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Imagining Atlantis
Ever since Plato created the legend of the lost island of Atlantis, it has maintained a uniquely strong grip on the human imagination. For two and a half millennia, the story of the city and its catastrophic downfall has inspired people--from Francis Bacon to Jules Verne to Jacques Cousteau--to speculate on the island's origins, nature, and location, and sometimes even to search for its physical remains. It has endured as a part of the mythology of many different cultures, yet there is no indisputable evidence, let alone proof, that Atlantis ever existed. What, then, accounts for its seemingly inexhaustible appeal?
Richard Ellis plunges into this rich topic, investigating the roots of the legend and following its various manifestations into the present. He begins with the story's origins. Did it arise from a common prehistorical myth? Was it a historical remnant of a lost city of pre-Columbians or ancient Egyptians? Was Atlantis an extraterrestrial colony? Ellis sifts through the "scientific" evidence marshaled to "prove" these theories, and describes the mystical and spiritual significance that has accrued to them over the centuries. He goes on to explore the possibility that the fable of Atlantis was inspired by a conflation of the high culture of Minoan Crete with the destruction wrought on the Aegean world by the cataclysmic eruption, around 1500 b.c., of the volcanic island of Thera (or Santorini).
A fascinating historical and archaeological detective story, Imagining Atlantis is a valuable addition to the literature on this essential aspect of our mythohistory.
Richard Ellis plunges into this rich topic, investigating the roots of the legend and following its various manifestations into the present. He begins with the story's origins. Did it arise from a common prehistorical myth? Was it a historical remnant of a lost city of pre-Columbians or ancient Egyptians? Was Atlantis an extraterrestrial colony? Ellis sifts through the "scientific" evidence marshaled to "prove" these theories, and describes the mystical and spiritual significance that has accrued to them over the centuries. He goes on to explore the possibility that the fable of Atlantis was inspired by a conflation of the high culture of Minoan Crete with the destruction wrought on the Aegean world by the cataclysmic eruption, around 1500 b.c., of the volcanic island of Thera (or Santorini).
A fascinating historical and archaeological detective story, Imagining Atlantis is a valuable addition to the literature on this essential aspect of our mythohistory.
322 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
9 people are currently reading
167 people want to read
About the author
Richard Ellis
29 books59 followersRichard Ellis is a celebrated authority on marine biology and America’s foremost marine life artist whose work has been exhibited worldwide. His nine books include The Search for the Giant Squid (a Publishers Weekly 1998 Best Book of the Year), Great White Shark, Encyclopedia of the Sea, Men and Whales, Monsters of the Sea, Deep Atlantic The Book of Whales, and Imagining Atlantis.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
April 28, 2019
Once upon a time a man, known for writing fiction, enjoying morals and having a certain propensity for utopias) wrote a story. And story resonates so well with its readers, that it permanently embedded itself into the collective public’s imagination, enough to erase the line between fact and fiction even. Because that’s the power of a great story. So to facts then, since this is a work of nonfiction. Plato in his dialogues of Timaeus and Critias tells a story of Atlantis, a nation that rivaled Ancient Athens at its time, but eventually lost favor of the deities and disappeared beneath the ocean. All in all it’s a fairly minor story that seems to have been meant as an allegory for excessive pride. And yet…the story so grabbed the minds of various authors and scientists throughout time that to this day Atlantis is known, searched for and utilized in fiction. Is it because Plato made Atlantis appear so real by giving it location, dimensions and vivid descriptions. Or is it just because it’s a great story with a classis arc and a timeless moral. Who is to say. But for centuries Atlantis has been contemplated and treated as both fact and fiction. Atlantis has certainly accrued a significant mythological and spiritual importance, but there has been no conclusive evidence to place it in any of its purported locations be it Crete, Santorini, middle of a desert, middle of the ocean or…you know, there’s always the ancient alien theory. So this book is essentially an overview of the popular Atlantis theories, whether mysteriously historical or historically mysterious. The author himself maintains his subject ifs fictional, but doesn’t let it color his accounts of others who didn’t and don’t. To this extent he samples various primary sources with extended quotations. In fact, a large percentage of this book is direct quotes from various accounts, just adding to the general overview ambiance of this book. And maybe also detracting from its liveliness somewhat. Granted, nonfiction isn’t traditionally all that lively, but we’re taking about Atlantis, about as exciting of a subject as there ever was. And this book veers off into almost (not quite) textbook territory at times. The most exciting chapter was the one about Atlantis in media, it was also the one you can actually experience Ellis as the author, not merely compiler of information. So I suppose I would have liked more personality in the narration. But then again it’s perfectly readable as is. Just not as appealing as its positively luminous subject. The kudos really ought to go to Plato. Not just one of the great thinker of antiquity, but also one of its great storytellers. This book will probably make neither a believer nor a disbeliever out of you, it seems that people believe what they want without rhyme or reason, but it will make you more informed, so that you can approach your personal platform from a position of knowledge. Plus why wouldn’t you want to believe in a glittering city that was the shining star of civilization…until it wasn’t. Plus Troy was once considered a potentially fictional creation until Schliemann followed the text exactly and found it. Can’t be too arrogant about assigning labels while living in a barely known universe. Use your imagination. It is, after all, in the title of this book.
