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Truth be told, I was not very familiar with the Roman Camillus, that is, until I read Marc Hyden’s Marcus Furius Camillus: The Life of Rome’s Second Founder. A Roman historian by passion, Marc has dedicated his research to the lesser known characters of Roman history.

I have always enjoyed the writings of Marc Hyden. In this and all other publications, Marc exhibits the rare skill of storytelling. He is able to gather multiple sources, some of which may be contradictory, and in turn, create a single cohesive narrative. This talent builds a consistent picture and in our current case, we are able to truly understand the life of Camillus within his proper historical context.

Marc sheds light on the life of one of ancient Rome’s most important figures: Marcus Furius Camillus. Who was Camillus? Born in the second half of the 5th century BC and dying in the first half of the 4th century, having conquered numerous Roman enemies on the battlefield and attaining huge political success, he would rise to fame. Using the ancient sources which include Livy, Plutarch and more, Marc starts to put the pieces of a larger puzzle together. But how much of it was legend?

The first couple of chapters set the stage and provide context in the happenings of both the Roman Republic and the Camillus family, giving us insight into the influences driving Camillus and his future military and political careers, all of which he did for the glory of Rome. And even though he made mistakes along the way, he was the embodiment of Roman virtues.

The rest of the book chronologically details the life of Camillus, as it is told by the ancients and where it matters, confirmed by archaeology. The reader follows Camillus from the very beginnings of his political year as Census, through his military successes against Veii, his five dictatorships, six consular tribuneships and more. Camillus was a household name and after reading this, you begin to understand why.

Even after being exiled by his fellow Romans and when Rome needed him most to help drive back the Gauls, his selflessness and sense of duty to the place he continued to call home, helped save Rome.

As always, I was very impressed with Marc Hyden’s attention to detail. This is a very well researched publication and Marc has done a wonderful job transforming that research into something that is extremely easy to follow and understand. I enjoyed reading Marcus Furius Camillus: The Life of Rome’s Second Founder and highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in Roman history.

Review by Petros Koutoupis

THE NEPHILIM, GRAIL BLOODLINES tracks down traditions concerning the enigmatic scions of the gods or Nephilim in Europe. Commencing with the oldest strata of iconographical portrayals and evidence from the Late Bronze Age in northern and western Europe, a strong and detailed case is made for a huge influx of Mediterranean influences into Europe during the aftermath of the Trojan War. These influences and the related Nephilim traditions brought about a determining and permanent influence on the evolving Celtic cultures of Europe and the British Isles.

THE NEPHILIM explores the secrets and enigmas of the Tuatha Dé Danann, the Milesians, the Cimbri, the Sicambri, the Völsungs and the secretive Nibelungs. A careful look is taken at the supposed descendants of these peoples who lived in Early Medieval Europe, the mysterious descent of certain great dynasties like the Merovingians and Burgundians and the clandestine role played by their descendants during the Carolingian Age and later on. Also put under the magnifying glass is new information pertaining to the Plantard family’s claim to be of Merovingian descent and the puzzling secrets pertaining to the strange and peculiar poem, The Red Serpent.

The High Secrets of the Holy Grail are unlocked in a way never done before, secrets concerning the different Nephilim bloodlines, their mythoi and mutual struggles and aspirations. In this final edition of THE NEPHILIM trilogy, the ancient traditions of the Nephilim, followed with great care and perseverance from ancient Sumer through the many ages of world history to the very present, are brought to a dramatic and surprising climax.

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New paperback edition - Jan-Marie Knights documents the social calendar of Tudor high society in a series of bite-sized chunks. The book covers weddings, feasts, funerals and more - allowing the reader to immerse themselves in the glamour, affluence and human drama of a gilded world.

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Historical researcher and author, Bernard Jones, has dedicated much of his adult life challenging what we know about the Homeric epics and in turn, the events surrounding the Trojan War.

According to Jones, at some point in history, these narratives moved Eastward and South, into the Mediterranean. Later historians, which include Herodotus, rewrote these stories and repositioned them into the world most familiar to them; that is, the Aegean.

