History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Average customer rating:

Didn't Hold My Interest
Standard private eye stuff with an unusual setting
Graham Greene Territory
Instruments of Darkness
promising start to series

Instruments of Darkness (Harvest Book)
Robert Wilson
Manufacturer: Harvest Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0156011131

Book Description

From the author of the national bestseller A Small Death in Lisbon and The Company of Strangers comes Wilson's compelling first novel, never before available in the United States. Bruce Medway's existence as a fixer and troubleshooter had been tough, but never life-threatening until he crossed paths with the mighty Madame Severnou. His life becomes even more complicated by his search for a missing fellow expat, Steven Kershaw. Against a backdrop of political disruption and endemic official corruption, Medway pursues the elusive phantom of Kershaw.
Instruments of Darkness powerfully evokes the atmosphere, politics, and people of West Africa. With Medway's ironic voice, flashes of humor that may recall Raymond Chandler, and unforgettable characters, this compulsively readable thriller is the beginning of a remarkable series.

Customer Reviews:

Didn't Hold My Interest.......2007-06-02

Having read his European thrillers, I'm a big fan of Wilson and I even enjoyed his African novel, "A Darkening Stain". But this book just didn't grab me, for some reason. I loved the description of things African, but the characters weren't very compelling. I quit reading about halfway through the book and it seemed that the characters just kept milling about. Also, the action here takes place between two cities, Coutenou and Lome and I kept getting confused about which was which. The book didn't hold my interest, like his others did. Sorry -- maybe it was just me...

Standard private eye stuff with an unusual setting.......2007-01-07

Robert Wilson has become something of a bestselling author with a series of books dealing with espionage and detectives in the Iberian peninsula, either in Spain or Portugal. Having had some success with this, the author's publisher decided to reissue his earlier work, four books that are set in West Africa. I've never read anything like this before, in terms of setting anyway. Think Philip Marlowe in Heart of Darkness, but set in the modern era, and you'll get an idea of what the book is like.

Bruce Medway is a "fixer" in various countries in West Africa. What this means is that Medway (he narrates the books first person, private eye style) works things out for people, businessmen and travelers through the area. He arranges visas, bills of lading for shipments of cargo, transport, drivers, etc. Occasionally someone hires him to find a missing person, something that the local authorities aren't usually interested in doing themselves unless sufficiently motivated by bribery. In the first installment in the series, Medway's hired to find another guy who's basically in the same business, minus the missing persons. Steven Kershaw works out deals and helps with shipping commodities and so forth. Since Medway has just been double-crossed in another deal, and almost killed, he's wary of taking the job, but needs the money enough that he overcomes his misgivings, and goes to work anyway.

The plot is sufficiently convoluted to defy explanation here, as it should be. Suffice it to say that by the end you're almost rooting for at least one of the villains, and you're definitely happy to see the bad guys go down. The prose is very private eye tough guy, feeling as if the author is trying to immitate Chandler or Hammett the way foreign detective novelists often do. The Australian guy who writes private eye novels (Peter Corris?) has the same effect, it's almost as if they're trying too hard. If you can live with that (I happen to think it's fun, to be honest) then this is a great book.

Graham Greene Territory.......2006-06-30

Robert Wilson is a writer whose other thrillers I've read with interest, but this one took me someplace I've never been before and kept me there for every one of its 300 and some pages. This is an Africa I didn't know existed in fiction and one I can't wait to return to, so I'm personally delighted to learn that there are three other books featuring "fixer" Bruce Medway waiting for me.

The setting is very much a character in the book -- its sounds, smells, heat, colors, and moral equivocation animate every scene. This is a world in which right and wrong are luxuries, and the real dividing line is between survival and destruction. The layered approach and the complexity of the characters puts this in Graham Greene territory, and that's as high a compliment as I know how to pay. (it also reminds me a little of William Boyd's wonderful "Brazzaville Beach, which also has an African setting.)

And it's funnier than hell in places. If you're looking for something fresh, something that challenges you a little but delivers mightily for your efforts, get "Instruments of Darkness."

