The Lima Reader

Covering more than 500 years of history, culture, and politics, The Lima Reader seeks to capture the many worlds and many peoples of Peru’s capital city, featuring a selection of primary sources that consider the social tensions and cultural heritages of the “City of Kings.”

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Covering more than five hundred years of history, culture, and politics, The Lima Reader captures the multiple viewpoints of the diverse peoples of Peru’s capital city. The volume traces Lima’s transformation from a pre-Columbian religious center, to the colonial “City of Kings,” to today's vibrant and deeply divided metropolis of almost ten million people. A rich array of primary sources—including traveler accounts, essays, photographs, maps, poems, short stories, lyrics, and memoir excerpts, many appearing in English for the first time—address how Lima’s multiethnic population, class inequalities, and debates of who is a “true” limeño/a have evolved throughout the city’s history. The book also includes selections that explore Lima’s identity through its food, sports culture, festivals, and sense of humor. Intended for travelers, students, and scholars alike, The Lima Reader is an invaluable introduction to the complex social tensions and cultural history of Lima and its people.