501 Spanish Verbs  •  Christopher Kendris LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS •  2003 •  PAPER  • 600 PAGES The perennial favorite among students of Spanish, revised with a bonus CD-ROM. Organized alphabetically, each of the often irregular verbs gets its own page -- complete with all the verb tenses, examples and common idioms. The book is both a reference for Spanish speakers and a tool for beginners. Por que no hay como hablar Espanol sin verbos. O algo asi. (GEN134, $16.99)
Alive, The Story of the Andes Survivors  •  Piers Paul Read TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2002 •  PAPER  • 416 PAGES The gripping tale of survival against all odds: a plane crashes in the Andes, all passengers presumed dead. Read tells the story of terrible hardship, bravery and horror with admirable restraint. Most of the passengers, barely teenagers, were members of a rugby team from Uruguay, and the account includes much insight into Uruguayan culture and society. (AND38, $7.99)
Apus and Incas: A Cultural Walking and Trekking Guide to Cuzco  •  Charles Brod GUIDEBOOK •  1989 •  PAPER  • 169 PAGES The author describes recommended tours of Cuzco and its surroundings (including the Inka Trail and Ollantaytambo), combining practical itineraries with commentary on the natural and cultural history of this sacred city. Illustrated with maps, drawings, and photographs. (PRU03, $10.95)
Archaeological Map of Machu Picchu  •  Wright Water Engineers MAP • COMING IN SEPTEMBER A foldout site plan of Machu Picchu showing the location of buildings and monuments, topographic relief, and other physical features. The reverse is a simplified diagram of the site with full color photographs of not-to-be-missed attractions. With suggested routes, this is a handy pocket guide to plan your visit to Machu Picchu. (PRU23, $6.95)
Art of the Andes, from Chavin to Inca  •  Rebecca Stone-Miller ARCHAEOLOGY •  2002 •  PAPER  • 224 PAGES This illustrated, authoritative and concise survey of Andean art and architecture covers not only Machu Picchu and other Inca monuments, but also Chan Chan, Nasca and other archaeological sites and cultures. With 183 illustrations, maps and site diagrams. Revised edition. (PRU05, $18.95)
Between the Lines, The Mystery of the Giant Ground Drawings of Ancient Nasca  •  Anthony Aveni ARCHAEOLOGY •  2000 •  HARD COVER  • 320 PAGES A wide ranging, scholarly overview of the Nasca Lines -- the best thing to come along on the subject in a decade. Aveni, who first became intrigued by the enigmatic figures on a jaunt from Cusco in the 1970s, has since logged countless hours among the spirals, zigzags, ray centers, and other lines carved in the desert of Southern Peru. In this book written for a popular audience he discusses previous theories about the significance of the lines, putting forward intriguing new ideas about how the lines may have related to sources of water. It's a follow-up to his more academic 1991 monograph "The Lines of Nasca." (PRU22, $39.95)
The Birds of South America, The Oscine Passerines, Vol. 1  •  Guy Tudor  •  Robert Ridgely FIELD GUIDE •  1989 •  HARD COVER  • 596 PAGES An authoritative reference, this hefty volume features 31 splendid full-color plates by Guy Tudor covering 700 species of jays and swallows, wrens, thrushes, vireos and wood-warblers, tanagers, icterids and finches. The first of four anticipated volumes on the birds of South America. With distribution maps and species descriptions by ornithologist Robert Ridgely. (FG28, $95.00)
The Birds of South America, The Oscine Passerines, Vol. 2  •  Guy Tudor  •  Robert Ridgely FIELD GUIDE •  1994 •  HARD COVER The second volume of the projected four-volume series, this field guide and handbook covers the flycatchers, antbirds and furnariids. With fine color plates by Guy Tudor and lucid text by Ridgely. (FG29, $95.00)
Bradt Trekking Guide Peru and Bolivia  •  Hilary Bradt GUIDEBOOK •  2002 •  PAPER  • 358 PAGES This classic guide for exploring the Andes of Peru and Bolivia is great for both practical trail information and general information on the region. It's a compact overview, featuring not only walks and treks but also an extensive introduction. Eighth edition. (BOL04, $17.95)
The Bridge of San Luis Rey  •  Thornton Wilder LITERATURE •  2003 •  PAPER  • 148 PAGES The classic novel by the Pulitzer Prize-winning Wilder, originally published in 1928, is set in Peru 200 years ago. The story, about five travelers who are killed when a bridge built by the Incas collapses, is told from the point of view of a Franciscan missionary. (AND08, $12.95)
