancient Peru. Now this classic text has been fully updated for the revised edition. New discoveries over the last decade are integrated throughout. The occupation of Peru's desert coast can now be traced back to 12,000 BC and ensuing maritime adaptations are examined in early littoral societies that mummified their dead and others that were mound builders. The spread of Andean agriculture is related to fresh data on climate, and protracted drought is identified as a recurrent contributor to the rise and fall of civilizations in the Cordillera. The results of recent excavations enliven understanding of coastal Moche and Nazca societies and the ancient highland states of Huari and Tiwanaku. Architectural models accompanying burials provide fresh interpretations of the palaces of imperial Chan Chan, while the origins of the Incas are given new clarity by a spate of modern research on America's largest native empire. 225 b/w illustrations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

****
The book is written in elaborate English - not easy to read but very elegant. Although it is supposed to be an introduction it should be read at least two times to fertilize one's mind. Author present his vision of Peruvian prehistory in a "reversed" order. He begins with Incas (1/5 of the whole book) to continue with plethora of their ancestors. As a result a reader gets a nice patchwork of archaeological-based definitions and life-giving interpretations. Some out-of-date details are perhaps only in my edition (2001).

Good background for a trip to Peru
If you are interested in understanding Incan civilization: its origins and antecedents, the economy that sustained it, and its interrelationship with the unique Andean environment, then this book is for you.I read it as background for a trip to Peru and it made the sites I saw much more interesting to be able to put them in a context.The first four chapters are a Historical Introduction followed by a fascinating analysis of how the complex Andean (Cordilleran) environment impacted native peoples, then chapters on Inca society and the Inca state.Subsequent chapters on earlier societies are less interesting and have more of a survey feel. This is not "popular history" - dumbed down and anecdotal; and some readers appear to have found it a difficult book. It has the feel of an upper level college history text (for me that is praise).I found it jargon free and easy to read.

Not what I looked for
Before visiting Peru, I bought a few books on the history and archaelogy of the land, to prepare me for what I would see. After studying this book, my understanding of pre-Inca and Inca civilizations is still extremely lacunary. This book does not place the archaeological finds in a meaningful historical context. In lieu of history we are given an abstract of Inca legends - interesting but not enough. Surely more is known or can be extracted from the archeaological records! The relations between the various civilizations is skipped over. On the positive side is an attempt to explain some features of the andean civilizations in terms of the echology of the land.

Great resource
I use this book a great deal as a resource for research on ancient Peru.Although this book is not "made pretty" with lots of color photographs and has a textbook feel, it does contain a wealth of information and scholarship.It is a must read for anyone wanting to learn about the ancient cultures of Peru in depth.

Ancestors more advanced than the Incas
It is a shame that THE INCAS has to be stressed to sell a book that is so good on their ancestors. In North Peru, for example, the Moche left a wealth of advanced (& colorful) information & technology skills of which Peru does not take advantage, especially in terms of tourism. See unitru.edu.pe/arq for the cultures of North Peru. We await the revised edition. Michael White & Clara Bravo, Trujillo Peru Tour Guides. ... Read more

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Ages 8 to 14 years.The ancient Incas developed a government based on the conquest of neighbouring communities, at the same time preserving the local customs and traditions of the cultures that came before. Beautiful images portray the land now known as Peru, as well as the astounding people who lived there prior to the arrival of the Spanish.Topics include: the Moche and Nazca peoples; agricultural innovations, including irrigation and terraced farming; Nazca geoglyphs and ray centres; record-keeping when most could not read or write; mummification, textile weaving, pottery, ancestor and nature worship; the extensive Inca road network. ... Read more

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The largest empire of pre-Columbian America was toppled in under a decade by a handful of Spanish invaders who looted the fabled riches of its greatest city, Cuzco, and severed its 15,000 mile system of roads. But this Inca empire was only the final link in a chain of urban development stretching back to 2500 B.C. How did cities evolve in the ancient Andes? What were they like to live and work in? Who built them, and how do we know? Here, the authors answer these questions and many more. 150 illustrations . ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Great overview of Andean cities and cultures
If you are interested in the Andes from a culture and even spiritual viewpoint then this book is a great place to start.It covers the major cites in sufficient detail to give you a vignette or small taste of what each site is about.There are plenty of photos and detailed drawings to make the text enjoyable.And the writing style is not as cold as you would find in most other archeology type books.Highly recommended.

