'A grim yet inspiring account of brutal repression and resistance ... Fryer throws the darker side of the empire into graphic and harrowing relief.' New Statesman Acclaimed historian Peter Fryer exposes the exploitation and oppression of Britain's colonies; and restores black people to their rightful place in Britain's history.
#32183 in Books Simon n Schuster 2008-06-05 2008-06-17Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.25 x 1.30 x 6.12l; 1.33 #File Name: 0743260503522 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Easy Read That Fills in the Gaps of Our History Lessons in SchoolBy Michael A. CaninoAwesome book. Does an excellent job of chronicling their history. My wife and I read it during a trip to Peru to trek and visit the Inca city of Macchu Picchu. Even though the city plays a small part in the book and history it was just neat to have the perspective of the book in mind as we visited Lima; Cusco and the ancient city. The writers narrative was both engaging and clear so you walk away from the book with a very intimate understanding of the psychology of both sides of the perspective.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A Good Review for a Trip to PeruBy Michael P. McCulloughI read this in preparation for an upcoming trip to Peru; a decent non-fiction book about the Spanish conquest of the Incas; and the discovery of Machu Picchu and Vilcabamba centuries later.The first half of the book featured the Conquistadors versus the Incas - and it was difficult to decide which side to root for as both groups were dreadful. Ultimately I decided on the Incas because; after all; they were there first; and the Spaniards willingness to mass murder for gold was inconceivable. But the Incas weren't much better - a relatively small group that subjugated millions of weaker neighbors. At any rate the Spaniards were certainly impressive warriors; using their technological advantages to win battles where they were outnumbered two-hundred to one. The diseases they inadvertently brought with them were to their advantage as well.The second part of the book covers Hiram Bingham's discovery of Machu Picchu (I thought *Turn Right at Machu Picchu* by Mark Adams was a more enjoyable read) and the kooky Gene Savoy's "discovery" of Vilcabamba - the lost final capital of the Incas. A large portion of the second half of the book is simply footnotes.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Valuable Read Before Hiking The Salkantay TrailBy jt kalnayI bought this book as part of my pre-reading before heading to Peru for a couple weeks of trekking followed by a visit to Machu Picchu. The book was full of facts and figures and detailed accounts from the Spanish point of view. Perhaps because the Inca were conquered by the Spanish the cliché that "History Is Written By The Victors" is evident in this work. The only surviving accounts of the period are from Spain... The author explains clearly that the only primary sources are from the victors; and that even those may have been fanciful accounts by individuals who were more interested in their own self-aggrandizement to the Spanish Crown than in accuracy. I enjoyed the book and it was a valuable read before going to Peru.
