THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING TRAVEL MEMOIRWhat happens when an unadventurous adventure writer tries to re-create the original expedition to Machu Picchu?In 1911, Hiram Bingham III climbed into the Andes Mountains of Peru and “discovered” Machu Picchu. While history has recast Bingham as a villain who stole both priceless artifacts and credit for finding the great archeological site, Mark Adams set out to retrace the explorer’s perilous path in search of the truth—except he’d written about adventure far more than he’d actually lived it. In fact, he’d never even slept in a tent.Turn Right at Machu Picchu is Adams’ fascinating and funny account of his journey through some of the world’s most majestic, historic, and remote landscapes guided only by a hard-as-nails Australian survivalist and one nagging question: Just what was Machu Picchu? Read more

The epic story of the fall of the Inca Empire to Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro in the aftermath of a bloody civil war, and the recent discovery of the lost guerrilla capital of the Incas, Vilcabamba, by three American explorers.In 1532, the fifty-four-year-old Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro led a force of 167 men, including his four brothers, to the shores of Peru. Unbeknownst to the Spaniards, the Inca rulers of Peru had just fought a bloody civil war in which the emperor Atahualpa had defeated his brother Huascar. Pizarro and his men soon clashed with Atahualpa and a huge force of Inca warriors at the Battle of Cajamarca. Despite being outnumbered by more than two hundred to one, the Spaniards prevailed—due largely to their horses, their steel armor and swords, and their tactic of surprise. They captured and imprisoned Atahualpa. Although the Inca emperor paid an enormous ransom in gold, the Spaniards executed him anyway. The following year, the Spaniards seized the Inca capital of Cuzco, completing their conquest of the largest native empire the New World has ever known. Peru was now a Spanish colony, and the conquistadors were wealthy beyond their wildest dreams. But the Incas did not submit willingly. A young Inca emperor, the brother of Atahualpa, soon led a massive rebellion against the Spaniards, inflicting heavy casualties and nearly wiping out the conquerors. Eventually, however, Pizarro and his men forced the emperor to abandon the Andes and flee to the Amazon. There, he established a hidden capital, called Vilcabamba—only recently rediscovered by a trio of colorful American explorers. Although the Incas fought a deadly, thirty-six-year-long guerrilla war, the Spanish ultimately captured the last Inca emperor and vanquished the native resistance. Read more

A special illustrated edition of Hiram Bingham's classic work captures all the magnificence and mystery of the amazing archeological sites he uncovered. Early in the 20th century, Bingham ventured into the wild and then unknown country of the Eastern Peruvian Andes--and in 1911 came upon the fabulous Inca city that made him famous: Machu Picchu. In the space of one short season he went on to discover two more lost cities, including Vitcos, where the last Incan Emperor was assassinated. Read more

If you're looking for a captivating collection of Inca myths, then pay attention....This audiobook includes four captivating manuscripts:Maya Mythology: Captivating Maya Myths of Gods, Goddesses and Legendary CreaturesAztec Mythology: Captivating Aztec Myths of Gods, Goddesses, and Legendary CreaturesInca Mythology: Captivating Inca Myths of Gods, Goddesses, and Legendary CreaturesCentral American Mythology: Captivating Myths of Gods, Goddesses, and Legendary Creatures of Ancient Mexico and Central AmericaIn the first part of this audiobook, you'll find the following Maya myths and topics covered:Two creation mythsRabbit gets his drinkAnd many more!In the second part of this audiobook, you'll find the following Aztec myths and topics covered:The legend of the sunsThe deeds of MixcoatlThe origin of maize and the creation of pulqueHuemac plays the ball gameAnd many more!In the third part of this audiobook, you'll find the following Inca myths and topics covered:Stories of the godsInca political mythsFive Andean folktales and an Inca playAnd much, much more!In the fourth part of this audiobook, you'll find the following Central American myths and topics covered:Olocupinele creates the world (Dule/Cuna, Panama)The king of the Peccaries (Bribri, Costa Rica)How opossum stole fire (Mazatec, Mexico)Uncle rabbit and uncle tiger (Nicaragua)And much, much more!So if you want to learn more about these four mythologies, listen to this audiobook! Read more

