One of the first assignments Ben Box took as a freelance writer in 1980 was sub-editing work on the South American Handbook. The plan then was to write about contemporary Iberian and Latin American affairs, but in no time at all the lands south of the Rio Grande took over, inspiring journeys to all corners of the sub-continent. Ben has contributed to newspapers, magazines and learned tomes, usually on the subject of travel, and became editor of the South American Handbook in 1989. He has also been involved in Footprint's Central America & Mexico, Caribbean Islands, Brazil and Peru since their inception. In 2001 he wrote Footprint's Cuzco & the Inca heartland, on which he has collaborated for recent editions with Steve Frankham. Having a doctorate in Spanish and Portuguese studies from London University, Ben maintains a strong interest in Latin American literature and as a cricketer he looks forward to the day his village side is invited to play anywhere in South America where there is a pitch.