Fingerprints of the Gods (Paperback)

by Graham Hancock (Author) "I'm in southern Peru, flying over the Nazca lines..." (more)
Key Phrases: equinoctial marker, precessional numbers, ascending corridor, Central America, Pyramid Texts, Valley Temple (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
Praise for Fingerprints of the Gods:

"A fancy piece of historical sleuthing...intriguing and entertaining and sturdy enough to give a long pause for thought." -Kirkus Reviews

"Readers will hugely enjoy their quest in these pages of inspired storytelling."-The Times, London


From the Trade Paperback edition. -- Review --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
Praise for Fingerprints of the Gods:

"A fancy piece of historical sleuthing...intriguing and entertaining and sturdy enough to give a long pause for thought." -Kirkus Reviews

"Readers will hugely enjoy their quest in these pages of inspired storytelling."-The Times, London


From the Trade Paperback edition. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 592 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press (April 2, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0517887290
• ISBN-13: 978-0517887295
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 5.9 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (270 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #6,203 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #6 in	Books > Religion & Spirituality > Occult > Unexplained Mysteries
  #9 in	Books > Religion & Spirituality > Religious Studies > Controversial Knowledge
  #13 in	Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Astronomy

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

358 of 404 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As Valid As the Established Views, January 26, 2000

By	Sergio Flores (Orange, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Fingerprints Of The Gods: The Evidence of Earth's Lost Civilization (Hardcover)

In his intriguing work, Graham Hancock offers a number of mysteries regarding Humanity and Civilization, and then proceeds to write his conclusions. I must say I found his ideas quite plausible, mostly because he is not alone in this field and many other authors, working independently, have also published similar books, or works that deal with areas that coincide with Hancock's main conclusions. It is amazing, though, to read so many of the negative comments loaded with animosity and almost personal loathing of not only the book, but of the author as well. Also, to those readers who patronizingly tell the rest of us to read real science, or check with real archaeologists, the truth is that scientists are every bit as passionate about their dogmas, as religious fanatics are about theirs. Peer review is all very well, as long as you don't deviate from the established paradigm. Otherwise your career as a scientist is in serious jeopardy. It happened to geologist Virginia Steen-McIntyre, who went ahead with her dating of a Mexican site: she was fired, her career ended, and the date for the site was established at a less provocative age that didn't threaten conventional wisdom. Therefore a message to those who trust "science" will provide the answers: it will, but since science is made by humans, imperfection at all levels is part of the baggage. The so-called "Anomalous Objects" in museums fill rooms, almost nobody gets to see them, and they are there, stashed away, because they do not fit with our traditional view of history, geology, archaeology, etc. Graham Hancock has simply published a book that forces us to question the validity of the information previously absorbed, and brings forward ideas from other people which have as much validity as the traditionally taught history of Egyptians or Mayans. The truth is, when the evidence presented by archaeologists, egyptologists, and other professionals is examined critically, the traditional school is very far from convincing. This does not mean that the general public is ignorant or gullible. It means that when we cannot build a replica of the Great Pyramid today, with our technology (the Japanese tried and failed, and theirs was a far smaller "scale" replica), but are expected to believe that copper-tools wielding Egyptians could (2.3 million blocks of stone; weights going from 1.5 tons to 15 and 17 tons; "killer" slope of 52 degrees; near perfect alignement; perfect 90-degree corners; perfectly cut diorite blocks, and so on), then is when inquisitive, intelligent people wonder, How is that possible? Since traditional science provides answers that prove usatisfactory because they really feel like nonsense, people will look for alternative scenarios. Graham Hancock provides such scenario. He may be wrong, but his points are as solid, or more, than those of the now-accepted school of thought.

