Every generation has created its own interpretation of Stonehenge, but rarely do these relate to the physical realities of the monument. Rodney Castleden begins with those elements which made possible the building of this vast stone circle: the site, the materials and the society that undertook the enormous task of transporting and raising the great vertical stones, then capping them, all to a carefully contrived plan. What emerges from this detailed examination is a much fuller sense of Stonehenge, both in relation to all the similar sites close by, and in terms of the uses to which it was put. Castleden suggests that there is no one 'meaning' or 'purpose' for Stonehenge, that from its very beginning it has filled a variety of needs. The Romans saw it as a centre of resistance; the antiquaries who 'rediscovered' it in the seventeenth century saw a long line of continuity leading back into the nation's past. The archaeologists see it as a subject for rational, scientific investigation; The National Trust and English Heritage view it as an unfailing magnet for visitors; UNESCO has declared it a World Heritage Site, the cultural property of the whole of humanity. Lost to view amid competing interests over the millenia are the uses it has served for those who live within its penumbra, for whom Stonehenge has never been 'lost' or 'rediscovered'. It exists in local myth and legend, stretching back beyond history.

Icon of the New Stone Age, sculptural and engineering marvel, symbol of national pride: there is nothing quite like Stonehenge. These great sarsen and bluestone slabs, arranged with simple, graphic genius, attract visitors from across the world. The monument stands silent in the face of the questions its unlikely existence raises: who built it? Why? How? There has been endless speculation about why Stonehenge was built, inspiring theories ranging from the academically credible to the improbable, but far less investigation into how. In the millennia since its creation, pieces of Stonehenge have been knocked over by heavy machinery, found their way to Florida (and back again), and been exposed to radioactive sodium, but the seemingly impossible endeavour of raising the stones with Neolithic technology has remained inexplicable until now. In the past decade ground-breaking discoveries, made possible by cutting-edge scientific techniques, have traced the precise provenance of the bluestones in Wales, but can we plot their journeys to the Salisbury Plain? And how might teams of labourers lacking machinery or even pack animals have dragged them 150 miles to the site? How did they carve joints into the sarsen boulders, among the hardest stones in the world, and then raise them into place? Mike Pitts draws on a lifetimes study to answer these questions, revealing how Stonehenge stood not in austere isolation, as we see it today, but as part of a wider world, the focus of a megalithic cosmology of belief, ritual and creativity.

Castleden suggests that there is no one `meaning' or `purpose' for Stonehenge, that from its very beginning it has filled a variety of needs.

This book is an imaginative exploration of a place that has fascinated, intrigued and perplexed visitors for centuries. Instead of seeing Stonehenge as an isolated site, the author sets the stones within a wider landscape and explores how use and meaning have changed from prehistoric times right through to the present. Throughout the millennia, the Stonehenge landscape has been used and re-used, invested with new meanings, and has given rise to myths and stories. The author creatively explores how the landscape has been appropriated and contested, and invokes the debates and experiences of people who have very different and often conflicting experiences of the same place. Today, heritage managers, archaeologists, local people, free festivallers, and druids come to the place with entirely different understandings and agendas. The book demonstrates that the creation of spaces and places for people to express divergent viewpoints is powerfully constrained by social and political forces that allow some voices to be heard while others are marginalized. With dialogues and illustrations that range from the conventional to the cartoon strip, this multi-vocal book not only presents a wide range of views in an innovative way, but provides important new insights on how people shape and are shaped by landscape.

Three against an Empire! Ason: Prince of an ancient house, intent on restoring the keystone of his father's power, braves the limits of the land-rimmed sea to sail North, through the cold fog, to the icy island where, with heroic effort, the key to victory may be found. Inteb: Former envoy of the Pharoah, reluctant voyager to the forbidden island of Yerni, armed only with his arcane knowledge and his loyalty to Ason. Naikeri: Pround daughter of the Albi, she has never known a warrior like Ason, nor a world like the one she helps him build-a world that will center on one of the greatest monuments of all time... STONEHENGE The exciting saga of the creation of a legend! At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Now available in a new deluxe, eye-catching mega package, Build Your Own Stonehenge includes 16 Stonehenge rocks, a beautifully landscaped map, and 32- page guide explaining the mysterious building of this ancient wonder. Explore and replicate the magic of this extraordinary monument right at your desktop!

Eight days after the summer solstice, a man's corpse is discovered on the grounds of Stonehenge, strange symbols carved into the flesh. Amid a media frenzy, the case falls to Wiltshire policewoman Meg Redfern, who in turn appeals to young Cambridge historian Gideon Chase, an expert on ancient British archaeology. Their investigation threatens to expose a secret society - an ancient international legion devoted for thousands of years to Stonehenge. With a charismatic and ruthless new leader at the helm, the cult is now performing ritual human sacrifices in a terrifying bid to unlock the secret of the stones. Packed with codes, symbology, relentless suspense, and fascinating detail about the history of one of the world's most iconic, beloved, and mysterious places, The Stonehenge Legacy is a blockbuster thriller to rival the best of Dan Brown, Chris Kuzneski, and Raymond Khoury.