Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Exodus Lost by S.C. Compton


It is amazing how we take so many things for granted, how much we assume about the history of the New World. Before reading Exodus Lost, I was comfortable believing that Columbus had discovered America in 1492 and that maybe, just maybe, Leif Ericsson had landed in Newfoundland a few centuries before. I also knew that the Native Americans were thought to have crossed a land bridge from Asia across what is now the Bering Strait with no mention of Africa. Thanks to Compton’s book, I can say with certainty that the Pre-Columbian world was linked beyond random encounters and coincidences. Through compelling examples backed up by hard facts, including the Bible, he links ancient Egypt with Mesoamerica, dispelling the teachings of traditional history textbooks.

You would expect a book like this to be long-winded and pedantic. Nothing could be farther from the truth! Compton’s prose is succinct and informative, the kind of writing that makes you want to turn the page and see what’s next. Despite having done thorough research, he doesn’t get hung up on quoting and referencing scholarly works and riddling his text with footnotes. Instead, he makes sure to insert 126 beautiful photos, maps and engravings, making Exodus Lost all that more amenable. Each chapter is choc full of information on the ancient world and facts as well as hypotheses that will make you want to jump out of your seat. You will also probably ask yourself a few questions. One of mine was, “Why didn’t they teach me that in school?”

This exquisite combination of informativeness and simplicity means that this book can be read by everyone, from the merely curious to historians and Bible scholars. For those of you who feel more comfortable reading this work in Spanish, you will be delighted to know that there is a Spanish translation, Éxodo Perdido, which I am happy to report is rendered so well in Spanish that I, a professional Spanish-English Translator with twenty years of experience, was unable to notice that it was indeed a translation and not the original work. This speaks well of the author, his choice of translator and reflects his scholarship and the general care invested in Exodus Lost. So I urge you to challenge your traditional textbook knowledge and uncover the mystery of the link between ancient Egypt and the New World and have a wonderful time along the way. Available as an e-book from Amazon.

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