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Lost Cities of North & Central America
From the jungles of Central America to the deserts of the southwest down the back roads from coast to coast, maverick archaeologist and adventurer David Hatcher Childress takes the reader deep into unknown America. In this incredible book, search for lost Mayan cities and books of gold, discover an ancient canal system in Arizona, climb gigantic pyramids in the Midwest, explore megalithic monuments in New England, and join the astonishing quest for the lost cities throughout North America. From the war-torn jungles of Guatemala, Nicaragua and Honduras to the deserts, mountains and fields of Mexico, Canada, and the U.S.A. Childress takes the reader in search of sunken ruins, Viking forts, strange tunnel systems, living dinosaurs, Thunderbirds, the Egyptian City in the Grand Canyon, early Chinese explorers, and fantastic lost treasure. Packed with both early and current maps, photos and illustrations. Chapters include: Marbles of the Gods; Chinese Taoists & the International Jade Trade; Ancient Megaliths of the Pacific Coast; Lost Cities of the Maya; Alien Gods & the Crystal Skull; Pyramids of t he Gods; Lost Golden Books of the Maya; Quetzalcoatl & the Pyramids of the Sun; El Dorado & the Seven Gold Cities of Cibola; Diving at the Sunken Pyramids of Aztlatlan; The Search For Atlantis; The Megaliths of Norombega; Exploring Ancient Nevada Seas; The Mysteries of Mount Shasta; Lost Cities of the Evergreens; more.
588 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1992
6 people are currently reading
402 people want to read
About the author
David Hatcher Childress
85 books207 followersDavid Hatcher Childress (born 1957) is an American author and publisher of books on topics in alternative history and historical revisionism. His works often cover such subjects as pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact, the Knights Templar, lost cities and vimana aircraft. Despite his public involvement in the general field of study, Childress claims to have no academic credentials as a professional archaeologist.
Born in France, and raised in Colorado, Childress began his world travels at age nineteen in pursuit of his archaeological interests. In 1983 Childress relocated to Stelle, Illinois, a community founded by New Age writer Richard Kieninger, after Childress was given a book authored by Kieninger while touring Africa. Childress chronicled his explorations in his Lost Cities and Ancient Mysteries series of books, whose core concepts were influenced by the ideas of Kieninger.
While residing in Stelle, Childress began self publishing his own works and later other authors, which focus on presenting fringe scientific theories regarding ancient civilizations and little-known technologies, as well as establishing a travel business in partnership with Kieninger. In 1991, in the nearby town of Kempton, Illinois, Childress, along with historian and linguist Carl W. Hart, founded the World Explorers Club, a group that often travels to the places he writes about, and an affiliated magazine, World Explorer.
David Hatcher Childress has appeared on several television programs on NBC ("The Mysterious Origins of Man"), Fox Network (Sightings and Encounters), Discovery Channel, A&E, The History Channel, as a commentator on subjects such as the Bermuda Triangle, Atlantis, and UFOs.
Childress has been involved in two lawsuits regarding his publishing activities, one of which failed due to the expiry of a statute of limitations and the other, involving his company's publication of a master's thesis without permission, which was settled out of court.
from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Ha...
Born in France, and raised in Colorado, Childress began his world travels at age nineteen in pursuit of his archaeological interests. In 1983 Childress relocated to Stelle, Illinois, a community founded by New Age writer Richard Kieninger, after Childress was given a book authored by Kieninger while touring Africa. Childress chronicled his explorations in his Lost Cities and Ancient Mysteries series of books, whose core concepts were influenced by the ideas of Kieninger.
While residing in Stelle, Childress began self publishing his own works and later other authors, which focus on presenting fringe scientific theories regarding ancient civilizations and little-known technologies, as well as establishing a travel business in partnership with Kieninger. In 1991, in the nearby town of Kempton, Illinois, Childress, along with historian and linguist Carl W. Hart, founded the World Explorers Club, a group that often travels to the places he writes about, and an affiliated magazine, World Explorer.
