/Nexus - 0906 - New Times Magazine/pages/0064/image.png)
Page Content (OCR)
REVIEWS ©& THE ROUND TOWERS OF ATLANTIS by Henry O'Brien Adventures Unlimited Press, USA, 2002 (first published as The Round Towers of Ireland, 1834) ISBN 1-931882-01-0 (524pp tpb) Price: A$39.00; NZ$49.00; £16.95; Euro 24,90; US$18.95 + s&h Availability: Aust/NZ/UK/Europe— NEXUS offices; USA—Adventures Unlimited, tel (815) 253 6390, website http://www.adventuresunlimitedpress.com Tes Rue Book bs Bam be Prin interest in archaeology, history and ancient traditions to his major work, The Round Towers of Ireland, which was published in 1834—but his sudden death the next year, aged 27, deprived the world of a visionary scholar. This edition is a faithful reprint of the original, though the publisher strangely substitutes Ireland with Atlantis in the title. O'Brien discusses the fascinating connec- tions that ancient Ireland had with India, Persia and China and he compares the round towers with the Egyptian obelisks. The lan- guage, being of the early 19th century, requires patience in the reading, but the text is full of arcane knowledge that crosses his- torical, religious and cultural borders. The introduction (in inappropriately small type) is by David H. Childress, who refers to the work of Dr Phil Callahan who first stud- ied the towers when he was stationed in Ireland during World War II as a USArmy radio engineer. While one theory posits that the towers had an astronomical purpose, Dr Callahan surmises that each tower was built to act as an antenna, in concert with a nearby paramagnetic crystalline rock outcrop, to focus the Sun's energy into the ground to aid soil and plant fertility. This treasure trove of esoterica expands on the mystery. THE ROUND TOWERS OF ATLANTIS _ interest in archaeology, history and ancient | USA—St Martin's Press (early 2003), tel by Henry O'Brien traditions to his major work, The Round (212) 674 5151, http:/www.stmartins.com Adventures Unlimited Press, USA, 2002 Towers of Ireland, which was published in he evidence has been growing for (first published as The Round Towers of 1834—but his sudden death the next year, decades that the Black Sea was once Ireland, 1834) aged 27, deprived the world of a visionary breached and flooded by the Mediterranean ISBN 1-931882-01-0 (524pp tpb) scholar. This edition is a faithful reprint of Sea at the area known as the Bosporus. Price: A$39.00; NZ$49.00; £16.95; the original, though the publisher strangely Historian Ian Wilson (The Blood and the Euro 24,90; US$18.95 + s&h substitutes Treland with Atlantis in the title. Shroud) has been following the discoveries, Availability: Aust/NZ/UK/Europe— O'Brien discusses the fascinating connec- especially those made by US oceanographer NEXUS offices; USA—Adventures tions that ancient Ireland had with India, Bill Ryan and plate tectonics specialist Unlimited, tel (815) 253 6390, website Persia and ane and he compares tne round Walter Pitman in 1993, confirming a 1970s y imi owers with the Egyptian obelisks, Ine lan- — Bulgarian mapping of an ancient shoreline http://www.adventuresunlimitedpress.com guage, being of the early 19th century, 00 apping present sea level. requires patience in the reading, but the text Ryan and Pitman, with geology student is full of arcane knowledge that crosses his- Candace Major, found in their core samples torical, religious and cultural borders. the remains of freshwater mussels that could The introduction (in inappropriately small only have been smashed up in a devastating type) is by David H. Childress, who refers to rushing-in of salt water; they were later the work of Dr Phil Callahan who first stud- gated to c. 5600 BC. Their findings, which ied the towers when he was stationed in they di din their 1 ah C y discussed in their 1998 book Noah's Ireland during World War Ilasa USArmy —_Fgod, give credence to the various Great radio engineer. While one theory posits that Figg legends sourced from this region, and the towers had an astronomical purpose, Dr even to the Atlantis myth. But it wasn't until Callahan surmises that each tower was built September 2000, during American Robert to act as an antenna, in concert with anearby — Ballard's second expedition to the Black paramagnetic crystalline Tock outcrop, to : Sea, that remains of wooden dwellings were focus the Sun's energy into the ground to aid found, 15 km offshore from Sinop in north- soil and plant fertility. This treasure trove of ain Turkey and 95 metres underwater. esoterica expands on the mystery. The threads of this story are up-ending what we understand of post—Ice Age civili- ho built the Round Towers of Ireland BEFORE THE FLOOD sations, landscapes and climates. In Before and for what purpose remains a mys- by lan Wilson the Flood, lan Wilson speculates on the peo- tery. According to Irish tradition they were Orion Books Ltd, UK, 2001 ple and culture of the Black Sea region built by the ancient Tuatha de Danann, said ISBN 0-75284-6353 (336pp hc) before the inundation, and their possible to have been led to Ireland from the Holy Price: A$49.95; NZ$79.95; £18.99; links with the ancient inland centre of Catal Land by Queen Scota; so they are probably Euro 33,90; US$n/a Hiiyiik (in Turkey) and a religion based on pre-Christian. They certainly caught the Availability: Australia—Allen & Unwin, Great Mother Goddess worship. And attention of one Henry O'Brien, who was tel (02) 8425 0100; NZ—Hodder Moa because many cultures have bordered the born in County Kerry, Ireland, in 1808 and _ Beckett, tel (09) 377 3800; UK—Orion Black Sea, the rewards of future expeditions graduated from Trinity College, Dublin. Books, tel 020 7240 3444; Europe— will undoubtedly be rich. Wilson's enticing O'Brien applied his linguistic ability and NEXUS Office, tel +31 (0)321 380558; book conjures some dramatic moments. NEXUS #75 OCTOBER — NOVEMBER 2002 www.nexusmagazine.com