Sailors of Stonehenge

by Manuel Vega

Former scientist and monk, Manuel Vega sheds new light upon prehistory, on the mystery that shrouds our ancestors the builders of megalithic monuments such as Stonehenge, Carnac, Avebury, Newgrange, Almendres or those at Orkney Islands. He also exposes the information hidden in the classical myths like Jason and the Argonauts, Hyperborea or the Twelve Labors of Hercules, and even in the legends of Atlantis and King Arthur, discovering in the process the cosmic roots of Christianity and Western Civilization. Sailors of Stonehenge contains more than a hundred images and figures.

"Manuel Vega has written an extraordinary book that turns history upside down." –Gavin Menzies, The Lost Empire of Atlantis

"Remarkably well constructed… a trove of thoughtful information." –ND Wiseman, The Megalithic Portal

"Reads like a vivid narration of the adventure that marked the origins of Civilization." –Anna Ntinti, Classicist

"A superb work that anyone interested in the megalithic culture should read." –Manel Sancho, Old Civilizations' Blog

"How come nobody thought of this before!" –Dr. Reinoud de Jonge, How the SunGod Reached America

"Strongly recommended." –Eric Sargeant, Leyhunters Newsletter

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Science, Historical, Mythology

226 pages, Paperback

First published August 31, 2012

About the author

MANUEL VEGA, Ph.D., was formerly a researcher working for the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (USA), the University of Nagoya (Japan) and the Council of Scientific Research in Oviedo (Spain). He was also a Buddhist monk for five years in monasteries of California and Canada. He has co-authored many papers and patents, has written extensively about the interface of science and spirituality, and has been the recipient of several literary awards in Spanish.

Reviews

[Anna Ntinti · Rating 5 out of 5]

What do Stonehenge, Iberia, the voyage of Jason in search of the Golden Fleece and the lost Atlantis have to do with the Milky Way? How can we read the megalithic art in a way that could offer us a meaningful insight into human past? What do we really know about the prehistory of our civilization?

Manuel Vega undertakes a courageous task: he attempts to answer such challenging questions by exploring how the Megalith Builders developed into a geopolitical entity with a solar-cosmic religion and spread all over Western Europe and Northern Africa. The book demonstrates how the religious and social structure of the Megalith Builders was determined by the cycles of the sky and produced an advanced technology, resulting into the well-known megalithic monuments and long maritime expeditions to unknown territories. Megalithic constructions are shown to represent the primal need to reconcile celestial with human laws by regulating political and religious life according to planetary motion. The author makes fascinating connections between various manifestations of megalithic art by placing them into the context of a common solar culture, whose knowledge survived and reached us through fragments of mythical narrations, ritual practices and the symbolic language of classical tradition.

Manuel Vega brings together pieces of an unsolved puzzle, which for the most part had resisted an overall convincing interpretation. In doing so, he exploits the findings of such diverse areas of knowledge such as history, astronomy, mythology, archaeology and navigation. The author is careful enough to prepare his readers for controversial evidence and various disagreements between scholars over the interpretation of the megalithic phenomenon. Still, one of the great merits of the book is that it manages to escape pedantic style and dogmatism and instead reads like a vivid narration of an enthralling adventure, which marked the origins of western civilization to a far higher degree than currently regarded. The numerous pictures and figures that it contains also serve as a useful tool for the reader who is not well acquainted with astronomical observations or archaeological surveys. And although experts in such fields would certainly benefit from reading it, the book itself does not presuppose any specialized knowledge; instead, reading the "Sailors of Stonehenge" challenges a lot of our preconceived ideas about the past and inspires us to gaze anew at the sky in search of our own roots and identity.

-Anna Ntinti, Classicist, MA History and Philosophy of Science, University of Athens, PhD candidate History of Ancient Philosophy, Utrecht University

[Gregg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received my copy from the generous author. Thank you!

In the preface to "Sailors of Stonehenge", Manuel Vega is emphatic that this book is not, nor is it intended to be, a scientific work. That said, a beginning understanding of astronomy or a reference source such as a library book or the internet will, I think, make reading this book more rewarding. I was fortunate to have some exposure to astronomy in high school and college, and I believe it helped me to really appreciate what the author is attempting to relate regarding the Megalith Builders and what he and others believe they were able to accomplish in prehistoric times. I particularly was struck by the material in Chapter 10.

As Adrienne Mayor writes in her book "The First Fossil Hunters:
Dinosaurs, Mammoths, and Myth in Greek and Roman Times", the myths and legends of giants, griffins, dragons, etc., from ancient Greece and the Romans may actually be attempts to explain the huge fossilized bones found during their journeys. Manuel Vega convincingly, I think, is able to relate certain myths, as mentioned in other reviews, to the activities of the Megalith Builders.

Bringing the heavens down to earth is a central theme of the book. Planetary gears, gears that mimic the revolutions and the interconnectedness of the Sun and the planets, are a technology that has been in use since the 1500's. It is a technology that had to be "rediscovered" from the ancients. Similarly, Manuel Vega cites several examples of Megalithic construction, rituals, and science that were "rediscovered" and sometimes credited to later civilizations.

This is another important idea from the author and others-the Megalith Builders were not just a loose scattering of groups that had limited interactions and exchanges of technologies, but were a scientifically,politically and spiritually sophisticated civilization- advanced mariners, competent astronomers and prodigious builders divided into kingdoms.

This is not a book that you have to agree or disagree with, just entertain the possibility this could have been what the Megalithic Builders were like. We don't have the luxury of examining written material, and many of their important centers have been in continuous habitation for thousands of years with any evidence of the Builders presence long lost or re purposed.

I look forward to the book on the Megalith Builders voyage around the world as mentioned on page 83.

Enjoy!

[Rob Slaven · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I always say, I got this book for free. The author was kind enough to send me a copy in exchange for a bit of editing. While doing my assigned pages I also perused the rest of the book for the purposes of reviewing. Despite that very kind consideration by the author I give my candid feedback below.

Many times when reading a book one can’t help but wish you could tinker with it a bit. This book has a lot of really good qualities that make it a fine reference for Neolithic stonework. The author has really done his homework and obviously knows what he’s talking about. Textually it is a bit rough but that can be cleared up with some editing which is currently underway. It’s a good textbook, though a bit on the dry side.

One thing that strikes me particularly about it though is that unlike most textbooks it’s not afraid to reach a bit for hypotheses. While the author is clearly well informed in his field, I would suspect that some of his conclusions are rather far afield for the traditional academic community. Any rigorous and detailed scrutiny of his conclusions is likely to draw some barbs from his peers. Even the reviewers here, who one assumes are not paleontologists for the most part, seem to question the linearity of his arguments.

