Although Beltrán’s publication can be classified as a guide book written primarily for the tourist to Cuzco and the surrounding area, once the seat of the Inca Empire and a major political and religious center of Colonial Peru, it is also of value to the general reader interested in a non-technical summary of the region. In the quality of the printing, illustrations, and readability it is superior to the average tourist guidebook that is frequently cluttered with factual errors and advertisements. In spite of these qualities, however, the book would be more serviceable if it had detailed maps and more information on accommodations and other types of tourist services.
In addition to detailed descriptions and historical accounts of Cuzco and nearby sites, both prehistoric and contemporary, there is a major section on the well known archaeological site of Machu Picchu. However, only those sites which contain spectacular architectural features are mentioned. Judging by the content and the published list of references the writer has utilized the major archaeological summaries of the area, but the lack of attention to the technical monographs and primary historic documents prevents this book from being a regional summary of much service to scholars.
