A review by sams84
Lost City of the Incas by Hiram Bingham

4.0

This is an amazingly gripping account of the discovery of Machu Picchu by Bingham in 1911 as well as the discovery of a few other Incan locations that lead him to it. Despite being written in the late 1940s, this is a really readable account and brings the expedition to life with vivid descriptions of all aspects of life, from the day to day challenges of getting supplies deep in the jungle and to the top of mountains to the sense of awe as the scale of their discoveries hit home. The book starts with an summary of Incan history, particularly its last days and the arrival of the Spanish, which was immensely interesting and very useful as I'm not that familiar with the Incans. Even this part of the book was easy to read and follow and brought the final days of these people to life, which is a skill in itself and often something lacking many historical accounts. A thoroughly enjoyable read.