The 12th Planet (Book I) (Earth Chronicles)

Going into this book I was a bit skeptical about Sitchin's theory of a 12th planet. The idea that a rogue planet, with a 3600 year orbit, has been floating around out there for millions of years is pretty wild, especially considering we have yet to physically see it or take accurate pictures of it(despite being able to see millions of galaxies). Throw in the theory that this planet not only planted the seed of "life" on Earth and was responsible for the formation of our moon but also contains "The Gods" / Aliens I was almost floored with how silly this theory sounded. That all changed when I began to read this book. Starting from the beginning you are immediately hit with just how detailed Sitchin's work is. The huge bibliography in the back isn't just for show. 30+ years of research shows in his writing and the detail he goes into with subjects (in fact sometimes it can get tedious). Sitchin's book (The 12th Planet) fires on all cylinders providing the reader with some very solid evidence towards backing his theory up. With each page more and more information is presented to the reader in the form of biblical quotes, maps, detailed images / sketchings, and even hand drawn diagrams breaking down material. All this content is used to slowly build up a large background wealth of knowledge to be used when Sitchin finally gets to the "meat" of the book (Chapter 6: The Twelfth Planet). At this point you might find yourself deeply drawn in, or perhaps chuckling to yourself how silly this all is; but either way it will be hard to put this book down once the pieces of the puzzle begin to fall into place. Everything about this book feels well thought out. Sitchin clearly spent a lot of time researching the material and organizing it. The staggering number of correlations he finds really gives his theory a solid leg to stand on, plus gives answers to many questions scientists had at the time. Even with all this material, and so many discoveries there are plenty of holes in Sitchin's Theory. I found quite a few when it came to the orbit of the 12th planet, as well as the strange lack of gravitational influences the 12th planet has had throughout creation. However, this goes to show why it is a THEORY and not fact; as the validity of the material can be brought into question. Keep in mind however, Einstein's E=mc^2 equation is only right about 99.7% of the time which is why it is called the THEORY of Relativity (not a LAW); and at one point it was considered ridiculous that the Earth was round. **OVERALL** The 12th Planet is a must read. It is a fantastic book that brings mountains of facts and pieces together to create a giant puzzle that gets solved right before your eyes. However, I can see why people question the accuracy of Sitchin's translation of Sumerian and the Religious scriptures. At times it sometimes seems too "perfect" a match and there just seems far to much evidence to support the theory. Am I still skeptical about "The 12th Planet" existing, YES. However, this book opened my eyes to many similarities and events scattered across Mankind's history. The material is very in depth and even if you do not believe, this book makes for a fantastic Science Fiction piece then. This is a book that will not disappoint! **NOTE: This Book is actually classified as "NON-FICTION" which surprised me, as often controversial theories like this get labeled as fiction. This shows just how solid the physical material being used by Sitchin is. (Only real argument I could make is his translations of the material and there seems to be a lack of understanding of gravitational physics) **NOTE: You should go into this book with an open mind. There is a fantastic wealth of knowledge here as long as you are willing to open your mind to it

Well done, with constant references and corroboration to other historical records and scientific tomes, including The Bible. This is my second read through of this work. Sitchin is remarkable.

... yes I do! Zecharia Sitchin brings into focus so much of the Bible shrouded in mystery ... its Cliff's Note summary gaps allowing too much interpretation for misguidance, ultimately resulting in religious wars. Sitchin fills in some of the blanks and it makes absolute sense. I traveled to Peru after reading the first three books in The 12th Planet series. Awing the wonders with an entirely new understanding than the tired, worn out assumptions of anthropology and boxed religious rantings. The 12th Planet is not an easy read unless you are well versed in myth(?)ology. I finally gave up and bought his Index making it much easier. Not a book of fiction, rather based upon reliable research, excellent quotes from substantiating references, The 12th Planet will awaken knowledge you know, but have lost through generations of DNA reconditioning. Political/religious control/manipulation. The 12th Planet is Sitchin's life work. Spirited into the subject as a child by a teachers inability to answer his questions ... her attempt to corral his mind into isolated, acceptable thought ... Sitchin stretched his mind ... learned to read the Sumerian language, allowing his research into ancient records that few have dared to travel, because the information potentially destroys current religious culture/beliefs. If only minds would open to the possibilities Stitchin offers in his literature. Perhaps sooner than later, since science is discovering new huge planets that could support life; how the moon was formed, all pointing to the man who for years purported a truth everyone snubbed. I wish only he had lived long enough to see his research validated by the very sciences that ignored, even castigated his work. It took me three months to read The 12th Planet. 1) Each character with various names depending upon the culture being discussed, and succeeding paragraph easily change cultures, 2) So much knowledge is packed into every page, some page ideas stumped me. I had to put the book down for several days or weeks to digest the new way of seeing, which in some respects will totally distort currently held belief systems ... especially fundamental Baptist upbringings, even though already I was way past that box, or so I thought. Sitchin brought me so much farther. He opened my eyes, expanded my mind, offered me new possibilities for my very existence. And, I believe. NOT RECOMMENDED for orthodox Christians unwilling to consider possibilities outside the theology of the church. To read Sitchin's works, one must be treading a Spiritual Path, willing to accept new ideas, able to open their vision that just maybe we are the fabric of another race ... without erasing the fact there is a Creator ... One, who created all things and another, that just possibly formed us out of the clay ... just not exactly the way we have been led to believe. I Believe. Do you?