In 1532, the magnificent Inca empire was the last great civilization still isolated from the rest of humankind. The Conquest of the Incas is the definitive history of this civilization's overthrow, from the invasion by Pizarro's small gang of conquistadors and the Incas' valiant attempts to expel the invaders to the destruction of the Inca realm, the oppression of its people, and the modern discoveries of Machu Picchu and the lost city of Vilcabamba. This authoritative, wide-ranging account, grounded in meticulous research and firsthand knowledge and told from the viewpoints of both protagonists, "keeps all the complex issues to the fore...the deeper wonder of the conquest and the deeper horror of its results" (Washington Post). Read more

¿Sabía usted que los incas veneraban las momias de sus emperadores?Para los incas, la muerte no existía; simplemente se llevaba a los muertos a otro plano de la vida. Así, las momias de sus emperadores eran tratadas como personas; se les daba de comer y beber e incluso se las visitaba ceremoniosamente. También poseían fincas en el campo, que generaban suficientes beneficios como para mantenerlas en el estilo al que estaban acostumbradas.Puede parecer una curiosidad, pero esta forma de culto a los antepasados era fundamental para la cultura inca y para la historia del Imperio incaico, que se extendía desde Ecuador y Colombia por el norte hasta Chile por el sur.Todo el mundo ha visto imágenes de uno de los mayores logros de los incas: Machu Picchu. Pero la historia incaica siempre ha sido contada por los colonizadores españoles que los conquistaron, ya que los incas carecían de escritura formal. Ahora, la arqueología nos está dando más información sobre cómo vivían realmente los incas, ayudándonos a diferenciar la historia real del mito y la propaganda.En este libro, descubrirá cómo los incas crearon un imperio expansivo en solo un siglo y por qué esa civilización se desmoronó tan rápido una vez que llegaron los españoles.También descubrirá lo siguienteCómo se desarrolló la civilización inca a partir de una serie de culturas precedentes en los Andes y la costa peruana.Con qué rapidez pudieron expandirse los incas y por qué necesitaron hacerlo.Cómo se administraba el imperio y cómo los corredores eran capaces de llevar mensajes de un extremo a otro con notable rapidez.¡Y mucho más!Desplácese hacia arriba y haga clic en el botón «añadir a la cesta» para saber más sobre el fascinante Imperio incaico.Please note: This audiobook is in Spanish. Read more

In 1532, the fifty-four-year-old Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro led a force of 167 men, including his four brothers, to the shores of Peru. Unbeknownst to the Spaniards, the Inca rulers of Peru had just fought a bloody civil war in which the emperor Atahualpa had defeated his brother Huascar. Pizarro and his men soon clashed with Atahualpa and a huge force of Inca warriors at the Battle of Cajamarca. Despite being outnumbered by more than two hundred to one, the Spaniards prevailed -- due largely to their horses, their steel armor and swords, and their tactic of surprise. They captured and imprisoned Atahualpa. Although the Inca emperor paid an enormous ransom in gold, the Spaniards executed him anyway. The following year, the Spaniards seized the Inca capital of Cuzco, completing their conquest of the largest native empire the New World has ever known. Peru was now a Spanish colony, and the conquistadors were wealthy beyond their wildest dreams. But the Incas did not submit willingly. A young Inca emperor, the brother of Atahualpa, soon led a massive rebellion against the Spaniards, inflicting heavy casualties and nearly wiping out the conquerors. Eventually, however, Pizarro and his men forced the emperor to abandon the Andes and flee to the Amazon. There, he established a hidden capital, called Vilcabamba. Although the Incas fought a deadly, thirty-six-year-long guerrilla war, the Spanish ultimately captured the last Inca emperor and vanquished the native resistance. Kim MacQuarrie lived in Peru for five years and became fascinated by the Incas and the history of the Spanish conquest. Drawing on both native and Spanish chronicles, he vividly describes the dramatic story of the conquest, with all its savagery and suspense. MacQuarrie also relates the story of the modern search for Vilcabamba, of how Machu Picchu was discovered, and of how a trio of colorful American explorers only recently discovered the lost Inca capital of Vilcabamba, hidden for centuries in the Amazon. This authoritative, exciting history is among the most powerful and important accounts of the culture of the South American Indians and the Spanish Conquest. Read more

