The White Rock - Softcover

Hugh Thomson has led many research expeditions to Peru, about which he has written an acclaimed series of books: THE WHITE ROCK, and its sequel, COCHINEAL RED. TEQUILA OIL saw him return to South America after 30 years and was serialised by BBC Radio 4 as their Book of the Week. He has also edited Hiram Bingham's classic account of the discovery of Machu Picchu, LOST CITY OF THE INCAS. An expedition to a usually inaccessible part of the Himalayas and the source of a legend resulted in NANDA DEVI: A JOURNEY TO THE LAST SANCTUARY. He is also a film-maker and has won many awards for his documentaries, which include INDIAN JOURNEYS WITH WILLIAM DALRYMPLE, and DANCING IN THE STREET: A ROCK AND ROLL HISTORY. He lives in Oxfordshire.

'I'll look forward to all his future stories if they're even half as well told, as vivid and funny and human, as this one.' -- Alan Peter Ryan * WASHINGTON POST * The White Rock is a gem of a book, an intelligent, balanced and indeed original look at the empire of the Incas * LOS ANGELES TIMES * Thomson's wit, eye for detail and reverence for humanity set him apart?he is as good a companion as a traveller could hope for. * PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY * `It is Thomson's generosity of spirit which stands out and makes this a great book...a work that is both accessible and academically rigorous.' -- Isabel Cockayne * EASTERN DAILY PRESS * Thomson's account of his travels through the Inca heartlands weaves geographical, spiritual, personal and historical strands to an effect as rich and vivid as a Peruvian shawl. -- Juliet Clough * DAILY TELEGRAPH * Time and again he brings the Incas to life as real people. -- Matthew Parris * RADIO 4 * `It is the mixture of historian, traveller and film-maker that makes The White Rock come alive as few other books about South America have done.' -- Ulick O'Connor * SUNDAY INDEPENDENT * `One of the strongest debuts I have read for a while.' -- Anthony Sattin * SUNDAY TIMES * Engrossing... the sort of book that fires the armchair traveller with a desire to follow in its author's footsteps. -- Geoffrey Moorhouse * NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW * `A record of one man's obsession with the Incas over a period of 20 years...an obsession that led him to search out (and in one case discover) Inca ruins in the most inaccessible places, far beyond the reach of tourists.' -- Anthony Daniels * SUNDAY TELEGRAPH * `A riveting account of South American exploration and Peruvian culture, full of unforgettable stories and amazing facts.' * THE BOOKSELLER * `The White Rock is the long-awaited definitive travel book on Peru.' -- John Hemming, author of The Conquest of the Incas `In The White Rock, the whole continent becomes a plot with suspense and a cast of outrageous characters...This is Bruce Chatwin with cojones.' -- Andy Martin * THE INDEPENDENT * `It is a measure of Hugh Thomson's skill as a writer, historian and explorer that The White Rock is such a pleasure...' -- Justin Marozzi * THE SPECTATOR *