2012 and the End of the World: The Western Roots of the Maya Apocalypse

Did the Maya really predict that the world would end in December of 2012? If not, how and why has 2012 millenarianism gained such popular appeal? In this deeply knowledgeable book, two leading historians of the Maya answer these questions in a succinct, readable, and accessible style. Matthew Restall and Amara Solari introduce, explain, and ultimately demystify the 2012 phenomenon. They begin by briefly examining the evidence for the prediction of the world's end in ancient Maya texts and images, analyzing precisely what Maya priests did and did not prophesize. The authors then convincingly show how 2012 millenarianism has roots far in time and place from Maya cultural traditions, but in those of medieval and Early Modern Western Europe. Revelatory any myth-busting, while remaining firmly grounded in historical fact, this fascinating book will be essential reading as the countdown to December 21, 2012, begins.

Matthew Restall is Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of History, Anthropology, and Women's Studies at Penn State University, USA. He has written a number of history books, with titles like Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquest and When Montezuma Met Cortés, but he secretly always wanted to write about music. Now the secret is out. He lives in Pennsylvania with his wife (not a huge Elton John fan), his many daughters (four), and his many records (more than four).