January 27, 2021
In two of Plato's dialogues, his characters discussed Atlantis, a mythic civilization on an island (or continent) located beyond the Pillars of Hercules which sank beneath the waves. Plato, of course, was a philosopher, not a dramatist. He sketched out an idealized advanced civilization, and used it as a jumping off point for philosophic discussions between his characters, which is where his interest lay. Plato may have been inspired by legends of floods destroying cities and even entire civilizations, which were widespread in the ancient world, but so far as I can tell he did not intend to adopt one story or another, or even give much thought to the issue.
Be that as it may, Atlantis has inspired endless efforts to locate it and link it to one ancient culture or another. It has been posited that Atlantis was located anywhere from Greenland, to the Yucatan Peninsula, to Antarctica, to any of dozens or even hundreds of other places. Purported psychics, alleged mystics, and crackpot scientists, geographers, and mythologists all have claimed to locate Atlantis, and it has been the setting for hundreds of pulp novels and "B" movies.
This book begins by summarizing the myriad crackpot theories that have been advanced by Atlantis. The author has great fun making snarky comments about these theories and their proponents, but doesn't seem to realize that the joke ultimately is on him. The subject of National Enquirer-style speculation on Atlantis doesn't merit extended discussion, and the author's repetitive discussion and mocking of these various theories comes off sounding as silly as the theories themselves, just as a "serious" review of a comic book or pornographic movie would end up being unintentionally funny.
The author eventually throws his support behind the argument that Atlantis was inspired by the Minoan civilization on the island of Crete, which archaeologists may have been destroyed by the catastrophic explosion of a volcano on the nearby island of Santorini around 1650 B.C. While far less implausible than claims that Atlantis was built or destroyed by aliens from outer space, or other such tales, there is no real evidence for this theory, either.
The book proceeds to a discussion of Minoan civilization, which the author treats seriously. However, even this part of the book is disappointing. The Minoan culture was fascinating, and the flowing lines in surviving frescoes gives their art a unique, and I think, beautiful appearance. However, the author does not know enough about the subject to say much. He simply collects and summarizes material published by others, for the most part in the popular rather than the specialist press.
The book concludes with a chapter on Atlantis in books and films, which reverts to the snarkiness of the first portion of the text and is subject to the same flaws, and a very long, overly wordy, 40 page-plus "conclusion."
Most readers end up lamenting "so many books, so little time." I would recommend that readers not invest their limited time reading this text.
Be that as it may, Atlantis has inspired endless efforts to locate it and link it to one ancient culture or another. It has been posited that Atlantis was located anywhere from Greenland, to the Yucatan Peninsula, to Antarctica, to any of dozens or even hundreds of other places. Purported psychics, alleged mystics, and crackpot scientists, geographers, and mythologists all have claimed to locate Atlantis, and it has been the setting for hundreds of pulp novels and "B" movies.
This book begins by summarizing the myriad crackpot theories that have been advanced by Atlantis. The author has great fun making snarky comments about these theories and their proponents, but doesn't seem to realize that the joke ultimately is on him. The subject of National Enquirer-style speculation on Atlantis doesn't merit extended discussion, and the author's repetitive discussion and mocking of these various theories comes off sounding as silly as the theories themselves, just as a "serious" review of a comic book or pornographic movie would end up being unintentionally funny.
The author eventually throws his support behind the argument that Atlantis was inspired by the Minoan civilization on the island of Crete, which archaeologists may have been destroyed by the catastrophic explosion of a volcano on the nearby island of Santorini around 1650 B.C. While far less implausible than claims that Atlantis was built or destroyed by aliens from outer space, or other such tales, there is no real evidence for this theory, either.
The book proceeds to a discussion of Minoan civilization, which the author treats seriously. However, even this part of the book is disappointing. The Minoan culture was fascinating, and the flowing lines in surviving frescoes gives their art a unique, and I think, beautiful appearance. However, the author does not know enough about the subject to say much. He simply collects and summarizes material published by others, for the most part in the popular rather than the specialist press.
