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From Publishers Weekly
Already a huge success in England, this lengthy and at times quite academic study extends the basic argument of Hancock's 1994 Fingerprints of the Gods, a wild combination of astronomy, archeology, geology and folk myth whose worldwide success made Hancock perhaps the most popular proponent of "alternative history" as well as a publishing phenomenon. Hancock's basic thesis is simple: although mainstream scholars refuse to believe it, there once was "a lost civilization destroyed in the cataclysmic global floods that brought the last Ice Age to an end," and the survivors passed on their knowledge to the newer ancient civilizations with which we are more familiar. The search for an "Indian Atlantis" is the basis for this book, which is structured around Hancock's exploration of underwater sites near India, Japan, Taiwan and China, and in the Arabian and Mediterranean Seas. As usual, Hancock wonderfully introduces the general reader to Indian and Japanese subcultures; however, his reliance primarily on works by local alternative historians many of whose views have been clearly refuted by other scientists while ignoring almost anything that refutes his own thesis undercuts his credibility. In his effort to present his step-by-step discoveries in the style of a "whodunit," Hancock remains an entertaining writer and an interesting cultural journalist. But while the exploration of undersea prehistoric sites is a fascinating and ongoing research area, and Hancock's main contribution to the subject his theories continues to make him a successful writer, his works have been relegated to marginalia.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Hancock has reportedly sold several million copies of his books touting earlier origins to civilization than is the general consensus. He believes that civilization rose about 17,000 years ago (rather than about 6,000) and vanished beneath a rising sea level, leaving its traces in flood myths in Sumerian and Vedic texts, in early maps of the Age of Discovery, and more plausibly, in submerged ruins. Hancock throws up a fantastic amount of data on these points in this work, ranging from his personal textual interpretations to his dives at coastal sites in Malta, India, Japan, and the Bahamas. Perhaps Hancock's what-if, adventuring style will again prove commercially successful, if not intellectually persuasive to archaeologists, but the poor organization of this work may daunt the otherwise enthusiastic. Discursive and speculative, it expands the meaning of open-minded and could have been pruned without harm (Hancock prints scads of his correspondence and interviews verbatim). However, rebels always attract attention--and Hancock has already proven that he can. Gilbert Taylor
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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Most helpful customer reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Discovering evidence of submerged ancient cities,
By
This review is from: Underworld: The Mysterious Origins of Civilization (Paperback)
Graham Hancock continues his pursuit of uncovering lost civilizations, this time under the sea. He takes us on a journey through the Mediterranean, the Arabian Sea, Persian Gulf, Bay of Bengal and the Pacific Ocean around Indonesia, Japan and Taiwan by looking at underwater structures that might be of human origin.I'm pleased to note that the government of India has recently authenticated two of his discoveries off the coast of India. In both cases, these structures are dated between 9000 and 11 000 years before the current era, which supports the hypothesis of a great flood that submerged vast areas of up-to-then habitable land. What I really like about Hancock as author is that he also provides the orthodox view at the same time as his own theories. I cannot but agree with his statement, "There's something wrong with the underpinning of history." Hancock has indicated the most likely places for pre-flood civilizations with the help of Dr. Glen Milne of Durham University who is an expert on glaciation-induced changes in the sea level, and taking into account the plethora of flood-myths found amongst all cultures on all continents. Underworld is lavishly illustrated and well served by a thorough index and extensive bibliography. This interesting if overly detailed text will amply reward the reader who enjoyed Hancock's earlier titles like Keepers of Genesis and Fingerprints of the Gods.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Underworld,
This review is from: Underworld: The Mysterious Origins of Civilization (Paperback)
Very interesting subject matter for those people who want to know more about the beginnings of civilization. Hancock does a good job of research on his subject, but in his usual style, he spends too much time repeating the same thing in different ways. Obviously, a manmade structure sitting 23 metres under the ocean has been there for a very long time, no need to labour the point.'Fingerprints of the Gods' was better reading because it moved to different subjects and places. The book arrived in only 3 days which surprised me, and in excellent condition for a used book. Overall I am very happy with my purchase.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
An Introduction to Antediluvian Archaeology,
By Gaios Gignomai "Director of the Vancouver Oce... (Vancouver, Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Underworld: The Mysterious Origins of Civilization (Paperback)
At the last glacial maximum (c. 25,000 years ago) the oceans were 120m lower. Science has discovered at least three major surges of ocean levels between 17,000 and 7,000 years ago. Archeologists haven't found much older than 7,000 years ago because they're digging in the wrong place! :) There is evidence, but in my opinion mainstream science is currently stuck in a "flood-avoidance" rut, and are too hesitant to look at the possibility that civilization had been achieved drastically earlier than is currently kosher, but that it was lost due to a sudden 20m rise in ocean levels due to continental glacial cataclysms in North America, Eastern Europe, and the Himilayas where buildups of melt were held back behind glacial dams resulting in a disasterous flood of all coastal cities which required civilization to start over--more than once. The evidence is in divable waters all over the world, but academics haven't quite adapted to the possibilities for various reasons. This is Hancock at his most scientific and cautious, and if nothing else this is a facinating Indiana Jones case-study of Thomas Kuhn's "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions". Considering that SCUBA gear is a very recent invention, I think Hancock is the herald of a new age of antediluvian archeology.
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