An Unofficial 'The Rest Is History' Reading List

646. The Fall of the Incas: Death to the Emperor (Part 3)

February 23, 2026

Description

What happened to the emperor of the Incas after he was taken prisoner by the Spanish conquistadors? Did the formidable buccaneer, Francisco Pizarro, and his men succeed in discovering the treasure...

Books Referenced

The Royal Hunt of the Sun

Author: Peter Schaffer

Context:

The hosts mention hearing a lot from this play throughout their series, with Christopher Plummer playing Atahualpa, emperor of the Incas.

Book of World History

Author: R.J. Unstead

Context:

Both hosts recall having this book as children, with Tom describing how it featured a memorable scene of Atahualpa with Francisco Pizarro and piles of gold, which sparked his fascination with the story.

The Conquest of the Incas

Author: John Hemming

Context:

Referenced as a 'brilliant book' that makes excellent points about the conquest of Peru, including how Europeans had usually arrived multiple times before conquest, unlike in Peru where the Spanish did it all in one go.