Treasures of the Andes: The Glories of Inca and Pre-Columbian South America [Hardcover]

Jeffrey Quilter (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 28, 2006

Centuries before the Incas, a number of advanced cultures flourished in the Andes. This beautifully illustrated study examines the rise and fall of these different peoples, and their magnificent legacy of design and craftsmanship. Surviving artifacts show incredible skill and sophistication, from exquisitely detailed textiles, ceramics, and metalwork to spectacular architectural sites. Tracing the connections between symbolism and belief, art, and myth, Treasures of the Andes sets the riches of South America in their historical and regional context and restores an important missing piece in the jigsaw puzzle of the world's great civilizations.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Duncan Baird (July 28, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1844831876
• ISBN-13: 978-1844831876
• Product Dimensions: 12 x 9.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,018,441 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent - informative and lavishly illustrated, October 21, 2007

By 

Dave Essery (Upper Hutt, Wellington New Zealand) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Treasures of the Andes: The Glories of Inca and Pre-Columbian South America (Hardcover)

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Firsly the illustrations are lavish, both in quantity and in clarity and colour, and alone are worth buying the book for. The ancient Andean world was a colourful place and this book does it full justice with wonderful photographs of textiles, ceramics and metal work. There are many photographs of artefacts and sites that I have not seen before which was makes the book refreshingly new. Even when familiar sites are photographed (Machu Picchu for example) the choice has been made to include shots from unusual but interesting angles.

I was also impressed by the written content. I know of Jeffrey Quilter through his work with Gary Urton editing Narrative Threads - a book on the Khipu (Quipu). His account in this volume is very readable and gets across some key points regarding Andean culture well. The difficult balance of providing some detail on each culture whilst avoiding generalisations is successfully achieved. The theme of building from the earliest cultures to the lastest shows both the variety and the continuity of Andean cultures and what a creative place the ancient Andes were.

In short, I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in ancient Peru.

Regards, Dave Essery www.ancientdave.com

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Truly a Treasure, January 4, 2008

By 

B. Evans (Chicagoland) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Treasures of the Andes: The Glories of Inca and Pre-Columbian South America (Hardcover)

Revised Review

The editorial reviewer and customer Dave Essery have accurately summarized what awaits one between the covers of this book. I would, however, add the following specifics about its stunning photography. Of its 202 colored photographs, 69 are one- to-two-page spreads; only 55 are smaller than a third of a page. Panoramic views, monumental sites and their architectural details comprise approximately 25% of the photos, which is to say that textiles, ceramics, and metalwork are not slighted.

As for the appeal of the text-- Because my interest in pre-Columbian cultures and their artistry/craftsmanship has only recently been sparked, I wanted a book that gave me a basic understanding of them without overwhelming me with voluminous detail. And this is precisely what Jeffrey Quilter does, in well-written, non-academic prose. Yet the text may also appeal to those who are knowledgeable about those cultures. Said one such friend to whom I loaned my book, "I enjoyed reading it because it was like a refresher course that jogged my memory and brought to mind other things I'd read but had forgotten."

TREASURES OF THE ANDES, in other words, is a book that many will treasure. I have, however, detailed the contents of it in Comment #3 so that you will be better able to determine if it is a book you want to purchase.