The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum

Title: Atlantis Beneath the Ice: The Fate of the Lost Continent
Author(s): Rand & Rose Flem-Ath
Published 2012 by Bear & Company
ISBN: 1591431379
ISBN-13: 978-1591431374
Paperback, 240 pages
List: $16.00
View this Book on Amazon

Reviewer: Mike Gleason

This is a revised and expanded edition of When the Sky Fell:  In Search of Atlantis (which originally appeared in 1995).  In the intervening 15 years there has been a lot of interest in both the subjects of Atlantis and climate change.  This book addresses both of these topics in a thought-provoking manner.

For those who dismiss either (or both) of these topics as being unscientific, there is nothing here which will change their minds. The evidence which is laid out will be seen as happenstance, coincidence, or simply hand-picked to fit the theory of the authors. Those who support their theory will be seen as inconsequential or deluded (hard to do, in my opinion, when one of them was Albert Einstein).  So they will gain nothing from this book, and may safely leave it on the shelf of the bookstore.

The mainstream of scientific thought acknowledges that polar displacement (or polar wander, as it is termed) does occur, but disputes the concept of rapid occurrences.  Of course, mainstream science once  disputed the earth's rotation around the sun, so their disapproval of a theory may be subject to later revision.  If you access articles about earth crust displacement on the internet you will find numerous references both pro and con.  It is for you to make your own decision regarding the validity of the theory.

One problem  have with this book is that, with the revision and expansion, a certain level of sloppiness has crept in.  In a number of instances significant section of paragraphs were reproduced in close proximity, suggesting that one paragraph represents the revision and that the other was slated for deletion, but not acted upon.  While this may be disconcerting (and it was to me), it in no way invalidates the ideas conveyed.

Quite honestly, I'm not sure how much faith I have in the proposals laid out by the authors of this book, in support of the theory proposed by Charles Hapgood.  That uncertainty does not, however, lessen the challenges to conventional thinking they espouse.  Readers may agree with some of the points raised.  It is unlikely, however, that any except the most die-hard fanatics will either accept or reject the entirety of their arguments, and that is sure to stimulate continued discussion.

There have been some additions at the end of this book which help to bring it up-to-date.  And there is an appendix which presents a global climatic model.

This book will have appeal to a fairly small audience, since it does not contain any wild speculation about the products of the "advanced civilization" which many postulate, nor does it harken to the destruction of the civilization by angry gods.  It relies on (controversial) scientific speculation and repetition of historical facts to establish their theory.  It is interesting and well presented.  If speculation concerning Atlantis, and its possible continued existence, interests you, you may find this book to be very informative.

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