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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
I loved this book...but it was at least partly because I read it while traveling in Peru and visiting Macchu Picchu. Adams writes about an adventure story, while exploring the rich history of Peru. Thanks, Katie, for the rec.
If you have visited MP, start the book and see if it doesn't draw you in the way it did me.
If you have visited MP, start the book and see if it doesn't draw you in the way it did me.
Hiking the Inca Trail is on my bucket list and was planning on going in 2020 before Covid hit. This provided some great history of the American explorer Hiram Bingham who put Macchu Picchu on the map. I really appreciated the history of the conflict between the Incas and the Spaniards that provides you with the historical context. To round out the story, the author provides anecdotes of his own experience following in Bingham's footsteps giving great insight into what it is like today to explore the Inca civilization. I feel much more informed as to how my own experience will go.
A travelogue by a white dude which reminded me why I don't usually read travelogues by white dudes.
There were some fun facts in here, but I still can't believe it took Adams 2/3 of the way through the book to really dig into why saying Hiram Bingham "discovered" Machu Picchu is problematic, or the fact that so much of his narrative focused on insights of an Australian outdoorsman, instead of, idk, the actual Quechua people he spent time with.
There were some fun facts in here, but I still can't believe it took Adams 2/3 of the way through the book to really dig into why saying Hiram Bingham "discovered" Machu Picchu is problematic, or the fact that so much of his narrative focused on insights of an Australian outdoorsman, instead of, idk, the actual Quechua people he spent time with.
I've wanted to hike the Inca Trail for the better part of two decades. Reading this book was the catalyst I needed to book my tickets. My experience won't be nearly as epic but this book definitely deepened my appreciation for the journey.
3.5 stars because it's a nonfiction book that I actually finished.
This author was really funny and he turned some historical parts that could have been stuffy into entertaining sound bites.
I found this book overwhelming, sometimes, with facts. It felt like it took 15 minutes to digest a page in some places, especially since I don't know very much about Peru or Machu Picchu. It wasn't bad- it was just difficult/time consuming.
The ending was kind of weird to me. It felt like the book should have ended and he suddenly tacked on that he had to go back, like Bingham... but it sounded like Bingham went on several expeditions, so using that as a reason seemed kind of flimsy and made me roll my eyes. You have extra money to do another Machu Picchu expedition? Fine. You really don't need to get super intense Jack on me, buddy.
Then I just had more questions. So, the original guide is there but he's just had open heart surgery? What? I guess that means they're friends now and just doing this hike as a friendly get together type thing because it sounds like there's another guide who specifically does the Inca trail here. Now there are interviews with people? The last part of the book felt like a hazy disjointed jumble. (I was also taking Tylenol 3 when I read it, so my criticism isn't 100% legit.)
Also, every time the first guide, John, would talk about how it was all connected and it all meant something but he sort of just left it open to what, I instantly thought about:
This author was really funny and he turned some historical parts that could have been stuffy into entertaining sound bites.
I found this book overwhelming, sometimes, with facts. It felt like it took 15 minutes to digest a page in some places, especially since I don't know very much about Peru or Machu Picchu. It wasn't bad- it was just difficult/time consuming.
The ending was kind of weird to me. It felt like the book should have ended and he suddenly tacked on that he had to go back, like Bingham... but it sounded like Bingham went on several expeditions, so using that as a reason seemed kind of flimsy and made me roll my eyes. You have extra money to do another Machu Picchu expedition? Fine. You really don't need to get super intense Jack on me, buddy.
Then I just had more questions. So, the original guide is there but he's just had open heart surgery? What? I guess that means they're friends now and just doing this hike as a friendly get together type thing because it sounds like there's another guide who specifically does the Inca trail here. Now there are interviews with people? The last part of the book felt like a hazy disjointed jumble. (I was also taking Tylenol 3 when I read it, so my criticism isn't 100% legit.)
Also, every time the first guide, John, would talk about how it was all connected and it all meant something but he sort of just left it open to what, I instantly thought about:
Part adventure travel, part history, part anthropology, and part expose on the discovery of Machu Picchu, Mark Adams hires John Lievers, a guide from Australia in an attempt to retrace Hiram Bingham's journey in a quest to understand why the Incans built Machu Picchu.
I enjoyed this book quite a bit. There's a lot of Incan history that I was not aware of. I also enjoyed the historical analysis and expose on Hiram Bingham's discovery of Machu Picchu. With the help of a number of photographs, Mark does a fine job of also describing the setting for this adventure. I've been to Machu Picchu, and after read this, realize how much that I missed. It makes me want to go back and take it in more and at the very least explore the surrounding area that leads up to it.
I enjoyed this book quite a bit. There's a lot of Incan history that I was not aware of. I also enjoyed the historical analysis and expose on Hiram Bingham's discovery of Machu Picchu. With the help of a number of photographs, Mark does a fine job of also describing the setting for this adventure. I've been to Machu Picchu, and after read this, realize how much that I missed. It makes me want to go back and take it in more and at the very least explore the surrounding area that leads up to it.
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
I thought this would be adventure with history but there was more history than adventure. I became restless at the end of the book, but overall an interesting read that makes me want to hike to Machu Picchu even more.
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced