Meet Me in Atlantis

January 12, 2015
Adams (Turn Right at Machu Picchu) joins the ever-popular field of “Atlantology,” exploring the evidence and the diverse cast of characters in his chronicle of the hunt for the lost city of Atlantis. He begins with a layman’s guide to the origin material, Plato’s notoriously difficult Timaeus and Critias, before laying out his plan to visit the four most likely locations: remote islands in Greece, Spain, Malta, and Morocco. Additionally, his investigation takes detours to Minnesota, to visit the library of an especially eccentric Atlantologist, Ignatius Donnelly; Massachusetts to learn about satellite archaeology; and Athens, where a renowned geophysicist discusses the ultimate conundrum: did the island even exist, or did Plato intend it as an allegory? This is an exhaustive account and the material is dry at points, but Adams’s informal prose acts as a remedy, transforming an academic topic into a work of travelogue, investigative journalism, and serious philosophical examination. Agent: Daniel Greenberg, Levine Greenberg Rostan Literary Agency.

December 15, 2014
Fun, enthusiastic exploration of the fabled lost city of Atlantis and the fascinating group of diverse personalities who have dedicated their lives to proving its existence. In the world of comics, Atlantis is a fantastical underwater city where blue-skinned denizens thrive deep below the ocean waves. But according to Plato, Atlantis was once a very real civilization, which, despite its unparalleled greatness, ultimately fell prey to a catastrophic natural disaster and was erased from the face of the Earth. Plato wrote about Atlantis, although cryptically, in two separate works following the completion of The Republic. More than 2,000 years later, the great philosopher's words continue to resonate, spurring wide-eyed explorers to fan out across the globe searching for antiquity's mysterious "Sea People." Some see Atlantis and its telltale concurrent rings on the coast of Morocco. Some see it on the island of Malta. Still others insist that Santorini, Greece, is the spot. Adams (Turn Right at Machu Picchu: Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time, 2011, etc.) isn't quite sure about any of the possible locales or even if Plato was being literal and not just figurative when he wrote about the mighty kings and their awe-inspiring navy. However, it's clear that the author, a serious journalist who nevertheless grew up on Leonard Nimoy's In Search of... TV series, wants to believe that mighty Atlantis is indeed waiting to be rediscovered. The collision between Adams' youthful zeal and journalistic sensibilities provides an arresting dichotomy to an absorbing search. If Plato himself remains nebulous, how reliable are the amateur sleuths and part-time archaeologists who insist that Atlantis must exist as something more than mere allegory? The uncertainty kept Adams off-balance throughout the quest, but it never dampened his spirit of adventure. Fact or fiction, Atlantis, as the author ably demonstrates, still has the power to enthrall inquiring minds.

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March 15, 2015
Adams traveled the world to meet a coterie of Atlantis-seekers, all of whom agree that it's out there. Dissension among them stems from the location of the sunken city. Antarctica, the Bahamas, Spain, Morocco, Malta, and other sites all have their champions. Explaining their theories to Adams with adamant certainty, their logic-stretching imposition of plausibility on the only evidence for the existence of AtlantisPlato's Timaeus and Critiasreveals eccentric characters whose ideas present the underlying subject matter. Outlining what a convincing theory must explain (an Atlantis-Athens war 9,000 years ago, Atlantis' geography, the manner of its destruction), Adamskeeping an open mind through seeming willpowergently prods his hosts about details, wryly waxing skeptical about their cases or even their personal tics. Maybe the latter represent the obsessiveness Adams found among the Atlantis-hunters. As a group, they stand as outre cranks in archaeology, at least to the professionals who regard them with condescension. Adams, by contrast, induces them to expound with the genuine interest he shows. Writing the same jaunty style as in Turn Right at Machu Picchu (2011), Adams merrily entertains the lost-cities audience.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)

Starred review from February 1, 2015

Adams (Turn Right at Machu Picchu; Mr. America) has created an exciting slant on the age-old search for the lost civilization of Atlantis by focusing on the myriad personalities who have made the search their lifelong passion and ambition. He deftly weaves the personality and knowledge of Greek philosopher Plato into his travelog-style examination of current and past figures who have trekked the globe on their quest. The reader is introduced to the persona of each researcher; their methods, theories, and reasons for believing they have the most appropriate and logical interpretation of Plato's testament for the existence and location of the missing society. Enough evidence of each interpretation is presented to enable the reader to follow the logic or fallibility of the individual investigator and their theories. For Adams, the search for Atlantis becomes a personal adventure and makes for a compelling account. VERDICT Adams's excellent examination frames much of Atlantis research on an intimate level. In its own right, this work serves as an important contribution to the search for Atlantis. Readers of history, adventure, travel, scientific inquiry, or the history of science will find this book provocative and entertaining. [See Prepub Alert, 7/28/14.]--John Dockall, Austin, TX

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2014

The author of the New York Times best seller Turn Right at Machu Picchu can't visit the subject of his new book: the lost city of Atlantis. But he does talk to the amateur explorers still searching for the city, and he ferrets out the relevant numerical and musical codes in the works of Plato, the only source of our knowledge about Atlantis. See what philosophers can do?

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2015

Adams (Turn Right at Machu Picchu; Mr. America) has created an exciting slant on the age-old search for the lost civilization of Atlantis by focusing on the myriad personalities who have made the search their lifelong passion and ambition. He deftly weaves the personality and knowledge of Greek philosopher Plato into his travelog-style examination of current and past figures who have trekked the globe on their quest. The reader is introduced to the persona of each researcher; their methods, theories, and reasons for believing they have the most appropriate and logical interpretation of Plato's testament for the existence and location of the missing society. Enough evidence of each interpretation is presented to enable the reader to follow the logic or fallibility of the individual investigator and their theories. For Adams, the search for Atlantis becomes a personal adventure and makes for a compelling account. VERDICT Adams's excellent examination frames much of Atlantis research on an intimate level. In its own right, this work serves as an important contribution to the search for Atlantis. Readers of history, adventure, travel, scientific inquiry, or the history of science will find this book provocative and entertaining. [See Prepub Alert, 7/28/14.]--John Dockall, Austin, TX

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.