 
The Machu Picchu Guidebook: A Self-Guided Tour
Average Rating: 4.5 Total Reviews: 27
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 On: 2008-04-19
This book is fairly scholarly and serious, but I read it on a cross-country flight, using the detailed map insert to locate key items as I read. It made my enjoyment of the site itself many many times greater. Most local guides you hire at the site will only show you "Machu Picchus greatest hits", and with the books knowledge you can really appreciate what they are taking you to and can explore the rest effectively on your own. I was glad to have read and studied the book and its many illustrations ahead, however, as the weather was wet and using it as an on-the-spot guide wouldnt have worked so well.
On: 2008-01-19
The reviews of this book on Amazon and elsewhere are comprehensive on its strengths and weaknesses. Weve been using it as we research our trip to Peru, plan to carry it to Machu Picchu, and are certain to refer to it as a reminder after our return home.
My list on Listmania! indicates how many books weve consulted in advance of our trip; weve been annotating Ms Wrights volume with notes as we read through that list.
At Machu Picchu itself, well continue annotating and consulting her guide, depending on local resources. That will create a very useful memory aid when we put our pictures together after the trip, and when we just want to relive our visit.
My wife and I did the same thing with an excellent pocket sized guide to Pompeii years ago, where we broke away from the guided tour and spent hours wandering on our own. We carried it back to Italy a few years later, and added additional annotations to the same book. Weve often re-read that little guide and re-lived those two excursions.
We plan to take Ms. Wrights advice to see the sunrise from the Guardhouse, "where a visitor can anticipate the sun with nothing more than a llama grazing in the distance. As the golden rays slip down Huayna Picchu, the buildings on the ridge below start to emerge from the shadows until Machu Picchu is presented in all its glory. It is a breathtaking, almost spiritual experience, and one you will never forget."
We can hardly wait.
On: 2007-07-18
I spent 8 hrs visiting Machu Picchu following the guide. It was very detailed in describing each sector and the information given was enough to get a good understanding of the place. We walked to see the "Inca Bridge" and it described exactly what to expect and when to stop walking. I will recommend this book to anyone that is going to visit Machu Picchu. Great guide!!!
by: Anonymous On: 2007-05-12
Having walked the plateau and ruins of Machu Picchu over a two day period this book has served as a marvelous tool to relive the experience. The wealth of pictures, duplicating some of my own, and the text set a perspective for this wonder of the world. Subtitled as "A Self Guided Tour" the book does accomplish that role. If there is a negative to the book it rests with the fact that most of the photographs are shot in black and white. Even so, you will have no difficulty recognizing the sites as you stand before them.
by: Anonymous On: 2007-03-14
The book was a great book to have while at the site and to refer back to upon return from the trip. It provides a great insight into the construction and detailing as well as closeby offsite areas that are important to know about.
On: 2007-03-13
The book was a great book to have while at the site and to refer back to upon return from the trip. It provides a great insight into the construction and detailing as well as closeby offsite areas that are important to know about.
by: eklock On: 2007-01-17
This book will not significantly enrich any persons knowledge of this priceless architectural relic. Poorly written, poorly illustrated and frustrating devoid of any new perspective or information, many publications available are considerably better at providing an understanding of this fantastic site. Pass on this one.
On: 2007-01-16
This book will not significantly enrich any persons knowledge of this priceless architectural relic. Poorly written, poorly illustrated and frustrating devoid of any new perspective or information, many publications available are considerably better at providing an understanding of this fantastic site. Pass on this one.
by: Anonymous On: 2006-11-11
...but a tour is better. This was very informative in preparation for going to Machu Piccu, but the last thing you want to do when walking around the ruins is read a book. I took a tour which made the book unnecessary. If you have no plans to go to Peru, this book has fantastic pictures and gives a good sense of what it is like.
