Megaliths: The Ancient Stone Monuments of Engalnd and Wales

by David Corio, Lai Ngan Corio

David Corio has systematically photographed the megalithic sites of England and Wales with the eye of a great landscape photographer, as well as with the passion of an explorer in the ruins of an ancient culture. These photographs go to the heart of prehistoric England and reveal a profound sense of place, with all the beauty that invited Romantic speculation from the seventeenth century onwards—as well as the encroaching modern world of distant urban skylines and protective barriers.

180 pages, Hardcover

First published July 28, 2003

Reviews

[raccoon reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm torn between 2 and 3 stars. Some of the pictures are startling and beautiful. Others appear to be sketches, yet the writings indicate they are not torn down... I'd rather have a picture than a sketch. I also think that while, B&W can be very "artsy" that color pictures might have done many of the stones more justice. Do you really have to tell me how stunning they are during whatever time of year, and how the colors look, but then give me a B&W photo? Really? Gypped.

Lastly, I understand that there is much debate over the origins of the stones, but there is a lot of historical fact that seems lacking. It's more a collection of local folklore about the stones then facts. There definitely are facts there, but it was, well, lacking. I wanted to know more about most of the entries than I did. I would not recommend buying this book (I got it from the library), but it is a good "starter" book about megaliths.

[Jbondandrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some wonderful photographs. A pity Ireland and Scotland weren't included.

[Linda]

This is a gorgeous book. With its haunting black and white photographs, it really brings to mind the aura that these monoliths exude. The accompanying text is rife with references to stories, books and resources that will help a lot in my novel research.
I got this book just for the photos, thinking the text would be merely descriptive. Instead, I have maps showing locations relative to each other, and a vast bibliography that will keep me busy for a long time to come, plus allusions to myths and all kinds of stories linking the stones to each other.
And the photos. Oh, they are gorgeous. Though I am sure it was tempting to show the green countryside, showing these massive stones in their gray and white beauty, sometimes with lovely filters, was genius.
I loved this.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad at all. The text that was in the book was interesting, but it could have certainly used more background about most of the megaliths featured. Also none of the Scottish ones were featured, which was a shame! A 'coffee table' book that could have been more.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was pretty good, but I wish at least some of the photographs had been in color, so as to get a better idea of what these monuments actually look like in person.