Stone Circles

Wooden Books

by Graham Duncan

What are stone circles? When were they built, and why? How come so many of them egg-shaped, or geometrically flattened? What do they have to do with the landscape, Sun, Moon and stars? In this beautifully illustrated book, megalithomaniac Hugh Newman takes us on a fascinating journey around the world, examining these mysterious monuments of the megalithic culture from Wessex to Scotland, France to Poland, North America to Africa and India to Japan. WOODEN BOOKS are small but packed with information. "Fascinating" FINANCIAL TIMES. "Beautiful" LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKS. "Rich and Artful" THE LANCET. "Genuinely mind-expanding" FORTEAN TIMES. "Excellent" NEW SCIENTIST. "Stunning" NEW YORK TIMES. Small books, big ideas.

Genres: History, Science

64 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

Reviews

[Julicke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating little booklet. Just wish there was more of it.

[Georgie Fay · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book made me realise that there are so many stone circles in the world that you can’t make a short book about them without it just becoming a list. Some amazing old engravings in this one but just too broad a topic, the Avebury circle book in this series was much better!

[Lyndon Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really great little book where the author details lots of different megalithic sites primarily throughout the United Kingdom, but also others are discussed in other parts of the world like the Middle East or the Americas.

This book focuses on the megalithic circles or sites themselves, not so much on what may be known about their culture or religious practices. It is more a breakdown of geographic area, site configuration, what time frame it may have been constructed in, and what the site looks like now.

A very quick read but with lots of good information to get someone started. Beautifully drawn diagrams and illustrations also.

[Chloe H. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book from Hodges Figgis when I was abroad in Dublin a little while back. I wanted it because it was cute and tiny and mysterious and fit in my suitcase. Unfortunately it is kind of useless. It doesn't provide enough information or carry enough authority to be helpful as a guidebook, conspiracy theory, or historiography. Also the print is very small, especially in the image annotations which are almost unreadable.

[Dei Mur · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cyflwyniad dda i brif gylchoedd cerrig y byd. Man cychwyn perffaith cyn tyllu ymhellach.

A good introduction to the stone circles of the world. The perfect starting point before exploring further.

[Xzs · Rating 2 out of 5]

I recently saw a photo of Stonehenge and felt compelled to learn more about stone circles. I googled books on the topic and came across The Wooden Book Series. These little books looked to be right up my alley so I ordered a couple of them. I am all for short books and I don’t mind small print. But the font in this book is Lilliputian. I was unable to decipher the text in many of the minuscule, but detailed illustrations. I found myself repeatedly frustrated. After several pages I resorted to reading the book alongside my iPad so I could google the various stone circles mentioned. The illustrations in the book are well done, but examining photos of these places online was more satisfying. I knew this book was going to be a quick read but I was hoping to at least learn some rudimentary basics about stone circles and henges. But that is not what this book is about. It’s actually more of a guidebook than an introduction to stone circles. I didn’t invest much time in this read so I’m not surprised that I didn’t get much out of it. However I must say I had no idea just how ubiquitous stone circles are around the British isles and the world. I am still intrigued by the topic and look forward to further exploring the subject. As far as the wooden book series...well, the jury is still out. The books are undeniably cute, I’m not giving up on them just yet!