This is a non-fiction book about Machu Picchu, Peru and its people, and its discoverer (Hiram Bingham). The writing is not too complex and the illustrations support the text well. There is a timeline of events around Machu Picchu that is quite helpful. However, the writing, or perhaps editing, could have been improved significantly, leading to misleading or sometimes incorrect information.

On page 7 is written that Machu Picchu is pronounced 'MAT-choo Pee- choo'; this is incorrect. The pronunciation (as told to me by a Peruvian guide, also noted on pronunciation guides) is closer to 'Ma-choo PEEK-choo'. The order of paragraphs and sections in the book sometimes makes the information confusing or misleading. On the rear cover, the book indicates that a garden of literally golden corn was in Machu Picchu, but in the book that garden is attributed to Cuzco not Machu Picchu. I'm not sure if there are other inaccuracies, but the ones I found made me hesitant to trust other points of the book. The author is also kind of harsh on Hiram Bingham too and casts the explorer's actions based on today's standards and knowledge; I think this could have been done better - highlighting Bingham's work and theories that did advance knowledge and giving better context to theories and actions that were later found to be incorrect. The timeline of the World at the back gives some context for discoveries and inventions, particularly around when Machu Picchu was discovered, but it's also a little weird in what is included... "2012 Superstorm Sandy strikes the northeastern United States". ( )

This is a place that I would like to visit someday! ( )