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One man goes in search of the lost cities of the Amazon in the Inca heartland.
The lost cities of South America have always exercised a powerful hold on the popular imagination. The ruins of the Incas and other pre-Colombian civilisations are scattered over thousands of miles of still largely uncharted territory, particularly in the Eastern Andes, where the mountains fall away towards the Amazon.
Twenty-five years ago, Hugh Thomson set off into the cloud-forest on foot to find a ruin that had been carelessly lost again after its initial discovery. Into his history of the Inca Empire he weaves the story of his adventures as he travelled to the most remote Inca cities. It is also the story of the great explorers in whose footsteps he followed, such as Hiram Bingham and Gene Savoy.
The lost cities of South America have always exercised a powerful hold on the popular imagination. The ruins of the Incas and other pre-Colombian civilisations are scattered over thousands of miles of still largely uncharted territory, particularly in the Eastern Andes, where the mountains fall away towards the Amazon.
Twenty-five years ago, Hugh Thomson set off into the cloud-forest on foot to find a ruin that had been carelessly lost again after its initial discovery. Into his history of the Inca Empire he weaves the story of his adventures as he travelled to the most remote Inca cities. It is also the story of the great explorers in whose footsteps he followed, such as Hiram Bingham and Gene Savoy.
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Reviews
`It is a measure of Hugh Thomson's skill as a writer, historian and explorer that The White Rock is such a pleasure...'
`The White Rock is the long-awaited definitive travel book on Peru.'
`A record of one man's obsession with the Incas over a period of 20 years...an obsession that led him to search out (and in one case discover) Inca ruins in the most inaccessible places, far beyond the reach of tourists.'
`It is the mixture of historian, traveller and film-maker that makes The White Rock come alive as few other books about South America have done.'
Thomson's wit, eye for detail and reverence for humanity set him apart¿he is as good a companion as a traveller could hope for.
`In The White Rock, the whole continent becomes a plot with suspense and a cast of outrageous characters...This is Bruce Chatwin with cojones.'
Thomson's account of his travels through the Inca heartlands weaves geographical, spiritual, personal and historical strands to an effect as rich and vivid as a Peruvian shawl.
'I'll look forward to all his future stories if they're even half as well told, as vivid and funny and human, as this one.'
Time and again he brings the Incas to life as real people.
The White Rock is a gem of a book, an intelligent, balanced and indeed original look at the empire of the Incas
`A riveting account of South American exploration and Peruvian culture, full of unforgettable stories and amazing facts.'
Engrossing... the sort of book that fires the armchair traveller with a desire to follow in its author's footsteps.
`It is Thomson's generosity of spirit which stands out and makes this a great book...a work that is both accessible and academically rigorous.'
`One of the strongest debuts I have read for a while.'