The epic story of the fall of the Inca Empire to Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro in the aftermath of a bloody civil war, and the recent discovery of the lost guerrilla capital of the Incas, Vilcabamba, by three American explorers.In 1532, the fifty-four-year-old Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro led a force of 167 men, including his four brothers, to the shores of Peru. Unbeknownst to the Spaniards, the Inca rulers of Peru had just fought a bloody civil war in which the emperor Atahualpa had defeated his brother Huascar. Pizarro and his men soon clashed with Atahualpa and a huge force of Inca warriors at the Battle of Cajamarca. Despite being outnumbered by more than two hundred to one, the Spaniards prevailed—due largely to their horses, their steel armor and swords, and their tactic of surprise. They captured and imprisoned Atahualpa. Although the Inca emperor paid an enormous ransom in gold, the Spaniards executed him anyway. The following year, the Spaniards seized the Inca capital of Cuzco, completing their conquest of the largest native empire the New World has ever known. Peru was now a Spanish colony, and the conquistadors were wealthy beyond their wildest dreams. But the Incas did not submit willingly. A young Inca emperor, the brother of Atahualpa, soon led a massive rebellion against the Spaniards, inflicting heavy casualties and nearly wiping out the conquerors. Eventually, however, Pizarro and his men forced the emperor to abandon the Andes and flee to the Amazon. There, he established a hidden capital, called Vilcabamba—only recently rediscovered by a trio of colorful American explorers. Although the Incas fought a deadly, thirty-six-year-long guerrilla war, the Spanish ultimately captured the last Inca emperor and vanquished the native resistance. Read more

First published in the 1950s, this is a classic account of the discovery in 1911 of the lost city of Machu Picchu.In 1911 Hiram Bingham, a pre-historian with a love of exotic destinations, set out to Peru in search of the legendary city of Vilcabamba, capital city of the last Inca ruler, Manco Inca. With a combination of doggedness and good fortune he stumbled on the perfectly preserved ruins of Machu Picchu perched on a cloud-capped ledge 2000 feet above the torrent of the Urubamba River. The buildings were of white granite, exquisitely carved blocks each higher than a man. Bingham had not, as it turned out, found Vilcabamba, but he had nevertheless made an astonishing and memorable discovery, which he describes in his bestselling book LOST CITY OF THE INCAS. Read more

Discover Other Civilisations and Cultures With Rich and Unique Histories"If Indiana Jones wrote a guidebook, it might mirror what Raven Todd da Silva has penned. The Other Ancient Civilisations gives life to the shadows of heroes and everyday people travelers walk in the footsteps of today." —Forbes MagazineJourney through 15,000 years of history and discover fascinating ancient civilisations and cultures that may have been overlooked in history class with Raven Todd DaSilva, award-winning scholar, archaeologist, and creator of the popular archaeology online educational platform Dig it With Raven.#1 New Release in Archaeology and in Religious Antiquities & ArchaeologyLesser-known ancient civilisations and cultures. Go beyond the popular stories of Greece, Rome, Egypt, the Inca and the Maya, and uncover the rich diversity of people that are often overlooked. From the world's first peace treaty to daring expeditions across the Pacific, learn about 20 ancient and historic cultures from around the world that have had monumental impacts on our modern world.  A more nuanced look at the ancient world. The Other Ancient Civilisations looks outside mainstream ancient civilisations and cultures and delves into astounding finds unearthed at archaeological sites around the world. Discover the archaeology that sheds light on the secret stories of the Nubians, Olmec, Xiongnu, Minoans, Akkadians, and many more. Each chapter delves beyond the rise and fall of each society, highlighting the lives of everyday peoples of the past. Discover who they interacted with and how they lived, and what we can learn from them.How archaeologists decode ancient cultures from what they left behind. Packed with summaries of current archaeological evidence, detailed maps and striking images of astounding artefacts and archaeological sites, The Other Ancient Civilisations is an indispensable collection of fascinating stories and facts that have helped archaeologists change the way we understand history.Inside discover:A more in-depth understanding of lesser-know ancient cultures from around the worldAn appreciation for the people who lived during these times and in these cultures—not just the great rulers and the monumental buildings left behindA realization that ancient people were not that different from who we are todayIf you’ve read books such as The Forgotten Peoples of the Ancient World, The Lost World of The Old Ones, or 1177 B.C., you’ll love Raven’s The Other Ancient Civilizations. Read more

