The Conquest of the Incas, John Hemming's masterly and highly acclaimed account of one of the most exciting conquests known to history, has never been surpassed.
From the first small band of Spanish adventurers to enter the mighty Inca empire to the execution of the last Inca forty years later, it is the story of bloodshed, infamy, rebellion and extermination, told as convincingly as if it happened yesterday. It also tells the social impact of the conquest, on ordinary Peruvians forced to work for Spanish masters or in hellish silver and mercury mines, on change of religion and government, and how survivors of the Inca elite reacted to the new order.
FULLY REVISED AND UPDATED EBOOK EDITION FOR 2012
This 2012 e-book edition includes an extensive revision and update of the text, bibliography, notes and other end-material, to report the latest theories and discoveries. It also has a new appendix about recent finds of Inca ruins in Vilcabamba beyond Machu Picchu.
A must-read book for anyone considering a trip to Peru or wanting to know more about the final days of the Inca empire.
PRAISE FOR THE CONQUEST OF THE INCAS
"The Conquest of the Incas is an extraordinary book. In it, rigorous historical research and profound analysis combine with stylistic elegance to produce a work that conveys to us, in all its richness and diversity, the tragic and fabulous history of the Inca realm; and it is as delightful to read as the best novels."
- Mario Vargas Llosa, Peruvian, Nobel Laureate in Literature
"Simply put, The Conquest of the Incas by John Hemming is the bible for historians and archaeologists studying the final days of the Inca. There is no other book which is even in the same class. For South American scholars, visitors to Peru, or any adventurer, it is an unmatched must-read book. The publication of a new e-version insures that it will continue to inspire readers well into the future."
- Professor Brian S. Bauer, University of Illinois at Chicago, leading Inca archaeologist
"It is distinguished by an extraordinary empathy, a feeling of one’s way into the minds of the 16th-century Spaniards and Indians… it seizes hold of the imagination. It tells a dirty story. It makes you wonder why. It should be read."
- John Leonard, New York Times
"It is a delight to praise a book of this quality which combines careful scholarship with sparkling narrative skill... his works brims with fresh facts and insights."
- Philip Magnus, The Sunday Times
"A superbly vivid history distinguished by formidable scholarship, uncluttered language, a graphic sense of the craggy or desolate terrain in which the tragic combat took place."
- Dennis Potter, The Times
"A mountain of a book… but there is nothing arduous about the reading of it: the hard work has all been done by John Hemming. It is a superb work of narrative history…"
- Antonia Fraser, Financial Times
"To read Hemming’s Conquest was to be taken by a tireless traveler, scholar and expert guide... through the deserts, mountains and jungles in which the tragic conflict raged. Every description… rang with the authority of one who had spent time there and read everything which both sides had to say."
- Ronald Wright, Times Literary Supplement