Central America is the name given to the southern part of the isthmus that separates North America and South America. This position has given it an important strategic role in international affairs. Amerindians once dominated this region, with the Mayan civilization in particular exerting a strong influence. In the 16th century, Europeans arrived in Central America; they conquered the natives and established colonies throughout the region. Today,...

After a childhood filled with heartbreak, Irene, a talented artist, finds herself in a small Central American village where she checks into a beautiful but decaying lakefront hotel called La Llorona at the base of a volcano. The Bird Hotel tells the story of this young American who, after suffering tragedy, restores and runs La Llorona. Along the way we meet a rich assortment of characters who live in the village or come to stay at the hotel. With...

Lonely Planet Central America is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Scale the Maya temples of Tikal, surf the smoothest and most uncrowded waves in Latin America, or explore the colonial charms of Granada; all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of Central America and begin your journey now!

The Maya has long been established as the best, most accessible introduction to the New World's greatest ancient civilization. Coe and Houston update this classic by distilling the latest scholarship for the general listener and student. This new edition incorporates the most recent archaeological and epigraphic research, which continues to proceed at a fast pace. Among the finest new discoveries are spectacular stucco sculptures at El Zotz and Holmul,...

"Heartbreaking immersion into the lives of people enduring extreme violence in Central America El Salvador and Honduras have had the highest homicide rates in the world over the past ten years. Oscar Martinez, author of The Beast, which was named one of the best books of the year by the Economist and the Financial Times, shares a beautiful and immersive account of life in one of the most violent places on earth. Martinez travels to Nicaraguan fishing...

On his twelfth birthday, Victor Baxter is spirited away from boarding school by a stranger known only as the Captain who claims to have won him in a backgammon game with the boy's diabolical father. Settling into a new life in a dire London flat, Victor becomes the willing ward of his mysterious abductor and the tender and childless Liza. He quickly adapts to the only family he's ever known, despite the Captain's long disappearances on suspicious...