Synopses & Reviews
Mount Ararat is the most fabled mountain in the world. For millennia this massif in eastern Turkey has been rumored as the resting place of Noahand#8217;s Ark following the Great Flood. But it also plays a significant role in the longstanding conflict between Turkey and Armenia.
Author Rick Antonson joined a five-member expedition to the mountainand#8217;s nearly 17,000-foot summit, trekking alongside a contingent of Armenians, for whom Mount Ararat is the stolen symbol of their country. Antonson weaves vivid historical anecdote with unexpected travel vignettes, whether tracing earlier mountaineering attempts on the peak, recounting the genocide of Armenians and its unresolved debate, or depicting the Kurdsand#8217; ambitions for their own nationand#8217;s borders, which some say should include Mount Ararat.
What unfolds in Full Moon Over Noahand#8217;s Ark is one manand#8217;s odyssey, a tale told through many stories. Starting with the flooding of the Black Sea in 5500 BCE, through to the Epic of Gilgamesh and the contrasting narratives of the Great Flood known to followers of the Judaic, Christian and Islamic religions, Full Moon Over Noahand#8217;s Ark takes readers along with Antonson through the shadows and broad landscapes of Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Armenia, shedding light on a troubled but fascinating area of the world.
Synopsis
Acclaimed travel writer Rick Antonson sets his adventurous compass on Mount Ararat, exploring the region's long history, religious mysteries, and complex politics.
Mount Ararat is the most fabled mountain in the world. For millennia this massif in eastern Turkey has been rumored as the resting place of Noah's Ark following the Great Flood. But it also plays a significant role in the longstanding conflict between Turkey and Armenia.
Author Rick Antonson joined a five-member expedition to the mountain's nearly 17,000-foot summit, trekking alongside a contingent of Armenians, for whom Mount Ararat is the stolen symbol of their country. Antonson weaves vivid historical anecdote with unexpected travel vignettes, whether tracing earlier mountaineering attempts on the peak, recounting the genocide of Armenians and its unresolved debate, or depicting the Kurds' ambitions for their own nation's borders, which some say should include Mount Ararat.
What unfolds in Full Moon Over Noah's Ark is one man's odyssey, a tale told through many stories. Starting with the flooding of the Black Sea in 5600 BCE, through to the Epic of Gilgamesh and the contrasting narratives of the Great Flood known to followers of the Judaic, Christian and Islamic religions, Full Moon Over Noah's Ark takes readers along with Antonson through the shadows and broad landscapes of Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Armenia, shedding light on a troubled but fascinating area of the world.
About the Author
Rick Antonson is the former president and CEO of Tourism Vancouver and past chair of the board for the Destination Marketing Association International, based in Washington, D.C. Antonson is the author of several books, including the travel memoirs
Route 66 Still Kicks and
To Timbuktu for a Haircut. He lives in Vancouver, Canada, and Cairns, Australia.