An Album of Maya Architecture  •  Tatiana Proskouriakoff ARCHAEOLOGY •  1976 •  PAPER  • 164 PAGES A classic work, first published in 1946. Combining her talents as a scholar, artist and architect, Proskouriakoff presents breathtaking artistic reconstructions of what the Maya sites may have looked like more than 1,000 years ago. The text summarizes the archeological findings at each site. This gorgeous book evokes daily life at the sites. (MYA06, $29.95)
The Ancient Maya  •  Robert Sharer ARCHAEOLOGY •  1994 •  PAPER  • 892 PAGES In its fifth edition, this scholarly tome is a standard reference on everything Maya, an up-to-date descendent of the original by the pioneering archaeologist Sylvanus Morley. It includes individual site descriptions, maps -- and much else of interest to the general reader. We recommend it for the serious student. (MYA07, $35.95)
Animals and Plants of the Ancient Maya, A Guide  •  Victoria Schlesinger FIELD GUIDE •  2002 •  PAPER  • 400 PAGES A comprehensive guide to the natural and cultural history of 100 plants and animals of the Maya world, primarily those from the lowland tropical forest of Central America but also including savanna, mangrove and coral reef habitats. With handsome black-and-white line drawings throughout, key features for identification and good information about the habitat, natural history and cultural significance of each species. (MYA29, $29.95)
Aztec, Inca & Maya  •  Elizabeth Baquedano  •  Michel Zabe HISTORY •  2005 •  HARD COVER  • 63 PAGES • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12) A vivid overview of Mesoamerican cultures, covering art, archaeology, and religion. Though the three cultures are presented together, causing some confusion, there is much here to learn, and it is all vividly illustrated in the large-format Eyewitness style. For children ages 9-12. (CAM62, $15.99)
Breaking the Maya Code  •  Michael Coe ARCHAEOLOGY •  1999 •  PAPER  • 304 PAGES A broadly considered history. Michael Coe chronicles the centuries-long search for the "rosetta stone" of the Mayan language, a search which received an enormous boost in 1952 when Yuri Knorosov successfully translated the Dresden Codex, a Mayan bark-paper text. The book also includes an extensive discussion of Maya studies and political activism in the wake of Knorosov's discovery. (MYA30, $19.95)
The Captive  •  Scott O'Dell LITERATURE •  1979 •  HARD COVER  • 244 PAGES • YOUNG ADULTS The master of children's historical fiction spins a tale of greed and exploitation in the Spanish New World for young readers. As Maya villages throughout Central America submit to Spanish might, a young Jesuit missionary struggles with his own ambition -- and with his growing suspicion that he, too, is a willing oppressor. O'Dell exhibits a quiet rage at racial injustice, as well as his trademark unwillingness to coddle. The result is this tough, compelling young-adult book. (MYA27, $17.00)
Chronicle of the Maya Kings and Queens, Deciphering the Dynasties of the Ancient Maya  •  Simon Martin  •  Nikolai Grube ARCHAEOLOGY •  2000 •  HARD COVER  • 240 PAGES The history of the Maya dynasties, encompassing biographies of 152 kings and queens, as gleaned from recently deciphered hieroglyphs. It's an unusual, rewarding book, illustrated in color and black-and-white. (MYA31, $34.95)
The Cities of Ancient Mexico  •  Jeremy Sabloff ARCHAEOLOGY •  1997 •  PAPER  • 224 PAGES A portrait of ancient civilizations in Mexico with chapters on the Oaxaca Valley, Teotihuacan and Palenque. Written by a renowned Mayanist, it also features insightful chapters on how archaeologists have reconstructed the past in Mexico. With 152 black-and-white photographs, illustrations and site diagrams. (MEX41, $18.95)