Instruments of Darkness.......2004-07-31

There is no denying that the author knows his stuff. The setting and characters were fascinating. My problem though was that I continually found myself distracted by the overuse of adjectives and misplaced modifiers. The narrative was overcrowded with metaphors and similies. I felt like I was swimming through tangled seaweed sometimes and wanted to edit sentences that seemed to so full of themselves with descriptives. Most annoying about this were that so many phrases were tacked on to the end of sentences without proximity to the nouns they were intended to modified. Other than this, I liked the book and will read another by the author.

promising start to series.......2004-07-09

Robert Wilson's INSTRUMENTS OF DARKNESS is the first in a series of mysteries set in Africa featuring a white British character named Bruce Medway. Medway does odd jobs for a collection of eccentric Africans operating on both sides of the law. The plot is so baroque as to be almost incomprehensible, but what's really going on is lots of atmosphere. Wilson knows Africa and he gets the details right....Much darker than the No. 1 Detective Agency books, will appeal to fans of Le Carre, Graham Greene, etc.....Funny and exciting, lively 1st person narration.....recommended....

Instruments of Darkness: Witchcraft in Early Modern England

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A great analysis of the early modern english witchcraft trials
A must read
At last! An NEW book on English Witchcraft!

Instruments of Darkness: Witchcraft in Early Modern England
James Sharpe
Manufacturer: University of Pennsylvania Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0812216334

Book Description

The first comprehensive scholarly history of witchcraft in England in over eighty years. "Learned and enthralling."--Jan Morris, Independent Weekend They flew through the air, consorted with animals, and made pacts with the devil. Witches were as unquestioned as alchemy or astrology in medieval England; yet it wasn't until the midsixteenth century that laws were passed against them. Now a leading historian of crime and society in early modern England offers the first scholarly overview of witchcraft in that country in over eighty years, examining how tensions between church, state, and society produced widespread distrust among fearful people. Instruments of Darkness takes readers back to a time when witchcraft was accepted as reality at all levels of society. James Sharpe draws on legal records and other sources to reveal the interplay between witchcraft beliefs in different partts in the social hierarchy. Along the way, he offers disturbing accounts of witch-hunts, such as the East Anglian trials of 1645-47 that sent more than 100 people to the gallows. He tells how poor, elderly women were most often accused of witchcraft and challenges feminist claims that witch-hunts represented male persecution by showing that many accusers were themselves women. Prosecution of witches gradually declined with increasing skepticism among jurists, new religious attitudes, and scientific advances that explained away magic. But for two hundred years, thousands participated in one of history's most notorious persecutions. Instruments of Darkness is a fascinating case study that deepens our understanding of this age-old cultural phenomenon and sheds new light on one society in which it occurred. "This is a humane and learned book, which will be essential reading for everyone with a serious interest in this fascinating topic."--Robin Briggs, author of Communities of Belief: Cultural and Social Tensions in Early Modern France James Sharpe is senior lecturer in history at the University of York. He is the author of Crime in Early Modern England 1550-1750 and Early Modern England: A Social History 1550--1750.

Customer Reviews:

A great analysis of the early modern english witchcraft trials.......2007-07-08

James Sharpe is a well known historian on the topic of witchcraft in early modern England. The witchcraft trials in England were different from their contiental counterparts and that becomes apparent in this book. Sharpe comes to some great conclusions. Mr. Sharpe analyzed how tensions between church, state, and society were able to produce such widespread fear that led to the witchcraft accusations and trials. I really enjoyed this book and learned a lot from it. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to learn more about the subject.

A must read.......2001-02-13

Theres not really much I can say about this book that hasn't already been covered by Peter Agnew (rated this book before I did) so I'll try to be brief and list only those aspects of the book that I feel Peter missed.

This book, for the material covered, was really very easy to read and understand. One of the most important qualities in a book is that it be easy to read and understand and that the material be brought forth in a relatively efficient manner, and this book meets that criteria. Easy to read yet full of information and details covering the subject, I don't know how he could have done it any better.

Another plus that not only does the author give you his sources for his material at the end of book, as well they should, but he also tells you a little bit about each source. This gives the reader an opportunity to see other books covering the subject the subject, in what way they cover the subject, and to decide if they have any interest in them or not.

