Aztec Treasure House

by Evan S. Connell

Book Overview

Here are tales of fabulous advances made in anthropology, archaeology, astronomy, and linguistics, stories of the Anasazi, the "old ones" of the southwestern desert, of the great explorers, eccentrics, dreamers, scientists, cranks, and geniuses. "There's no end to the list, of course," Connell says, "because gradually it descends from such legendary individuals to ourselves when, as children, obsessed by that same urge, we got permission to sleep...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1582432538
• ISBN13: 9781582432533
• Release Date: October 2002
• Publisher: Catapult
• Length: 484 Pages
• Weight: 1.56 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.1" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Great historical "travel" essays

This is a collection of a number of travel essays - travel essays of the historical kind: the search for El Dorado, for the Northwest Passage and the Seven Cities; the voyages of Columbus, Walter Raleigh, the Vikings to North America; and the explorations of Scott, Amundsen, and the number of scientists (Copernicus, Kepler, etc.) who searched the heavens through crude telescopes. There are 20 essays in all, most of substantial length. Connell is a fascinating writer who infuses his narratives with just enough quirky factual information to keep the reader always intrigued; he gives the impression of being endlessly amazed and awed by the subject at hand, which he conveys effortlessly to the reader. The essay on Scott and the explorations of Antarctica is a masterpiece; so too is the one on deciphering ancient tablets. But all of these essays are a delight to read and produce wonder and admiration for those people who risked everything to dream wild dreams, to pursue them, and then to simply marvel at what they found.

Of human daring and fancy legends

These essays are an exquisite treat for the reader of history, both factual and speculative. The Author's as his best when he explores nooks and crannies of history when legend mixes with fact, as in the Vinland essay, on in the essay on the Etruscans. In these cases, the Author is objective as can be, but he reveals his sympathy for the more imaginative theories. .Il loved also his essays on the legends of Priester John, El Dorado and the Seven Cities. How easily is man prey of fancy notions and fanatical beliefs, like in the Innocents crusade! These essays are thoughjt provoking as they are learned.

More entertaining than fiction

A crackling good trove of true tales is what we have here. Connell has a jeweler's eye for interesting details and he's a terrific writer. Add it up and it's safe to say these are among the best history essays ever written, imho.

Wonderful Essays

I first read most of these essays the year I graduated from college. (All but a couple were collected in earlier books which are now quite hard to find.) They are beautifully written, exciting, and fascinating. Connell has an amazing breadth of subjects and communicates complex ideas with ease and clarity. Even years later, I find myself thinking about his essays on the race to the South Pole or near eastern archaeology. In fact, this is that rare book I'd recommend to almost anyone of just about any age. It's full of exciting stories, intelligent analysis, and honest-to-god wit. I'm so glad to see these essays collected in one volume. Hoorah! [Connell's Mr. Bridge and Mrs. Bridge are also fantastic.]

great essays that bring joy back to reading...

...because I have to admit, in my biz we don't always read for pleasure, or sometimes we forget we can. I have very little to add to the positive editorials on this page. The fascination with the strange and the remarkable, the clashes between worlds, systems of thought, and characters are explored masterfully by Connell. These essays remind me of what I used to read when I first started: the psychological depth of Montaigne, the clarity and mystery of Bruce Chatwin, the wit and erudition of Umberto Eco. Unfortunately this edition lacks any kind of editorial commentary (only the last two essays are dated, to 1996 and 1992; the book does include an extensive bibliography, but no notes or references), so it's hard to judge from this collection how Connell developed over the last decades. On the other hand, what's it matter--these essays are consistently great. Happy reading.