Overview

In 1911 Hiram Bingham, a pre-historian with a love of exotic destinations, set out to Peru in search of the legendary city of Vilcabamba, capital city of the last Inca ruler, Manco Inca. With a combination of doggedness and good fortune he stumbled on the perfectly preserved ruins of Machu Picchu perched on a cloud-capped ledge 2000 ft above the torrent of the Urumbamba River. The buildings were of white granite, exquisitely carved blocks each higher than a man. Bingham had not, as it turned out, found Vilcabamba, but he had nevertheless made an astonishing discovery which he described in his bestselling book LOST CITY OF THE INCAS.

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9781842125854

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Reviews

Bingham catalogues his finds with admirable concision, and indulges his wide interests, revealing little-known facts about the Incas... He captures the majesty of the architecture in its dramatic and wild surroundings LITERARY REVIEW

A rich, lively book ... it is the classic adventure--IRISH TIMES This is the stuff of dreams, a story as romantic as any in the annals of exploration--SUNDAY TIMES Bingham catalogues his finds with admirable concision, and indulges his wide interests, revealing little-known facts about the Incas... He captures the majesty of the architecture in its dramatic and wild surroundings--LITERARY REVIEW

Hiram Bingham was a young American who set out to explore the wild country of the Eastern Peruvian Andes and, in 1911, discovered the fabulous Inca city of Machu Picchu. The text of Lost City of the Incas was written by Bingham itself - and as well as being a brilliant explorer Bingham had an excellent way with words. The text is illustrated by Bingham's own superb black-and-white photographs (plenty of views of the striking explorer posing on top of equally striking ruins) and gorgeous colour photographs of one of the world's most ruggedly beautiful areas. Hugh Thomson's introduction puts Bingham's achievement into perspective, and is a good read in itself. This is a lovely book. It has all the flavour of a rather simpler, pre-First World War world and can be very politically incorrect (we do not have 'savages' any more) but is also gloriously human, down to the loving and admiring descriptions of Hiram's multi-purpose jacket. It is a very human story. Natives who had spent a lifetime within five or six feet of a major ruin had never seen it because of the thickness of the jungle cover. Yet above all this is a fascinating and enthused account of one of the world's greatest archaeological discoveries. Dr Martin Stephen is the High Master of Manchester Grammar School and the author of The Desperate Remedy. (Kirkus UK)

Author Information

Hugh Thomson, the editor of this edition, is a travel writer and documentary film maker living in Bristol. His first book, The White Rock, is published by W&N in July 2001. Hugh Thomson's previous books include The White Rock: An Exploration of the Inca Heartland and Nanda Devi, a journey to a usually inaccessible part of the Himalayas. He has led many research expeditions to Peru. He is also a film-maker and has won many awards for his documentaries, which include Indian Journeys with William Dalrymple, and Dancing in the Street: A Rock and Roll History. He lives in Oxfordshire. More details can be seen at www.thewhiterock.co.uk

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