On the down side, I feel that this author, like many other authors, down played the feminist perspective behind the witchhunts way too much. I believe that ideas such as those held by Anne Barstow (author of "Witchcraze") do have a place in European Witch Hunt history and should be adressed. There was more behind these witch hunts than just simple ignorance and misunderstanding. Greed, hatred, views of women (especially those who spoke up for themselves) in a patriarchal society, control, and politics ALL played a part in what happened in Europe over those 3 centuries and for anyone to ignore them or to play them off as so many do are, in my opinion, fooling themselves. This being the only negative on what is otherwise a very impressive book I went ahead and gave it 4 stars (would have given it 4.5 but unfortunately this website doesn't give me that option.

At last! An NEW book on English Witchcraft!.......1999-07-25

Sharpe's claims for this book are modest. His motivation to write sprang from the realisation that there has never been a satisfactory, all-encompassing account of English witchcraft since the works of Notestein in 1911 and Kittredge in 1929. Therefore, it was high time that somebody rewrote the story of English witchcraft to take account of the progress made in this field during the last few decades. There is no doubt that Sharpe, who has considerable experience within this area, is well qualified to write such a book. Over the years, he has written several articles on aspects of English witchcraft; thus, this book can be seen as the culmination of years of research and writing.

Part One of Instruments of Darkness attempts to outline in simple, yet thorough terms, the role that witchcraft and ideas about it played in all sectors of English society from "elite mentalities" to "popular culture." Sharpe demonstrates that we cannot separate both kinds of belief - there was considerable interplay between the two. This is the major achievement of the first part of the book.

In Part Two, Sharpe draws upon Five Themes of English Witchcraft. He adequately charts the patterns of prosecution in local English communities. He also argues that the Matthew Hopkins "witch-hunt" of 1645-7 is not really all that "different" from English witchcraft as a whole. He shows that the feminist accounts of English witchcraft are simplistic and naive (take that Marianne Hester and Mary Daly!) and profles the most distinctly "English" aspect of European witchcraft - the possessed victim. All of this is stimulating reading.

Finally, Part Three charts the decline of witch beliefs by focusing upon judicial skepticism, changing religious beliefs and the growth of scientific ideas. Again, Sharpe highlights the interplay between the three and demonstrates that although witchcraft had become a joke amongst the elite classes by 1720, the witch continued to be highly feared among village communities until at least 1850.

Throughout it all, Sharpe demonstrates that English witchcraft is, by its very nature, highly complex. This book is required reading for anyone interested in English witchcraft. Even still, Sharpe shows the complexity of English witch beliefs so clearly, one wonders if we shall ever know the full story of English witchcraft?

Average customer rating:

The Perfect History of Electronic Countermeasures in WWII

Fascinating

Instruments of Darkness

Instruments of Darkness: The History of Electronic Warfare
Alfred Price
Manufacturer: Encore Editions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 068415806X

Customer Reviews:

The Perfect History of Electronic Countermeasures in WWII.......2006-04-08

What a find. For those of you who are interested in the technical history of WWII, this book is essential reading. It's a clear and lucid description of the radar and countermeasures battle of the British Air Force over Germany. It tells the story in chronological order, but with just right amount of context to make this exciting reading (even when you know how the story ends.)

Its strength is its only weakness. I only wished the author could have had written the equivalent radar/countermeasures story about the US Air Force in WWII.

BTW, the second edition adds a superfluous chapter on the radar/countermeasures battle over North Vietnam. The lack of declassified information makes this a much weaker addition to a great book.

Fascinating.......2004-12-30

If you stumble across a copy of this wonderful book be certain to grab it. It starts as the story of the cat and mouse game over Europe as teams of radar engineers engaged in a technological battle to win the air war. From developing radio navigation aids for bombers to then jamming the enemy's own navigation systems, to providing threat warning radars for night bombers, and then having night fighters turn the tables by using the enemy's threat warning radar as a homing beacon. They'd make further developments in radar, jamming, chaff, and the measure and counter-measure cycle would begin again. The book follows the deadly game up through Vietnam, with missiles, missile jammers, and radar homing missiles thrown into the mix.

