The Atlantis Syndrome

by Paul Jordan

Book Overview

The Atlantis Syndrome explains what really happened at the start of civilization. Atlantis myths are examined and debunked from Plato to Hancock in an entertaining read for the archaeology market. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0750925973
• ISBN13: 9780750925976
• Release Date: January 2001
• Publisher: Sutton Publishing
• Length: 313 Pages
• Weight: 1.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.4" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

Good overview of pseudoarcheology

Although a bit dry at points and laced with Brit-humor that may not be understood (newage types are notoriously lacking in humor), Jordan's book is a good general overview of why Atlantis searchers were wrong, why they are wrong, and why we can expect more of the same in the future. More ink has been spilled over a some completely misunderstood Plato, and Jordan explains why it has been a waste. I find it remarkable that many of these people who rabbit off in search of Atlantis don't even bother to learn enough Greek to read the original Plato. Why does this matter? Because the Atlantis parts of Plato are often taken more literally than the Bible. If you extrapolate from a translation then you can't be certain that your interpretation is even based on the actual words used. A good read and excellent antidote to the output of the Atlantis-industrial complex.

An interesting popular study from a skeptic

Paul Jordan, who studied archaeology at university, is a pretty good writer in my opinion. I quite enjoyed this book, which I got for a project on Atlantology and alternative archaeology. It's one of the few books by a skeptic to give in-depth coverage to some of the newer writers like Graham Hancock and the Flem-Aths. Reading this would be a good way to decide whether you want to invest the time in reading their (rather long) books. There is a section on traditional/academic accounts of human origins and prehistory, which seems misplaced. Jordan is trying to provide the accepted account along with some of the evidence so that his readers have the necessary information to follow his critique. But I found it disrupted the flow of the book. I wonder whether it would have been possible to integrate it into the Atlantology sections, or move it to a long appendix. It's easy enough to skip over if you know a little about prehistory, and it doesn't significantly detract from the book as a whole. I've also read Jordan's book on the Sphinx, which is more of a picture book or coffee table book. If you are familiar with his Sphinx book, expect more text and substance from this work. There are some illustrations in a photo section of the book. Some of them seemed pointless to me, until I finally reached his explanation near the end. Good job, Jordan!

Case Closed

This book so effectively exposes the pseudoscience behind the continued promotion of the lost continent of Atlantis -- in all its guises, old and new -- that it effectively leaves the matter case closed. I cannot recommend it highly enough, especially for people who believe that Atlantis (or some lost civilization) once existed and influenced the formation of the more familiar ancient cultures of the world (Egypt, the Maya, etc).Jordan shows, in a lucid and entertaining style, how Plato dreamed up the Atlantis myth to make a politico-philosophical point; how the ancient and modern myths of Atlantis are entirely different and cannot be reconciled; how the modern version runs contrary to over a century of archaeological investigation into humankind's development; and how continued efforts to promote the Atlantis myth require such willful ignorance of masses of evidence and such bizarre "reasoning" as to border on the the deceitful. It is a tour-de-force book, and an essential read for anyone interested in the Atlantis myth.