The Machu Picchu Guidebook: A Self-Guided Tour - Softcover

Ruth M. Wright; Alfredo Valencia Zegarra

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1555663079 ISBN 13: 9781555663070

Publisher: Westcliffe Pub, 2001

Synopsis

Whether you have three hours or three days at Machu Picchu, this guidebook will help you see things of significance that otherwise might just blend in with the overall grand impressions of this magical place. Built in the mid-fifteenth centruy by Incan royalty and "rediscovered" by Hiram Bingham in 1911, Machu Picchu is the stuff of legends. The authors offer an almost step-by-step tour, constantly guiding the traveler to understand key elements of the function and construction of these remarkably well-designed, well-built, and well-preserved ruins. A full-color foldout map along with some 150 illustrations, many of them in full color as well, will make this the indispensable guide. No traveler should go to Machu Picchu without this superb little book.

About this title

From the Inside Flap:

"The Machu Picchu Guidebook is a wonderful volume. Not only does it offer a clear and well-illustrated guide to this unique site, but it incorporates new interpretations and insights of investigators actively involved in the archaeological study of Machu Picchu, including the authors themselves. I recommend it highly to all those planning a visit to Machu Picchu." —Richard L. Burger, Director, Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, home to the 1912 Bingham Machu Picchu Treasures

"The best all around guide for all who've been or are going to Machu Picchu. This outstanding little book leads you step-by-step through this fabulous site with a knowledgeable text and a magnificent selection of black-and -white and color photographs. Incorporating the latest archaeological discoveries and insights, this valuable guidebook opens your eyes to the genius of the Inca and brings Machu Picchu to life as never before. Comes with the best map of the ruins ever produced. Absolutely indispensable!"
—Don Montague, president, South American Explorers

"A tour de force! Ruth Wright and Alfredo Valencia Zegarra have written the definitive guide to Machu Picchu. A delight to read, their clear and concise expert narrative is an invaluable reference for first-time and returning visitors alike. The first guide to explore in depth the architectural and engineering wonders of Machu Picchu, this guidebook recaptures the excitement of Hiram Bingham's 1911 discovery of the legendary Inca site, while at the same time providing the most up-to-date archaeological information, fully illustrated with architectural plans—including a spectacular new foldout color site plan—analytical drawings, and historic and contemporary photographs."
—Humberto Rodriguez-Camilloni, Ph.D., Professor of Architecture and Director, Henry H. Wiss Center for Theory and History of Art and Architecture, College of Architecture and Urban Studies, Virginia Tech

About the Author:

Ruth M. Wright wove a twenty-five-year fascination with Machu Picchu into an authorized investigation when she and her husband, Ken Wright author of recently published "Machu Picchu: A Civil Engineering Marvel," were granted a permit in 1994 from the Peruvian National Institute of Culture to study the site. The Wrights live in Boulder, Colorado.

Alfredo Valencia Zegarra is a professor in the Department of Anthropology and Archaeology at the University of Cusco and a registered professional archaeologist with the Peruvian National Institute of Culture. He spent several years as the resident archaeologist at Machu Picchu.

About this edition

• Publisher: Westcliffe Pub
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 1555663079
• ISBN 13: 9781555663070
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 162