Clements R. Markham (1830–1916)

It was said about Clements Markham that his books were based on enthusiasm rather than scholarship. There is no lack of scholarship in The Incas of Peru, but enthusiasm is certainly in abundance as well, and his narrative is a joy to read. It is a sad and shocking story of how one of the most interesting cultures ever to develop on the planet was brutally crushed by the invading Spanish thugs and the Catholic church, resulting in total annihilation of a society deserving to be preserved. Still, Markham, uses most of the book to describe what we do know of the Inca and pre-Inca culture, custums, geography, government, language, literature, myths and culture. The book is, however, marred by too much unnecessary information, names and relations and footnotes of sources. The high point of the book is a translation of the last will and testament of one of the last of the original assailants from Spain, apologizing for ruining a culture and wiping the Incas off the map of the earth.… (more)