{"product_id":"blood-on-the-wind-james-l-fitzsimmons-9780190869847","title":"Blood on the Wind: An Uncivil War in the Classic Maya Lowlands","description":"The story most often commonly told about the Maya involves their spectacular collapse at the height of their civilization in the early ninth century CE. Crops died, disease and malnutrition spread, and scorched earth warfare became common. People lost faith in their governments and moved to the Caribbean coast, the mountains of Guatemala, or further afield. But there is another tale that is equally compelling. One hundred years earlier, a group of kings known as the Snakes created a League and were able to force, cajole, or convince their fellow rulers to work towards common causes. In so doing, they took the first small steps towards something that had never existed in the Maya area: an empire. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cem\u003eBlood on the Wind\u003c\/em\u003e narrates this dramatic episode during the Classic Maya period (250-850 CE). From present-day central Mexico across central America, the League attempted to subdue their enemies and transition to an imperial force. In the heart of the lowlands, they created soaring temples, luxurious palaces, and public spaces that continue to captivate visitors to this region. Despite their achievements, a brutal, now forgotten war ensued, and the imperial experiment failed. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBringing to light the colorful individuals involved and their ambitions and flaws, Mesoamerican expert James L. Fitzsimmons recovers the world of this embryonic empire. Family rivalry, greed, grievances, and blindly clinging to the past meant that future generations would live in an environment where each kingdom made its own political and economic choices--but without the benefit of a stronger union.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e James L. Fitzsimmons\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0190869844\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780190869847\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Oxford University Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 02\/27\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 336\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover","brand":"James L. Fitzsimmons","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":47761039425791,"sku":"9780190869847","price":35.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_e3dd4d9e-d7e9-415d-aa07-3513b5de290e.jpg?v=1765514466","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/blood-on-the-wind-james-l-fitzsimmons-9780190869847","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}