The book is split into 3 parts: two sci-fi stories from Richard Shaver's Lumeria series and three chapters on hollow earth history. The stories are stupid and boring. The only reason you would want to read them is if you were into Sci-Fi history. I couldn't even finish the Return of Santhas. The last three chapters on hollow earth history were quite interesting though. They follow some quack and some reasonable theories about tunnels in South America and Asia. He does a good recap of the Incan/Spanish conflict that led to the theories on lost cities of Gold. So parts 1&2 (no stars), part 3 (4 stars)

david hatcher childress has presented one of the best reads on this subject! excellent illustrations great layout and even if you dont believe this it's a great science fiction read to say the least!

Although it reprints I Remember Lemuria and The Shaver Mystery by Richard Shaver, almost half of Lost Continents and The Hollow Earth consists of original material by the maverick archaeological heretic and historian David Hatcher Childress. Childress spells out the lore regarding UFOs and Antarctica, the tunnel systems in South America and under-the-surface civilization in central Asia. Childress' perpetual circumnavigation of the globe and its mystery spots, as well as his love of rare books and obscure historical sources, make him uniquely valuable in placing the Shaver material in a real world context. He devotes one new chapter to the history of Shaver's volumionus a rant on underground beings called Deros and Teros channeled to a Pennsylvanian welder through his equipment and published in Ray Palmer's pulp magazines of the 1940s and 50s. It offers some biography of Shaver and Palmer, but also looks at the zines (Shavertron; Hollow Earth Insider) and subculture that evolved around hollow earth speculation, some of it intensely funny. Steamshovel readers waiting for the release of Maury Island UFO will find this important background reading, as Palmer played a key role in the 1947 events at Maury Island. (An appendix on Shaver written by Conspiracy Nation's Brian Redman will appear in Maury Island UFO.) Another chapter by Childress, "The Search for the Hollow Earth" provides an even more expanded historical overview of beliefs and explorations regarding subterranean humanity. The book comes lavishly illustrated--many Shavertron covers and cartoons--and reproduces "I Remember Lemuria" and "The Shaver Mystery" from the pages of the original edition. That alone makes it a good buy. Childress' exercise of his erudition on the the topic, however, makes it--ahem--an underground classic. Review by Kenn Thomas, Steamshovel Press, www.umsl.edu/~skthoma

This is a collection of the first ten issues of the World Explorer Magazine. (WEX for short.) There are articles about pterodactyls, caves in Arizona, missing cities, interesting trips and more. There are some little funny tidbits in among all of this- jokes, postcards from readers, cartoons and Riply's Believe it or Not type information.

This is an interesting book/collection of magazines.

My two complaints- the book is very big in size and it makes it difficult for some intersting late night reading. Two- the reproduction quality is poor- this makes it difficult to look at already poor quality photos.

What an interesting book that looks at the off beat, far off, interesting and fun.

_Far-Out Adventures_ is a compilation of the first nine issues of "World Explorer Magazine," the periodical for the "arm-chair Indiana Jones." The driving force behind this anthology is none other than David Hatcher Childress, who manages to edit the periodical between his trips to the far flung corners of the world. The collection features articles on such phenomena as living pterodactyls (my own favorite cryptozooid); evidence of visitation by extraterrestrials in humanity's early history; archeological mysteries such as remains of Noah's Ark on Mt. Ararat; the Acambaro artifacts; mysterious creatures such as the Chupacabras and the Batsquatch; and pre-Columbian visits by the Egyptians, Vikings, and Phoenicians to the New World. There are also a number of cartoons and tongue in cheek items; this periodical never loses its sense of humor, even as it encourages us to go out and recreate the adventures of Roy Chapman Andrews, Colonel Percy Fawcett, and Ted Holiday.

The authors for the pieces in the periodical, and therefore this collection, are various; they include David Hatcher Childress, of course, as well as archeologist Frank Joseph and UFOlogist Scott Corrales, and a plethora of other thinkers in the field of alternate science, historiography, and biology. These luminaries in the field, as well as many up-and-coming thinkers, make this an outstanding anthology of revisionism.

The collection has several weaknesses, however. The inclusion of the word "best of" in the subtitle is inaccurate, since the editors made no effort to weed out the good from the bad, but have merely bound together every page of every issue of the periodical. Information about the issue number at the bottom of the page would have been helpful; there is no continuous pagination, despite the use of such a system in the table of contents. This poses less of a problem than one might think, however, because the items are almost always worth the hunt--most good things are--and because one is likely to stumble across something just as interesting. In several cases, the photographs are of very poor quality.

