Stone Circles: A Modern Builders Guide to the Megalithic Revival [Paperback]

Robert L. Roy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1999

Learn the technology of the ancients, and discover the living connection between humans and stones. Rob Roy began visiting stone circles as a young man wandering the moors of Great Britain. Keeping one foot in the rational and one in the transrational, he set out to build his own. This is the definitive guide to modern and not-so-modern techniques.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Ever had an irresistible urge to stand a dozen seven-ton stones upright in a circle? If so, this fascinating how-to book could make your dream come true. Robert Roy is a man obsessed with megaliths--structures and monuments constructed of large, often unhewn stones. From the gorgeous cover photo of a stone circle in New South Wales, Australia, to the extensive closing glossary of terms, he's packed Stone Circles with all you'll ever need to gain the inspiration to create a megalithic structure. You'll also find the instructions and know-how to carry your plans to fruition. In journal format, he takes you through dozens of construction experiences step by step, well-documented with photos and diagrams. Even if you have no intention of circling up, his tour of famous stones circles and their histories is well worth the read. --P. Randall Cohan

About the Author

Rob Roy with wife Jaki and son Darin, has spent much of his adult life roaming the haunts of the woodland Druids and the people of the moors. He has participated in the design and construction of several large stone circles and many small ones in North America and Europe. Rob and Jaki are founders and faculty of the Earthwood Building School in West Chazy, New York, where the specialities are cordwood masonry, underground housing, and megalithic stone construction. Rob's other books include Mortgage-Free! and The Sauna.

Product Details

• Paperback: 370 pages
• Publisher: Chelsea Green; 1st ed edition (October 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1890132039
• ISBN-13: 978-1890132033
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 8.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #870,403 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Rob Roy knows what it means to live
mortgage free. As director of Earthwood
Building School since 1981, he has
instructed many in the arts of natural
building, and renewable energy. He is
also the author of Earth-Sheltered Houses,
Cordwood Building, Timber Framing for
the Rest of Us, The Sauna, and Stone
Circles. Rob and his family live in West
Chazy, New York.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is Terrific!, February 16, 2000

By 

"celtinkilt" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stone Circles: A Modern Builders Guide to the Megalithic Revival (Paperback)

Years from now, when I'm asked what books impacted my life in major ways, I'm sure I'll immediately list "Stone Circles" as one of them. This is partly because the book came along at a time when I was developing an interest in standing stones and sacred places but mostly because it treats megalithic architecture as a living art: not just a phenomenon from the past to be studied, but a way to connect, as the ancients did, with the earth and with the cycles all around us. This book truly is a "modern builder's guide to the megalithic revival." It speaks of ancient standing stones at Stonehenge, Avebury, the Orkneys, and other sites, but concentrates primarily on contemporary stone circle builders and on practical information for doing this ourselves! It's filled with incredible photos and the stories of contemporary megalithic architects and builders, as well as a wealth of technical information. Thank you, Rob Roy, and thanks to all of your colleagues for lighting a flame in me - before, I had an interest in megalithic architecture, now I am an (amateur) "megalithic anthropologist." That means that I have an interest in the study and application of how human culture and big stones interact - not just in the context of the past, but here and now. I have a small circle of stones on a shelf at home that I rearrange, am going to build some temporary circles at the beach in a couple of weeks, and I can hardly wait to go to work in the back yard this summer! Two thumbs way up for Stone Circles!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-have for any personal library!, April 2, 2001

By 

Joseph C. Jenkins (Grove City, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Stone Circles: A Modern Builders Guide to the Megalithic Revival (Paperback)

Rob Roy's book, Stone Circles, is perhaps the most comprehensive and masterful work on the topic of stone circles by a living author today. There is much more to megalithic stone circles than just the movement and placement of massive dormant objects. When properly placed, they become permanent monuments to a timeless spiritual perspective. Considering our fragile and tenuous hold on life, we humans, especially in modern times, would do well to learn about and understand these marvels of engineering, determination, and dedication. Rob Roy's book gives us all a good place to start.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quality instruction for the ecentric!, April 10, 2002

By 

Grei R. S. Walker (Copley, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stone Circles: A Modern Builders Guide to the Megalithic Revival (Paperback)

I can hardly wait to start laying out my own little "stone henge" and with this book I now know how! I always wondered how they did it, now thanks to Rob Roy, not only do I know how they did it, but now I know how I can do it too! Rob provides history, lore, safety tips, labor saving "secrets" of the ancients, great anecdotes and practical and technical instruction on site selection and preparation, stone selection and preparation, constuction of safe and durable megalithic structures, and even a human and spiritual side of the subject that can be quite energizing. With this book anyone can find their own connection to our ancient ancestors! In addition to all the information provided, this book also harbors some very phenominal photographs of both ancient and modern megalithic structures around the world. If you buy only one book this year, buy this one...if your disapointed then you have no soul!