Tikal

by John Montgomery

This concise illustrated volume recounts Tikal's rise from prehistoric obscurity to unparalleled success at the height of Maya Civilisation, as well as its spectacular collapse and abandonment.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0781808537
• ISBN13: 9780781808538
• Release Date: September 2001
• Publisher: Hippocrene Books
• Length: 271 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.2" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Begats of Tikal

This is a readable account of a potentially dry subject: the chronology of the rulers of Tikal. The author has collected information from a lot of sources and notes when he ventures into conjecture. The comments along the way on the how the people lived and the reasons for their civilization's eventual downfall are linked with the chronology itself; although you learn a lot about these subjects this book does not read like "a history of the Mayan people". It is recent and seems to take in the latest research. I just got back from my first visit to Tikal (go!) and it was really helpful in understanding the grandeur of the ancient city as it was and its relationship with other Mayan cities and the other Mesoamerican cultures. The "illustrated" part of the title is somewhat of a misnomer; there are lots of drawings of glyphs of the rulers' names, line drawings of many stelae and some photos, but there are better "picture books", though perhaps not as generally informative as this one.

Buy this book before you visit Tikal

I have visited Tikal three times over the past 20 years. I wish Montgomery's book had been available prior to making those excursions. It's a wonderful resource that explains in easily understandable terms the significance of this phenomenal Mayan city and the civilization that supported it for so many centuries.