Ley Lines: A Comprehensive Guide to Alignments

by Danny Sullivan

Providing an introduction to the phenomenon of the alignment of ancient sites, this text examines the discovery of ley lines in the 1920s by Alfred Watkins, and looks at the theories and developments. An illustrated directory of 50 leys helps the reader in identifying the lines.

Genres: Nonfiction

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Shawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sure, ley lines have a reputation as fodder for proponents of alien and New Age ideas (which are briefly mentioned in this book), but Sullivan focuses on down-to-earth thoughts about these "straight tracks" across the British landscape. He even covers the back-and-forth debates about what should really count as a ley line. It's a good overview of the topic, and has many references at the end for people wanting to visit the known ley lines in Britain or find new ones.

[Sophy H · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very, maybe somewhat overly comprehensive book that suffers from a case of the "information overloads". For a smallish book, it is data-dense with reams of information to get through, sometimes presented in a quite repetitive manner.

Sullivan lists many players in the history of ley line studies and his biographies of these people are quite detailed as well (sometimes tediously so!)

The list of walks at the end of the book featuring ley line sites is good but I have a feeling that many will now be defunct as the book was written in 1999, and housing development/decimation of the countryside has probably put paid to many of these routes.

An interesting read but be prepared to have to put in the work as it's not an easy one by any means.

[Dave Appleby · Rating 3 out of 5]

A 'ley' is a line on the landscape joining points of interest, often involving religion of superstition. Originally 'discovered' by Alfred Watkins in his classic book The Old Straight Track and thought by him to be neolithic trading routes, there is considerable debate around whether they are any more than coincidental alignments and, if they are, what their function is. This book offers theories and evaluates them without seeming to come to a definite conclusion.

For example, the author debunks the 'trading routes' hypothesis by observing that ley lines often travel through inhospitable terrain when, presumably, a trader would take a detour. He also shows that some alleged long distance lines are artefacts of mapping that don't take into account the curvature of the earth. He then considers hypotheses such as that ley lines join navigation beacons for UFOs, and that they are associated with supernatural activity, such as sightings of ghosts and death-foretelling Black Dogs. If he comes to any conclusion it is that “The ley ... is not responsible for paranormal events" but that mysterious underground earth forces, possibly related to (presumably straight line) geological faulting and seismic activity and possibly having electromagnetic effects might be responsible for "causing hallucinations, time slips and unconsciousness" and therefore causing 'sightings' of ghosts and UFOs. (Ch 6)

The arguments are mostly reasonable with the occasional lapse into rhetoric, eg when discussing Jacob's dream of a ladder going up to heaven, “the fact that he used a rock as a pillow cannot be mere coincidence” (Ch 4; my highlight). There is a useful chapter on how to go hunting for your own ley lines and an appendix detailing some of the most well known.

[Dan Zarfati · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very comprehensive book, easy to read, full of information, and full coverage on all main aspects of the phenomena, best book for a full introduction to the subject it also displays plenty of examples on the subject. The author takes the long road explaining the views of the first researchers such as Watkings, then Paul Devereux, John Michel, and others. Analyses the high incidence of paranormal phenomena, apparitions, and UFO sightings. Also the ritualistic involved seeing spirits on these ley lines. The book also has a guide on how to hunt them. Very good work, worth the money.

[Tina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Would be good reference for exploring ley lines in England, otherwise not much information here.

[James Widdall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good intro to Ley lines tgst focused primarily on their history.