All THAT said, I think there’s a germ of a book here that might just sell a few thousand copies. While academia isn’t likely to line up around the block for a copy, there is an entire reading subculture that practically begs for information like this. Given some editing, a larger format, some good color photos and proper marketing, there are a lot of people who would buy a book linking Stonehenge and other ancient monument sites with the lost city of Atlantis and Greek literature. The fact that author is a credible researcher in this area is a powerful thing and there are plenty of people who would adore a book on speculative human history from such a studied and legitimate source.

At any rate, take all that with a grain of salt. This book is a very educated view on an interesting topic that most people don’t know much about. I was glad to have the chance to edit and review it.

[Kim Heimbuch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sailors of Stonehenge
By Manuel Vega
Independent Publisher
August 31, 2012
ISBN 1479169234/ 9781479169238
166 pages

5 Stars

This is a must have book for any person or student with innate interest in history, anthropology, mythology, or the celestial and Atlantic origins. “Sailors of Stonehenge” could act as a standalone college history course. Society has long been intrigued with the various historical monuments such as Stonehenge, Avebury, and Carnac and as technology advances; some light is being shed upon these mysteries and altering history as we know it. This book dives into the some of the world’s oldest mysteries where Vega has spent a lot of time piecing the science with the stories and creating a well-grounded theory as to who, what, and how these megathilic masterpieces were created and why and the importance of archeoastronomy utilized by these civilizations
Vega’s writing is anything but dull, packing this quick yet powerful read with a virtual array of maps, pictures, and various other forms of visual aids to grasp the reader and pull them in, leaving them longing for more. His style of writing is refreshing, keeping the pace moving steadily and providing just enough information on each topic to understand the basis for even those readers lacking background knowledge. I truly look forward to any future writings Mr. Vega publishes and can’t wait to utilize this piece in my own Master’s studies.

[Otherwyrld · Rating 3 out of 5]

I entered the competition to win a copy of this book because I have always been interested in alternative history and astroarchaeology, and this seemed like something right up my street. It was only after I won a copy that I had a bit of a panic, because I realised then that I would have to write a review of it. Now, I do write reviews of other books that I read, but they are rather more for myself than from any expectation that other people would read them. Here though, the author was offering a copy of his book because he wanted people to review it and bring it to the attention of others. This was difficult for me - what if the book was a turgid piece of rubbish and I hated it?

Well, it wasn't and I didn't. (Though I didn't love it enough to give it more than 3 stars for the reasons I am about to give).

What we got was an intriguing and entertaining what if? story. The author quite sensibly knows that he cannot prove any of what he is speculating about because it is dealing with things that leave no trace, such as the states of minds of ancient peoples. He quite rightly uses the word hypothesis in it's correct scientific meaning as he sets up his story through the first half of the book.

Unfortunately, the author started to lose me in the second half of the book, as he takes what he set up in part 1 and veers off to wildly improbable conclusions. This is a common fault in many of the alternative history books that I have read (I have read and forgotten at least as many books as I have listed here) - an author will take points A,B and C and turn them into point Z without any basis of evidence or by going through points D to Y. My liking of the book reached its nadir with the throwaway line about megalithic builders taking round the world voyages on the basis of a few petroglyph's of boats. The what if? element takes a back seat in this part of the book, to the detriment of the story being told. The author instead seems to almost present this section of the story as fact, and there were "facts" in here that I simply could not believe in. The foundation that was set up in part 1 of the book simply wasn't strong enough to support the castle that was build on top of it in part 2.

The author manages to drag things back right at the end with some intriguing ideas about Atlantis, and I really wish that he had spent a little bit more time on this part instead of just a few pages at the very end, because I could actually believe that the myth of Atlantis had some basis in the megalith builders of Western Europe. It was too little, too late though.

At the end of the day, the success or otherwise of a book like this is based on whether or not the author can convince you of the validity of the scenario that is presented to you, and I simply was not convinced enough. In that regard, the book must be seen as failure, at least in part. I say in part because at least he does not fall into the other traps that authors of alternative history do, such as claiming that proof of their theory is just around the corner (in which case, why not wait to get that proof before you publish), or better still, start screaming conspiracy because someone in authority won't let them dig up their proof (as if every person with a theory would be allowed to dig up some of the most important archaeological sites in the world).

I think with a little work, this book could be really great. It's a miss, but a close one and I am glad that I had a chance to read it despite my misgivings. I really did enjoy quite a lot of the book (even the technical parts), and at less than 150 pages, it doesn't outstay it's welcome.

(One quick note about the language - it seems clear to me that this book was originally written in Spanish and then translated into English afterwards. Whilst the translation is good, it isn't perfect and there are numerous occasions when the wrong word is used. The errors are mostly minor and you can always get the gist of what the author is intending to say, but when you see such errors, it tends to pull you out of the narrative flow. It would be a relatively easy matter to correct these mistakes and it would improve the book).

[Lina · Rating 4 out of 5]

(there's an edit, just below the main review, noted with an asterisk)

I won this book at a first-reads competition. As many of you know, it has a variety of books that are of diverse genres. I usually read anything fiction related, but this one caught my eye because it seemed to be a mixture of pre-history, archaeology, astronomy and myths, all of which make me delve into them and want to explore their mysteries.

The genre here is unspecified. The author himself says so at the preface. It is neither about history nor about science. The author's purpose has been merely to prompt us see these pre-historic people known as Megalith Builders under some new light. They were not primitive beings, but rather religious ones, great connoisseurs of the arts of maritime and navigation, as well as studious readers of the stars. Somehow they have managed to interconnect all of these things and give us these magnificent monuments like Stonehenge and Newgrange. This last sentence is, of course, a hypothesis. Again, the author has made sure we understand this. There are only a few tangible elements on which we can rely to prove certain theories when talking about things that might have happened thousands of years BC. So yes, the book is full of hypotheses, but in addition to some logical explanations and deductions taken by writings of the Classical era or by myths, they hardly seem a coincidence.

I will not keep teasing you with tidbits here and there. But I would like to talk to you about some technicalities. For people like me, who haven't got any particular knowledge on, let's say astronomy or mathematics, this is a difficult book to keep up with. I did rather well with the theoretical parts that explain the rituals, but I found myself reading a few paragraphs more than once to fully comprehend them. Some would also claim that the manner of writing is artificial or stilted. I didn't think so even though I did have the barrier of specialized language.

In a nutshell, it is due to my own limitations that I didn't fully enjoy this book, but it was a ride for which I have no regrets. Many references were quite familiar, especially those concerning Jason and the Argonauts, as well as Hercules and one thing is for sure...I will never see the constellations with the same eyes again!

*EDIT concerning the Revised Edition of the book
The author has been so kind as to send me a copy of the Revised Edition and I felt that the least I could do in return would be to make a few comments as to whether there has been an improvement or not. I assure you that there has indeed been one.
My inadequacies on the subject matter and the specialized language are unchanged, but there have been some changes on the technical parts that have worked for the best. The book is thicker, the font size is better, the figures, although still in black and white, are larger. What has also filled me with joy is that the footnotes, which could be really distracting, have been replaced by endnotes found at the end of each chapter. All these make the reading experience easier.

