Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
314th out of 804 books
—
653 voters
Trail of Feathers: In Search of the Birdmen of Peru
by
Tahir Shah (Goodreads Author)
A shrunken head from Peru and a feather with traces of blood are the clues that launch Tahir Shah on his latest journey. Fascinated by the recurring theme of flight in Peruvian folklore, Shah sets out to discover whether the Incas really were able to "fly like birds" over the jungle, as a Spanish monk reported. Or was their soaring drug-induced? His journey, full of surrea...more
Paperback, 288 pages
Published
June 16th 2003
by Arcade Publishing
(first published May 8th 2002)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
316)
Trail of Feathers: In Search of the Birdmen of Peru by Tahir Shah
While at a tsantsas (shrunken heads) auction, Tahir Shah meets a Frenchman who plants the seed in his head to travel to Peru not in search of shrunken heads, but in search of the legendary Birdmen of Peru. His research leads him to believe that flight was invented long before the Wright Brothers and he hikes along the Inca trail, flies over the Nazca lines, railroads to Lake Titicaca, and buses to the Festival of Blood before he en...more
While at a tsantsas (shrunken heads) auction, Tahir Shah meets a Frenchman who plants the seed in his head to travel to Peru not in search of shrunken heads, but in search of the legendary Birdmen of Peru. His research leads him to believe that flight was invented long before the Wright Brothers and he hikes along the Inca trail, flies over the Nazca lines, railroads to Lake Titicaca, and buses to the Festival of Blood before he en...more
I read Shah's book on renovating his home in Casablanca a couple of years back and liked it. So, when I saw this one on my library's New Books shelf I checked it out, not realizing that it's actually a re-issue of a decade old work; that having been said, it wasn't dated much at all.
Essentially, the book is two tales in one - the first being the author's travels from Macchu Pichu to Lima by bus and train, with stops along the way to meet interesting characters. At one point, he becomes obsessed...more
Essentially, the book is two tales in one - the first being the author's travels from Macchu Pichu to Lima by bus and train, with stops along the way to meet interesting characters. At one point, he becomes obsessed...more
Tahir Shah is an amazing writer with a wonderful curiosity, intelligence and adventurous spirit. I have travelled in South America but his story of his quest to find the bird men taught me so much about the South American culture, the history, and the fascinating and heart breaking impact of Industry and Christianity on the rich tribal cultures and traditions, their spirituality and the plant life. I found myself laughing out loud at the incredible situations he found himself in. HIs description...more
Initially intrigued by the idea of early flight in Peru, Shah treks through the jungle in search of the Birdmen of Peru. Rather than early Wright brothers, he finds that hallucinogens leaving the user with the sensation of flight are the real answer. Fascinated, he tries them himself by tracking down an obscure Amazonion tribe with a reputation for head shrinking and describes a horrible experience that he takes much better than I anticipate I would in the same position. Interesting discussions...more
Shah turns a pretty phrase, even when it's about shrunken heads or disgusting food. Here he pursues the legend of the birdmen, a quest that includes colorful and sometimes alarming fellow travelers, grave robbing, hallucinogenic vines, crumbling textiles, matter-of-fact mystics, and the Nazca lines. Shah is neither a curmudgeonly character like Theroux nor a macho creep like some travel writers whom out of delicacy I shall not name. Instead, he lets the reader in on his hopes, his discomforts, a...more
So I orignally borrowed this from the library while researching the Inca Trail. I had every interntions of only reading the chapter on the trail, but the author had me hooked and I had to go back the two or three chapters and start at the front.
Part humour, part documentry, the book follows the author through Peru in search of the men who could fly or the bird men.
Pick this one up if you want to know a bit about South America and it's cultures in a light read.
Part humour, part documentry, the book follows the author through Peru in search of the men who could fly or the bird men.
Pick this one up if you want to know a bit about South America and it's cultures in a light read.
A little silly although the writer certainly can tell a tale. A lot about how he is creeped out by the Amazonian jungle. Best character is Richard the ex-Marine who is his guide.
Jul 07, 2009
Megan
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommended to Megan by:
Mike
Shelves:
hispanic-lit-culture,
travel
This adventure travel story was a joy to read. The author is searching for information about the ancient birdmen of Peru, and he follows every lead he gets. The author is knowledgeable, observant, and incredibly laid back. People open up to him, and the book gives fascinating insight into behind-the-scenes life in Peru. He includes hilarious exchanges with the people he meets along the way, both Peruvians and fellow travelers. I couldn't put this book down! I recommend it to anyone who loves rug...more
A page turner, an exciting read an extraordinary book. The gothic cast of characters set this reader's hair alight.
The courage displayed on the journey can only be admired, the rotting boat, the horrendous food stuffs, the climate.
Knowledge to be found in the jungle is under threat, a knowledge of plants and their properties on the way to being lost. Like the jungle Tahir Shah explores and the Shuar he visits magic is a magic gate way away and this reader is conscious that a magic re read is i...more
Engaging... once you start, you can't put it down.
An entertaining and insightful travel memoir (?) that I picked up a while back during a Mesoamerica binge, when I had big ideas about writing my own fantasy series from a non-Eurocentric perspective. Shah's style is brisk and conversational, but not at all "light," and the appeal of his story lies in the fascinating journey he takes, meeting a motley crew of characters and enduring a variety of hardships, all in search of the fabled "Birdmen of Peru." A good read for anyone interested in a non-f...more
Simply stunning.
Not as good as The Caliph's House, but still an entertaining and informative journey through Peru to find the Birdmen who achieved early flight. Tahir Shah is well researched, and it takes a lot of guts to trek up the Amazon in search of headhunters and their favorite hallucinogens!
One of my favorite travelogue authors. This may not be one of the best he's written, but it gives you a good idea of the mysteries and treachery that awaits in a foreign country. let's see if he finds what he is looking for...
Great read to understand the culture and spiritual elements of Peru. Focused primarily on the Amazon which I have to add to my bucket list as I just returned from Machu Picchu and did not have time to go farther north.
An interesting book that I learned a little from, but expected more.
I now know more about shrunken heads than I ever cared to know.
great storytelling
May 15, 2013
Areeba
marked it as to-read
May 09, 2013
Pamela Tatge
marked it as to-read
May 05, 2013
Gina
marked it as to-read
Apr 29, 2013
Nick Bond
marked it as to-read
Apr 27, 2013
Stephanie
marked it as to-read
Apr 22, 2013
Jean Riquelme
marked it as to-read
Apr 11, 2013
Tracy
marked it as to-read
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Tahir Shah is the author of fifteen books, many of which chronicle a wide range of outlandish journeys through Africa, Asia and the Americas. For him, there’s nothing so important as deciphering the hidden underbelly of the lands through which he travels. Shunning well-trodden tourist paths, he avoids celebrated landmarks, preferring instead to position himself on a busy street corner or in a dust...more
More about Tahir Shah...
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
Nov 12, 2011 06:46pm