For the best background the Inca conquest, dive straight into John Hemming’s great narrative, The Conquest of the Incas (1987), followed by the somewhat denser, but still readable Historical Dictionary of Ecuador, A.W. Bork and G. Mayer (1973). Probably the best overview of more recent politics and economics is the brief Ecuador in Focus, Wilma Roos and Omer van Renterghem, published by the Latin American Bureau in 1998, and hopefully to be updated soon. An insightful and provocative analysis of current Ecuadorian identity and politics is available in Remaking he Nation: Place, Identity and Politics in Latin America (1999) by Sarah Radcliffe and Sallie Westwood, while more culturally-specific is Meisch Lynne’s Otavalo: Weaving, Costume and the Market, (Libri Mundi, Quito, 1987).

Tom Miller’s The Panama Hat Trail: A Journey from South America (1988), makes for an entertaining read, covering good historical and geographical ground, though a bit stretched at times. Other recommended ‘foreigners abroad’ books include Richard Poole’s The Inca Smiled: The Growing Pains of an Aid Worker in Ecuador (1993) and Moritz Thomsen’s Living Poor (1989) (and his other books). If you’re interested in Vilcabamba’s old people, and Andean life in general, David Davies’ The Centenarians of the Andes (1995) makes for interesting reading.

Travelers heading to the Oriente would do well to read Joe Kane’s first-class, if depressing, Savages (1995), which chronicles the struggle of the Huoarani against oil development on their lands. Randy Smith’s Crisis Under the Canopy (XXX) also deals with the Huoarani,but focuses on tourism particularly. For an overview of eco- and community-based tourism in Napo Province, seek out Rolf Wesche et al., The Ecotourist’s Guide to the Ecuadorian Amazon, Napo Province (1995), which is a bit out of date, but still useful. French anthropologist Philippe Descola’s The Spears of Twilight: Life and Death in the Amazon Jungle (1996), is a fascinating account of his time among the Achuar in the early 1970s, with Michael Harner’s The Jivaro; People of the Sacred Waterfall (1984), also good. For a clear and concise overview of shamanism and hallucinogens, see Mircea Eliade’s Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy (1989). One of my all-time favorite books about the Amazon, which touches on Ecuador, is Wade Davis’ One River (XXX), a beautifully-told story of three generations of ethnobotanists.

Climbers wanting to step into the shoes of the intrepid Edward Whymper can acquire his wonderful Travels Amongst the Great Andes of the Equator, originally published in 1891 and reprinted by Peregrine Books, UK, 1990. A harrowing account of a tragic climb of Volcan Sangay is Richard Snailham’s Sangay Survived: The Story of the Ecuadorian Volcano Disaster (1978). The best practical information for climbers and trekkers is available in Rob Rachowiecki and Mark Thurber’s Climbing & Hiking in Ecuador.

There are a wealth of books on the Galapagos Islands. For some historical background and the bizarre murder-mystery on Floreana Island see Johanna Angermeyer’s My Father’s Island (1989), Margaret Wittmer’s Floreana, or John Treherne’s The Galapagos Affair (1983). There are several editions in print of Darwin’s Travels in the Beagle which include the captivating chapters on the islands. For more on Darwin and evolutionary theories, both Alan Moorehead’s Darwin and The Beagle, (1969) and Jonathan Weiner’s Pulitzer Prize-winning The Beak of the Finch (1994) are excellent. For a more general book, see John Hickman’s The Enchanted Islands; The Galapagos Discovered (1985). The best naturalist guide is regarded as Michael Jackson's Galapagos (and you can find out more at his web site www.islandnet.com/~mjackson/homepage.html. The best birding guide is A Field Guide to the Birds of the Galapagos (1992) by Michael Harris.

The two pocket guides which are useful for Quito and the country are Nelson Gomez’s Guia Informativa de Quito, authorized by Instituto Geografico Militar, 1996 and The Pocket Guide to Ecuador, updated yearly. A Neotropical Companion by John Kricher provides the best introduction to the flora, fauna and ecosystems of South America.

The excellent Libri Mundi bookshop in Quito (Juan Leon Mera N23-83 y Wilson, Tel:(593-2) 2521-606) has a web site where you can order books online: www.librimundi.com. The South American Explorers also have a comprehensive list of books available to order at www.samexplo.org.