David Hatcher Childress has appeared on several television programs on NBC ("The Mysterious Origins of Man"), Fox Network (Sightings and Encounters), Discovery Channel, A&E, The History Channel, as a commentator on subjects such as the Bermuda Triangle, Atlantis, and UFOs.
Childress has been involved in two lawsuits regarding his publishing activities, one of which failed due to the expiry of a statute of limitations and the other, involving his company's publication of a master's thesis without permission, which was settled out of court.
from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Ha...
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 29, 2018
There are problems but this guy is so interesting and such good fun that I am going to give it the stars that feel right.
August 5, 2023
This book was massive and is extremely well done with brilliant illustrations and photos. Costa Rica/Nicaragua (Marbles of the Gods), Guatemala, lost cities of the Maya, Belize (alien Gods and the Crystal Skull), Quintana Roo and the Yucatan, Southern Mexico, the golden book of the Maya, Northern Mexico (Quetzalcoatl and the Pyramids of the Sun), Texas, Arizona and New Mexico, the Mississippi Valley (sunken pyramids of Aztalan), Florida and the Caribbean, New England, California (the mysteries of Mount Shasta), the lost cities of the Evergreens... this book is like a never ending adventure trip. Incredibly intriguing. Loved it and can highly recommend it!
February 6, 2024
That was one of the best of the Lost Cities series from David Childress, this is the one which has the larger bibliography, has very good descriptions on some sites that are very obscure, and he spends less time talking about Mu and the Atlantean league and whatnot. This book analyses many cases of possible interaction between the old continents and the Americas prior to the advent of Colombo. So this one has a lot of interesting content and a lot of new information to me.
June 2, 2020
This book (and author) create a narrative of pseudoscience, racism, and conspiracy on the basis that archaeologists and historians are "ignoring the truth".
This book is racist in it's accusations of "lost people's" who are still living cultures and notions that white Europeans are the creaters of all infustructure.
Read as fiction or for a laugh, it is not a reliable source to base any ideas on!
This book is racist in it's accusations of "lost people's" who are still living cultures and notions that white Europeans are the creaters of all infustructure.
Read as fiction or for a laugh, it is not a reliable source to base any ideas on!
March 1, 2016
Lost Cities of North America
By: David Childress
My experience with this book was amazing especially when compared to the previous book I read. The last book I read was about the Middle East and as I expressed in the review I thought it was a very uninteresting book as all it did was a list facts about time periods. This book was very different, as this book went through the different cities and civilizations using primary sources like for example journals and dairy’s from families that lived through the time period. These people described events that really happened and you learned through their experiences how it was, at least to them. The book also gives some opinions on how and why those cities were lost or abandoned.
The most impacting quote in this book was, “The story begins in Northern Mexico in 1920”(187). This is a prime example of how I think this historic book made the events and facts interesting as they real people diaries and stories of what actually occurred. As a reader you get the perspective from the actual people living in this time period. For example one instance was about I child named Max, who wrote about his life and was later found when historians were investigating the city.
The question that book best answers is, What is reality, and how is it constructed? This book answers that question because the book doesn't give its opinion on how the author thinks the history happened or assumes anything of what actually happen like the previous book I read. This book goes in depth and analysis of primary sources and shows you how events happened from a perspective of a person who actually lived this specific event. It gives you a sense of being present in the time period.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an interesting way to learn about North American history. In my opinion, this book is how a history book should be written, with no opinion’s but gives you stories, art, quotes and facts from real people living the time period. I would also recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a great historical read, an interesting way to learn and enjoy history at the same time.
By: David Childress
My experience with this book was amazing especially when compared to the previous book I read. The last book I read was about the Middle East and as I expressed in the review I thought it was a very uninteresting book as all it did was a list facts about time periods. This book was very different, as this book went through the different cities and civilizations using primary sources like for example journals and dairy’s from families that lived through the time period. These people described events that really happened and you learned through their experiences how it was, at least to them. The book also gives some opinions on how and why those cities were lost or abandoned.
The most impacting quote in this book was, “The story begins in Northern Mexico in 1920”(187). This is a prime example of how I think this historic book made the events and facts interesting as they real people diaries and stories of what actually occurred. As a reader you get the perspective from the actual people living in this time period. For example one instance was about I child named Max, who wrote about his life and was later found when historians were investigating the city.
