This a fascinating read that shatters nearly all of the previously held notions by so-called Egyptologists (quite an envious, suppressive and self-serving lot as Von Daniken reveals). Von Daniken's theories and analyses are well thought out (yeah, but he's the ET nutcase right?), inquisitive and chock full of good 'ol common sense -- something that is sorely lacking in much scientific research. Try some of these fascinating observations & findings on for size:
-Mysterious mixture of crushed animal bones and asphalt found in numerous sarcophagi, along with thousands of animal mummies. Why?
-The mystery of a lost Egyptian labyrinth.
-The pyramids could have been constructed using blocks that were cast like cement!
-In 1993, a German scientist was allowed to send a small robot with a camera into a tiny shaft in the Queen's Chamber of the Great Pyramid. What he found at the other end was amazing, well nigh earthshattering, but he was summarily discredited and muzzled. The media barely caught wind of it and before long there was silence.
-If the Great Pyramid, attributed to a megalomaniacal king like Khufu, was such a grand statement of his magnificence, why are there no heiroglypics to be found anywhere within the pyramid, proclaiming his greatness? Why is the Great Pyramid strangely anonymous?
I have to laugh out loud at all the self-professed armchair scholars, "scientists" and "historians" who continually attack Von Daniken's theories because of his long-held belief that extraterrestrials may have influenced our ancient civilizations (sounds reasonable to me...who were all those "gods from the sky" anyhow?). Here in this book, he mentions a possible ET connection only sporadically. In fact, the bulk of this book is devoted to a complete re-examination of ancient Egypt through the accounts of ancient historians (many Arabic, who seem to be ignored by modern Egyptology) and pioneering scientists of today, Von Daniken being one of them. You simply will not believe how much information is being thrown out with the bathwater by status quo "science" and "history".
Yes, there are some far-fetched ideas involving human-animal hybridization at the hands of ET "masters", but this is certainly no reason to dismiss all of his work. That's taking the easy way out...closing your mind.