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1: ****
The book is written in elaborate English - not easy to read but very elegant. Although it is supposed to be an introduction it should be read at least two times to fertilize one's mind. Author present his vision of Peruvian prehistory in a "reversed" order. He begins with Incas (1/5 of the whole book) to continue with plethora of their ancestors. As a result a reader gets a nice patchwork of archaeological-based definitions and life-giving interpretations. Some out-of-date details are perhaps only in my edition (2001).
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2: Good background for a trip to Peru
If you are interested in understanding Incan civilization: its origins and antecedents, the economy that sustained it, and its interrelationship with the unique Andean environment, then this book is for you. I read it as background for a trip to Peru and it made the sites I saw much more interesting to be able to put them in a context. The first four chapters are a Historical Introduction followed by a fascinating analysis of how the complex Andean (Cordilleran) environment impacted native peoples, then chapters on Inca society and the Inca state. Subsequent chapters on earlier societies are less interesting and have more of a survey feel. This is not "popular history" - dumbed down and anecdotal; and some readers appear to have found it a difficult book. It has the feel of an upper level college history text (for me that is praise). I found it jargon free and easy to read.
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3: Not what I looked for
Before visiting Peru, I bought a few books on the history and archaelogy of the land, to prepare me for what I would see. After studying this book, my understanding of pre-Inca and Inca civilizations is still extremely lacunary. This book does not place the archaeological finds in a meaningful historical context. In lieu of history we are given an abstract of Inca legends - interesting but not enough. Surely more is known or can be extracted from the archeaological records! The relations between the various civilizations is skipped over. On the positive side is an attempt to explain some features of the andean civilizations in terms of the echology of the land.
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4: Great resource
I use this book a great deal as a resource for research on ancient Peru. Although this book is not "made pretty" with lots of color photographs and has a textbook feel, it does contain a wealth of information and scholarship. It is a must read for anyone wanting to learn about the ancient cultures of Peru in depth.
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5: Ancestors more advanced than the Incas
It is a shame that THE INCAS has to be stressed to sell a book that is so good on their ancestors. In North Peru, for example, the Moche left a wealth of advanced (& colorful) information & technology skills of which Peru does not take advantage, especially in terms of tourism. See unitru.edu.pe/arq for the cultures of North Peru. We await the revised edition. Michael White & Clara Bravo, Trujillo Peru Tour Guides.
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