Listen free for 30 days

  • America Before

  • A new investigation into the ancient apocalypse
  • Written by: Graham Hancock
  • Narrated by: Graham Hancock
  • Length: 17 hrs and 16 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (392 ratings)

1 credit a month, good for any title to download and keep.
The Plus Catalogue—listen all you want to thousands of Audible Originals, podcasts, and audiobooks.
$14.95 a month plus applicable taxes after 30 day trial. Cancel anytime.
America Before cover art

America Before

Written by: Graham Hancock
Narrated by: Graham Hancock
Try for $0.00

$14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $34.16

Buy Now for $34.16

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Tax where applicable.

Publisher's Summary

The Sunday Times top 10 best seller

Was an advanced civilisation lost to history in the global cataclysm that ended the last Ice Age? Graham Hancock, the internationally best-selling author, has made it his life's work to find out - and in America Before, he draws on the latest archaeological and DNA evidence to bring his quest to a stunning conclusion.

We've been taught that North and South America were empty of humans until around 13,000 years ago - amongst the last great landmasses on earth to have been settled by our ancestors. But new discoveries have radically reshaped this long-established picture and we know now that the Americas were first peopled more than 130,000 years ago - many tens of thousands of years before human settlements became established elsewhere.

Hancock's research takes us on a series of journeys and encounters with the scientists responsible for the recent extraordinary breakthroughs. In the process, from the Mississippi Valley to the Amazon Rainforest, he reveals that ancient 'New World' cultures share a legacy of advanced scientific knowledge and sophisticated spiritual beliefs with supposedly unconnected 'Old World' cultures. Have archaeologists focused for too long only on the 'Old World' in their search for the origins of civilisation while failing to consider the revolutionary possibility that those origins might in fact be found in the 'New World'?

America Before: The Key to Earth's Lost Civilisation is the culmination of everything that millions of people have loved in Hancock's body of work over the past decades, namely a mind-dilating exploration of the mysteries of the past, amazing archaeological discoveries and profound implications for how we lead our lives today.

©2019 Graham Hancock (P)2019 Hodder & Stoughton Limited

What the critics say

"Hancock's books provide a fascinating, alternative version of prehistory. America Before, detailed and wide-ranging, turns what was myth and legend into a new story of the past." (Daily Mail

What listeners say about America Before

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    314
  • 4 Stars
    54
  • 3 Stars
    20
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    290
  • 4 Stars
    31
  • 3 Stars
    10
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    2
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    270
  • 4 Stars
    45
  • 3 Stars
    15
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Makes you think

I was introduced to Graham Handcock and his studies from the Joe Rogan Podcast. I am intrigued by his studies and how recent discoveries make us change our thinking of the origins and history of life.

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Fascinating book

Information was presented in a clear and logical way. Author drew on scientific journals and field work. I really enjoyed his previous work Fingerprint of the Gods. This book did not disappoint. The last three chapters could have been condensed as he strays away from fact to opinion.

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

History of the Americas is now extremely exciting!

I was in grade school in Canada in the eighties and although I always liked history I found the history of Americas to be quite boring and dull. Maybe it was intentionally taught that way to avoid drawing attention to the real story and the uncomfortable truths about the atrocities of European settlements.
After listening to America Before I now want to know everything I can about it and I really hope new technology will speed the discovery of the forgotten past.

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

informative and speculation bordering fact

interesting and inspiring truly a work of pure researched and well thought out data... highly recommend for those interested in the origin of mankind and its ancestors 👌

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Stong passion, needs more evidence.

Hancock's performance in this book is amazing. His passion and his ideas really shine through and you can hear it in his voice. however. on many occasions Hancock reverts to say ' I have covered this in another books' or ' you see these types of evidences in other people's work'. I don't know if he included a lot of graphs or appendices or charts in the physical book however the audiobook does not give the listener enough scientific evidence to go over while listening to the audio book. the geological features and astrological impactors that have affected the Earth are all very real and accounted for by scientists working in their own fields.

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Captivating

I was able to follow with ease and found the content to be fascinating. Open your heart and mind without prejudice so that you can take it all in. Also, the narration makes it an easy listening experience. Graham definitely has a voice in every sense of the word.

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Pat
  • 2019-05-21

not for everyone, but interesting for sure

Many chapters go in very precise details about archeological findings and measurements, sometimes not always very easy to follow. I would have kept these specific notes inside a scientific study instead of a general knowledge book. All in all very interesting take and views about the history of man kind plus a good jab at the hard headed / lobby focused archeological community.

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Ground Breaking

Amazing book with so much information about our past that leads to more questions and mystery.

