I guess Velikovsky can be considered one of the fathers of the alternative history movement and authors like Graham Hancock owe him a debt. Peoples of the Sea is the fourth volume in his Ages In Chaos series. The book can be read independently and it covers the nearly two centuries of Persian domination of Egypt and the early dynasties of the Ptolemies. In it, Velikovsky argues that conventional history's foundations are shaky and that Egyptian historical chronology needs to be revised. Conventional history claims that the Peoples of the Sea were barbarians who nearly destroyed civilisation before they were defeated by Pharao Ramses III in the 12th century B.C. Velikovsky instead believes that there is enough archaeological and documentary evidence to prove that they were Greek mercenaries and that their allies the Pereset weren't ancient Philisines but Persians. He argues that Ramses III was Nectanebo I of the Greek historians who lived 800 years later, and he places these events not in the 12th but in the 4th century B.C. The peoples of the Sea were thus fourth century mercenaries from Asia Minor and Greece, of the time of Plato. He shows that there was a strong Semitic (Hebrew and Assyrian) influence on the language, religion and art of Egypt in the time of Ramses III and provides much other archaeological and documentary evidence. The book includes 16 black & white plates including tiles of Ramses III, bass reliefs of the battles against the Peoples of the Sea, the pylon of the Khonsu Temple and portal of the Ramses III temple at Medinet Habu and artwork from the tomb of Si-Amon at Siwa Oasis. The main text concludes with chronological charts in parallel tables listing Persia, Palestine, the Greek World and Egypt from 550 B.C. to 340 B.C. The supplement on Astronomy and Chronology includes chapters on The Foundations of Egyptian Chronology, Sirius and Venus. With Velikovsky' dazzling erudition, Peoples Of The Sea reads like a detective story. I don't know to what extent Velikovsky's alternative chronology has been accepted or convincingly disproved but all his work is fascinating and stimulating to read, as he had the talent for making history come alive.

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A necessary part of his chronological reconstruction, this book is probably best read last. Neal Bierling's "Giving Goliath His Due" (see below) is a poor substitute for this book by Velikovsky, but may also be of interest to those researching the Bible, Biblical synchronisms with the conventional pseudochronology, the Philistines, or readers of the magazines Biblical Archaeology Review, Archaeology, Discovering Archaeology, Egypt Revealed, or my personal favorite Archaeology Odyssey (published by BAR).

All of Velikovsky's books are available on the used search engines, and it is generally only a matter of time before they become available again as reprints.

See also Velikovsky's other works (new and used), David Rohl's "Pharaohs and Kings", Peter James' "Centuries of Darkness", and Bob Brier's "Murder of Tutankhamen". "Giving Goliath His Due" is available at .....

A necessary part of his chronological reconstruction, this book is probably best read last. Neal Bierling's "Giving Goliath His Due" (see below) is a poor substitute for this book by Velikovsky, but may also be of interest to those researching the Bible, Biblical synchronisms with the conventional pseudochronology, the Philistines, or readers of the magazines Biblical Archaeology Review, Archaeology, Discovering Archaeology, Egypt Revealed, or my personal favorite Archaeology Odyssey (published by BAR).

All of Velikovsky's books are available on the used search engines, and it is generally only a matter of time before they become available again as reprints.

Related works:

-:- Pharaohs and Kings by David Rohl

-:- Centuries of Darkness by Peter James

-:- Murder of Tutankhamen by Bob Brier

-:- Giving Goliath His Due by Neal Bierling (suffers from the author's reliance on the conventional pseudochronology, available online)

I wanted to write a review for worlds in collision but it was too full! However I have read this and it is equally worthy of praise, I studied Archaeology and I have no worries with his extrapolations. What interests me is that in my studies I see time and time again that historical evidence is often accurate and that myths are often rooted in reality. Today we box everything up into history or science or art but Velikovsky combines them eloquently, Why did the scientific establishment feel so abashed by his work that they threatened his intended publishers MacMillan, that they would leave the publishing house if they put him into print?

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This book should be read by anyone about to read anything regarding the Hittites, by Bible students, or anyone interested in ancient Egypt or ancient history in general. Ramses II is one of the best known names from the New Kingdom, and has an entirely undeserved role in most attempts to synchronize the Old Testament with what passes for the conventional chronology of the ancient Near East.