Just what my husband was looking for! He finds this book so interesting. Loves the it has pictures and diagrams

well, on and off though out my life I have been interested in learning about the Sumerians. I have always but very cruises over ancient humans and how they viewed the world. many culture have story of powerful beings they gods, aliens, angel or demons, either helped us or have used us as a tool. I do believe this could be true on cretin levels (that something could be out there) yet I know how smart humans can be when we turn off the tv. though my studies of random things I came across the Sumerians and this book. so I did a little more research and was blown away of the stories like the "the epic of Gilgamesh" even for people that don't go the alien route this book and really any other story dealing with the sumerians are part of are great past and is worth father study. dealing with the 12th planet, I have read the book and started reading it a second time I'm hooked. yes as other review have written the guy does sometimes goes on and on. but really you got to think that he is saying things that for most can't believe or just plainly wont even look at. the book is a little dated and it does start off with a little knowledge that every person should know. once you get past that it opens right up. I have to say now reading many book on this subject that there are many different views and some go along with zacharua sitchen and some dont. so unless you spend 50 years learn cuneiform what do we do. with this I have to bring up a few other points. for a long time I used to watch tv history channel and read a few book on egypt, with the power of hindsight I see that it was a very very limited view. I know chris dunn idea might be to much to handle he does make some great arguments on how did they truly carve granite to such perfection with copper tool. really? his web site is [...] if you like this then the next place to do research in with him. even if you don't go with his idea of the pyramid he make a great point and on his site has some amazing photos of stone work that we can't do today. then one last plug check out Peru [...] this guy release video on machu picchu and other peru places that I wish to visit one day since this is where the gods may have lived. yes I do believe if there was this greater power, being/s if you will then they live here. the stone work here can not be touched, there is no other place found on earth that is more amazing to me. as for how this all ties in with the book. it just prove that there was something. sure maybe there was never god or other being and we are just great story teller. or found that it was a means to control the masses yet you do have to ask yourself how and why did people 2000+ (12000+ I believe) build to such a great detail. how can people live all around the world have such similar stories. last but not least why does the main stream never explore any of these other idea of what might of happenned and just make people that follow this stuff quicks and write them off? it just strange to me. well enough with the chatting just get the book. even if it is not to your cup of tea with aliens, just change the word with gods. or even still that this is what are ancestor writen down for future generation. well worth the read even if some of it a little wrong or far fetched. I'm sure you will walk away with some questions. it better then watching the TV....

This truly is an amazing book. I really didn't know what I was getting into when I started reading it, but it makes an eerie kind of sense like nothing else I've read. There are many mysteries in the world. The Bible stories leave us with many questions. The ancient ruins of Mesopotamia and Egypt and those of many other civilizations inspire awe, wonderment and a need for answers, but many of these historical questions remain unanswered. This book brings it all together with such clarity! Now, of course there are the skeptics who say that it's only a fanciful fairy tale and cannot be taken seriously; but approached objectively, with an open mind, it cannot be dismissed so easily either. I confess, I have seen such with my own eyes that I am without doubt that we are not alone in this universe, or this galaxy for that matter. Knowing what I do about cover-ups, lies & disinformation all designed to distract from the truth - only makes this book all that more credible. If you can't believe that much though, then at least read the book simply for a good tour of lesser known history and its artifacts, and maybe it can inspire you to form your own ideas and theories about the true history of this planet.

