Controversial Figure
In this article, we will be taking a look at some of the best books by Graham Bruce Hancock. There is one thing that I can say about this author without a doubt and it is that he is a very controversial person. The reason behind this completely overlaps with the numerous questionable subjects he likes to take into hand in his writings. Mainly, his theory about an ancient and mighty civilization that is a foundation for Egyptian, Mesopotamian, and Mesoamerican cultures.
I will be talking in extensive length about the contexts of his books one by one so for now, let’s drop that for a minute and get to know the author. Graham was born in Scotland on nineteen-fifty but he had to move to India along with his parents at the age of three. His father had gotten a job as a surgeon there and he would spend his childhood and Graham would spend his years with his father until University.
Success-Filled Roots
The author moved back to the United Kingdom and received a “First Class Honours” degree in the field of sociology from Durham University. His first occupation after his graduation was journalism in which he was decently successful. He wrote for the best British magazines out there including The Times, The Guardian, and The Economist. While his focus as a journalist was on economic and social fields, he would concern himself with alternative history after nineteen-ninety.
Best Graham Hancock Books
Fingerprints of the Gods
History of the Lost
To start off our article and hopefully give you a better grip on the author, I will first give you a glimpse of one of the best selling Graham Hancock books. Fingerprints of the Gods, as you can deduct from the title, meddles with an array of possible clues and evidence of the existence of an old and forgotten civilization. The author raises the question that if our history as an agriculture-practicing species could be older than we take it to be.
In his quest to gather more evidence with the hopes of a great discovery, Graham uses the aid of archeo-astronomical and geological tools. Not only these but he also analyses folk stories and myths by using a computer because of the possibility of these ancient sources of narratives containing information unknown to us. Not to mention him rolling up his sleeves and traveling all around the world to take a closer look at some of the most ancient memorials.
Not to be Pushed Over
It is very convenient to disregard radical theories, such as the one this book proposes, without a doubt. Yet, asking borderline-absurd questions is maybe the greatest factor behind our success and development as a species. And even if grand questions such as this one can turn out to be empty, the process of investigation alone can lead us to great discoveries. I think this piece is one of the best Graham Hancock books and a must-read if you are interested in the author.
Magicians of the Gods
Danger From the Skies
The second place on our list goes to another one of the most popular Graham Hancock books, Magicians of the Gods: The Forgotten Wisdom of Earth’s Lost Civilization. It is by many means a sequel to the previous books that we have gone over. This time around, a recent archeological discovery is put into the heart of the book.
Ice Ages are a part of the Earth’s climactic cycle. The last one that ended a little more than thirteen thousand years ago, however, apparently had been affected by factors from outside of our planet. A comet that had been in the solar system for a good while had broken into multiple pieces, unleashing a cataclysm that ended the Ice Age along with maybe causing the legendary Great Flood.
A Present Catastrophe
Beyond just these, the date of a following fallout about a thousand years after the initial one precisely matches with the date Plato gave us for the fall of the legendary continent of Atlantis. If this is still not enough for you, this one of the top Graham Hancock books also draws out that the comet was a result of disrupting the harmony of the universe and might still be a threat to us.
Visionary
Where Did it All Come From?
Third on our list, we have the revised and re-edited version of a previous publication by the author. In the book Supernatural, some parts of the book had to be cut out because of the publishing agency’s preferences and there had been some advancements in the matters it concerns itself with. Thus, Graham went on to write Visionary: The Mysterious Origins of Human Consciousness.
Everything that this book talks about is rooted in one curious question; why did humanity experience a rapid explosion in terms of art, belief systems, symbolism, and continuous invention about fifty thousand years ago? Modern humans have had the same anatomical properties for the last thirty thousand years and yet, all these breakthroughs just seem to have popped up randomly and without evidence of a valid development.
Ever-Present Figures
In what is maybe the best Graham Hancock book, the author explores this mind-boggling question along with the true nature of our consciousness as well. He travels through ancient caves of Spain, France, Italy, and all the way down to the highest mountains of South Africa. Satisfied with his findings in those places, he decides to take yet another journey that is a lot more spiritual.
