The Round Towers of Atlantis: Or the Mysteries of Freemasonry, of Sabaism, and of Budhism [Paperback]

Henry O'Brien (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2002

First published in 1834 as The Round Towers of Ireland or the Mysteries of Freemasonry, of Sabaism, and of Budhism, this book was an instant sensation as one of the first modern studies of Atlantis, round towers, pre-Christian megalithic architecture and secret societies. In addition to being a sourcebook on Atlantis Research, Druidic Culture and origins of modern Celtic Christianity, the book is a treasurehouse of ancient esoteric lore and arcane knowledge of the past, including: The History of the Tuath-de-Danaans, The Round Towers and Megalithic Crosses of Ireland are pre-Christian, Ireland's strange connections with ancient India, Persia and China, Ancient Secret Societies and Ireland, Ancient Egyptians and Ireland, Pre-Christian Messiahs, Mithraism, and Ireland, The Connections Between Atlantis and Ireland

Product Details

• Paperback: 524 pages
• Publisher: Adventures Unlimited Press (November 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931882010
• ISBN-13: 978-1931882019
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,445,709 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "An oracle discerning the hidden history of Ireland", January 30, 2003

By 

Roibeard (Dublin 9 Ireland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Round Towers of Atlantis: Or the Mysteries of Freemasonry, of Sabaism, and of Budhism (Paperback)

This book when published in the 1830's was a mind-blower, in that it totally dismantled previous conceptions about Irelands' past and its infinite mysteries as a mystical Isle. As an Irishman reading this book, and having received much nonsense about the ancient history of Ireland as a child, the book was a revelation. In one quickfire second, Henry O'Brien shook the pillars and columns of the Ecclesiastics' orthodoxy to its foundations.

Using that uniquely Irish landmark - the Round Tower - as his source, O'Brien interwove a miscellany of subjects like Buddhism, Hinduism, Mithraism, Linguistics, Gaelic customs, Language and attire, Persia, India, Egypt, Irish place names into an elongated thread of one book. The epicentre of this span of subjects was ancient Ireland and those magical people the Tuatha De Danaan!

What is most remarkable is the book stands the test of time; the research and level of scholarly endeavour is astounding. O'Brien exposed myths, untruths and misconceptions of Ireland's ancient past; he unearthed secrets which had been hidden in the deep recesses of time - tablet sealed - which hadn't been broken or penetrated hereto.

To do all this is a remarkable achievement; O'Brien defied orthodoxy - he unravelled the orthodox narrative that had been handed down by conventional dogma about the mysteries of the sacred Isle; in the process, he solved time honoured riddles; he posed fundamental questions and consistently answered those questions. Using his brilliant talent for linguistics and his collossus of learning, O'Brien's writing and synopsis was mesmerising; he opened a Pandora box. But such is the quaintness and seductiveness of the book that O'Brien displayed a penchant to vary the narrative at the appropriate time; included are fascinating illustrations and invariably he endowed each section with a poem as an appendage!

The most salient image that reflects itself like a silhouette in the mind's eye was O'Brien's logic: his arguments were persuasive, very convincing and his shield was passion and great purpose. O'Brien was a master at breaking things down into definites - his was an exacting science.

In conclusion, in the nineteenth century Henry O'Brien was a ground breaker; he chartered new territory hitherto uncovered by the sweeping sickle of academia. The most amazing and startling thing is that, arguably no scholar of renown or author to this day has tackled such a phalanx of subjects in one go - in one fell swoop; that the tautly bound secrets and mummification of Ireland's past haven't been unwound or unbound by any comparable unraveller of untruths since O'Brien's day.

Truly 'The Round Towers of Atlantis' is the most seminal, definitive, dam-bursting, revelatory, scholarly account of the Irish Round Towers, the Tuatha De Danaan and Ireland's ancient past extant. O'Brien's vision and perception wade through and clear away the unfathomable mists surrounding the mysteries of this sacred Isle. He shows the wonder that was IRELAND; he re-visits this magical place; he holds up -like a magical apotheosis - the Tuatha De Danaan and unveils the rays of their wondrous glory.

This book is a must read; it is an oracle; a key that opens the portal to the hidden history of Eireann. It is eternal because its domain was inscribed with an investigators plume recreating the glorious vista; its raison d'etre is truth. In this book, Henry O'Brien found the inner sanctum; its pulse beats to the rhythm of infinite time.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A treasury of arcane knowledge, September 6, 2002

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Round Towers of Atlantis: Or the Mysteries of Freemasonry, of Sabaism, and of Budhism (Paperback)

The Round Towers Of Atlantis by Henry O'Brien is the welcome reprint of a long out-of-print seminal work offering a profound wealth of esoteric wisdom and lore. Originally published back in 1834 as "The Round Towers of Ireland", Henry O'Brien's The Round Towers Of Atlantis provides an insightful and thought-provoking inquiry and commentary on the lost civilization of Atlantis, pre-Christian megalithic architecture, ancient secret societies, the history of the Tuatha-de-Danaans, the origins of modern Celtic Christianity, the relationship and connections between Atlantis and Ireland, and much, much more. Enthusiastically recommended reading for students of occult and metaphysical studies, The Round Towers Of Atlantis is a treasury of arcane knowledge is preserved in this profound and meticulous account that has miraculously survived the test of time.

3.0 out of 5 stars A difficult read, September 11, 2009

By 

lit crit "lit crit" (Denver) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Round Towers of Atlantis: Or the Mysteries of Freemasonry, of Sabaism, and of Budhism (Paperback)

This is one of those books that is hard to read and pointlessly verbose mostly because it was written in 1830. Still, some of O'Brien's ideas are as startling now as they were then. Might be worth it for those who are borderline obsessed with this sort of inquiry.

One caveat: The original title was The Round Towers of Ireland and it is faithful to that. There is not one word or any intimation to do with "Atlantis" anywhere in this work.