As anyone who has seen the 1977 film Star Wars can attest, the ruined Maya city of Tikal in northern Guatemala presents a dramatic spectacle. Stephen Spielberg used the image of the site’s massive temples poking above the forest canopy to portray the secret rebel base. Tikal is Guatemala’s most visited tourist attraction, and has fascinated both the general public and Mayanists since its discovery in the 1850s. Thanks to the University of Pennsylvania Tikal Project in the 1950s and 1960s, and to the Guatemalan national project in the 1980s, Tikal is also one of the best known Maya cities, archaeologically speaking. Peter Harrison’s Lords of Tikal: Rulers of an Ancient Maya City is an important addition to the literature on this site, written by a veteran of the Penn Tikal Project. Lords of Tikal is the latest installment in Thames and Hudson’s popular New Aspects of Antiquity series. As in other volumes in this series, Harrison’s presents a general treatment enlivened by discussions of the latest theories and archaeological discoveries. The book is well-made and features excellent photographs, line drawings, plans, and dramatic reconstruction views. Harrison’s clearly written prose includes many comments aimed at the visitor, such as the...