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READING AND TRAVEL GUIDE

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We feature a handpicked selection of travel guides, maps, literature, books on art, nature and culture, designed to help you get more out of your travels to Machu Picchu. Order an essential package, and we'll ship any additional items for free.

Essential Reading

Item EXPRU136. Buy these 5 items as a set for $92 including shipping, 15% off the retail price.
With free shipping on anything else you order.

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Lost City of the Incas

Lost City of the Incas

by Hiram Bingham

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 286 PAGES
  • BEST SELLER
  • FAVORITE

This first-rate adventure story by the man who brought Machu Picchu to the attention of the world 100 years ago on July 24,1911 is not just a gripping tale of exploration and archaeology, it also sets the scene for any visitor to the site. Hugh Thomson (A Sacred Landscape, The Search for Ancient Peru) provides the introduction to this Centenary Edition. (AND05, $12.95)

Stone Offerings

Stone Offerings

by Mike Torrey

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2009
  • HARD COVER
  • 143 PAGES

Torrey captures the dramatic setting, solitude and intricate construction of the site in 100 striking color photographs, taken over a few days at summer and winter solstice. (AND76, $40.00)

The Incas, People of the Sun

The Incas, People of the Sun

by Carmen Bernard | Paul Bahn

  • ARCHAEOLOGY
  • 1994
  • PAPER
  • 192 PAGES
  • BEST SELLER

Featuring hundreds of archival drawings and photographs, a chronology and excerpts from the journals of early explorers. (AND03, $12.95)

Insight Guide Peru

Insight Guide Peru

by Insight Guides

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 368 PAGES

Panoramic in scope, this illustrated overview brings Peru to life in hundreds of color photographs and vivid essays by a team of experts writing on history, archaeology and culture. (PRU01, $22.99)

Inca Trail: Machu Picchu, Sacred Valley, Cusco Map

Inca Trail: Machu Picchu, Sacred Valley, Cusco Map

by Lima 2000

  • 2009
  • MAP
  • BEST SELLER

This fact-filed map shows the whole of the Sacred Valley from Cusco to Ollantaytambo and Machu Picchu on one side and, on the reverse, the area surrounding the sanctuary in splendid, topographic detail (1:50,000) . It's the best map both for those making the trek from kilometer 88 to the site and an excellent choice for those exploring by bus or train. (PRU28, $11.95)

 
Archaeological Map of Machu Picchu

Archaeological Map of Machu Picchu


by Wright Water Engineers

  • 2008
  • MAP

Ken Wright's foldout color site plan shows monuments, topography and physical features of the Inca sanctuary with exquisite clarity. (PRU23, $6.95)

Peru Map

Peru Map


by Borch Maps

  • 2011
  • MAP

A laminated map of Peru with city plans. (PRU02, $10.95)

Peru, Ecuador Map

Peru, Ecuador Map


by Nelles

  • 2005
  • MAP

This sturdy, double-sided travel map at a scale of 1: 2.5 million includes insets of Quito and Lima, Cusco and Lake Titicaca. (AND69, $13.95)

The Inca Trail, Cuzco & Machu Picchu

The Inca Trail, Cuzco & Machu Picchu


by Alexander Stewart

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 366 PAGES

With an excellent overview of culture and history, and chapters on exploring Cuzco, Lima and Machu Picchu. (PRU19, $22.95)

The Machu Picchu Guidebook

The Machu Picchu Guidebook


by Ruth M. Wright | Alfredo Valencia Zegarra

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 188 PAGES

With maps and site plans, a section on new discoveries, a wildlife section and a fold-out full color painting of the city as it may have looked during a solstice celebration in 1530. (PRU34, $21.95)

A Sacred Landscape, The Search for Ancient Peru

A Sacred Landscape, The Search for Ancient Peru


by Hugh Thomson

  • HISTORY
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 330 PAGES

Hugh Thomson travels all over Peru with his archaeologist pals, visiting Moche, Chavin, Nasca and other ancient sites in this thrilling account of adventure. His tale is bracketed by an account of his discoveries with Gary Ziegler at Llactapata, a newly excavated observatory barely two miles from Machu Picchu, and essentially lost since Bingham happened upon the place in 1912. He concludes with wise words by John Hemming, "Anyone can find a ruin in the jungle; but it can take a lifetime to understand what you have found." (PRU76, $16.95)

Conquest of the Incas

Conquest of the Incas


by John Hemming

  • HISTORY
  • 1970
  • PAPER
  • 641 PAGES

This classic prize-winning history of the Inca struggle against the Spanish invasion brings together wide-ranging scholarly material in the interests of telling a good story. (AND04, $25.00)

Cradle of Gold, The Story of Hiram Bingham

Cradle of Gold, The Story of Hiram Bingham


by Chris Heaney

  • HISTORY
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 272 PAGES

A graduate of Yale and archaeologist, Chris Heaney turns his research in Peru and in the archives into a moving tale of discovery, focusing not just on the charismatic explorer and politician (he was a Connectiut Senator) but also on the controversy surrounding the artifacts Bingham shipped (some say smuggled) home to the Peabody Museum. (PRU106, $17.00)

Machu Picchu Revealed

Machu Picchu Revealed


by Ruth M. Wright

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2008
  • HARD COVER
  • 128 PAGES

Wright's handsome little tribute to Machu Picchu includes not only gorgeous color photographs but also a map, color rendering and suggestions for exploring the site. (PRU91, $16.95)

The Last Days of the Incas

The Last Days of the Incas


by Kim MacQuarrie

  • HISTORY
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 522 PAGES

MacQuarrie tackles the personality, aspirations and greed of Francisco Pizarro in this vivid account of the conquest of a continent. (PRU77, $16.95)

