Customer Reviews

Atlantis: The Andes Solution - The Discovery of South America as the Legendary Continent of Atlantis

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

J. M. Allen correctly rejects Ignatius Donnelly's reading of Plato which placed Atlantis as "opposed to the Pillars of Heracles" rather than "across from the Straits" as related in Sir Desmond Lee's definitive translation. Thus Allen overcomes the common mistake that led scores of Donnelly's followers to posit Atlantis as a sunken island in the Atlantic (geologically unsustainable), rather than as an island-continent across the Atlantic (the Americas) whose civilization was destroyed but whose "bare-bones" still appear (Caribbean Islands). In choosing Bolivia as the site of Atlantis Allen has also chosen an ancient megalithic civilization of great antiquity built on the squared plain and canal system described by Plato. Tihuanacu very probably was a recipient or contemporary of Atlantean culture. The crucial problem with the "Andes Solution" is that the Altiplano of present-day Bolivia stands 12,000 feet above sea-level. Plato's Atlantis had a navigational base at its center that traded with sea-farers on a world-wide basis. Perhaps Allen is "half-right" in identifying So. America as the "island-continent," one as large as Asia and Libya combined. The Americas are in fact one continent -- a continent in antiquity because its reaches north and south could not fully be described, an island because it could be crossed easily from the Caribbean to the greater sea of the Pacific. And at the center of the Americas, a land that creatively connects the great ocean currents, there lie the most enigmatic relics of a great civilization, the almost perfect stone spheres of Costa Rica. For another argument on the nature and location of Atlantis read ATLANTIS IN AMERICA: NAVIGATORS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD by Ivar Zapp and George Erikson.

This book is a very disjointed, rambling and unstructured set of paragraphs about an intriguing idea - which the author entirely fails to prove, or even to strengthen.

The premise of the book is that Atlantis was actually located on a plain at 12,000 feet high in Bolivia, and that people from there sailed 1,500 miles down rivers and then across the Atlantic to invade northern Africa and southern Europe, eventually to be repelled by Athens.

The geographical research is rambling and sketchy at best. No rationale for why people living on the west side of South America would ignore Brazil, and the rest of the western hemishpere to attack powerful forces along the Mediterranean.

Of this 173 page book, 8 pages are a not very enthusiastic introduction. The next 20 pages ramble on about the theory. 22 pages are a challenging translation of parts of Plato. The rest demonstrates the authors lack of organization when he finally visits Bolivia, his lack of knowledge or understanding of the sheer size of South America in general, and his lack of structure in writing.

An editor would have helped this book a lot. St. Martin's press did this author no favors in whatever editorial support they failed to provide.

While the book's premise is both unique and interesting, that the lost city of Atlantis can be found in the Bolivian Altiplano, there are major problems with this book. Firstly, this clearly is not a scholarly piece of work. It is poorly written and poorly presented. There is a lack of coherence and understanding to the ideas presented, the works cited, and even the diagrams utilized. Secondly, the works and diagrams cited in this book are done so without proper reference to their source and context. There is not even a precise map of the author's journey through Bolivia, nor how the purported location of Atlantis is situated with respect to other key cultural centres past and present that might add substance to the author's theory.

Thirdly, while the author is unable to find evidence correlating all of Plato's statements regarding Atlantis, no explanation is given for this. In fact one could argue that the author's interpretion of Plato's statements is somewhat subjective, seeing only what the author wants to see. Fourthly, very little evidence is presented to support the author's theory. A review of aerial maps and a drive across the Altiplano is the crux of the evidence presented. In fact, most of the book is spent speculating about related theories of antiquity, and even this is done with a degree of naivete.

In summary, although there is a lack of academic scholarship and expertise in this work, I do give the author credit for the originality of the theory. If anyone is to blame for this book, however, it is not the author, but the editor and publisher for allowing a book of such poor quality, presentation, lack of depth and substance to be published in the first place.

Rogue, J. M. Allen, has brought this book forward to offer yet another historical explanation to the Atlantis legend. Although the book is brief and occasionally garbled, he presents a wonderful and exciting new theory, about a subject anathema to archeology. The book goes from the description of the site in Peru to specific links between a pre-Inca Andean polulation and Atlantis. Even showing how Andes, a corruption of Antis (copper), can with Atl (water) even provides the name Atl-Antis (copper water). Occasionally lack of exact correspondence to Plato's account and necessary corrections sometimes creep in, yet if Plato's account is true, this seems the most likely site to date for its location, and this book is only the beginning. Contains several arial and satellite maps, and several pages of color photos, although curiously none are referred to in the text. Rating of book does not reflect the subject but simply my impression on the reading experience.

