Customer Reviews

From Stonehenge to Samarkand: An Anthology of Archaeological Travel Writing

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Another very interesting book by Brian Fagan. "From Stonehenge to Samarkand" takes you on a world tour of archaeological sites from the perspective of the westerners who saw them first. Definitely a good read for those interested in the antiquarian period; packed with diary and travelogue excerpts! Students of anthropology/archaeology should add this one to their collection.

For travelers, armchair and otherwise, who want to add another dimension to their travel experience, I highly recommend "From Stonehenge to Samarkand" by Brian Fagan, Emeritus Profess of Anthropology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The author is an engaging storyteller. He weaves first person accounts, travel diaries, and period documents with his own observations to share an understanding of true travel discoveries by revealing the stories behind the sites. It's an exciting journey.

The book recounts the history of travelers to the variouis sites of civilization. It begins with 16th century Englishmen looking at and wondering about Stonehenge, other ancient sites, and the extensive Roman ruins. It progresses to travelers in Europe through the grand tour of young English aristocrats. Then it jumps to the Americas and the observations of the Spanish conquistadors, clergy, and later travelers. So on up to more recent travelers in more remote areas of the globe. It finishes decrying the crush of modern travelers that overwhelms sites such as Stonehenge, Naples, and Sounion. I can attest personally to some of this. My late wife and I first visited Stonehenge in 1974, walking freely among the megaliths. Today, the site is fenced off and there is talk of building a Disney replica a considerable distance away that the tourist would visit. We visited Greece on our own in 1989 and enjoyed uncrowded visits to Epidavros, Sounion, etc. In the 1970s we drove from Munich to Vienna on relatively uncrowded highways. Covering the same area on a river cruise in 2005, I saw a plethora of crowded highways. We always traveled independently without reservations and found delightful local accomodations along the way, a near impossibility today.