Graham sets out on a life-altering voyage to the Amazon rainforests to have a taste of the famous ayahuasca drink known for its powerful hallucinogenic effects on the mind. The animal-human hybrids that he has seen in the prehistorical paintings and the walls of Amazonian shaman caves are revealed to him once more as “hallucinations”. This leads him to ask if they are real beings and if they have anything to do with our sudden progress as a species.
The Sign and the Seal
A Great Happening
Next up on our Graham Hancock book reviews, we have the sensational piece The Sign and the Seal: The Quest for the Lost Ark of the Covenant. In my opinion, the happening of a great flood is absolutely not something that can be disregarded as just a folk story. The sheer number of sources talking about the event are almost immediate proof for me that something along the lines happened.
The Ark of the Covenant stands in a unique place compared to most other legends of its kind. By the nature of the story, there should still be material evidence of its presence. Even if the ark itself which was made of acacia wood could not survive three thousand years in harsh conditions, the ark carried the Ten Commandments. These stone-carved tablets should at least be recognizable even after all that time.
Traveling to the Heart of Danger
This is where the author comes into play. In this one of his best books, Graham Hancock pursues any information about the whereabouts of the ark and its contents. After conducting an extensive search in the most prestigious archives of Europe and the Middle East for ten years, his findings lead him to the civil war-riddled country of Ethiopia.
After the journalist sniffs out all the clues that he is presented with, he is met with an achievement that all other journalists or historians could have only dreamed of. He not only discovers the story of the Ark and how it was lost in history, but he is also able to pinpoint the location of the vessel itself. This will be a very interesting read for anyone interested in the subject matter or religion in general.
War God Series
War of People, and Their Gods
Halfway through our list, I will now give you my piece of mind about the best Graham Hancock book series. War God consists of three historical and mythological pieces which also include books that could very well be the best Graham Hancock novel overall. This is the first fictitious work by the author that we will go over and I can say without a doubt that it will not disappoint you.
The first book of the series, Nights of the Witch tells us the story of a war between Aztecs and Spaniards. It begins in fifteen-nineteen, a time in which an Aztec tribe is thoughtlessly sacrificing thousands in the name of their god. While they are awaiting the blessings of their god, however, the Spaniards are approaching through the sea with nothing but gold in their eyes.
Infamous Hernán Cortés
The second piece in the best Graham Hancock series is Return of the Plumed Serpent. The most important character in the book is the conquistador Hernán Cortés. He had left the Maya in ruins after his last expedition and he now wants to conquer the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan, also known as the Golden City. Little does he know that the Golden City burns with the fury of a newly returned vindictive god.
With the final book of the series titled Night of Sorrows, the battle between gods reaches its climax. Hungry Cortés has taken the city of Tenochtitlan by means lacking in honor and is just steps away from complete victory. When another army of Spaniards arrives on the shores with the aim of overtaking him though, he decides to fight for what he deserves and unleashes the gates of hell in the process.
America Before
Solving the Puzzle
Graham Hancock’s latest book, America Before: The Key to Earth’s Lost Civilization will be the next topic of interest in our article. It is the final book of the author’s three-piece long discovery of an ancient, highly-developed civilization that started with the Fingerprints of the Gods. As you can guess from the title, the author changes his perspective for this time around and takes a deeper look into the American continent to figure out where it fits in the puzzle.
A big proportion of the new book by Graham Hancock is related to how humanity spread to the region. Just half a decade in the past, it was an almost undoubtable fact in history that humans first set foot on America about thirteen thousand years ago. This theory was proven wrong with key scientific breakthroughs and it was revealed to us that we have in fact, been in America for at least a few more decades beforehand.
Ominous Questions
Using this scientific mystery, the author is finally able to fit his image of the lost civilization into place. He puts together all of his experience and findings with this new addition of some critical knowledge. Doing so, he is able to at least provide an answer for some of the most ominous questions that riddle us about our genetic map and cultural history. The book itself feels like the perfect note to end this thrilling ride as well.