On: 2006-11-10
...but a tour is better. This was very informative in preparation for going to Machu Piccu, but the last thing you want to do when walking around the ruins is read a book. I took a tour which made the book unnecessary. If you have no plans to go to Peru, this book has fantastic pictures and gives a good sense of what it is like.
by: Anonymous On: 2006-08-21
This guide is indispensible if you are traveling to Machu Picchu. Nothing at the site is labeled, so having the book makes the experience much more meaningful, and allows you to interpret what you are seeing.
by: gvenkatesan On: 2005-10-21
This book is a "must have" if you are visiting Machu Picchu. I carried this book in my backpack for 4 days on the Inca Trail hike and it was well worth carrying the extra weight.
Machu Picchu is the remains of an entire urban area complete with agricultural, residential, royal and religious areas. You should plan on spending at least a day at Machu Picchu to fully experience this site. This book is all you need for a complete self-guided tour of Machu Picchu. This book covers everything in detail and packs in a lot more information and insights into the Inca culture and style of architecture than any guided tour will cover (guided tours typically last only 2-3 hours). Even if you have a guide, this book will be an useful supplement.
The book comes with a clear fold out map of the entire Machu Picchu site. The book divides the site into several zones (the Temple of the Sun area, the Royal Residence, the Sacred Plaza etc.) and devotes a separate chapter to each zone. Each chapter comes with its own maps, nice photos and concise descriptions of everything that is interesting to see in that zone. The authors have ordered the chapters according to their recommended sequence of areas for exploring Machu Picchu. I followed the same sequence and would highly recommend it also. Apart from these above chapters the book also contains several additional chapters that provide background and supplemental information. The chapter on the Inca Water Management system is particularly enlightening because the complexity of the water system is not readily apparent when you stare over the maze of ruins in Machu Picchu. Water still flows into Machu Picchu from a mountain spring and this chapter provides some insight into the ingenuity of the Inca engineers in providing ample water for the agricultural terraces and the inhabitants of the urban center. The chapter titled "Side Trips" gives you ample information on the sites around Machu Picchu like the Inca Drawbridge, the trail to the peak of Huayna Pichu and the Temple of the Moon etc. One other nice feature is that the new edition has an interesting fold-out section showing an artists depiction of how Machu Picchu looked liked in its heyday.
If you are interested in learning more about Inca architecture, I would highly recommend Inca Architecture by Gasparini and Margolies. Hiram Binghams Inca Land and Lost City Of The Incas are staple reads before you venture out into the land of the Incas.
Also, some general advice on visiting the Machu Picchu site. The site opens early in the morning at 6am and the site is relatively calm until the trains from Cusco start arriving at around 10:30 am onwards. If you do the Inca Trail hike you will get to Machu Picchu at sunrise. If not, I would suggest that you take the train from Cusco the previous day and spend the night in Aguas Calientes. This way you can catch the early bus to Machu Picchu (a 20 minute ride) and enjoy the site before the crowds arrive. It is truly a once-in-a-lifetime event. Make sure you have the time and space to enjoy it!
by: gvenkatesan On: 2005-10-20
This book is a "must have" if you are visiting Machu Picchu. I carried this book in my backpack for 4 days on the Inca Trail hike and it was well worth carrying the extra weight.
Machu Picchu is the remains of an entire urban area complete with agricultural, residential, royal and religious areas. You should plan on spending at least a day at Machu Picchu to fully experience this site. This book is all you need for a complete self-guided tour of Machu Picchu. This book covers everything in detail and packs in a lot more information and insights into the Inca culture and style of architecture than any guided tour will cover (guided tours typically last only 2-3 hours). Even if you have a guide, this book will be an useful supplement.