One of the most fascinating books on pre-Columbian and early colonial Peru was written by a Peruvian Indian named Felipe Guaman Poma de Ayala. This book, The First New Chronicle and Good Government, covers pre-Inca times, various aspects of Inca culture, the Spanish conquest, and colonial times up to around 1615 when the manuscript was finished. Now housed in the Royal Library, Copenhagen, Denmark, and viewable online at www.kb.dk/permalink/2006/poma/info/en/frontpage.htm, the original manuscript has 1,189 pages accompanied by 398 full-page drawings that constitute the most accurate graphic depiction of Inca and colonial Peruvian material culture ever done.Working from the original manuscript and consulting with fellow Quechua- and Spanish-language experts, Roland Hamilton here provides the most complete and authoritative English translation of approximately the first third of The First New Chronicle and Good Government. The sections included in this volume (pages 1–369 of the manuscript) cover the history of Peru from the earliest times and the lives of each of the Inca rulers and their wives, as well as a wealth of information about ordinances, age grades, the calendar, idols, sorcerers, burials, punishments, jails, songs, palaces, roads, storage houses, and government officials. One hundred forty-six of Guaman Poma's detailed illustrations amplify the text. Read more

If you're looking for a captivating collection of Inca Myths, then keep reading...This book includes four captivating manuscripts:Maya Mythology: Captivating Maya Myths of Gods, Goddesses and Legendary CreaturesAztec Mythology: Captivating Aztec Myths of Gods, Goddesses, and Legendary CreaturesInca Mythology: Captivating Inca Myths of Gods, Goddesses, and Legendary CreaturesCentral American Mythology: Captivating Myths of Gods, Goddesses, and Legendary Creatures of Ancient Mexico and Central AmericaIn the first part of this book, you'll find the following Maya myths and topics coveredTwo Creation MythsThe Downfall of Seven MacawThe Boyhood Deeds of Hunahpu and XbalanqueBallgames in XibalbaThe Deaths and Resurrections of Hunahpu and XbalanqueThe Man Who Became a BuzzardHow the Sun and Moon Became Man and WifeRabbit Gets His DrinkAnd many more!In the second part of this book, you'll find the following Aztec myths and topics coveredThe Legend of the SunsThe Deeds of MixcoatlThe Origin of Maize and the Creation of PulqueThe Fall of XochiquetzalThe Fate of SoulsHuitzilopochtli and the Founding of TenochtitlanHuemac Plays the Ball GameAnd many more!In the third part of this book, you'll find the following Inca myths and topics coveredStories of the GodsInca Political MythsFive Andean Folktales and an Inca PlayAnd much, much more!In the fourth part of this book, you'll find the following Central American myths and topics coveredOlocupinele Creates the World (Dule/Cuna, Panama)Watakame’ and the Great Flood (Wixáritari/Huichol, Mexico)Yomomuli and the Talking Tree (Yoeme/Yaqui, Mexico)How the Sea Was Made (Cabécar, Costa Rica)Mother Scorpion’s Country (Miskito, Nicaragua)The Childhood of the Sun and the Moon (qne-a tnya-e/Chatino, Mexico)The Invisible Hunters (Miskito, Nicaragua)The King of the Peccaries (Bribri, Costa Rica)How Opossum Stole Fire (Mazatec, Mexico)Uncle Rabbit and Uncle Tiger (Nicaragua)And much, much more!So if you want to learn more about these four mythologies, click "buy now"! Read more

The history of the Incas fascinates the modern world. This groundbreaking book separates fact from fiction, exploring the native peoples of Peru and the Andes, their mythologies and ancient belief systems, and the amazing beauty of Inca art and architecture. It opens with the culture and history of its many kingdoms and their mythological rituals and beliefs. The second half of the book focuses on the day-to-day lives of ordinary people and the beautiful art they created, such as ceramics, gold- and silverwork, and fabrics. This authoritative volume combines over 1000 striking illustrations with lively and engaging text. An in-depth history of the ancient peoples of South America including the Paracas, Chavín, Nazca, Moche, Wari, Lambayeque-Sipán, Tiwanaku, Chimu and Inca. Discover the breathtaking developments in Andean art, from the mysterious lines etched in the Nazca desert to the temples erected at Kotosh, La Galgada and Aspero. This large format new edition discusses the sophisticated politics, power and warfare with fascinating insights into the brutal rituals and symbolic complexity. Read more

