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.

Blood Angels: Deus Sanguinius (Warhammer 40,000)

Average customer rating:

A weak Story
Good Book, but with Flaws
Deus Sanguinius was...
A Comic Book in Words
Predictable conclusion to Deus Encarmine

Blood Angels: Deus Sanguinius (Warhammer 40,000)
James Swallow
Manufacturer: Games Workshop
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 1844161552

Book Description

Epic conclusion to the story of the Blood Angel Space Marines Rafen and Arkio, started in Blood Angels: Deus Encarmine where a battle brother emerges as the re-incarnation of the Patriach of the Blood Angels.

Customer Reviews:

A weak Story.......2006-03-17

As with the first book, this story is weak in every respect. The plot is shallow and predictable, and the author's understanding of the Warhammer 40K storyline is minimal (at best).

Good Book, but with Flaws.......2005-11-17

THis book was very action packed, which I liked. It tried to keep slow moments to a minimum.

Only problem that I have is that the author creates a lot of conflicting interests with the actual 40k universe. First the black rage is a gene curse that the blood angels keep secret. Why would a inquisitor be allowed to share in some of their chapter rituals? Also other than the Ultramarines most founding chapters are weary of Inquistors.

I think if the Author decides to write more the 40k fans, he should research his plot line a little more.

All in all, it was an entertaining action book, but if you are looking for more character building you should pass.

Deus Sanguinius was..........2005-08-02

Excelent. A great read and good plot. Great follow up on Deus Encarmine.

A Comic Book in Words.......2005-07-12

The bottom line is that if you enjoyed the first book, you will most likely find the conclusion fun as well.

However, that out of the way, those who are looking for more than just comic-bookish situations, a comment which I will explain below, might want to pass.

The heroes are VERY heroic, the villains VERY evil, and the ambiguous characters are very conflicted. There is no room for the reader to figure things out; if the author wants you to notice something, you'll get bludgeoned with it.

The plot is melodramatic, given to extremes and deus ex machina. Why talk to someone you can fight, dominate, or control. When things seem hopeless, there's always a deific hand to show the way.

While the book certainly succeeds in its efforts to be "bigger than life," it does so at a level that fails to impress more discerning readers.

Predictable conclusion to Deus Encarmine.......2005-05-06

This novel was short, predictable and conclusive.
Anyone who's read the first novel can already guess with
90% accuracy what will happen in this one:
Blood Angel vs Blood Angel and what will happen in the end.

I rated this 3 stars, exactly the same as the first novel
since this novel should have been the second half of the
first novel. My review of the first novel still applies
to this one as well.
The overall feel of this novel is the same as the first since
it continues off exactly where Deus Encarmine left off.
The one good thing I will give it is that the action is
fast and the story progresses at a good rate thus making
it a very quick read.

One thing that still irks me to no end is that the
author should have been more familiar with Blood Angels and the
Adeptus Astartes in general. When an imperial inquisitor has
the authority to promote Blood Angels to leadership positions
in the official ranks even before they are corrupted, something is seriously off kewter with the authors knowledge.
The only time this might actually work is inquisitors
and the Grey Knights.

Another thing to note if the readers have read recent space
marines novels, every single novel seems to end with Exterminatus. Check out Crimson Tears, Lord of Night,
Iron Hands, etc. I had predicted before reading this novel
that some poor planet would need to be exterminated in order
to keep some kind of "space marines love to blow up planets
theme".

My next prediction: in a year or so, these two novels will
be released in a single novel edition.
If you must read this novel and you haven't read the first,
wait until it comes out in a single novel format.

Blood Angels: Deus Encarmine (Warhammer 40,000)

Average customer rating:

Blood Angels or not?
A very bad book
Flawed But Still Entertaining.
Mediocre Effort
Bloody Brilliant!

Blood Angels: Deus Encarmine (Warhammer 40,000)
James Swallow
Manufacturer: Games Workshop
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 1844161544

Book Description

Whilst taking the fight to the Chaos Marines of the Word Bearers Chapter, one of the Blood Angels starts to resemble their leader - Sanguinius. Has the Blood Angels messiah been reborn or are darker things at work?

Customer Reviews:

Blood Angels or not?.......2005-12-01

I confess that I LOVE the Blood Angels. They're one of my favourite chapters of space marines, so I was really looking forward to this book. However, I must also confess that I was disappointed and even a little frustrated whilst reading this. The problem is not the writing (which is pretty good), and its not the plot (which, leaving a few niggles aside, is also pretty good). The problem is the fact that Swallow's Blood Angels are not the same as mine! I had such a strong image of them already, after all the background fluff published by BL, and Swallow seems to have interpreted it differently.
Sitting down after finishing the book, I realised that it wasn't fair to condemn this book simply for being written by someone who isn't me! In its own terms, this is an exciting and interesting read ... certainly worth your time (and a little cash). I'm even going to try the sequel ...