Perhaps the lapse of decades after the 1952 publication of "Ages In Chaos" caused this later volume to be poorly received, but it could be read first without any disorientation. All of Velikovsky's books are available on the used search engines, and it is generally only a matter of time before they become available again.

See also Velikovsky's other works (new and used)

-:- Pharaohs and Kings by David Rohl

-:- Centuries of Darkness by Peter James

-:- Murder of Tutankhamen by Bob Brier

-:- Giving Goliath His Due by Neal Bierling (suffers from the author's reliance on the conventional pseudochronology, available online)

For more details on Velikovsky, check out: http://www.knowledge.co.uk/xxx/cat/velikovsky.htm

Having spent a lot of time researching Velikovsky, I found this book to be the most enjoyable reading of any of his books. Here we see his charming wit, his good-natured approach to those who treated him in ways that were beneath the dignity of all involved. Velikovsky would prefer to say "I question his good faith" than "that was an outright lie!" and this belies the depression he suffered from his treatment, but illuminates his good nature. This book is autobiographical in many ways, though it primarily details the episodes from just prior to publication of Worlds in Collision until the early '70's. Velikovsky died in 1979, but his work has inspired thousands worldwide. More and more of the aspects of his theory are being demonstrated correct, and he has been rightly called "one of the most brilliant original thinkers of the century." This book will bring many smiles to the faces of any Velikovsky fans who can locate a copy.

Velikovsky's own account of the furore surrounding the publishing of his book Worlds in Collision in 1950. Despite reaching number one in the best-seller list, its publishers were force to drop the book and transfer publishing rights to another publisher! For more details on Velikovsky, check out: http://www.knowledge.co.uk/xxx/cat/velikovsky.htm

This is an excellent introduction to the Ages In Chaos series, it includes a poster showing the revised timeline alongside the conventional chronology. Recommended to anyone interested in Velikovsky.

Though Velikovsky's theories are varied and somewhat happen-stance, his suggestions make one take notice or our planet's strange past. Like many other researcbers Velikovsky tries too hard to make "everything" fit his ideas when one or two would be satisfactory. By making everything "fit" together he tends to discredit even his most sound concepts. Still, an enlightening read.

The second most famous book by Immanuel Velikovsky, 'Earth in Upheaval', is much more interesting than 'Worlds in Collision'. One of the main reasons why is because Velikovsky does not focus too much on Biblical stories and ancient stories from ancient cultures. That's what killed 'Worlds'; although the ancient stories were a little interesting, they were boring for the most part. I also doubt if the history was accurate too. I doubt if all the events described all happened at the same time.
Here Velikovsky is a little more scientific, but his science if very flawed. I doubt most scientists would take him seriously. Recommended reading for those who are interested in alternative archeology.

I have read this book as well as others by this author and found it fascinating, well researched. It does challenge established science. Strict guidelines have to be followed when emitting a theory; Mr. Velikovsky seems to have done just that even though his detractors find him sensationalistic to say the least. However, science has to be challenged. That is how new discoveries are made, quite often, at the expense of the scientist's career, especially if he goes agaist the grain of accepted theories or so called "known facts". Unfortunately, Sciences' motives are not always as pure as one would want to believe. Scientists are human, therefore faillible and like everybody else, they like to protect their turf.