Cloud Forest, A Chronicle of the South American Wilderness  •  Peter Matthiessen TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  1987 •  PAPER  • 280 PAGES • FAVORITE Matthiessen recounts with wit and insight a 20,000-mile journey through South America, including a marvelous wild goose chase in the Amazon, an obligatory visit to Machu Picchu and his travels in Tierra del Fuego. A deceptively straightforward travelogue, this book displays Matthiessen's unflagging sense of humor, great style and unbounded curiosity. (SAM02, $16.00)
Conquistadors  •  Michael Wood HISTORY •  2002 •  PAPER  • 288 PAGES A lively, illustrated account of the Spanish conquest of the New World by the intrepid writer-filmmaker Michael Wood, who traveled in the footsteps of Hernan Cortes, Pizarro and others, often by horse, raft or other original means. It's an excellent introduction to the overwhelming impact of the Spanish in the Americas, wonderfully illustrated with maps, drawings and full color paintings. (SAM48, $22.95)
The Cordillera del Condor Region of Ecuador and Peru  •  Thomas Schulenberg NATURAL HISTORY •  1998 •  PAPER  • 232 PAGES A report of two "Rapid Assessment Program" surveys taken in 1993 and 1994, this book catalogs the biological resources of the lower mountain forests of Ecuador and Peru. With maps and line drawings. (AND16, $17.00)
The Discovery and Conquest of Peru  •  Pedro de Cieza de Leon HISTORY •  1999 •  PAPER  • 501 PAGES A detailed account of the Spanish occupation of Peru told by a seasoned Spanish chronicler who interviewed living witnesses years after the events involved. Perhaps the most thorough of the contemporary chronicles told from the point of view of the conquerers. (AND25, $26.95)
Evolution, The Remarkable History of a Scientific Theory  •  Edward Larson NATURAL HISTORY •  2006 •  PAPER  • 368 PAGES Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and historian Edward Larson examines the multifaceted history of the scientific theory which has had such an impact on twentieth century thought. Larson begins his study before Darwin, with the scientific breakthroughs of the French Revolution, and then examines Darwin's work and its effects, from the age of Social Darwinism up to present day genetics and evolutionary studies. He focuses on the social and political controversies that have surrounded evolutionary theory, particularly in the United States. (NAT64, $14.95)
Explore the Inca Trail  •  Jacquetta Megarry  •  Roy Davies GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  FLEXI-BOUND  • 64 PAGES A brief, ingeniously designed guide to trekking in the Sacred Valley from Cusco to Machu Picchu with color photographs, a fold-out map of the route, site diagram of Machu Pichu and a camp-to-camp overview of the Inca trail. The authors, both experienced trekkers, include detailed avice on preparing for the trip, and a good overview of the site itself. The step-by-step sections cover the Classic trail from Chilca/Km 82/Km 88, the shortest option from Km 104, and the 5-6 day, more strenuous Mollepata trek. (AND33, $15.95)
Explorer of Machu Picchu, Portrait of Hiram Bingham  •  Alfred M. Bingham BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2000 •  PAPER  • 381 PAGES A biography of the Andes explorer, Yale professor, senator and diplomat by his son, originally published in 1989. Much of the book is devoted to Bingham's original (and subsequent) Peruvian expeditions, much enhanced by hundreds of archival photographs, drawings and maps. (AND32, $15.95)
A Field Guide to the Birds of Peru  •  James Clements  •  Noam Shany  •  Dana Gardner  •  Eustace Barnes FIELD GUIDE •  2001 •  PAPER  • 283 PAGES A comprehensive field guide to the birds of Peru with color plates by Eustace Barnes and Dana Gardner illustrating almost 1,800 species. It covers the diversity of birds and habitats from the Amazon to Andes and Pacific coast. Admirably compact, short descriptions of each species focus on identification, habitat and distribution. With a gazetteer of localities and both English and Spanish names. You can preview (and buy) examples of the color plates at the artist's website: gardnerbirds.com. (PRU21, $60.00)
Fire from the Andes, Short Fiction by Women from Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru  •  Susan E. Benner ANTHOLOGY •  1998 •  PAPER  • 208 PAGES An anthology of contemporary stories from the Andes, this book includes contributions by 24 women from Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. Mostly personal, many of the stories revolve around peasants, the urban poor and other marginalized members of society. With a biography of each contributor. (AND17, $24.95)
Footprint Cuzco & the Inca Heartland Handbook  •  Ben Box  •  Stephen Frankham GUIDEBOOK •  2008 •  PAPER  • 352 PAGES Comprehensive and up-to-date, this exceptional guide covers Cuzco and surroundings, including the Inca Trail, Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley, Tambopata, Manu Park and Lima in detail. (PRU46, $23.95)