The Code of Kings, The Language of Seven Sacred Maya Temples and Tombs  •  Linda Schele  •  Peter Mathews ARCHAEOLOGY •  1999 •  PAPER  • 432 PAGES A vivid guided survey of seven Maya sites, including Palenque, Tikal and Chichen Itza. This outstanding book features photos and line drawings throughout, and introductory chapters with a succinct introduction to Maya history and culture. Mayanists Schele and Mathews draw on recently found hieroglyphic writing to reveal the life -- and individual personalities -- of the ancient cities. Although it's not a beautiful book, marred by small print and lack of color, this book is still an essential companion to visiting Tikal, Palenque, Copan, Seibal, Chich'en Itza, Uxmal or Iximche'. (MYA13, $22.00)
The Corn Grows Ripe  •  Dorothy Rhoads  •  Jean Charlot LITERATURE •  1993 •  PAPER  • 88 PAGES • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12) A coming-of-age tale set in modern-day Yucatan that draws on Myan lore and tradition. Tigre, a 12-year-old boy, must sow and harvest the crops to support his family and appease the gods after his father is injured. It's a chapter book with a glossary and beautiful black-and-white drawings by Jean Charlot. A Newbery Honor Book. (MYA35, $4.99)
A Forest of Kings, The Untold Story of the Ancient Maya  •  Linda Schele  •  David Freidel HISTORY •  1992 •  PAPER  • 542 PAGES Renowned Maya archaeologists Linda Schele and David Freidel tell the history of the Maya, as it was recorded in the previously undecipherable hieroglyphs of the Maya. This excellent account traces the kingships and politics of the Maya, and features narratives recreating scenes of burials, blood sacrifices, battles and other events. The major Maya sites are described in detail, including Palenque, Copan, Yaxchilan, Tikal, Piedras Negras, Uaxactun and Chichen Itza. Accessible to the general reader, this book is profusely illustrated with photographs, color plates, maps and line drawings. Linda Schele is also the author of "The Blood of Kings" (MYA08) and "The Code of Kings" (MYA13). Includes extensive notes, and a glossary of gods and icons. (MYA22, $24.95)
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)
Guatemala: Never Again!  •  Thomas Quigley BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  1999 •  PAPER  • 424 PAGES An abstract of eyewitness testimony presented in Guatemala in 1998, a heartwrenching report of atrocities committed by the military government the devastating civil war. Published by the Mary Knoll sisters with the Archdiocese of Guatemala. (CAM88, $30.00)
A Guide to Ancient Maya Ruins  •  C. Bruce Hunter GUIDEBOOK •  1986 •  PAPER  • 342 PAGES A well organized guide to archaeological sites throughout the Maya world with good site diagrams and black-and-white photographs, originally published in 1974 and revised in 1986 for this second edition. While not up-to-date on recent developments, this book is nonetheless a compact, accessible survey of important archaeological sites for the traveler by an experienced study trip leader. (MYA23, $19.95)
Hands of the Maya, Villagers at Work and Play  •  Rachel Crandell CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2002 •  HARD COVER  • 32 PAGES • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8) This short book introduces the modern Maya to very young readers through close-up photographs of Maya hands at work. The hands, like the people attached to them -- sort grain, weave, sow and carve. With a glossary and color photographs. Ages 4-8. (MYA34, $17.95)
I, Rigoberta Menchu: An Indian Woman in Guatemala  •  Rigoberta Menchu  •  Elisabeth Burgos-Debray BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2007 •  PAPER  • 252 PAGES Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992, this Guatemalan woman speaks eloquently of her struggles against the military for a decent way of life. A compelling testimony to the power of a strong-minded, ordinary person and her love for her land. Although some of the book's events have been called into question, no one disputes that everything in the book happened, although not necessarily to the author. Menchu asserts that, in the Maya tradition, she is telling the collective story of her people. Beware, it includes some graphic scenes of brutal violence. (GML01, $30.00)