This book can be read separately from Velikovsky's other famous and controversial works like Worlds in Collision, Ages in Chaos or Peoples of the Sea as it is not dependent on the chronological sequence of the others. The reign of Akhnaton is considered one of the most interesting periods in the history of ancient Egypt and has inspired many books, but this work by Velikovsky still remains the most fascinating. As far as we know, the religious reform of Akhnaton was abolished, his line died out and his city was abandoned. Velikovsky attempts to elucidate the end of this king, the fate of his two young successors Smenkhare and Tutankhamen, the decline of the kingdom and the fate of Thebes, at the hand of the legends that came down to us from the Greeks. Although his work is controversial, in this book he makes a very strong case for the origin of the Oedipus myth being the true history of Akhnaton and his family. The mysterious relationships, the enigmatic sequence of events and the strange finds in the graves are no longer secret and obscure when illuminated by the legend. The known history in fact ties in perfectly with the details of the legend. Furthermore, the Oedipus legend does not fall into the category of myths that reflect events in nature, because its human character is too obvious. Whatever you think of Velikovsky's alternative history, this book is beautifully written, highly engaging and never less than fascinating in its scope and detail. He even identifies Antigone as Meritaten, the half-sister and wife of Smenkhare, partly based on a beautiful poem inscribed in gold foil that was found under the feet of a mummy in an undisturbed tomb. This moving prayer or word of parting ends with the lines: "Give me thy hands that hold thy soul/I shall embrace and live by it/Call me by name again, again, forever/And never will it sound without response." The text is illumined with 40 black & white plates, including limestone heads of Nefertete and Meritaten, gold coffins and masks of Tutankhamen, the sphinx and the Memmon colossi. "Oedipus and Akhnaton" is a must for those interested in ancient Egypt, in alternative history or in the origin of ancient myths and legends.

For almost any other historian this book would be a masterpiece. Various lesser historians who are nonetheless better known generally fail to mention it, or when they do are dismissive and ignorant of its contents. Bob Brier actually refers to it in footnote, saying it should be taken with a grain of salt, as he builds a non-existent case for Tut's murder (see below).

It was Velikovsky's work on this topic (actually a paper he was writing on Freud's "Moses and Monotheism") which led him ultimately to his multi-volume chronology revision, to the catastrophism documented in "Worlds In Collision", and the persecution by supposed scholars who have turned out to be -- shall we say -- less correct than Velikovsky. Even models which follow or mimic his works pale by comparison, and ultimately fail where they disagree and of course where they disavow.

This book could serve as a sort of introduction to Velikovsky's other books. Once you've read it, you may not be able to read just one.

See also Velikovsky's other works (new and used), David Rohl's "Pharaohs and Kings", Peter James' "Centuries of Darkness", and Bob Brier's "Murder of Tutankhamen". "Giving Goliath His Due", but suffers from the author's reliance on the conventional pseudochronology.

At the beginning of this book Immanuel Velikovsky asks the intriguing, and quite reasonable, question: Why does the Oedipus legend have a sphinx outside of the Greek city of Thebes, when the sphinx is not part of Greek mythology? He then points out that Egypt, which has a very famous sphinx, also has a city named Thebes. Could the Oedipus legend be a Greek retelling of a historical event that took place in Egypt? From these speculations Velikovsky goes on to present an immense body of data and convincing interpretation of such data, to show that events and people surrounding the ancient Egyptian Pharaoh, Akhnaton, correspond to the major elements and characters in the Oedipus story. This is one of the most fascinating books I've ever read. I realize that many scientists are highly skeptical of Velikovsky's books showing various allegedly mythical stories to have a basis in historical evidence. I am a scientist with 43 years experience at a major research laboratory, and I find many of Velikovsky's positions to be both logical and based on sound historical and archeological evidence. Velikovsky was not a crackpot as some would claim; rather he was one of the most brilliant thinkers of the 20th century.

While his theories are inescapably controversial, Immanuel Velikovsky's genius has to be recognized. In this book, he pulls together Talmudic, Babylonian, and Egyptian texts, amongst others, to show that Ramses II of Egypt was actually a contemporary of Nebuchanezzar, King of Babylonia. In the process, he seeks to demonstrate that the entire known history of the Hittite Empire is a mistake, that there was no such civilization, and that our modern take on history is false. Sound like hogwash? Maybe, but it is presented very well, and addresses all of the issues as they arise. You may not agree with the theory, but poking holes in it will be tough. A challenging read, and by the end you have the feeling of having been through a good mystery book...you will spend hours thinking about the time frame in efforts to disprove the book. Highly reccommended.

Ramses II And His Time takes up the story from the end of Velikovsky's book Oedipus And Akhnaton, but can also be read by itself. In this book the author revises the period of the Chaldean or Neo-Babylonian empire. He makes a rather convincing case that these Chaldeans were not indigenous to the city of Babylon and that they were really the Hittites of Asia Minor. He draws parallels between the emperors of Babylon and the Chaldean kings. At the same time in Egypt, Velikovsky identifies the 19th dynasty of Seti and Ramses with the 26th dynasty of Psamtik, Necho and Apries.