Still, there is enough variety in the types of articles here presented that everyone who has an interest in such material will find something new. This is a worthwhile investment for any student of the weird or the adventurous, for those who reject the fallacies foisted upon us by mainstream science, for those who think that there are places on the map which have not yet been thoroughly explored, and those who believe that mystery and excitement might lie just around the corner at any time!

By digging up and adding to the 1950 manuscript of writer DeWayne B. Johnson, researcher Kenn Thomas (author of "Popular Alienation," "The Octopus: The Secret Government and Death of Danny Casolaro" and publisher of the Steamshovel Press) has shown in "Flying Saucers Over Los Angeles" that UFOs are as American as unlimited defense spending, and are not the sole obsession of nutjobs. The book chronicles dozens of provocative news accounts from the 1940s onward, including the "Battle of Los Angeles" in February 1942, in which the US military fired over 1,400 rounds of ammunition at a strangely shaped craft, which General George Marshall thought was an enemy spycraft. The book cites umpteen examples of sightings of saucer and cigar-shaped craft in the period after World War II, as seen by credible witnesses, such as police and pilots. Even in the 1950s, before the age of massive distrust in the government, there were just too many sightings to be dismissed as mass hysteria, hallucinations, weather balloons, aerial phenemona, etc. Johnson's work, as relayed and amplified by Thomas, also explores explanations of alien technology, but comes down on the side of UFOs being military-created. Overall, the Johnson/Thomas approach to the material is well-researched, responsible, logical and void of histrionics. There's even a very entertaining appendix of news clippings from the 1940s and 1950s, which not only puts the history of UFO study into perspective, but also provides a window to the social history of the period through the other news stories that shared the newspapers' pages. The language of "journalism" in these mid-century pieces from the LA Daily News, The LA Times, and the Daily Mirror (yes, Angelenos once had a choice of more than one bad paper) is often quaint, hilarious, and creepily contemporary. For instance, one front page story recounts a Kevorkian-style mercy killing trial. Such nuggets are all a bonus for readers interested in getting an introduction to the history of the UFO situation in America, or to bolstering their viewpoints. History is indeed on the side of those who know that strange, top-secret objects flit around the sky on a daily basis, and that they're footing the bill for it all.

This is the second dictionary of Christian Ethics I have acquired. I wanted something to balance the evangelical "New Dictionary of Christian Ethics and Pastoral Theology" published by IVP. For this purpose it is great. On 'marriage' for exmaple "The Westminster" is not so dogmatic but provides good well-written material and alternative readings.

This dictionary was updated in 1986, making it 14-15 years old. While it has a reference to 'cloning' it doesn't to the 'internet' and some other recent topics. This however means that the Christian ethicist has to keep thinking up things for themeslves rather than being able to look them up - a sign of our fast-moving times.

I would recommend this work for anyone who has to deal with controversial from a Christian framework.

David Hatcher Childress's book looks at the Lemuria story, the lost continent of the Pacific or maybe Indian ocean, with great imagination and intellectual curiosity. For the first time since the 1930s he approached the subject in detail, and he is not afraid to take on many aspects of the story, however quirky, with an open mind. Moreover, I liked the physical descriptions of the places he visited, and the book can be read as an offbeat travelogue as well as alternative archaeology. Recommended reading for lost continent buffs!

We are grateful this book was handed to our New Zealand Immigration Services as a gift 7 years ago. Its not the sort of title you go out and shop for yourself if you have never read anything like this before. We couldnt put this book down, our friends try to steal it. Its the kind of book you pick up over and over, alot like a favourite internet page. David, who is American and at the time when he wrote this, a very young man, deserves alot of credit for his gusto on travel blogging, research and investigation skills. His writing and personality draws you into his adventure with humour and a new sense of wonder and appreciation if you are new to ancient geographical history, with interesting maps and details on the secrets of Lemuria and Pacific. David provided in simple, humourous and evokingly well constructed form, a bridge of knowledge to things we never knew about our beautiful continent as well as Asia and India.
If : you are keen on getting an insight to life or vacations in the Southern Hemisphere, are searching for unique travel destinations or ideas, are intrigued by archaeology, this book is a perfect start. If : you live in the Pacific Rim, are brand new to subjects regarding the esoteric origins of mans civilisation in your area, talk to people from all walks of life in your work, or even possess a curiosity for things outside or even inside the box. We recommend this book and all his other titles with 50 stars for David.

