The Modern Antiquarian: A Pre-Millennial Odyssey Through Megalithic Britain (Hardcover)

by Julian Cope (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
'Erudite (his references range from Pope and Blake to D. H. Lawrence and T. S. Eliot), articulate and lucid, he possesses an admirable degree of self-awareness.' - The Telegraph, September 1995

Product Description
The Modern Antiquarian includes a complete guide to over 300 prehistoric sites, in a relentlessly thorough gazetteer which divides Britain into seven color-coded sections.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 448 pages
• Publisher: Thorsons; Slipcase edition (October 25, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0722535996
• ISBN-13: 978-0722535998
• Product Dimensions: 11.7 x 8.2 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,208,267 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Informative but strange...., November 3, 1999

By A Customer

The last thing you might associate Julian Cope with is a book about British Neolithic sites but this book is actually rather good. As someone who lives near many of them and who has a passing interest I was grabbed by his enthusiasm. He manages to infect the reader with a sense of place and wonder, after all, these Stones meant a lot to the people who put them there- Julian Cope seems to understand that. Rather than being a re-hash of some mad Von-Daniken book or an 'Aliens must have built these' afficiando he has done his homework and produced a book that could stand in pride of place beside any University textbook. Don't let put you off, an excellent text.

Even if you aren't too keen on the opinions and the poems this book is an excellent guide to British neolithic sites and who knows, it might make you want to visit them yourself. You should.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful and Informative, March 11, 2000

By	"yakalrad" (Mobile, AL USA) - See all my reviews

"The Modern Antiquarian" is a gorgeous book. It comes bound in a hardcover bright orange and metallic blue, the spine reminding me of a "sharp right turn" sign or a succession of Chevrons. The "dust jacket" is actually a hard cardboard dark blue and orange case with a cut-out in the center that focuses on a white sillouette of a dolmen, which is imprinted on the orange book cover itself. All the looks aside, this is a fabulously informative book on a subject which you can never have enough information. Julian Cope obviously took the time and effort to research and photograph the numerous prehistoric sites listed. He includes essays on the different folk-lores, theories, and conjectures that are forever lingering in such mysterious and unknown structures. His descriptions of the sites are very passionate and personal. He incorporates enough poetry, maps, personal photos, and enthusiasm to immerse the reader into taking the journey with him. The pages are full with pictures and are color-coded according to region. Anyone who is interested in prehistoric Britain, stone circles, or the just the very beginnings of human culture should read this book. It is a wonderful guide to a wonderful place.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars great book, beware the 'facts'!, December 17, 2001

By A Customer

first to say - I've had my copy of the modern antiquarian for a few years now and it's enjoyed pride of place in my car for most of that time. never a book to be without if you're driving around britain.

but.. whoever thought this serves as a textbook must be.. new to the subject. some of the scholarship in here (the etymology in particular) is so wonky that I've laughed out loud while reading it - and this is not said as a cynical person. there are some really basic, glaring, wince-making errors, where julian has just tried to fit facts to his story.

the reason why I DO keep a copy with me is the second half, the gazetteer. this is written with so much energy, awareness and good humour that it becomes more of a companion than a book. accurate location details and directions, beautiful presentation, off-the-cuff poems, a sense of the author's own reaction and spirit. a really uplifting read - all the more reason why I wish the first half wasn't so shaky.