The book concludes with a chapter on Atlantis in books and films, which reverts to the snarkiness of the first portion of the text and is subject to the same flaws, and a very long, overly wordy, 40 page-plus "conclusion."
Most readers end up lamenting "so many books, so little time." I would recommend that readers not invest their limited time reading this text.
September 10, 2007
Engaging, Well-Researched, Fascinating!
"Imagining Atlantis" is a well-researched, highly detailed, and fascinating book about how generations following Plato's have conceived of the fabled island.
Although Ellis outlines his book chronologically, starting with what Plato actually said, and continues from there, most of the book covers 18th- to 20th-century dealings with the legend, from Atlantis in fiction, mysticism, archeology/geology, and even films.
Ellis presents each story vivdly and objectively, though of course objectivity may be hard to maintain when future archeologists and "Atlantologists" decide that when Plato says Atlantis existed "nine thousand years ago", he *really* meant nine hundred years.
Ellis' critical wit surfaces most in the Fiction and Film section when describing the cheesy Atlantis movies made in the early 20th century, replete with bad props, unexplained plots, cheap costumes, and poor effects. Yet even here his descriptions lean more towards a humorous look back on, rather than a disdainful criticism of, how human creativity has retold the Atlantis tale.
I give it four stars instead of five mostly because of the style in which it was written. Though the language was lucid and engaging, Ellis *really* loves parentheses. Almost every page contains at least three parenthetical remarks, where simple commas might have sufficed - and sometimes even entire quotes are enclosed in parentheses... right in the middle of a sentence (cf. p. 95, 3rd full paragraph)! Nevertheless, as distracting as the style might be, the message nonetheless was communicated.
Another reason I give it four stars instead of five is because the middle part of the book concentrates more on the "Crete-as-possibly-Atlantis/Thera-volcano" saga. Examining Crete, with its supporting archeological evidence, as a possible candidate for Atlantis, as well as the nearby volcano on Thera, as the destroyer of the flourishing civilization on Crete is necessary - actually, I found it quite intriguing, as it reads like a detective story - but I recognize the focus on Atlantis is sacrificed in this part of the book. More attention is given to how cataclysmic the eruption was, how high the tsumanis were; for comparison, more recent accounts of volcanic eruptions and tidal waves are offered, further distancing the reader from the original focus on Atlantis.
All in all, this is a fantastic book that describes people's theories about Atlantis throughout history, leaving the author's own, and more probable, theory for the end.
"Imagining Atlantis" is a well-researched, highly detailed, and fascinating book about how generations following Plato's have conceived of the fabled island.
Although Ellis outlines his book chronologically, starting with what Plato actually said, and continues from there, most of the book covers 18th- to 20th-century dealings with the legend, from Atlantis in fiction, mysticism, archeology/geology, and even films.
Ellis presents each story vivdly and objectively, though of course objectivity may be hard to maintain when future archeologists and "Atlantologists" decide that when Plato says Atlantis existed "nine thousand years ago", he *really* meant nine hundred years.
Ellis' critical wit surfaces most in the Fiction and Film section when describing the cheesy Atlantis movies made in the early 20th century, replete with bad props, unexplained plots, cheap costumes, and poor effects. Yet even here his descriptions lean more towards a humorous look back on, rather than a disdainful criticism of, how human creativity has retold the Atlantis tale.
I give it four stars instead of five mostly because of the style in which it was written. Though the language was lucid and engaging, Ellis *really* loves parentheses. Almost every page contains at least three parenthetical remarks, where simple commas might have sufficed - and sometimes even entire quotes are enclosed in parentheses... right in the middle of a sentence (cf. p. 95, 3rd full paragraph)! Nevertheless, as distracting as the style might be, the message nonetheless was communicated.
Another reason I give it four stars instead of five is because the middle part of the book concentrates more on the "Crete-as-possibly-Atlantis/Thera-volcano" saga. Examining Crete, with its supporting archeological evidence, as a possible candidate for Atlantis, as well as the nearby volcano on Thera, as the destroyer of the flourishing civilization on Crete is necessary - actually, I found it quite intriguing, as it reads like a detective story - but I recognize the focus on Atlantis is sacrificed in this part of the book. More attention is given to how cataclysmic the eruption was, how high the tsumanis were; for comparison, more recent accounts of volcanic eruptions and tidal waves are offered, further distancing the reader from the original focus on Atlantis.
