Trail of Feathers

Used
Paperback
2002
$3.41

Enthralled by the chronicle of a 16th-century Spanish monk, which said that the Incas 'flew like birds' over the jungle, and by the recurring theme of flying in Peruvian folklore, Tahir Shah set out to discover whether the Incas really did fly or glide above the jungles of Peru. Or was it flight of a different kind, inspired by powerful drugs? After gathering equipment in London the long quest begins, in the mountains of Peru, with a trek to Machu Picchu, the Incas' most sacred city. Then on to the mountain city of Cusco and a mysterious island on Lake Titicaca, before the trail of clues leads to the coast and through the desert, to the immense animal-like etchings which form the Nazca Lines and a remote burial ground for 30,000 mummified corpses. And finally to an epic river-journey up the Amazon to discover the secrets of the Shuar, a tribe of legendary savagery. Even for a traveller so used to surreal adventures, there are many strange encounters - some gruesome, some hilarious - among madmen and dreamers, sorcerers, con-men and jungle experts, before he can at last discover the truth about the Birdmen of Peru.

Synopsis

Enthralled by the chronicle of a 16th-century Spanish monk, which said that the Incas 'flew like birds' over the jungle, and by the recurring theme of flying in Peruvian folklore, Tahir Shah set out to discover whether the Incas really did fly or glide above the jungles of Peru. Or was it flight of a different kind, inspired by powerful drugs? After gathering equipment in London the long quest begins, in the mountains of Peru, with a trek to Machu Picchu, the Incas' most sacred city. Then on to the mountain city of Cusco and a mysterious island on Lake Titicaca, before the trail of clues leads to the coast and through the desert, to the immense animal-like etchings which form the Nazca Lines and a remote burial ground for 30,000 mummified corpses. And finally to an epic river-journey up the Amazon to discover the secrets of the Shuar, a tribe of legendary savagery. Even for a traveller so used to surreal adventures, there are many strange encounters - some gruesome, some hilarious - among madmen and dreamers, sorcerers, con-men and jungle experts, before he can at last discover the truth about the Birdmen of Peru.

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Format: Paperback
Pages: 288
Edition: New
Publisher: Phoenix
Published: 10 Jan 2002
ISBN 10: 0753813173
ISBN 13: 9780753813171
Book Overview: A magical mystery tour of one of the most intriguing and fascinating continents and peoples in the world 'NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC has got nothing on this' VOGUE 'TRAIL OF FEATHERS may be among the strangest books ever written on a South American theme, but it is also one of the most rewarding' LITERARY REVIEW 'The journey is appalling and hilarious and full of gems culled from Shah's researches...This book also made me laugh, in places, more than anything I have read for years' DAILY TELEGRAPH 'Tahir Shah's relish in storytelling is such that it would be easy to forget that this is a serious, well-researched quest' Doris Lessing, SPECTATOR 'This book has all the right ingredients: an exotic setting, an historical basis, elements of fantasy, a colourful cast, and a quest' WANDERLUST 'Thoroughly enjoyable...accomplished and entertaining' SUNDAY TIMES

Author Bio

Tahir Shah was born in 1966 into the Afghan nobility, the Saadat of Paghman. His wife is from Bombay and they met during his travels for Beyond the Devil's Teeth. A freelance writer and journalist, he has written widely on the Near and Middle East and India.

Trail of Feathers

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Author Bio