Incidents of Travel in Yucatan  •  John Lloyd Stephens  •  Karl Ackerman  •  Frederick Catherwood ARCHAEOLOGY •  1996 •  PAPER  • 286 PAGES A classic, first published in 1841. Stephens chronicles in rich detail his rediscovery of 44 Maya sites in the Yucatan, among them Chichen Itza, Uxmal, Kabah and Tulum. This new one-volume edition, organized geographically, is especially abridged for the visitor. Edgar Allan Poe called the book "perhaps the most interesting travel book ever published." Dozens of modern and archival photographs complement Frederick Catherwood's original drawings. (MEX02, $16.95)
Lost Cities of the Maya  •  Claude Baudez  •  Sydney Picasso ARCHAEOLOGY •  1992 •  PAPER  • 175 PAGES • HARD TO FIND ELSEWHERE A pocket guide to Maya archaeology. This lavishly illustrated small book features hundreds of color photographs and illustrations -- along with excerpts from key works and a brief guide to Maya arithmetic, their calendar and inscriptions. (MYA01, $12.95)
The Maya  •  Michael Coe ARCHAEOLOGY •  2005 •  PAPER  • 272 PAGES A clear, concise introduction to Maya archaeology and culture by a leading authority. A volume in the series, "Ancient Peoples and Places," this short book highlights the chronology, accomplishments and legacy of the Maya. Seventh edition. (MYA10, $22.50)
The Maya and Teotihuacan, Reinterpreting Early Classic Interaction  •  Geoffrey E. Braswell HISTORY •  2004 •  PAPER  • 441 PAGES A collection of essays shedding light on the relationship between two Mesoamerican civilizations. (MYA40, $24.95)
Maya Art and Architecture  •  Mary Ellen Miller ART & ARCHITECTURE •  1999 •  PAPER  • 240 PAGES Organized thematically, this book by Yale art historian Mary Ellen Miller surveys the art and architecture throughout Mayadom. She makes use of the latest discoveries at Tikal, Copan, Palenque and other Maya sites to present the range of art from architecture, to sculpture, ceramics and murals. The text is much enhanced by 200 illustrations, 50 in color, including site plans, maps, strikingly rendered reconstructions and color photographs of key temples and buildings. For the traveler interested in better understanding Maya art -- and particularly the glyphs featured on Maya sculpture -- we couldn't recommend this book more highly. (MYA20, $14.95)
Maya Color, The Painted Villages of Mesoamerica  •  Jeff Becom ART & ARCHITECTURE •  1997 •  HARD COVER  • 180 PAGES A vibrant celebration of the modern Maya in 150 illustrations in full-color (naturally), with acocmpanying essays and interviews. (MYA56, $50.00)
Maya Cosmos, Three Thousand Years on the Shaman's Path  •  Joy Parker  •  Linda Schele  •  David Freidel ARCHAEOLOGY •  2001 •  PAPER  • 543 PAGES A provocative, speculative history of Central American religious practices since the dawn of the Maya kingdoms. The authors -- an archaeologist, an epigrapher and a popular historian -- suggest that modern shamanistic practices may be continuous with the religious rituals of the ancient Maya. (MYA32, $23.95)
Maya Glyphs  •  S.D. Houston HISTORY •  1989 •  PAPER  • 64 PAGES A concise survey of ancient Maya language and writing for the interested traveler. It includes an excellent chapter which introduces Maudslay, Morley, Thompson, Proskouriakoff and other key figures in Maya archaeology. While linguists will better appreciate the chapters on the spelling, structure and grammar of Maya writing, serious study of this book will help anyone better appreciate the Maya world. (MYA24, $13.95)
Popol Vuh  •  Victor Montejo  •  Luis Garay  •  David Unger RELIGION •  1999 •  HARD COVER  • 85 PAGES • FAMILY A wonderful re-telling of this Maya sacred text, sensitively illustrated. Children will thrill to the tale of the fateful ball game between the underworld gods and the Hero Twins, and parents will appreciate the inclusion of some commentary on Spanish imperialism. Translated from the Spanish. (MYA28, $19.95)