153 of 173 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Revealing Ancient Mysteries - New Theories, August 30, 2003

By	Erika Borsos "pepper flower" (Gulf Coast of FL, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Graham Hancock, a reporter for the Economist and Sunday London Times, has done what many of us only dream about, he visited the ruins of many ancient cultures from around the globe and came up with some startling findings and theories. His journeys included: Machu Picchu in Peru, the Mayan ruins of Central America and Mexico, the Aztec ruins near Mexico City, the city of Teotihuacan, and the Egyptian ruins of Giza, the Pyramids, Heliopolis, Saqqara, and Abydos.

He begins the book with a chapter introducing us to an ancient map of Antartica, made in AD 1513. It is called the Piri Reis map drawn up in Constantinople. It is an enigma because the 'modern' world only "recently" discovered Antartica in AD 1818. Graham Hancock ends his book with more information and theories about the reason Antartica may have shifted about 2,000 miles south of its original location, believed to be a subtropical climate, similar to that of the Meditarranean. Antartica is believed to have been situated about 30 degrees north of its present position on the planet. The explanation for its movement is based on an idea endorsed by Albert Einstein who wrote of it in 1953 *before* the scientific community had yet formulated the continental drift theory or the earth-crust shift theory. Graham Hancock provides numerous references from science and archeology to support his theories and conclusions.

Graham Hancock knows how to weave scientific facts and theories, ancient myths and legends, his own personal diary and the photographs his wife took ... into a seamless tapestry which divulges plausible explanations for the origins of the magnificent structures built by ancient civilizations. He is a phenomenal writer who knows how to build suspense and intrigue. He keeps the reader hanging on the edge of his or her seat, anticipating what "hidden" messages of the past will be revealed next. Most astonishing are his revelations of special numerical relationships which were built into the structures of the pyramids in Egypt and Teotihuacan. Most amazing also is the fact that these special numbers are mentioned in numerous myths and legends from different cultures around the world. Dr. Carl Gustav Jung might call it "synchronicity" but if he had read this book he would more than likely call it 'intention'. The author contends the builders of these monuments and structures were trying to leave us, the future generation of the human race ... a message. They did this through archeological, mathematical, and scientific evidence, along with information passed down in myths and legends. Once started, this book is difficult to put down. Although it is not easy reading, it keeps the reader totally engaged and hooked, right from the beginning. Graham Hancock manages to connect catastrophic global events of the past, which scientists agree occurred about 10,500 years ago B.C. to the ancient monuments and ruins that are still standing. There are predictions that similar catastrophic events may again occur ... unless mankind changes their behavior on a global scale. This is one book I would give more than 5 stars to if I could. *Very* highly recommended. Erika Borsos (erikab93)

33 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Raises interesting questions, November 30, 2000

By	SH in Tampa "SPH" (Tampa FL) - See all my reviews

Graham Hancock provides a provocative, alternative interpretation to development of early civilization in this work. He challenges a number of traditional assumptions regarding the dating and sequencing of monuments and artifacts in such cultures as the early Egyptian, Peruvian and Mexican periods. And for daring to call into question some of the basic assumptions of archeology, he has been praised by some but widely vilified by many established members of the scientific community. It is interesting to note the strong reactions just in the reviews in Amazon.

While I may not be qualified to establish whether Hancock's theories are a revolutionary rediscovery of our past or just an interesting alternative interpretation, I can tell you that this book makes very interesting reading. It is not presented as a grand conspiracy theory, nor do I feel that Hancock is trying to justify a particular ideology. Instead, Hancock takes the reader on an exploration of a number of historical oddities - interesting phrases from ancient Incan writings about fires in the sky, ancient maps that precisely detail hidden parts of Antarctica and other possible explanations for the Atlantis mythos. He does not present any outrageous claims that earth was invaded by aliens or that Egyptians were an industrial civilization, however, he does present a fair amount of material for consideration by his readers to form their own opinions. In many cases, he admits not have the answers just questions that can not be answered by established "scientific facts". As a serious scientist, Hancock does research his questions sufficiently to justify raising issues with established doctrine

Overall, this is a though provoking book that is highly entertaining to read whether you believe it to be true or just an interesting theory.