• Ancient Egypt
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• Titanic

Atlantis from a Geographer's Perspective: Mapping the Fairy Land

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Book Overview

This book provides an authoritative and quite possibly final explanation to the Atlantis enigma, based on the first scientific study of the topic, complete with hypothesis testing, null hypothesis, and statistical significance testing. The central conclusion is that although Plato created Atlantis as a fictional utopia, he based it on history and geography. The main prototype for the island Atlantis was Ireland. The author proves this conclusion beyond reasonable doubt (probability over 99.98%). Plato thus told the truth when he wrote about Atlantis. Scholars are also right when they say that he made Atlantis up. Even many of those who have argued that Atlantis was based on reality have been partly right. This book brings together a lot of loose ends into a coherent picture based on science, bridging the gap between the polarized positions in the Atlantis debate. The author also goes through Irish megalithic archaeology, with many illustrations. It is a good book to read before visiting the island. In the last chapters, the author passionately argues for the importance of basing all conclusions on science, logic, and reason.

What Others Say...

• Am I convinced that Ireland is the location for the Lost Continent? It's as good a hypothesis as any. -- Irish Emigrant, Feb. 2005
• "Erlingsson’s Atlantis is a short but valuable book. His case for an Irish Atlantis is concise and convincing, and his style of presentation, punctuated by wise and witty asides, makes it a pleasure to read." -- Fate, March 2005
• "Finally a scientist from Sweden has pinpointed the exact location of the mythical island of Atlantis ... using classic scientific methodology." -- The Irish Eyes, Sept 2004
• "In this book, the author uses classic scientific methodology; he erects hypotheses and tests them." -- Prof. em. Wibjörn Karlén, editor of Geografiska Annaler
• “As a geographer and geomorphologist, Dr. Erlingsson's take on the subject is very interesting.” -- Prof T Breslin, Vice Provost, Florida International University
• “The present book will surely not be the last to discuss the myth of Atlantis. However, being based on geographical and archaeological knowledge, it will probably be deemed one of the most read-worthy.” -- Prof. em. Wibjörn Karlén, editor of Geografiska Annaler Serie A

About the Author

Ulf Erlingsson, Ph.D., is a geographer, geomorphologist, and expert in under-water mapping. He has been principal research engineer onboard the research vessel Akusta, and in 1991 he led a scientific expedition from Uppsala University to Surtsey, Iceland. Later that year he received the Linnæus Prize, given to explorers, from the Royal Society of Sciences in Uppsala, Sweden.

The Captured Ice Shelf-hypothesis, which explains several enigmas of the Ice Age, is his work. So is the decision support system that is being used for natural-hazard mitigation by the government of Nicaragua. Just after the end of the Cold War he worked as geographer in the Baltic Sea Environment program, televised live to 15 countries across the old Iron Curtain.

His quest for first-hand knowledge on geography has made him a scuba diver, a single-handed sailor, and a motorized paraglider pilot. His field research has taken him to Europe, Africa, Central America and the Caribbean. He has been chairman of the Geographic Society of Uppsala, CEO of Central Office for Environmental Planning, Inc., and partner in AB Hydroconsult.

Customer Reviews

A book based on an independent logical analysis, August 20, 2005
Reviewer: Odysseus (Ithaka)
The book is based on logic and the scientific method. It presents the hypothesis that the Atlantean empire is correlated with the megalithic tombs of Europe and NW Africa, and tests it using logic. The author also argues that we need to base our society on science and logic, not on misplaced belief in authorities (to which he may be including poor scientists, but be too polite to say so).

A common error in books about Atlantis is the belief that you can count statistics in the form of "if 40% of the details agree, the match is better than if only 20% match". This author understands that it is irrelevant if 40% or even 80% match, if those matches are not statistically significant. Therefore he adopts the classic scientific approach rather than useless counting of percentages, and explains every step clearly in the book.

The results are not sensitive. For instance, he uses the megalithic yard proposed by A. Thom, but the result is not dependent upon it--they would be the same if using Greek units from Plato's time. But due to the hypothesis being tested, it would be logically flawed to use the Greek one.

It is a short but thought-provoking book that opens the mind for the reader who is prepared to think outside the box (and does not rely on authorities to think for him/her).

Made the myth very real to me, 8 Oct 2004
Reviewer: ibeo "ibeo" (Europe)
Reading this book opened up a lot of doors to the past for me. A past just as complicated as our present maybe. It is easy to forget how long we humans have possessed the abilities of present mankind - our intelligence and inventiveness. This book made atleast me question how ancient societies really was formed and functioned, just by putting forward some facts and comparing them with old myths/tales. To me this is a sensible book not leaping off into fantasy, but at the same time it does evoke my fantasy and imagination.

Made the myth very real to me, September 20, 2004
Reviewer: ibeo "ibeo" (Europe)
Reading this book opened up a lot of doors to the past for me. A past just as complicated as our present maybe. It is easy to forget how long we humans have possessed the abilities of present mankind - our intelligence and inventiveness. This book made atleast me question how ancient societies really was formed and functioned, just by putting forward some facts and comparing them with old myths/tales. To me this is a sensible book not leaping off into fantasy, but at the same time it does evoke my fantasy and imagination.