Felipe Guaman Poma de Ayala, an indigenous Peruvian serving in the colonial Spanish government, wrote his "First New Chronicle and Book of Good Government" between the years 1600 and 1616. This translation captures the Biblical-to-legal flavours of Guaman Poma's manuscript.

David Frye's skillful translation and abridgment of Felipe Guaman Poma de Ayala's monumental First New Chronicle and Good Government (composed between 1600-1616) offers an unprecedented glimpse into pre-colonial Inca society and culture, the Spanish conquest of Peru (1532-1572), and life under the corrupt Spanish colonial administration. An Introduction provides essential historical and cultural background and discusses the author's literary and linguistic innovations. Maps, a glossary of terms, and seventy-five of Guaman Poma's ink drawings are also included.