Underworld: The Mysterious Origins of Civilization


Graham Hancock - 2002
    In this explosive new work of archaeological detection, bestselling author and renowned explorer Graham Hancock embarks on a captivating underwater voyage to find the ruins of a mythical lost civilization hidden for thousands of years beneath the world’s oceans. Guided by cutting-edge science, innovative computer-mapping techniques, and the latest archaeological scholarship, Hancock examines the mystery at the end of the last Ice Age and delivers astonishing revelations that challenge our long-held views about the existence of a sunken universe built on the ocean floor.Filled with exhilarating accounts of his own participation in dives off the coast of Japan, as well as in the Mediterranean, the Atlantic, and the Arabian Sea, we watch as Hancock discovers underwater ruins exactly where the ancient myths say they should be—submerged kingdoms that archaeologists never thought existed. You will be captivated by Underworld, a provocative book that is both a compelling piece of hard evidence for a fascinating forgotten episode in human history and a completely new explanation for the origins of civilization as we know it.

Cafe Neandertal: Excavating Our Past in One of Europe's Most Ancient Places


Beebe Bahrami - 2017
    In Café Neandertal, Bahrami follows this compelling riddle along a path populated with colorful local personalities and opinionated, polemical, and brilliant archaeologists working in remote and fascinating places across Eurasia, all the while maintaining a firm foothold in the Dordogne, a region celebrated by the local tourist office as a vacation destination for 400,000 years. From this prehistoric perch Bahrami gets to know first-hand the Neandertals and the people who love them — those who have devoted their lives to them. She is thrown into a world debating not only what happened to these close cousins but also what legacy they have left for those who followed.Café Neandertal is also a detective story, investigating one of the biggest mysteries of prehistory and archaeology: Who were the Neandertals? Why did they disappear around 35,000 years ago? And more mysteriously, what light do they shed on us moderns?Bahrami takes readers into the thick of an excavation, neck-deep in Neanderthal dirt, and to the front row of the heated debates about our long-lost cousins. Café Neandertal pulls us deeply into the complex mystery of the Neandertals, shedding a surprising light on what it means to be human.

12.21.12: The Vessel


Killian McRae - 2010
    The only way to decode the past is to save the future. Archaeologist Sheppard Smyth has staked his career and the honorable memory of his wife and partner on proving his widely panned theory: Cleopatra VII, last sovereign pharaoh of Egypt, was not a victim of suicide as history suggests, but of a well-concealed murder. When a statue of the doomed Queen is unearthed in a pre-Columbian excavation site in Mexico, Shep rushes to investigate and, hopefully, find the proof that's evaded him for so long. Working to unlock the mysteries he finds, Shep is about to learn much more than he ever bargained for. Suddenly thrust into the heated rivalry between sexy and enigmatic antiquities thief Victoria Kent and the infamous Russian mafioso Dmitri Kronastia, Shep finds himself a common pawn played by forces working to see out a quest older than the pyramids and cloaked in the Mayan Doomsday prophecy of 12.21.12.Note: The third edition of this title is a rewrite of previous editions, and as such contains substantial variations including plot and resolution.

The Coelho Medallion


Kevin Tumlinson - 2016
    An ancient medallion is unearthed in Pueblo, Colorado, revealing a secret that will rewrite the history of North America—the Vikings somehow made it to the continent's interior, centuries before Columbus made landfall, and there they built a city of gold. But today the COELHO MEDALLION has been stolen, and a linguist and researcher has been abducted in connection with the crime. Could the abductors be after the fabled city of gold? Or do they have a more sinister plot in mind? DAN KOTLER is an independent researcher who often finds himself in more trouble than he was expecting. But when his colleague is abducted he finds himself being investigated by the FBI, he must use all of his brilliance and expertise to find her and absolve himself. ANWAR ADHAM has plans for a terrorist action on U.S. soil, and information from the Pueblo research site can give him everything he needs to put his plans in motion. Unless Adham is stopped, thousands and possibly millions will die. Whoever wins this contest of wits and wills will hold the fate of thousands in his hands, and will also lay claim to the fabled city of gold. It's an adventure that can redefine the history of America as we know it. Kotler finds himself facing off against both the FBI and Adham's terrorist network as he struggles to solve the mystery of Vikings in Colorado, to rescue Evelyn and stop Adham's plans before it's too late. “Kevin has crashed onto the action-thriller scene as only an action-thriller author can: with provocative plot lines, unforgettable characters, and enough adrenaline to keep you awake all night.” —Nick Thacker, author of 'The Enigma Strain' — HERE'S WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT KEVIN TUMLINSON'S BOOKS: ★★★★★ “[Kevin Tumlinson] is what every writer should be—entertaining and thought-provoking.” — Shana Tehan, Press Secretary, U.S. House of Representatives ★★★★★ “There was something so fascinating about [Citadel] and the cast of characters [Kevin Tumlinson] put together.” — Leah Petersen, Author of Fighting Gravity ★★★★★ "I discovered Kevin Tumlinson from The Creative Penn podcast and immediately got his novel, Evergreen. I read it in like 3 seconds. It's the most fast paced story I've encountered." —R.D. Holland, Independent Reviewer ★★★★★ "[Sawyer Jackson and the Long Land] was a great read! I love these style of books—magic, science fiction, alternate reality. I couldn't put it down." —S., Independent Reviewer

Drawing in the Dust


Zoe Klein - 2009
    By turns philosophical, suspenseful, and passionate, this debut novel transports readers into a mystical world and takes them on a journey they won't soon forget.

Francesco's Venice: The Dramatic History of the World's Most Beautiful City


Francesco Da Mosto - 2005
    Venice's rich history is explored by a resident historian, and descendent from a patrician Ventian family in this beautifully illustrated study.  Readers are guided from 5th century Venice to present day, uncovering historical facts, legends and catching glimpses into the lives of it's people, many of which are the authors own colorful ancestors.

German: Biography of a Language


Ruth H. Sanders - 2010
    She sheds light on the influence of such events as the bloody three-day Battle of Kalkriese, which permanently halted the incursion of both theRomans and the Latin language into northern Europe, and the publication of Martin Luther's German Bible translation, a People's Bible which in effect forged from a dozen spoken dialects a single German language. The narrative ranges through the turbulent Middle Ages, the spread of the printingpress, the formation of the nineteenth-century German Empire which united the German-speaking territories north of the Alps, and Germany's twentieth-century military and cultural horrors. The book also covers topics such as the Gothic language (now extinct), the vast expansion of Germanic tribesduring the Roman era, the role of the Vikings in spreading the Norse language, the branching off of Yiddish, the lasting impact of the Thirty Years War on the German psyche, the revolution of 1848, and much more.Ranging from prehistoric times to modern, post-war Germany, this engaging volume offers a fascinating account of the evolution of a major European language as well as a unique look at the history of the German people. It will appeal to everyone interested in German language, culture, or history.