The question that book best answers is, What is reality, and how is it constructed? This book answers that question because the book doesn't give its opinion on how the author thinks the history happened or assumes anything of what actually happen like the previous book I read. This book goes in depth and analysis of primary sources and shows you how events happened from a perspective of a person who actually lived this specific event. It gives you a sense of being present in the time period.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an interesting way to learn about North American history. In my opinion, this book is how a history book should be written, with no opinion’s but gives you stories, art, quotes and facts from real people living the time period. I would also recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a great historical read, an interesting way to learn and enjoy history at the same time.
August 26, 2010
Read if you want to hear the stories others won't tell you...
Of course, the reason others won't tell you those stories may be because the stories are patently false. I was looking for a book that would be a good read after "Collapse" -- something that would tell me about fallen civilizations. This isn't that book -- at least not from a rigorous, scientific approach. The author, for example, asserts that pterodactyls live in today's Arizona.
The author believes that traditional academics are dismissing the truth because it doesn't fit in with their preconceived notions. The only reason I didn't rate this book lower is that it is clearly a great source for others who feel the same way. The rest of us, however, need to look elsewhere for scientifically grounded speculation into North American prehistory.
Of course, the reason others won't tell you those stories may be because the stories are patently false. I was looking for a book that would be a good read after "Collapse" -- something that would tell me about fallen civilizations. This isn't that book -- at least not from a rigorous, scientific approach. The author, for example, asserts that pterodactyls live in today's Arizona.
The author believes that traditional academics are dismissing the truth because it doesn't fit in with their preconceived notions. The only reason I didn't rate this book lower is that it is clearly a great source for others who feel the same way. The rest of us, however, need to look elsewhere for scientifically grounded speculation into North American prehistory.
March 5, 2012
Poorly written and filled with typos, this is a mixture of travelogue and wildly unsubstantiated theories, such as a thriving trade between the ancient Chinese, Mayans and Egyptians (among others) in lost cities of central America.
Despite my distaste in the quality of writing, I was going to read the whole thing, but I ironically lost this book on a flight home from a vacation. Hopefully it will be more interesting for the person who finds it than it was for me.
For sticklers, the date I "finished" the book indicates the date I actually lost the book.
Despite my distaste in the quality of writing, I was going to read the whole thing, but I ironically lost this book on a flight home from a vacation. Hopefully it will be more interesting for the person who finds it than it was for me.
For sticklers, the date I "finished" the book indicates the date I actually lost the book.
January 20, 2011
Filled with typos and shoddy research this book nevertheless stokes the imagination as the author narrates his journeys across the land with pulpy tall tales mixed in with amazing and often speculative history. I've taken it with me on several interstate adventures and it has always helped me keep up some whimsical fascination with the land.
May 3, 2013
This is a great book for anyone that has dreamed of being a modern day Indiana Jones. The author writes about his own accounts traveling through foreign places and exploring myths, ruins, and ancient tales. He has no problem going off the beaten path to discover the truth in person. In addition, he cites dozens of sources to provide factual background on each lost civilization.
November 22, 2010
Great book for armchair and real world travelers alike. I even learned something about my local area that came as a total surprise. Who would have thought we'd have had Phoenicians in the neighborhood?
June 11, 2013
Very interesting take on the controversy over when man arrived in North and Central America. Makes a good argument for man being here as early as 50,000 years ago, rather than the 12,000 generally accepted.
September 25, 2013
I loved the adventurous travel writing which made the archaeological discoveries even more exciting.
I also subscribe to the diffusion view of the ancient world. This book makes a strong case for ancient world travelers arriving in the Americas thousands of years ago.
I also subscribe to the diffusion view of the ancient world. This book makes a strong case for ancient world travelers arriving in the Americas thousands of years ago.
March 2, 2008
Disclaimer: this book is full of ridiculous speculation; nevertheless a great sourcebook of pop mythology, conspiracy, and archeaological anomalies.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews