Our globe reflects the order of the universe, and that pattern is comprehensible to the earth's children. Our ancestors knew this, and lived by that cosmic order. To study it was to honor nature and the earth, as our word "laboratory" demonstrates: the lab was once a place where one not only studied and labored, but also orated and prayed to the power who made all things, a place where Creator and Creation were honored and contemplated, at the same time.

Evidence for a cosmic order is seen in the old straight tracks which one finds all over the world, and which are marked, as Michell demonstrates, by "mounds, old stones, crosses and old crossroads, churches placed on pre-Christian sites, legendary trees, moats and holy wells" as well as other points of interest, depending upon the native culture. These tracks mark the currents of energy which course through the globe, and to which our predecessors were attuned. The cosmic order is also reflected in the correlation between the height of the Great Pyramid and the earth's measurements, and the coincidence of patterns in the sky and those visible on the earth. Folklore also records the power which flows through the earth, in the form of dragon legends which appear with uncanny regularity along such tracks, but it is best experienced at such places as Glastonbury and Teotihuacán, which are alive with an energy not yet detectable by modern science, but which is evident to those sensitive to such things.

Modern science has, alas, seen fit to ignore all this information. The fact that there is an energy coursing through the earth has revolutionary implications for the fields of physics, archeology, anthropology, agriculture, ecology, and politics. It also offers hope for a "human society which is ordered and regulated on cosmic principle, demonstrably reflecting the order of nature and the heavens." Michell is correct in stating that such a society "is the only one which will attract and deserve general acceptance." Our fall from grace has many faces, but all of them are but reflections of the fact that we have forgotten that the universe is ordered, and that nature provides for her children. Our ignorance of the grid of energy beneath our feet is but one example of our lapse.

Here, then, is a book which will demonstrate to skeptics the cosmic order laid out on the earth. For many of us, the otherwise inexplicable body of evidence gathered from folklore, astronomy, geology, archeology and history and placed together in this book makes no sense: combined, they all reveal a pattern of power running through the globe, waiting until such a time as we are again in tune with the cosmos to make use of it. This book, then, is not only a scientific treatise, but a blueprint for the future and a prayer for balance and peace. It is especially recommended to those interested in earth mysteries, and to pagans of all kinds, as well as to those interested in finding a way out of the maze of thought which modern science has built up around us, and which prevents us from finding our way back to the garden.

Many things on Earth will remain unexplained for a long time. In the meanwhile we can entertain ourselves with the question of the Atlantis, its position and role in ancient world, its disappearance and with the remnants that were found around the world. Why would anyone want to make straight road that goes over high hills and unpleasant ground when he could simply make a road through most convenient terrain? And how has he (or she) made that road? What did stone circles serve for? No one can really explain this. Mitchell also noticed that whole world (ancient buildings on world, of course) follow some pattern, which is by no means incidental. He tries to figure out and comment this pattern and claims that there is some truth about Plato's Timaios and Kritias. Romans, which are "known" for building long straight roads, were just simply using and rebulding something that has been done long before them. We credited them for something which has not originally come from them without even thinking why would they do so (because they loved geometry:)). Now when Mitchell has shown us that work is much older than we thought, we get baffled. Question for 1,000 US$: Who did it, and why?

An excellent synthesis of the diverse phenomena that fall under the subject 'earth mysteries'. If you are new to this field or have been looking into one area or another about earth mysteries, this work will give you new insights or a better overview. I strongly recommend it.

This book is one of my favorites on ancient stone temples and the knowledge of the earth and her energy grids that modern man has lost or failed to see. It proves to the reader that we all live within the ruins of an ancient and lost society that until recently has been invisible to man because of it's size. The entire surface of the earth is marked with the works and lay out on the ground of a vast network of evidence that the ancient peoples not only communicated accross oceans but had a very good grasp of higher end mathmatics rivaling our best computers in accuracy. Alan F. Alford also makes this theory evident in his new book The Phoenix Solution. (Probably easier to find than The View over Atlantis) Michells book concludes that the ancient cultures had a once universal thought pattern and system that was in tune with nature. He also proves to the reader that modern man is suffering from a mass amnesia.. Further reading on ancient geomancy and sacred geometry will only add to the evidence that Michell has published in this 1969 book, a book 30 years ahead of its time. Todays satellite images prove much of what Michell wrote of the layout of ley lines and the like all over the world. Especially the temple sites of Glastonbery and St Mary's chapel as well as the axis of St Benidict"s church and Stonehenge. Michell brilliantly ties in the equation of alchemical fusion with the secret math in the layout of certain sacred ancient sites. A must read for fans of Zecharia Sitchin as well as those just wanting to learn more about the incredible knowledge and purpose in the design of these ancient structures from long long ago.

This is probably the best book in print on the question of the authorship of the Shakespeare plays. It is engrossing, readable, and the material is well organized and easy to follow, which is no small task in dealing with this subject.

