Reading List
Peru
Seven books on Peru's ancient empire, its Spanish conquest, and the long path to independence, gathered for anyone planning to see Machu Picchu firsthand.
Before You Go
Reading From Empire to Independence
From the Inca road system to Bolívar's revolution, these seven books trace the history that shaped modern Peru.
The Great Inka Road: Engineering an Empire
This collection of essays traces the Qhapaq Ñan, the vast Inca road network that once linked present day Peru with Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. It sets the scale of the empire before any single site is visited, a useful frame for understanding how thoroughly connected this part of the world once was.
View on AmazonThe Last Days of the Incas
MacQuarrie recounts the ambush of the Inca ruler Atahualpa by Francisco Pizarro's vastly outnumbered forces at Cajamarca in 1532, along with the lesser known thirty six year guerrilla war that followed. It is a gripping account of how quickly an empire can fall, and how long its resistance can continue unseen.
View on AmazonThe Bridge of San Luis Rey
First published in 1927 to worldwide acclaim, Wilder's novel follows several interwoven lives that end together when a traditional Inca rope bridge collapses in colonial Peru. It remains a quietly profound meditation on fate and connection, set against a landscape readers will soon recognize firsthand.
View on AmazonBolívar: American Liberator
Arana traces the life of Simón Bolívar, the man known as El Libertador who freed six nations, Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia, from Spanish rule. It is essential reading for understanding the independence movement that continues to shape Peru's national identity.
View on AmazonLost City of the Incas
Bingham tells the story of his own expedition, the one that brought Machu Picchu to the attention of the wider world. Written by the explorer himself, it carries the genuine thrill of discovery rather than a secondhand retelling.
View on AmazonDeath in the Andes
Peru's Nobel laureate blends detective fiction with political allegory in this panoramic novel of political violence and social upheaval, woven through with the country's older connection to Indian culture and pre-Hispanic mysticism. It offers a more complicated view of modern Peru than any history alone could provide.
View on AmazonPeru: The Cookbook
Peru's most acclaimed chef showcases the traditional, homemade dishes that make this one of the world's great cuisines. It is the ideal closing note, a reminder that Peru is a place to be tasted as thoroughly as it is read about.
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