The Incas : lords of the four quarters /

Morris (American Museum of Natural History) and von Hagen (Leymebamba Museum, Peru) present a concise but highly engaging account of the history of the Inca Empire. Respected experts of Andean civilization, the authors make creative use of ethnohistoric and archaeological source materials, providing an original interpretation of Inca imperial strategies. A strong suit of the study is its emphasis on the cultural particulars of Inca statecraft and political institutions. The authors propose that wars of conquest played an important but secondary role in the Inca expansion, and stress the ritual underpinnings of Inca militarism. They also argue that the official Inca designation for their empire, "Tawantinsuyu," generally translated as "the realm of the four quarters," represented more than an administrative reality, reflecting Inca conceptions of social geography as predicated on dualistic oppositions and complementarities. An additional strength of the book, setting it apart from other syntheses of Inca history, is its well-developed regional perspective, offering a detailed analysis of settlements and societies beyond Cusco. The book will appeal to general readers and students of the Inca alike, for it conveniently summarizes some of the latest interpretations on Inca religion, statecraft, quipus (knotted string recording devices), city planning, material culture, and administration. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All public and academic collections. E. R. Swenson University of Toronto