Finding Atlantis - by David King (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

The Untold Story of One Man's Quest for a Lost World

In 1679, Renaissance man Olof Rudbeck stunned the world. He proposed that an ancient lost civilization once thrived in the far north of his native Sweden: the fabled Atlantis. Rudbeck would spend the last thirty years of his life hunting for the evidence that would prove this extraordinary theory.

Chasing down clues to that lost golden age, Rudbeck combined the reasoning of Sherlock Holmes with the daring of Indiana Jones. He excavated what he thought was the acropolis of Atlantis, retraced the journeys of classical heroes, opened countless burial mounds, and consulted rich collections of manuscripts and artifacts. He eventually published his findings in a 2,500-page tome titled Atlantica, a remarkable work replete with heroic quests, exotic lands, and fabulous creatures.

Three hundred years later, the story of Rudbeck's adventures appears in English for the first time. It is a thrilling narrative of discovery as well as a cautionary tale about the dangerous dance of genius and madness.

Review Quotes

"If you'd never heard of Olof Rudbeck before you read David King's excellent Finding Atlantis, you'll never forget him after."--Jake Morrissey, author of The Genius in the Design

"King is marvelous at elaborating Rudbeck's theories . . . [and] tells his tale with the pace and appeal of a classic whodunit." --Publishers Weekly

About the Author

David King teaches European history at the University of Kentucky. He lives in Lexington, Kentucky, with his wife and their daughter.