This period in Velikovsky's revised history starts with the first confrontation between what the author considers the contemporaries Ramses II and Nebuchadnezzar and ends with the Persian conquest of Libya and Egypt, from where the story continues in the aforementioned book Peoples Of The Sea. In between there are informative discussions of the origin of the alphabet, the pictographic script of the Hittites, the ruins of Yazilikaya and other monuments of Asia Minor, the Israel stele of Mernepthah and the lamentations of Jeremiah.

The epilogue is devoted to the counterarguments that Velokovsky expected from the critics. The pieces here include titles like Tanis And Sais, How Long Did Seti And Ramses II Reign?, Two Suppiluliumas, Bronze And Iron, Scarabs And Stratigraphy. The synchronical tables that follow lays out his revised history of this era for Egypt, Judah, Chaldea, Lydia-Phrygia, Media-Persia and Greece.

There are 30 black and white illustrations including the Steles of Essarhaddon and Ramses II at Nahr El Kelb, the sarcophagus of Ahiram, The Lion Gate Of Hattussas, The Israel Stele Of Merneptah and The Mummy Of Ramses II. The book concludes with a thorough index.

The fact that Ramses II lived at the end of the 7th century BC and was the same person as Pharao Necho II of the Scriptures may not be widely accepted, but Velikovsky's brilliant writing style certainly sparked a renewed interest in ancient history and still provides great reading pleasure. I recommend this classic of alternative history to all readers who are interested in the ancient history of the Middle East, Egyptology and biblical archaeology.

This book should be read by anyone about to read anything regarding the Hittites, by Bible students, or anyone interested in ancient Egypt or ancient history in general. Ramses II is one of the best known names from the New Kingdom, and has an entirely undeserved role in most attempts to synchronize the Old Testament with what passes for the conventional chronology of the ancient Near East.

This volume of the multivolume "Ages In Chaos" discusses the identical nature of the 19th and 26th dynasties of Egypt's New Kingdom. The basic framework is "Theses for the Reconstruction of Ancient History", published in 1945 and available online. Lesser lights have tried to revise the nineteenth century's version of the dynasties -- the pseudochronology still in use today -- but only succeed where they follow Velikovsky.

Perhaps the lapse of decades after the 1952 publication of "Ages In Chaos" caused this later volume to be poorly received, but it could be read first without any disorientation. All of Velikovsky's books are available on the used search engines, and it is generally only a matter of time before they become available again.

See also Velikovsky's other works (new and used), and:

-:- The Synchronized Chronology by Roger Henry
-:- A New Approach to the Chronology of Biblical History from Abraham to Samuel by Gerald E. Aardsma
-:- Pharaohs and Kings by David Rohl
-:- Centuries of Darkness by Peter James et al
-:- Murder of Tutankhamen by Bob Brier
-:- Giving Goliath His Due by Neal Bierling (suffers from the author's reliance on the conventional pseudochronology, available online)

First published in 1952, Ages in Chaos was the first of six volumes covering the period from the Exodus (end of the Middle Kingdom) to Alexander the Great. Based on his booklet "Theses for the Reconstruction of Ancient History", Ages in Chaos preceded Oedipus and Akhenaten, Ramses II and His Time, People of the Sea, and the unpublished volumes Dark Age of Greece and The Assyrian Conquest (the first one and the last two are available online).

This first volume spans the period from the Exodus to Akhenaten. Biblical scholars and evangelists appear for the most part to be unfamiliar with it. The connections Velikovsky shows between Biblical events and Near Eastern history are at other times attacked or derided by believers, perhaps because they've been burned by false claims. Perhaps this attitude stems from a misplaced trust in blind belief.

Velikovsky's attention to detail and sheer erudition continue to awe and inspire. Lesser works have come and gone before and after Ages in Chaos. None have built such a convincing case. Those interested in building some heretical chronology of their own would do well to study Velikovsky's works if only to save themselves time.

His studies of the roots of various beliefs by other historians, including those of ancient times, are fascinating, and his finding synchronisms between the Old Testament and the ancient history of surrounding people and places are monumental and revolutionary. Had he published Ages in Chaos before Worlds in Collision, his impact might have been greater. Those with longtime familiarity with his chronology are certain that he will have greater impact in the future, if not directly then indirectly.