With few books on Lemuria out there, this one gives probably the best run-down on the idea of a lost continent in the Pacific. Atlantis is famous in the Atlantic, but few know of the evidence, via legends, geological and archeological, of a lost civilization in the Pacific. Geologists tell us that ocean levels were 300 feet lower 10,000 years ago--and Childress tells us that this would make mini-continents of some areas of the Pacific. Does civilization stretch back 10,000 or 20,000 years? If so, than Lemuria may have existed!

One of the more important books of this decade! Their research and explanation of UFO's is a seldom heard alternative to the other 2 choices: aliens or natural phenomenom. The long cover up of US involvement in saucer projects is starting to unravel.

Thing is, the UFO story is one where one has to dedicate a lot of time before he could even come close to any informed view about it.
What is really flying out there, and more importantly, is there anything weird or "non-earthly" flying out there at all??
That's what this book tackles. Flying craft having the appearance of the now cult "flying disc" were on the drawing boards since the 30s actually. This is fact, proven by several documents that the Nazis left behind. Whether these craft actually ever flew or were tested reamins a question, but there is enough evidence to suggest that not only they did fly, but that such craft were actually tested all through the 50s the 60s and the 70s.
It's quite plausible that "flying disc§ shaped craft are today's most precious military secret.
From there on it gets foggy. Why are they still a secret? That question begs an answer, an answer that for the time being ahs not been adequately answered.
But for anyone interested in the topic, this is essential reading. It's a very well "constructed" book, it provides actual data (photos, diagrams, dates, names, documents)..And it attempts (to a very satisfactory degree) to sift through the myth and the truth. You cant call yourself a serious researcher in the UFO lore without having read this.

Packed with illustrations, this is the best book on the unusual subject that many UFOs are part of a top-secret project that began during WWII. Vesco was an Italian aircraft engineer who knew what he was talking about. He claims that Foo Fighters were developed in Germany, as were "discoid" craft. These German scientists then were moved to New Mexico where they created the secret space program. This book will amaze the reader with many references and the history of Project Paperclip scientists and the genisis of "flying saucers" made on Earth by humans. I love this book!

I was never a big Elvis fan, kinda before my time -- so i have to admit that i never knew much about his life or his music... well now i do! The start was ssslllooowww but it did pick up when he became a teenager- i read it 'cuz i LOVED Crazy in Alabama (by Childress) but honestly i was not impressed by this book, and the way it ended was so sudden. Guess i dont need to read up on Elvis (feel like i did). Read Crazy in Alabama, that is a great read!

What a rocking ride of a book! I have never been particularly interested in Elvis Presley, but this book swept me along because it is such a great story, so well told. Childress does not miss a beat and there is a beat driving it along. The Leroy Kirby character is fresh and very sympathetic. Childress captures the hot, fast blooming of a new sound and star perfectly. I'm sure it helps that even those casually acquainted with Elvis like myself can conjure some of the real life sound and look of the performances that Childress renders so convincingly, but I was impressed nevertheless. The author's song titles and lyrics, which shadow the real ones, are spot-on, and in several cases seem an improvement on the original. Downside? The story lost some of it's oomph towards the end. Of course, the tale is a carbon copy of much of the first half of Elvis' life [as I have learned by refering to Peter Guralnick's Last Train To Memphis (biography)]. Many small incidents and even place names are reproduced, along with the general outline. So there's a nagging feeling that the book should somehow be discounted a bit, with Childress just redressing a heavily borrowed story. But what a job he has done in creating a full-developed, unique character. Reading Guralnick's fine book, I find Leroy Kirby far more interesting. The power of good fiction! I also don't recognize the writing/writer here from the other novel I've read by Childress (V is for Victor - good, but Tender is much better.

