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Amazon.com

It's difficult to imagine a harder first act to follow than The Kite Runner: a debut novel by an unknown writer about a country many readers knew little about that has gone on to have over four million copies in print worldwide. But when preview copies of Khaled Hosseini's second novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns, started circulating at Amazon.com, readers reacted with a unanimous enthusiasm that few of us could remember seeing before. As special as The Kite Runner was, those readers said, A Thousand Splendid Suns is more so, bringing Hosseini's compassionate storytelling and his sense of personal and national tragedy to a tale of two women that is weighted equally with despair and grave hope.

We wanted to spread the word on the book as widely, and as soon, as we could. See below for an exclusive excerpt from A Thousand Splendid Suns and early reviews of the book from some of our top customer reviewers.--The Editors

An Exclusive Excerpt from A Thousand Splendid Suns

We have arranged with the publisher to make an exclusive excerpt of A Thousand Splendid Suns available on Amazon.com. Click here to read a scene from the novel. It's not the opening scene, but rather one from a crucial moment later in the book when Mariam, one of the novel's two main characters, steps into a new role.

Early Buzz from Amazon.com Top Reviewers

We queried our top 100 customer reviewers as of March 6, 2007, and asked them to read A Thousand Splendid Suns and share their thoughts. We've included these early reviews below in the order they were received. For the sake of space, we've only included a brief excerpt of each reviewer's response, but each review is available for reading in its entirety by clicking the "Read the review" link.

Joanna Daneman: "His style is deceptively simple and clear, the characters drawn deftly and swiftly, his themes elemental and huge. This is a brilliant writer and I look forward to more of his work." Read Joanna Daneman's review

Seth J. Frantzman: "Khaled Hosseini has done it again with 'A Thousand Splendid Sons', presenting a new, dashing and dark tale of two generations of women trapped in a loveless marriage, bracketed by great events." Read Seth J. Frantzman's review

Donald Mitchell: "Khaled Hosseini has succeeded in capturing many important historical and contemporary themes in a way that will make your heart ache again and again. Why will your reaction be so strong? It's because you'll identify closely with the suffering of almost all the characters, a reaction that's very rare to a modern novel." Read Donald Mitchell's review

Lawrance M. Bernabo: "All things considered, following up on a successful first novel is probably harder than coming up with the original effort and Hosseini could have rested on his laurels in the manner of Harper Lee, but as "A Thousand Splendid Suns" amply proves, this native of Kabul has more stories to tell about the land of Afghanistan." Read Lawrance M. Bernabo's review

Amanda Richards: "There are parts of this book that will have grown men surreptitiously blotting the tears that are on the verge of overflowing their ducts, and by the time you get to the middle, you won't be able to put it down. Hosseini's simple but richly descriptive prose makes for an engrossing read, and in my opinion, "A Thousand Splendid Suns" is among the best I have ever read. This is definitely not one to be missed." Read Amanda Richards's review

N. Durham: "All that being said, "A Thousand Splendid Suns" is a bit more enjoyable than Hosseini's previous "The Kite Runner", and once again he manages to give we readers another glimpse of a world that we know little about but frequently condemn and discard. However, if you were one of the many that for some reason absolutely loved "The Kite Runner", chances are that you'll love this as well." Read N. Durham's review

John Kwok: "Khaled Hosseini's "A Thousand Splendid Suns" is a genuine instant literary classic, and one destined to be remembered as one of 2007's best novels. It should be compared favorably to such legendary Russian novels like "War and Peace" and "Doctor Zhivago"." Read John Kwok's review

Thomas Duff: "Normally I'm more of an action-adventure type reader when it comes to novels and recreational reading. But I was given the chance to read A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (author of The Kite Runner), so I decided to try something out of my normal genre. I am *so* glad I did. This is a stunning and moving novel of life and love in Afghanistan over a 30 year period." Read Thomas Duff's review

