If you would like to read up on Peru, here are some of our top picks based on our own experience and reader reviews.
By the way, if you are already living in Peru, please know that Amazon delivers here; so, as long as you have a legit address, you should have no trouble receiving the books. Just be ready to wait three to four weeks. (note: some of the books below are also on Kindle).
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PERSONAL DISCOVERY AND HUMAN ACHIEVEMENT
“Doves Fly in My Heart” is one woman’s courageous journey of emerging from a life that no longer felt worth living to reclaim her spirit and create a new life of joy and meaning.
Lessons in Courage: Peruvian Shamanic Wisdom for everyday life serves up an extraordinary story, dealing with nothing less than individual, spiritual, and planetary transformation.
‘Touching the Void: The Harrowing First Person Account of One Man’s Miraculous Survival’ is an epic tale of fear, suffering, and survival; a poignant testament to unshakable courage and friendship. “A truly astounding account of suffering and fortitude.
In ‘Mother of God’ this explorer and conservationist relives his amazing odyssey exploring the heart of this wildest place on earth.
‘The Sacred Science’ describes how in 2010, Nick Polizzi did something unimaginable. He assembled a group of eight desperately ill patients from around the world and brought them into the heart of the Amazon rainforest to put the mysterious medicines of native shamans to the test.
TRAVEL AND GUIDE BOOKS
“Lonely Planet Peru” is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. It is the #1 best selling guide to Peru.
A New York Times bestseller, ‘Turn Right at Machu Picchu’ is a fascinating and funny account of the writers’ journey through some of the world’s most majestic, historic, and remote.
“The Inca Trail, Cuzco and Machu Picchu” is an all-in-one guide for a hiking holiday in the Inca region of Peru. Includes 70 maps – 15 town plans, 15 maps of Inca ruins, 40 hiking maps.
You might find that some of the photos are a little old, and some of the text is tiny but ‘The Machu Picchu Guidebook: A Self Guided Tour’, but this comprehensive traveler’s guide is still one of the best on offer.
HISTORY
“The Last Days of the Incas” is 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.
“The Quinoa Chronicles: How a humble food from the High Andes became a worldwide sensation” speaks of how quinoa’s unique strengths as a food crop, its amazing nutritional characteristics, and its culinary excellence are finally getting the recognition they deserve.
“A Brief History of Peru” is a little dated in the sense that the narrative only reaches 2006, but still, it a good place to start for anyone doing general research on Peru and is recommended for general and academic collections.
“An Inca Account of the Conquest of Peru” is a firsthand account of the Spanish invasion, narrated in 1570 by Diego de Castro Titu Cusi Yupanqui – the penultimate ruler of the Inca dynasty.
“Andean Tragedy: Fighting the War of the Pacific” recalls how the year 1879 marked the beginning of one of the longest, bloodiest conflicts of nineteenth-century Latin America: The War of the Pacific. Peru ended up on the losing side, and the scars and resentment still exist today.
WELL KNOWN PERUVIAN AUTHORS
“Lituma in the Andes” is part detective novel and part political allegory, it offers a panoramic view of Peruvian society.
“Aunt Julia and the Script Writer” is Mario Vargas Llosa’s brilliant, multilayered novel that is set in the Lima, Peru, of the author’s youth, where a young student named Marito is toiling away in the news department of a local radio station.
“Sexographies” is one Gabriela Wiener’s first books translated to English. Gabriela has a reputation as a gonzo journalist in Peru, and she often takes an active role in whatever subject she investigates, bringing her stories up close. But behind the irreverence and crazy anecdotes, you’ll see that she can really turn a phrase on its head.
In “The Distance Between Us”, Renato Cisneros, a renowned Peruvian journalist, writes about his troubled relationship with his father, “El Gaucho”, a feared Minister of the Interior during Peru’s military dictatorship in the early 1970´s.
FOR KIDS
“If Your Were Me and Lived in Peru” exciting introduction to world cultures written for young readers ages three through eight, this new expedition takes kids to South America and gives them a colorful glimpse into what living in Peru is like.
Based on their real-life travels, ‘Hannah & Amy go to Peru’ offers your child a glimpse of the people, animals and sites of Peru.
These “Spanish Flash Cards for Kids” take advantage of your young learners’ natural aptitude.
ART AND CULTURE
In “Faces of Tradition: Weaving Elders of the Andes” you’ll find the stories of ancient weavers. The landscapes that they occupy in the Cusco region of the Andes are vividly portrayed through personal stories and life experiences, bringing to life the decades of endurance, skill, fortitude, and natural pride.
“The Ayahuasca Visions of Pablo Amaringo” is a collection of never-before-published paintings by renowned artist Pablo Amaringo. • Contains 47 color plates of Amaringo’s latest works, with detailed narratives of the rich Amazonian mythology underlying each painting.
NATURE
Nearly eighteen hundred different bird species–one fifth of the world’s birds–have been recorded in Peru. ‘Birds of Peru’ is the most complete and well-researched field guide to this rich and fascinating diversity.
LEARNING SPANISH
“Chapa to Jerga” is a Peruvian slang guidebook with tons of contextualized examples of Peru’s rich street colloquial heritage.
A classic! For many years “A New Reference Grammar of Modern Spanish” has been trusted by students and teachers as the standard English-language reference grammar of Spanish.
The Lonely Planet people have prepared one of the most relevant and useful Latin American Spanish phrases and vocabulary for all your travel needs.
COOK BOOKS
The definitive Peruvian cookbook! “Peru: The Cookbook” features 500 traditional home cooking recipes from the country’s most acclaimed and popular chef, Gastón Acurio.