I appreciate that the author went into the trouble of improving his work. I also appreciate that he sought opinions anew. It shows a responsible and consistent personality. Mr. Vega has a vast knowledge on his field of work and this fact is apparent throughout the book. I now recommend it without any inhibitions, as long as you make sure to get your hands on the Revised Edition.

[Lorrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved visiting the megalithic stones and standing stone circles (Druid Circles) on the western coast of Ireland. My reasoning for visiting them was simply personal, perhaps because I love antiques and the stones are about as old as you can get, and also because I loved Diane Gibaldon's 1st book, "The Outlanders" (and subsequently the series) which was based on similar old stones. Now after reading Vega's book, I wish I had also visited Newgrange while in Ireland. I've also always wanted to visit Stonehenge in Great Britain. What about Easter Island? After reading this book, I really want to go.

Vega details very researched material which aligns the megalithic stone placements with the stars. He likens the earth as the mirror reflection of the sky. The people who placed the stones did so to mirror the galaxies. As the axis altered, so did the need to alter the stones; hence, the need to get in boats and travel the seas to new lands. In order to travel the seas, the megalithic period man would have had to be very good sailors.

One can't help thinking about these sailors. Were they so intellectually bright that they could sail the seas, mirroring life on earth to the galaxies? Was man then transformed into the religious era people, and is man now evolving into the spiritual age? This is all so very important for understanding the past for the past helps us to decipher the present. Thousands of years were spent replicating the galaxies. Thousands of years have been spent in make believe. What is next?

Much of this book was way over my head. I never really studied the zodiac except to learn my own sign. I can barely discern the star formations, although I can find the big and little dippers....that's about it. The read is interesting and the life of the people who traveled to and from these formations was thought provoking.

Could it all be? Who knows for sure, but I do believe that anything is possible.

[Ian Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book explores a far-reaching and highly researched original idea. My main concern about the hypothesis proposed, which is dependent upon astronomical observations, is that often when I have visited sites likes Avebury and Stonehenge, it has been cloudy and/or raining. For the megalith builders it must have been frustrating, at least, to arrive after a multiyear journey at eg Avebury for a lunar standstill to find that it was bucketing down and that there was not a star to be seen. Nevertheless, I think contributions like this to understanding megalithic cultures are always welcome. Since the hypothesis proposed cannot be proven, perhaps Dr Vega might consider building his theory into a novel. I can see that that there are ingredients for an excellent tale to be told.

[Selinea · Rating 2 out of 5]

First Reads Giveaway

2/5

As a college student, I've had to read a lot of journal articles and books written by grad students and post-grad doctorates. And thus, I've developed a radar that divides these books/articles into two categories. Category one are the ones that are genuinely easily accessible and interesting; something I would read for fun even if it wasn't for class. Category two are the ones that are overly technical and pedantic; something to skim through so I can form enough of a vague idea to still do well on the final.

Sailors of Stonehenge, unfortunately, is a category two.

The back of the book claims that it's written in a "simple and straightforward style." I don't know whether to applaud the audacity of this lie or just be irritated. One sentence on page 11 really stuck out at me due to its shear heaviness and awkwardness.
"During the past 40 years, archeoastronomy has been able to establish itself as a respectable field of knowledge, in part due to the critical self-evaluation that overcame the shortcomings of its pioneering works through serious statistical studies that confirmed, without any reasonable doubt, that a great part of the megalithic constructions were intentionally built according to celestial orientations" (Vega 11).
It seems that when we're young, we write in overly simplified terms. Stuff like, "I woke up. It was dark outside." But then we spend our whole lives trying to get farther and farther away from being overly simplified, to the point where our sentences become a long, wordy mess. If the sentence I quoted was written in a "simple and straightforward style" like the back of the book claimed, it would look a lot more like, "During the past 40 years, archeoastronomy has established itself as a respectable field, in part due to serious statistical studies that overcame its pioneering works and confirmed that many megalithic constructions were intentionally built according to celestial orientations." This sentence could probably be cleaned up even further and made even more readily accessible if I changed some of the words instead of just trimming the fat.

The above was just a micro example of the whole book, which contains way too many fillers like "have been able to" rather than just using active voice. I also have mixed feelings about the footnotes. Some were helpful. Others weren't. I feel like the author should be just decide if 1. The information is so important it should be just be in the book, or 2. The information is so not important that it gets banished to the back of the book. Constantly forcing readers to break their flow of reading and look down at the footnotes gets irritating after awhile. I did enjoy the figures and pictures, which helped camouflage how dry the book gets.

Good non-fiction (or at least, non-fiction that appeals to the masses) grounds itself in narrative voice and appeals to what the reader already knows. With something like prehistory and megaliths people don't know about it, I was expecting more myth debunking and imagery than what was in the book. What the book does have are a lot of equally dry quotes and chapter summaries, which only makes it feel more like a text book and less like a book I was reading on my own time.

So what is good about this book? As I mentioned above, the images and figures that are often worked into the text rather than just random eye relievers. The topic itself. Prehistory, ancient monuments and myths are going to be interesting regardless of how it's written. And I do also appreciate all the research that went into this book. It's just not the kind of writing I would recommend to other people.

[Kirsty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book through Goodreads First Reads.

(Please see edit towards the bottom of this review for comments regarding the revised edition of this book.)

The author kindly sent me an English copy of this book as well as the Spanish copy. This review covers the English copy of the book as it would have taken me considerably longer to read the Spanish Edition.

I wanted to enjoy this book so much more than what I actually did. I love history, and thought that I would get a lot out of the book. To an extent I did. The author had clearly put a lot of research into it, and I found some chapters absolutely fascinating. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on Atlantis. However, I found some chapters of the book went totally over my head. This was not due to complex subject matter, but instead was due to the language used within the book. I believe the translation process may have let the book down somewhat, though this is more of a problem in the first portion of the book. I found as I read more of it that the language did improve a lot, either that or I just got used to it. I see a revised issue is now becoming available so maybe this has been fixed the issue somewhat?

Another major problem I had was the figures and the footnotes. Many of the figures referenced within the text were on different pages to where they were referenced. This led to a very disrupted reading experience and I truly think that in most cases with some tweaking, this could be solved. Also the footnotes weren't always helpful to me, and again interfered with the flow of the reading.

Finally, I did love many of the figures, particularly the photos. I feel though, that the book would really benefit from these having some colour added.

Overall I did enjoy the book and found it absolutely fascinating, I just think that with improvements on the above it could be so much better.