Charles Ashbacher: "This book manages to simultaneously capture the history of Afghanistan over the last thirty years and how women are treated in conservative Islamic societies.... In many ways it is a sad book, your heart goes out to these two women in their hopeless struggle to have a decent life with a brutal man in an unforgiving, intolerant society." Read Charles Ashbacher's review

W. Boudville: "Hosseini presents a piognant view into the recent tortured decades of the Afghan experience. From the 1970s, under a king, to the Soviet takeover, to the years of resistance. And then the rise and fall of the Taliban. An American reader will recognise many of the main political events. But to many Americans, Afghanistan and its peoples and religion remain an opaque and troubling mystery." Read W. Boudville's review

Mark Baker: "I tend to read plot heavy books, so this character study was a definite change of pace for me. I found the first half slow going at times, mainly because I knew where the story was going. Once I got into the second half, things really picked up. The ending was very bittersweet. I couldn't think of a better way to end it." Read Mark Baker's review

Grady Harp: "Hosseini takes us behind those walls for forty some years of Afghanistan's bloody history and while he does not spare us any of the descriptions of the terror that continues to besiege that country, he does offer us a story that speaks so tenderly about the fragile beauty of love and devotion and lasting impression people make on people." Read Grady Harp's review

Robert P. Beveridge: "When I was actively reading it, the pages kept turning, and more than once I found myself foregoing food or sleep temporarily to get in just one more chapter. When I had put it down, however, I felt no particular compulsion to pick it back up again. It's a good book, and a relatively well-written one, but it's not a great book. Enjoyable without leaving a lasting impression." Read Robert P. Beveridge's review

B. Marold: "While the events in Afghanistan and the wider world create a familiar framework for the stories of these two women, it is nothing more than a framework. The warp and weft of everyday life, and the interaction of the two women and their close relatives is the heartbeat of the story." Read B. Marold's review

Daniel Jolley: "Khaled Hosseini has written a majestic, sweeping, emotionally powerful story that provides the reader with a most telling window into Afghan society over the past thirty-odd years. It's also a moving story of friendship and sacrifice, giving Western readers a rare glimpse into the suffering and mistreatment of Afghan women that began long before the Taliban came to power." Read Daniel Jolley's review

Book Description

After 103 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and with four million copies of The Kite Runner shipped, Khaled Hosseini returns with a beautiful, riveting, and haunting novel that confirms his place as one of the most important literary writers today.

Propelled by the same superb instinct for storytelling that made The Kite Runner a beloved classic, A Thousand Splendid Suns is at once an incredible chronicle of thirty years of Afghan history and a deeply moving story of family, friendship, faith, and the salvation to be found in love.

Born a generation apart and with very different ideas about love and family, Mariam and Laila are two women brought jarringly together by war, by loss and by fate. As they endure the ever escalating dangers around them-in their home as well as in the streets of Kabul-they come to form a bond that makes them both sisters and mother-daughter to each other, and that will ultimately alter the course not just of their own lives but of the next generation. With heart-wrenching power and suspense, Hosseini shows how a woman's love for her family can move her to shocking and heroic acts of self-sacrifice, and that in the end it is love, or even the memory of love, that is often the key to survival.

A stunning accomplishment, A Thousand Splendid Suns is a haunting, heartbreaking, compelling story of an unforgiving time, an unlikely friendship, and an indestructible love.

Customer Reviews:

mjust read.......2007-10-16

Have read both Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns and found both to be fascinating reading, invoking many emotions and the realization of how fortunate I am to be an American,and how much we all have to learn about other peoples and cultures.
Have also read Voice of Conscience by Behcet Kaya, fictional novel taking place in Turkey...