Extremely interesting theory and evidence supporting it. This book is an excellent read giving a new, believable concept to the story of Atlantis. This book not only supports the facts and/or myths, it makes the whole concept of Atlantis more feasible in our search for historical truths. I definitely recommend this book to all with an interest in Atlantis and an interest in ancient civilizations.

This book was exceptional. I have been an Atlantis investigator for 45 years and this is the closest theory to where Atlantis actually was that I have ever read. Read this book and then do some follow up research on Timeas and Criteas and study more about South America, and it becomes obvious that Allen has the best theory on record about Atlantis. I have read many books on the subject since my original reading and this book still stands as the best theory available today. Many alternative theories are primarily propaganda campaigns to encourage tourism. This book is definitly not propaganda and is well supported with plent of data the suggests that the Jim's theory is correct.(5/20/2008)

Even if there is lack of scientific proof but only evidence supporting the theory, Allen's views are consistent with other scientific, historic and fictional theories on what happened about 12,000 years ago. If Allen's speculation is right, if also the Giza pyramids align with Orion's belt (built at about the same time), if Noah's ark is more than a myth (found in other mythologies - Greek and Persian too-), if Britain became separated from mainland Europe after a catastrophic flood at the same time, then maybe this evidence needs more investigation. Some strange theories sometimes become pure fact.

I too have put this theory aside, but a program airing on TLC has some pretty compelling arguments and presents his case much better than this book seems to, however there are many holes in Allen's theory, and his follwing is relatively small.

A must read if you are interested in Atlantis is Voyage to Atlantis by James Mavor. This, in my opinion, represents the most thorough and convincing attempt to locate the legendary city - this is also seems to be the most overlooked theory if indeed Atlantis did exist.

I believe after extensive reading and research that Atlantis did exist, but not as some overwhelmingly technoligically advanced society as some believe. I believe it was merely another city or "part" of a much larger society. They were advanced enough to have cold and hot running water, a complex understanding of the solar system, advanced construction techniques, and enough seafaring ability to establish trade, but some of the same can be said about many other ancient cultures.

That's my 2 cents.

Allens book is refreshing in its content although somewhat misleading in places. I have been reading about ancient civilizations for about 15 years, and I have to confess that this one is the nearest to the truth.

What he omitted, tragically, is that two golden broaches were found depicting two different types of planes.Both were sent to NASA where models were made, and both had successful test flights. Interestingly, neither planes were prop propulsion but jet.

He also omitted, who knows why, an ariel survey of the brasilian rain forests. It was hard to observe, but they were there; outlines of once streets. By various calculations, this "city" housed about 100.000.000 people.

It's very obvious that a very ancient civilisation lived in the americas. We (and I include Plato) gave it the name of Atlantis.

What they were really called we shall probably never know. However there is some inclination that the main race was not white but rather copper coloured.

All this throws our history books down the drain as it goes without saying that the americas is the "old" continent whilst europe is the new. If you want to enjoy a bit more on this subject I suggest you read "Fingerprints of the Gods" by Graham Hancock.

As a final comment, please note that Charles Berlitz and Dr.Valentine, whilst scubba diving in the gulf of mexico also found a gold pendant depicting a plane. In this instance it was not tested by NASA, but rather dated by three independant universities in the USA.-the result placed the pendant at over 15.000 years old.

Also, the placing of these huge granite blocks weighing hundreds of tons was quite simple.They used antigravitational machines.

Such machines are presently being tested in India.

This proves without a shadow of a doubt that this "lost" civilisation was technologically ahead of us.Regretfully, this present civilisation was "held back" for 2.000 years by so called religion, and in many cases these same fanatical dictators are still trying to hold us back.Ignorance and fear helps them keep power.

Atlantis in Bolivia? Well, I have my doubts but his arguments are quite interesting. Unfortunately, book itself is far from great-its written in rather monotonous manner, and I certainly could have done without Plato's original account which I read numerous times before and which was putting me to sleep. A shame, because author's ideas are very original.