EDIT 12/11/2013

The author has kindly sent me a copy of the revised edition of this book. A great improvement has been made. The book is now thicker and the paper is of a higher quality. I have also noticed a great improvement in the language issues which I had originally mentioned above, and it is a much smoother reading experience now. The pictures and figures are also much larger to in most places help solve the previous problems of them being too far away from the writing to go with them. The pictures are still in black and white, which is a massive shame, however with all the other improvements it no longer matters quite as much as it did and would just be a nice bonus now more than anything. I also like the addition of the preface and about the author sections at the front of the book. They just help add depth and a more professional aspect to the book, which the previous edition was definitely lacking. I consider the changes to be that great, that I am now changing my rating from this book from a 3 to a 4.

I'd just like to say thank you to the author for going to the efforts of improving this book as much as possible, and also thank you for sending me a revised edition so that I could see the vast improvements for myself.

If you are considering reading this book, then you should definitely pick a copy up. Just make sure you get the revised edition.

[Gill]

I am reading this book in minute detail as I am helping Manuel proofread it and change various elements of the layout as well as correcting some minor grammar slips and improving the choice of syntax occasionally. I won't write a proper review of it until I have completed that work and then gone through the revised edition with him. I wish I were able to achieve the fluency he has in a non-native language but there are inevitably difficulties he has encountered in English. It is such a pig of a language to learn!

Every time I try to sit down and read this as a book I slip into editing mode and send Manuel another list of comments and notes. I need to detach myself from this before I can give the book a proper review.
Meantime I have begun editing and checking the second book in the series, and I am very excited by it!
Whereas I found the academic astrology in this volume very dry and difficult to comprehend - my training and education are all in the arts (languages, literature, music, art) - the second volume, working title Voyage Zero, is written for the lay reader, in the first person, and the concepts, so far, are easy to grasp and illuminating in the accessible way it is written. I would urge all those who, like me, felt 'boggled' by Sailors of Stonehenge, to grab this one with both hands when it is published. The first chapter recaps the thoughts and theories explored in Sailors of Stonehenge, and is written in totally accessible language and clear detail.

Although I finished reading this some time back my previous comments still apply - I find it almost impossible now to switch off my edit mode. Even on Facebook and Wordpress I end up sending people edited versions of what they have written! Must stop as it is making me so hypercritical I shall never finish picking over my own writing and just complete and submit it to a publisher. :-(

As a general statement about this book I would say at first glance one might feel that Manuel has connected up mythology, astrology, astronomy, archeology and religion too neatly - that it can't be that simple, that early man, our ancestors, cannot have been more 'civilised' than we are. Surely technological and advances in understanding how bodies function etc. must mean we are superior? This is such a strong belief that even as someone who prides herself on being open-minded I found myself sceptical of some of his assertions.
But stop and think how sophisticated some Roman technology - aqueducts, underfloor heating etc. were, how developed in philosophy and sciences the Greeks were, how brilliant Arabic mathematicians, how beautiful Egyptian and Asiatic artwork from centuries before us.
Is it so implausible that our Neolithic ancestors were more peaceful, had a better integrated society at a time when people still lived in such close contact with the natural world and the weather and landscape?
With an open mind I find his approach, drawing together strands of life normally compartmentalised, to be wonderful and totally believable. His second book develops his hypotheses still further, and gives a truly world view of early history.

[L · Rating 5 out of 5]

This deeply thought-provoking, fascinating book is so profoundly affecting you cannot help but loose yourself within the pages!!

There are many impressive stone monuments, symbols of the past and myths that all shape and define our richly detailed history. This book questions the fact behind the fable, uncovering the past and how events have shaped our future to create the extraordinary world that we live in today. The origin of civilization itself is constructed by deep-rooted foundations that link myths and legends, art and monarchy, spiritual beliefs and even the stars. This intriguing study full of fascinating facts and personal perspectives makes for such an interesting read, and one that I found very hard to put down! The combination of extensive, detailed research, truth-drawing enlightening explanations and detailed beliefs and viewpoints is exquisite.

‘Could the legend of Atlantis be far simpler then we thought?’ this is by means of a novel and simple interpretation grounded in the stars. Manuel Vega presents a compelling, remarkable case to answer this question positively. This is but one of the many extraordinary questions that are answered and which will have you sat on the edge of your seat utterly spellbound and enchanted! I was enthralled by this captivating narrative, which would appeal to those with curious minds. Vega cruises the prehistoric times to solve the mystifying puzzle of the origin of civilization, by smoothly assembling the archeological data related to the most impressive stone monuments like Stonehenge with the classical myths such as Jason and the Argonauts. Containing more than a hundred vivid images and figures, this truly astonishing study is quite outstanding and totally original.

This mesmerizing study explores astronomy, mythology (inc. Greek), architectural monuments of great significance and even the Arthurian Legends of old. Looking at the ancient and archaic and being reminded of those timeless fables that one is told as a child; of the pagan rituals and spiritual beliefs, of Witches and Warlocks and those who looked to the stars in the heavens for divinations – this is a nostalgic, interesting book containing a wealth of knowledge. You may discover books on each of these separate topics but nothing so comprehensive and as diverse as this delightful novel, combining fact and fiction in such a way that is awe-inspiring! I cannot enthuse enough about this novel that encompasses all that appeals to me within literature; such as history, myths & legends, fantasy and factual works. If I could give ‘Sailors of Stonehenge’ more than a five star review I would, as it is truly breathtaking and a magnificent work.

*I won this novel from ‘GoodReads, First-read’ giveaway.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the author for giving a select number of readers the opportunity of reading his work – I concider myself to be most providential and fortunate.*

[Granny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am of two minds about this book. I do like to see speculative archaeology books. I think we do have to step outside the realm of the strictly hard science point of view when trying to understand prehistoric cultures, in order to begin to make sense of cultures which we cannot approach through written records.

I do begin to get uncomfortable; however, when speculation get piled on speculation reaches a point where the final point seems to reach too far. I felt that this book gained momentum from reasonable hops to great leaps and lost me at about the midpoint. I feel as though this book needed to "cook" a little longer, connect the dots a little better, and gain some perspective and greater plausibility in the process. At times I felt as though the end point was a given, and all the evidence was going to lead us there no matter what. This is a very tempting path to tread in speculative archaeology, but not usually the most ultimately useful.

But the publisher also missed a good opportunity here to support the conclusions, but cutting corner on the many illustrations, photos, maps and so on. There were printed in black and white, and often so tiny that I couldn't read them well enough to see if they were supporting the author's point or not. Vega clearly worked hard to collect them together, the publisher is responsible for at least using those illustrations to their best effect.

A better translator would have helped the project, too. But the translation was serviceable.

All in all, not quite what it could have been. Let's hope the next one from this author will have better support from the publisher and walk us through a little better.

