MAZES AND LABYRINTHS (LARGE PRINT Edition) : A General Account of Their History and Development

Matthews, W. H.

ISBN 10: 1610335864 / ISBN 13: 9781610335867

Published by TGS Publishing, Frankston, Texas, 2010

About this Item

408 pages: 7 x 8.25 in.: KB#018528: LIKE-NEW, UNOPENED, UNREAD, Condition. This is a recent LARGE PRINT (15 Point Font) reprint of the original 1922 book by W. H. Matthews. Covers and pages are clean, unmarked, brightly colored, tightly bound and sharp cornered. Scarce, Out Of Print, Book. "Ever since Herodotus stood in awe before the Great Labyrinth of Egypt and its 3,000 rooms, men have been fascinated by labyrinthine puzzles, constructions, and mazes. This book explores the subject in full, with a complete illustrated account of labyrinths and mazes of all kinds, from earliest times to the present.There are labyrinths that consist entirely of rooms and columns, like the Egyptian Labyrinth itself. There are the labyrinths of ancient history and of myth, such as the celebrated Cretan maze in which Theseus slew the Minotaur. There are labyrinths constructed of caverns, those built to protect tombs, and those designed to guard treasures. Labyrinthine patterns have been used in gardens (such as the famous Hampton Court maze), embossed on coins, employed as emblems of royalty, made to represent allegories, built of stones, embedded into the pavements of early churches, and made into toys. We learn about all of them - all that is known, for mystery seems an inescapable part of the story of the labyrinth. With devoted scholarship and a nice appreciation for what he terms "the lure of the labyrinth," the author takes us through accounts of the ancient mazes, the "meanders" of Greek and Roman times, theories on the meaning of church labyrinths, the "mizmaze," turf mazes and their origins, the floral labyrinth, the hedge maze, examples in stones and carved on rocks, links between labyrinths and magic, maze etymology, hints on maze design and principles of solution, the labyrinth in literature, the labyrinth in strange places, mirror mazes, and even a verbal labyrinth. All important or exceptional examples are illustrated. This is a book for anyone who is intrigued by puzzles or beguiled by mysteries, a book for the historian, the mathematician, the student, the lover of the classic, and all those who enjoy reading the product of a cultivated mind dwelling on a subject that touches much of our cultural and artistic heritage.". Seller Inventory # 018528

Bibliographic Details

Title: MAZES AND LABYRINTHS (LARGE PRINT Edition) :...

Publisher: TGS Publishing, Frankston, Texas

Publication Date: 2010

Binding: Trade Paperback

Condition: New

Edition: Recent Reprint: First Printing.

About this title

Synopsis:

A DELIGHTFUL air of romance and mystery surrounds the whole subject of Labyrinths and Mazes. The hedge-maze, which is the only type with which most of us have a first-hand acquaintance, is generally felt to be a survival of a romantic age, even though we esteem its function as nothing higher than that of a playground for children. Many a tender intrigue has been woven around its dark yew alleys. Mr. Compton Mackenzie, for example, introduces it most effectively as a lovers' rendezvous in "The Passionate Elopement," and no doubt the readers of romantic literature will recall other instances of a like nature. The story of fair Rosamond's Bower is one which will leap to the mind in this connection. This type of maze alone is worth more than a passing thought, but it is far from being the only, or even the most interesting, development of the labyrinth idea. What is the difference, it may be asked, between a maze and a labyrinth? : Large Print, 15 point font, New Edition