Did you know that the Incas worshiped the mummies of their emperors?For the Incas, death didn’t exist; it simply took the dead to a different plane of life. So, the mummies of their emperors were treated as people; they were given food and drink and even visited each other ceremoniously. They also owned country estates, which generated enough profits to keep them in the style to which they were accustomed.This might sound like a curiosity, but this form of ancestor worship was central to the Inca culture and to the history of the Inca Empire, which stretched from Ecuador and Colombia in the north to Chile in the south.Everyone has seen pictures of one of the Incas’ greatest achievements: the mountain-top wonder of Machu Picchu. But Inca history has always been told by the Spanish colonizers who conquered them since the Inca had no formal writing. Now, archaeology is giving us more information on how the Inca really lived, helping us differentiate real history from myth and propaganda.In this book, you will discover how the Inca created an expansive empire in just a century and why that civilization crumbled so fast once the Spanish arrived.You’ll also discover the following:How the Inca civilization developed out of a number of preceding cultures in the Andes and Peruvian coast;How quickly the Incas were able to expand and why they needed to;How the empire was administered and how runners were able to take messages from one end of it to the other with remarkable speed;The amazing Inca infrastructure program, which included building roads through mountain ranges and across raging rivers;Why Inca cuisine included tasty guinea pigs and llama jerky;Why there were never more than a few thousand actual Inca in the Inca Empire;The religion and beliefs of the Inca and how they developed over time to support the empire’s mission;How just a couple of hundred Spanish adventurers managed to conquer and subdue the Inca Empire;How much Inca culture is left in Peru and Bolivia today;And so much more!Scroll up and click the “add to cart” button to learn more about the fascinating Inca Empire! Read more

From their mythical origins to astonishing feats of engineering, an expertly informed reassessment of one of the great empires of the Americas: the Inca.   In their heyday, the Inca ruled over the largest land empire in the Americas, reaching the pinnacle of South American civilization. Known as the “Romans of the Americas,” these fabulous engineers converted the vertiginous, challenging landscapes of the Andes into a fertile region able to feed millions, alongside building royal estates such as Machu Picchu and a 40,000-kilometer-long road network crisscrossed by elegant braided-rope suspension bridges.   Beautifully illustrated, this book examines the mythical origins and history of the Inca, including their economy, society, technology, and beliefs. Kevin Lane reconsiders previous theories while proposing new interpretations concerning the timeline of Inca expansion, their political organization, and the role of women in their society while showcasing how their legacy endures today. Read more

John Hemming's masterly and highly acclaimed account is a must-read book for anyone considering a trip to Peru or wanting to know more about the final days of the Inca empire.From the first small band of Spanish adventurers to enter the mighty Inca empire to the execution of the last Inca forty years later, it is the story of bloodshed, infamy, rebellion, and extermination, told as convincingly as if it happened yesterday. It also tells the social impact of the conquest on ordinary Peruvians forced to work for Spanish masters or in hellish silver and mercury mines, on changes to religion and government, and how survivors of the Inca elite reacted to the new order."The Conquest of the Incas is an extraordinary book. In it, rigorous historical research and profound analysis combine with stylistic elegance to produce a work that conveys to us, in all its richness and diversity, the tragic and fabulous history of the Inca realm; and it is as delightful to read as the best novels."—Mario Vargas Lllosa, Peruvian, Nobel Laureate in Literature “Distinguished by an extraordinary empathy, a feeling of one’s way into the minds of the sixteenth-century Spaniards and Indians . . . Provocative.”—New York Times Read more

