For many years Richard Hoagland alone hypothesized that sentient beings spent time on Mars millions of years ago assembling behemoth structures whose ruins are still seen today. Here Hoagland redefines the solar system as a different place than NASA has presented. The book includes a new preface covering the Mars Global Surveyor photos and NASA's reactions.

"I'm fairly convinced that we have discovered life on Mars. There are some incredible photographs [from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory], which to me are pretty convincing proof of the existence of large forms of life on Mars! Have a look at them. I don't see any other interpretation."
—Sir Arthur C. Clarke

"I've seen the studies and I've seen the photographs—and there do appear to be formations of a 'face' and 'pyramids' [on Mars] that do not appear to be of natural or normal existence. It looks like they had to be fashioned by some intelligent beings. For this reason, I have asked NASA to provide assurances that the Mars Observer mission include this [set of targets] as one of its imaging objectives."
—Robert A. Roe, former Chairman, Congressional House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology

"Richard Hoagland has really been very successful [in The Monuments of Mars] because, as you know, not only do we have the Mars Observer coming up, but he has managed to convince the President [George Walker Bush] to state that a return to Mars is one of our major goals."
—Dr. John Klineberg, former Director, NASA-Lewis Research Center

"I'm sure you're aware of the extremely grave potential for cultural shock and social disorientation contained in this present situation, if the facts were prematurely and suddenly made public without adequate preparation and conditioning."
—Heywood Floyd, Head, The National Council of Astronautics, 2001