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Nothing but Excellent

Well written and research is top notch, please keep up the excellent work. Thank you Graham Hancock.

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Excellent historical facts

The sheer amount of indisputable evidence in this book is remarkable! It really goes to show we know nothing of our past. The history books have it wrong.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for sebastian g.
  • sebastian g.
  • 2019-08-21

sensational! groundbreaking!

excellent reading by the original author.
data is scientific, with the references for checking if wanted

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Bobbi R.
  • Bobbi R.
  • 2023-03-08

Another great book

I have been slowly making my way through Graham Hancock’s books and this one is just as great as the others. I was particularly interested in this one, since I reside in North America. As always, the narration is impeccable and the content fascinating. Highly recommend.

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Anonymous User
  • Anonymous User
  • 2022-12-28

So lovely

One of the best booked I ever read. Grahams best in my opinion! Would reccomend to anyone who wants their heart filled with wonder

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Colleen O'Brien
  • Colleen O'Brien
  • 2022-09-18

Excellent Investigation

This is an excellent investigation of a little publicised area of ancient history and tells a credible story of so many lost treasures of culture and links to more recent archaeology discovers we find hard to explain, a deeply interesting book and subject.

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Your Mushroom Guy
  • Your Mushroom Guy
  • 2021-08-30

Interesting and a Must Listen ...

this podcast was quite dry but full of interesting content. I think it would be a difficult read but a recommended audible if you're a walker. meaning ... if you take long 1 to 2 your walks daily it will be easy to get through. however, I had to replay chapters a few times to understand all of his details.

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Hugh Newman
  • Hugh Newman
  • 2020-06-30

Graham has finally lost it, deluded beyond belief

Seriously flawed. Megalithic knowledge lacking. Grandiose overly descriptive babble more like fiction. Conference days over.

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for sunwood
  • sunwood
  • 2020-05-27

It's quite alright

I really loved Magicians but if I want to be honest, this one, elaborating on the same thesis and bringing additional evidence, kinda bored me at certain points. Although I listened to it in 2-3 days so it was a marathon, I still felt like, while convincing, it was a bit less thrilling than the previous book. But then again, it might be simply because I was already familiar with the basic idea, and that's why it kind of felt like reading an 'additional and slightly less interesting evidences' appendix to the previous books of the series. Mounds, after all, are much less interesting than Göbekli Tepe and the first time reading about the Younger Drias comet impact.

I'm sure I'll listen to it again though.

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Erianto Rachman
  • Erianto Rachman
  • 2020-01-18

Intriguing, Good Story, Great Naration

I have been following Graham Hancock works; books, videos, and talks or interviews, since I read Fingerprints Of The Gods In 2006. Since then I have bought and read almost all of his books.

But this is the first time I listened to his audiobook. When this book first published, I decided to buy both Hardcopy and the Audiobook and immediately started to listen to it. It is amazing to hear his voice reading his own book with the intonation so perfect which I think how he wanted this book to be read (at least this is my opinion). It was also incredible the way the story was written, told and moreover read, making it a very enjoyable book to listen.

This book, as many other Graham Hancock’s books, is very well researched, organized and written with beautiful story lines, conversations, descriptions and depictions. Graham surely took my mind to many places as I could imagine to be and to see with my own eyes what he was describing.

The subject of this book is very intriguing and highly recommended (by me) if you are into pre-historical subject of humankind and have much interest and open to the ideas beyond the border of main-stream science.

Great book!

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for James
  • James
  • 2019-09-19

Can I get my money back?

Let me preface this by saying I own two of the author's previous works from the "Gods" series, which I enjoyed and found myself to be in alignment with for the most part.

Having said that, I don't feel like I can give this a full and honest review without sounding like nothing more than a complete troll and a raging hater.

If you must investigate this book, borrow it before you spend the money to add it to your permanent library.

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for hendrik de peuter
  • hendrik de peuter
  • 2019-08-12

Eye opening & highly intriguing

By far the best audiobook I’ve listened to, developed new personal interests and fascinations. A must read!

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Chaton
  • Chaton
  • 2019-08-03

Impressive work as ever

Stuff just keeps on getting older.
GH presents a thorough and convincing case (again) that our prehistory is far more interesting than academia maintains. Exciting stuff.

Not sure why main stream fields (seems particularly bad with archeology) is so closed off to the evidence and ideas GH brings. It would surely revive and rejuvenate the discipline is the evidence were explored with an open scientific outlook.

Keep on pushing GH, it takes brave outsiders like yourself to advance the feild for the good of all.
Thank you