The Message of the Sphinx
A Key for Ancient Knowledge
Next up on our Graham Hancock books ranked list, I will present you with The Message of the Sphinx: A Quest for the Hidden Legacy of Mankind which was published in the United Kingdom with the title Keeper of Genesis. The author gets together with Belgian writer Robert Bauval, who is for the most part known for his work on the Egyptian pyramids, to investigate the Sphinx.
The Sphinx is believed to be a representation of a guard that is watching over the pyramids, built approximately fifty-five hundred years ago. The book contradicts this belief with the notion that the erosion patterns of the monument point to it having existed during the latest Ice Age. More than that, the duo claims the Sphinx could be the key to understanding the message the pyramids were built to convey.
The One I Enjoyed the Most
Because of their fascinating nature, anything handling the subject of the Egyptian pyramids is practically an interesting read. This book concedes that expectation with not only representing the monuments with all their magnificence but also delving deeper into what makes them such important pieces of history. If I were to take my personal enjoyment as a basis, I would consider this piece the best Graham Hancock book.
Underworld
Explorer Graham Hancock
Nearing the end of this Graham Hancock book list, I will set you up for a great ending with the piece Underworld: The Mysterious Origins of Civilization. In the piece, we witness the author display his explorer side rather than the journalist one that we are used to seeing in his prior works. He goes as far as to dive into the deep ocean water off the coast of Japan.
Graham Hancock sets off to find undiscovered remnants of ancient civilizations on the deep ocean floor. In his journey he uses cutting-edge computer-mapping tech, the latest scientific equipment, and his admirable bravery. He dives into the waters of Japan, the Atlantic Ocean, the Arabic Sea, and the Mediterranean to find lost clues in the exact places that he predicted they would be.
Case for Accountability
This piece is a perfect case for the accountability of Graham Hancock and his work. He is not commentating, not contemplating, but executing legitimate discoveries. The massive amount of success that he has in proving his theories can be attributed to nothing but the author’s brilliance itself. This, along with the highly interesting content of the piece make it one of the best Graham Hancock books.
Entangled
A Change of Scenery
The last of the Graham Hancock books that I have in order for you in this article is the novel Entangled. It is a book with a different style from most of the author’s other work as it is dominated by science fiction elements. Not to be worried though, he still manages to bring all of his excellence as a writer in the piece.
The book itself revolves around an angsty teen named Leoni, who is taken from her modern-day life in Los Angeles to a parallel reality twenty-four thousand years behind ours. She will find herself at the heart of a battle between a Stone Age-level civilization and a mass of evil beings called the Illimani. The stakes of this war raise to astronomical levels when she learns that if they lose, her world will be invaded as well.
Paving the Way for a Great Story
For me, it was great to hear a story that I am more used to from the hand of Hancock. He leaves out his past achievements to pave way for a Heroine’s Journey decorated by the finest products of his imagination. As a result, one of the best novels by Graham Hancock is created that encapsulates a half-mystic, half-futuristic, and most importantly, completely original story.
The Mars Mystery
Surprisingly not Controversial
The author’s theories encompass a wide variety of elements in human history with one of the biggest ones being outer space. Well, he dwells deeper into that subject with this piece that we are about to take a look at. He explores the idea of us not being alone –or at least have always been alone- in our solar system.
The author presents us with a theory about how Mars once could have been a planet full of life. Surprisingly, this theory is actually one of his least controversial ones. The scientific world has enough evidence to deduce that Mars had a thick atmosphere and running sources of water before it became a barren desert.
Could Life Find a Way?
More so, there is still yet hope to find living beings on Mars. Well, not exactly on Mars. The surface of the space giant is vulnerable to the elements because of its lack of atmosphere but there could still be proof of extraterrestrial life which was preserved deep in its underwater sources or frozen in the masses of ice that sit on the planet’s poles.
Michael Englert
Michael is a graduate of cultural studies and history. He enjoys a good bottle of wine and (surprise, surprise) reading. As a small-town librarian, he is currently relishing the silence and peaceful atmosphere that is prevailing.
