Ley Lines: The Greatest Landscape Mystery
by Danny Sullivan
If you're interested in the history of ley line hunting and how it came to be a mainstream phenomena, this is a book you've got to pick up. I would recommend it highly as a starting point if you have an interest in the subject at all, as it is an excellent introduction, a Ley Line 101 textbook, if you will.
What is Excellent About the Book
Sullivan is exceptionally thorough in his chronicling the evolution of modern "leyhunting" as he calls it, and provides a history that is really quite fascinating. He begins with Alfred Watkins, considered by many to be the father of leyhunting and first person to publish a book on the subject. Using both Watkins' recorded explorations of Great Britain and his own personal experiences, Sullivan provides starting points for the novice hunter, tips for what to look for and how to identify a topographical ley line, and gives a fairly general overview of the different theories associated with what ley lines are, may have been used for, and how they are used in modern times. The text also comes with snapshots of various leys and paths that are useful for someone looking to begin their own search for ley lines. I was also appreciative of the objective observations of the text, as Sullivan rarely gave opinions and instead offered factual, and verifiable, information.
What isn't so Excellent
Sullivan stays quite close to Watkins' observations throughout the text, which for me, was a slight disappointment. As someone who was more interested in the potentially magical aspects of ley lines and learning more about that particular aspect, I was saddened by the lack of that type of information. While Sullivan does give an overview of the concept of corpse roads, potential magnetic energies and paranormal activity associated with these types of lines, he swerves right back into discussing Watkins' "straight tracks". It appeared to me that Sullivan had a severe case of hero worship regarding the man, and this was the only instance where I had to call his writing into question. As a reader, I found this tendency to be tiring and I often just put the book down and had to find something else to do until I could get back into it. My other "bone to pick", so to speak, with Sullivan was the lack of information on ley lines that are not able to be seen with the naked eye. He barely broaches the concept of energy ley lines, and seemed uncomfortable with the idea entirely, devoting only perhaps the equivalent of a paragraph to it.
In conclusion, I will still stand by my recommendation of the book as a very good starting place for those who are interested in history or actually searching the landscape for physical ley lines. As I said, he is very thorough, packing tons of information into the text and giving it in concise, use-friendly terms.
Overall, I would rate it 3.5 out of 5.
REVIEW: Ley Lines by Danny Sullivan
Review and recommend pagan, spiritual, Wicca, & witchcraft books.
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