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The Last Days of the Incas

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The Last Days of the Incas

By: Kim MacQuarrie
Narrated by: Norman Dietz
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In 1532, the 54-year-old Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro led a force of 167 men, including his four brothers, to the shores of Peru. Unbeknownst to the Spaniards, the Inca rulers of Peru had just fought a bloody civil war in which the emperor Atahualpa had defeated his brother, Huascar. Pizarro and his men soon clashed with Atahualpa and a huge force of Inca warriors at the Battle of Cajamarca. Despite being outnumbered by more than 200 to one, the Spaniards prevailed - due largely to their horses, their steel armor and swords, and their tactic of surprise. They captured and imprisoned Atahualpa. Although the Inca emperor paid an enormous ransom in gold, the Spaniards executed him anyway. The following year, the Spaniards seized the Inca capital of Cuzco, completing their conquest of the largest native empire the New World has ever known. Peru was now a Spanish colony, and the conquistadors were wealthy beyond their wildest dreams.

But the Incas did not submit willingly. A young Inca emperor, the brother of Atahualpa, soon led a massive rebellion against the Spaniards, inflicting heavy casualties and nearly wiping out the conquerors. Eventually, however, Pizarro and his men forced the emperor to abandon the Andes and flee to the Amazon. There, he established a hidden capital, called Vilcabamba. Although the Incas fought a deadly, 36-year-long guerrilla war, the Spanish ultimately captured the last Inca emperor and vanquished the native resistance.

Kim MacQuarrie lived in Peru for five years and became fascinated by the Incas and the history of the Spanish conquest. Drawing on both native and Spanish chronicles, he vividly describes the dramatic story of the conquest, with all its savagery and suspense.

©2007 Kim MacQuarrie; (P)2007 Tantor Media Inc. South America War Americas Latin America Modern World Native American Europe 16th Century Mexico Indigenous Peoples United States Inca History

Critic reviews

"Vivid and energetic....Riveting." ( Publishers Weekly)
"A first-rate reference work of ambitious scope that will most likely stand as the definitive account of these people." ( Booklist)

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This book (at least the first half or so) is a detailed account of the Spanish conquest of Peru. The accounts of the battles, betrayals, and other interactions with the Inca during the initial conquest are fascinating. The same, however, cannot be said for the descriptions of the occupation and resistance that followed. Maybe it’s just the circumstances of history, but after about the midpoint of the book, the vignettes start to lose intrigue. The final fifth of the book is devoted to modern discovery of ancient ruins and seems misplaced in the context of the rest of the book.

Although I enjoyed the beginning of “The Last Days of the Incas,” overall I was disappointed. I was hoping for more background information about the Incas’ history, culture, politics, religion, and mythology. Although there is some effort to interject the history and culture of pre-Columbian America, the Spanish are the focus. Since I had picked up this book largely to gain a better appreciation of the Inca before my hike on the Inca trial, it was disappointing that more effort wasn’t taken to describe the peoples that the Spanish were conquering. Perhaps the MacQuarrie considered too much background to be outside the scope of the “Last Days,” but the effect of its limitation is to shift perspective entirely on the Spanish and remove context from the Spanish/Inca interaction described throughout the book.

As for the narration, it was adequate, but dull. This may, however, simply be a function of the material. Nevertheless, I do not intent to go out of my way to listen to other books read by Dietz.

In sum, if you are like me and want to learn more about the Inca before your trip to Peru, skip this book. There must be other, better books out there for this purpose, although I do not have a recommendation. If you are interested in learning about the Spanish conquest of the Inca, then definitely listen to the first half, but do not feel obliged to get to the end.

Not a Good Companion for Your Machu Picchu Trip

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This was a quality listen, with a lot of detailed information on individuals and states, a well-planned chronological outline from the first contact to the 'end' of the empire, and a good amount of spring information on the time and place in which the events took place.

That said, one thing that really started to bother me by the end was the overuse of the speculative phrase, 'no doubt' or word 'presumably' whenever the author felt like giving the historical events a more personal touch. The accounts are sufficient to put one 'in the moment' without these oft-repeated additions.

Thorough Look Into the Incas' Demise

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This is a great read (listen) about the history of the Inca empire. Goes into great detail about the brutalities of the Spanish invaders but the Inca's were not angles. How they treated other Inca's was equally as brutal. The history of the Inca's is detailed and fascinating. Highly recommended. The 21 hours went by quickly and the narrator was great.

Very informativem great listen.

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I loved it. Yes I am a history geek. A little pedantic, repetitive and sonorous but extremely fascinating, detailed and informative.

definitely for the history geek

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This was such a page turner. Opened up many new perspectives on the Incas while bringing the entire history alive.

Kim certainly did his homework!

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