A MAJOR PROBLEM IN AMERICA.......2007-10-16

I know a lot about the history of Afghanistan, because I was a History major and also after 9/11 we all learned, the hard way! This was an amazing book, I loved the story. I did not cry, as my friend who recommended the book did. The reason is, the story of these two ladies, is very common in this part of the world. It made me MAD and I was disgusted. Didn't our President tell us that we were rebuilding Afghanistan? How, as Americans, have we not been disgusted prior to 9/11 and after our President and his so-called advisor's, took most of the troops and sent them to Iraq. Afghanistan is a mess again, the warlords have taken over and the opium growth is as high as it was in the 90's.

Everyone should read this book. It is a great story, well written. The historical accuracy is great. It is a sad story, but one that is true.

My problem, is that there are still problems in Afghanistan. When are we going to help the people that need it most??? For any of you who don't like what I said about Bush, well I voted for him two times. I was a registered Republican until 2006.

I pray that this book will promote and help the cause of the Afghan woman and they get the rights that we do in America!

Phenomenal! .......2007-10-15

An amaing novel that I couldn't put down. The closer I got to the end of the book, the sadder I became because I didn't want it to ever end. After reading The Kite Runner, I was mesmerized by Hosseini's writing. I couldn't wait to read his much-anticpated second novel. I belive A Thousand Splendid Suns is even better than the The Kite Runner. Hosseini is extremely talented...from creating strong characters, to exploring characters' feelings without boring the reader, describing political issues, etc. Definitely one of the most fantastic books I have ever read. I cannot wait til Hosseini publishes the next novel, if he is planning one. Read the book....you won't be disappointed!

A Splendid following to The Kite Runner .......2007-10-15

Hosseini has outdone himself with this second title! While the first book gave a good insight into life in Afghanistan and emigration to the U.S. this title gives the reader a great insight into the life of women in Afghanistan and more specifics into the progression of political change in the country. Yes, there are brutal elements to this read, however facts can be brutal. Reading this makes one pleased to be an American woman not subjected to the whims of brutality of a husband in a man empowered society.
The book is not short on its heart-wrenching emotional stories of two women caught up in their destiny of their society and that of a war-torn society, the book exposes the reader to the realities of what life is like for those in this land which our nation hopes can come to an equal minded lifestyle.

Do read this book - it is entirely worthwhile, as is The Kite Runner. I look forward to the third title by Hosseini!

Excellent Read.......2007-10-14

My wife and I both enjoyed this story. Highly recommend it for anyone who has an interest in Afghanistan and an insight into Muslim life. This book is well reviewed on the Amazon website, so I won't bore you with a long winded review of my own, which will only replicate what you have already read. I am not a frustrated book review critic.

Across the Sea of Suns (Galactic Center)

Average customer rating:

jacket summary
Please, please, stop!
Benford is king!!!!
Excellent. This is real sci-fi.
Still one of my favorites

Across the Sea of Suns (Galactic Center)
Gregory Benford
Manufacturer: Aspect
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

High Tech | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
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ASIN: 0446611565

Customer Reviews:

jacket summary.......2006-01-28

from the back cover of the August 1987 Bantam Spectra paperback edition
cover art by Roger Bergendorf
2056 - Human and alien technology have propelled us into a new age of enlightenment. Moons are new communities, miracles are made not waited upon, the vast gooness in mankind is stretched further - along with the evil.

As earth itself falls prey to attack, from deep within the blackness of space comes an alien message of astounding importance.

It is a message revealing great wonders and terrifying danger. One man is about to encounter them both.

Please, please, stop!.......2005-12-11

As an avid fan of Hamilton and other great sci-fi writers, I find it difficult to plow my way through Benford's mess. The story idea is good, but Benford's writing is positively awful. At times he can't even seem to make up his mind what tense he's writing in. Initial charater development is next to nonexistent, and following character dialogue is somewhat akin to finding one's way around a corn maze at midnight. He uses what seems to be an alsmost experimental approach to dialogue, and no two are formatted the same. Sentence structure is immature and disjointed. Its either incredibly simple, or so complicated it becomes difficult to follow. Some character situations are wildly implausible even for sci-fi, or underdeveloped to the point that they seem so. I would not recommend this book. I am no writer, but I can recognize great writing and this isn't it.