You may also want to check out The Machu Picchu Guidebook: A Self-Guided Tour and machu picchu forever.The guidebook has detailed information on the MP site.The second book is a more artistic and spiritually oriented book that is a real treasure.

Short but excellent stories
Von Hagen first explains the definition of a city. Then in chronological order she starts telling about the pre-cities (monumental architecture) in Peru and the first cities. All is accompanied by beautiful photos and helpful maps. The stories of the cities are preceded with a tale "once upon a time" though in a very realistic manner. Next the city is explained When you visit Peru, and walk through the cities, this book will help you imagine how real life was in precolumbian times.

Great Overview
The authors provide a stimulating introduction to urbanism in the Precolumbian Andes. The only problem with this book was that it left me wanting more. Since the book covers the entire history of the AncientAndes, it cannot devote much space to any specific city or civilization.Nevertheless, there is still more than enough to enthrall. At the start ofeach chapter on a civilization, there is always a short description of whatlife would have been like for some inhabitants of a city of thatcivilization. This provides some extra colour to the book though sometechnical readers might not appreciate it. My favourite portion was onTiwanaku, the largest city of the altiplano around Lake Titicaca. Thepictures and maps were excellent and greatly enhanced to the book.

Back in college
The author of this book knows so much, it seems, he can't get it all into his book.

Without having a firm foundation in early Andean culture, I found this book challenging to digest. It moves through historical terminology at a mind-warping rate. On the other hand, after "steppingback" to read more basic books on the same subject, I realize I'vegotten a strong platform of knowledge from Von Hagen. I recommend you readthis book only if you plan to read others on the topic, too. ... Read more

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It is a modern-day mystery how the Inca, who did not have iron tools or knowledge of the wheel, mined and transported stones and dressed and fitted them in remarkable structures. Jean-Pierre Protzen has spent much of the past decade investigating the quarrying and stonecutting techniques of the Inca, and problems of Inca construction practices. His work is based principally on observation, careful measurements of structures, and experiments using stones and tools the Inca stonemasons would have used. Ollantaytambo, probably the best-preserved Inca town, offers an ideal laboratory with its well-thought-out site plans, its intimate integration of the built form with the natural environment, the unity of its architecture, and the sheer perfection of its cut-stone masonry. Offering the only extensive analysis of Inca construction practices, Protzen describes and interprets the archaeological complex of Ollantaytambo, discovers temporal and functional links among its components, uncovers the planning and design criteria that governed its layout and architecture, and compiles all that has been written about the site. ... Read more

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This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishings Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the worlds literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (4)

Fantastic catalogue, average main text
This book is a must for anyone specifically interested in the detail of Incan culture, but perhaps is not for those wanting a more general guide to Machu Picchu itself.

I found the main text of interest from an academic point of view but not especially earth shattering. The photographs of the site were fairly average, though those reproduced from Binghams early investigations were of interest from an historical point of view to see how much restoration had taken place - in many cases suprisingly little.

It is certainly not a guide book to the site.

Those wanting a well illustrated guide book to Machu Picchu would be better directed buying 'The Machu Picchu Guidebook: A Self-Guided Tour by Ruth M. Wright, Alfredo Valencia Zegarra, and Alfredo Valencia Zegarra' or reading the appropriate chapter in John Hemmings 'Monuments of the Inca'.

Where this volume really does come into its own in my opinion is in its catalogue. This is largely of artifacts collected by the Bingham expeditions to Machu Picchu, supplemented by other pieces from other sites. The photography is excellent, as are the descriptions. Together they provide the reader with a rich appreciation of Incan world, especially that at Machu Picchu. It is very rare to find such a focused study of Incan material so this volume is a very valuable and unusual addition, to anyone seriously interested in the Inca for that reason alone it is a 'must-buy'.

Regards, Dave Essery www.ancientdave.com

Definitely Underwhelmed
Having recently visited Machu Picchu via the Inca Trail I wanted to obtain a first-rate "coffee-table" style book to commemorate my experience and to render handy various names for various sights I saw along the way.When in Peru I saw several marvelous, fat volumes which contained all the information, photgraphs and poetic insight about the awesome Inca people and their accomplishments that I would ever desire. I figured I could score one off of Amazon once I returned home.

Alas, I saw none of those titles listed as currently available. This book appeared to be the best available, but it falls way short of those that I had seen in Peruvian bookstores.Slender, with only a handful of small color photos, and several older, blurry photos taken by or of Bingham (all of which I've seen countless times before), this book was really close to being sent right back to Amazon.However, there is a section in the back which contains some nice photos of various Inca artifacts which (coupled with the hassle of sending stuff back) inspired me to keep the book.I learned the sharp, bronze item I bought in Cusco is called a "knife."(I'd been incorrectly calling it a "ceremonial knife-like thing with which I think they sacrificed alpacas.")