Although I grew up in the 1950s, I was largely oblivious to the appeal of Elvis Presley, and I have never considered myself anywhere close to being a "fan" of his. However, Mark Childress completely absorbed my attention and sympathies in this immensely-readable narrative of a fictionalized Elvis. Permeating the initial parts of this novel is a sense of poverty, despair, and, ironically, hope. The young Elvis, disdained and forlorn, knows the solace of an overbearing, but loving, mother, and a sense of his own possibilities through his guitar. The rock star Elvis is overpowering..both in ability and character. I commented repeatedly to my wife that this book rolls at an incredible pace...and that a reader cannot help but be engrossed.

This book had the makings of being great, but turned into a fragmented disassociative bit of nonsense. It is a shame too, because if anyone should have been able to pull off "magic", Mark Childress should have. A real disappointment.

After reading Crazy in Alabama, I discovered this book and was looking forward to another fun read by Mark Childress. It is a quirky stretch of fantasy and imagination and you get into it pretty fast. I enjoyed the discovery of new celebrity residents of the mysterious island, and seeing some of the theories about the death and disappearance of these people put down on paper in an almost believable form, but about 2/3 of the way through I found myself skipping pages. You could say it's a page turner, but not for the right reasons. I just wanted to get ON with it. The only character I really cared about much at all was Ben Junior. I wanted him to find his dad.

It got fragmented, a bit garbled and almost too crazy for me toward the end. It was almost a feeling that Childress had laid out this wide expanse of story but didn't quite know what to do with it after awhile. It was good to see Ben Willis discover his soul, so to speak, finding what was really important in life after all the craziness. But bottom line, I got a little tired of the whole thing before it was over and was a bit disappointed.

It was funny, shocking, and fun to read. Then it took what was supposed to be a serious turn and the book went down hill from there. Mark Childress is great at quirky humor. I wish he would stick to it.

Let's face it: this isn't a very good book. Then again, "Godzilla vs. Monster Zero" wasn't a very "good" (if we must assign labels) movie. Childress, a "maverick archaeologist" who seems to spend most of his time floundering around grimly impoverished Third World locales and getting nowhere with evasive women at bars, provides an insanely amusing travelogue of his journeys through the jungles and exotic landscapes of Africa and Arabia, commenting along the way on the unknown Atlantean, Lemurian, and other civilizations that flourished once upon a time and were responsible for the Pyramids, THE MAHABHARATA, and presumably Jimmy Hoffa's and D.B. Cooper's whereabouts. The most insane thing about this book is that a lot of it might be true. So far as I know, we still know very little about the Neolithic era, and the concept of "lost" civilizations would imaginably appeal to many readers depressed at the state of the world (including myself). However, I must agree with the other negative reviewer that Childress offers no convincing evidence to support his theories (and not very much UNconvincing evidence, either). The only sources he uses are hopelessly mossbound Victorian "explorers" (who knows how many African bearers' lives they may have used up to supply this book with fodder for speculation?) who had their own "issues" to deal with. Don't even get me started on the possible cultural-studies implications of this book. That being said, it WAS a lot of fun, and he does occasionally come up with some exciting memories and fantastical theories that NEARLY make up for my having read this book.

Ok, let's get one thing out of the way. David Childress is not an archeologist. Some people seem to get hung up on this, so let's make that real clear. I always see his books in the "Travel Narrative" section of the bookstore, and that's exactly what they are... great travel narratives.

The books has two modes. Mr. Childress' travel stories, and his telling of "wacky" theories of the places he visits. Within the first 25 pages, you have stories of ancient nuclear weapons, flying machines, and continent spanning civilizations that no one has heard of! And he explains that this is the "easiest" way of rationalizing the things he has seen! (Such as, giant blocks of stone that are too big to move, "even by modern engineering").

On the whole, this is a great read if you want some insight into the crazy ideas that exist out there. Childress seems to have a mainline into most of them. His travel writing is pretty good too.

One note: the editing is terrible. Spelling and typos all over the place. The typography & layout of the book do leave something to be desired.

I picked up this book not realizing that I had already read excerpts from it in another of Childress' books. I was headed for Jordan and was interested in reading up on Petra when I found this book. As I read more, it began to get really interesting. His broad coverage of various theories of ancient civilizations is fascinating, if sometimes hard to believe. But, that being said, there are so many unexplained civilizations out there that, however fanciful the explanations may be, who knows, some may even be correct!! It's an entertaining read, and really causes you to reconsider some very basic historical facts that may turn out to be in error. How DID those guys at the Temple of Ba'al move 2 million pound stones?!? Makes you wonder!!