Popol Vuh, The Mayan Book of the Dawn of Life  •  Dennis Tedlock LITERATURE •  1996 •  PAPER  • 388 PAGES The definitive, unabridged collection of creation myths and stories of the Quiche people, fundamental to understanding the worldview of the highland Maya. First transcribed into Latin in the 17th century, then revised and expanded in the 1990s by Dennis Tedlock, who consulted contemporary Maya. Carlos Fuentes called it "The Maya Bible." (MYA14, $16.00)
Reading the Maya Glyphs  •  Mark Van Stone  •  Michael Coe ARCHAEOLOGY •  2005 •  PAPER  • 160 PAGES A compact, illustrated guide to commonly encountered Maya hieroglyphs. With clear drawings by the talented calligrapher Mark Van Stone and illuminating text by reigning Mayanist Michael Coe. It's an excellent introduction to Maya writing for the traveler. (MYA26, $19.95)
Skywatchers, A Revised and Updated Version of Skywatchers of Mexico  •  Anthony Aveni HISTORY •  2001 •  PAPER  • 423 PAGES In this revised edition, Aveni brings together new research in archeology, astronomy and ethnology to study Mesoamerican society and its relation to the skies. He pays particular attention to calenders, religion and science in both Aztec and Maya cultures. (MEX136, $34.95)
Stairways to the Stars, Skywatching in Three Great Ancient Cultures  •  Anthony Aveni ARCHAEOLOGY •  1999 •  PAPER  • 230 PAGES An overview of the influence of astronomy on the design of ancient monuments and cities, focusing on Stonehenge, the Incas and the Maya. (GEN314, $16.95)
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)
Time Among the Maya, Travels in Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico  •  Ronald Wright TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2000 •  PAPER  • 464 PAGES An account of travels among the contemporary Maya of Guatemala and Yucatan (with a side trip to Belize City). Organized geographically, it devotes chapters on Belize, the Peten, highland Guatemala, Chiapas and the Yucatan. Unlike most travelogues, this book includes a glossary, notes, bibliography and index. Wright (who also wrote the excellent Cut Stones and Crossroads, set in Peru) combines journalism, archaeology and a fine ear for dialogue in this engaging account. Originally published in 1989. (CAM84, $16.00)
Unfinished Conquest, The Guatemalan Tragedy  •  Daniel Chauche  •  Victor Perera HISTORY •  1993 •  PAPER  • 297 PAGES An oral history of devastating 30-year civil war. Perera interviewed hundreds of people for this astonishing book, not only the resilient Maya but also landowners, government officials, military personnel, and clergy. With photographs by Daniel Chauche. Perera, a Guatemalan-born academic, has also written a compelling memoir, "Rites: A Guatemalan Boyhood." (CAM83, $27.50)
Weaving Identities: Construction of Dress and Self in a Highland Guatemala Town  •  Carol Hendrickson CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1995 •  PAPER  • 245 PAGES An ethnography of contemporary life in the Guatemalan highlands -- and study of the political significance and role of traditional costume. It's a scholarly analysis based on field work in Tecpan during the civil war, when to wear traditional clothing was to assert "We are Maya!" (the title of the last chapter of this fascinating book). (GML07, $19.95)
The World of the Ancient Maya  •  George S. Henderson HISTORY •  1997 •  PAPER  • 327 PAGES A comprehensive survey of the Maya from early settlement to the Spanish invasion. With descriptions of Maya rulers, architecture, art, language, and daily life, photographs and maps. Originally published in 1981. (MYA21, $29.95)
Yucatan Before and After the Conquest  •  Diego de Landa  •  William Gates HISTORY •  1978 •  PAPER  • 162 PAGES A 16th-century report by the first bishop of Yucatan, a dedicated ethnographer who has provided the most complete early European account of the Maya. With maps and handsome line drawings, the book is an unabridged facsimile of a limited edition published in 1937 by the Maya Society in Baltimore. (MYA15, $8.95)