Footprint Peru Handbook  •  Alan Murphy GUIDEBOOK •  2005 •  PAPER  • 656 PAGES By the venerable British publishers of the "South American Handbook," this guide is built for the road with sturdy covers and a sewn binding. It's nicely divided between a general overview of Peru and practical travel detail on where to go and what to do. (PRU27, $19.95)
Genesis (Memory of Fire Trilogy, Part 1)  •  Cedric Belfrage  •  Eduardo Galeano HISTORY •  1998 •  PAPER  • 306 PAGES Part one of a three-volume history of the Americas composed entirely of short vignettes, this volume extends from the pre-columbian creation myths through the chronicles of conquest and early colonial period. Lyrical, emminently readable and easy to skim for the geographic areas of particular interest. (MYA18, $16.95)
A Guide to the Birds of Colombia  •  Steven Hilty  •  William Brown FIELD GUIDE •  1986 •  PAPER  • 836 PAGES A classic South American bird guide with good coverage of the Amazon basin. It features 56 color plates by Guy Tudor, illustrating 1,700 species -- nearly half of all the species of South America. With a short description on the facings edge along with extensive notes and range maps. It may weigh in at almost three pounds but serious birders won't leave home without it -- and you can always have the color plates bound separately for use in the field. (FG14, $67.50)
A Guide to the Birds of Venezuela  •  Steven Hilty  •  Guy Tudor  •  J.A. Gwynne FIELD GUIDE •  2002 •  PAPER  • 929 PAGES A thoroughly overhauled, revised edition of the classic South American bird guide, with an entirely new and expanded text by Steve Hilty (who also wrote Birds of Colombia). This hefty book (more than a field guide) features many of the same excellent color plates by Guy Tudor as the 1978 classic with new detailed information on habitats and distribution. Too bad it weighs four pounds, two ounces because it is terrific. John Gwynne provided most of the additional plates, 67 in all. 1,400 species have been recorded in the diverse habitats of Venezuela, almost half of the birds found throughout the mountains, forests and plains of all South America. (FG13, $59.50)
The Heights of Machu Picchu  •  Pablo Neruda  •  Nathaniel Tarn LITERATURE •  1972 •  PAPER  • 71 PAGES • FAVORITE A celebrated epic poem, this hymn to the Americas by the great Pablo Neruda was inspired by the ancient ruins at Machu Picchu -- and the Inca ghosts he conjures up from them. Presented here in a bilingual edition of what is perhaps the single most important work of Latin American poetry. (AND22, $13.00)
The Inca Trail, Cuzco & Machu Picchu  •  Richard Danbury GUIDEBOOK •  2005 •  PAPER  • 288 PAGES A practical guide to planning and walking the Inca Trail with good maps, lots of travel information, photographs and a brief overview of Inca culture and history. Not just for those hiking the Inca Trail, it's an excellent compact guide to Cusco, Machu Picchu, Lima and surroundings. This fully revised second edition includes the seven-to-ten day hike to Vilcabamba. (PRU19, $19.95)
Inca Trail: Machu Picchu, Sacred Valley, Cusco Map  •  Lima 2000 2000 •  MAP • BEST SELLER This indispensable full-color topographic map (1:50,000) of the route of the Inca trail shows the whole Sacred Valley from Cusco to Ollantaytambo and Machu Picchu in splendid detail. It's the best map both for those making the trek from kilometer 88 to the site and for those exploring the region by bus or train. With small inset maps of Cusco, Machu Picchu and Aguas Calientes on the reverse. (PRU28, $9.95)
The Incas and their Ancestors, The Archaeology of Peru  •  Michael Moseley ARCHAEOLOGY •  2001 •  PAPER  • 288 PAGES An outstanding survey of the archaeology of the Inca, Moche and Nasca civilizations. With hundreds of color illustrations and line drawings, it's an in-depth look at the ancient cultures and history of Peru. The best general introduction to the subject. (AND06, $33.95)
Insight Guide Peru  •  Insight Guides GUIDEBOOK •  2005 •  PAPER  • 352 PAGES In its hallmark style, this guide brings Peru to life in hundreds of color photographs and vividly written essays by a team of experts. Panoramic in scope, the book takes us from the crowded streets of Lima to famed archeological sites, providing genuine insight into a complex land and people. Its chapters include a history of the Incas, daily life in the Andes, the author and politician Mario Vargas Llosa and an overview of people of the Amazon. With some travel information. (PRU01, $22.95)