In his recently published book, The Voyage of Aeneas of Troy, Jones follows the journey of Aeneas (alongside his fellow Trojan refugees) fleeing from his homeland of Troy and eventually to his destination, in search of a new home. Here is the thing though and as mentioned earlier, according to the author’s research, the Trojan War and its locations did not take place in the Mediterranean, where it is traditionally placed but instead to the North and in and around the British islands.

Bernard Jones builds on the foundation he originally laid in his previous publication, The Discovery of Troy and its Lost History, but now, the story begins with Aeneas, as he flees Troy with his fellow Trojan refugees.

As each chapter unfolds, the author retells Virgil’s epic tale and the journey of Aeneas but as we follow in the Trojan hero’s footsteps, key events and the locations in which they were set are redefined or remapped according to his research, which consists of ancient and medieval written evidence preserving place names, bloodlines, nautical facts and more.

From Troy to Thrace to Delos, coming across the Cyclopes, Scylla and Charybdis, venturing into the underworld to eventually landing in the proposed location of Latium, the book guides the reader to the point where we get to the Medieval tales of Brutus, as it was Aeneas’ bloodline that would lead to the infamous Brutus, founder of Britain.

Much like Jones’s previous publication, the reader will need to approach The Voyage of Aeneas of Troy with an open mind. And if challenging the conventional wisdom surrounding the Trojan War and its aftermath is something of interest, then be sure to pick up a copy of this publication.

A Book Review by Petros Koutoupis

As the daughter and cousin of queens and the granddaughter and niece of kings, Lady Margaret Douglas was an integral part of the Tudor royal dynasty. A favorite of her uncle King Henry VIII and a close friend of Queen Mary I she courted scandal which saw her imprisoned in the Tower of London on more than one occasion. Against the orders of Queen Elizabeth I she plotted the marriage of her eldest son Lord Darnley to Mary, Queen of Scots with disastrous consequences.

She came as close to the executioners block as she did to the throne of England, with some believing she had a right to be queen. A devout Catholic all her life, she lived at a time when religious division split the country in half yet she remained steadfast in her beliefs. A respected and revered lady on both sides of the border, Lady Margaret Douglas, later Countess of Lennox through her marriage, suffered much heartbreak and loss. Her husband and son were both murdered at the hands of the Scots and she outlived all her children.

Despite these tragedies she never gave up on her dream of uniting the thrones of England and Scotland which was realized through her grandson King James VI/I.

The story of her life is a remarkable tale of intrigue and survival and deserves to be more widely told.

Ancient Origins has provided information on unexplained historical phenomena for years. Included herein is just a sampling of some of the many articles that authors have written, which can be found on Ancient Origin’s website https://ancient-origins.net. This book contains a sampling of articles on such topics as ancient gods, critically viewing history, unusual mythological creatures, and more.

In a society where men set the rules, could a feminine fertility festival have empowered women to the degree that it struck fear in men's hearts? At first glance, it seems absurd to suggest that an ancient Greek fertility festival should empower women let alone induce fear in the hearts of men---yet the Thesmophoria was not just any fertility festival. From butchered men to the sacred knowledge of fertility, was there a moment in ancient Greece when women ruled supreme? Inspired by the Goddess Demeter herself and drawing on this Neolithic past, ancient women found a way to take power for themselves.

The aspects of Anne Boleyn’s life and death are fiercely debated by historians, yet her ladies-in-waiting remain an understudied topic. Much emphasis is usually put on Anne’s relationships with the men in her life: her suitors, her royal husband, her father and brother and her putative lovers who were executed on 17 May 1536. By concentrating on a previously neglected area of Anne Boleyn’s female household, this book seeks to identify the women who served Anne and investigate what roles ladies-in-waiting played in this Queen’s household.

Where did sounds, words and languages come from? What happens when a language disappears? What happens when a way of writing becomes extinct?

In this third volume of the Time Maps series, Dr. R.K. Fisher and Martini Fisher answer all of these questions and more as they trace languages and scripts back to their earliest forms before re-discovering their evolution, combinations and extinctions. They analyse a wide range of languages to show where migrations and invasions have taken place and discover where particular features of culture and technology came from.

