Hiram Bingham describes the Peruvian expedition to the Inca capitals of Vitcos and Vilcapampa, lost for three centuries under the shadow of Machu Picchu mountain. Here is all that is known about Machu Picchu, its origin, how it came to be lost, and how it was finally discovered.

First published in the 1950s, this is a classic account of the discovery in 1911 of the lost city of Machu Picchu.
In 1911 Hiram Bingham, a pre-historian with a love of exotic destinations, set out to Peru in search of the legendary city of Vilcabamba, capital city of the last Inca ruler, Manco Inca. With a combination of doggedness and good fortune he stumbled on the perfectly preserved ruins of Machu Picchu perched on a cloud-capped ledge 2000 feet above the torrent of the Urubamba River. The buildings were of white granite, exquisitely carved blocks each higher than a man....

Hiram Bingham is the generally recognised as the discover of Machu Picchu, alsthough other Europeans have claim to have seen it earlier. This is his record of the exploration that led to Machu Picchu.

"This book is a record of observations made during those two years (1917-1919), and is concerned chiefly with aviation training. It is hoped that it will be of interest to those who were in the Air Service and their friends, besides being of assistance to future students of military aeronautics. To many of the pilots it may explain the reasons for some of the sufferings which they endured. It may also serve as a warning of the evil of unpreparedness. Nearly all of the errors, mistakes, and delays to which it refers might have been avoided, had the American people insisted on having their...

In 1911 Yale archaeologist Hiram Bingham discovered the lost Inca city of Machu Picchu while searching for the last Incan capital, Vitcos. Here Bingham describes his search and his unexpected discovery.