Peru is a land of majesty and wonder where myth, legend, and history all come together. And this book gives you a front-row seat!The land of Peru is one that, for many, seems far away and distant. Even for those living relatively nearby geographically, Peru can seem just out of reach. After all, Peru is situated high in the Andes on the western coast of South America. Those who dare to live at this high of an elevation have learned to live on their own terms.The Inca leader Manco II, for example, displayed his tenacity by heading a rebel kingdom in the depths of the Amazon even after much of the Inca Empire of his ancestors had been overrun by the Spanish conquistadors.Manco's struggle was later picked up by Túpac Amaru II, who waged war against the Spanish occupation. Túpac Amaru II would be captured and executed for daring to revolt against the Spanish Crown, but his legend would live on in the hearts and minds of Peruvians everywhere.Fast forward to Peru's independence from Spain, and one finds the heroic Simón Bolívar. He was pivotal in the independence of Peru, as well as a whole slew of Latin American countries, which he was put in charge of at various times during his dynamic career.Great heroes like Simón Bolívar certainly stand out, but so do other intriguing and captivating characters from Peru's past. From the great Inca ruler Atahualpa to Francisco Pizarro to modern-day Peruvian presidents like Alberto Fujimori and Dina Boluarte, Peru has quite a story to tell!In this book, you will learn about the following: The origins of Peruvian civilizationThe rise and fall of the Inca EmpireThe explorations of conquistadors like Francisco PizarroRevolutionaries like Túpac Amaru II and resistance to Spanish rulePeru's struggle for independenceThe War of the Pacific and Peru's relations with other Latin American countriesPeru's fight against narco-terrorists, such as Shining PathAnd so much more! Read more

This book uncovers a groundbreaking discovery that finally resolves the perplexing questions surrounding ancient megalithic structures. It reveals the astonishing achievements of ancient civilizations in a new, logical, and easily comprehensible way, making their feats seem far less unbelievable.Take the Incas, ancient Egyptians, or Indian builders, for example—how did they transport stones weighing hundreds of tons from quarries to construction sites, long before the invention of the wheel? How did they lift them, and more impressively, move them across mountains to the peaks of hills in Peru?And how were they able to carve these massive stones with such precision using only copper chisels, leaving no space for even a razor blade to slide between them? Why do the stones have such seemingly random shapes? Was it all really just about earthquake-proofing?Or how did they fit 40-60 ton granite boxes into narrow chambers at Saqqara in Egypt? Moving stones of this size should have required 400-600 men, yet the tunnels around these stones are barely wide enough for a dozen people to fit.Spoiler alert: they didn’t do it the way we think. Or to put it more bluntly—they used buckets. These ancient, gigantic stones and sarcophagi are as artificial as the concrete slab on my roof—just made with a very different recipe.Oh, and in case you're wondering—yes, I have the recipe. It’s right here in the book. This ancient technique of casting artificial stone has been rediscovered and is even being used again in various parts of the world today.Before I take all the credit, though, I should mention that in the 19th century, almost everyone knew about this technology. Books were published on the topic in the U.S., Germany, and the Netherlands, and there was widespread excitement about artificial stone—until Portland cement, with its cheapness and simplicity, caused the technique to fade into obscurity.How many times has this technology been discovered and forgotten over the course of history? Personally, I’ve identified at least five different historical periods. In my “catalog,” ancient Egyptian artificial stones are version 4.0.To discover Stone 1.0, we have to go back to the last Ice Age, when humanity may have accidentally stumbled upon the process of creating artificial stone—just as wine and other inventions were discovered by chance. Once they observed the natural process of stone formation, early humans could replicate it, leading to the creation of Stone 1.0—the menhirs.There are over 50,000 menhirs in Europe, and they weren’t quarried from anywhere. In ancient times, the four classical elements—earth, water, air, fire—had real, practical meanings. We’ll explore what those truly were.As we move forward, we’ll trace the history of artificial stone right up to modern 21st-century geopolymer materials. What could a contemporary French chemist possibly have to do with the stones of the pyramids?And if I tell you that this entire subject is closely tied to rising global temperatures and climate change, I think jaws will drop.All we need to do is map the emergence of ancient civilizations in chronological order, and we can see that human history is also the history of migration northward: from the Sumerians, Egyptians, and Babylonians (Assyrians), to the Persians, Greeks, Hittites, Romans, and finally Europe. Once you see this pattern, you can’t unsee it.These are the questions we’ll explore together, with just a pinch of high school-level chemistry thrown in. Chemistry—or alchemy—only became a “ridiculous pseudoscience” during the Middle Ages, when people became obsessed with turning everything into gold. But what didn’t go off the rails in the Dark Ages?In ancient times, (al)chemistry was a real, practical science of material transformation, and without it, we can’t answer these questions. Don’t worry—I promise, it won’t hurt! Read more

