Stonehenge―A New Understanding: Solving the Mysteries of the Greatest Stone Age Monument

Mike Parker Pearson is my favorite archaeology writer. He writes a story that goes beyond just the material and looks at the reasons and hows of sometimes enigmatic objects. There's context, history and good descriptions in this book. Not just about this bunch of rocks, but what is around them as well. All in a very readable book.

I purchased this book last year before a cruise that included a stop in Southampton, England, where I planned to take an excursion to Stonehenge. I began reading the book prior to the cruise, and finished it on the ship before arriving at the Port of Southampton. It took me several days altogether to read this, because this is not light reading, and there is a lot of dense and lengthy material here about the science of the archaeology involved. It is not told in an engaging narrative form that pulls the reader along; this is a science book meant to convey information and learning about Stonehenge, the history and culture surrounding stone circles, as well as other monuments such as wood circles, and the science and detail of the methods of unearthing these and studying them.It is the perfect book to read prior to actually visiting Stonehenge, and it enhanced my visit as I walked around Stonehenge and correlated what I was actually seeing with what I had read in the book. The material is sometimes a little tedious and repetitive, and that is why I only give it 4 stars.

Tedious and esoteric at time.

I love this book, but then, I wanted to be an archeologist. For some'average' readers, this may challenge their interest-level. But for thosewho have been to Stonehenge, or have followed the developing varietyof theories to solve this mysterious monument, this book may well read like a good detective story! The numerous illustrations are very helpful!This book is an excellent accessary/expansion for a most interesting TVSpecial on National Geographic channel.

I know every book out there promises to crack the mysteries of Stonehenge. This book actually does because the author just finished excavating around the whole area and really did find a bunch of new evidence. Things that have made the old books obsolete. Granted, no one will ever solve every question we have, unless we some day dig up a book written by the Stone Age builders themselves. In the meantime, Mike Parker Pearson has uncovered several new clues and has come up with some new theories that sound very reasonable. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Stone Henge.

Closely reading Mr. Pearson's very-well done book as research to help me build a scale model (approx 4 feet x 4 feet) of Stonehenge as it appeared on the October 2008 cover of "Smithsonian" magazine. Through that project and reading Mr. Pearson's book, maybe I can learn about something I'll never have the opportunity to see in real life. Fun to be a Senior Citizen and be able to poke through rock piles and stream banks to find a couple rocks that will fit.

Exhaustive . . . at times it seemed like the book is really more about the history of the excavations of Stonehenge rather than Stonehenge. It lacks a compelling narrative and reads more like a scholarly report than a book for the general public. Still there is much to learn and the author's grasp of the subject is impressive but more straight-forward answers to the layman's basic questions, "how did they get those stones there and raise them up, how do you dig with bits of antlers", would have been appreciated?

The reason I have given this a 5 star rating is that it was easily read and understandable. Other writings that I have read do not provide as much facts and findings. It explained the facts and findings well. The investigations were laid out in a beliveable and scientific manner so I have to make the assumption that the evidense is being reported correctly. The one downside to the writing was that it was redundent in a few places, but it added more credibility to the investigations.

Easy to read and plenty of explanations

An American edition, with naff cover and US spelling, but don't let that put you off. MPP, doyen of Stonehenge studies, unfolds in a very readable way the state of knowledge at the time of writing, and ruthlessly yet compassionately demolishes the bad science of earlier workers, always acknowledging the imperfections of the process of excavation and subsequent analysis, and how the wrong excavator can inadvertently get the wrong results. Archaeology synthesises many basic disciplines into a holist approach, and this book underlines that firmly. There are many flashes of humour too, such as the pub-barring of one of the hard-digging, hard-drinking 1967 Durrington Walls team. A very satisfying and authoritative addition to my archaeology shelf.

Wow...lots of info here, and really gives a good overview of research into Stonehenge and surroundings. I highly recommend this for a good understanding of how Stonehenge fits into Britain's pre-history.

The best book on the topic by far, written by a master of his craft with the deftness of touch to makr it absorbing and even amusing reading

This is a superb review of the latest findings from the Stonehenge region (with the emphasis on "region"), together with an interpretation of these findings, all expressed as a technical report but with every term explained for those unfamiliar with the language. Extremely readable, with interspersed anecdotes and personal experiences and, where appropriate, conflicting views of the evidence.