Machu Picchu remains a place on my bucket list for so long now, longer than the time I first had a brief look at this book more than a decade ago now. I recently listened to the audiobook in bits and pieces over a few days and while I plan to read the book itself again, the audiobook version reminded me of how much I enjoyed the book.

Adams writes about his own journey to and from Machu Picchu, and while that might have made a decent travel guide to the area, what elevates this book and makes it worth it is what he intersperses his own experiences with:
- humorous anecdotes of his trip and from stories of previous trips of others he meets
- quotes that are profound and sometimes hilarious
- Incan history lesson done interestingly
- so many interesting factoids from today and from history and simply those you will see in lists beginning with 'Did You Know....'
- his attempt to retrace the steps of (in)famous explorer Harry Bingham
- mention of Bingham's experiences in almost alternate / parallel storylines throughout
- Adam's' guide and the others he meets
- Machu Picchu itself....
- and well, so much more...

Recommended for those who enjoy books like Bill Bryson's 'A Walk in the Woods' or those who want to read about the Inca Trail or want to armchair travel to Machu Picchu or love travel/history..

Thanks to NetGalley for the original arc. All opinions are my own.

I’m embarrassed at how long it took me to finish this book, especially considering that I enjoyed it quite a bit. It’s an interesting story, told in a dryly humerous tone that reminded me a lot of Bill Bryson and other British travel writers, although Adams is American. Adams interweaves the story of his own adventures in Peru with those of Hiram Bingham, the American academic and explorer who “re-discovered” (for the Western world, at least) the lost city of Machu Picchu. There’s a lot of Incan history in the book as well, and while I’m a bit of a history buff and found it very interesting, I tended to lose track of who was who and where was where (there are lots of people and place names thrown around). I discovered a glossary at the end of the book that would have probably been helpful if I had seen it while actually reading the book, but as it was an e-book galley, I didn’t know it was there. I have a feeling the actual print copy probably has maps and photos, too, which would have helped and added to my reading experience.

If you like light travel adventure stories and have an interest in South American history, this book is for you. Recommended with the caveat that you should probably read the print version and benefit from all the “extras”.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for providing me with a review copy of this book.