All in all, this is a fantastic book that describes people's theories about Atlantis throughout history, leaving the author's own, and more probable, theory for the end.
February 24, 2018
This book collects the various theories about Atlantis, and the mystic, pseudo-scientific, and archaeological attempts to find this mythical lost continent. The author includes an immense amount of material, and this book could almost serve as a reference book for anyone interested in this topic. Ellis ultimately argues that Atlantis never existed, and that Plato merely drew on Greek history and recent natural disasters to make a philosophical point.
While interesting, the book suffers in its presentation. It kind of reads like a first draft. The author repeats points multiple times within a few pages, as if he was gathering evidence and never went back to organize it. The chapters themselves don't seem to be well organized. The first few chapters survey various attempts to explain the Atlantis myth, then the author discusses the history of ancient Crete and the plausibility of volcanic eruptions destroying cities before discussing fictional portrayals of Atlantis. The flow didn't really make sense, and was distracting.
The concluding paragraph almost made me give the book a higher rating. The author makes some useful points about our obsession with this myth towards the end that are rather poignant. But the journey to get there was tedious.
While interesting, the book suffers in its presentation. It kind of reads like a first draft. The author repeats points multiple times within a few pages, as if he was gathering evidence and never went back to organize it. The chapters themselves don't seem to be well organized. The first few chapters survey various attempts to explain the Atlantis myth, then the author discusses the history of ancient Crete and the plausibility of volcanic eruptions destroying cities before discussing fictional portrayals of Atlantis. The flow didn't really make sense, and was distracting.
The concluding paragraph almost made me give the book a higher rating. The author makes some useful points about our obsession with this myth towards the end that are rather poignant. But the journey to get there was tedious.
June 14, 2022
This is a good roundup of the literature and scholarship on the subject, although one could definitely wish for an update - this is nearly 25 years old now. The author on occasion expresses opinion a little too much, and the lack of any scholarship on the filling of the Mediterranean basin is a noticeable gap, but otherwise enjoyable and well organized.
July 2, 2018
If you're going to read a book about Atlantis, it should be this one. Exhausts it's materials thoroughly and, once exhausted, moves on to a swarm of more or less related tangents. Author has a pleasant voice with a touch of humor about it.
September 21, 2020
For a book titled Imagining Atlantis it was very unimaginative.
August 3, 2025
Mitico. Misterioso. Bizzarro.
September 6, 2016
This may be the best review of Atlantis literature there is. Ellis covers all the major players, including a chapter on prominent fiction, pointing out even non-obvious flaws in their scholarship. Although the book's content is good, the writing itself is often disorganized and repetitious, and Ellis is not scrupulous about providing references. Also, it is uneven, devoting almost as many pages to the hypothesis of Atlantis inspired by Thera's eruption as to all other hypotheses combined. (To some extent this is justified by the relative recency and popularity of that idea, but not half a book's worth.) L. Sprague de Camp's _Lost Continents_ (1954) is better written, but Ellis is still needed to bring it up to date.
May 14, 2013
A Hard book to read but worth it. This book does not focus only on Atlantis but on the whole discipline of studying Atlantis. It talks about Volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, Greek History, the Minoans, and all the topics related to Atlantis and where people think it was. The book even dedicates a chapter for Atlantis in fiction and entertainment. It is the best book about Atlantis anyone could buy. I must say that the arguments presented made sense logically and each and every hypothesis was explored. I highly recommend this book to all those interested in the subject but who would like to get some academic knowledge about it and not conspiracy theories or alien stories. This book only talks about the real things in an academic manner.
October 13, 2010
A thorough one-stop-shop for examining ideas about Atlantis, from the very origin of the story with Plato through various myths, films, and stories to the present. For my taste, spends too much time on the Minoan/Thera explanation, showing that it has real problems, but given how this has become conventional wisdom, a skeptical approach to it is probably a good thing.
March 12, 2011
It was extremely well researched, and I liked the stories of the crackpot scientists who believed Atlanteans were seven feet tall and had crazy backwards feet...the stories of the bull jumpers in Knossos and Akrotiri were great, too, but a lot of it read like a research paper or a dissertation when I was hoping for a more pleasurable read about this mythic city.
February 14, 2008
Probably the easiest to read one-stop shopping overview of Atlantis craziness out there.
Want to read
October 26, 2012As heard on the Science Times podcast.
February 8, 2013
Researching the research that has been done in regards to Atlantis is a heady task to accomplish. Luckily, Ellis has done it for you. A great round-up of the history of Atlantean Theory.
June 7, 2009
Heady, mostly quoted material with the occasional gem of info.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews