Welcome!

Enrich Your Travels with Longitude

We've got the classic, new and hard-to-find books and maps to help you get the most out of your adventures.

SIGN UP FOR

Longitude News

Get our monthly e-mail update

GET A

Catalog

BEST OF 2011

Wild Coast

John Gimlette

SEE ALL >

FOR THE HOLIDAYS

To the Arctic

Florian Schultz

SEE ALL >

OUR FAVORITES

Arctic Dreams

Barry Lopez

SEE ALL >

GLOBES

The Pioneer

Replogle

SEE ALL >

TRAVELQUEST INTERNATIONAL

Oaxaca Dia de los Muertos Celebration

READING AND TRAVEL GUIDE

  • E-MAIL
  • PRINT

Kids

Books for

Enrich your travels with reading! Here's a hand-picked list prepared for your journey in conjunction with the book experts at Longitude.

Essential Reading

Item EXMEX47A. Buy these 3 items as a set for $46 including shipping, 15% off the retail price.
With free shipping on anything else you order.

ADD SET
TO BOOKBAG
Moon Handbook Oaxaca

Moon Handbook Oaxaca

by Bruce Whipperman

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 533 PAGES

An invaluable travel guide featuring a good overview of the culture and history of the region, along with coverage of local events, recommendations on accommodations and dining. With photos, illustrations and dozens of local and city maps. (MEX67, $19.95)

The Labyrinth of Solitude

The Labyrinth of Solitude

by Octavio Paz

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 1985
  • PAPER
  • 398 PAGES
  • COMING IN MARCH

These essays by the Nobel Prize-winning poet address Mexican culture and character. The chapters on the Mexican celebration of the Day of the Dead and the conquest are especially memorable. (MEX08, $14.50)

Oaxaca & Chiapas Map

Oaxaca & Chiapas Map

by Guia Roji

  • MAP

A regional map of southern Mexico from Mexico City to the western fringes of the Yucatan at 1:1,000,000, including a street plan of Oaxaca. (MEX49, $12.95)

 
Breaking Out of Beginner's Spanish

Breaking Out of Beginner's Spanish


by Joseph Keenan

  • LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS
  • 1994
  • PAPER
  • 215 PAGES

Idioms, common mistakes in word usage, and other helpful advice on tackling spoken Spanish. You'll need some foundation to take full advantage of this book -- but even a complete novice will appreciate the author's playful sense of humor. (CAM06, $19.95)

The People's Guide to Mexico, Wherever You Go, There You Are!

The People's Guide to Mexico, Wherever You Go, There You Are!


by Carl Franz | Lorena Havens

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 573 PAGES

A classic, entertaining guide to travel in Mexico, the original hippie handbook and still a treasure trove of practical and cultural detail. (MEX71, $24.95)

Conquest of the Sierra, Spaniards and Indians in Colonial Oaxaca


by John Chance

  • HISTORY
  • 2001
  • PAPER
  • 252 PAGES

A scholarly history of the Zapotecs, which focuses on the impact of Spanish colonization on local communities and culture. (MEX94, $24.95)

Conquest: Montezuma, Cortes and the Fall of Old Mexico

Conquest: Montezuma, Cortes and the Fall of Old Mexico


by Hugh Thomas

  • HISTORY
  • 1995
  • PAPER
  • 812 PAGES

An entertaining and monumental tome on the conquest of Mexico. It's rare to find a work of such scholarship and importance that is also an enjoyable read. (MEX06, $25.00)

Mexico, Biography of Power, A History of Modern Mexico, 1810-1996

Mexico, Biography of Power, A History of Modern Mexico, 1810-1996


by Enrique Krauze

  • HISTORY
  • 1998
  • PAPER
  • 896 PAGES

In fluid translation from the Spanish, this widely praised, sweeping political and social history of Mexico covers the last two centuries. (MEX52, $22.99)

The Broken Spears: The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico

The Broken Spears: The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico


by Miguel Leon Portilla

  • HISTORY
  • 1992
  • PAPER
  • 196 PAGES

The view of the vanquished, this is a good antidote/compliment to Spanish chronicles. (MEX57, $18.00)

The Skeleton at the Feast, The Day of the Dead in Mexico


by Chloe Sayer | Elizabeth Carmichael

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 1992
  • PAPER
  • 160 PAGES

The origins, history and modern-day celebration of this important holiday in Mexico. (MEX99, $34.95)

Ancient Oaxaca, The Monte Alban State

Ancient Oaxaca, The Monte Alban State


by Richard Blanton | Gary Feinman | Stephen Kowalewski | Linda Nicholas

  • ARCHAEOLOGY
  • 1999
  • PAPER
  • 153 PAGES

A scholarly account of the archaeology of the Valley of Oaxaca from 500 B.C. The four contributors cover the physical and social setting and origins of the civilization of Monte Alban. (MEX69, $41.00)

Mexico, From the Olmecs to the Aztecs

Mexico, From the Olmecs to the Aztecs


by Michael Coe

  • ARCHAEOLOGY
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 248 PAGES
  • OUT OF PRINT

This classic survey of Mexico's ancient civilizations by a leading archaeologist covers in concise, illustrated detail the Olmec, Zapotec, Toltec and Aztec civilizations. (MEX53, $22.50)

Oaxacan Ceramics, Traditional Folk Art by Oaxacan Women


by Lois Wasserspring

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 132 PAGES

A visual celebration of the work of six folk artists in the Valley of Oaxaca. (MEX88, $18.95)

Oaxacan Woodcarving, The Magic in the Trees

Oaxacan Woodcarving, The Magic in the Trees


by Shepard Barbash

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 1993
  • PAPER
  • 107 PAGES

A wonderfully illustrated look at the folk art of San Martin Tilcajete, Arrazola, and La Union Tejalapan in Oaxaca, which takes the form of colorfully painted figurines. (MEX40, $19.95)

The Art of Mesoamerica, from Olmec to Aztec

The Art of Mesoamerica, from Olmec to Aztec


by Mary Ellen Miller

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 256 PAGES

An excellent survey of Mesoamerican art and architecture from 1500 BC to the Spanish conquest. Compact and profusely illustrated, it includes drawings, photographs and site plans. (MYA09, $21.95)

The Cities of Ancient Mexico

The Cities of Ancient Mexico


by Jeremy Sabloff

  • ARCHAEOLOGY
  • 1997
  • PAPER
  • 224 PAGES

With 152 black-and-white photographs, illustrations and site diagrams, this portrait of ancient civilizations in Mexico features chapters on the Oaxaca Valley, Teotihuacan and Palenque. Written by a renowned Mayanist, it also includes insightful chapters on how archaeologists have reconstructed the past in Mexico. (MEX41, $18.95)

Zapotec Weavers of Teotitlan

Zapotec Weavers of Teotitlan


by Andra Fischgrund Stanton | Jaye Phillips

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 1999
  • PAPER
  • 128 PAGES

A handsome, illustrated guide to the history, culture, techniques, weaving and design of the rugs and other textiles of Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca. (MEX89, $29.95)

Life in Mexico


by Frances Calderon De La Barca

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 1982
  • PAPER
  • 548 PAGES

A wonderfully insightful, celebrated series of letters written by the Scottish wife of the Spanish Ambassador from Mexico, 1839-1842. (MEX36, $28.95)

Shadows of Tender Fury


by Subcomandante Marcos | Leslie Lopez

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 1995
  • PAPER
  • OUT OF PRINT

The collected letters and communiques of the leader of the Zapatista rebels, speaking out on behalf of the indigenous peoples of Chiapas. (MEX93, $15.00)

Reader's Companion to Mexico

Reader's Companion to Mexico


by Alan Ryan

  • ANTHOLOGY
  • 1995
  • PAPER
  • 368 PAGES
  • OUT OF PRINT

This fine volume collects some of the best writing on Mexico, including excerpts by John Steinbeck, Langston Hughes, Graham Greene and many others. Each satisfyingly long excerpt is crisply introduced by Ryan with valuable historical and personal context. (MEX34, $17.00)

Birder's Mexico

Birder's Mexico


by Roland H. Wauer

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 1999
  • PAPER
  • 304 PAGES

A personal, informative account of travels in Mexico. It's a wonderful introduction to the natural history of this diverse country, including the northern deserts, Baja California, Oaxaca, Palenque and the Yucatan. (MEX14, $18.95)

A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America

A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America


by Stephen Howell | Sophie Webb

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 1995
  • PAPER
  • 849 PAGES

Serious birders will want this definitive guide to the 1,070 bird species. It may be awkward to carry but it covers, in detail, all the birds you will see in the region. (FG15, $49.95)

Field Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Adjacent Areas, Belize, Guatemala, and El Salvador

Field Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Adjacent Areas, Belize, Guatemala, and El Salvador


by Ernest Preston Edwards

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 1998
  • PAPER
  • 288 PAGES
  • HARD TO FIND ELSEWHERE

This classic guide illustrates all the regularly occurring birds of Mexico and neighboring areas, including details of distribution, abundance, habitat and identification features for 850 species. (MEX47, $22.95)

Southern Mexico, Travellers' Wildlife Guides

Southern Mexico, Travellers' Wildlife Guides


by Les Beletsky

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 487 PAGES

A popular guide to the birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians and reef fishes of southern Mexico, featuring 100 excellent color plates. (FG32, $27.95)

More Recommendations

Here are some other groups of books that might be of interest

Longitude provides recommended reading for travelers in partnership with the leading tour operators and travel programs for hundreds of destinations worldwide. We've got the classic, new and hard-to-find books and maps to help you get the most out of your adventures.