Product Description

Concentrating on the eighty most important sites in Britain and Ireland, this illustrated guide to stone circles and landscape temples is the first work on the subject to combine stunning photography with scientific survey. Stone circles are one of the enticements and fascinations of prehistory. The emptiness and mystery of these sites and their weathered stones have captivated, perplexed, and attracted visitors from all over the world.

Max Milligan's images convey the serene beauty and unique aura of these sites, and range from descriptive and informative views to strikingly abstract and inspiring compositions. The text by Aubrey Burl, the acknowledged authority on the subject, offers detailed historical accounts and descriptions of the sites, and recounts the powerful myths and legends that have surrounded them and persist to this day.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1923048 in Books
• Published on: 1999-09-23
• Released on: 1999-09-23
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 208 pages

From Amazon.com
Categorized by the publisher as archaeology-history-photography, Circles of Stone does indeed straddle all these subjects. The volume is in itself a work of art, a stimulating introduction to a fascinating aspect of prehistory and a useful work of reference for anyone with an interest in ancient monuments. Fabulous photographs of 70 stone circles from all over the British Isles are accompanied by a factually rich text. The author, an established authority on prehistoric megaliths, gives an interesting impression of how the stones have been variously used and perceived through their long histories. While allowing legend a voice, this text is not the place to find detailed speculation on prehistoric rites or ancient astronomy: its scope is more pragmatic and it includes details of the form and location of each monument and other interesting sites. Chronologically arranged, the selection begins with the circles of the Late Neolithic and ends in the Middle Bronze Age, showing a great variety of form over 2,000 years. There is variety, too, in the photographic views, from panoramas to zoomed-in textural detail. The photographs themselves are dramatic. Taken in many different light conditions, they often capture the stones at their most evocative moments, showing how the illumination of the sun and moon and the form of the surrounding landscape is a vital part of their aura--just as was the case in prehistory. --Karen Tiley, Amazon.co.uk

Synopsis
An illustrated survey of the most important stone circles in Britain and Ireland explores the historical origins and significance of these sites while recalling the myths and legends that surround them to this day.

About the Author
Max Milligan was born in 1962. He is counted among Britain's most exciting new photographers. Aubrey Burl has published practical guidebooks and works of reference on stone circles and the prehistory of Britain.