Abandoned Civilisations

by Kieron Connolly

Ruined cities overgrown by jungle. Towns buried beneath the ground. Statues lying half- hidden in the sand. Why do civilisations collapse? Why are towns abandoned? And how do once mighty cities come to be forgotten about? From the pyramids of Egypt to the ruins at Angkor in Cambodia and on to the mysteries of the Easter Island moai statues, Abandoned Civilisations is a brilliant pictorial work examining lost worlds. What emerges is a picture of how vast societies can rise, thrive and then collapse. We admire how whole cities develop, but equally fascinating is what happens when their moment has passed. From the 9th century temples at Khajuraho in India which were lost in the date palm trees until stumbled across by European engineers in the 19th century to Mayan pyramids in the Guatemalan jungle to Roman cities semi-buried – but consequently preserved – in the North African desert, the book explores why societies fall and what, once abandoned, they leave behind to history. With 150 striking colour photographs exploring 100 worlds, Abandoned Civilisations is a fascinating visual history of the mysteries of lost societies.

Genres: Nonfiction, Travel

224 pages, Hardcover

Published July 14, 2018

Reviews

[Jess the Shelf-Declared Bibliophile · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gorgeous collection of photographs depicting ancient burial sites, cities, places of worship, and unknown places. The descriptions and explanations were succinct and not overly wordy.

[Teo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do feel like the subtitle on this entry could bait people into thinking this has a lot more information than it does. Let it be known this is mainly a photo book with brief captions for each location. Though I've already read two other entries from this series (neither had a subtitle like this one, hence why I’m even bringing this up), so I know what to expect from these books. And as per usual, it’s a good time if you’re into armchair travel.

[Andy Hickman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous book, breath-taking images, oh to actually visit there in person! Wow!
Historical narratives break your heart and make you wish these places had been better respected and preserved.
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Abandoned Civilisations: The Mysteries Behind More Than 90 Lost Worlds (Hardcover)
by Kieron Connolly

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't quite go into the amount of information that I was hoping it would, but there was some beautiful photography. it's bizarre how many civilizations have come and gone

[Andressa Da Silva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful pictures-definitely planning to visit most of these locations