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Stonehenge
Contributor(s): Hill, Rosemary (Author)
ISBN: 0674072294     ISBN-13: 9780674072299
Publisher: Harvard University Press
OUR PRICE:   $30.40  
Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats
Published: May 2013
Qty:
Additional Information
BISAC Categories:
- History | Europe - Great Britain - General
- History | Ancient - General
- Social Science | Archaeology
Dewey: 936.231
Series: Wonders of the World (Harvard University Press)
Physical Information: 0.62" H x 5" W x 6.49" (0.53 lbs) 256 pages
Themes:
- Cultural Region - British Isles
- Chronological Period - Prehistoric
 
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc.
Publisher Description:

Welcoming 800,000 visitors each year, Stonehenge is the most famous pre-historic monument in all of Europe. It has inspired modern replicas throughout the world, including one constructed entirely of discarded refrigerators. This curious structure is the subject of cult worship, is a source of pride for Britons, and offers an intellectual challenge for academics. It has captured the imagination and the attention of thousands of people for thousands of years.

Over the centuries, "experts" have tried to discover the meaning behind Stonehenge. While each new theory contradicts earlier speculation, every new proposal attributes a purpose to the site. From bards of the twelfth century to Black Sabbath, from William Blake to archaeologists of the twenty-first century, Stonehenge has embodied a wealth of intention. Was it designed for winter solstice, for goddess worship, or as a funerary temple? While all have been suggested, even "proven," the mystery continues.

Through the eyes of its most eloquent apologists, Rosemary Hill guides the reader on a tour of Stonehenge in all its cultural contexts, as a monument to many things--to Renaissance Humanism, Romantic despair, Victorian enterprise, and English Radicalism. In the end, the stones remain compelling because they remain mysterious--apparently simple yet incomprehensible--that is the wonder, the enchantment, of Stonehenge.


Contributor Bio(s): Hill, Rosemary: - Rosemary Hill is a distinguished independent scholar and award-winning author. She is a Trustee of the Victorian Society and a member of the editorial board of the London Review of Books.