The Shakespeare Claimants, a book from the 1960's on this subject, now out of print, is much better in my opinion, because its author is not afraid to comment on the relative rationality of the different theories. Author John Michell has chosen a different approach: Michell is equivocal in his treatment of the different theories of authorship. He therefore reports with a straight face such absurdities as the Baconian ciphers, and the idea that the Deptford police conspired with Christopher Marlowe to fake his murder.

In that his intent is to be neutral, he is extremely successful. And in all fairness, I'll note, that he does not give space to patent insanities, such as the theory that Queen Elizabeth I wrote the plays.

However, he does not, in my opinion, deal adequately with the issue of "the secret that was not a secret." He mentions all the times that theorists use as evidence, incidents when William Shakespeare the actor is passed over for some sanction that befalls one of the theorists over the text of one of the plays. This is proof positive, say the theorists, that someone knew Shakespeare the actor was not Shakespeare the author; this demolishes earlier arguments of the theorists that Shakespeare was used as a cover because the real author could not be known as a playwright. While such situations come up time and again, Michell never ties them all together to make one great sweep at the idea of an authorship question in the first place.

Indeed, this is something else I found lacking in the book. There is no general discussion of the unliklihood that anyone but the actor wrote the plays with the name "Shakespeare."

But Michell does add something to the picture that most of the theorists have lacked, and this admittedly does add strength to the question. This is a general knowledge of Elizabethan history, literature, and society. He is able to tame some of the wilder aspects of the theories with his superior knowledge.

If your interest is in Shakespeare, the actor, or in Shakespearean literature and criticism, you may want to throw this book against the wall after a couple of chapters. But if the Shakespeare Question intrigues you, or if crackpot conspiracy theories in general interest you, you'll love this book.

I read Michell's book just before embarking on a 3 week Shakespeare workshop at the reconstructed Globe in London this past summer; intriguing, infuriating, thought-provoking, insightful, Michell's historical and cultural tour of England through authorship gives the reader a chance to make us his own mind, quite unlike most other authorship books. A bit tedious at times, but certainly not lacking details and impeccable research.

When it comes to the authorship of Shakespeare's plays and sonnets, the passions run high and the lines are rigid. John Mitchell's "Who Wrote Shakespeare" is a delightful departure. If you are expecting a definitive answer at the conclusion, you will be disappointed. Mr. Mitchell lays out a case for each of the main proponents in clear, non-academic (thank you Lord!) prose. He presents his modest open-minded conclusion, and lets the reader do the same.

The book is for the non-specialist who has a passing knowledge of Shakespeare's work and times. It led this reader many to other books; in other words, I was hooked. It is loaded with illustrations, many of which I'd never seen before. I read Ben Jonson's "Ode to Shakespeare" with fresh eyes. When I kept in mind that Jonson was a satirist, punster and humorist as well as a poet, I saw his Ode as less than straightforward.

Kit Marlowe is a constant thread through Shakespeare's early writing period. As always, Kit is mysterious, elusive and roguish. At the very least, he and Will collaborated and perhaps much more.

If you like a mystery, with as many red herrings as there are clues, this is your book. I don't think you will be disappointed. Grade A

This book is excellent for those interested in Gematria, natural/pythagorean mathematics and/or Sacred Geometry.

Whereas one of author's newest books 'The Temple of Jerusalem: A Revelation' is clear and contains concise explanations in an orderly fashion, this book tends to be a little more fragmented and jumps around quite a bit. The theme of the book is very similar to the previously mentioned title but a more in-depth study on the proportions used to construct architecture/monuments and their related number symbolism in the ancient world. The one thing I could recommend to the reader is to read chapter 10 first. It really is the cornerstone chapter that explains the measurements used throughout the book. In the first nine chapters it was a bit disconcerting to see the author jump from metric system to metric system as it proved useful for linking up numerical measurements to gematria values. After reading chapter 10 the reader will understand the justification.

One other thing that can be noted is that Michell does not pay as careful attention to historical relevance as say, David Fiedeler does in 'Jesus Christ, Sun of God'. Having read this latter title before 'City of Revelation' Michell's book seemed less scholarly (having read the introduction I would guess he wasn't really intending it to be but was opting for a more mystical approach to the materials).

Despite the above factors and the fact that Michell is attempting to fit all measurements into Christian mysticism, the book is none-the-less important as it demonstrates the methods that one could use to apply to any number-to-letter system from the ancient world. It also, inadvertently, demonstrates the common thinking present to the ancient architects, priests and builders regardless of their culture. I would add that in relation to the importance of this book that it was list in bibliography to Fiedeler's book mentioned above and that Fideler had even reproduced Chapter 9 from 'City of Revelations' in his own work.

I read this book after reading another by the author as I liked him so much and I was not dissapointed! The book provides detailed, fasinating accounts of people with eccentric hobbies that they have devoted their lives to. For example, Mrs Elizabeth Wells Gallup, the baconian cipherer. A great read. enjoy.