Art of the Andes, from Chavin to Inca

Art of the Andes, from Chavin to Inca


by Rebecca Stone-Miller

  • ARCHAEOLOGY
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 224 PAGES

This authoritative and concise illustrated survey of Andean art and architecture covers not only Machu Picchu and additional Inca monuments, but also Chan Chan, Nasca and other archaeological sites and cultures. (PRU05, $19.95)

Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu


by David Drew

  • ARCHAEOLOGY
  • 2011
  • HARD COVER
  • 206 PAGES
  • COMING IN JUNE

A comprehensive overview of Machu Picchu's history and archaeology, not just a guide to the ruins but also a discussion of Hiram Bingham's expeditions, the latest theories on the city's purpose and abandonment and the significance the site has for people around the world. (PRU116, $22.95)

Machu Picchu, Unveiling the Mystery of the Incas

Machu Picchu, Unveiling the Mystery of the Incas


by Richard L. Burger | Lucy C. Salazar

  • ARCHAEOLOGY
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 256 PAGES

Burger and Salazar vividly evoke the art, architecture, culture and society of Machu Picchu in this illustrated, up-to-date survey. With Hiram Bingham's original report, archival and modern photographs -- and excellent chapters on recent archaeology at the site. (AND35, $28.00)

The Ice Maiden

The Ice Maiden


by Johan Reinhard

  • ARCHAEOLOGY
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 384 PAGES

National Geographic archaeologist Johan Reinhard brings together tales of his own adventures and plenty of Inca history in this account of his discovery of Juanita, a 500-year-old mummy found in the Peruvian Andes. (AND52, $14.95)

Andes

Andes


by Michael Jacobs

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 576 PAGES

Jacobs journeys 4,300 miles from Venezuela to Tierra del Fuego in the footsteps Simon Bolivar, Charles Darwin and other explorers, exploring the striking landscape and diverse cultures of South America. (AND81, $24.95)

Cloud Forest, A Chronicle of the South American Wilderness

Cloud Forest, A Chronicle of the South American Wilderness


by Peter Matthiessen

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 1987
  • PAPER
  • 280 PAGES
  • FAVORITE

Matthiessen recounts with wit, insight and style his odyssey to the Amazon and Andes, including Machu Picchu and Tierra del Fuego. (SAM02, $17.00)

Cloud Road

Cloud Road


by John Harrison

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 388 PAGES

A captivating account of a 1,500-mile journey along the Andes from Ecuador to Peru. Mostly on foot, either alone or with his girlfriend Elaine, sometimes by bus and, partly in the company of the obstreperous donkey Dapple, Harrison weaves a tale of the people he meets with history and lore. (SAM154, $14.95)

Eight Feet in the Andes

Eight Feet in the Andes


by Dervla Murphy

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 274 PAGES

The indomitable Murphy treks 1,300 miles through the Andes (with a mule) on the trail of the conquistadors in this spirited account. (AND07, $15.95)

Turn Right at Machu Picchu

Turn Right at Machu Picchu


by Mark Adams

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2011
  • HARD COVER
  • 333 PAGES

Over his head on an arduous guided trek to Choquequirao and other remote sites, Mark Adams mixes entertaining tales of his own travails ((he makes himself out to be quite the accidental explorer) with analysis of the rather grand Hiram Bingham in this light-hearted "following-in-the-footsteps-of" account. (PRU118, $26.95)

The Bridge of San Luis Rey

The Bridge of San Luis Rey


by Thornton Wilder

  • LITERATURE
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 148 PAGES

The classic tale of Franciscan missionaries in 18th-century Peru by the Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist. First published in 1927. (AND08, $12.99)

The Heights of Machu Picchu

The Heights of Machu Picchu


by Pablo Neruda | Nathaniel Tarn

  • LITERATURE
  • 1972
  • PAPER
  • 71 PAGES
  • FAVORITE

Machu Picchu and the Inca civilization inspired this celebrated epic hymn to the Americas by the great Pablo Neruda. Bilingual edition. (AND22, $14.00)

A Photographic Guide to the Birds of Peru

A Photographic Guide to the Birds of Peru


by Clive Byers

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 144 PAGES

A handy shirt pocket guide. (PRU75, $15.95)

Birds of Peru

Birds of Peru


by Tom Schulenberg | Dan Stotz | John O'Neill | Dan Lane

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 668 PAGES

Gorgeously illustrated, this authoritative guide covers nearly 20% of the world's birds. (PRU55, $39.50)

Peru Mammals Guide

Peru Mammals Guide


by Rainforest Publications

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2005
  • PLASTIC CARD

A handy, double-sided laminated card depicting over 60 commonly encountered mammals of Peru. Beautiful and accurate full-color illustrations. (PRU73, $6.95)

Peru, Birds of the Forest

Peru, Birds of the Forest


by Rainforest Publications

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2005
  • PLASTIC CARD

A handy, double-sided laminated card depicting 100 commonly encountered parrots, motmots, hummingbirds and other forest birds of Peru. We also carry Peru Mammals Guide plastic card. (Item PRU73) (PRU72, $6.95)

Peru, Travellers' Wildlife Guides

Peru, Travellers' Wildlife Guides


by David L. Pearson | Les Beletsky

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2004
  • PAPER
  • 500 PAGES

Featuring 500 illustrations of the birds, amphibians, reptiles, mammals and insects of the Amazon, Andes and Pacific Coast. (PRU30, $29.95)

Peruvian Wildlife

Peruvian Wildlife


by Barry Walker

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 144 PAGES

Written by resident bird legend Barry Walker and two colleagues, this compact photo guide introduces the habitats, plants, birds and animals of the Central Andes. (PRU71, $26.99)

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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.