Joshua Hammer
…ebullient…The book seamlessly joins three narrative threads: the brutal 16th-century conquest of the Incas by the Spanish conquistadors and the subsequent retreat of the rebellious ruler, Manco Inca, into a series of jungle redoubts; Bingham's 1911 expedition that retraced Manco's flight; and Adams's own mishap-filled recreation of Bingham's trip a century later.
—The New York Times Book Review
Jonathan Yardley
Adams gives all… theories their moment, but finally concludes that “Machu Picchu is always going to be something of a mystery. Which is, of course, part of its allure.”
En route to this judgment Adams makes his way to a number of extraordinary places, all of them spectacular but pale by comparison with Machu Picchu. He has a few adventures and a scare or two, and gets a considerably deeper immersion in Peruvian life and culture than he’d previously been exposed to in Lima.
—The Washington Post
From the Publisher
Praise for Turn Right at Machu Picchu
“[An] engaging and sometimes hilarious book.”—The New York Times Book Review
“A serious (and seriously funny) travelogue, a smart and tightly written history, and an investigative report into perhaps the greatest archaeological discovery in the last century.”—NationalGeographic.com
“An engaging, informative guide to all things Inca.”—Entertainment Weekly
“Adams deftly weaves together Inca history, Bingham's story, and his own less heroic escapade....Those favoring a quirkier retelling [of Bingham's exploits] will relish Mr. Adam's wry, revealing romp through the Andes.”—The Wall Street Journal
“Quite funny and unpretentiously well informed...The perfect way to acknowledge the lost city’s one hundredth birthday.”—Christian Science Monitor (“Editor’s Choice”)
“[An] entirely delightful book.”—The Washington Post
“With a healthy sense of humor...Adams unearths a fascinating story, transporting his readers back to 1911, when Yale professor Hiram Bingham III hiked the Andes and stumbled upon on of South America's most miraculous and cloistered meccas.”—NPR.org
Entertainment Weekly
“An engaging, informative guide to all things Inca.
Christian Science Monitor ("Editor's Choice")
“Quite funny and unpretentiously well informed...The perfect way to acknowledge the lost city’s 100th birthday.
Kirkus Reviews
Intent on undertaking an audacious open-air exploit, but lacking even rudimentary camping skills or basic gear, an adventure-travel writer recounts his unconventional trek to the mysterious Machu Picchu.
Teamed with an irascible Australian guide and a group of Quechua-speaking mule tenders, Adams (Mr. America:How Muscular Millionaire Bernarr Macfadden Transformed the Nation Through Sex, Salad, and the Ultimate Starvation Diet, 2009) journeyed through the wilds of Peru to unravel the persistent puzzle surrounding the Lost City of the Incas: What was its purpose? The author deftly weaves together two story lines, each peopled with striking characters and astonishing landscapes. Told in alternating chapters, Adams details the life and times of Hiram Bingham III, the outsized early-20th-century explorer credited with "discovering" Machu Picchu, whose reputation has recently suffered due to an archaeological controversy. Overlaid on this extensively researched and entertaining historical framework is the author's humorous recounting of his personal and physical transformation during the demanding trek. Following one extremely strenuous hike, Adams confronted a vacation dilemma. He could either jump on a train or walk another six miles with his 60-pound pack filled with books. "This might be my only chance to hike like a serious adventurer, to carry my own pack like atraveler," he writes, "not heave it onto the luggage rack like atourist." Coupled with his keen eye for the absurd and his knowledge of the travel industry, the author gleefully remarks on the excesses of the increasingly commercialized adventure-travel business, while never hesitating to point out his own foibles.
A funny, erudite retrospection offering more subtle and lastingrewards than the usual package tour.