Update: I now have the CDs version which comes on 11 CDs. The MP3 CDs which are 2, don't even have Chapter Marks. I'm really glad I bought the actual Audiobook CDs. Amazon really should make it easier to find them. Now I'll make a higher quality Audiobook with the sound normalized a little higher. The MP3s for the MP3-CDs are split by files, 20 of them. There are not any indicators of chapters. That's really lame for "iPod, iPhone, iDevice Ready." But the price is very low, so ya.. I got this from a Pre-Order, around December 25th for Youtide (that's what it is Christians, not Christmas), and because I was so excited I goofed and didn't realize I picked the MP3-CD!! Grr!! Ah, well, price was cheap enough...I decided to keep it. I also wanted to know what quality they made the MP3s in. I'm heavily into video editing and sound. First...avoid this in MP3s!! The volume should be raised if you're going to listen to it with an iPhone speaker, or an iPad 2 and not Earbuds. 2nd, it does NOT come with a picture image depicting which Book it's for. So you have to add that. Hmmm...I think who made this doesn't understand Metadata. I encode my stuff in stereo, NOT mono....even since the voice is in mono. Then plus is...it's all encoded as 128Kbps instead of that horrible 64Kbps!! I've reprocessed it so the volume is louder AND is recognized AS an Audiobook rather than Music. The PLUS...is the reader is doing well, and I dig that. So I'm keeping the collection, but I've ordered the CDs version because I don't like the crappy setup they did. It's like Buying a Blu-ray and getting the code for the poorly rendered Digital version that is Copy Protected so you're not allowed to watch it YOUR way...on whatever devices you have. This is why I never use those codes, I rip and use USB Hard Drives and keep the full quality. Or I re-Author the Blu-ray myself. The content on these 2 CDs is....ehhhhhh....could have been created much better and preped it much better for iPod/iPhone, etc.. I will do a lot better job once I have the CDs. But I am glad, from being really ticked earlier, that I've been able to start listening ('m a very, very slow reader---by pages). It's unabridged and so far I'm hearing details the abridged version didn't have, yay!! I'll update this once I have the CDs. I'll leave the stars as 5..for the excellent information as it is like the book. Avoid the MP3-CD!! Unless you're cool with the limits.

This is a difficult book to rate. Some of the book is excellent as it is filled with good information about ancient history and raises excellent questions concerning our ancient past. It is really remarkable in its ability to cause one to think about what was really going on in ancient history. Other parts of the book are just wrong. Some parts of the book are not trustworthy, and here are some examples: "Scientists have also come to the unexpected conclusion that not only could life have evolved upon the outer planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune) but it probably did evolve there. (Kindle location 4304). There is no citation for this idea and, being an avid science reader and I have read Science News for decades, no such opinion is held by "scientist". "The experiments conducted on the Moon by the American astronauts and the study and analysis of the soil and rock samples they brought back have established beyond doubt that the Moon, though presently barren, was once a "living planet." ( Kindle location 3387) Once again, no citation, and the rocks collected on the moon show the opposite. In one translation of an ancient middle east document Mr. Sitchin contends it reads: "He demanded that Enki 'stop feeding his people,' that he no longer 'supply corn rations on which the people thrive.'" (Kindle location 6907). Of course, corn was not known in the middle east in ancient times and was developed in America. This is the same person that will ask us to trust his translation expertise throughout the book and his claims that the ancient Sumerian texts say what he claims they say. These misstatements throw a lot of doubt on many other so called factual statements in the text. One could go on and on with the problems, especially the problems with the constant comings and goings of people from a 12th planet by spaceships landing at spaceports who have left nothing behind in the way of unusual metals, drinking or eating vessels or utensils, or unusual clothing showing exotic weaves et al. It seems the great flood destroyed everything. It also seems to have destroyed useful engineering information like the pulley or metal cables. The pictures that have survived have all been drawn by humans and show, only vaguely, spaceships and entities in spacesuits. The drawings and paintings do not show pulleys in use, metal pliers, metal screws or screwdrivers, rivets, or forges with bellows and other mechanisms for raising the temperature of the fire. In reality, the drawings and paintings show nothing really modern. The spacemen, it seems, really did leave absolutely nothing behind - not even a drawings on metal such as we launched into space on Voyager. Nonetheless, the book does open a thought provoking door on the past with its discussions about the whys of certain things. Why is the number 12 so important in the ancient world? It seems ten or five would be far more important. So, the book is still a lot of fun even if it does get a bit off track at times. AD2

Very interesting source book about the history and beyond. More than ever we need to enlighten ourselves about the facts and shift to a new perspective

Very readable , with a lot of back-up from the old testament. Gets a bit spooky when considering the planetary conflict with tiamet.

This is our history. In this book it’s possible to understand a lot of things had as “holy”, and how the human race was created and is still controlled by beliefs imposed - even to this day, by all types of myth and religion. It’s a must read for those who don’t stop seeking for answers.

Amazing book gives you a wide range of understanding the old Civilizations

Assuming I fall in to the theorem of aliens made us, and we all like to dream. Then this story has been holing me in its grip for a few years now. I have doubts like in order for it to be true the Annunaki beings must live for thousands of yrs. However I have an open mind, I know im 98% ape I love bananas, I have the remnants of a tail, and recently developed spurs ie claws coming from my heels!! Alas Just dont like heights, no bodies perfect. Some time in future I will finish it, keep reading bit by bit. If its a fantasy its a good one. If its true then don't want to be around when the Annunaki come back, all they want is Gold and poss a lot more.