Benford is king!!!!.......2005-08-11

King of run-on sentences, that is.

The problem with Benford's books isn't the story. This book, along with the first in the series, In the Ocean of Night, presents an absolutely fabulous story. Benford has come up with a really excellent idea for a series of books. The problem is Benford's writing.

For some reason, Benford forgets that "science fiction" consists of two words. He places much emphasis on the first word, but doesn't realize that it's fiction. Mr. Benford, this is not a science textbook!!!!!!! Getting the science right in a fictional book is all well and good, but if one can use the book to teach a physics class, then the writer's priorities are a wee bit skewed. If you wish to write a textbook, then write a textbook, and leave the fiction to fiction authors.

In addition to putting waaaaaaaaaaay too much emphasis on the science, the structure of his writing leaves much to be desired. As previously mentioned, he seems to have an ongoing love affair with the run-on sentence. There are literally whole paragraphs in the book which are nothing but one huge sentence. And you can forget trying to follow a conversation via the use of properly placed quotation marks. A quotation mark is to Benford what holy water and crosses are to vampires.

I give this book 2 stars simply because the writing is so horribly bad. The idea behind the story rates a stellar 5 stars, but I had to subtract at least 3 for Benford's pitiful excuse for prose. I actually feel that giving it 2 stars is a generous showing on my part, as I was sorely tempted to give it 1.

A word of advice to the prospective reader of this series: Read it after having a couple of glasses of wine. It helps. (Seriously.)

Excellent. This is real sci-fi........2005-07-26

In reading science fiction of all kinds for over 25 years, I came across the best novels in the genre and also across some real stinkers. I've been a bit disappointed with my most recent sci-fi reads and have resorted to research reviews at Amazon.com to discover some "sure bets". It paid off. I recently discovered Benford's Galactic Center Series and although I wasn't terribly excited with the first book, this one, the second in the series is beyond my wildest expectations.

The range of themes Benford explores in this volume is ambitious, but he still manages to deliver a page turner that invites the reader into deep questionings in topics from first contact, to exobiology, to sociology, and even gender issues. What I have come to expect from science fiction (specially in hard sci-fi) is exactly what Benford put in this book: a good amount of speculation based on whatever scientific knowledge is available at the time of writing. And to his benefit, he does it in a way that fits the story arc and keeps you wanting more.

The narrative is linear, but progresses in two different fronts. In one, we follow the discoveries of the Lancer spaceship, which travels the galaxy trying to find life, or the remnants of life, in planetary systems that show potential. What they find is not very encouraging and leads one to hypothesize that biological life has been systematically eradicated from the galaxy by some advanced intelligence. The other front deals with what is happening on Earth as Lancer roams about and what a lot is happening! Alien life forms arrive on Earth and start to thrive in our oceans destroying existing marine life and attacking also large ships. It seems two different populations of being share our oceans and a survivor from a ship that was attack tries to make sense of their behavior. Top it off with human, petty political/military intrigue and you have a plot like that contends for the reader attention on equal footing with the galactic exploration. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series!

Still one of my favorites.......2005-06-25

The best hard science fiction book ever written. Imagine that technology is viewed as a disease by a race of alien AI machines and humans are the mosquitoes (that spread the disease) that must be eradicated. Big concept science fiction.If you like Greg Bear, Dan Simmons, Neal Stevenson - this is going to be added to your favorite books list.

