Paperback. Green board binding with black title on the spine and Maya images on the front board.

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Dated and biased but still interesting – This book was published in 1993, as you might imagine some key arguments in this book are now very dated. If you are totally new to the Maya then this book will be quite a misleading read and you’d be better off reading “The Maya” by Stephen Houston and Micheal Coe even though it is a lot more dry to read.

Positives and Negatives: The problem is, there is still lots to learn from this book, especially on the theme of Maya religion and the role of the Divine kings. The book follows the monuments left by select Ahauob (kings) of Maya city states including Palenque, Tikal and Copan. The descriptions of the monuments are extremely detailed which for the most part is very interesting though it can border on the pedantic at times. Now and then there are narratives written as though from a Maya person’s perspective which are fun and interesting reads though felt highly speculative at times. That is the main problem with this book, its age and also the bias of its authors, its hard to know what is still relevant and what is now discounted and biased. Traditionally “Mayanists” have been very against the idea of foreign entities invading or even influencing Maya Civilisation but today we know that they were heavily influenced. The classic Maya were invaded and influenced by the Mexican city known as Teotihuacan with its generals usurping native Maya dynasties (like at Tikal). Friedel and Schele gall at the idea of the Maya actually being impressed by central Mexicans when this was clearly the case with Teotihuacan though they at least acknowledge that the Maya learned “Venus star wars” from them. They also go out of their way to deny any Toltec involvement at Chichen Itza, even going so far as to suggest that the Maya inspired the Toltec art and architecture in central Mexico when it is very clear that the Maya of the Post classic Yucatan were invaded by a Branch of Toltec who introduced Mexican gods, art and concepts to the late Maya world. Not to mention the Puuc Maya who were heavily influenced by central mexico and the Itza who they wrongly identify as the Toltec invaders despite the Itza coming after Toltec Chichen Itza failed (where it then became known AS Chichen Itza; Well of the Itza). As mentioned there are some really interesting concepts explained that seem to still be relevant as well as the exploits of Maya Kings, there are just too many times where the authors are simply wrong which is not something you want from a history book.