11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Seeing Where The Condors Dwell, December 10, 2008
This review is from: Machu Picchu Revealed (Hardcover)
Seeing Where The Condors Dwell
Review by Greg and Bobbie Hobbs
of Ruth M. Wright's Machu Picchu Revealed
(Johnson Books 2008)
December 10, 2008
What a beautiful little photo-story book Ruth Wright presents to the high marks of Machu Picchu. On two different journeys, we've had the opportunity to use Ruth's much more detailed Machu Picchu Guidebook, co-authored with Alfredo Valencia, for exploring the vistas and hidden niches of this incomparable place.
Now with condor eyes and a poet's voice, Ruth reveals the spirit within these storied stones: "Here all the elements of Inca cosmology came together in one place--the mountains, the holy Urubamba River, melted snows from Mt. Salcantay, the heavens and the Pleiades."
Through years of field work since 1994, Ruth has mastered the archeology of Machu Picchu with the help of Peruvian archeologist Valencia. During that time, she and her water engineer husband, Ken, have helped restore ancient fountains and trails lost for five-hundred years.
This just isn't a pretty picture book, it's a showcase of understanding--spectacularly photographed--from the Gate of the Sun to the summit of Huayna Picchu.
Many of the best shots look you through rock windows Inca artisans designed lovingly for viewing "apus, the mountain gods of the high Andes, with their snow-covered peaks and glaciers."
Illustrating the utilitarian purpose of water, a sacred resource, Ruth shows how the Quechua people "captured the water and brought it to the center in a creatively designed canal, on its own terrace and at just the right grade. From there it flowed freely down through sixteen fountains for ceremonial purposes and as a domestic water supply for the inhabitants, who would fill their aryballos (pottery bottles)."
Contemporary Quechuans have a place of honor in this book. Ruth celebrates their handsome faces, their hard-working hands, and the love of their children swaddled in hand-woven carrying blankets.
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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
National Geographic-quality Photography, November 29, 2008
This review is from: Machu Picchu Revealed (Hardcover)
This lovely, little, inexpensive book really sums up the beauty and mystique of Machu Picchu. I consider it a coffee-table book that doesn't cause a storage problem, because it would fit on most bookshelves. On the other hand, you will be in no hurry to put it away.
The National Geographic-quality photos literally take your breath away as you turn each page. The book is arranged in a comprehendible fashion, with just enough text to give context and flavor. It would make a great memento for people who have been to Machu Picchu or a perfect gift for the traveler who hopes to visit soon.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Machu Picchu, October 8, 2009
This review is from: Machu Picchu Revealed (Hardcover)
Very interesting book. Highly recommend reading works and listening to any online lectures by both Ruth and Ken Wright before visiting Machu Picchu. Pre-readings really enriched the on-site experience.
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