Journey from the Center of the Sun (Princeton Science Library)

Average customer rating:

Some of the explanations of solar physics confusing
A Stellar Journey (pun intended)
Popular Science Writing at its Best
A Long, Well Documented and Interesting Journey It Is!
For the armchair astronomer

Journey from the Center of the Sun (Princeton Science Library)
Jack B. Zirker
Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Astronomy | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

Astrophysics & Space Science | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

Solar System | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0691118485

Book Description

Jack Zirker takes us on an imaginary voyage from the center of the sun to its surface, showing us how sunlight is made and finally following the sun's energy to the far reaches of the solar system. Along the way, he introduces the basic processes at work in our nearest star and the exciting answers solar scientists are finding to problems that have long perplexed astronomers.

Journey from the Center of the Sun describes how theory and practice are coming together to provide a new understanding of this old star. At this moment, solar physicists are collecting the best observations ever obtained about the sun's interior and dynamic atmosphere, while a new breed of theorists is interpreting these data using computer simulations. Zirker reports on cutting-edge advances and looks at the tough questions solar physicists are beginning to crack. How can we account for the solar wind that causes the sun to lose mass at an astonishing rate? Where have all the neutrinos gone? How does the sun generate magnetic sunspots, and why does it have a sunspot cycle? What causes a solar flare to explode? How does the sun affect the earth's climate? What is a sunquake?

For the armchair astronomer or the student of astrophysics, this book provides an unusually complete picture of solar physics today.

Customer Reviews:

Some of the explanations of solar physics confusing.......2005-12-19

In contrast to the other reviewers, I found some of the explanations of the physics behind solar processes rather confusing. For example, I couldn't quite understand the points made in the notes to chapter 5 about standing waves, modes and nodes. Also, the captions to the figures often don't explain what the axes of the graphs are supposed to represent.

A Stellar Journey (pun intended).......2002-06-10

This book takes you through an incredible journey inside our nearest star. If you ever thought the sun was just a big nuclear furnace, here you will learn of the amazing complexities and mysteries of this star that gives us all life. Along the way you will meet many of the great scientist that contributed to the wealth of knowledge that we have amassed about the sun over the short time (relative to the sun's life) that we have inhabited this third planet from it.

Dr. Zirker begins with many of the questions we still have about the sun; such as - Why the thin corona outer atmosphere is much hotter that the surface (photosphere)? How is the solar wind accelerated to velocities of 800 km/s? What causes the huge coronal mass ejections and solar flares that have direct consequences on earth? Why does the sun follow solar cycles? Where are the missing neutrinos that should be produced from the proton-proton chain reaction taking place in the core?

The book gives the latest research on these and many other aspects of solar science such as the relatively new fields of helioseismology, chaos theory, fractal geometry, and others. Along the way you will learn why the light produced in the core by the thermonuclear process takes a million years to reach the surface (and then only another 8.3 minutes to reach the earth), why the intense activity in the convection zone (the zone that reaches some 200,000 km below the surface) is attributed to sound waves, and how the sunspots are related to the intense magnetic storms occurring on the sun.

One of the subtle things you will get from this book is how the scientific process works - how theories are proposed, experiments designed and preformed and theories revised (or abandoned) and how our scientific knowledge is perpetuated by "standing on the shoulders of giants" - all the works and sacrifices of those that have come before us.
An inspiring book if ever there was one!

Popular Science Writing at its Best.......2002-02-14

I loved this book. As a biochemistry professor I always particularly appreciate good popular science writing, the kind that can engage and excite my students. Clearly written and beautifully illustrated, Journey strikes a perfect balance between too simple and too heavy--with a few technical appendices for those who need more details. I highly recommend it as supplementary reading for college astronomy courses, or just fun reading for science buffs at all levels.

A Long, Well Documented and Interesting Journey It Is!.......2002-02-06

For science, always read the latest available information. For the sun, this book has it. Contains excellent summary descriptions of solar theories, both proven and proposed. The author is familiar with most solar research and the researchers involved. The writing is clear. The science is accurate. A "must read" for armchair astronomers wanting the latest about the sun.