Chapters include:

• Evolution of Languages, which includes the origins of languages, threats of extinction, classification of languages and major language families, among others.
• Evolution of Writing Systems, which includes sounds and symbols, classification of writing systems, the origins and writings and the lost knowledge.

Written with a Mathematician’s precision and a Historian’s curiosity, Time Maps covers over millennia worth of developments & impacts of civilizations, migrations, leaders and continents. Illuminating concepts of societies, dynasties, heroes, kings and eras through incisive and thorough research, looking at ideas, theories & world views with a sense of wonder and delight.

Retaliation of the Cursed: A Historical Investigation of The Origins of Worship, World Religion, Mythology, Paganism, Astrology and Atheism, and Their Contributions Leading to Modern Hinduism is a sweeping look at the cross-cultural flows that shaped the legacies of the major religions, up to the contemporary moment. Drawing on a wide array of mythologies that stretch beyond this.

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The start of a brand NEW series - an unputdownable fast paced adventure, filled with unforgettable characters.

989 AD.

Alfred the Great’s dream of a united England has been forged by his daughter Aethelfaed and grandson, King Aethelstan.

The Vikings have been expelled from York following the death of Erik Bloodaxe, and for two generations there has been peace between Saxon and Dane.

A new Viking warlord Olaf Tryggvason seeks revenge for Bloodaxe's death and the slaughter that followed, and has set his sights on a fresh assault on England’s shores. With Skarde Wartooth they set sail for Saxon lands, hungry for glory, conquest and vengeance.

Beornoth, a brutal and battle-hardened Saxon Thegn, is called to arms to fight and protect the Saxon people from the savage Norse invaders. On a personal crusade, he joins the army of Byrthnoth, Lord of the east Saxons in a desperate fight against the bloodthirsty Vikings.

Beornoth must lay his own demons to bed, survive vicious attacks and find redemption for his tragic past.

If you like Bernard Cornwell, Simon Scarrow, Conn Iggulden, and David Gemmell you will love this epic Saxon adventure packed with battles, Vikings, and adventure.

Priase for Warrior and Protector

'Epic, brutal action, a flawed hero defending his people while fighting his own demons, implacable ruthless invaders, treacherous nobles, Warrior and Protector has them all'- Matthew Harffy

'Bloody and brutal, everything you want from a novel about 10th century England. Peter's vivid writing really brings the story to life.' - Donovan Cook

'A superbly atmospheric tale of redemption that pitches the English against Viking raiders and resounds with the fierceness of battle-hardened warriors' - MJ Porter

'Thunderously atmospheric! Gibbons once again proves himself a master of Viking & Dark Age lore.' - Gordon Doherty

'Absolutely cracking. The best Viking saga I've read in years. A joy to pick up again.' - Ross Greenwood

The hero's journey monomyth is at the core of stories worldwide among indigenous peoples, the ancients, and our modern society. Before Orion explores a deeper root for this monomyth by looking at how hunter-gatherers viewed themselves within the natural and spiritual worlds through Paleolithic cave art from 40,000 years ago. Biological Time author and naturalist Bernie Taylor proposes that select cave paintings are fundamental pieces in the human journey to self-realization, the foundation of written language, and a record of biological knowledge that irrevocably impacted some of the artistic styles, religious practices, and stories that are still with us. Taylor addresses a profound archaeological elephant in the room by opening up an uncharted place in our history, which points to the cultural ancestors of mankind. Before Orion will change the idea of who you think you are.

THE NEPHILIM, AN UNHOLY BROOD, continues the quest for the traditions of the enigmatic scions of the gods. In a dramatic reassessment of history, the author presents a detailed case for a huge influx of Mesopotamian influences into the Mediterranean during the early second millennium BC, explaining the origins of Heracles, Perseus and Kadmos amongst others. Among the newcomers was an ancient and mysterious race vividly described as the dragon-seed, who spread from Canaan all across the Mediterranean Basin and beyond. Their migrations, movements, religious cults, intriguing myths and secret doctrines are carefully investigated and followed.

