My favorite books about ancient mysteries that popular culture loves to explore

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been an explorer since I was young. My first short trip was to Cahokia Mounds, a site so little is known about that researchers have yet to discover the name of the people who built the famous city of mounds. As I grew into an adult, I was drawn to visit the Pyramid of Chichen Itza in Mexico and Stonehenge in England. As a writer, I decided the one thing missing from the mysterious places field was a fun way to learn about them. So I wrote a mysterious places book in a trivia game format, as learning something new is always more fun when presented as a  game.  


I wrote...

Amazing Mysterious Places: Geography Trivia Quiz

By Jerry Davis,

Book cover of Amazing Mysterious Places: Geography Trivia Quiz

What is my book about?

This is your opportunity to have fun discovering the most mysterious places in the world. Unlock the secrets of mysterious places around the world with the Amazing Mysterious Places, Geography Trivia Quiz. With this book, you'll have an exciting and enjoyable way to test your knowledge of mysterious places and challenge yourself and your friends. Enjoy your next game night and discover accurate information about these mysterious places while having fun. 

Amazing Mysterious Places offers the player multiple clues, with three difficulty levels for each mysterious place. You'll also get two exciting, mysterious places, picture grid games, and an easy-to-understand scoring system for those with a competitive streak.

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Fingerprints of the Gods: The Evidence of Earth's Lost Civilization

Jerry Davis Why did I love this book?

Graham Hancock's book has inspired me to learn more about mysterious places like Stonehenge and Machu Pichu.

Graham is a former newspaper reporter, which is evident when reading his works. He goes to the site and gives you a report on what he saw and learned about the place. He includes history, native beliefs, and mainstream archaeological theory to help the reader develop a clear understanding of the mystery and the differing viewpoints about the mystery.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in mysterious places. 

By Graham Hancock,

Why should I read it?

5 authors picked Fingerprints of the Gods as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Could the story of mankind be far older than we have previously believed? Using tools as varied as archaeo-astronomy, geology, and computer analysis of ancient myths, Graham Hancock presents a compelling case to suggest that it is.
 
“A fancy piece of historical sleuthing . . . intriguing and entertaining and sturdy enough to give a long pause for thought.”—Kirkus Reviews
 
In Fingerprints of the Gods, Hancock embarks on a worldwide quest to put together all the pieces of the vast and fascinating jigsaw of mankind’s hidden past. In ancient monuments as far apart as Egypt’s Great Sphinx, the strange Andean…


Book cover of Lost Cities of North & Central America

Jerry Davis Why did I love this book?

After reading Lost Cities and Adventures Across America, I was filled with a sense of curiosity about exploring and uncovering ancient mysteries.

David Hatcher Childress, an archaeologist and author best known for his Ancient Aliens show, takes readers to Mayan cities, ancient canal systems, megalithic monuments, and Guatemala's jungles. Childress is a superb storyteller and leads the reader's thorough exploration of mysterious places, making it a book I recommend to all who enjoy mysterious places.

By David Hatcher Childress,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Lost Cities of North & Central America as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From the jungles of Central America to the deserts of the southwest down the back roads from coast to coast, maverick archaeologist and adventurer David Hatcher Childress takes the reader deep into unknown America. In this incredible book, search for lost Mayan cities and books of gold, discover an ancient canal system in Arizona, climb gigantic pyramids in the Midwest, explore megalithic monuments in New England, and join the astonishing quest for the lost cities throughout North America. From the war-torn jungles of Guatemala, Nicaragua and Honduras to the deserts, mountains and fields of Mexico, Canada, and the U.S.A. Childress…


Book cover of The Enigma Of Tiwanaku And Puma Punku: A Visitors Guide

Jerry Davis Why did I love this book?

Tiwanaku and Puma Punku are possibly the most mysterious places on earth.

Brien Foerster has been researching and leading tour groups to these mysterious abandoned cities for almost 20 years. He has a very understandable way of writing and conveying the mystery surrounding these two ancient places. This book hooked me with its captivating account of the mysterious Tiwanaku and Puma Punku.

Foerster delves deep into the unexplained stone-cutting technology that baffles researchers worldwide. Foerster explores the history, construction, and undiscovered creators through his research. As a reader, I found myself inspired by the unanswered questions and the desire to understand the origins of Tiwanaku and Puma Punku.

I highly recommend this and all of Brien Foerster’s books. 

By Brien Foerster,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Enigma Of Tiwanaku And Puma Punku as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Of the megalithic ruins of the world, one that still stupefies visitors to South America, researchers and laymen alike, is the complex of Tiwanaku, also called Tiahuanaco in Bolivia. The most mysterious part of this archaeological site for many is Puma Punku, a cluster of shattered hard stone building block components that lie undisturbed in the high altitude grasslands near Lake Titicaca. The strangest thing about Puma Punku is that the stone cutting technology found there is not present at other locations in Bolivia, Peru, or in fact the world! This book looks at solving the riddles of who made…


Book cover of Lost Technologies of Ancient Egypt: Advanced Engineering in the Temples of the Pharaohs

Jerry Davis Why did I love this book?

