The Incas

The Incas, a 'small and insignificant tribe', rose to control an empire which rivalled that of ancient Rome, and in the process welded together many different conquered peoples into 'one of the most organised and regimented societies that has ever existed'. The author describes clearly but in fascinating detail the culture, beliefs and achievements of this extraordinary civilization and how it developed. The Incas had no written language yet developed a highly organised system of government; they produced skilled surgeon-priests who carried out brain surgery and blood transfusions, and architects and builders whose feats of engineering still have the power to astonish their twentieth-century counterparts. Whilst a few photos of places and artefacts have been interspersed throughout the text, the colourful and copious illustrations are predominantly artists' impressions (but Machu Picchu surely needed a photograph to depict the full glory of its stunning location.)