The book comes with a clear fold out map of the entire Machu Picchu site. The book divides the site into several zones (the Temple of the Sun area, the Royal Residence, the Sacred Plaza etc.) and devotes a separate chapter to each zone. Each chapter comes with its own maps, nice photos and concise descriptions of everything that is interesting to see in that zone. The authors have ordered the chapters according to their recommended sequence of areas for exploring Machu Picchu. I followed the same sequence and would highly recommend it also. Apart from these above chapters the book also contains several additional chapters that provide background and supplemental information. The chapter on the Inca Water Management system is particularly enlightening because the complexity of the water system is not readily apparent when you stare over the maze of ruins in Machu Picchu. Water still flows into Machu Picchu from a mountain spring and this chapter provides some insight into the ingenuity of the Inca engineers in providing ample water for the agricultural terraces and the inhabitants of the urban center. The chapter titled "Side Trips" gives you ample information on the sites around Machu Picchu like the Inca Drawbridge, the trail to the peak of Huayna Pichu and the Temple of the Moon etc. One other nice feature is that the new edition has an interesting fold-out section showing an artists depiction of how Machu Picchu looked liked in its heyday.
If you are interested in learning more about Inca architecture, I would highly recommend Inca Architecture by Gasparini and Margolies. Hiram Binghams Inca Land and Lost City Of The Incas are staple reads before you venture out into the land of the Incas.
Also, some general advice on visiting the Machu Picchu site. The site opens early in the morning at 6am and the site is relatively calm until the trains from Cusco start arriving at around 10:30 am onwards. If you do the Inca Trail hike you will get to Machu Picchu at sunrise. If not, I would suggest that you take the train from Cusco the previous day and spend the night in Aguas Calientes. This way you can catch the early bus to Machu Picchu (a 20 minute ride) and enjoy the site before the crowds arrive. It is truly a once-in-a-lifetime event. Make sure you have the time and space to enjoy it!
by: victorkaftal On: 2005-08-26
This is a decent guide book if you have only a few hours to spend in Machu Picchu. I had a day an a half and was somewhat disappointed by the book: too little solid info and too much "fluff". For instance, the enclosed maps number all the rooms and buildings, but the text mentions only a few, with no attempt made to guess the use/function of the other ones. Not enough explanation is given of which parts are original and which are reconstructed. The visiting routes are often confusing and I found that exploring on my own was easier. The historical context and info on Inca life is spread throughout the text instead of being presented up front. On the positive side, the USAs authors husband is a hydrological specialist and the info on Incas water management is solid.
All that said, I have not looked at other guidebooks and this one may yet be the best one. It is certainly better than nothing or than what you can hear in a rushed 2 hours tour from a local guide...
On: 2005-08-25
This is a decent guide book if you have only a few hours to spend in Machu Picchu. I had a day an a half and was somewhat disappointed by the book: too little solid info and too much "fluff". For instance, the enclosed maps number all the rooms and buildings, but the text mentions only a few, with no attempt made to guess the use/function of the other ones. Not enough explanation is given of which parts are original and which are reconstructed. The visiting routes are often confusing and I found that exploring on my own was easier. The historical context and info on Inca life is spread throughout the text instead of being presented up front. On the positive side, the USAs authors husband is a hydrological specialist and the info on Incas water management is solid.
All that said, I have not looked at other guidebooks and this one may yet be the best one. It is certainly better than nothing or than what you can hear in a rushed 2 hours tour from a local guide...
by: jb@tritv.com On: 2005-06-22
Visited Machu Picchu just yesterday with this guide in hand and I have to say that we covered almost every key point the authors of this guide recommend seeing. It truly is an easy to follow, information packed book that leads you clearly throughout the site. We missed only two fairly minor stops due to a little lack of clarity perhaps, but all in all I would fully recomment this as a vital reference to pack on your trip to MP - or even to learn a little more about this wonderfully spiritual spot.
by: caseallen On: 2005-06-17
Although I had the new edition, I found most of the logistical information (costs, times, etc.) out of date. But this is to be expected in Peru--as anyone who has visited there knows how fast things can change.
