Woefully lacking in evidence and full of allusion, inference, and supposition, Collins’s study will satisfy only the most...
A bold and imaginative attempt to understand the destruction of the legendary city of Atlantis, the creation of Mesoamerican civilization, and the end of the last Ice Age.
Collins (Gods of Eden, not reviewed) discusses the truth behind the Atlantis myth, first described in Plato’s Timaeus and Critias. The author disputes the standard view that Plato created the tale of Atlantis as a parable on divine wrath for decadent civilizations and argues instead that the philosopher was transcribing an essentially factual account. Collins believes that Atlantis did, in fact, exist, that its remnants can be found in the Caribbean islands of Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, and the Bahamas, and that it had trading ties as far away as Egypt (where indigenous American goods such as cocaine and tobacco have been found in ancient mummies). He speculates that Atlantis was destroyed by a comet that struck the island and set off a chain reaction of floods and earthquakes, and that this event not only became the source of the flood myths so prevalent in ancient cultures, but also caused the last Ice Age to come to an end. Refugees from Atlantis traveled throughout the Americas, serving as a ruling elite wherever they went until they were eventually assimilated into the local cultures. Legends of the destructive cataclysm and the lost empire traveled back to the Old World via a triangular trade between the Phoenicians (and later the Carthaginians), the Olmec of Mexico, and the Chavin of Peru. The author considers many similar creation myths from Europe, Africa, and the Americas, and makes a concerted effort to tie up their loose ends—with varying degrees of success.
Woefully lacking in evidence and full of allusion, inference, and supposition, Collins’s study will satisfy only the most devoted Atlantophiles. (16 pp. b&w photos)Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-7867-0810-7
Page Count: 448
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2000
A sharply different deconstruction of the prevailing orthodoxy, worthy of attention.
Leverett (International Affairs/Pennsylvania State Univ.; Inheriting Syria: Bashir's Trial by Fire, 2005) and his wife, Hillary, argue that, unless it changes, “the United States’ Iran policy is locked in a trajectory…that will ultimately lead to war.”
The authors take on what they identify as “a powerful mythology” that continues to influence U.S. policy toward the Islamic Republic—primarily, the proposition that because it is unpopular, the regime “is in imminent danger of being overthrown.” They offer an alternative to the prevailing view that Khomeini and his supporters hijacked the liberal revolution that began in 1978 and “betrayed the aspirations of those who actually carried out the campaign that deposed the shah.” The Leveretts take issue with American policymakers who propose that the U.S. should advocate the overthrow of the present regime in favor of liberal democracy. They believe in the possibility of negotiating with the present regime. The authors dispute the view that the mullahs have done nothing for the population and lack support, showing how literacy, health and medical care have been upgraded and the economy developed. They highlight present concerns about the Iranian nuclear program, which they claim are exaggerated. They identify the continuing influence of the neoconservatives, who brought about the second Iraq war, and “liberal internationalists,” who are ready to deploy military force in support of human rights. They believe that the time has come for an initiative like Nixon's visit to Beijing to begin a change in course.
A sharply different deconstruction of the prevailing orthodoxy, worthy of attention.Pub Date: Jan. 8, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-8050-9419-0
Page Count: 496
Publisher: Metropolitan/Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: Oct. 6, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2012
A feast for students of ancient history and budding historians of any period.
A delightful new translation of what is widely considered the first work of history and nonfiction.
Herodotus has a wonderful, gossipy style that makes reading these histories more fun than studying the rise of the Persian Empire and its clash with Greece—however, that’s exactly what readers will do in this engaging history, which is full of interesting digressions and asides. Holland (In the Shadow of the Sword: The Birth of Islam and the Rise of the Global Arab Empire, 2012, etc.), whose lifelong devotion to Herodotus, Thucydides and other classical writers is unquestionable, provides an engaging modern translation. As Holland writes, Herodotus’ “great work is many things—the first example of nonfiction, the text that underlies the entire discipline of history, the most important source of information we have for a vital episode in human affairs—but it is above all a treasure-trove of wonders.” Those just being introduced to the Father of History will agree with the translator’s note that this is “the greatest shaggy-dog story ever written.” Herodotus set out to explore the causes of the Greco-Persian Wars and to explore the inability of East and West to live together. This is as much a world geography and ethnic history as anything else, and Herodotus enumerates social, religious and cultural habits of the vast (known) world, right down to the three mummification options available to Egyptians. This ancient Greek historian could easily be called the father of humor, as well; he irreverently describes events, players and their countless harebrained schemes. Especially enjoyable are his descriptions of the Persians making significant decisions under the influence and then waiting to vote again when sober. The gifts Herodotus gave history are the importance of identifying multiple sources and examining differing views.
A feast for students of ancient history and budding historians of any period.Pub Date: May 19, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-670-02489-6
Page Count: 840
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: April 7, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2014
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