Isle of Avalon

I found this book a delight to read! The way it brings the landscape of Glastonbury to life is amazing. A must have for anyone studying the Glastonbury sites or who has an interest in Avalon

I read this book in preparation for a trip to England and a visit to Glastonbury. This is a well written and thoughtful book that gives the reader a very comprehensive history of the Glastonbury area. It's a nice balance of traditional science and alternative archaeology, and I felt that my experience when I visited was enhanced from having read this book first. I highly recommend that anyone planning a visit here read this book! Or, if you are interested in ancient British cultures and/or the Arthur legends or the book The Mists of Avalon, this will certainly interest you.

Avalon is probably the most thorough study of Glastonbury, from the very beginning of its history to modern times. Mann covers a bit of everything, from the strange theories to geology and everything in between. An easy and interesting read. He does go off his path a bit in the appendix where he tries to get philosophical. His understanding of Christian history & theology seems a bit limited, which is surprising considering the rest of the book. He claims that the "duality of good and evil" did not arise in Western thought until later times. Perhaps he should read Genesis. Christianity has a very spiritual side that rivals the mystics of the pagans. Often the pagan mysticism is presented as being simple and can include anything. It has become almost the new New Ageism. I tend to think some turn to paganism because they don't know of the spiritual side of Christianity and don't like that Christianity doesn't promise to be an easy, blissful religion in the sense that most people understand. But if a religion makes you feel happy all the time and hides the realities of the world, is the religion real? Or is just ultimately smoke and mirrors? As Christians reclaim their spiritual legacy, pagans need to actually learn what their and our religions are, before pretending they know based on what other people tell them.

I have not yet finished this book, as it does take awhile to read. It is very informative and has a lot of intersting facts about this Avalon and Glastonbury; however, it can be difficult to read.

Anyone interested in the background behind the mysts of Avalon will enjoy this book. I found it well-researched, fairly easy to read, and quite informative. A great collection to my library.