[Marieange · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book takes the reader on a riveting journey back in time to a period shrouded in mystery and lore; to the formation of the ancient monuments of Stonehenge, Carnac, Avebury, and others.
For many, these megalithic structures have captivated the imagination, whetting our curiosity as to their meaning, as well as their builders' motivation for undergoing such a daunting task.
Manuel Vega approaches the subject with sensible reasoning and clarity, presenting an intelligently persuasive theory as to the actual purpose of ancient megaliths. In it, he explains the link between ancient mythology, the constellations, the symbolisms of the megaliths, and the rituals of the builders. He shows plainly that the monuments were used, not only for tracking solar and lunar cycles, but were strategically placed along key geographical locations to mirror certain constellations in the sky, stretching from Ireland and England, down through the Iberian peninsula, and all the way to Morocco.
In a final chapter, Vega makes a tantalising argument suggesting that the builders of the ancient megaliths may in fact have been the fabled Atlanteans- a surprising, but fascinating theory, and something I would certainly love to read more about!
This book was very thorough and well laid out. I learned an incredible amount about these fascinating structures, not to mention a great deal of astronomy. I especially appreciated the summaries at the end of each chapter, which really helped me to pull everything together. If you are a fan of ancient history, this is an absolutely great book, I highly recommend it!

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

First I would like to say thank you to the author, Manuel Vega, for being kind enough to send me a copy of his book, "Sailors of Stonehenge".

"Sailors of Stonehenge" is a fascinating account of history and myth written in a very perceptive way. In his book he discusses, in-depth, about ancient civilizations and the Megalith Builders. He shows great insight as to how many of the ancient myths, such as Jason and the Argonaut and the city of Atlantis; coincide with the historical practices and ceremonies as well as the system of monarchies within the ancient Megalith era. Also, he explains how the Zodiac and the constellations of our universe relate to, not only the ancient myths, but to the ancient societies and the Megalith Builders.

Usually, this would not be a book I would read, but I am glad to have done so. It was somewhat a heavier read then I normally divulge in, but none the less it was a very informative and interesting take/explanation to many of the wonders and myths of our history and universe.

Whether you are interested in history and the era of the Megalith Builders, intrigued by the wonders of our universe and the ancient mythology that coincides with it, or both of these options attract to your interest, this is a must read. Most definitely will be recommending “Sailors of Stonehenge”, as well as passing it on, to family and friends.

[R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good book. I wish I could have read it a faster than I did, especially since I owed the writer big time for getting me a copy of it! I think that it loses a little by being very technical and very complex at times. It isn't too hard to understand for a layman or someone without the strong science background as long as they are focused and that is partly why it took me a little bit longer than I would have liked to read the book. When I found myself struggling to grasp what I had read because of background noise and kids screaming and whatnot I knew I had to put it down and come back to it later.

I have read more than a few things on the Megalith Builders, Atlantis, Minoa, and ancient civilizations in general and I can honestly say that as far as proving theories goes Manuel Vega takes the prize. Most writers don't do half as well a job as he did at backing up their theory with empirical evidence and data.

If you are interested in Stonehenge, ancient civilizations, or astronomy you should definitely read this book!

[Buffy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first book I've ever read on this subject matter and I thought that the premise was intriguing. I was a bit worried at first as I wasn't sure whether or not I would understand it. Happily, I could which is why I gave it 5 stars. It is written in a very intelligent, thought-provoking way and yet it was easily accessible to someone like me who enjoys historical non-fiction, but has no scientific or academic experience with the subject. My knowledge in astronomy is also severely limited, but the explanations were very easy to understand.

Mr. Vega painted a very vivid picture of the mysterious megalith builders and put forth some interesting ideas of what they were like and how they managed their civilisation. It was a thoroughly enjoyable read, although it's not for the faint of heart. It required my full concentration, but I felt that it was definitely worth it.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being a bit of a history buff, combine that with the fact that I love a good twist and this book was just begging for me to read it. I received a copy through a give-a-way, but if I hadn't won a copy I would have bought one.

Any time you have an author try to explain a phenomena of history there are those who will poo poo the idea or punch holes in the theory. Yet this is what make reading books and articles on these "histories mysteries" so much fun.

For such and original idea with well thought out and supported evidence, 5 stars. The author goes way out on a limb, but that is part of the fun.

I look forward to more books by this author, especially if they are like this one.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

El autor recorre el camino de los antiguos pensadores, vuelve al pasado através de las leyendas, alza la vista a los astros para tratar de explicar tal vez lo inexplicable. El inicio de una aventura exitante llamada civilización. Porque donde quiera que se decida iniciar; ya sea mirar atrás en el tiempo, o alzar la vista al espacio profundo y pensar que rije nuestro destino. Es igualmente magnífico para nuestras mentes limitadas que solo nos queda maravillarnos con las huellas que dejaron nuestros ancestros. Mitos, magníficas contrucciones y conclusiones fantásticas. Un libro mágico que cuenta un cuento sin fin. (Este libro fue un regalo del autor por medio de Goodreads.com)

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from the author to edit a couple of pages. I intended to just browse the beginning of the book and then reply about the pages. It didn't work out that way at all. Instead, I became engaged in the subject and the connections between the constellations and structures remaining from past civilizations and the politics, cultures, and mythology of those civilizations. The compilation of evidence is impressive and intriguing. This is not a light read but well worth the time as you find yourself being reminded of old myths and how they really may be facts as proven through the remnants of our past.

[Quinn Wright · Rating 2 out of 5]

The subject of this book, and the imagination that it took to undertake such a work is really awesome. What made me struggle with this work was my lack of knowledge about the subject matter, and some editorial issues where the language just didn't flow well. Extremely well researched and a real plethora of information, but hard to disseminate that information, and hard to enjoy the argument because of language choices.

[Glen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Manuel Vega's book was a great read. I enjoy reading books about ancient civilizations. I actually read the book twice because there is a lot of good information and ideas to think about in this book. If you like reading about old civilizations and ancient megalith builders then I would highly recommend that you read Manuel Vega's book "Sailors of Stonehenge".

[Ria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written, thought provoking and a tad drier than I usually choose to read. Over all interesting material, excellent use of images and figures not only worked into the text but also clearly referenced. I appreciate all the research put into this book. I guess I was looking for a more narative version.

Can't put a date finished as I have not gotten there yet.

[L. E. Leonard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compelling insight behind the mysteries of megalithic structures. It is useful as a study and reference tool.I would recommend it to mythology fans, history buffs, and individuals who wish to further their academic studies on ancient sites.

[Aurora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title of the book: Sailors of Stonehenge The Celestial & Atlantic Origin of Civilization

Author: Manuel Vega

Publisher: Independent not available

Publishing Date: 2012

ISBN: 9781479169238

Summary:

Could the legend of Atlantis be far simpler than we thought? By means of a novel and simple interpretation grounded in the stars, Manuel Vega presents a compelling case to answer this question positively.

In Sailors of Stonehenge, Vega cruises the prehistoric times to solve the mystifying puzzle of the origin of Civilization, by smoothly assembling the archaelogical data related to the most impressive stone monuments like Stonehenge with teh classical myths like Jason and the Argonauts.