Latin American Art  •  John F. Scott ART & ARCHITECTURE •  2000 •  PAPER  • 240 PAGES A popular survey for undergraduate art students, this general history of the arts in Latin America ranges from prehisory to the present. With illustrations, maps and a chronology. (SAM33, $29.95)
Liberators, Latin America's Struggle for Independence 1810-1830  •  Robert Harvey HISTORY •  2002 •  PAPER  • 561 PAGES An epic history of colonial Latin America, focused on the heroism and derring-do of seven legendary men in the fight for independence from Spain, including the larger-than-life figures of Venezuela's Simon Bolivar, Argentine hero General Jose de San Martin, and Chile's Bernardo O'Higgins. Harvey, a contributor to the Economist, draws on an impressive range of original sources in constructing this engaging tale. (SAM35, $18.95)
Life in the Treetops, Adventures of a Woman in Field Biology  •  Margaret Lowman BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2000 •  PAPER  • 219 PAGES The sprightly memoir of a biologist who, with her feet planted firmly on the ground, took to the trees in 1979. A pioneer in the ecology of forest tree canopies, Meg Lowman climbs, studies and sleeps in trees for a living. She's also a popular lecturer on trips to the Amazon and Director of Research and Conservation at Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota. She's remarkably frank in this engaging memoir about balancing her multiple roles as as scientist, woman, wife and mom. (AMZ57, $13.95)
Lonely Planet South America on a Shoestring  •  Lonely Planet GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 1148 PAGES A comprehensive, detailed practical guide to traveling in South America. With a brief general overview and country-by-country review in the Lonely Planet style of sites, attractions, and where to go and what to do. (SAM44, $33.99)
Lost City of the Incas, The Story of Machu Picchu and its Builders  •  Hiram Bingham EXPLORATION •  2003 •  PAPER  • 224 PAGES • BEST SELLER • FAVORITE A first-rate tale of adventure by the man who rediscovered Machu Picchu in 1911. This classic account is a gripping story of exploration, archaeology and natural history -- and still an outstanding overview of the site itself. With original expedition photographs. Originally published in 1952, the book is still an excellent account, not only of the expedition but also of the site itself. (AND05, $12.95)
Machu Picchu  •  Barry Brukoff  •  Pablo Neruda  •  Stephen Kessler CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2001 •  HARD COVER  • 128 PAGES A handsomely produced celebration of the famed Inca site featuring photography by Barry Brukoff accompanied by a new English translation of Neruda's epic poem, with facing Spanish. With 12 color, 4 bronzetone and 46 duotone photographs which communicate the mystery and intrigue of the site nestled in the cloud forest. (PRU43, $40.00)
The Machu Picchu Guidebook, A Self-Guided Tour  •  Ruth M. Wright  •  Alfredo Valencia Zegarra GUIDEBOOK •  2004 •  PAPER  • 188 PAGES A compact, detailed guide to Machu Picchu, with chapters on each section of the site, many photographs and useful site diagrams of individual buildings and sectors. With information on new discoveries and research, a section on wildlife, and a full-color depiction of the city as it may have appeared during a solstice celebration in 1530. (PRU34, $19.95)
Machu Picchu, Unveiling the Mystery of the Incas  •  Richard L. Burger  •  Lucy C. Salazar ARCHAEOLOGY •  2008 •  PAPER  • 256 PAGES A substantive, scholarly survey of the archaeology, art and culture of Machu Picchu, reflecting recent archaeological discoveries and new conclusions. The handsome book, published in conjunction with the exhibition organized by the Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale, features color illustrations and descriptions of 120 gold, silver, ceramic, bone and textile works recovered at Machu Picchu. With new and archival photographs. The substantial essays accompanying the exhibit catalog include a reprint of Hiram Bingham's original 1913 report of the re-discovery in Machu Picchu and several chapters that establish the site as an Inca Royal Estate. This section concludes with a consideration of the modern significance of Machu Picchu. This book, the most substantial re-evaluation of the site in decades, would make an excellent addition to any traveler's library. Richard Burger is an archaeologist specializing in the Central Andes and director of the Peabody Museum. Archaeologist Lucy Salazar-Burger is co-editor and project manager for the exhibit. (AND35, $28.00)