The book doesn't require anything more than a layman's knowledge of electronics, radio, or radar, and how can you pass up a book filled with quotes like "Radio aids contain boxes with coils, and I don't like boxes with coils - Hermann Goring"?

Instruments of Darkness.......2002-05-16

This book is no longer in print, and it is quite hard to come by at any price. It is, however, a very fine book on the origins of directional beams and radar. It is also a book about patient investigation, deduction, and rather understated courage in unpressurized, draughty aircraft in the cold night skies over Europe. It leaves the reader with the image of the navigator, barely out of high school, cramped and shivvering in the dark in the deafening piston engine roar of a Lancaster, hunched over the green glow of a relatively primitive cathode ray tube, hour-by-hour, trying to guess the right way through the clutter and the static, being afraid of unseen dangers and praying for dear life to get back safely to England. If you happen to come across a copy by chance, this is a book that will repay your attention many times over. It is a shame that it is (a) so little known; and (b) out of print.

Instruments of Darkness: The History of Electronic Warfare, 1939-1945

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Summarizes the Topic Quite Well

Instruments of Darkness: The History of Electronic Warfare, 1939-1945
Alfred Price
Manufacturer: Greenhill Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1853676160

Book Description

The rapid evolution of radio and radar systems for military use during World War II, and devices to counter them, led to a technological battle that neither the Axis nor the Allied powers could afford to lose. The result was a continual series of thrusts, parries and counter-thrusts, as first one side then the other sought to wrest the initiative in the struggle to control the other. This was a battle fought with strange-sounding weapons: 'Freya', 'Mandrel', 'Boozer' and 'Window'. It was a battle characterised by the bravery, self-sacrifice and skill of those who took part in it. During the war, however, and for many years after, electronic-warfare systems and their employment during the conflict remained closely guarded military secrets. When that veil of secrecy was finally lifted, the technicalities of the subject helped ensure that it remained beyond the reach of lay researchers and readers. Alfred Price, an aircrew officer with the RAF where he flew with V-Force and specialized in electronic warfare and air fighting tactics, was both inspired by the subject and in the unique position to lift the lid on this largely unexplored aspect of World War II. When it was first published in 1967, Instruments of Darkness came to be regarded as a standard reference work on this intriguing subject. Since its initial appearance, it has been expanded as important additional material has become available. This completely revised edition ends with the Japanese surrender in August 1945 and brings the analysis fully up to date in the light of what we now know.

Customer Reviews:

Summarizes the Topic Quite Well.......2006-10-06

Alfred Price offers another well researched,easy to follow, history of airborne electronic warfare, during World War II in the European theater. The strength of the book is that he threads the many personalities and issues associated with conducting electronic warfare into a engaging narrative. The focus is on the Royal Air Force's Bomber Commands efforts agains the Luftwaffe's air defense of the Third Reich. The US Army Air Force's daylight bombing campaign has some brief mentions, but not in any significant depth. I can easily recommend this book for anyone interested in the topic for they will enjoy a well written and presented study of the topic.

Dr. Who : Instruments of Darkness (Doctor Who)

Average customer rating:

A Few More Ghosts for N-Space
Unfortunately typical of Russell recently
Another reliable Gary Russell novel

Dr. Who : Instruments of Darkness (Doctor Who)
Gary Russell
Manufacturer: BBC Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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Customer Reviews:

A Few More Ghosts for N-Space.......2003-11-11

On the whole, I can't think of too many things wrong with Gary Russell's "Instruments of Darkness". Especially if your expectations have been dulled by, say, "Divided Loyalties" or "Invasion of the Cat-People", you might be happy to find that not all that much in this book is risible.

On the other hand, I can't think of too many things I liked about it, either. I don't know what I would say, for example, if I were asked to recommend it to others. I'm not a 6th Doctor fan by any means -- not on TV, not in print -- so this less over-the-top print version of the Colin Baker Doctor does not get me excited. I liked Mel as a companion, but this book's contribution to the post-TV companion canon -- Dr. Evelyn Smythe from the Big Finish audios -- was a letdown.

