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Literary Review
“The White Rock: An Exploration of the Inca Heartland”
by Hugh Thompson

Front cover

Hugh Thompson is British journalist, explorer, and documentary film-maker who has traveled extensively in Latin America. “The White Rock” (2003) is, in part, a recounting of his successful 1982 expedition to re-find Llactapata, an Inca ruin northwest of Cuzco, that had been “discovered” by Hiram Bingham in 1912 but “lost” again under the dense vegetation and inaccessibility of Peru's rugged Vilcabamba range. Thompson returned to Peru in 1999, after conducting extensive research on Inca history and culture in an effort to find the meaning of the ruins. The result is an enthralling narrative that combines travel and adventure with a good deal of history of the Inca people, including their extraordinary culture and their demise at the hands of the Spanish conquerors.

The book's title is a translation of Chuquipalta, a ruin nearby Llactapata that he views as emblematic of the mysterious and hidden world that is rarely visited by outsiders. During his accounts of travels to some of the most remote “lost cities” of the Inca, Thompson recalls the adventures of past explorers as well as his meetings with contemporary explorers and archeologists of the region that often reveal their contradictory explanations of the meaning of the ruins. Thompson also enjoys recounting more light-hearted meetings such as the one on a crowded provincial bus with a passenger singing a song entitled “La Cosita,” that turns out to be about Lorena and Wayne Bobbit.

“The White Rock” will entertain you, educate you, and take you on a trip - all at the same time. Thompson is a superb writer, and his dry, understated British wit is guaranteed to keep you turning the book's 316 pages, which are illustrated with 45 beautiful black and white photographs. The book's retail price is $27.95, but it is currently being discounted 60% on amazon.com. That's a bargain you shouldn't pass up! -- JR

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