Machu Picchu - Mark Adams

Hiram Bigham III was an adventurer and explorer (some say he was the model for Indiana Jones) credited with “discovering” Machu Picchu in 1911. In Turn Right at Machu Picchu (Plume, $16), Mark Adams retraces Bingham’s journey on Peru’s Inca Trail, offering insights and historical and biographical stories along the way. Equally compelling is the author’s own story, as he leaves his New York office and laces up his hiking boots. Accompanied by a seasoned guide and local porters, Adams proves his mettle as he makes two separate trips to the sacred Inca site. Machu Picchu is an astonishing place, and Adams’s mixture of historical reporting and contemporary travel writing provides a fascinating vantage point.