Christopher Dunn's research is impressive, as he shares over 30 years of study and nine trips to Egypt in Lost Technologies of Ancient Egypt.

He explains the unique marks left by skilled craftsmen that today, with modern technology, we would have great difficulty reproducing. Dunn writes about the precision found in the monuments of Egypt. He uses digital photography and computer-aided design software to give the reader an appreciation for the ancient Egyptians' remarkable achievements.

He includes over 280 photographs of Egyptian monuments to support his theories, and his examination of the underground tunnels of the Serapeum is worth the price of the book alone. His explanation of the precision engineering achieved by our ancient ancestors leads the reader to question long-held beliefs about ancient people. 

By Christopher Dunn,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Lost Technologies of Ancient Egypt as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From the pyramids in the north to the temples in the south, ancient artisans left their marks all over Egypt, unique marks that reveal craftsmanship we would be hard pressed to duplicate today. Drawing together the results of more than 30 years of research and nine field study journeys to Egypt, Christopher Dunn presents a stunning stone-by-stone analysis of key Egyptian monuments, including the statue of Ramses II at Luxor and the fallen crowns that lay at its feet. His modern-day engineering expertise provides a unique view into the sophisticated technology used to create these famous monuments in prehistoric times.…


Book cover of Voyages of the Pyramid Builders: The True Origins of the Pyramids from Lost Egypt to Ancient America

Jerry Davis Why did I love this book?

In this book, Robert M. Schoch challenges the mainstream belief of mere coincidence regarding the prevalence of pyramids worldwide.

Schoch explores mysterious geographical and historical examples, from ancient Egyptians to Buddhists and the Mississippi Indians; Schoch argues that ancient cultures shared a common vision of these majestic structures. He believes ancient sailors from Southeast Asia spread the concept of pyramids throughout the world, even reaching the Americas.

Schoch presents a thoughtful, well-reasoned theory that proposes the possibilities of cross-cultural exchange. I really enjoyed Schoch’s thinking, supported by solid evidence from this Boston University Geology professor. 

By Robert M. Schoch, Robert Aquinas Mcnally,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Voyages of the Pyramid Builders as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Is it a mere coincidence that pyramids are found throughout our globe? Did cultures ranging across vast spaces in geography and time, such as the ancient Egyptians; early Bud-dhists; the Maya, Inca, Toltec, and Aztec civilizations of the Americas; the Celts of the British Isles; and even the Mississippi Indians of pre-Columbus Illinois, simply dream the same dreams and envision the same structures?

Robert M. Schoch-one of the world's preeminent geologists in recasting the date of the building of the Great Sphinx-believes otherwise. In this dramatic and meticulously reasoned book, Schoch, like anthropologist Thor Heyerdahl in his classic Kon-Tiki, argues…


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American Flygirl

By Susan Tate Ankeny,

Book cover of American Flygirl

Susan Tate Ankeny Author Of The Girl and the Bombardier: A True Story of Resistance and Rescue in Nazi-Occupied France

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Susan Tate Ankeny left a career in teaching to write the story of her father’s escape from Nazi-occupied France. In 2011, after being led on his path through France by the same Resistance fighters who guided him in 1944, she felt inspired to tell the story of these brave French patriots, especially the 17-year-old- girl who risked her own life to save her father’s. Susan is a member of the 8th Air Force Historical Society, the Air Force Escape and Evasion Society, and the Association des Sauveteurs d’Aviateurs Alliés. 

Susan's book list on women during WW2

What is my book about?

The first and only full-length biography of Hazel Ying Lee, an unrecognized pioneer and unsung World War II hero who fought for a country that actively discriminated against her gender, race, and ambition.

This unique hidden figure defied countless stereotypes to become the first Asian American woman in United States history to earn a pilot's license, and the first female Asian American pilot to fly for the military.

Her achievements, passionate drive, and resistance in the face of oppression as a daughter of Chinese immigrants and a female aviator changed the course of history. Now the remarkable story of a fearless underdog finally surfaces to inspire anyone to reach toward the sky.

American Flygirl

By Susan Tate Ankeny,

What is this book about?

One of WWII’s most uniquely hidden figures, Hazel Ying Lee was the first Asian American woman to earn a pilot’s license, join the WASPs, and fly for the United States military amid widespread anti-Asian sentiment and policies.

Her singular story of patriotism, barrier breaking, and fearless sacrifice is told for the first time in full for readers of The Women with Silver Wings by Katherine Sharp Landdeck, A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell, The Last Boat Out of Shanghai by Helen Zia, Facing the Mountain by Daniel James Brown and all Asian American, women’s and WWII history books.…


5 book lists we think you will like!

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