Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on
bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Birds of Mexico & Central America, Princeton Illustrated Checklists
by Ber Van Perlo
An admirably compact, comprehensive guide featuring color plates.
Quest for the Lost Maya
by National Geographic Society
After discovering a forgotten Mayan society in the Yucatan, American archaeologists George Bey and Bill Ringle dig deeper to find an ancient royal palace complex buried beneath an old pyramid. Runtime: 60 minutes.
Maya Cosmos, Three Thousand Years on the Shaman's Path
by Joy Parker, Linda Schele, David Freidel
This book finds coherence in 3000 years of Central American religious history.
The Classic Maya
by Stephen Houston, Takeshi Inomata
An excellent overview of what we know about the Classic Maya, the builders of Tikal, Copan, Palenque and other major sites in the Yucatan Peninsula and surrounding areas, this book focuses on the Maya people, not just the kings, queens, nobles, gods and ancestors but also farmers and common folk.
The Chocolate Tree, A Natural History of Cacao
by Allen M. Young
A rich concoction of cultural and natural history, archaeological evidence, botanical research, environmental activism and lush descriptions of the author's own adventures, The Chocolate Tree offers an appreciation of the plant and the environment that provide us with this Maya food of the gods.
The Lost Cities of the Mayas
by Fabio Bourbon
The discoveries of British artist Frederick Catherwood and his American companion John Lloyd Stephens, the first Westerners to see the Maya cities of the Yucatan, are chronicled in this illustrated, oversized volume, featuring 200 color engravings of the monuments of Central America, Chiapas and the Yucatan.
Conquest: Montezuma, Cortes and the Fall of Old Mexico
by Hugh Thomas
An entertaining and monumental tome on the conquest of Mexico. It's rare to find a work of such scholarship and importance that is also an enjoyable read.
Yucatan Peninsula Riviera Maya Adventure Map
by National Geographic Society
With site diagrams and insets of Merida and Cancun, this detailed map (1:500,000) shows cities, roads, parks and Maya sites, including Chichen Itza, Uxmal, Tulum and Coba, south to Sian Ka'an, covering most Yucatan itineraries.
Incidents of Travel in Yucatan
by John Lloyd Stephens, Karl Ackerman (Editor)
In this beloved classic, first published in 1841, Stephens chronicles his adventures and explorations in the Yucatan, including his rediscovery of important Maya sites, among them Chichen Itza, Uxmal, Kabah and Tulum. This traveler's edition features modern and archival photographs in addition to Frederick Catherwood's original lithographs.
The Modern Maya, Incidents of Travel and Friendship in Yucatan
by MacDuff Everton
In his superb photo essay on the lives of the modern Maya, Everton, who spent more than four decades living among the Maya, updates our perception of the people by revealing how the Maya live, work and preserve their rich culture today.
The True History of Chocolate
by Sophie D. Coe, Michael Coe
This scholarly history of pre-Columbian chocolate by these married archaeologists reveals chocolate's origins as a ceremonial beverage in ancient Olmec and Maya society. The Coes trace the treat's evolution from a food of the gods to the salons of Europe down through the masses to Hershey Pennsylvania.
Yucatan, Recipes from a Culinary Expedition
by David Sterling
Lavishly produced with hundreds of color photographs, this ode to Yucatan's cuisine showcases 275 authentic and tested recipes and is spiced with an insightful travelogue.
A Forest of Kings, The Untold Story of the Ancient Maya
by Linda Schele, David Freidel (Contributor)
The history of the Maya, as it was recorded in the previously undecipherable hieroglyphs of the Maya. This excellent account traces the kingships and politics of the Maya, and features narratives recreating scenes of burials, blood sacrifices, battles and other events.
The Code of Kings, The Language of Seven Sacred Maya Temples and Tombs
by Linda Schele, Peter Mathews
A vivid guided tour of seven Maya sites, including Palenque, Tikal and Chichen Itza. This outstanding book features photos and line drawings throughout, and introductory chapters with a succinct introduction to Maya history and culture.
The Labyrinth of Solitude
by Octavio Paz
These essays by the Nobel Prize-winning poet address Mexican culture and character. The chapters on the Mexican celebration of the Day of the Dead and the conquest are especially memorable.
Breaking the Maya Code
by Michael Coe
Mayan hieroglyphs were a linguistic puzzle until the 1952 breakthrough translation of a Mayan bark-paper text, as Coe explains in this classic tale, revised and updated for this third edition.
Moon Handbook Yucatan Peninsula
by Lisa and Gary Prado Chandler
A compact, comprehensive travel guide with an excellent overview of the natural history and culture of the region, including Yucatan but also Chiapas, Tabasco, Campeche and Quintana Roo.
Maya Art and Architecture
by Mary Ellen Miller
An illustrated overview of the art and architecture of the Maya, making use of the latest discoveries at Tikal, Copan and Palenque to demonstrate the range of Mayan artistic influence. Revised and updated, this new edition includes color illustrations throughout.
