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The Secret Histories
The Secret History of Giants: Or The Codex Giganticum
**Winner of the NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) Notable Award**
**Winner of a Parent's Choice Recommended Award**
Are there giants among us? Find their story writ large in a lavish exploration touching on folklore and myth, truth and whimsy.
Ancient Greece had its Titans, the Celts their Green Knight, the Bible Goliath — and for those who know where to look, signs of these legendary hulking creatures still abound. Now comes a hugely engrossing chronicle of giants since antiquity, from their role in forming mountains and causing earthquakes to the mysteries of their sacks (watch out for hitchhiking humans); from their means of employment (how did the Druids built Stonehenge?) to an extensive map of places around the world where giants may likely be found. Exhaustive and lushly illustrated, this enormously valuable resource is sure to fascinate all who open its covers.
Special features include:
* sundry flaps, booklets, and gatefolds
* a lavish foiled and embossed cover
* an elegant tassel dangling from the spine
**Winner of a Parent's Choice Recommended Award**
Are there giants among us? Find their story writ large in a lavish exploration touching on folklore and myth, truth and whimsy.
Ancient Greece had its Titans, the Celts their Green Knight, the Bible Goliath — and for those who know where to look, signs of these legendary hulking creatures still abound. Now comes a hugely engrossing chronicle of giants since antiquity, from their role in forming mountains and causing earthquakes to the mysteries of their sacks (watch out for hitchhiking humans); from their means of employment (how did the Druids built Stonehenge?) to an extensive map of places around the world where giants may likely be found. Exhaustive and lushly illustrated, this enormously valuable resource is sure to fascinate all who open its covers.
Special features include:
* sundry flaps, booklets, and gatefolds
* a lavish foiled and embossed cover
* an elegant tassel dangling from the spine
48 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2008
4 people are currently reading
608 people want to read
About the author
Ari Berk
32 books155 followersAri Berk is a writer, artist, and scholar of literature, folklore, and myth. Former student of and assistant to Pulitzer Prize winning writer N. Scott Momaday, Ari has written everything from academic works on ancient cultures to popular books about myths and legends for children and adults and, most recently, a trilogy of novels. He works in a library filled to the ceiling with thousands of arcane books and more than a few wondrous artifacts. When not writing, he moonlights as professor of mythology and folklore at Central Michigan University. He lives in Michigan with his wife and son. Visit him at www.ariberk.com.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
January 15, 2021
Are there Giants among us? Of course!
Under the earth I go,
Among the oaks I'll stand.
I'll sleep below mountains,
Whose names are unknown,
And I'll cradle their roots in my hand.
By the Order of the Golden Quills, this book shows the history of the Secret Folk, aka "Giants". Since we no longer see the Big Ones anymore, this is a handy volume to know what and where to look for hints of where they be.
Stonehenge? Who actually believes a bunch of Druids placed "stones" in a circle. I certainly don't. Those are Giant's Teeth, obviously. And mountains...those are the Giants who have fulfilled their life's destiny on earth and have gone into Earthfasting, whereby they sleep and the moss and ivy cover the Long Sleepers. That's why some hills have faces.
There are several species of Giants:
Gigantes Vulgaris
The most humanlike, they can live to 120 years and are 9'-24' in height.
Gigantes Medius
These are the Giants most mentioned in old texts. Many grow horns as they live as part of the Earth and reach heights of up to 70 feet.
Gigantes Giganticus
Nearly extinct, they are barely distinguishable from rocky mountains, several hundred feet high.
This is a much needed book to have, so I can be more perceptive on my walks in the Old Lands. I never became bored, for there were secret slots to open and an inundation of information. Worthy.
Book Season = Autumn (Earthfasting begins)
Under the earth I go,
Among the oaks I'll stand.
I'll sleep below mountains,
Whose names are unknown,
And I'll cradle their roots in my hand.