Evelyn takes up large portions of the text, without really adding much. She's introduced as a character not through her actions, but by long-winded speeches -- by speeches by the Doctor; by her duelling monologues with Mel (I hesitate to call them "conversations"); and, worst of all, through her own speeches. We keep hearing about how great she is. Fine. Go out and prove it. Do something heroic. Be less annoying.

When "Instruments of Darkness" isn't about Evelyn, or about Evelyn's relationship with the Doctor (she's introduced as a jilted former companion), or about what Mel thinks of Evelyn... there's a convoluted plot about alien beings (think Trelayne, if the Squire of Gothos had a less self-aware younger brother) perverting the course of human history. There are telepaths in France and Auton telepaths in England. There are a couple of well-drawn American reporters, but they're limited to about 12 pages of text (set in Micronesia, would you believe) and could be eliminated from the story without a hiccup. The end of the book is meant to be tragic, but it ends with the self-sacrifice of a zero-dimensional quaternary character, so... if you can figure it out, you can enjoy it. At least you'll be able to say, "I never saw that one coming!", and mean it.

"Instruments of Darkness" takes 70 Doctor-free pages to get going. The first original "Doctor Who" novels published in the early 1990s did well with this approach. Here, however, the space is used to introduce about 20 characters in short, violent, action/tragedy sequences. Coming at the end of the novel, such a montage could have provided kick. Coming at the beginning, however, it's a drag. Who are these people? Why do they then vanish for the next 150 pages?

So, let's recap. I've complained about the plot, I've complained about the characters. Now, let me switch gears and kvell about the villain. Remember that annoying habit the New Adventures had, of bringing back old TV companions, ruining their lives, turning them against the Doctor, and killing them off? Well, one of the human villains of this piece is a familiar figure. Not from the TV show, but, for once, it's a pleasure to bring back someone else just to ruin their lives. That's why I give the book extra points and that's why I owe Gary Russell a beer.

Unfortunately typical of Russell recently.......2001-12-27

Instruments of Darkness is the third (last?) book in Gary Russell's "trilogy" of books which also includes Scales of Injustice and Business Unusual. This is a good thing, because Instruments is a tremendous step down from Business (I haven't read Scales). While Business Unusual was an enjoyable, if not deep, romp, Instruments goes from place to place to place, without much happening at all. Then, the ending wraps everything up in a 20-page rush to conclusion.

Gary spends a lot of time setting up all of the characters (there are a lot of them in this one). He also spends a lot of time telling what happened to these characters in the first two books, which got a bit annoying. I haven't read Business in awhile and like I said, I haven't read Scales. It was nice to get a little context on the characters, but unfortunately this comes in huge infodumps that just grated. Then, when you add Evelyn, it just makes it worse. Evelyn is a character from the Big Finish audios that Gary is the producer of. Now her character needs to be explained for the reader who doesn't listen to the audios.

What it all amounts to is a huge number of pages where nothing much happens. There's a lot of setting, and not much action. By "action," I don't mean explosions and chases and such, I mean that nothing happens at all. I'm all for characterization, but sometimes authors can take that too far. This is one of those times. It was almost page 200 (out of 284) before the Doctor really got involved in anything. That has been BBC Books' problem for quite awhile now, the ineffective Doctor. In this one, he is instrumental in the resolution, but it takes forever for him to get to that point.

I will say that the characterization of Mel and Evelyn is really good. I have heard one of the audios with her in it, and the character certainly matched. I could hear Maggie Stables playing this Evelyn. The Doctor isn't quite so good, but he is passable. This is a much more restrained Sixth Doctor then we got in the series, but that's a good thing. He has received a much better characterization in books and audios then he ever got on TV due to BBC politics.

Sadly, the rest of the characters don't get that benefit. Most of them are fairly one-note. There is one setting and two characters that are presented, and then they disappear until the end of the novel, coming out of nowhere. The European characters get a bit better, but they still suffer from being flat.