New light is cast on the gigantic Anakim of biblical tradition, the mysterious Rephaim, the Sea Peoples of Egyptian renown and the elusive Kimmerians. The accursed race later on exerted a profound influence during the formative years of Rome and even imperial Rome, with the great and powerful Julian dynasty having claimed such descent. They also feature in the Qumran texts, having played a significant role in certain Gnostic circles as well as their disputes and differences with the early Christian church.

This work explores the secrets and enigmas of the Nephilim like none other had done before, following their traditions through history, spanning thousands of years. After taking a fresh look at the old Greek and other traditions, a totally new and altogether different picture emerges, a picture that will undoubtedly amaze and take the reader by surprise.

A detailed examination of the role played by shamanism and communication with higher intelligences in the development of ancient civilizations

• Explores how our ancestors used shamanic rituals at sacred sites to create portals for communication with nonhuman intelligences
• Shares supporting evidence from the spiritual and shamanic beliefs of more than 100 Native American tribes
• Shows how the earliest forms of shamanism began at sites like Qesem Cave in Israel more than 400,000 years ago

From Göbekli Tepe in Turkey to the Egyptian pyramids, from the stone circles of Europe to the mound complexes of the Americas, Andrew Collins and Gregory L. Little show how, again and again, our ancestors built permanent sites of ceremonial activity where geomagnetic and gravitational anomalies have been recorded. They investigate how the earliest forms of animism and shamanism began at sites like the Denisova Cave in the Altai Mountains of Siberia and Qesem Cave in Israel more than 400,000 years ago. They explain how shamanic rituals and altered states of consciousness combine with the natural forces of the earth to create portals for contact with otherworldly realms—in other words, the gods of our ancestors were the result of an interaction between human consciousness and transdimensional intelligence.

The authors show how the spiritual and shamanic beliefs of more than 100 Native American tribes align with their theory, and they reveal how some of these shamanic transdimensional portals are still active, sharing vivid examples from Skinwalker Ranch in Utah and Bempton in northern England.

Ultimately, Collins and Little show how our modern disconnection from nature and lack of a fully visible night sky makes the manifestations from these ultraterrestrial intelligences seem random. If we can restore our spiritual connections, perhaps we can once again communicate with the higher dimensional beings who triggered the advancements of our earliest ancestors.

Was Columbus a Templar? According to the historic documents and maps revealed by Ruggero Marino, Columbus shared the Templar dream of Christians, Muslims, and Jews living in peace in a New Jerusalem, and his voyage across the Atlantic was both to find a new passage to Asia and to find the place where the New Jerusalem could be built.

Marino draws parallels between Marco Polo’s journey east over the Silk Road and Columbus’s sea voyages and reveals that Columbus studied ancient texts and maps from the Vatican Library, access to which was granted by Pope Innocent VIII--whom Marino shows to be Columbus’s true father. Innocent VIII (whose own father was Jewish and grandmother was Muslim) was the perfect individual to further the Templars’ plan to create a universal religion combining the spiritual wisdom of the three faiths. Marino shows that Innocent’s “disappearance” and the story that Columbus merely stumbled onto the New World were part of a calculated political and theological cover-up. While King Ferdinand (the model for Machiavelli’s The Prince) and Queen Isabella of Spain are heralded with funding Columbus’s “discovery” of America, it was Innocent VIII who was the main sponsor and master­mind of the expedition. To obscure the purpose of the voyages, and give Spain the credit for the New World discovery, Ferdinand and his agent, Pope Alexander VI (Rodrigo Borgia), Pope Innocent VIII’s successor, initiated the disinformation campaign that has lasted for over 500 years.

Set in the Middle Ages this historic novel follows the lives of three fascinating characters; each battling their own inner and outer demons. Brother Philip is driven by his obsessive desire to discover the secrets of lost Hermetic teachings, through which he hopes to reform his religion’s restrictive rules and to create a more loving Church. On the outside, Brother Antonio is an attractive, charming canon lawyer who represents and protects the interests of the Church of Rome. Inwardly he fights an overwhelming physical attraction to fair-haired, naive and very handsome Philip. To succumb to that forbidden attraction would condemn them both to the tortures of the Inquisition and to the fires of Hell. Unexpectedly, Brother Philip is pulled from the monastic walls and assigned by the pope to raise the orphaned child who will become the Holy Roman Emperor.