By the Order of the Golden Quills, this book shows the history of the Secret Folk, aka "Giants". Since we no longer see the Big Ones anymore, this is a handy volume to know what and where to look for hints of where they be.
Stonehenge? Who actually believes a bunch of Druids placed "stones" in a circle. I certainly don't. Those are Giant's Teeth, obviously. And mountains...those are the Giants who have fulfilled their life's destiny on earth and have gone into Earthfasting, whereby they sleep and the moss and ivy cover the Long Sleepers. That's why some hills have faces.
There are several species of Giants:
Gigantes Vulgaris
The most humanlike, they can live to 120 years and are 9'-24' in height.
Gigantes Medius
These are the Giants most mentioned in old texts. Many grow horns as they live as part of the Earth and reach heights of up to 70 feet.
Gigantes Giganticus
Nearly extinct, they are barely distinguishable from rocky mountains, several hundred feet high.
This is a much needed book to have, so I can be more perceptive on my walks in the Old Lands. I never became bored, for there were secret slots to open and an inundation of information. Worthy.
Book Season = Autumn (Earthfasting begins)
Read
January 24, 2021i read this book so long ago but i remember having loved it
Read
July 8, 2023My childhood best friend gave me this book years ago, and I really never got the chance to read it since my English at the time wasn’t very good, until yesterday that I was looking for a new book to embread in my bookshelf and I decided to read it.
This is definitely a book which my childhood self would have enjoyed and it was fun to be a child again.
This is definitely a book which my childhood self would have enjoyed and it was fun to be a child again.
September 13, 2015
While waiting around in the kid’s area of the bookstore I noticed this book. So I picked it up to kill some time and couldn’t stop reading it. It reminded my of when I was kid and I used to read my Grandpa’s copy of Gnomes by Wil Huygen and Rien Poortvliet. I would spend hours reading that book and staring at the illustrations. I even forced my mother to buy and put up Gnome wallpaper in my room. A fact that my mother will never let me live down.
Professor Berk explains that he is a member of The Order of the Golden Quills who have archived the long lost knowledge of the giants. Other members of the Order include Merlin, Alexander the Great, Francis Bacon and William Shakespeare. The Order has housed all their artifacts in what is known as The Hall of Giants. From their collection and evidence found in nature Professor Berk walks the reader through what is known about giants, such as their lore, clothing, children, etc. He even explores the mysteries of the giant’s sack (not as dirty as it sounds).
The art in the book is absolutely gorgeous, all the way from the cover to all the strange and interesting illustrations inside. The art inside is fascinating in its detail and will set your imagination into overdrive. You will then find yourself looking in the woods for evidence of giants. Just watch out for their sacks as it better to be a passenger and not the meal.
What I liked: I loved art inside the book. It was done in a way that lends to the style of the book and makes it seem more authentic. The illustrations alone are worth the price of admission.
There is also a ton of tidbit information about giants such as recipes for Fowl Pie and Old-Style Sheep. Professor Berk also weaves the history of the giants in with the well known nursery rhymes, for example he explains how the old woman came to live in a shoe.
What I didn’t like: The last third of the book explores different parts of the world that have had a history of giants, such as giants in the Americas, Celtic Giants and Norse Giants. While this part was well done, I found it to be less interesting than the first part of the book.
Last word: Hey, it is fun for the whole family and will inspire you or your child’s imagination. And don’t blame me the next you drive by a hill and wonder if there is a giant living there.
Professor Berk explains that he is a member of The Order of the Golden Quills who have archived the long lost knowledge of the giants. Other members of the Order include Merlin, Alexander the Great, Francis Bacon and William Shakespeare. The Order has housed all their artifacts in what is known as The Hall of Giants. From their collection and evidence found in nature Professor Berk walks the reader through what is known about giants, such as their lore, clothing, children, etc. He even explores the mysteries of the giant’s sack (not as dirty as it sounds).