That said, however, Ruths "tours" are wonderful, and give you plenty of information relating to the history, myth, and location of numerous, and often-overlooked, sites. With this guidebook you have all you need to spend four hours to one week (or more) exploring Machu Picchu (assuming you have the money to spend that long there). It is truly an indispensible book for the Machu Picchu traveler.
by: ncpa On: 2005-03-05
When you hike at high altitudes, you take your backpack weight seriously. This book is well worth its 15 ounces. It takes you through the ruins with multiple maps and illustrations. It explains what we do and dont know about the functions of the buildings and terraces. The book is organized by areas. When you reach a certain section of the ruins, you can turn to that section for pictures, descriptions and suggestions on how to walk through the area.
The section on water management illustrates the brilliance of the Inca engineers.The section on the climb up Huayna Picchu, is detailed and makes the climb less daunting. The description also give appropriate cautions about climbing there in slippery weather.
On several pages, there are photographs of the ruins next to artists renditions of what the buildings might have looked like when they were in use in the 1500s.
by: rosegoddess4 On: 2005-02-14
When I went to Machu Picchu for the first time, I paid for a personal guide because the entrance fee to the ruins doesnt include a guide. Later I found out about this book, and I was disappointed to see that it showed lots of things the guide didnt show me when I was there.
This book tells you step by step where to start your tour and where to finish it. It has clear pictures, easy-to-understand maps and directions, and every structure and building is well explained. You cant get lost with this guidebook. Its better than paying for a personal guide.
by: sunukp On: 2005-01-27
I purchased the book because I elected not to book a tour. I finished roughly half of the book on the train to Machu Picchu from Cusco through the Urubamba valley. I found the authors enthusiasm contagious -- by the time I arrived in Aguas Caliente, a short bus drive away from the citadel, I was excited. It was only after I physically ran into the entrance to the trail leading up to Huayna Picchu at the northern end of Machu Picchu that I learned the trail was open to the public to hike.
Huayna Picchu is the imposing peak that appears in the background of the most common image of Machu Picchu. Its peak hosts architectural structures of its own, and provides a spectacular aerial view to Machu Picchu. The very steep trail takes about an hour to climb. It is a site not to be missed in my opinion, but one has to plan in advance to visit, primarily because the entrance to the trail closes at 1pm. Huayna Picchu, though its name is mentioned in the books preface, is not dealt in detail until close to the end of the book. This is why I suggest readers to at least skim till the end of the book before arrival.
Other reasons why the book should be read prior to arrival are for the obscure artifacts. For instance the image stones on the walls of Intiwatana (the principal temple), which supposedly represent (and replicate) the surrounding mountains can easily go neglected if one hadnt read the corresponding entries in the book -- the stones look like natural stones placed where they are by happenstance unless one knows of their significance a-priori.
The book is thorough, serves its purpose well, and as pointed out earlier, does not fail to convey the enthusiasm of the author. However I think it could have made better if it included a list of locations not to be missed upfront. Hiring a local tour guide arguably is the best option, but the book is the next best thing, especially if compared to other self-guides in print.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-05-28
Ive travelled a lot, but rarely with guidebooks. Its easier to borrow them from the library, xerox the maps, and travel light. This guidebook is an exception. Its photos, maps, drawings, and diagrams are very informative as well as beautiful (rare), its explanations clear, and the understanding it gives is vital to wise use of time at a site which can be very confusing to navigate. Its NEEDED, to find your way through a very labyrinthian place. I found myself pouring over the book for hours before going to Peru, and learning more from the book and the research behind it than any of us knew was there. With it, I was able to understand a very complex site when I arrived there. Geology is a vital element in the power of this place, many of its most exciting places are hidden underneath the major temples or accessed from some remote corner, and the motivations for the very unusual siting and use of natural rock by the builders difficult to unravel. Its about the only guidebook I would recommend that people buy and travel with. Thank you, Ruth and Alfredo!