Mammals of the Neotropics, The Central Neotropics: Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Vol. 3  •  John F. Eisenberg  •  Kent H. Redford REFERENCE •  1999 •  PAPER  • 610 PAGES A comprehensive survey of mammals of Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil -- covering, in detail 650 species occurring in the region from Pacific coast to the Amazon. With introductory chapters on biogeography and habitat and authoritative information on each species, including natural history, description, range and habitat. The text is much enhanced by large scale range maps and superb color plates by Fiona Reid. Aimed at the professional, this sourcebook will also appeal to anyone with a serious interest in the mammals of the region. This completes a three-volume survey of the mammals of Central and South America. (SAM30, $55.00)
Master and Commander, The Far Side of the World  •  Peter Weir LITERATURE •  2003 •  DVD Peter Weir's exciting adaptation of two of Patrick O'Brian's popular novels, "Master and Commander" and "The Far Side of the World," starring Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany. Crowe is Captain Jack Aubrey, whose British ship, the HMS Surprise, is battling a mysterious French ship off the coast of Cape Horn during the Napoleonic Wars of 1805. An extended sequenced filmed on the Galapagos marks one of the first times the islands have been depicted in a feature film. (GPS66, $39.98)
Moche Art and Archaeology in Ancient Peru  •  Joanne Pillsbury  •  Elizabeth Cropper ART & ARCHITECTURE •  2006 •  PAPER  • 344 PAGES The result of a symposium at the National Gallery of Art, this series of essays discusses recent archaeological discoveries (most notably, the royal tombs of Sipan) and how they have changed the understanding of Moche culture in Peru. Illustrated throughout. (PRU47, $40.00)
Mountain of the Condor, Metaphor and Ritual in an Andean Ayllu  •  Joseph W. Bastien CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1985 •  PAPER  • 227 PAGES An account of the rituals practiced by a small community inhabiting Kaata, a sacred mountain in midwestern Bolivia. Bastien describes the significance of the mountain to the culture, and interprets the symbolism behind their thousand-year tradition. (AND28, $16.50)
Narrative of the Incas  •  Juan De Betanzos  •  Roland Hamilton  •  Dana Buchanan TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  1996 •  PAPER  • 326 PAGES A contemporaneous account of the conquest and heritage of Peru from an Inca perspective, written in the 1550s. Although he was a Spaniard, De Betanzos was married to an Inca princess and recorded the oral traditions and history of her aristocratic family. For 400 years, only 18 chapters of this work were known -- the remaining 64 were not discovered until the 1980s. The language can be hardgoing. (AND39, $21.95)
A Neotropical Companion  •  J.C. Kricher  •  Mark Plotkin NATURAL HISTORY •  1999 •  PAPER  • 536 PAGES A tropical primer aimed at the motivated general reader. It's a systematic overview of the ecology, habitats, animals, plants and ecosystems of Central and South America. For those not put off by Latin names and concepts like Batesian mimicry, this handbook is a great introduction to the region. (GPS11, $29.95)
Neotropical Rainforest Mammals, A Field Guide  •  L.H. Emmons FIELD GUIDE •  1997 •  PAPER  • 298 PAGES An illustrated guide to the mammals of the New World tropics, compact enough to slip into your daypack, with 29 color plates illustrating more than 200 species. It covers most Central and South American mammals. Even the author concedes that it's difficult to see many of the more elusive rain forest mammals but keep a close watch for the sloths -- they're marvelous, and not likely to escape in a hurry. (GPS12, $32.50)
Nova, Secrets of Lost Empires: Inca  •  Nova CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1997 •  NTSC VIDEO A 60-minute documentary on the Incas, which features footage of modern Andean villagers building a traditional suspension bridge out of grass. (PRU32, $19.95)
Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent  •  Eduardo Galeano  •  Cedric Belfrage HISTORY •  1998 •  PAPER  • 317 PAGES The 25th anniversary edition of the landmark history of plunder and exploitation in Latin America. This wrenchingly beautiful book takes for one of its central metaphors the booms and busts of the Potosí mines in the Bolivian highlands. Using local slave labor, the 16th century Spaniards took billions of dollars worth of silver from a single hillside there. The British and Americans returned to the site centuries later to mine tin for their war machine. The book also takes on the banana republics of Central America, the Amazonian rubber plantations and the numerous American invasions throughout the region. (AND26, $18.00)
Pass the Butterworms, Remote Journeys Oddly Rendered  •  Tim Cahill TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  1998 •  PAPER A collection of entertaining travel essays, many originally appearing in Outside Magazine. It includes Cahill's acerbic commentary on his adventures from the North Pole to Irian Jaya, Mongolia and Peru. (WLD01, $13.00)
