The Ancient Maya, 6th Edition

This is by far the most comprehensive book about the ancient Maya. There are several excellent shorter ones; this is the go-to book for thorough reference. It has become almost as "classic" as Maya civilization. Sharer reminisces about being "hooked on" Maya studies by the third edition (by Morley and Brainerd, 1956); so was I, back when it was newly minted. How much has changed since. Scholars can now read Maya. We now can match written history, sculptured portrayals, and archaeological findings to identify the actual skeletons of some of the greatest and most famous Maya kings, such as Yax K'uk' Mo' of Palenque. We have entire dynastic lists covering centuries, for many of the major cities. We can use bone chemistry to find out what the Maya ate. All of this was almost beyond the wildest dreams of the 1950s. The Maya turn out to have been as brilliant, original and creative as anyone ever thought, a truly homemade civilization, one of the few in a tropical forest environment. They are said to have "collapsed" due to ecological maladjustment, but this book notes that modern research shows the civilization lasted well over 1,000 years before the "collapse" around 900 AD, and it was a fairly local phenomenon. This local collapse was due to drought, warfare, and some ecological overshoot--too many people doing too much (including burning too many trees to make lime for stucco and cement). The Maya kept on. They took on the Spanish and often won. The last independent state held out till 1697, and Maya continued holding out in remote backlands; in 1846 the Mexican Maya rebelled again, and created an independent state, finally reconquered after 1900 and turned into the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. As for what has happened since, suffice it to say that 3 days ago I saw an election sign painted in huge letters on a wall in central Quintana Roo: "PRESERVE YOUR PRIDE IN BEING MAYA!" There are very few errors in this book, but some need correcting in the 7th edition. Most are in the very early sections, and are often left over from previous editions. Page 5, 16th-century Europeans are said to be "secure in the knowledge that they alone represented civilized life...." No, they revered China, and knew plenty about India, Persia and Arabia. P. 9, coffee is said to have come "soon" with the Europeans; not till the 19th century, at least as a major crop. 23, Nahuatl loanwords reflecting rise of central Mexico in the Postclassic: Well, a lot of those Nahuatl loanwords came with the Spanish (who had Nahuatl soldiers with them). Page 33, caiman: The book confuses the animal called "caiman" in English, an alligator-like creature not found within hundreds of miles of Mayaland, with the crocodile, which is called "caiman" in Mexican Spanish; also, pythons are claimed as native to Mayaland! The nearest they get is Africa; evidently "boa constrictors" are meant. Then nothing till page 640, where a typo (apparently two decimal places mi

I had only a limited interest in the Maya until I got this book, and now a new world of understanding has opened up. Sharer provides a text that is at once detailed and professional, but also accessible and well-written without the dull, dull, report-style of most serious works on the subject. I have spent literally weeks perusing the book, and I seem to always find something new and interesting. Also worthy of mention are the abundant illustrations and photos. Finally, Sharer is to be commended for his intellectual honesty and objectivity - without fail he reviews the merits of the most important interpretations about a historical issue before making a non-binding judgment of his own. This is one to have in your personal library. Very well done indeed!

Wow. This is the definitive book on the Maya. Whether youre a student or a scholar, its got almost everything. Very readable prose, good organization, and excellent photographs. In fact, they are almost the best part. The organization is excellent providing first an overview, chapter by chapter of major events in Maya history, and then a dissection of every major aspect of Maya life. If the Maya are your thing, dont miss this book. Great value for money.

This book has had many re-printings, and for good reason. It is THE english language book that covers the anicient Maya in one volume. This book was used as a text in a class I took in Mesoamerican archaeology. I found it easy to read and very interesting. Great for a travel companion. I used it extensively while traveling through Yucatán and Chiapas.

To my knowledge, this book is the best overview of the current state information of the ancient Maya available today. If you want a book that covers practically everything to a reasonable level of depth, this is it