by: Anonymous On: 2003-09-13
I went to Machu Picchu for the first time last year with nothing more than a camera, an issue of the April 2002 National Geographic and "Insight Guides- Peru". I thought I had planned my trip fairly well, but felt a little disappointed with the information I had read about Machu Picchu. After exploring Machu Picchu for 2 days, I ran into several tourists who were carrying Ruth Wrights book. They ALL seemed so confident and knowledgable during their treks because of the information and map contained in the book. I then ran into one of the Wright Water Engineers who came with Ruth to Peru to do some surveys of Machu Picchu. The gentleman was nice enough to give me one of his maps (the same one contained in the book), which was to become invaluable to me during my journey. When I got home, I read the book, cover to cover and have been reliving my journey through it. DONT PLAN A TRIP TO MACHU PICCHU WITHOUT IT!! Its like taking Ruth with you to Machu Picchu.
by: gregoryhobbs On: 2002-09-19
University of Denver Water Law Review,
Vol. 6, Issue 1, Fall 2002 (forthcoming January 2003)
Reprinted with Permission of the Author and the Law ReviewColoradans Ken and Ruth Wright have teamed with Peruvian archeologist Alfredo Valencia to place back in working order the sixteen fountains of Machu Picchu. You can see for yourself. The Inca were master water handlers. They chose Machu Picchu as a ceremonial center because the mountains and the river spoke to them of life-giving power. The Urubamba River far below snakes triangular around the base of Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu Mountains. A saddle between these peaks cradles the temples, rock shrines, dwelling places and agricultural terraces that dance between the clouds in early morning and emerge to sunlight by noon. Water at the center of it all. The paleohydrologic studies of the Wrights and Valencia reveal how the Inca predicated the design and construction of Machu Picchu upon the flow of a spring. From high on the side of Machu Picchu Mountain, a canal brings water across an agricultural terrace to the first fountain just above the Temple of the Sun. From there, 16 fountains splash, spout and sing down a staircase to the Temple of the Condor. You can see for yourself. Inside of Ruths and Alfredos Guidebook is a foldout archeological map of Machu Picchu. Study it. See how the Inca trail leads into the upper and lower agricultural terraces. Notice how the Inca Canal cuts across the drainage moat to bisect the western and eastern urban sectors. Spot the Sacred Rock at the start of the Huayna Picchu trail, where Quechua families still hug the visible manifestation of Pachamama, the earth mother. Now you are ready for your self-guided tour. Just inside the entrance gate, climb to the Guardhouse. Pause to see how the water supply canal passes right by food storehouses. Cross the Inca Trail coming in from Cusco and stand beside the Guardhouse. Below you stretches the whole of this incredible cradle of civilization-lovely green of the main plaza feeding llama and alpaca; Inca stones rising on either side to form the ceremonial and residential edifices; and the crop-growing terraces on the flanks of the cradle falling away to the Urubamba River. Step-by-step, Ruth and Alfredo talk you by the printed page through these wonders. Plan on several days. You will have the joy of misty morning and sun-streaked afternoons. The day-traintrippers will be gone. Wind through the Rock Quarry. Pause in the quiet of the Unfinished Temple. You can take the time to side hike to the Sun Gate, Machu Picchu Mountain, the Inca Drawbridge and Huayna Picchu Mountain. Talk with other visitors. The world is here for good reason. Ruth and Alfredo immensely aid the visitors Machu Picchu experience. They bring new information to old understandings: "There are many different ways to experience Machu Picchu. We hope this guidebook will give you the tools to do it in your own way. In the last several decades, much has been learned about the Inca in general and Machu Picchu in particular. Since the Inca had no written language, scientists have had to `read their artifacts, their stones, their temples and their mummies to establish their place in history. Recent information and new analyses of earlier findings are shedding additional light on these truly remarkable people and their culture." The Guidebook starts with an introduction to the history and topography of Machu Picchu. Chapters follow dedicated to the Guardhouse and The Terrace of the Ceremonial Rock; the Western Urban Sector; the Eastern Urban Sector; Various Sites on the Way Out; and Side Trips. Marvelous detail attends every page. The accompanying photographs are many and well shot. They draw your attention to the features described