People of the Andes  •  James B. Richardson III CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1994 •  HARD COVER  • 176 PAGES • COMING IN A comprehensive, up-to-date and illustrated introduction to the culture and archaeology of the Andes by a widely recognized expert. Richardson brings clarity to a complex subject, focusing on the role played by geography and climate in shaping cultural development. This excellent book places the extraordinary empire of the Incas (greater than that of Rome) in its historical and cultural context. (AND01, $24.95)
Personal Narrative of a Journey to the Equinoctial Regions of the New Continent  •  Alexander von Humboldt EXPLORATION •  1996 •  PAPER  • 310 PAGES This is the book that Darwin took on his voyage around the world -- a classic account of naturalist and explorer Humboldt's 18th-century discoveries in South America. (SAM08, $17.00)
Peru's Indian Peoples and the Challenge of Spanish Conquest, Huamanga to 1640  •  Steve J. Stern HISTORY •  1994 •  PAPER  • 295 PAGES With a focus on the town of Ayacucho, this history chronicles the 100 years that saw the end of the Inca Empire and the beginning of Spanish dominion in the New World. Steve Stern details the economic, cultural and psychological repercussions of colonization for the indigenous Andean peoples. (PRU37, $19.95)
Pimsleur Quick & Simple Spanish  •  Pimsleur Language Method LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS •  2005 •  AUDIO CD Four audio CDs with eight 30-minute lessons in basic Spanish, covering elementary vocabulary and phrases used in travel and everyday situations. The Pimsleur method emphasizes the use of listening skills without reading materials (so there isn't a book to follow along). It's advertised as "Totally audio: hear it, learn it, speak it." (SPN257, $19.95)
Running the Amazon  •  Joe Kane EXPLORATION •  1990 •  PAPER  • 278 PAGES A best-selling account of a 4,000-mile Amazon expedition from high in the Peruvian Andes to the Atlantic by foot, raft and kayak. It's a tale of high adventure, corrupt border guards, itinerant drug smugglers -- and the camaraderie that develops from a difficult job well done. Only four of the original ten participants finished the journey. Much of the story takes place in the little-explored narrow canyons and rapids high above Iquitos in Peru in the headwaters of the Amazon. (AMZ13, $14.00)
Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquest  •  Matthew Restall HISTORY •  2004 •  PAPER  • 272 PAGES In this provocative book, Restall tackles Columbus, Cortes, Pizarro and the misconceptions surrounding them. The conquisadores most certainly did not conquer the Americas with a handful of men, nor were they received as gods. (SAM52, $16.95)
The Seventy Wonders of the Ancient World  •  Chris Scarre ARCHAEOLOGY •  1999 •  HARD COVER  • 304 PAGES A comprehensive, illustrated overview of the great monuments of the ancient world, much expanded from the original seven wonders to include other significant structures. With a dual focus on the monuments themselves and how they were built, the book includes among others: Petra, the Giza plateau, the Parthenon, Abu Simbel, Nazca, Easter Island, and the Great Wall. With maps, "fact files," diagrams, and photographs. (GEN92, $40.00)
The Smithsonian Atlas of the Amazon  •  Michael Goulding  •  Ronaldo Barthem  •  Efrem Ferreira NATURAL HISTORY •  2003 •  HARD COVER  • 254 PAGES An illustrated atlas of the 4000-mile-long river, including its major tributaries, with 150 full color maps and 300 photographs. Michael Goulding (Floods of Fortune) and Brazilian biologists Ronaldo Barthem and Efrem Ferreira provide the accompanying text. Organized geographically, with chapters on major tributaries and drainage basins in Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela. (AMZ82, $39.95)
Snakes, The Evolution of Mystery in Nature  •  Harry W. Greene NATURAL HISTORY •  1997 •  HARD COVER  • 288 PAGES Published to wildly enthusiastic reviews in 1997, this illustrated volume documents the ecology and diversity of snakes worldwide. Anecdotal, informative and entertaining, snakes couldn't have asked for a better advocate than herpetologist Harry Greene -- and the photographs are stunning. (BST33, $60.00)
South America, The Andes Map  •  Nelles 2005 •  MAP A double-sided map covering the full range of the Andes and Pacific coast of South America from the Panama Canal to Tierra del Fuego at a scale of 1:4,500,000. With good topographic detail, roads, a separate map of Cusco/Machu Picchu and city maps (from north to south) of Bogota, Quito, La Paz, Lima, Arica, Antofogasta, Iquique, la Serena, Santiago and the Santiago metropolitan area. (SAM47, $10.95)
