1 of 1

Write now Article Tools

Page 2 of 2

over-simplification. The rise of history on T.V. has often resulted in authors trying to cash in on this popularity by churning out superficial and inaccurate books that do nothing to further the general understanding of history in the long run. Mithen manages to find a middle ground that makes the book both highly readable and massively informative. One of the ways that he manages to bring his subject to life is through the very interesting approach of having an imaginary guide to visually introduce the site that is being discussed. Seeing the past in purely visual terms through human eyes really lifts the locations off of the page. Vivid descriptions of walking into a clearing and seeing the wood smoke rising from a hunters camp as it bustles with activity counts for a lot more than pages of dry superstition and analysis. At no point does Mitten ever try to push assumptions on the reader via these descriptions they are just there to set the scene before getting stuck into the more academic side of things.

It is this combination of clarity through description and an easily accessible text that make the book a bench mark in the mission to open up history to a wider audience. The period that the book covers has never been one that is an obvious catch for budding historians, but Mithen manages to really bring to life a period that has for a long time been treated as an information wasteland and instils it with a vibrancy and life that catches the imagination. It is a large and wide-ranging study but will deliver everything that you will ever need to know about the early prehistory of mankind.

Learn more about this author, Dave Franklin.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

• << previous page
• 1
• 2

Add your voice

Know something about Book reviews: After the Ice, by Steven Mithen?
We want to hear your view. Write now!