For the armchair astronomer.......2002-01-06

"Journey from the Center of the Sun" hits the right level for me in describing the science of the sun; it uses words, pictures, and word-pictures (no math) to describe how the complex physics of nuclear reactions, plasmas, and enormous magnetic explosions all work to make the sun provide us with energy - and also blast the earth with solar wind storms. I am a reader of Scientific American and love to read layman books on science because there is no way that I could understand the technical, mathematical papers of the experts, and yet am fascinated by the rapidly unfolding developments in physics, astronomy, and cosmology. I would highly recommend this book for those readers who want a well-written explanation of the sun, the on-going work on solar cycles, sunspots, the "missing neutrino" problem, the "coronal heating" conundrum, and the new studies in helioseismology. I will also add that I enjoyed Jack Zirker's first book "Total Eclipses of the Sun" which inspired me to travel to an eclipse - an experience I would like to repeat.

Hot Water from the Sun: A Consumer Guide to Solar Water Heating

Average customer rating:

Hot Water from the Sun: A Consumer Guide to Solar Water Heating
Franklin Research Center , United States. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development , and U. S. Department of Energy
Manufacturer: University Press of the Pacific
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Plumbing & Household Automation | How-to & Home Improvements | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

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General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1410220370

Secrets from the Center of the World (Sun Tracks, Vol 17)

Average customer rating:

Joy Harjo perfect words to Stephen Strom's photos
Living poetry, connecting all things

Secrets from the Center of the World (Sun Tracks, Vol 17)
Joy Harjo
Manufacturer: University of Arizona Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0816511136

Customer Reviews:

Joy Harjo perfect words to Stephen Strom's photos.......2000-05-18

Joy Harjo is a multi-talented artist - poetry and music (with Poetic Justice) available. Here she has paired her words to Stephen Strom's photographs. His photographs of landscapes have an unusual and very effective use of colors ... many reminding me of the softness of watercolor or pastels.

Joy Harjo has provided text - somewhere between prose and prose poems - that engage the accompanying photographs to create a mythic sense. For example a photo of rose-tinted desert sand with no sky (Overlook west of Tuba City)is accompanied by "Two sisters meet on horseback. They gossip: a cousin eloped with someone's husband, twins were born to his wife. One is headed toward Tsaile, and the other to Round Rock. Their horses are rose sand, with manes of ashy rock."

An excellent book.

Living poetry, connecting all things.......1997-03-11

Nowhere have I read poetry that so completely encompasses the Native American view of the connectedness of all things. Harjo's writings, coupled with Steven Strom's photography of "Indian country" make this a book that I read over and over, each time drawing something new. It is one of the only books I've ever read that convinces me that language is "alive", as alive as we are, as alive as the shoulder bone of a mountian, as alive as a comet which streaks its way across the sky. It is my favorite book. Period.

Japanese/Korean Linguistics, Volume 13 (Center for the Study of Language and Information - Lecture Notes)

Average customer rating:

Japanese/Korean Linguistics, Volume 13 (Center for the Study of Language and Information - Lecture Notes)

Manufacturer: Center for the Study of Language and Inf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Linguistics | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1575865181

Book Description

Japanese and Korean are typologically quite similar languages, and the linguistic phenomena of the former often hve counterparts in the latter. These collections from the annual Japanese/Korean linguistics conference include essays on the phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, historical linguistics, discourse analysis, prosody, and psycholinguistics of both languages. Such comparative studies deepen our understanding of both languages and will be a useful reference to students and scholars in either field.

A Place in the Sun: The Evolution of the Real Goods Solar Living Center (Real Goods Solar Living Book.)

