Atlantis - Mark Doty

Advantages: A book that challenges the very nature of civilization
Disadvantages: A lot of information needs to be absorbed

...Mention the word Atlantis to people and most will automatically categorise anything that you have to say following that statement in the section marked "fairytales" possibly also in the subsection "get this idiot away from me". But although it is a word that seems to be associated with Sinbad movies and progressive rock albums, it still has its place in historical research; the problem is most people who go looking for the answer to Atlantis haven't bothered to understand the question. What do I mean by that; let me explain. Atlantis as a literary reference is a historical reality, it turns up in none other than Plato's work and you can't get much more high profile than that. The problem is that the few veiled references that occur two and a half thousand years ago in his writing have since been manipulated, added to, sensationalised... Read review

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Advantages: Hearts in Atlantis is a great tale
Disadvantages: The rest are rather poor, and won't be considered in the below reviews.

...Hearts in Atlantis is a mixed bag of 5 stories from the man whose recent books have been very hit and miss, Stephen King. The first, "long men…" is a treat for Dark Tower fans and may leave casual readers entertained, but feeling that they are missing the big picture. The second, "Hearts in Atlantis", is the books ace and it truly is worth buying the paperback edition of this title just to read this tale of obsession with a card game set against the background of Vietnam. The last 3, relating more closely to Vietnam, I found hard to identify with, but all are competently written and will probably strike more of a chord with someone who lived through the war. On the strength of the "Hearts in Atlantis" tale and the Dark Tower tie-in, I'd give this book 4/5.... Read review

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Advantages: presents a gripping new look on the Atlantis theory
Disadvantages: quite a long and detailed book

...Anyone familiar with Collins previous works, such as From the Ashes of Angels, will know that he is an author who is not afraid to tackle difficult subjects from a new angle. Anyone familiar with the myriad writtings that have made comment on Atlantis will know that it is one of the most difficult subjects to pin down in any factual context. The combination of such an author tackling such a subject makes for a fantastic and seductive combination. So much has been written about Atlantis since Plato first mentioned the story, that it seems that there could be no room for a new theory, but this is not the case. The problem with Atlantis is that it can be all things to all people, it is more of an idea than a working subject. To the classical historian it is the Thera eruption, to the mythologist it is a sunken Atlantic kingdom, others... Read review

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