Can anyone suggest a list of good books to read before a trip to Peru? Novels, history, etc. Anything that will give me some knowledge and background before I make the trip...

Just finished reading The Last Days of the Incas by Kim Macquarrie. Fascinating and interesting.

If you are going to Machu Picchu as one would assume, the Ruth Wright guidbook: The Machu Picchu Guidebook: A Self-Guided Tour. I'm not sure if it's out of print but you can get a Kindle edition for $10.

Ruth Wright MP Revealed

Bridge at San Luis Rey

Chariots of the Gods for the Nasca Lines

Good recently published travel guidebook

FootPrints for Shoestring Fodors Gold Guide LP etc.

http://www.amazon.com/One-River-Wade.../dp/0684834960

for amazon indegena info of intertest

My husband & I did extensive reading for our recent trip. Here are some we enjoyed:

Running the Amazon by Joe Kane
A fascinating account of white water & ocean kayaking the entire length of the Amazon.

Witch Doctor of the Upper Amazon by Bruce Lamb
This is a great book & a favorite of mine since my undergraduate study of anthropology. It is the story of Manuel Cordova-Rios, a famous healer & shaman in Peru, who was captured by an indigenous tribe as a young teen & trained to lead the tribe by the chief. It is fascinating to read & I highly recommend it.

A Parrot Without A Name - Don Stap

Don't Sleep, There Are Snakes - Daniel Everett
This is an account of a missionary turned linguist/anthropologist who lived in the Amazon for many years. Skip the parts about the in-fighting in the anthropology community. Otherwise a very interesting & readable book.

Second the recommendation of the Last Days of the Incas - very readable & will give you a great head start on knowing what you are looking at before you get there. MacQuarrie has also done a video on Manu that you can find on-line.

Happy reading!

They aren't novels, but DK's Eyewitness Travel had some very good foundational information.

"The Conquest of the Incas" by John Hemming. After 30 years or so, still the best book on the subject with an excellent combination of a good history lesson with engaging narrative.

For fiction, try Mario Vargas Llosa. I particularly enjoyed one of his earlier novels, "Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter." http://www.amazon.com/Julia-Scriptwr...2865896&sr=1-6

Wikipedia says this about him:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Vargas_Llosa

Bookmarking. Thanks!!