The Last Days of the Incas by Kim MacQuarrie was unexpectedly fascinating! Over the last few years, I have been working at building my knowledge of the history of the Americas, including the history of its first inhabitants as well as their struggle with European powers. And this book didn't disappoint.
The Incas were one of the great imperial powers on the South American continent. From a small territory surrounding Cusco, they exploded on a path of military conquest and imperial domination that was triggered by an attempted invasion of their heartlands.
In fact, MacQuarrie's book really does a good job of establishing the history of the Incas, their culture, and their approach to maintaining power. The Incas were ruthless, but like the Romans, they were also builders. They used labour requirements to ensure improvements were made across the empire, important resources warehoused, and peace functionally maintained within their boundaries.
Equally, The Last Days of the Incas does a great job of exploring the motivations of the Spanish, the Kings and their demands for gold, silver and saved souls, and the often poor conquistadors who were trapped by birth in a rigid class system in their native lands. Winning in the 'New World' could lead to wealth, power and status that could never have been achieved in Spain.
Ultimately, a small band of conquistadors led by Francisco Pizarro and his brothers conquered the Incas and their massive armies with strategic brutality and kindness, but always with superior military technology and cultural tools like writing. In fact, the technological imbalance led to results that were hard to believe. One hundred armored Spanish cavalry could take on and defeat tens of thousands of men put in the field by the Incan emperors. You would think that sheer numbers would have mattered more than steel and swords, but not the case.
Regardless, the fight waged by the last emperors, whether Atahualpa, Manco Inca, or Tupac Amaru was one of skill, desperation and perseverance. They slowly learned how to defeat the armored Spanish, utilize captured weaponry, and the Incase were almost able to push the Spanish back. However, continual reinforcements by the Spanish made it difficult for the Incas to win in the end.
One area where I would have like to see more in The Last Days of the Incas is in terms of the native allies that joined the Spanish cause and fought the Incas. We learn very little about their motivations, their contributions or really how their involvement impacted the final outcomes.
The Last Days of the Incas also has a secondary plot or narrative that I really enjoyed. The main historical overview of the conquest of the Incan empire by the Spanish was bookended by the story of the modern search for the lost cities of the Incan empire, including Vitcos and Vilcabama. It was fascinating as the search also led American explorers to Machu Picchu which ultimately opened that site up to the world.
Really enjoyed this one and highly recommend it for anyone interested in the history of the Americas, and its original inhabitants and people. Speaking of history of the Americas and their first peoples, check out my reviews of Empire of the Summer Moon and Emperor of the North.
Publication date: 2008 Publisher: Simon & Schuster Page Count: 522
Great Source for Buying Books:
I often buy new books at a very good price from Book Outlet. As I understand it, Book Outlet sells overstock books received directly from new bookstores. You can find a broad range of genres, publication dates as well as soft covers and hardcover.
If you are interested in checking out Book Outlet, please follow my link. I don't get paid for referrals, but I can earn credits that are applicable to my own book orders. Help me read and review books so that you can avoid things or find things that are up your alley!
Comments
Post a Comment