The World of Stonehenge

Everybody has heard of Stonehenge, but how many people are aware of the number of similar (though generally on a smaller scale) sites to be found across England, Scotland, Ireland, and continental Europe? I was not, even though I've always been interested in Stonehenge. When I first visited England, my main priority was to see Stonehenge. My friends and I took a bus then walked the last mile or two through the countryside. My recollection is that we were almost, if not completely, alone there. An experience!This book is a monumental study of a monumental structure, and its contexts. Stonehenge was being created (if I understand correctly) more or less around the time the Egyptians were building the pyramids and the Greeks the Palace of Knossos. The inspiration for this volume was the British Museum's ground-breaking exhibition of Neolithic and Bronze Age relics from Britain and elsewhere. It is not, however, organized as a catalog, but rather as a history, with the various objects and the sites where they were found pictured at the appropriate places in the text. In my opinion this makes it a more meaningful book, much more than a souvenir of the exhibit, whether you were fortunate enough to see it, or not.The objects pictured include gold ornaments, musical instruments, weapons, tools, pots and vessels, helmets and shields, bead necklaces, and everyday items of various sorts. Most striking are the ambitious objects celebrating the sun, like the sun chariot from Norway and, most spectacular of all, the Nebra Sky Disc, illustrated on the cover, from Germany. Photographs of the various sites show carefully preserved monuments, monoliths and earthworks from various angles, including from the air, to provide a complete perspective. The book is divided about evenly between text and photographs, with more than 300 bright, clear color photos included in its 267 pages. This print is quite readable, with adequate space around it, and the book, though large, is compact enough to hold comfortably. Even if you were fortunate enough to visit the exhibition, this book will definitely help you to better understand what you saw there.

Excelente libro de una exposicion en El Museo Británico

As ever, this British Museum Book of the Exhibition makes you wish you could be there.I ought to deduct a star for the packaging. As one reviewer has already remarked, mine arrived with a torn dust jacket. This is a hefty book weighing in at almost 2 kilograms, and it's delivered in a brown paper bag, without any cardboard wrapper. Such a shame.But I'm glad to have it. It sheds light into some mysterious corners of prehistory, and makes us aware of the complexities of vanished cultures, and their startling sophistication and skill.

A wonderfully written and illustrated book. If like me you missed the BM exhibition this will make up for it big time. Worth every penny. If you live in a cold climate and you’re short of cash turn off your central heating for a few days and pay for it that way. After all… prehistoric men and women did not have central heating !!!

I read this book with huge enjoyment and deep satisfaction..This is essential reading for all those interested in 'The World of Stonehenge.'

Buying from British Museum this book would have cost £40, from amazon I payed £28, so good value. However, it was very badly boxed and arrived with a torn dust over. Sad.

An amazing exhibition so bought the amazing book !