Civilization One: The World is Not as You Thought it Was: Uncovering the Super-science of Prehistory (Hardcover)

However, a couple of things really annoyed me about this book. The author tried to make it like a thriller, so there are lots of 'exciting' 'phone conversations. Secondly, the conclusions they draw are too broad and the final third of the book (the bit with Jefferson and megalithic music) is dreadful, awful speculation.

The authors of this book claim to be 'outside' the establishment and believe their findings to be ignored because they would fundamentally change how we think about megalithic man. Their conclusion is that 'Magi', 'Watchers' or an advanced civilaization taught the Sumerians/British megalithic men how to work out measurements etc. I believed them and their credible evidence, until I read that they were both Masons. Knight is a Mason, Butler has written on the Templars and probably is also a Mason. Did Prince Michael of Kent pay them to write this?

Worth reading from a library if you are interested in wacky theories or stone circles. But I am warning you, the writing style grates and the conclusion really stinks!

The reader must have a basic knowledge of arithmetic but overall the book is an easy read and very revealing. Amongst the topics discussed are writing, Egypt, Sumeria, the Minoan foot, solar and sidereal days, pendulums and the importance of the planet Venus. It turns out that the British Pound and Pint are both derived from ancient measurements. The units of the hour, minute and second were developed more than 4000 years ago, from the movements of the moon.

The text also encompasses subjects like the harmony of the spheres, Sumerian degrees and the calendar, and explains that the metric system is not a recent invention. There is a section on Thomas Jefferson and his achievements; this great man apparently realized that he was rediscovering parts of a very ancient system.

Amongst the most captivating sections is the chapter on music and light. There is a definite correspondence between the rotating mass of our planet and human music. Also, megalithic mathematics produces its own musical structure. The authors conclude that there must have been an advanced people who instructed the rest of the world in science and technology. They also refer to the Masonic concept of the Great Architect of the Universe.

There are seven appendices that include further information on earth days and the megalithic year, megalithic music, the Phaistos Disc, the amazing barley seed, and the connection between megalithic principles and Freemasonry. The colour plates include approximately 20 full colour photographs and there are many black and white illustrations throughout the text. The book concludes with an index.

I also recommend Lost Civilisations Of The Stone Age by Richard Rudgley, Stone Age Soundtracks by Paul Devereux, and Forbidden Archaeology by Michael Cremo and Richard Thompson.