About The Book
Guatemala: A Journey Through the Land of the Maya invites you to jump on one of the country’s brightly painted “chicken buses” and visit its bustling marketplaces, Mayan monuments, colonial town squares, and whitewashed churches, where baroque Catholic rituals meld with ancient Mayan beliefs to create a unique style of worship.
From the incense-shrouded devotional processions of Antigua to raucous festivals in remote highland villages, Guatemala: A Journey Through the Land of the Maya takes you on a illuminating ride through the world of an exuberant people and their country.
With images by acclaimed Lonely Planet photographer Kraig Lieb and essays by award-winning author Michael Shapiro, this book celebrates the spirited Mayan people of Guatemala, their brilliantly colored textiles and their reverence for tradition.
Guatemala: A Journey Through the Land of the Maya brings to life the land of this Central American country with captivating photos of Lake Atitlán, riveting images of smoldering volcanoes, and soul-stirring pictures of the towering Tikal ruins in the Petén jungle where Mayan civilization reached its height more than a millennium ago.
Lieb and Shapiro, who have returned time and again to Guatemala over the past two decades, display a deep respect for the Mayan people. Their appreciation of Guatemala and its resilient inhabitants enlivens every chapter. Guatemala: A Journey Through the Land of the Maya evokes the country so compellingly that it will carry you back to this remarkable place for many years to come.
KRAIG LIEB, a photographer for Lonely Planet publications, first traveled to Guatemala in 1990. His Guatemala photos illustrate numerous Lonely Planet guidebooks, including the cover of Lonely Planet’s Central America on a Shoestring. Lieb’s photos from around the world appear in more than 50 Lonely Planet travel guides and have been published by The New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, and TIME Magazine.
MICHAEL SHAPIRO initially visited Guatemala in 1989 and wrote his first travel story about studying Spanish in Antigua. His writing has appeared in National Geographic Traveler, The Washington Post, New York Times and San Francisco Chronicle. Shapiro’s 2004 book, A Sense of Place: Great Travel Writers Talk About Their Craft, Lives, and Inspiration is a collection of interviews with the leading travel writers of our time.
Recent Book Reviews
“This hauntingly beautiful book has brilliantly captured the current-day life and culture of the Maya in Guatemala. Michael Shapiro’s text and Kraig Lieb’s photos will cement their reputations as among our leading travel writers and photographers.”
—Arthur Frommer, founder, Frommer’s Guides
“Michael Shapiro’s lyrical text paints a vivid picture of Guatemala and when combined with Kraig Lieb’s evocative photography the result is a stunning portrait of this Central American country. This book makes me want to jump on the next plane to Antigua.”
—Robert Holmes, National Geographic photographer and two-time Travel Photographer of the Year
“The Maya of Guatemala have preserved the colorful tapestry of their culture against all odds, and their wondrous country is fittingly celebrated with the publication of this beautiful book.
—Bill Newlin, publisher, Moon Handbooks
Book Details
Dimensions: 8 1/2 x 11 inches landscape, 192 pages.
Available: in Hard cover w/ Jacket, ISBN: 978-0-615-21059-9 & Soft Cover, ISBN: 978-0-615-21058-2.