The art in the book is absolutely gorgeous, all the way from the cover to all the strange and interesting illustrations inside. The art inside is fascinating in its detail and will set your imagination into overdrive. You will then find yourself looking in the woods for evidence of giants. Just watch out for their sacks as it better to be a passenger and not the meal.
What I liked: I loved art inside the book. It was done in a way that lends to the style of the book and makes it seem more authentic. The illustrations alone are worth the price of admission.
There is also a ton of tidbit information about giants such as recipes for Fowl Pie and Old-Style Sheep. Professor Berk also weaves the history of the giants in with the well known nursery rhymes, for example he explains how the old woman came to live in a shoe.
What I didn’t like: The last third of the book explores different parts of the world that have had a history of giants, such as giants in the Americas, Celtic Giants and Norse Giants. While this part was well done, I found it to be less interesting than the first part of the book.
Last word: Hey, it is fun for the whole family and will inspire you or your child’s imagination. And don’t blame me the next you drive by a hill and wonder if there is a giant living there.
January 13, 2014
Yes, part of the reason that this book gets five stars is because I am a 5-year old boy struggling in a 23-year old's body.
If you personally aren't into books geared towards the imaginative, you should reconsider.
Those of us, though, who enjoy fanciful thinking, folklore, or just want to play pretend that there are mythical creatures among us should find this book exceptional. Berk has made an interactive book (complete with cute little fold-outs) that not only is readable to most ages (I'd say 5 or 6 and up) but also acts like a true information book outlining the culture of giants. If there were such a thing as giants, this would be the book to introduce fledgling academites.
Immediately after cracking open this book, I went out to discover Berk's other works, and I'm very interested in reading more on mermaids, hobgoblins, and how to be a viking.
Reinvigorate your childhood.
If you personally aren't into books geared towards the imaginative, you should reconsider.
Those of us, though, who enjoy fanciful thinking, folklore, or just want to play pretend that there are mythical creatures among us should find this book exceptional. Berk has made an interactive book (complete with cute little fold-outs) that not only is readable to most ages (I'd say 5 or 6 and up) but also acts like a true information book outlining the culture of giants. If there were such a thing as giants, this would be the book to introduce fledgling academites.
Immediately after cracking open this book, I went out to discover Berk's other works, and I'm very interested in reading more on mermaids, hobgoblins, and how to be a viking.
Reinvigorate your childhood.
June 19, 2010
This is a very fast but highly entertaining read, one of those books targeted at kids but enjoyable for adults, too. It purports to be a book about giants: their history, their lifestyles, their jobs, and so on. It's beautifully illustrated and full of little pop-ups and fold-out pages, reminiscent of some of my favorite childhood books.
Ian and I had the same favorite part, a pop-out cookbook which details the recipe for "Old-Style Sheep," which I'm going to reproduce here from memory:
1. Take 12 sheep.
2. Put in mouth.
3. Enjoy.
4. Repeat as desired.
See? Isn't that cute? I easily read through this book in an hour, and it was an hour well spent. I recommend this book to anyone with kids, or anyone who feels like being childlike for an evening.
Ian and I had the same favorite part, a pop-out cookbook which details the recipe for "Old-Style Sheep," which I'm going to reproduce here from memory:
1. Take 12 sheep.
2. Put in mouth.
3. Enjoy.
4. Repeat as desired.
See? Isn't that cute? I easily read through this book in an hour, and it was an hour well spent. I recommend this book to anyone with kids, or anyone who feels like being childlike for an evening.
February 22, 2013
This book was given to me by a very special persona s a gift. It took me a while to get to it, but I'm glad that I did. History of Giants is amazing work of fiction with combination of new and old legends. Artwork itself is just breathtaking. I will do everything in my power to preserve this book, I hope my children will see it, along with others from this series.
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November 5, 2019My first Ari Berk book!