The existing consensus pseudochronology grew out of 19th century (and earlier) nonsense beliefs such as freemasonry, but remains the consensus through rejection of commonplace scientific dating techniques. As it loses credibility with each passing year, one wonders why so much venom has been expended against Velikovsky's chronology -- particularly those who have actually read the works.

See also Velikovsky's other works (new and used), David Rohl's "Pharaohs and Kings", Peter James' "Centuries of Darkness", Ryan and Pitman's "Noah's Flood", Mary Settegast's "Plato Prehistorian", and Robert Schoch's "Voices of the Rocks".

In searching for links between the Biblical stories of the Exodus, Judges and Kings, and the annals of Egypt, Immanuel Velikovsky came to the startling conclusion that one of the two histories is off by some 600 years! Ages in Chaos reads like a mystery, with the author attempting to find the link, the place where the two histories come together. With a breathtaking depth of research, he places the Exodus at the end of the Middle Kingdom, and connects the Biblical stories with events known from Egyptian history. Most fascinating is the author's conclusion as to the identity of the Queen of Sheba, and the Hyksos.

I found the book highly convincing, and highly readable. I enjoyed every page of it and recommend it wholeheartedly.

One of a set of four books covering ancient history,astronomy,geology,sociology,and psychology,Dr.V.covered the catastrophic history of the world,and the evidence for cometary impact on earth within historical times, decades before the current scientific interest in the subject.His conclusions require a complete rethinking and re-correlation of thoughts concerning evolution, scriptures of the various cultures, mythology,and how they should be re-considered,in a scientific approach. All of the books should be considered as a unit and added to a knowledge of his other books on the middle east--Oedipus and Akhnaton, The Sea Peoples & Ramses II,in addition to the other three of the main group, Earth In Upheaval, Worlds In Collision and Mankind In Amnesia, as well as that book which was written by him as an answer to his critics, Stargazers and Gravediggers. A large segment of the academic community attempted to suppress his books in the 50's,by putting pressure on his publisher to not print them,by threatening to refuse to buy from their textbook division if they did so. Many critiques of his work are based on distorted and inaccurate portrayals of what he said. However,Albert Einstein, after becomming acquainted with him and engaging in long debates with Dr.V., came to agree with him concerning his views. Read the books,not just the critiques.

Immanuel Velikovsky is widely recognized among serious historians, pre-historians, geologists and cosmologists as one of the more arrant of charlatans. It is grossly misleading that this book should be included in any category other than myths, superstitions and hoaxes. It should certainly not be included with any list of books dealing with serious history or science. Only the most credulous sorts -- those who believe in extraterrestial visitations, spontaneous human combustion and such nonsense -- could conceivably take Velikovsky seriously. If Amazon allowed the rating I would give the book a minus 5 stars.

This special issue of KRONOS begins the demolition -- continued in "Scientists Confront Scientists Who Confront Velikovsky", which is still in print -- of the Cornell work (the title of which should be obvious).

These two issues of KRONOS were prepared in response to the published critiques, abuse, etcetera which were heaped on Velikovsky in what amounted to a public show trial -- conducted under the auspices of the AAAS -- familiar to those who have studied the Stalinist era.

This issue rebuts the hatchet jobs on Velikovsky which had been carried out by Carl Sagan and Isaac Asimov, and features three papers by Velikovsky himself. This is alas out of print, but should be available in used book search engines.

His arguments have never been answered except by the use of straw men (i.e., by not actually answering the arguments, but misrepresenting those arguments in ways) and false statements. His decades long call for the careful use of scientific dating methods to confirm or disconfirm both his chronology and the conventional pseudochronology has been ignored.

At least one of those who have taken up the Glasgow Chronology has made some odd (and false) statements about Velikovsky, which makes me suspect they're not entirely familiar with his work. Nevertheless, these lesser lights are generally correct that the conventional pseudochronology isn't correct, and is off by centuries. Otherwise their alternative chronologies don't hold up except where they're in agreement with Velikovsky's.

