Stonehenge: A New Interpretation of Prehistoric Man and the Cosmos - Hardcover

North, John

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0684845121 ISBN 13: 9780684845128

Publisher: The Free Press, 1997

Synopsis

Stonehenge has fascinated mankind for centuries, enveloping generation after generation in its haunting mystery. But while much has been learned about this ancient monument, the fundamental questions remain: Who built it? What was its purpose? How was it used? Drawing on more than 15 years of research, John North has at last succeeded where others have failed. He comprehensively examines Stonehenge from all available angles -- archeological, astronomical, and spiritual -- and considers relevant research from other prehistoric remains in Britain and Northern Europe. He shows, for the first time, that the stones were not so much sighting devices as maps of the heavens and that the design of the monument evolved over thousands of years rather than conforming to a single original blueprint. Such observations form the basis of deductions about prehistoric life and religion that will profoundly affect our understanding of who we are and where we came from.

About this title

Review:

‘Immensely readable... In this beautifully crafted and meticulously researched book, historian John North has produced the clearest and most detailed account of Stonehenge for a generation.’
Michael White, Mail on Sunday

‘If anyone’s judgement can be trusted on this topic, it is North’s. It is fortunate that the millennium will be marked by this important book... a major contribution to understanding the origins of mathematical astronomy. Ann Geneva, Financial Times

‘Brilliant... The mass and quality of his new evidence point inevitably to the conclusion he reaches, that the builders of Stonehenge and their Stone Age ancestors were adepts at astronomy and ritual magic.’
John Michell, Spectator

‘Masterful... It must surely become the standard, both for scholars and general readers.’
Patrick Moore

From the Back Cover:

John North's 'Stonehenge' combines particular attention to the latest archaeological surveys with a profound knowledge of the heavens as they were many millennia ago to establish the function of the stones on Salisbury Plain and what we can know of the religion that caused them to be erected. 'Stonehenge' transforms are understanding of prehistoric peoples, the prehistory of England and the English landscape more than any comparable book in recent years.

"A wonderfully scholarly work, carried out with great care and attention, and a fascinating read."
ROGER PENROSE

"This is not a New Age ramble but an immensely readable yet erudite history of one of the most mysterious and haunting creations of humankind... The conclusions North reaches (are) every bit as exciting as the headline-grabbing claims of some less reasoned accounts... In this beautifully crafted and meticulously researched book, historian John North has produced the clearest and most detailed account of Stonehenge for a generation."
MICHAEL WHITE, 'Mail on Sunday'

"If anyone's judgement can be trusted on this topic, it is North's. It is fortunate the millennium will be marked by this important book. No review could begin to do justice to North's complex reconstruction of the evidence and the wealth of archaeological, astronomical and mathematical structures which underpin it. This is a major contribution to understanding the origins of mathematical astronomy."
ANN GENEVA, ' Financial Times'

"North is brilliant, notably in his reconstructions of pillar and lintel rings at Stonehenge and Woodhenge... The mass and quality of his new evidence point inevitably to the conclusion he reaches that the builders of Stonehenge and their Stone Age ancestors were adepts at astronomy and ritual magic."
JOHN MICHELL, 'Spectator'

"I wonder how many books have been written about Stonehenge? It must be many thousands, most of them obsessed with one particular point – usually somewhat eccentric. We have long waited for a proper treatment: that is to say a book that is entirely factual and yet very readable. Professor North has provided a masterful survey of the whole subject which, in my view, will supersede all earlier works. It must surely become the standard, both for scholars and general readers."
PATRICK MOORE

About this edition

• Publisher: The Free Press
• Publication date: 1997
• ISBN 10: 0684845121
• ISBN 13: 9780684845128
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 609