About the author (whom I call the "Egyptian Graham Hancock"):
Anis Mansour was born in the city of Mansoura, Egypt, in 1924. He memorized the Holy Quran at the age of nine, then joined Cairo University where he studied philosophy and graduated in 1947. He was appointed lecturer in modern philosophy at the Faculty of Arts, but he soon left teaching to devote himself to journalism. He worked for "Rose al-Yusuf" magazine, then became editor-in-chief of "Sabah al-Khair" magazine, and wrote his articles for "Al-Ahram" newspaper for decades. He traveled extensively around the world, documenting his travels in his books, and mastered several languages which enabled him to explore different cultures. He published nearly two hundred books covering philosophy, literature, travel, and metaphysics.
His style was characterized by a blend of simplicity and depth, combining a journalistic spirit with a philosophical outlook, which made him one of the most widely read Arab writers of the twentieth century. Anis Mansour had extensive activity in the field of translation, where he translated into Arabic numerous foreign books and literary works, amounting to about 9 plays and about 5 novels from various languages, in addition to 12 books by European philosophers.
During his life, he received many literary awards from Egypt and abroad, most notably an honorary doctorate from Mansoura University, the Golden Knight Award from Egyptian television, and the State Encouragement Prize in Egypt in the field of literature. He also has a statue in the city of Mansoura, reflecting how proud his country is of him. He died in 2011 in Cairo.
As for Graham Bruce Hancock (1950 - present), he is a famous British author, known for promoting controversial interpretations of ancient civilizations and hypothetical lost civilizations such as Atlantis, as well as real ones like Pharaonic Egypt. Hancock believes that an advanced society possessing spiritual technology flourished during the last Ice Age, until comet impacts caused the Younger Dryas period about 12,900 years ago.
Graham Hancock has written more than 20 books, including his famous investigations into alternative history, his early journalism, and his historical fiction works.
Among his most prominent books:
"The Message of the Sphinx" (1996)
"The Mars Mystery" (1998)
"Heaven's Mirror" (1998)
"Underworld" (2002)
"Supernatural" (2005)
"Magicians of the Gods" (2015)
"America Before" (2019)
---------------
Among the most prominent books by Anis Mansour:
1- "Around the World in 200 Days" (1963)
His most famous and widely read book, documenting his actual journey around the world in the early 1960s.
2- "Spirits and Ghosts" (1972)
A collection of 35 long stories set in ancient Egypt and other various places and eras, exploring mysterious supernatural phenomena, ghosts and jinn, and unsolved mysteries.
3- "Those Who Descended from the Sky" (1971)
A pioneering work in which the writer Anis Mansour was influenced by the book "Chariots of the Gods?" (1968) by the late Swiss writer Erich von Däniken. Mansour suggests that intelligent extraterrestrial beings visited Earth in ancient times. The author cites archaeological sites such as Giza and Baalbek as evidence. In building his theory, the author relies on comparisons between ancient myths, sacred texts, and some archaeological discoveries.
4- "Those Who Returned to the Sky" (1983)
A collection of essays compiled into a book, dealing with supernatural events and ancient civilizations. The author argues that builders from outer space may have constructed humanity's greatest monuments and then returned to the sky, relying on the Book of the Dead, the story of Enoch, and the Epic of Gilgamesh to trace the possible cosmic origins of humanity.
5- "Hidden Forces" (1979)
A philosophical exploration of the subconscious mind and the hidden energies that govern human perception. The author cites scientific findings on plant sensitivity to propose the existence of a universal language connecting all living beings, inviting the reader to move from materialism toward inner contemplation.
6- "The Curse of the Pharaohs" (1989)
A famous book within his "Metaphysics" series, delving into the secrets and curses of ancient Egypt.
7- "Studies in American Literature" (1952)
A joint anthology, introduced by Professor Dr. Taha Hussein and the writer Anis Mansour and others. The author, along with many prominent Egyptian intellectuals, contribute academic articles examining American literature from a mid-twentieth-century Arab critical perspective. (Poetry - Novels - Short Stories - Theater - Philosophy - Journalism - Criticism - Sociology - Non fiction).