October 29, 2024
Read for a reading challenge. Almost makes you believe
April 29, 2012
I possess the both the English and Finnish ("Salaista väkeä Kookas Kansa") versions of this charming book by the wildly talented Dr. Ari Berk, author of "Death Watch."
Not only is the lore meticulously researched, the books have delightful little interactive elements like a small envelope that contains extra-secret information or a inner page that opens--backwards--to reveal additional arcane knowledge about these ancient creatures.
Even if the inside of the book wasn't worth the purchase (and believe me, it is!), the cover detail, the binding, and the color-coordinated tasseled book mark make it the sort of small tome that will made a great conversation starter when displayed on your coffee table.
http://www.adlibris.com/fi/product.as...
Published Candlewick Press, Cambridge, MA
Not only is the lore meticulously researched, the books have delightful little interactive elements like a small envelope that contains extra-secret information or a inner page that opens--backwards--to reveal additional arcane knowledge about these ancient creatures.
Even if the inside of the book wasn't worth the purchase (and believe me, it is!), the cover detail, the binding, and the color-coordinated tasseled book mark make it the sort of small tome that will made a great conversation starter when displayed on your coffee table.
http://www.adlibris.com/fi/product.as...
Published Candlewick Press, Cambridge, MA
February 22, 2013
The title page of the book tells us "The Secret History of Giants" was "Written And Collected by Ari Berk, Magister and Scribe." And with the addition of delightful illos by Wayne Anderson, Douglas Carrel, Gary Chalk, Kevin Levell, and Larry MacDougall the book has the look and feel of a scrapbook or journal. There are diagrams, apparent "pasted on" scraps of paper, flaps and booklets, and pages that "unlock" into double-wide spreads. Yes, there is a lot of fascinating folklore here, but more importantly, this book is fun for fantasy lovers.
October 25, 2008
Really charming encyclopedic type compilation. The illustrations are fantastic, and the book itself is a beautiful addition to a home-library. They reminded me of similar books that a friend had on various fantastical subjects. I always wished I'd had some like them. So I'm thinking this will be a series and my wish will come true!
July 7, 2010
To me, this book seemed advanced for kid readers. The wording is complicated and the font styles are difficult to read. The illustrations are nice, but overall, I think this book would appeal more to adult readers. A nice short encyclopedia style book that discusses the different aspects of giants and their lifestyles.
August 23, 2013
This book encapsulates all that is mysterious and magical about childhood and mythology. Every page is filled with hilarity that both kids and adults will love, and every page is highly interactive with tiny paper doors to be opened and tiny scrolls to be unfurled. It transported me back to that childhood realm where the fantastic just might be possible.
March 4, 2021
This is overall a neat book, and I think the illustrations are the best things about this book, although the descriptions of giants in it are rather few. There isn't a lot said about them, and some of what is said (such as the list of favorite giant expressions that are basically just a list of rock and mineral names), is lacking in ingenuity. Nice, but could be better.
July 16, 2010
What a wonderful book on a wonderful subject. I loved reading all the info on giants. The book is nicely put together with little flaps, wonderful artwork and a beautiful bookmark. I love looking through my book and never get bored with it. I highly recommend it to any one interested in giants.
June 15, 2012
This book was great. The book itself is a piece of art. The embossed cover, thick pages; different types of pages with hidden flaps and pop ups. I loved it. It took me to a world that seemed plausible and that's what made the fantasy seem real.
December 10, 2015
What a beautiful book! It's just as fun to look at as it is to read the sweet little tales. I'm a grown woman and have flipped through it many times as well as the one about mermaids. These are just gorgeous! Lovely gifts
December 31, 2010
More for adults than little ones, it's beautifully done with lots of foldouts and embellishments.
February 7, 2016
I absolutely LOVE this book! The art, the myths, they seem so real, so convincing! Th names, the stories are stuck in my mind!
January 21, 2011
An adventure through the mythology of Giants, elves, trolls etc. Dynamic and artistic book.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews