Sign-In
Cart
The Maya Civilization: Empire of the Jungle: The Rise and Fall of the Maya
Paperback
General Latin American HistoryMexican History
Currently unavailable to order
Please enter your email and a message will be sent to you when this product becomes available on our website.
Publisher: Independently Published
Published: Apr 17 2025
Pages: 174
Weight: 0.53
Height: 0.37 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
Step into the deep tropical lowlands of Mesoamerica, where one of the most advanced and resilient cultures in the ancient Americas bent the dense jungle to its will. Far from a single, unified empire, the ancient Maya world was a volatile and shifting mosaic of independent, fiercely competitive city-states. Empire of the Jungle: The Rise and Fall of the Maya shatters the lingering myths of a peaceful, stargazing society that mysteriously vanished. Instead, it reveals a dynamic civilization defined by brilliant engineering, profound religious devotion, courtly intrigue, and brutal warfare, offering a sweeping three-thousand-year epic of human triumph and transformation.
This comprehensive journey traces the Maya from their earliest agricultural roots to the awe-inspiring Preclassic metropolises like El Mirador, whose monumental pyramids rivaled the mountains. As the narrative enters the Classic Period, the golden age of the Maya comes to life. Readers will explore a world ruled by divine kings who mediated between humanity and the cosmos, and witness the generations-long superpower rivalry between the great cities of Tikal and Calakmul. During these centuries, the Maya achieved unparalleled intellectual breakthroughs, independently inventing the concept of zero, plotting the movements of the planets with startling precision, and developing the only fully formed writing system in the pre-Columbian Americas.
Yet, this magnificent world was built on a fragile ecological foundation. The book delves into the harrowing reality of the Classic Maya Collapse in the eighth and ninth centuries, framing it not as a sudden apocalypse, but as a complex cascade of environmental degradation, overpopulation, total warfare, and severe, prolonged drought. But the silence of the southern jungles was not the end of the Maya. The narrative follows the civilization's dramatic shift to the northern Yucatán Peninsula and the Guatemalan highlands, where new, cosmopolitan empires like Chichen Itza and formidable fortress-cities rose to power, initiating a vibrant era of maritime trade, changing political structures, and cultural fusion.
Ultimately, this is a story of profound endurance. Following the grueling, centuries-long Spanish conquest and subsequent eras of systemic oppression, the Maya people and their culture survived through creative adaptation and fierce resistance. Today, millions of Maya still speak the languages of their ancestors and drive a modern cultural renaissance. Blending dramatic historical narrative with the latest scientific breakthroughs-from the decipherment of the hieroglyphs that finally gave the Maya back their voices, to the cutting-edge LiDAR technology currently stripping away the jungle canopy to reveal vast, hidden megacities-this book offers a definitive, gripping portrait of a civilization that continues to live, breathe, and captivate the world.
Also from
Bugeja, Alex
Sailing Free: A Life on the Waves: How to Live, Travel, and Explore the World by Yacht
Bugeja, Alex
Paperback
Rolling Freedom: Embracing the Van Life: A Practical Guide to Adventure, Minimalism, and Living on the Road
Bugeja, Alex
Paperback
Also in
Mexican History
Everyday Life and Politics in Nineteenth Century Mexico: Men, Women, and War
Wasserman, Mark
Paperback
El Paso: Five Families and One Hundred Years of Blood, Migration, Race, and Memory
Ulloa, Jazmine
Hardcover
Banished Citizens: A History of the Mexican American Women Who Endured Repatriation
Ramírez, Marla A.
Hardcover
Forget the Alamo: The Rise and Fall of an American Myth
Stanford, Jason
Tomlinson, Chris
Burrough, Bryan
Paperback
Myths, Gods, and Rituals of Aztec Mythology: Before the First Sun (Aztec Gods, Creation Mythology)
Torres, Matthew
Paperback
Érase Una Vez México 1: de Las Cavernas Al Virreinato / Once Upon a Time Mexico 1
Rosas, Alejandro
Molina, Sandra
Paperback
Colibri de Jade - El Arte de Educar el Corazón: Novela histórica esencial sobre el legado ancestral y la educación espiritual.
Koskakoatl, Adrian
Paperback
The Last Emperor of Mexico: The Dramatic Story of the Habsburg Archduke Who Created a Kingdom in the New World
Shawcross, Edward
Paperback
Hijas de la Historia: Las Mujeres Que Construyeron a México / Daughters of History
Revuelta Poo, Isabel
Paperback
Encanto Y Misterio de la Ciudad de Mã(c)Xico / The Charm and Mystery of Mexico City
Ceceña, Karla
Paperback
The Radical Spanish Empire: How Paperwork Politics Remade the New World
Cañizares-Esguerra, Jorge
Masters, Adrian
Hardcover
Mitos de la Historia Mexicana: de Hidalgo a Zedillo / Myths of Mexican History
Rosas, Alejandro
Paperback
Down & Delirious in Mexico City: The Aztec Metropolis in the Twenty-First Century
Hernandez, Daniel
Paperback
In the Shadow of Quetzalcoatl: Zelia Nuttall and the Search for Mexico's Ancient Civilizations
Grindle, Merilee
Paperback
Midnight in Mexico: A Reporter's Journey Through a Country's Descent into Darkness
Corchado, Alfredo
Paperback
Mezcal: The History, Craft & Cocktails of the World's Ultimate Artisanal Spirit
Janzen, Emma
Hardcover
Don't Be Afraid, Gringo: A Honduran Woman Speaks from the Heart: The Story of Elvia Alvarado
Benjamin, Medea
Paperback
When Montezuma Met Cortés: The True Story of the Meeting That Changed History
Restall, Matthew
Paperback
Studies of the Yaqui Indians of Sonora, Mexico: The History, Culture and Anthropology of the Yaqui Native Americans
Holden, William Curry
Paperback
Aztec Thought and Culture: A Study of the Ancient Nahuatl Mind Volume 67
León-Portilla, Miguel
Paperback
A Narco History: How the United States and Mexico Jointly Created the Mexican Drug War
Boullosa, Carmen
Wallace, Mike
Paperback
Rebel Mexico: Student Unrest and Authoritarian Political Culture During the Long Sixties
Pensado, Jaime M.
Paperback
The Elusive Dream: Punta Chivato, Baja California Sur, Mexico - The First 40 Years
Joy, J. M.
Paperback
A Mexican Count of Days: Mexica (Aztec) Calendar for the Year 1 Rabbit
Tlapoyawa, Kurly
Ochoa, Ruben
Paperback
The Wheel of Time: The Shamans of Mexico Their Thoughts about Life Death and the Universe
Castaneda, Carlos
Paperback
Érase Una Vez Tenochtitlán: Entre Dioses Y Tlatoanis / Once Upon a Time in Tenochtitlán: Among Gods and Tlatoanis
Rosas, Alejandro
Paperback
Mesoamerican History: A Captivating Guide to Four Ancient Civilizations that Existed in Mexico - The Olmec, Zapotec, Maya and Aztec Civilization
History, Captivating
Hardcover
Malinche: Los Malos de la Historia / Malinche: The Villains of History
Camba Ludlow, Úrsula
Paperback
Hijas de la Historia 2: Las Mujeres Que Construyeron a México / Daughters of History 2
Revuelta Poo, Isabel
Paperback
Chicano Bakes: Recipes for Mexican Pan Dulce, Tamales, and My Favorite Desserts
Castillo, Esteban
Hardcover
Amados Compatriotas: And Other Stories from New Mexico's Mexican Period, 1821-1846
Tórrez, Robert J.
