3rd quater ORB reveiw

PJ Farnsworth

Chariots of the Gods: Erich Von Daniken, 1969 Econ Verlag genre: non fiction



Chariots of the Gods Is the first book by acclaimed author Erich Von Daniken. The book contends that the modern view of the past has to many anomalies to be accurate. In the book, Daniken contends that the advanced characteristics of ancient people cannot be explained with the current day theories. Daniken contends that we should be open to the fact that extra terrestrial life has visited planet earth in the past and interacted ith ancient societies, providing them with the tools necessary to become so advanced. Of course, a claim this bold needs proof. Daniken points to the many ancient monuments that are far to advanced to be built by ancient methods. The proof is pretty convincing

“The books arguments are irresistible and could possibly change completely our knowledge of our own history and evolution” the book jacket says.

Chariots of the Gods is a very interesting book. Daniken is a superb writer that crafts his ideas masterfully. Things that you might have scoffed at previously suddenly open up into the realms of possibility. When he writes, he does not come of as conceded or arrogant. He never states that his ideas are fact. He always poses them as questions. He used more question marks in one chapter than most authors do in an entire book! He also often exclaims things, showing how surprised he is about it. It is obvious that the author cares deeply for the subject matter.

The most intriguing thing, however, is Von Danikens evidence. The way he puts things, he connections he makes, make history all make sense, at least, much more than it does now. He asks the questions mainstream archeologists are too scared to ask. The connections he makes are very bold, to say the least, but you can see that there is some possibility for what he is saying to be true. If there is a chance that something happened, that’s all that matters, and its then worthy of investigation.

“We must now take a look at the forest of question marks- the array of unexplained mysteries. Do the make sense as the remains of prehistoric space travelers? Do they lead us into our past and yet link up with our plans for the future?”(27)

I am a total fan of Von Danikens work. I think that his arguments make a lot more sense then some mainstream theories. They are very convincing arguments all through out the book. Each page brings a new fact, a new piece to the puzzle. I would recommend
everybody read this book, as it could change your out look on life, the universe, and everything