Spanish, Start Speaking Today! (Cassette Tapes)  •  Educational Services Corporation LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS •  CASETTE TAPE A 90-minute crash course in Spanish featured in two audio tapes and a phrasebook packaged in a vinyl sleeve. Geared for travelers, the course follows the foreign service method -- which focuses on dialogues and useful sentences instead of individual words. In each case, an English phrase is spoken once, and repeated in Spanish twice. Topics include introductions, transportation, business and health. A version with compact discs is also available (SPN219). (SPN140, $21.95)
Stolen Continents, 500 Years of Conquest and Resistance in the Americas  •  Ronald Wright HISTORY •  2004 •  PAPER  • 464 PAGES A powerful history of imperialism and resistance in the Americas, with a focus on the Aztec, Maya, Inca, Cherokee and Iroquois. Wright's illuminating account, told largely from the point of view of the losers, details the rapid collapse of cultures and societies in the Americas following the arrival of the Europeans in 1492. Wright draws on an impressive range of archival material in reconstructing this classic account, originally published in 1993. Wright is also the author of Time Among the Maya. (NAM20, $17.00)
The Tambopata-Candamo Reserved Zone of Southeastern Peru, A Biological Assessment  •  Robin B. Foster NATURAL HISTORY •  1995 •  PAPER  • 192 PAGES The result of a "Rapid Assessment Program" survey by a multidisciplinary team, this book catalogs the biological resources of the Tambopata River, south of Puerto Maldonado in the upper Amazon of Peru. The well studied Explorer's Inn is just downstream of the study area. With maps, line drawings, and detailed animal checklists by region (scientific names only). (PRU17, $19.95)
Textiles of Ancient Peru and Their Techniques  •  Raoul d'Harcourt CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2002 •  PAPER  • 320 PAGES A reprint of a 1934 classic featuring hundreds of black-and-white photographs and drawings. This book, invaluable for anyone with a strong interest in ancient Peruvian textiles and how they were made, includes sections on materials, dyes, looms, both woven and non-woven fabrics, trim, and ornament. Translated from French. (AND44, $26.95)
Touching the Void  •  Joe Simpson BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2004 •  PAPER  • 218 PAGES The harrowing tale of a climb gone badly wrong and Simpson's near miraculous survival in the Andes. Dedicated to Simon Yates ("for a debt I can never repay"), Simpson recounts his 3-day ordeal after being cut loose by his climbing partner on the face of a glacier and dropping into a crevasse. Neither men thought he would survive. Yates had been lowering his crippled partner down the mountain, when he had to make the choice of cutting him lose or dying with him. More than a tale of adventure and survival, the book has a psychological impact -- and now it has been made into a film, which interweaves interviews of Simpson and Yates with a reenactment. (AND37, $14.95)
Trail of Feathers, In Search of the Birdmen of Peru  •  Tahir Shah TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2002 •  PAPER  • 273 PAGES A rollicking search for the origins of Inca birdman legends. Shah tracks down shamans, visits Machu Picchu, ventures out to Lake Titicaca, tackles the myths of the Nasca lines and takes hallucinogens with the Shuar in the Amazon. It's quite a tale, informative, much enlivened by eccentric characters and incident. An Afghani raised in England (where he still lives), Shah has written widely on the Middle East, Central Asia, Africa, and South America. (PRU49, $13.95)
Traveling with Che Guevara, The Making of a Revolutionary  •  Alberto Granado  •  Lucia Alvarez de Toledo TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2004 •  PAPER  • 240 PAGES This is Alberto Granado's companion book to Che Guevara's well-known Motorcycle Diaries (and one of the sources for the movie). It's Granado's own account of travels with Che via motorbike through Argentina, Chile, Peru, Colombia, and Venezuela. (SAM68, $14.95)
Trekking and Climbing in the Andes  •  Kate Harper GUIDEBOOK •  2002 •  PAPER  • 192 PAGES A compact guide to 26 treks and 18 climbing peaks in Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. With 110 color photos and 60 maps. (AND34, $19.95)
Tropical Nature  •  Adrian Forsyth  •  Ken Miyata NATURAL HISTORY •  1984 •  PAPER  • 248 PAGES • FAVORITE A lively, lucid portrait of the tropics as seen by two uncommonly observant and thoughtful field biologists. Its 17 marvelous essays introduce the habitats, ecology, plants and animals of the Central and South American rainforest. With a lengthy appendix of practical advice for the tropical traveler. (GPS13, $14.00)