Through his military skill Emperor Frederick II, called stupor mundi (the wonder of the world), takes command of his ancestral lands and rules much of Europe with an open-minded respect for other religions. He dares to defy the pope and the dictates of the Church and in return its full fury becomes unleashed against him. The pope calls him the ‘Antichrist’ and excommunicates him, not once but thrice, while at the same time maneuvering to usurp Frederick’s ancestral lands and their rich resources. The monks conspire with the emperor as he leads the Sixth Crusade to free the Holy Land. This story weaves well-researched facts of Frederick II’s life and shines light on the medieval world which comes alive through the many adventures of the Benedictine monks.

Academic disinformation appears to be reaching a peak. Was it always this way, and only now with increased connectivity can we see their duplicity? Or are we living in a new era of deception? The new age is not the Anthropocene, it is actually the Deceptocene. Thus we see:

Clerics only telling their flocks half of the gospel story.
Medics refusing to investigate alternative therapeutics.
Climate scientists amending and cherry-picking data.
The media not investigating alternate facts and data.
Academics jumping on bandwagons for grant funding.
Politicians using cherry-picked data to their advantage.

Are these academic deceptions the result of intentional deceit or sheer incompetence? To be sure there are any number of incompetent scientists, historians and clerics, but I get the impression that much of this is due to deliberate falsification and fraud. The world is awash with duplicity and deceit, and it is time to break through the deception.
 

At its core a work of historical fiction, this novel furnishes vignettes of the history of Egyptology as seen through the eyes of Andrew Wilfred, an English archaeologist. Straddling the Victorian and Edwardian eras, the multi-lingual narrative chronicles that enchanting phase by dwelling on different spheres of society in Egypt, the United Kingdom, the United States, and India.

This book examines: British excesses in Egypt and India, racism in Egyptology and the Antiquities Service, preference to link historical objects with national identity, and the striking parallels between ancient Egypt and India.

Andrew forges a strong bond with Howard Carter at Amarna in 1891. The mysterious Pharaoh Smenkhkare of the late Eighteenth Dynasty captures his imagination during that expedition led by Flinders Petrie.

Life as a field director in the Valley of the Kings under the overbearing sponsor Kenneth Morton, and the love-struck millionairess Cynthia Rawlinson, is frustrating. Only George Cox, a physician, seems to understand Andrew best.

Though held in high esteem by the fellahin, powerful people wish to eliminate Andrew after a devastating incident rocks The Valley. Can he survive their diabolic designs? Will he find King Smenkhkare’s burial place and reveal the monarch’s identity to the world?

• A ground-breaking study which brings new information and arguments to our study of how Rome ruled, and how the empire failed
• Draws together the results of hundreds of recent archaeological excavations and the very latest academic research
• Offers a wealth of new information from one of the world's richest and most intensively studied archaeological sites
• Will open-up new debate over how archaeology might help us to understand the forces that can create and destroy cities and empires

This is not your usual travel guide. Powerful Places in Malta provides detailed descriptions of specifically selected powerful places. It also gives background information and an overview of the controversies, conflicts, and conspiracies that swirl around many of Malta’s ancient sacred sites. In addition, it includes first-hand experiences and practical suggestions on how to turn casual tourism into transformational travel.

Malta is a tiny island in the middle of the Mediterranean. Its gigantic stone temples are among the oldest free-standing monuments in the world—earlier than Stonehenge, earlier than the Great Pyramid at Giza. They are also unique in construction and floorplan. What is their relationship to the sun and stars? Why are there so many? Are the temples and the so-called Fat Lady statues evidence of ancient Goddess worship? What about the mysterious cart-ruts that crisscross the limestone plateaus? What are they? Was the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum only an underground mausoleum, or was it also used for initiations and dream incubation? These are just some of the questions we explore.

Numerous maps, photos, and graphics enhance the descriptions of these fascinating places.