This edition is Facsimile edition of original manuscript with Premium Color Ink and White PaperThe Codex Borgia is a Mesoamerican sacred book compiled in the Puebla-Tlaxcala region in Mexico's central highlands. It is well known for its high aesthetic quality. It is an almanac of seasonal cycles filled with representations of deities, religious rituals and events, and glyphs. It was probably made between 1450 and 1500. It is a screenfold composed of nearly square-shaped panels composed of fourteen pieces of deerskin painted on both sides and folded accordion style. When opened fully, it extends to approximately eleven meters. Seventy-six of its seventy-eight panels are covered with pictographs. Its wooden covers are now lost. Read more

Hace unos 950.000 años, una familia de cinco personas caminó por una playa y dejó las huellas familiares más antiguas jamás descubiertas. Para Simon Sebag Montefiore estos fósiles sirven como inspiración para una nueva historia mundial, una que es genuinamente global a la vez que íntima, que abarca siglos, continentes y culturas y se centra en los lazos familiares que nos conectan a cada uno de nosotros. Traza una crónica de las grandes dinastías que han dado forma a nuestro mundo a lo largo de la historia de la humanidad a través de intrigas palaciegas, asuntos amorosos y vidas familiares, vinculando los grandes temas —la guerra, la migración, la peste, la religión o la tecnología— con las personas que están en el corazón de la historia.Un rico elenco de complejos personajes forman el corazón palpitante de la historia. Veremos desfilar los Médici y a los Incas, los otomanos y los mogoles, los Bonapartes, los Habsburgo y los Zulúes, los Rothschild, los Rockefeller y los Krupp, los Churchill, los Kennedy, los Castro, los Nehrus, los Pahlavis y los Kenyattas, los Saudíes, los Kim y los Assad. Algunos son líderes conocidos —desde Alejandro Magno, Atila, Iván el Terrible y Gengis Kan hasta Hitler, Thatcher, Obama o Putin—, otros fueron genios creativos, desde Sócrates, Miguel Ángel y Shakespeare hasta Newton, Mozart, Balzac, Freud, Bowie y Tim Berners-Lee. Pero a esta nómina se suman personajes menos conocidos, como Hongwu, que empezó como mendigo y fundó la dinastía Ming; Kamehameha, conquistador de Hawai; Zenobia, emperatriz árabe que desafió a Roma; o Sayyida al-Hurra, reina pirata marroquí. Aquí no solo hay conquistadores y reinas, sino también profetas, charlatanes, actores, gángsters, artistas, científicos, médicos, magnates, amantes, esposas, maridos e hijos.Las poderosas dinastías que desfilan por este libro representan la escala de la ambición humana, fusionando sangrientas guerras de sucesión, complots traicioneros y a veces asombrosa megalomanía con una floreciente cultura o romances apasionados. Tan fascinante como la ficción, El Mundo captura toda la historia de la humanidad con toda su alegría, dolor, romance, ingenio y crueldad en una innovadora y magistral narración que cambiará para siempre los límites de lo que la historia puede lograr.ENGLISH DESCRIPTIONA magisterial world history unlike any other, that tells the story of humanity through the one thing we all have in common: families. Around 950,000 years ago, a family of five walked along the beach and left behind the oldest family footprints ever discovered. For Sebag Montefiore, these poignant fossils serve as an inspiration for a new kind of world history, one that is genuinely global and focuses on the family ties that connect every one of us. In this epic, ever-surprising book, Montefiore chronicles the world’s great dynasties across human history through palace intrigues, love affairs, and family lives, linking grand themes of war, migration, plague, religion, and technology to the people at the heart of the human drama. It features a cast of extraordinary diversity: in addition to rulers and conquerors, there are priests, charlatans, artists, scientists, tycoons, gangsters, lovers, husbands, wives, and children. Dazzling, and as spellbinding as fiction, El mundo captures the whole human story in a single, masterful narrative. Read more