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The Last Days of the Incas Paperback – Illustrated, June 5, 2008

by Kim MacQuarrie (Author)

4.6 1,355 ratings

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The epic story of the fall of the Inca Empire to Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro in the aftermath of a bloody civil war, and the recent discovery of the lost guerrilla capital of the Incas, Vilcabamba, by three American explorers.

In 1532, the fifty-four-year-old Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro led a force of 167 men, including his four brothers, to the shores of Peru. Unbeknownst to the Spaniards, the Inca rulers of Peru had just fought a bloody civil war in which the emperor Atahualpa had defeated his brother Huascar. Pizarro and his men soon clashed with Atahualpa and a huge force of Inca warriors at the Battle of Cajamarca. Despite being outnumbered by more than two hundred to one, the Spaniards prevailed—due largely to their horses, their steel armor and swords, and their tactic of surprise. They captured and imprisoned Atahualpa. Although the Inca emperor paid an enormous ransom in gold, the Spaniards executed him anyway. The following year, the Spaniards seized the Inca capital of Cuzco, completing their conquest of the largest native empire the New World has ever known. Peru was now a Spanish colony, and the conquistadors were wealthy beyond their wildest dreams.

But the Incas did not submit willingly. A young Inca emperor, the brother of Atahualpa, soon led a massive rebellion against the Spaniards, inflicting heavy casualties and nearly wiping out the conquerors. Eventually, however, Pizarro and his men forced the emperor to abandon the Andes and flee to the Amazon. There, he established a hidden capital, called Vilcabamba—only recently rediscovered by a trio of colorful American explorers. Although the Incas fought a deadly, thirty-six-year-long guerrilla war, the Spanish ultimately captured the last Inca emperor and vanquished the native resistance.

Review

“A welcome addition to the literature…Lively and dramatic” –The Washington Post

"Vivid...energetic...fascinating...riveting"--Publisher's Weekly, STARRED Review

"In this thrilling informative work...MacQuarrie also manages to spin the oft-told story of the discovery of Machu Picchu into narrative gold." --Entertainment Weekly

"Thoroughly and entertainingly recounted...MacQuarrie excels." --Forbes

"A first-rate...work of ambitious scope that will most likely stand as the definitive account of these people."—Booklist

"Fascinating and enthralling...the direct narrative brings alive people who existed 500 years ago. Truly a work worth Inca gold." -- The History Magazine

"The Last Days of the Incas reads like a novel...a delightful, eminently readable account." -- St. Petersburg Times

"Hooks the reader right away with its flowing, novelistic language...a ripping good yarn. And [it] would make a great movie, too." -- The Roanoke Times

Kim MacQuarrie's detailed, gripping account of the destruction wreaked by Spanish conquistadors following their arrival in the Incan empire in 1532 is a stand-out read. It's compelling, brutal and hugely revealing about the plight of the Incan people. – History Revealed

“A skillful mix of extensive research, insightful analysis, and masterful storytelling.” -- CHOICE (Current Reviews for Academic Libraries)

“Sensitive…heart-wrenching…astounding” -- The South American Explorer Magazine

"This is an excellent book...a detailed, highly accurate and thoroughly engaging narrative of these events" -- Dr. Brian S Bauer, Inca specialist, University of Illinois at Chicago, The Historian

"This is a wonderful book about one of the most epic struggles of history, a conquest that transformed a continent." -- Wade Davis, anthropologist and author of “One River” and “Into the Silence”

"A colorful, superbly crafted historical narrative that masterfully demonstrates that when cultures collide, unforeseen and tragic consequences follow....also a memorable adventure story, revealing the modern Indiana Jones-type characters that unearthed, and continue to discover, lost parts of the Inca Empire. “The Last Days of the Incas” is historical writing at its best." -- Broughton Coburn, author of “Everest: Mountain Without Mercy”

"The Last Days of the Incas surprises, delivers history, and reads like a great yarn. I've read yards of books on the Incas, but this one took me out of the classroom and into that long-lost world." -- Keith Bellows, Editor in Chief, National Geographic Traveler

"The story of the European conquest of the fascinating and fabulously rich empire of the Incas is one of history's most engaging and tragic episodes...Thanks to The Last Days of the Incas, Kim MacQuarrie's superbly written new treatment of the subject, it is now accessible to the much broader audience it deserves." -- Vincent Lee, author of “Forgotten Vilcabamba”

From the Author

A History and Military Book Club selection, a Kiriyama Prize "Notable Book," and an "Outstanding Academic Title" selected by CHOICE (Current Reviews for Academic Libraries)

From the Back Cover

In 1532 the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro arrived in Peru. With a company of 167 men, he brutally defeated the Incan emperor Atahualpa and eighty thousand of his warriors at the Battle of Cajamarca. The following year, the Spaniards seized the Inca capital of Cusco, believing that they had succeeded in conquering the largest native empire the New World had ever known. But the Incas did not submit willingly. A young Incan emperor, the brother of Atahualpa, soon led a massive rebellion against the Spaniards, nearly wiping them out. Eventually, he was forced to flee to the Amazon, where he established a hidden capital in the jungle, called Vilcabamba. From there, the Incas continued to defy the Spaniards, fighting a deadly guerrilla war that would last for thirty-six years. Drawing on both native and Spanish chronicles, Kim MacQuarrie tells the dramatic story of the Spanish conquest, with all its savagery and suspense, and recounts the search for the lost capital of Vilcabamba and its recent discovery along with Machu Picchu in southeastern Peru. A fascinating historical account and a modern-day adventure tale, The Last Days of the Incas brings one of the greatest epic stories in the world vividly back to life.