Paperback
Conspiraciones: México a Través de Seis Siglos / Conspiracies: Six Centuries of History of Mexico
Schettino, Macario
Paperback
Walking a City's History: Mexico City from the Sixteenth Century to the Present
Tenorio-Trillo, Mauricio
Paperback
Brown and Blue: Mexican Americans, Law Enforcement, and Civil Rights in the Southwest, 1935-2025
Behnken, Brian D.
Paperback
South to Freedom: Runaway Slaves to Mexico and the Road to the Civil War
Baumgartner, Alice L.
Paperback
The Cristero Counterrevolution and the Battle for the Soul of Mexico
Olivera Ravasi, Javier P.
Hardcover
The Aztec Empire: An Enthralling Overview of the History of the Aztecs, Starting with the Settlement in the Valley of Mexico
History, Enthralling
Hardcover
Aztec and Maya: An Illustrated History: The Definitive Chronicle of the Ancient Peoples of Central America and Mexico - Including the Aztec, Maya, Olm
Phillips, Charles
Jones, David M.
Hardcover
Perilous Beasts: Mexican Necropolitics, Animal Deaths, and Blood Sports, 1870-1920
Neufeld, Stephen B.
Paperback
Zapatista Spring: Anatomy of a Rebel Water Project & the Lessons of International Solidarity
Ryan, Ramor
Paperback
Historia de México: Una guía fascinante de la historia de México y la Revolución Mexicana
History, Captivating
Paperback
Policing on Drugs: The United States, Mexico, and the Origins of the Modern Drug War, 1969-2000
Teague, Aileen
Hardcover
100 Mitos de la Historia de México 1 / 100 Myths of the History of Mexico 1
Martín Moreno, Francisco
Paperback
Armed Frontier: Warfare and Military Culture in the Texas-Northeastern Mexico Borderlands,1686-1845
García-García, Luis Alberto
Paperback
Mexican History: A Captivating Guide to the History of Mexico and the Mexican Revolution
History, Captivating
Paperback
The Aquatic Metropolis: Urban Design and Environmental Change in Tenochtitlan-Mexico City
López, John F.
Hardcover
The Zapatistas' Dignified Rage: Final Public Speeches of Subcommander Marcos
Marcos, Subcomandante Insurgente
Paperback
The Mexican Revolution: A Captivating Guide to the Mexican Civil War and How Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata Impacted Mexico
History, Captivating
Hardcover
La Tiranía de Las Ideas. Lo Que Necesitas Para Comprender a México, Estados Unido S, La Humanidad Y El Mundo. / The Tyranny of Ideas
Zunzunegui, Juan Miguel
Paperback
The Last Emperor of Mexico: The Dramatic Story of the Habsburg Archduke Who Created a Kingdom in the New World
Shawcross, Edward
Hardcover
Señorita Telefonista: Sexual Harassment, Gender Discrimination, and Class Identities in Early Twentieth-Century Mexico City
Porter, Susie S.
Paperback
Yucatan at the Time of the Spanish Encounter: Relacion de Las Cosas de Yucatan
Landa, Diego De
Paperback
The Banana Wars: A Captivating Guide to the Interventions of the United States in Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean
History, Captivating
Hardcover
In the Land of the Lacandón: A Graphic History of Adventure and Imperialism
Van Wolputte, Steven
Jobs, Richard
Paperback
Mexico - Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture
Culture Smart!
Maddicks, Russell
Paperback
The True History of the Conquest of New Spain: The Memoirs of the Conquistador Bernal Diaz del Castillo, Unabridged Edition Vol.1-2
Diaz del Castillo, Bernal
Hardcover
The Cristero Counterrevolution and the Battle for the Soul of Mexico
Olivera Ravasi, Javier P.
Paperback
La Ciudad Que YA No Existe 2 (Fotografías) / The City That No Longer Exists 2 (Photography Book)
Villasana, Carlos
Paperback
Cruzando La Línea: Las Fuerzas Armadas En México / Crossing the Line: Mexicos Armed Forces
Ledesma Arronte, Ernesto
Lewis, Ted
Ordorika Imaz, Amaya
Paperback
A Brief Account of the Destruction of the Indies, Or, a Faithful Narrative of the Horrid and Unexampled Massacres Committed by the Popish Spanish Pa
de Las Casas, Bartolome
Hardcover
Forging a Mexican People: Collective Subjectivities in Postrevolutionary Print Culture, 1917-1968
Zavala, Pablo
Paperback
Rooted in Place: Botany, Indigeneity, and Art in the Construction of Mexican Nature, 1570-1914
López, Rick A.
Paperback
Tu Cerebro Está Inflamado: Cómo Prevenir La Fatiga Mental, Aumentar Tu Atención... / Your Brain Is Inflamed
Garrido, Elena
Paperback
100 Mitos de la Historia de México 2 / 100 Myths in the History of Mexico. Volume 2
Martín Moreno, Francisco
Paperback
Mexican History: A Captivating Guide to the History of Mexico and the Mexican Revolution
History, Captivating
Hardcover
The Flowery Death: The Image of Death in the Nahua Songs of Cantares Mexicanos
Szoblik, Katarzyna
Hardcover
Genealogical Fictions: Limpieza de Sangre, Religion, and Gender in Colonial Mexico
Martínez, María Elena
Paperback
Autonomy Is in Our Hearts: Zapatista Autonomous Government Through the Lens of the Tsotsil Language
Fitzwater, Dylan Eldredge
Paperback
History of New Mexico: A Captivating Guide to Historical Events and Facts You Should Know About the Land of Enchantment
History, Captivating
Hardcover
Africans in Colonial Mexico: Absolutism, Christianity, and Afro-Creole Consciousness, 1570-1640
Bennett, Herman L.
Paperback
Baja California Peninsula: The Most Fascinating Peninsula in the Americas
Frontani, Stefano
Hardcover
The Spanish Atlantic World, 1492-1825: From Kingdoms to Colonies to Independence
Andrien, Kenneth J.
Paperback
Antiguas Civilizaciones: Una Fascinante Guía sobre la Historia de los Mayas, Aztecas y el Imperio Inca
History, Captivating
Hardcover
Modern Architecture in Mexico City: History, Representation, and the Shaping of a Capital
O'Rourke, Kathryn E.
Paperback
Venezuela: Ensayo Sobre La Descomposición / Venezuela: An Essay on Decomposition
Natanson, José
Paperback
Oaxaca Resurgent: Indigeneity, Development, and Inequality in Twentieth-Century Mexico
Dillingham, A. S.
Paperback
Érase Una Vez México 2: del Grito a la Revolución / Once Upon a Time Mexico 2
Rosas, Alejandro
Molina, Sandra
Paperback
La Conquista Para Gente Con Prisa / The Conquest for People in a Hurry
Cuauhtémoc, Tlatoani
Paperback
Arise!: Global Radicalism in the Era of the Mexican Revolution Volume 66
Heatherton, Christina
Paperback
a la Sombra de Quetzalcóatl / In the Shadow of Quetzalcoatl: Zelia Nuttall and the Search for Mexico's Ancient Civilizations
Grindle, Merilee
Paperback
Érase Una Vez México 3: del Gobierno de Madero Al Retorno del Pri / Once Upon a Time Mexico 3
Molina, Sandra
Rosas, Alejandro
Paperback
Walking a City's History: Mexico City from the Sixteenth Century to the Present
Tenorio-Trillo, Mauricio
Hardcover
Conflict and Correspondence: Belonging and Urban Community in Guadalajara, Mexico, 1939-1947
Dormady, Jason H.
Paperback
Seeds of Empire: Cotton, Slavery, and the Transformation of the Texas Borderlands, 1800-1850
Torget, Andrew J.
Paperback
Eclipse of the Assassins: The CIA, Imperial Politics, and the Slaying of Mexican Journalist Manuel Buendia
Bartley, Russell H.
Hardcover