Machu Picchu
Best Books on the History of Machu Picchu
1. Machu Picchu by Johan Reinhard. Best overall for understanding the site itself, written by a leading Andean archaeologist.
2. The Last Days of the Incas by Kim MacQuarrie. Best for the history of the Inca Empire and the events surrounding Machu Picchu.
3. Turn Right at Machu Picchu by Mark Adams. Best blend of history and adventure.
4. Machu Picchu: Unveiling the Mystery of the Incas by Richard L. Burger and Lucy C. Salazar. Best scholarly reference for deeper study.
Recommended reading order: start with MacQuarrie for the Inca story. Then Reinhard for a detailed understanding of the site. Then Adams for an engaging historical travel narrative. And finally Burger and Salazar for academic depth.
Graham Hancock’s Books – Fingerprints of the Gods and Heaven’s Mirror – are considered “alternative history” but I think they are fantastic, more accurate and like all Hancock’s books, fun to read.
Stonework that looks like it was touched by two distinct sets of builders.