The Gold Machine

Name: The Gold Machine
Brand: Allen & Unwin
SKU: 9781786079190
Price: 42.99 NZD
Availability: InStock

Tracking the Ancestors from Highlands to Coffee Colony

By Iain Sinclair

0.0 (0 reviews)

3.7

( 37 ratings, 8 reviews)

Summary

In The Gold Machine, Iain Sinclair embarks on a journey retracing the steps of his great-grandfather's explorations in the Peruvian Andes. The narrative weaves together history, personal reflection, and the legacy of colonialism, offering an introspective exploration of both the external landscape and the internal world of memory. Sinclair provides a blend of travel writing and philosophical musings, creating an immersive experience of discovery and introspection.
Read More

Format: Hardback

$42⁹⁹

AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 3-4 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

The Gold Machine

$42⁹⁹

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you appreciate a blend of travel literature and historical introspection. It takes you on an intriguing journey into the Amazon, exploring both family history and colonial echoes, offering a rich narrative for those who enjoy adventure intertwined with personal and cultural exploration.

The Gold Machine

A journey through time and space, grappling with the ghosts of empire

A journey through time and space, grappling with the ghosts of empire

Description

What does following in the footsteps of our ancestors mean? Iain Sinclair takes it literally. In The Gold Machine, Sinclair and his daughter travel through Peru, guided by the itinerary of an ill-fated colonial expedition by his great-grandfather, Arthur Sinclair.

Victorian Adventist missionaries are contrasted with today's ecotourists, coffee plantations with cocaine territories, and the charms of family history are set against the brutal realities of land grabs.

A Boys' Own Adventure story in a leather-bound book is transformed into a shocking tale of the violated rights of indigenous people, secret dealings between London finance and the Peruvian government, and the collusion of the church in colonial expansion. In other words, a beautiful valley is now the property of a British corporation. In Sinclair's haunting prose, no place escapes its past and nor can we.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Gold Machine by Iain Sinclair has been praised for its evocative prose and its exploration of colonial attitudes. Critics highlight its imaginative journey, dry humour, and the distinctive negotiation with Sinclair’s ancestral past. It is seen as a masterful, richly atmospheric travel narrative that deftly combines personal history with broader historical contexts, likened to a psychoactive expedition that leaves readers grateful for the journey.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781786079190

Publisher: Oneworld Publications

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 02 September 2021

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Oneworld Publications

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 36.0mm

Width: 153.0mm

Height: 234.0mm

Weight: 0g

Pages: 432

Collections

Education & Reference History & Military Iain Sinclair Non-Fiction Travel & Adventure

About the Author

Iain Sinclair is the award-winning writer of numerous critically acclaimed books on London, including The Last London, Lights Out for the Territory, London Orbital and London Overground. He won the Encore Award and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for his novel Downriver. He lives in Hackney, East London.

Also by Iain Sinclair

View all

Charles Booth’s London Poverty Maps

By Mary S. Morgan and Iain Sinclair and London School of Economics

Hardback

Sold Out