in the text. Pay particular attention to the numerous huacas. These are the Inca sacred places, typically consisting of naturally situated or human placed rocks cut to the shape of surrounding peaks. These people loved their mountains. Dont be afraid to make some wrong turns as you orient yourself. The structure of the Guidebook divides Machu Picchu into hemispheres. You start by going down from the Guardhouse to the Main Gate to the Temple of the Sun; then you turn laterally to the residence of the Inca and back through the Western Urban Sector up to the Rock Quarry, the Sacred Plaza and the Intiwantana. Then you proceed clockwise past the Sacred Rock and Unfinished Temple into the Eastern Urban Sector, finishing at the Temple of the Condor. Making the walk in this way takes you away from the staircase of the 16 fountains early on. You encounter the staircase and the fountains again when you reach the Temple of the Condor much later. Sometime during your multi-day visit to Machu Picchu, you will want to follow the staircase in one continuous movement down from the Main Gate to see, feel and hear the fountains flow sinuously. I especially like the fountains. SIXTEEN FOUNTAINS Down a granite staircase sixteen
Fountains carry the spring
Falling from the Sungate, high on
Machu Picchu mountain You can hear the mountain-singing
Hands of master craftsmen
Scoring stone with hammer rock and
Praying Pachamama To the temple of the arcing
Sun, jetting water out
When water runs for rock and men
And all is feminine.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-01-31
Late one July afternoon in 1982, I found myself perched on a ledge overlooking the Machu Picchu archaeological site some 500 feet below. Having probed the bushes near the sites so-called guard tower, I had found some overgrown stepping stones and had begun hiking upward. One half-buried step led to the next, and within an hour I had reached this ledge. Along the way I had discovered a remarkable semi-circular stone staircase -- and managed to avoid the bushmasters said to be slithering nearby.As an anthropologist myself, I wish that I had had a copy of a guidebook even half as good as that authored by Ruth Wright and Alfredo Valencia Zegarra. Combining a clearly written text with intriguing photos and practical diagrams, The Machu Picchu Guidebook is the single best publication on this site that I have seen. While written primarily for the astute traveler, it will be of use to professionals as well. My own work with indigenous water systems in places like Guyana and Indonesia led to my cursory examination in 1982 of the system at Machu Picchu. It proved fascinating, but I had little time for study. To their credit, Ruth Wright and her husband, Ken Wright (in conjunction with a number of their colleagues from the U.S. and Peru) instituted a remarkably thorough archaeological/engineering investigation of this Incan system in the 1990s. This same degree of care and attention to detail is seen in the guidebook, which had its genesis in their archaeological research. In conclusion, it should be noted that Ruth Wright is a former chair of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of The Explorers Club. Her book brings an explorers enthusiasm to Machu Picchu, while maintaining high standards of authorship.
by: dwfp On: 2001-11-02
I recently returned from a trip to Peru and Bolivia, and I found this Guidebook to be as necessary a part of my visit to Machu Picchu as my backpack, water and camera were. Ms. Wright and her fellow contributors have created a Guidebook that enhanced my experience beyond my expectations. Thank you, Ms. Wright, et al.!! Her suggested route through the site is not only accurate and detailed, in words, pictures and maps, but helped me see and begin to understand this amazing place through the eyes of someone who has spent a great deal of time there. Her comments and suggestions molded my visit, allowing me to see as much as possible, at my own pace, without feeling as if I missed anything. I even quizzed some fellow travelers who had hired local guides and I found they had overlooked several details, both large and small, that Ms. Wrights Guidebook is chock full of. The only difficulty I had in following her suggested path was getting from the Sacred Rock area (Conjunto 6) up to the Petroglyph. The description of the route became unclear and due to time constraints, I never did visit it. But other than that minor glitch, this Guidebook should be required for anyone considering a trip to Machu Picchu! Brava, Ms. Wright!
by: kapajo On: 2001-09-05
DO NOT visit Machu Picchu without this book! Your experience will be severly diminished!! Follow the authors suggested route, starting up top at the guard house. Thank you, Ruth Wright, for writing this marvelous guide!!
