Down the centuries, many have sought a historical, literature, or geographical foundation for Plato's story of the great island civilization that was destroyed and plunged into the sea. A
premier French classical scholar, Vidal-Naquet (d. 2006) traces those efforts, emphasizing how scholars in various ages and places have adapted the myth to their own assumptions and purposes.
He begins with the original texts as they have survived. Among the steps he describes are the Atlantis of the Enlightenment; societies that are open and those that are closed; and water, earth,
and dreams. Only proper names are indexed. L'Atlanatide: Petite histoire d'un mythe platonicien was published in 2005 by Socie矇t矇 d'矇dition Les Belles Lettres, Paris. Lloyd frequently
translated French studies of the classics into English. University of Exeter Press are distributed in North America by University of Chicago Press. Annotation 穢2009 Book News, Inc., Portland,
OR (booknews.com)
