The Four Heavens - review

Our review of The Four Heavens: A New History of the Ancient Maya, by David Stuart, first published in April 2026. An overview of the history of the Mayan people, from the earliest records to the Classical heyday, The Four Heavens brings us right up to date with the latest thinking and discoveries.I found the dense overlapping record of kings, queens and their dynasties a bit dry at times, but the flipside is that you get a factual no-nonsense account that puts the Mayan people back at the heart of their own story. ★★★☆☆ Most human societies tend towards hierarchies: someone at the top giving orders, and everyone else at least pretending to follow the rules. And we tell each other stories to justify to ourselves why the rulers are in charge. A popular story throughout history is that if your dad had the top job, that means you deserve it too. Often this idea is enhanced by the notion that the king is anointed by God (or at least his bishop). In the UK right now we all know that the…