Product Description

The lost cities of South America have always exercised a powerful hold on the popular imagination. The ruins of the Incas and other pre-Colombian civilisations are scattered over thousands of miles of still largely uncharted territory, particularly in the Eastern Andes, where the mountains fall away towards the Amazon. Twenty-five years ago, Hugh Thomson set off into the cloud-forest on foot to find a ruin that had been carelessly lost again after its initial discovery. Into his history of the Inca Empire he weaves the story of his adventures as he travelled to the most remote Inca cities. It is also the story of the great explorers in whose footsteps he followed, such as Hiram Bingham and Gene Savoy.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #69780 in Books
• Published on: 2002-06-06
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 432 pages

Review
Hugh's fantastic discovery of a new Inca site has caused a lot of interest in him and the paperback of THE WHITE ROCK, which I've given a press date of 27 June. Hugh was interviewed on the Today programme yesterday and a large news article about the discovery appeared in the Telegraph (6th June) and also on Points West News on BBC 1. Hugh has written a piece for the Sunday Times news review (9th June) and he wrote a piece for the Daily Mail (29th June). Articles have also appeared in Times (6th June) and Mail (6th June) and Daily Telegraph (8th June). Hugh has written a piece about the discovery for Traveller magazine. There was also be an article, by Nicholas Woodsworth, in the Financial Times on 29th June about travel writers, which mentioned THE WHITE ROCK. Hugo is being interviewed by his local paper, the Western Daily Press and BBC Radio Bristol, as well. '...interesting, funny, informative...Thomson is aborn storyteller, and he sensitively writes about the lost world of the Incas and so proves himself a better spokesman for their culture that the swashbuckling explorers who went before.' Sarah Jenkins, TNT magazine 'Thomson strikes me as...a robust version of Robert Byron...his dogged pursuit of his quarry, in his ability to take the rough with the smooth, in his narrative skill and especially in his knowledgeable analysis of architecture...Engrossing.'Geoffrey Moorhouse, NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW 'Thomson is a terrific storyteller...[his] wit, eye for detail and reverence for humanity set him apart from the average travel-adventure writer he is as good as a traveler could hope for.

The Independent, Andy Martin
‘In The White Rock, the whole continent becomes a plot with suspense and a cast of outrageous characters'

Sunday Times, Anthony Sattin
‘A fascinating tale, intelligently told, and one of the strongest debuts I have read for a while’

Customer Reviews

Funny, clever and original - a must for enthusiasts of Peru!
If you have ever visited Peru, or are about to visit, or just interested in the history of the country, then this book is for you. It is a book of one man's travel in the country, but with a twist. He does not only visit the country, but explores the myths, the archeology and written historical accounts with a view to questioning long-held modern beliefs of the Inca's and their Cities.

This is a presentation of the history of the Conquest, reminiscent of John Hemming's "The Conquest of the Inca's", but with the extra twist of allowing the reader to follow in the Author's footsteps as he retraces in person the journey of the Conquistadors and the ensuing reactions of the Inca's.

I loved this book. A year after returning from my first visit to the country I was suddenly transported back there and feel like I have been shown a new slant on a much documented subject - surely this means I have to go back now!!

An exploration of the Inca heart & soul
"The White Rock; An Exploration of the Inca Heartland," by Hugh Thomson is a probing insight to the heart and soul of the ancient Inca people. The author is an explorer, historian and filmmaker. However, since the Inca civilization left no written records...Thomson constructed his understanding of the Inca piece by piece...step by step and day by day. Consequently he is now arguably one of the world's foremost experts on Peru's early society.

The author is modest. He acknowledges that luck played a large role in his successful find of Llactapata. First discovered by the legendary explorer Henry Bingham in 1911...(but he was never able to find it again.) Hence it was lost for over a half century until the remarkable discovery by the young tenderfoot from England. Moreover, Thomson playfully admits in the early portion of the text that luck was evident throughout his humble early beginnings in Peru.

The author took twenty years to write this book and provides a seasoned eye to help the reader understand why the Inca build where they did. I was particularly impressed with the meticulous research from beginning to end of this book. To this end, the text has a scholarly quality to it but Thomson's irreverant writting style keeps the narrative lively. Overall, Thomson brilliantly manages to document the Inca people's dramatic civilization and the terrible annihilation of the vast empire by the 16th century Spanish Conquistadors. Recommended.

Bert Ruiz

A traveller's guidebook
This book is dedicated to pilgrims everywhere. It is an epic story emanating from one man's decision to leave everything behind to discover, and later, re-discover Peru. It is told over a 20 year period and, in the process of discovering Peru, the author discovers himself. Hugh Thompson is one of us; he narrates as if he knows we are listening; he keeps us involved!
Most of us have a fair idea about Peru's historical ancesters - multiple tribes of Indians collectively knowns as "Incas",who worshipped the sun, wore colourful custumes and who shaped beautiful objects from the plentiful supplies of gold and silver. Alas, their world was to be turned upside down by 150 Spanish invaders who, with their modern weapons and protective metal gear, defeated a confused, vulnerable and highly superstitious race. Hugh breaks up this tragic history over the entire story as he travels through Peru. We are fed pieces of the history and we greedliy ask for more.
The books starts brilliantly - "Raiders of the Lost ark" was released just as he returned from his first visit to Peru and he excitedly watched it in a London cinema. Although too fantastic for words, the vision of "Indy" searching in caves for a lost inca idol is the stuff of legends. Secretly, we all see ourselves in that role - the discoverer of lost artefacts in forgotten, swampy, tropical jungles.
His first visit was in 1982. He sees an unrefined yet friendly place as he and some friends "rough it". There are many discomforts and food is constantly rationed as they trek off the beaten path. Alcohol, coca plants, excessively-strong joints and food-binges in Cusco become a regular respite. He becomes a real traveller and jokingly scorns the "tourists" who arrive at Macchu Piccu the easy way. Thompson is in awe of this lost city but he is looking for other forgotten locations, lost in the undergrowth. He is loath to give Hiram Bingham too much credit for "discovering" Micch Piccu. The city was known to locals and previous travellers but Bingham gets the credit for "reporting it officially". Thompson refutes the former's assertion that Macchu Piccu was a last refuge for Inca women, there to serve the last Inca and worship the sun as it broke through the mountains at dawn.
Thompson, like myself, feels a deep sense of loss at the distruction of the empire by a small group of greedy and brutal foreigners - the beautiful gold and silver idols they crafted melted to make bullion. This is turn mirrors the melting down and disintegration of a most distinct culture. It is a very tragic tale and the reader can become affected by the brutality of their demise.
Thompson eventually reaches the white rock, the last location of the Incas...and we take a deep breath and start to read it all over again....
As I contemplate a future vist to Peru this book will be my best companion...Top reading!