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The Last Days of the Incas

Full Title: The Last Days of the Incas
Author: Kim MacQuarrie
Binding: Paperback
Pages: 522
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: 05 June 2008
ISBN 0743260503
Dewey Decimal: 985.02
Availability:Ready for order

Price: $11.53

Editorial Reviews

  • Product Description

    In 1532, the fifty-four-year-old Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro led a force of 167 men, including his four brothers, to the shores of Peru. Unbeknownst to the Spaniards, the Inca rulers of Peru had just fought a bloody civil war in which the emperor Atahualpa had defeated his brother Huascar. Pizarro and his men soon clashed with Atahualpa and a huge force of Inca warriors at the Battle of Cajamarca. Despite being outnumbered by more than two hundred to one, the Spaniards prevailed -- due largely to their horses, their steel armor and swords, and their tactic of surprise. They captured and imprisoned Atahualpa. Although the Inca emperor paid an enormous ransom in gold, the Spaniards executed him anyway. The following year, the Spaniards seized the Inca capital of Cuzco, completing their conquest of the largest native empire the New World has ever known. Peru was now a Spanish colony, and the conquistadors were wealthy beyond their wildest dreams.

    But the Incas did not submit willingly. A young Inca emperor, the brother of Atahualpa, soon led a massive rebellion against the Spaniards, inflicting heavy casualties and nearly wiping out the conquerors. Eventually, however, Pizarro and his men forced the emperor to abandon the Andes and flee to the Amazon. There, he established a hidden capital, called Vilcabamba. Although the Incas fought a deadly, thirty-six-year-long guerrilla war, the Spanish ultimately captured the last Inca emperor and vanquished the native resistance.

    Kim MacQuarrie lived in Peru for five years and became fascinated by the Incas and the history of the Spanish conquest. Drawing on both native and Spanish chronicles, he vividly describes the dramatic story of the conquest, with all its savagery and suspense. MacQuarrie also relates the story of the modern search for Vilcabamba, of how Machu Picchu was discovered, and of how a trio of colorful American explorers only recently discovered the lost Inca capital of Vilcabamba, hidden for centuries in the Amazon.

    This authoritative, exciting history is among the most powerful and important accounts of the culture of the South American Indians and the Spanish Conquest.

Customer Reviews

  • History comes alive

    I first read a copy of this book when I was beginning my research into the Inca Empire a few years ago, and I am glad that I did - this is a fantastic book that details the compelling, yet ultimately tragic, story of the end of the once powerful civilisation. "The Last Days of the Incas" focusses on the period following the Spanish arrival to Peru in 1532, and describes in vivid detail the engaging history of the last few decades of Inca resistance to European invasion, culminating in the retreat to Vilcabamba and ultimate end following its destruction in 1572. What struck me most about this book was the way in which the history was portrayed in such a manner that the reader feels compelled to it and the historical characters involved, feeling drawn into the story that - had it not actually happened - would have been a masterful work of fiction. The final chapters add to the story by allowing the reader to be transported from the violence and conquest of the 16th century to the discovery of the 20th; and by gaining a detailed insight into how relatively recent discoveries by Hiram Bingham, Gene Savoy and Vincent Lee and their re-discovery of the site of Vilcabamba at Espiritu Pampa, the reader is left with a wonder of the Inca Empire and the thrilling story of modern exploration and discovery in the once thriving Inca heartland. Overall, a detailed and compelling piece of work that speaks volumes about the final years of the Incas, and a greatly contemporary and relevant book for all readers; ranging from those who want to simply be told a gripping story, to those wanting to start or further their own research of the Incas.

  • Historical figures come alive

    Like a majority of others who have reviewed this book, I loved it; the best since Ferling's Almost a Miracle. MacQuarrie brings important historical figures come to live in his narrative of the Spanish invasion of the Inca empire. The only flaw I see in this book is the lack of maps and photos. I like to see who I am reading about and not everyone knows South America's geography; where is Vilcabamba in relation to Cusco. Overall, I thought this is an excellent and easy to read book about a tragic period in history.

  • Honest History

    I absolutely loved this book. Historically accurate and very interesting. I recommend this book even for people who are only slightly interested in the story of the Incas. Once you are done reading this book, you'll be wishing for a follow up book.

  • 5 Stars

    I recently read Kim MacQuarrie's "Last Days of the Incas," which greatly improved my understanding of the Spanish takeover of the Americas. There were times while reading the book that I felt twinges of "Shogun" ... such an epic tale. A great read. Highly recommended. Just sorry the book ended!

  • Good book

    This is an amazing tale of the amount of gold that was stolen form the Incas and how few people it took to do it.

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