Sailors of Stonehenge contains more than a hundred images and figures.

Other works:

From what I can see on the goodreads page, the author doesn't have any other works and this appears to be his first novel.

Background of author:
(from goodreads.com)
url
http://www.goodreads.com/Manuel_Vega

gender
male

website
http://circleofmeditation.wordpress.com/

member since
September 2012


About this author:
MANUEL VEGA, Ph.D., was formerly a researcher working for the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (USA), the University of Nagoya (Japan) and the Council of Scientific Research in Oviedo (Spain). He was also a Buddhist monk for five years in monasteries of California and Canada. He has co-authored many papers and patents, has written extensively about the interface of science and spirituality, and has been the recipient of several literary awards in Spanish.

Theme:

"This book is based on the assumption that much of the knowledge of the Megalith Builders' culture may not be properly represented in the archaeological record, but it may have survived and reached us encapsulated in myths, as well as in all kinds of cultural, political and religious manifestations of modern society. We could say that this book is going to interpret the results of a very special archaeological excavation, one that does not dig in the soil but in the prehistoric stratum where the memories of our megalithic ancestors remain stored: in our collective unconscious." (4)

Problem addressed:

What do the Megaliths have in common and why were they built? What does the legend of Atlantis and the Greek myths have in common with one another?

Summary of the content:

The book begins with lots of information about the stars, the areas of the Megaliths as well as brief tales of the possibility of what the Megaliths were used for. I had no idea that they were located in different areas too. I always heard about the Stonehenge but never about Orkney or whatnot. (Interesting idea is of King Arthur Orkney and the Megaliths there...) I have to be honest that the first half with constellations, stars and whatnot I was really lost. In second half, however, the concepts, theories and whatnot were very intriguing as well as novel and enjoyable.

Thesis:

"In conclusion, this book sheds new light on the megalithic phenomenon going into detail about the timeline, design and purpose of its greatest surviving architectural manifestations, revealing a society much more organized, interconnected, mobile, advanced, and, overall, influential in western civilization than currently regarded." (143)

Main points of book:

What do stars, megaliths, Greek myths and Atlantis have in common? Read and find out.

Why its interesting and informative:

The theories and ideas of the book are interesting and its not something I have ever encountered in my life. Although I'm not an astrologer and whatnot, I admired the research that the author has done when it came to the stars as well as the huge role they have played in beginning of the civilization. Very often historic people get lumped into the "idiot" category, but from reading this, I was amazed at the imagination and what one could find out from the stars.

Support thesis:

The book does support thesis because it does have an unusual subject, that of Megaliths, Greek Myths and Atlantis legend as well as astronomy. It mentions the possibilities and reasons why the megaliths were built all over the place and so on.

Time period/subject it deals:

It deals in prehistoric period with a brief Greek myth, Atlantis and Megalith building as well as the influence of stars.

Table of contents:

1. Introduction
2. Carnac
3. Avebury
4. Stonehenge
5. Orkney Islands
6. Newgrange
7. Jason and the Argonauts
8. Almendres
9. The Iberian Zodiac
10. The Greatest Celestial Warrior
11. The Archangel Orion
12. Atlantis

Maps/illustrations/charts:

In the book there are plenty of pictures as well as maps, and how the constellations looked like so its not likely that someone who's familiar with astronomy or anything the author discusses will be lost.

Issues book raises:

Where do Megaliths come from as well as the origin of Atlantis. Mystery seemed to enfold the stories of Atlantis as well as the Megaliths. People came up with various theories about the Stonehenge, but of other Megaliths, I have never heard of. The author draws connections and explanations as to why they are where they are, and that is to be accurate with the stars. He also briefly gives glances at the theories of what the people of the Megaliths must have been like.

Book ideas vs larger ideas:

I can imagine that this book can give light to the theory that megaliths are based on stars as well as the theory of whom the Atlantians are, which perhaps can cause other theories to fall into disuse.

Agree/disagree:

While I find the author's theories to be fascinating, I have to admit that astronomy and stars and whatnot seemed beyond my reach of understanding. I do think the author has very compelling ideas about the origins of western civilization.

Sources:

The author seemed to understand that not everyone is an astronomy person, thus he put pictures of constellations as well as the Megaliths and maps in the book to help the person understand what he is talking. I wish that the pictures and sources could have helped me out, but they didn't, although I imagine that for others, they will be of great help. There are some sources he gives, but not a lot.

Conclusion:

I would recommend that people read this book and stick with reading it, even if a lot flies over their heads. I also think that this book requires numerous re-readings to perhaps discover other secrets that are hidden at the first glance. The parts that I did enjoy were the Jason and the Argonauts as well as the Atlantis and also tidbits about how the Megalithic people were like.

Quick notes: I entered into the giveaway originally but didn't win. Few weeks later the author contacted me and asked me if I wanted a free copy of the book. He asked me to review/rate it. I agreed. I am not being reimbursed or paid for giving it a four star rating. I gave it four stars because I liked the book.

4 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)

http://sveta-randomblog.blogspot.com/...

[Tyler · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have never read a book like this before. My very limited understanding of astronomy made the first few chapters difficult to get through, but the numerous figures throughout were helpful in this regard.

The basic premise of this book is that ancient (like 5,000-1,200ish B.C.) megalith-builders (ie creators of stonehenge and similar/related sites) had a far more complex and intelligent culture than might be the common misconception. In painting a picture of what this culture might have been like and these sites might have been for the author argues that:

1) These people had a complex political/religious system based on their observations of the sun, moon, and constellations and the cycles of the celestial bodies. Their religious/political rituals at these sites were symbolic reenactments of the sort of 'celestial drama' they observed in the sky. These ritual/reenactment things includes physical travel that they saw as mirroring the movement of the heavens.

2) The key event of this religion/culture occurred every 19 years at Avebury (or later Stonehenge) where the 12 princes of these megalithic kingdoms would have to kill their fathers and take their place as the new kings. There was also a wedding ceremony to their queens and they had to try to impregnate their queen so that 19 years later their would be a prince to replace them. All this has astrological significance and has to do with death/rebirth etc.

3)The various megalithic sites in modern day England, Ireland, the Orkney Islands, Brittany, Spain, and Portugal; and the geography in Europe and elsewhere in the Mediterranean world were identified with and seen as an "earthly mirror" of the constellations. (One example is the Pyrenees mountains being associated with the constellation Aries). Another example is at Avesbury (a megalith site in England not far from Stonehenge) they actually made a man made hill in addition to the stones and the henge and stuff to get the land to look like the stars and the constellations. The design of all these sites had cosmological significance.