by: mwbookrevw On: 2001-07-04
Built in the mid-fifteenth century by Inca royalty and found by Hiram Bingham in 1911, Machu Picchu has become one of South Americas premier travel destinations, experienced by more than 300,000 tourists every year. Ruth Wright and her husband Ken Wright of Wright Water Engineers were granted a permit in 1994 from the Instituto Nacional de Cultura de Peru to study this famous site and teamed up with resident Machu Picchu archaeologist Alfredo Valencia Zegarra to create the most authoritative, detailed, and up-to-date guide currently available to the general public. The Machu Picchu Guidebook is specifically designed to be used as a do-it-yourself tour book enhanced with a full-color fold-out map and 150 illustrations. Whether as an armchair traveler with an interest in Incan culture and artifacts, or an on-site visitor seeking to explore the marvelous wonder of this ancient Incan city, The Machu Picchu Guidebook is a rewarding, "reader friendly" guide to this grandly designed archaeological treasure.
by: Anonymous On: 2001-06-05
Hats off to publisher Johnson Books for making this wonderful ... book available to serious travelers headed for Machu Picchu. The book is accurate and reliable besides being easy to read and understand. Wright and Valencia have provided an insight to Machu Picchu that far exceeds what the best local guides can explain and without their lore and myths aimed at foreign tourists. The 8 pages of glorious colored photographs complement the 160 black and white pictures and sketches. The fold-out colored map is a reduction of the map already hanging on the Fourth Floor of the Denver Art Museum. This book is a must for tourists, architects, engineers and archaeologists wanting to visit Machu Picchu someday. Those who have already visited the lost city of the Inca will appreciate it even more. Upon finishing the book, you will appreciate the pre-Columbian Inca people who created this masterpiece royal estate of Emperor Pachacuti.
by: Anonymous On: 2001-06-05
The Wright/Valencia Guide to Machu Picchu provides an up-to-date, step-by-step, scientifically accurate and highly interesting walk through of this mangificant archaeological wonder of the Western Hemisphere. This guide book will make you realize just why the National Geographic Society rated Machu Picchu as fifth on the World Wonder list and why the United Nations named it as a World Heritage Site. If you cant get to Machu Picchu, this is the next best thing to seeing it with your own eyes.
by: Anonymous On: 2001-06-05
Hats off to publisher Johnson Books for making this wonderful ... book available to serious travelers headed for Machu Picchu. The book is accurate and reliable besides being easy to read and understand. Wright and Valencia have provided an insight to Machu Picchu that far exceeds what the best local guiddes can explain and without their lore and myths aimed at foreign tourists. The eight pages of glorious colored photographs complement the 160 black and white pictures and sketches. The fold-old colored map is a reduction of the map already hanging on the Fourth Floor of the Denver Art Museum. This book is a must for tourists, architects, engineers and archaeologists wanting to visit Machu Picchu someday. For those who have already visited the lost city of the Inca, you will appreciate it even more. Upon finishing the book, you will appreciate the pre-Columbian Inca people who created this masterpiece royal estate of Emperor Pachacuti.
by: roypd On: 2001-05-15
There are some things in life that appeal mainly to the connoisseur: others you would have to have a heart of stone not to be touched by. Machu Picchu belongs to the latter category. It makes a huge impression on all who see it. However, while it is both possible and pleasant to wander around the ruins in a dream-like state, soaking up the atmosphere, most people would appreciate the Incas achievements all the more if they understood more about the functions of the various buildings and the problems that had to be overcome, e.g. in supplying the city with water. I have visited Machu Picchu twice and considered myself fairly well informed but learnt a great deal from each chapter of this book. Anyone who reads the book, and better still takes it along and uses it at the site in the manner intended by the authors, will get even more out of their visit than they would otherwise. Next time I go Machu Picchu, whenever that will be, I will see things in a new light.
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