Synopsis:
“Distinguished by an extraordinary empathy, a feeling of one’s way into the minds of the sixteenth-century Spaniards and Indians . . . Provocative.” — New York Times
“An extraordinary book. Combining rigorous historical research and profound analysis with stylistic elegance, this work allows the reader to appreciate the tragic and fabulous history of the Incan empire in all its richness and diversity. It reads like the most skillful novel.” — Mario Vargas Llosa, winner of the Nobel Prize in literature
In 1532, the magnificent Inca empire was the last great civilization still isolated from the rest of humankind. The Conquest of the Incas is the definitive history of this civilization’s overthrow, from the invasion by Pizarro’s small gang of conquistadors and the Incas’ valiant attempts to expel the invaders to the destruction of the Inca realm, the oppression of its people, and the modern discoveries of Machu Picchu and the lost city of Vilcabamba. This authoritative, wide-ranging account, grounded in meticulous research and firsthand knowledge and told from the viewpoints of both protagonists, “keeps all the complex issues to the fore . . . the deeper wonder of the conquest and the deeper horror of its results” (Washington Post).
“The bible for historians and archaeologists studying the final days of the Inca. For the past thirty years, The Conquest of the Incas has remained the most influential book for Inca scholars. There is no other book which is even in the same class.” — Brian S. Bauer, professor, University of Illinois at Chicago, leading archaeologist of the Inca
From the Back Cover:
Winner of the Christopher Award
"Distinguished by an extraordinary empathy, a feeling of one's way into the minds of the 16th-century Spaniards and Indians ... A provocative book." -The New York Times
Praised as the finest account of the annihilation of the Incan empire since W.H. Prescott's History of the Conquest of Peru, this compelling, authoritative account removes the Incas from the realm of prehistory and legend and shows the reality of their struggle against the Spanish invasion. Drawing on rediscovered sources and a firsthand knowledge of the Incan terrain, Hemming vividly describes postconquest Peru and the integration of the Incas into the Spanish society, refuting many misconceptions about the decline of the Incan empire.
With maps, line drawings, and 24 pages of photography
John Hemming has written extensively for both popular and academic audiences about South American history. A writer, explorer, and anthropologist, he is a member of the Royal Geographic Society and has traveled extensively in all continents, crossing the Sahara and Syrian deserts and taking part in a major exploration of a previously unknown part of Brazil.
|Winner of the Christopher Award
"Distinguished by an extraordinary empathy, a feeling of one's way into the minds of the 16th-century Spaniards and Indians ... A provocative book." -The New York Times
Praised as the finest account of the annihilation of the Incan empire since W.H. Prescott's History of the Conquest of Peru, this compelling, authoritative account removes the Incas from the realm of prehistory and legend and shows the reality of their struggle against the Spanish invasion. Drawing on rediscovered sources and a firsthand knowledge of the Incan terrain, Hemming vividly describes postconquest Peru and the integration of the Incas into the Spanish society, refuting many misconceptions about the decline of the Incan empire.
With maps, line drawings, and 24 pages of photography
John Hemming has written extensively for both popular and academic audiences about South American history. A writer, explorer, and anthropologist, he is a member of the Royal Geographic Society and has traveled extensively in all continents, crossing the Sahara and Syrian deserts and taking part in a major exploration of a previously unknown part of Brazil.
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