A Glimpse into Europe's Shared Past........
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What a fantastic book this is! I'm particularly taken with the entries on Portugal, Menorca, Sardinia and Corsica - the only difficulty is which one to visit first!
Julian - if you ever read this - keep up the great work - and I look forward to the book which takes in Turkey!
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Yet another outstanding piece of work!
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Julian's journey of discovery continues and is the sequel a flop? No it's flipping brilliant as well! Is there no limit to the talents of this man? See my review of `The Modern Antiquarian'. I have to say that I really enjoy the way he presents his work. I see it as leagues ahead when it comes to armchair history, were not all academic genius's you know? This European gazetteer set me a thinking - who knows maybe one day even a third book on Turkey and the surrounding regions - monument and site rich and barely scraped over, areas just gagging for such a champion, Julian are you listening? Well we can all live in hope I suppose.
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What a disappointment.
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This could have been such a GREAT book. Sadly, in my opinion, besmirching good photos of serious monuments is pollution. Who wants to see photos of (in my opinion) ugly hippies pretending to hold up leaning stones? How many tons of stones and consummate artistry are desecrated by such (in my opinion) vandalism? Shame on the publishers, in my opinion. Sadly, it could have been a GREAT book. Why not just leave out the 'comics'? My personal advice is DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY.
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Cope delivers... again!
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Although I haven't read the entire book just yet, it is fair to say that first impressions are good, as the Arch Drude of Wessex once again takes us on a prehistoric journey to remember. Nothing can beat the feeling of visiting these sites, but as with the Modern Antiquarian, Cope provides you with great analysis of each site and an indepth essay section. Directions are also clear and will obviously be of great help during the many holidays that lie ahead. Great colour pictures of the interior and exterior of many sites are included and it is layed ouy in a very easy to follow way.
So if you are interested in seeing what Europe has to offer the megalithic traveller then I cannot think of a more suitable guidebook, or starting point. Buy it...
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Not encyclopaedic perhaps, but excellent all the same
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Julian Cope continues to work very hard at promoting the temples of our ancestors. Looking at the places he highlights makes you reel with the realisation that so many structures can still exist after the turbulence of the last couple of millennia. His first book was wide in scope - this seems less so, but covering a whole continent was never going to be easy. Particularly impressive is that it was completed in a short time and has a lot of useful information gained from personal experience. No mean feat. He is thoughtful, realistic, sometimes scholarly, which makes the academic content of the first part of the book seem at odds with the opulent but somewhat off-putting packaging. The gazetteer will be much used, and complements works by Burl in particular very nicely. Nonetheless, good on Julian for producing another book on a subject that's not taken seriously enough. It's sure to appeal to many people, and provoke enthusiasm and thought in them.
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