Anyway, don't be too impressed by the publisher, "Yale Press." The name perhaps sounds compelling, but scrounge around at your local used bookstore and I'm sure you can do way better for your library.

Inca Sacrifices and The Reasons Given.
Ten years ago, I read a book about the child sacrifices the Inca civilization carried out at Machu Picchu.It has stuck with me all these years and, when I saw the Nova program, "Ice Mummies" all of that disturbing feeling came back.How could they do that to the children?!

The first known Incas, a noble family who ruled Cuzco and a small surrounding high Andean agricultural state, date back to A.D. 1200. The growth of the empire beyond Cuzco began in 1438 when emperor Pachacuti, which means "he who transforms the earth," strode forth from Cuzco to conquer the world around himand bring the surrounding cultures into the Inca fold. Consolidation of a large empire was to become a continuing struggle for the ruling Inca as their influence reached across many advanced cultures of the Andes. The name "Inca" refers to the first royal family and the 40,000 descendants who ruled the empire. For centuries historians have used the term in reference to the nearly 100 nations conquered by the Inca. The Inca state's domain was unprecedented, its rule resulting in a universal language - a form of Quechua, a religion worshipping the sun, and a 14,000 mile-long road system criss-crossing high Andean mountain passes and linking the rulers with the ruled.

What remains of the Inca legacy is limited, as the conquistadors plundered what they could of Inca treasures and in so doing, dismantled the many structures painstakingly built by Inca craftsmen to house the precious metals. Remarkably, a last bastion of the Inca empire remained unknown to the Spanish conquerors and was not found until explorer Hiram Bingham discovered it in 1911. He had found Machu Picchu, a citadel atop a mountainous jungle along the Urubamba River in Peru. Grand steps and terraces with fountains, lodgings, and shrines flank the jungle-clad pinnacle peaks surrounding the site. It was a place of worship to the sun god, the greatest deity in the Inca pantheon.

Mummies-named after the bitumen tar, mum, used to coat the linen winding strips around them-have long held an almost magical fascination. The world was titillated by Egypt's elaborate cult of death and by the extreme care devoted to preserving bodies for eternity. It was not uncommon in the 1800s to pick up a box of "mummy pills" made of ground, compressed mummies; they were thought to impart some measure of the eternal. The mummy of a pharaoh's son stood on the bar of a venerable men's club in Boston until the late 1960s, when he was returned to his homeland.

We have come to understand "mummy" as meaning a remarkably preserved body, a corpse that has withstood decay and putrefaction. By design or accident, the corpse's dissolution has been arrested, the effects of time slowed, and this human form, with its trappings and ornaments and clothing, becomes the physical representation of another time. A time machine bearing both gifts of knowledge, and prickly questions as to how best to handle the remains.

Similar kinds of questions hold sway whenever a mummy is unearthed. Decay and controversy attended the removal and study of Inca children, even the one found dressed as a commoner.The girls were killed by a skull fracture, being hit in the head. The more recent the remains, the more controversial they are likely to be. Witness the contentious debate in the United States over the bones of Native Americans, both those uncovered in archeological sites and those already housed in museums. Many people would argue that the dead, whether recent or thousands of years old, should be left to rest in peace, undisturbed.

That would be so if it were a proper burial, but there are those who would destroy the mummified remains to get the Inca treasure trove left with the dead.

Impressive academic achievement, flawed in some conclusions
This book is a companion volume to the largest exhibition of Inca artifacts in the US.A complete overhaul of previous scientific investigations was done using the most modern equipment and techniques of contemporary archaeology.Although it builds on the work of Hiram Bingham, some of Bingham's conclusions were wrong, and are corrected here.The quality of the book itself, which includes many color photographs including a catalogue of all the pieces in the exhibit, is first-rate.Those new to Machu Picchu and the Inca, or those with an in-depth knowledge of the subject will find something of value in this book.I found the chapter on the contemporary significance of Machu Picchu to be particularly interesting.

However, the authors describe Machu Picchu as a 'summer palace', likening it to Camp David.Anyone who has been there and/or seriously investigated the spiritual practices of the Inca and the the wide-ranging impact of those practices (even to the present day), will understand that this was a place of the highest spirituality, not a place of recreation for the royalty. ... Read more