Realm of the Incas

Realm of the Incas is a celebration of the extraordinary diversity at the heart of Tihuantinsuyo, or 'Land of the Four Quarters,' as the Inca Empire was known before its conquest in 1533. Max Milligan's book charts a journey of breathtaking beauty, from the sacred snows of the Andes down into the virgin Amazon rainforest, encompassing the most richly biodiverse area on the planet.

At the centre of the region stands Cuzco, meaning literally 'The Navel' to its founders, and today acknowledged as the archaeological capital of South America and a World Heritage Site. Within a single day's drive to Cuzco are eight distinct climates and habitats; and the myths, beliefs and customs of the inhabitants of these areas are equality diverse. In the highlands, remote communities still farm llamas and alpacas in medieval style, while the islanders of Lake Titicaca use solar panels to generate their electricity. Beyond the gaze of eco-tourists, deep in protected reserves, the rainforests of Madre de Dios support tribes of native Indians pursuing a stone-age existence.

Max Milligan has left virtually no stone unturned in his explorations; whether recording the icy source of the Amazon, the Sacred Valley of the Incas, Fitzcarraldo's trade routes or the cactus forests of Apurimac, his passion and determination to do his subject justice shine through. With its magical photography and lively text, endorsed in the foreword by John Hemming (whose own definitive work The Conquest of the Incas was described in The Times as 'superbly vivid history distinguished by formidable scholarship'), Realm of the Incas is, quite simply, the culmination of Max Milligan's fifteen-year love affair with Peru's fabled Inca Region.