The ending brings this waste to an unsatisfying conclusion. It comes from nowhere, being hurriedly wrapped up after pages and pages of characterization. After so long being uninvolved, the Doctor suddenly has a good idea of what's happening without much to lead him there. Mel and Evelyn are sent off on an unbelievable mission that just is there to put them in danger. The setting and characters I referred to earlier all of a sudden appear, and a character makes the ultimate sacrifice. Unfortunately, we don't have anything invested in this sacrifice or the character, because we have so little exposure to it. It just happens this way to prevent the Doctor from having to make that sacrifice.

Unless you're a completist, I would recommend you avoid this book. It's a shame that Russell has fallen so much, because I used to really like his stuff (Business Unusual was fun, Legacy was really good). Now, he's 0 for his last 3 (Placebo Effect, the horrendous Divided Loyalties and now Instruments of Darkness).

Another reliable Gary Russell novel.......2001-12-13

Earth, 1993: A mysterious group known as the Network is drafting ESP-powered individuals to assist with their mysterious plans. In a small British village, the local squire has allied himself with a pair of enigmatic Irish twins (familiar to regular readers of this series) for equally mysterious reasons. The sixth Doctor and Mel, along with former companion Evelyn Smythe, find themselves caught up in these events, and, as usual, end up facing godlike beings with dubious goals.

Gary Russell's novels clearly show his love for Doctor Who, the television series. Unlike authors like Lawrence Miles or Paul Cornell, he isn't trying to push the envelope so much as recreate the feel of the show on the printed page. What makes his novels particularly enjoyable for me are his characters. He always seems to strive to make everyone an individual, with a distinctive past and personality. In many ways, this particular novel is a step forward in that area, with the characters much more prominent than the plot.

Like many of the televised sixth Doctor stories, the Doctor's involvement in the plot is pretty minimal for the first half or so. In this case, though, the fast-paced story development, cutting from scene to scene without becoming confusing, kept my interest up. Gary Russell has a fairly straightforward style compared to other Doctor Who authors, which makes for a refreshing change. He seems less interested in literary tricks and more interested in just telling his story.

His story, in this case, is a semi-sequel to two previous adventures, Scales of Injustice and Business Unusual, two of Russell's better books. Instruments of Darkness is less connected to the previous two in terms of plot, but almost all of the characters appeared in the earlier stories. Russell does explain who is who, and what their relationships are to one another, but reading the earlier stories is recommended, if possible.

Most interesting is his use of Evelyn Smythe, a character currently appearing in a series of original-to-CD Doctor Who audio plays produced by Gary Russell and Big Finish Productions. This is her first appearance in prose, and Russell takes the opportunity to flesh out her character's background quite a bit. He also develops her unique relationship with the Doctor without pinning things down to the point of controversy. She and the much-maligned Mel make a great team in this book, and I hope Russell has the opportunity to pen more novels with this particular cast.

The book's biggest drawback, unfortunately, is the conclusion. I didn't find the resolution particularly clear, and that always irritates me. On the other hand, the post-climax chapters seemed to set up yet another potential sequel without being too annoying, so I guess it all balances out.

Product Description

Titles include: Black Shuck; Get Your Hands Off My Woman; Growing On Me; I Believe In A Thing Called Love; Love Is Only A Feeling; Givin' Up; Stuck In A Rut; Friday Night; Love On The Rocks With No Ice; Holding My Own; Christmas Time (Don't Let The Bells End); The Best Of Me; How Dare You Call This Love; Bareback; Makin' Out; Physical Sex; Out Of My Hands; I Love You 5 Times.

Customer Reviews:

highly recommended.......2005-07-27

Awesome tab book, heaps of songs, detailed explainations of
how to read the tabs...

as good as you'd get for a tab book

Average customer rating:

Instruments of darkness
Nancy Huston
Manufacturer: Little, Brown and Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

French | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0316380202

Corridor of Hope : An Instrument of Hope as You Discover Hidden Treasures that Accompany the Darkness in Our Lives

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Corridor of Hope : An Instrument of Hope as You Discover Hidden Treasures that Accompany the Darkness in Our Lives
Leah Rentz-Hemphill
Manufacturer: Sharetheword.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 9810435290

Average customer rating:

The Darkness (Chord Songbook)

Manufacturer: International Music Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

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