4) Greek myths such as Hyperborea, Jason and the Argonauts, some of the Labors of Heracles, and Atlantis actually reflect what was to the writers of these myths the "ancient history"/legends of the megalith builder culture(s) from their (the greeks) distant past. The author argues that Megalithic Princes set off on a 3-4 year journey from modern day Spain to "get the golden fleece" in the pyrenees, then going down the mountains and getting in boats to sail all over the known world (the myth of Jason and the Argonauts reflects this). The journey would end in Great Britain in time for the main ceremony thing when the princes were 19 and would then become king (like Jason on his return to Iolcus). This journey was a rite of passage and had lots of religious significance in turning these princes into kings.

5)He argues that these societies were sufficiently advanced in technology and knowledge to do this, and were led by an elite priest-astronomer religious class and military political kings/chieftains.

6) He argues that the myth of Atlantis and Atlanteans that Plato was referring to could have been spot on in location, stating that sailors from the Atlantic Ocean were people from the late megalithic civilizations. He suggests that Atlantis proper could have been an island off the the coast of the Iberian Peninsula that was wrecked by an earthquake we know happened about 1700 B.C.

My Thoughts:
I think the argument that these ancient peoples were intelligent enough and could advance sailing and building technology to construct these sites over such a wide geographical area over such a long period of time is perfectly reasonable. Just because people are ancient doesn't mean they are stupid, even if they hadn't yet developed written language. People are always curious, they always observe the world, and they always assign meaning and values to things. Essentially all we are suggesting here is these people assigned values to the stars and the sun and the moon and put a lot of effort into symbolizing and keeping track of these things.

I think the arguments tying the greek myths to an even earlier source story/civilization is an elegant idea. As writers and as a civilizations we frequently look back to earlier peoples for inspiration, doesn't it make perfect sense that the writers of the Greek myths might have been doing the same thing? They just got it from an oral tradition. Where this resonated most with me is the suggestion that "sowing the dragons teeth" in Jason and the Argonauts (a part of the myth I have always found really weird) could be referring to the megalithic kingly burial site of Carnac. After sowing the teeth great warriors rose from the ground and Jason crushed them with stones. Google some pictures of Carnac and see what I mean about the dragons teeth.

The celestial arguments and constellations and "mirror" of Heaven and Earth is a far more complicated argument. One on hand, there is absolutely no definitive proof that the sites were created according to this model. We just don't have the data. Over and over again Mr Vega would make statements that this model must be fact, when there really isn't a way to know for sure.

On the other hand, its sort of like the J.F.K. assassination. How many coincidences is too many coincidences? Where does it cross the line from suspicious, to diabolical, to ridiculous? I don't think that the Hypotheses are ridiculous. I think there are enough coincidences to be suspicious and to warrant the inquiry. Some of the author's arguments (such as the myth one mentioned above) seem very logical and even probable. Other seems like speculation that is pretty 'out there' to me, such as the prince's world tour thing before the ceremony. What would happen if all their crown princes died on the way? What if their boat sank? Its like suggesting that we put all the future leaders of the world on a rocket to mars and just assume they will get back and everything is going to be okay. Also, what happened if the appointed day of the ceremony came (midwinter at Stonehenge) and it was too cloudy or snowing or cold to do their thing?

I found the basic premise of this book intriguing. It was very data dense on the astronomical stuff and that was hard for me to read and get through in places. Ultimately I think this is history that is so far back that no matter how much we theorize the truth is going to be hidden from us. Still, cool to think about. ALso cool to think about the ancient greeks seeing themselves as 'modern' and the megalithic peoples as 'ancient' when we just classify everything that old as 'ancient' and sort of bundle it together.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book after being solicited by the author to read and review it. I will not let that affect my review. I also did some independent research on what is actually known about the culture(s) that built megaliths (very, very little).

This is an ambitious and far-reaching book, postulating theories that connect all of the major megalithic structures found in Europe and North Africa. It is wildly imaginative and speculative, creating scenarios based upon astronomical observations past and present, and the placements of the stones. It is written in a formal, scholarly style.

In order to embrace all of Vega's ideas, one must first assume the following:
1. The same culture is responsible for all the megalithic structures found in Europe and Africa, over a period of 500 B.C to 1200 B.C..
2. This culture, which is for the most part in areas known to be settled by Celtic peoples, used the exact same constellations with the same meanings, that came out of the middle east and Asia minor.
3. That mythology from that region was a driving force, and that ancient celtic mytholgy and religion had no influence.
4. That a regicidal culture where the son ritually murders his father is the center of it all.
5. Iberia was the main center of this culture.

I really wanted to like this book. I read it carefully and thoroughly, because I am fascinated with the mysteries of early human history. As a child, I read paleontology books for fun. This book, however, attempts to recreate an entire society based upon the flimsy body of evidence available. Here is one quote, for example, from page 136, "The Megalith Builders considered that each of the five visible constellations (five pairs of twin signs) "children" of Leo and Cancer, reflected on five pairs of kingdoms." This is pure speculation, and I found myself more and more simply thinking, "Huh?"

Here is some of what is known about the megalith builders. There were able to transport and manipulate large pieces of stone, and align them in such a way as to reflect astronomical events. There are many types of megalithic structures, including menhirs, passage graves, portal tombs, gallery graves and stone circles. Even today, there are some existing megalithic cultures (in Indonesia, and India). We do not know if they are linked to the ancients of Europe.

There are some extant anthropological mysteries such as the Basque language which is unrelated to any other known language, but there is only speculation as to its origins. For all we know, it could even be derived from Neanderthals! There are causcasoid remains in North America, mainly in the west, that predate the Native American remains. There is a megalithic type site in New Hampshire that may or may not be authentic, but it is aligned with the solstices. We don't know what any of this means. Any attempt to explain these without more information would be simply guessing.

My issue with this book is that it likewise takes the few known facts and runs off into pure speculation. The astronomical research is fascinating, but who knows what meanings they attached to the stars? The longitudinal concordances are fascinating, but are they coincidental based upon disparate peoples reaching similar conclusions about the best way to position stones, is it an accident of geography, or is it really the same builders? No one knows. Even Erich von Daniken writing "Chariots of the Gods" had a better base of facts from which to generate his theories.

I'm truly sorry that I couldn't like this book more. It became speculative fiction in my mind, and it felt like the theory was evolved first and then the facts mostly forced to fit the story. I think it could be improved by being less authoritatively stating his ideas as facts upon which he then builds further "facts". I have been agonizing over this review for days, to make sure this is my accurate impression. The book is still a fascinating read, but for the life of me, I can't follow the author's logic as he moves from the astronomical facts about the structures to a tale of a multi-year circumnavigation of the globe by the regicidal party, in keeping with the story of Jason and the Argonauts. It's an ambitious work, but there is just not enough known about the Megalith Builders to come to the conclusions he reached.

[Linda Munro · Rating 4 out of 5]

First and foremost, I am in no way attempting to be snide or critical in the initial paragraph of this review; I simply want people to understand my way of thinking which ultimately leads to the review of “Sailors of Stonehenge.” Second, I would like to thank the author, Manuel Vega who offered me a copy of this book even though I had not been chosen to receive a copy through the goodreads giveaway. I promised Mr. Vega a review in return and I hope that the following review will clarify to the masses what this book is about.