For those who don't know and can't be bothered to find out -- Velikovsky has nothing to do with UFOs, Sasquatch, or extraterrestrial intelligence. He was not a charlatan. Various parties continue to use such ad hominem attacks against the polymath Velikovsky, who died over twenty years ago. Beware of such folk -- they're the kind who want to squash debate, eliminate dissent, and crush opposition, all the while professing to be protecting you.

For more details on Velikovsky, check out: http://www.knowledge.co.uk/xxx/cat/velikovsky.htm

I've tired twice to read this book and both times I was unsuccessful. I just can't finish 'Worlds in Collision'. Velikovsky here tries to related Biblical stories to the passing of Venus through the solar system. His thoery is that Venus was spat out of Mars and was a comet.
He cites literature from all across the world from ancient cultures to prove his point more strongly. I don't know how credible his theories are but his histroy seems off balance and his science seems very ignorant. Read only if you are curious, but very few people would actually take this seriously.

The title of Velikovsky's Worlds In Collision while foreshadowing the amazing conclusions presented in his book is also an apt metaphorical description of the controversy Velikovsky's methods and theories have ignited in the scientific community and the effect it may have on your own world view.

By correlating the ancient traditions and writings of geographically separated cultures, Velikovsky amasses an amazing body of evidence for world-wide catastrophes that struck the earth within the history of man. According to Velikovsky these cataclysms caused the downfall of entire civilizations and, in an instant of geological time, fundamentally altered the state of our planet.

By invoking catastrophism to explain the evidence, Velikovsky's theories fly in the face of establishment science which holds the uniformitarian view that geological and astronomical changes only occur slowly over millions of years by the same processes we see acting today. What further enrages the scientific community is Velikovskys working hypothesis that some ancient oral and written traditions, including parts of the Bible, are potentially based on interpretations of real events as opposed to being pure flights of imagination or metaphorical teachings.

Apart from presenting an intriguing reconstruction of human history with far reaching philosophic and scientific implications, Worlds In Collision is also a must-read starting point for an intellectual journey that will treat the reader to a fascinating view of a potential scientific revolution in progress. Charles Ginenthal's Carl Sagan and Immanuel Velikovsky is a great follow up read to Worlds In Collision that describes the established scientific community's flawed and failed attempts to discredit Velilkovsky's work. Readers of Thomas S. Kuhn's The Structure of Scientific Revolutions will recognize in the actions of Velikovsky's detractors all the dirty little machinations and the seamy underside of the scientific establishment when it is threatened by new ideas and its members behave more like religious zealots than objective scientists.

For the unbiased reader, Velikovsky's work allows for a new perspective on the development of religious and mythological tradition and consequently greater understanding of their importance to ancient people. The arrogance with which we often view the apparently superstitious qualities of our ancestors is easily set aside in light of the evidence that great civilizations of the past were brought to nothing, in an instant, by events absolutely beyond their control and that the memory of these events remained strongly imbedded in the psyche of our ancestors.

The importance of Velikovsky's achievement in both correlating the histories of disparate cultures and in his resultant breakthrough scientific theories cannot be overstated. Be forewarned, however, that Worlds In Collision is not always easy reading owing to the great detail of evidence presented and the many and diligent citations and footnotes. But the patient reader will be amply rewarded by a full and awesome sense of the weight of evidence supporting Velikovskys theories and of mankind's long struggle to understand and survive the colossal physical forces that have shaped our planet.

It is a sobering thought that the controversy surrounding Velikovsy's books continues to stir such extreme passions in otherwise sensible people, even 47 years after its first publication. Negative views tend to be at the extreme of the spectrum, rather than any rational consideration of the very well constructed and extensively researched theories which Velikovsky proposes. Those not blinded by entrenched views cannot help but be stiumlated by his challenging ideas.

I found that the older style of prose and the prolific references to ancient and contemporary texts only added to the interest and anticipation which is created as his theory is unfolded. This was not the first book from Velikovsky that I read, but it stands as a landmark reference for scientific enquiry. And, yes, scientific because he follows truly scientific methods by formulating a hypothesis and exhaustively seeking to find where he may be wrong.

This is a compelling book which I found hard to put down; so anxious was I to learn the full story of what he has to say. I commend it to anyone who wants to expand their horizons or challenge their current knowledge.