Hiram Bingham, adventurer, is following his passion. He’s in the Andes looking for clues to the ancient Incas. His initial trip, during which outsiders speculate on his motivation and his whereabouts, is full of danger and excitement as Bingham and his guide Callisto traverse cliff tops, narrow mountain paths and waterfalls in search of ancient fortresses. But the dangers of this first trip are nothing to those of the return journey. Bingham follows in the footsteps of Spaniards and Indians as he searches for a lost city high in the mountains. But he must first overcome superstition, an inhospitable terrain, a man-eating panther.

Blood of the Incas is chock-a-block full of adventure, danger, ancient and not-so-ancient South America. Hiram Bingham was an American Archaeologist credited with the ‘discovery’ of the mountaintop ruins of Machu Picchu. Harris has blended fact, legend and action-packed fiction as he takes Bingham and his rag-tag crew across some of the most rugged terrain in the world. There are numerous historical references to the Spanish Conquistadors, the Incas themselves. For the reader keen on adventure, Blood of the Incas can be read as pure fiction, but there are plenty of titbits for the budding adventurer or historian to explore further. Recommended for 9-12 year old readers.

Blood of the Incas, by David Harris
ABC Books 2008
ISBN: 9780733320972

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