About the Author

Kim MacQuarrie is a writer, a four-time Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker, and an anthropologist. He is the author of four books on Peru and lived in that country for five years. During that time, MacQuarrie lived with a recently-contacted tribe of indigenous Amazonians, called the Yora. It was MacQuarrie's experience filming a nearby group of indigenous people, whose ancestors still remembered their contacts with the Inca Empire, that ultimately led him to investigate and then to write his book, "The Last Days of the Incas." A History Book Club and Military Book Club selection, the book was also chosen by the Kiriyama Prize Committee as a"notable book" for 2008 and as an "Outstanding Academic Title" by Choice. Currently FX Channel is developing "The Last Days of the Incas" as a 13-part scripted television series.

MacQuarrie's latest book, "Life and Death in the Andes: On the Trail of Bandits, Heroes, and Revolutionaries," is about a 4,300-mile journey along the Andes Mountains, the longest mountain chain in the world. During the journey, MacQuarrie investigated the lives and stories of Pablo Escobar, Che Guevara,Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Charles Darwin, Thor (Kon Tiki) Heyerdahl, and even an Inca "Ice Maiden," sacrificed 500 years ago on top of a 20,000-foot volcano, yet still perfectly preserved. Visit his website at: kimmacquarrie.com or his blog at kimmacquarrie.com/blog

Print length

522 pages
Language

English
Publication date

June 5, 2008
Dimensions

6.13 x 1.38 x 9.25 inches
ISBN-10

9780743260503
ISBN-13

978-0743260503
Lexile measure

1644L
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Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0743260503
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Simon & Schuster; Illustrated edition (June 5, 2008)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 522 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780743260503
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0743260503
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 1644L
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.17 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.13 x 1.38 x 9.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #42,829 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2 in Ancient Incan History
- #2 in Peru History
- #69 in Native American History (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.6 1,355 ratings

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Kim MacQuarrie

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Kim MacQuarrie is a writer, a four-time Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker, and an anthropologist. He is the author of four books on Peru and lived in that country for five years. During that time, MacQuarrie lived with a recently-contacted tribe of indigenous Amazonians, called the Yora. It was MacQuarrie's experience filming a nearby group of indigenous people, whose ancestors still remembered their contacts with the Inca Empire, that ultimately led him to investigate and then to write his book, "The Last Days of the Incas." A History Book Club and Military Book Club selection, the book was also chosen by the Kiriyama Prize Committee as a "notable book" for 2008 and as an "Outstanding Academic Title" by Choice.

MacQuarrie's latest book, "Life and Death in the Andes: On the Trail of Bandits, Heroes, and Revolutionaries," is about a 4,300-mile journey along the Andes Mountains, the longest mountain chain in the world. During the journey, MacQuarrie investigated the lives and stories of Pablo Escobar, Che Guevara, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Charles Darwin, Thor (Kon Tiki) Heyerdahl, and even an Inca "Ice Maiden," sacrificed 500 years ago on top of a 20,000-foot volcano, yet still perfectly preserved. Visit his website at: www.kimmacquarrie.com or his blog at www.kimmacquarrie.com/blog

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4.6 out of 5

1,355 global ratings

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Keith Hansen

Pizarro's Gamble Almost Failed

Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2023

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This book is a well-written, popular history surrounding the mostly unknown but immoral treachery by the Conquistadors over the young Incan empire and the immediate events surrounding it, including a Conquistador civil war and a long Incan guerrilla insurgency. However, I found the epilogue of the book about the 20th century discovery of Vilcabamba - last of the Incan capitals - to be dull and unnecessary.

The book was enthralling and reads like a novel. However, I would have preferred a bit more of an academic treatment as it was unclear how such a small band of rapacious adventurers managed to hold together a sprawling empire even while fighting amongst themselves. I also found the great siege of Cuzco to be anti-climatic with insufficient explanation of how the Conquistadors managed to survive what should have been annihilation.

As for the Pizarro brothers - they were rogues and despicable people not worthy of any respect, although Francisco may have been the least roguish of the lot. The treachery, greed, and mercilessness was hard to read. However, it should be remembered that these men should not be considered representative of all Spaniards at that time, coming from backwards Extremadura as they were. Nor should the Conquistadors be considered as agents of the King of Spain as they were independent free-lancers and in fact there were attempts to rein in their excesses (though they were rewarded with encomiendas).