Why I wanted to read this book: There were two things that drew me to this book; first it concerned the ancient megalith (a large stone that has been used to construct a structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones; found around the world, but most frequently throughout Western Europe). These megalithic structures were constructed during ancient times (B.C. for B.C.E. depending on your age) and many varieties exists: henges or cromlechs which are stone circles an example would be Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England (these stones are astronomically aligned); menhir (standing stones) alignments (rows of menhirs) an example lies at Carnac in Brittany (NW France); dolmens (large standing stones topped with flat stones) which appear to be a single-chambered tomb, an example of which is located in County Clare, Ireland (known as Poulnabrone dolmen) and finally the dolmen barrow which is covered by earth; the last two are known as passage graves. Of course my curiosity h as always been in: how did they do it? How could ‘ancients’ have not only built these mammoth structures, but how is it that they still exists? The scientific community has stated that these structures were built during the Neolithic Age (AKA New Stone Age, known for its development in human technology: 10200 to 2000 B.C.) and the Bronze Age (known for its use of copper: between 3300 and 1200 B.C.). I would like to known how these ancients were able to build these monoliths during a time that supposedly lacked modern technology?!!!
The Second reason: This stems to the author, his background states he was a Monk and a Researcher; I’m not trying to be snide here, but to my way of thinking religion and science mix like oil and water! Here is a person who interfaces ‘science’ and ‘spirituality’ at a time when ‘creationist’ and ‘evolutionists’ are still at war! What actually drives a man to look for a link rather than supporting one cause or another? Trust me, I have tried discussin both avenues with people rooted firmly on either side of the problem….it doesn’t happen, its like trying to make someone with tunnel vision see the entire picture, it doesn’t work!

Did I learn anything from this book: I did. One of the problems I saw was that the lack of communication between countries and the building of monoliths didn’t jive, yet Vega offers a hypotheses with proof of how this communication was likely to occur, advanced ships. His proof lies in actual archeological finds as well as pictographs of such vessels. As to the rest, Vega’s background in science and spirituality overflows into his hypotheses concerning the megoliths and the reason for their creation. He offers am extremely principled study between the ancient religious cultures (as we presently understand them) with their vast knowledge of the universe and astronomy.
I agree that ancient civilizations were probably intensely spiritual people, I know from research that they held a vast knowledge of astronomy and I have to say Vega has offered a wonderful hypotheses of how the science and spirituality of the ancients mingled. Do I agree? Well, I do not disagree. I believe that the ancients were far more advanced than we are at present. I also believe that the ancients were most probably a more civilized culture than we are at present and they would have been able to link science with spirituality without question. My question, however, remains unanswered: where did this technology that the ancients held come from and where did it go?

[Dione Sage · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from the author to read and review. At first I was a little weary because I wasn’t sure what to expect. Myths, astrology, legends, historical places and events – all of those things are fascinating to me; however often I find the books out there one such topic are usually repetitive or unenthusiastic. Also the author of this book has a background that is overwhelming. Author, Manuel Vega, Ph.D., was formerly a researcher working for the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (USA), the University of Nagoya (Japan) and the Council of Scientific Research in Oviedo (Spain). Oh and to top it off his lived as a Buddhist monk for five years. I hate to automatically profile a person but sometimes the smartest people in the world don’t exactly tell the most gripping tales. I WAS WRONG! This book was amazing. It did hold my attention and I was fascinated with the information/theories/tales inside this gem of a read. This book also got me thinking about so many things and possibilities revolving around civilizations, myths and archeological mysteries. It was so not only amazing to have the author shares his wealth of knowledge about several different topics but he also added diagrams, references, pictures and evidence to accompany everything throughout this book.
This book is a bit hard to describe in my own words because it doesn’t just touch on one specific topic. It is a book about a topic that encompasses many other linking topics. The description given of this book is as follows:
“Manuel Vega sheds new light upon prehistory, on the mystery that shrouds our ancestors the builders of megalithic monuments such as Stonehenge, Carnac, Avebury, Newgrange, Almendres or those at Orkney Islands. He also exposes the information hidden in the classical myths like Jason and the Argonauts, Hyperborea or the Twelve Labors of Hercules, and even in the legends of Atlantis and King Arthur, discovering in the process the cosmic roots of Christianity and Western Civilization. "Sailors of Stonehenge" contains more than a hundred images and figures.”
While touching on so many theories and subjects, the author still allows the book to flow easily. Although there were a few things I did have to google (because I hadn’t heard of them before) such as a few of the early astrologist/astronomer’s theories, some of the references to ancient hieroglyphs, Avebury’s design, cultural indications and a few other things. I learned quite a lot while reading this book and to be honest I am still finding myself looking up information as I refer to something from Vega’s book. Many books or t.v. shows present features about theories of how mysterious things like Stonehedge were formed and created and the conclusions or information will vary but this book is one of the more compelling pieces of literature on the subject that I have come across.

[Therese · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you very much to Manuel Vega for kindly sending to me a copy, all the way up north, of his work "Sailors of Stonehenge". This is original thinking at its extreme best, and an inspired connection of the Standing Stones and Earth to the stars. "As above, so below" comes to mind, the way that must be "sailed" to Earthly immortality. This book is a mind opener; he has fit many more pieces together in the puzzle of what and who and why we are. He has connected together essentially a Source Document to many religions and beliefs. Stonehenge and the other Megaliths still stand as an enduring message through time to us.

This unraveled mystery soooooo opens the door to many more questions though. It gives new meaning to a particular scripture from the bible, for one.
As I understand, Manuel Vega proposes that Stonehenge was where Princes became Kings on this earth by sacrificing their fathers, whose kingships were at their proscribed endings; through this ritual a King went through passage to become essentially immortal, reborn again in their son's child.
In the Bible, a reversal, Abraham was asked by "God" to sacrifice his son; and there are many other examples in ancient religions where parents sacrificed first born children. Was this to assure the "only" God's Immortality, because the sacrifice was not just your child, but therefore your own immortality as well? Or are we a mirror, a reverse? Complete death here, live in Heaven, or willingly go through sacrifical death at the hands of your child to live again here? Why is the demanded sacrifice backwards to what the builders at Stonehenge practiced?
Another thing I wonder, is how many times civilization has fallen?? Were the Builders of the Megaliths actually just remnants of a previous fallen age, perhaps Atlantis, inheritors of the survivors of a cataclysm, mimicking in stone and practicing a remembered belief? Do cataclysms happen at the end of every age, and is the earth far older than we know? How many times have satient beings on this planet fell? These questions of mine are not really original thoughts or questions, but lead out from what what has been written in this very thought provoking book.
I very much recommend reading "Sailors of Stonehenge".