Tschiffely's Ride  •  Aime Tschiffely TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2002 •  PAPER  • 296 PAGES The classic account of a remarkable, 10,000-mile journey across the Andes, pampas, deserts and tropical forest of South and Central America and across the United States from Buenos Aires to Washington D.C. Astoundingly, Tschiffely, a Swiss teacher who had been living in Buenos Aires, made the epic trek with the same two delightful, determined and hardy (and much loved) gaucho horses, Mancha and Gato. Tschiffely, though he protests that he is no writer, captures the people, landscape of the personality of places along the way in vivid, down-to-earth detail. He was also head-over-heels in love with the horses (a breed called the Argentine Criollo which he helped to popularize), as is clear from the book and the 1951 epilogue included in this edition. (SAM45, $24.95)
Twentieth-Century Latin American Poetry, A Bilingual Anthology  •  Stephen Tapscott LITERATURE •  1996 •  PAPER  • 418 PAGES A scholarly anthology of 400 poems, presented in the original language (Spanish or Portuguese) and English. Selections include poems from Octavio Paz, Pablo Neruda, Jorge Luis Borges, Gabriela Mistral, Julio Cortazar and Carlos Drummond de Andrade. Eighty-five poets are represented in all. With an introduction to the many traditions of 20th-century poety in Latin America, and biographical notes on each poet. (SAM28, $27.95)
The University of Chicago Dictionary, Spanish-English/English-Spanish  •  Carlos Castillo LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS •  2002 •  PAPER  • 603 PAGES Long a favorite with students and travelers, this new edition -- the first in 15 years -- of the University of Chicago dictionary brings vocabulary and usage up to date. With slang, vulgar and otherwise, a concise dictionary of words, phrases, and basic grammar. (SPN118, $11.00)
Where to Watch Birds in South America  •  Nigel Wheatley NATURAL HISTORY •  1995 •  PAPER  • 431 PAGES A compact practical guide to 206 recommended birdwatching sites throughout South America. Organized by country, each site guide includes an introduction, noteworthy species, maps, and directions, checklists. An invaluable handbook for birders. (SAM40, $24.95)
The White Rock, An Exploration of the Inca Heartland  •  Hugh Thomson EXPLORATION •  2003 •  PAPER  • 316 PAGES Author, explorer and archaeologist Thomson recounts 20 years spent journeying throughout the Andes of Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador in search of lost Inca cities. Much of his work centered in the cloud forest and steep valleys of Vilcabamba, a region first explored by Hiram Bingham, the discoverer of Machu Picchu. His engaging account, a pleasing mix of discovery, colorful personalities, history and archaeology, draws together his many experiences in the region. No lightweight, Thomson and colleague Gary Ziegler announced their discovery of a major Inca site at Coca Cota in June 2002. With three maps and 45 black-and-white photographs. He includes chapters on Inca roads, Ollantaytambo, Machu Picchu and Cuzco. (AND36, $16.95)
The World as You Dream It, Shamanistic Teachings from the Amazon and Andes  •  John M. Perkins RELIGION •  1994 •  PAPER  • 139 PAGES An activist on behalf of indigenous cultures and founder of the "Earth Dream Alliance", the author provides a personal account of his sometimes hard-to-believe experiences with curanderos (or shamans) in the highlands and Amazon of Ecuador. Whatever your thoughts on the concept a vision quest, the book includes an fascinating account of the author's time with the Shuar people, their rituals and religious ideas. (AMZ46, $12.95)
Yanomami, The Fierce Controversy and What We Might Learn from It  •  Robert Borofsky CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2005 •  PAPER  • 397 PAGES A scholarly reader and study of the controversy surrounding anthropological studies of the Yanomami of northern Brazil and neighboring Venezuela. It follows in the wake of Patrick Tierney's best-selling book, Darkness in El Dorado. With Bruce Albert, Ray Hames, Kim Hill, Lêda Leitão Martins, John Peters, and Terence Turner. (SAM67, $22.95)
Yuraq Janka: Guide to the Peruvian Andes, Cordilleras Blanca and Rosko  •  John Ricker GUIDEBOOK •  1995 •  PAPER  • 192 PAGES A detailed climbing guide with route descriptions, a section of color-photographs, and accompanying 1:100,000 scale maps on two sheets. The book covers geology, glaciation, routes, weather and climate in the Cordilleras Blanca. (PRU44, $12.95)