The gambit by the Conquistadors was successful because its timing was fortuitous - the Incan empire was actually relatively new and managed by a tiny minority. Then the emperor died from disease leading to a fratricidal civil war that weakened the empire just when the Pizarro brothers captured Atahuallpa. The Incans struggled to deal with the horses and gunpowder, which they had no experience with - although this novelty soon wore off as the Incans developed methods to counteract. Finally, the Incans were naive as to the Conquistador's motives not having any experience with such rapaciousness and treachery (though the Incan emperors could be just as merciless). Ironically, when Almagro was merciful to his fellow Conquistadors, he paid with his life.

Easy, fun and informative read so recommended.

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"El que mas tiene, mas quiere" (He who has more, wants more)

Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2012

Verified Purchase

The Spanish proverb, "He who has more, wants more" could not be more apt for the Spanish conquest and occupation of South America, especially regarding their usurpation of the Incas. MacQuarrie does a truly outstanding job of describing the decades-long struggle for control of western South America, the only significant drawback being his inclusion of the modern archaeloglical competition (and conflict) over the discovery of "lost" Incan ruins.

It is a compelling story. Francisco Pizarro arrived in South America with a mere handful of men (168 soldiers, 62 on horseback), "seeking a way around one of life's basic rules ... In Peru, as elsewhere in the Americas, Spaniards were not looking for fertile land that they could farm, they were looking for the cessatin of their own need to perform manual labor." In this respect, Pizarro and his men became successful beyond their wildest imaginings. This is not to suggest that the Incas easily gave up and went gently into that good night - far from it. For fourty years the Inca tenaciously and heroically fought back before eventually capitulating. MacQuarrie is not a historian, yet he has meticulously researched and cited his sources in his retelling of the encounter between the Spaniards and the Incas, to his credit. He is also a good writer, vividly putting readers in the center of the action and intrigue.

And there is plenty of intrigue, on the parts of both Inca and Spaniards. The Inca had no formal line of succession - when an emperor died, civil war was expected, the strongest son surviving. This political infighting was exploited by the Spaniards. On their first contact, Atahualpa (the then emperor of the Inca) planned on castrating the Spaniards and seizing their horses - Pizarro, however, struck first. Even as the Spaniards began to consolidate their power, there was infighting, manipulation and double-dealing between groups of conquistadors. It would be difficult for a writer to invent the thrilling ups and downs of the fortunes of the principal characters as the story unfolds, and MacQuarrie retells it in a masterfully.

Why, then the four stars? Bookending this riveting true story, MacQuarrie includes the 20th century rediscovery of Maccu Piccu, Ollantaytambo, Vitcos and Vilacabamba by modern archaeologists and fortune hunters. Like the Spaniards before them, these men were similarly driven, this time not by gold, but fame and international recognition. And like the Spaniards, there was intrigue and manipulation, in this case over who was the first to "discover" these ruins (I use quotation marks, as in several cases, Peruvian natives were literally living alongside and in these "lost" ruins - of course, scarcely any mention is made of this by those who "found" them). While this was interesting, I felt it didn't fit very well with the broader historical narrative.

As a general history, this is really excellent work. The politics, economy and society of the Inca are intertwined with the personal histories of Pizarro (and other familiar names like De Soto and Leon, both of whom participated in the conquest of the Inca before seeking their own fortunes) and the Machiavellian plotting fueled by greed of the Spaniards. Highly recommended.

11 people found this helpful

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Jon

Informative and enjoyable

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 27, 2022

Verified Purchase

Detailed history of the fall of the Incas to the Spanish in the 16th century. Highly readable, and gives a real insight into the personalities of the main protagonists, both Inca and Spanish. Narrative history as it's best.

eric tan

Must read, if you wonder how a group of Conquistadores could conquer the Inca Empire.

Reviewed in Singapore on December 20, 2020

Verified Purchase

Kim MacQuarrie's book brings this historically fascinating event to life, not just from accounts of the Spaniards but also from local accounts. It has filled a long-vacant gap in my appreciation for the history of South America. Amazon has ensued speedy and immaculate delivery.

siddharth

Incredible

Reviewed in India on March 24, 2017

Verified Purchase

A history book that reads like a superb thriller. The material is well researched and extremely interesting in itself. But Kim Macquarrie gives it that extra magic which keeps you at the edge of your seat anticipating the next twist in the complex dance between the Incas and the Spanish

One person found this helpful

Rafael

Excelente Livro

Reviewed in Brazil on August 4, 2016

Verified Purchase

Um excelente livro para quem tem interesse de conhecer a história do império Inca e como ocorreu seu declínio.
Autor foi fantástico neste livro

One person found this helpful

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Jeanette

Most interesting history book I've ever read!

Reviewed in Canada on April 4, 2016

Verified Purchase

I don't normally like history books. But this is a huge exception. I loved this book! I couldn't put it down!
I've visited Ecuador and Peru and I feel terrible now that I didn't appreciate the sites that I saw. I wish I'd read this book before I went. Now, I want to go back and walk in the steps of the Inca rulers and Spanish invaders. I want to see every battleground and hold with the book open in my hands as I travel from site to site.
Apart from bringing these historical characters to life, MacQuarrie also brings the story to modern day. The epilogue was useful to relating the old place names to the villages and sites we'd find on a modern map.

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