Publisher's Synopsis
Stonehenge is, and always will be, not only the ultimate symbol of prehistoric achievement but one of the past's most enduring mysteries. In Stonehenge: the story so far Julian Richards - archaeologist, broadcaster and Stonehenge fanatic - takes a fresh and very personal look at his favourite ancient monument. After introducing Stonehenge and its surrounding ancient landscape the first section outlines its history, from magic and Merlin to the obsessive diggers of the 19th century. The 20th century is a story of collapse and restoration, of changing ownership and conflict, of botched excavations and the final triumph of science in unlocking some of the stones' most closely guarded secrets. Science provides the answers to some of the big questions: When was Stonehenge built? Who built it and how? And, perhaps most difficult of all, why? The final section takes the reader back to the Age of Stonehenge, and using all of the accumulated evidence of centuries of exploration, tells the unfolding story of Britain's greatest prehistoric temple and its builders. This book brings our understanding of Stonehenge into the 21st century, written with the authority that comes from 25 years of involvement with Stonehenge and a passion to share its wonders.