Average customer rating:

A Place in the Sun: The Evolution of the Real Goods Solar Living Center (Real Goods Solar Living Book.)
John Schaeffer
Manufacturer: Chelsea Green Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Conservation | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Renewable Energy | Technology | Science | Subjects | Books

Energy Efficient Design | Home Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1890132012

Amazon.com

Ninety miles north of San Francisco, the Real Goods Trading Company constructed a cutting-edge solar living center using building materials, landscaping techniques, and futuristic renewable energy technologies. The center is a working demonstration site for renewable energy and earth-friendly building and landscaping concepts; A Place in the Sun is the exciting and fascinating story of how the people and ideas came together to bring the center from conception to a functioning, tangible reality. The result is an eclectic, visionary complex of buildings and landscaping that functions as a center for education, a retail operation, and an experimental demonstration framework for new technologies. The story of how it came to be is both hopeful and inspiring.

Cahokia: City of the Sun : Prehistoric Urban Center in the American Bottom

Average customer rating:

North America's medieval metropolis...
Cahokia: City of the Sun

Cahokia: City of the Sun : Prehistoric Urban Center in the American Bottom
Claudia G. Mink
Manufacturer: Cahokia Mounds Museum Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1881563006

Book Description

Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site preserves the remains of the most sophisticated prehistoric Indian civilization north of Mexico, circa A.D. 900-1300. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982, Cahokia is noted for its important role in the prehistory of North America. This book, written for a general audience, introduces the reader to this ancient metropolis, with its towering 100 foot-high Monks Mound and American Woodhenge sun calendar. This is the astounding story of an advanced Indian culture in North America that thrived and then declined before European contact.

Customer Reviews:

North America's medieval metropolis..........2006-09-08

North America had medieval cities. Big ones. One enormous metropolis in particular dominated cultural and economic life up and down the Mississippi River between 800 AD and 1400 AD. The city now goes by the name Cahokia, after a tribe that occupied the area following the european influx. No known records reveal its original name, nor the names of its some 15,000 people. In fact, no written or verbal records about this place made it down to the present day. None whatsoever. Not even the purported ancestors of its inhabitants had or have anything to say about it. Somehow the city vanished from memory. But a ciy it was, at least according to archaeology. And it remained the largest North American city on record until 1800.

"Cahokia: City of the Sun" provides the best general introduction to this extremely important North American landmark and UNESCO World Heritage site. Filled with color photos and maps it helps bring the shadowy Cahokia to life. Eight chapters cover its culture, social hierarchy, origins, buildings, and life. And all in accessible nontechnical language. Not only that, it includes an introductory chapter on archaeology and the methods used to infer the past from artifacts. An important chapter, because most of what we know about the site comes from excavations or inferences from other native cultures.

No one knows why Cahokia collapsed. The dominant theories include political strife, climate change, and depletion of natural resources. Though the Cahokian's culture disappeared from memory, they nonetheless left impressive cultural artifacts in the form of earthen mounds. Many of these still stand near Collingsville, Illinois. The largest, Monks Mound, stands some 130 feet high and offers an impressive view of downtown St. Louis. Many smaller mounds surround this mammoth structure and present a good idea of Cahokia's previous size. The site deserves its reputation as a city. And, apart from the absence of writing, Cahokia also deserves to be called a civilization, or at least the center of one. Studies have unearthed an ancient North American network of cities, towns, and villages reaching from Minnesota all the way to Florida. Evidence suggests that Cahokia sat at the center of it all. But nearly everything vanished before europeans arrived in the area during the sixteenth century. So in Cahokia we not only possess a medieval North American city, but the former capitol of a lost nation. Anyone intrigued by this idea should read this small book and visit the extremely important Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site.

Over the past twenty years, archaeologists and historians have been reevaluating North American prehistory. Much remains unknown, but the land that became the United States saw far more action than previously believed. As the evidence slowly unfolds, Cahokia once again finds itself at the center of it all.

Cahokia: City of the Sun.......2000-03-13

This book is an excellent introduction to the history and archaeology of the Cahokia acropolis. Compact and readable, and accessible to both young and old, Cahokia: City of the Sun is the perfect book for those interested in getting started in the study of Cahokia, or for those who just want to know a little more about the ancient history of the American Midwest.

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