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FULL MOON OVER NOAH'S ARK

An Odyssey to Mount Ararat and Beyond

Mount Ararat is the most fabled mountain in the world. For millennia this massif in eastern Turkey has been rumored to be the resting place of Noah ’s Ark following the Great Flood. But it also plays a significant role in the long-standing conflict between Turkey and Armenia.

Author Rick Antonson joined a five-member expedition to the mountain’s nearly 17,000-foot summit, trekking alongside a contingent of Armenians, for whom Mount Ararat is the stolen symbol of their country. Antonson mixes vivid historical anecdote with unexpected travel vignettes, whether tracing earlier mountaineering attempts on the peak, recounting the genocide of Armenians and its unresolved debate, or depicting the Kurds’ nationalist ambitions for their own borders, which some say should include Mount Ararat.

What unfolds in Full Moon over Noah’s Ark is one man’s odyssey, a tale told through many stories. Starting with the flooding of the Black Sea in 5600 BCE, through to the Epic of Gilgamesh and the contrasting narratives of the Great Flood known to followers of the Judaic, Christian, and Islamic religions, Full Moon over Noah’s Ark takes readers along with Antonson through the shadows and broad landscapes of Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Armenia, shedding light on a troubled but fascinating area of the world.​

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Amazon #1 Best Seller in "Armenia Travel Guides" and "Turkey Travel Guides"

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  • April 12, 2016

  • ISBN: 9781510705654

  • Available in hardcover, paperback, eBook and audiobook editions

Reviews

“It’s not just about the journey, or standard travel writing. It’s about story- telling, and Rick takes us on a magical, almost mystical adventure to destinations once only shrouded in mythology.”
Peter Greenburg, travel editor, CBS News

“A book filled with the enthusiasm of discovery, the delight in accomplishment, and the relief of return.”
Kirkus Reviews

“Packed with historical facts and anecdotes, enhanced by excellent maps and photos, this is a fascinating travel adventure to one of the most ancient areas of the world . . . A reader’s feast that is not to be missed.”
John A. Cherrington, author of Walking to Camelot

“This is one of those rare books, full of emotion and insight, the work of a true traveler.”
Dina Bennett, author of Peking to Paris

“An educational, amusing and inspiring tale told by an experienced and worldly traveler . . . a fabulous weaving of adventure and research.”
Shannon Stowell, president of Adventure Travel Trade Association

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