NOT OF THIS WORLD

Sphere paperback, reprint, February 1974.

"The 'astronauts' of ancient Japan, Mexico and the Sahara...the mysterious Great Wall of Peru...the legends of Mu and Atlantis...the astronomical clock at Stonehenge...the extra-terrestrial giants described in the Popol Vuh, ancient bible of the Maya Indians. 

NOT OF THIS WORLD is a revolutionary survey of the evidence that a highly advanced technological people from another solar system had contact with our planet in the prehistoric past. The author backs his argument with an impressive array of fact drawn from history, myth and archaeology, and a unique collection of drawings and photographs."

I've always found the notion of ancient astronauts appealing, and there's some fascinating stuff in this book, especially in terms of mythology and legends. True or not, it's nice to ponder 'what if' occasionally. Kolosimo comes off as more informed and genuine than (contemporary?) Erich von Däniken, whose theories seem to centre around the statement 'This looks like X, therefore, it is...' For me, the excerpts from the Popol Vuh in particular, are worth keeping the book, so is the cover actually.

GODS AND SPACEMEN THROUGHOUT HISTORY

Sphere paperback, 1977. Cover artist uncredited.

"From pre-history Flying Saucers in one guise or another have been seen in our skies. Where have they come from? What are they here for? 

As Earthmen land on the Moon, we ask ourselves Has all this happened before? Could Extraterrestrials from the stars have landed on Earth centuries ago? 

Our ancestors believed they were inspired by the Gods, all-powerful visitors from beyond Earth. How much influence have these Space-Gods had on Man's evolution? Can we hope for some guidance from the past for our own sadly troubled times? 

In this revelatory book, W. Raymond Drake examines the role of Extraterrestrials in Man's development and assures us that in times to come Man will again be visited by Gods and Spacemen from other worlds."