A very bad book.......2005-06-23

The author does not understand the storyline / universe in which the story is set. A reader who is new the Warhammer 40K books may enjoy it, but a reader who is familiar with the Warhmmer 40K story will find the glaring errors annoying. It is as though the author was given a 10 minute "overview" of the Warhammer 40K story just covering the major points.

Additionally, this book (and the sequel) are both examples of amateurish writing. There are numerous internal inconsistencies within the story.

Flawed But Still Entertaining........2005-05-03

Deus Encarmine is apparently James Swallow's first foray into the 40K universe and at times, his unfamiliarity with the setting shows. He does not appear to be as well versed with the background material as are some more familiar Black Library authors and as a result, he sometimes takes liberties with his story that long time Games Workshop fans might find a bit disconcerting. That having been said, Swallow does manage to craft a fairly engrossing tale.

Deus Encarmine chronicles a small band of Blood Angel space marines assigned to ceremonial garrison duty on an isolated cemetery world. When the planet is unexpectedly attacked by a determined force of Word Bearer chaos marines, the Blood Angels are aided by some comrades returning from a successful crusade to recover an ancient artifact belonging to the Blood Angel Chapter. Although the initial attack of the Word Bearers is blunted, the Blood Angels struggle internally with how to best address the continuing threat posed by the Word Bearers and how to best use the recently recovered artifact. Fueled in part by some old animosities and conflicts, different factions emerge and tensions arise which threaten to pit Blood Angel versus Blood Angel.

For the most part, Swallow's overall story is more sophisticated and nuanced than are his characters. Swallow admirably weaves together several different story arcs and the book benefits from layers of intrigue and betrayal. To the very end, readers are left guessing as to the true motivations and goals of the various main characters. Unfortunately, these characters still tend to remain relatively two dimensional and cliched. The bad guys tend to be angry, reflexively violent and downright psychotic while the good guys often come across as arrogant, aloof and overly pious. Swallows' battle scenes are a bit too simplistic with perhaps too heavy a focus on the blood and gore aspect and far too many casualties. Still, Deus Encarmine remains an entertaining light read and I found myself looking forward to the next installment in the series.

Mediocre Effort.......2005-04-18

I find that 40K fiction tends to be hit or miss depending on the skills of the author in question. Dan Abnett is by far the best of their stable.

This book felt like a short story that had been padded up to novel length with a thesaurus and a good deal of duplicate exposition. The author frequently "tells" rather than "shows" and the characters tend to be pretty thin - those that are "evil" are blatantly so, and those that are "good" tend to be conflicted and do a great deal of soul searching.

Not being an expert on the Blood Angels, I can't comment on the accuracy of the author's representation, but judging from his liberty with other pieces of canon (such as some psyker elements) I wouldn't be surprised if there were fudges made there as well.

If you're a Blood Angel fan, or simply must keep up on GW's storyline for the 40K universe, then you'll most likely read this, but for the rest of us, don't bother.

Bloody Brilliant!.......2005-04-03

Many of the Space Marine books are very similar and it takes a lot to make them stand out. I wasn't sure if novels about the Blood Angels would work with the sort of story that was being offered (the return of Sanguinius), but this blew me away! Bloodsoaked battle scenes and good characters and good use of the BAs chapter background all the way through. There is a cliffhanger ending but it left me breathless!

Average customer rating:

Disappointing
Another dark, apocalyptic thriller... but totally anticlimactic.
Fantastic thriller
Murders unlimited
Excellent third novel about The Straw Men.

Blood of Angels
Michael Marshall
Manufacturer: Jove
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0515140082

Book Description

Welcome to the world of Michael Marshall where a female FBI agent and her partner face a secret brotherhood of serial killers born and bred to commit the most violent acts known to man.

Customer Reviews:

Disappointing.......2007-03-25

Have you ever had an author who wrote certain passages well but the story itself was dodgy? I found that Michael Marshall is like that.

Marshall is a UK author whose first three books concerned a group that had existed for many years and were dedicated to evil. Enter the two heroes of the book, a male and female FBI couple ala The X-Files Mulder and Scully.

The books meander along with Marshall making observations about life that are ereadable but the story itself is too long-winded that while I read the first two books and ended them with little idea of what I had just read, the third book - Blood of Angels - was turning out to be a repeat, so I gave up.

Not a bad author but he really was pushing it by writing a trilogy.

Another dark, apocalyptic thriller... but totally anticlimactic........2006-06-28

Just finished up Michael Marshall's trilogy, and I'm having a difficult time separating Blood of Angels out of the pack for this review. For the uninitiated, go back and start at the beginning, with the Straw Men and The Upright Man novels, and work your way through, or you may be in for some confusion. The series is planted firmly in X-Files territory, and, as with the X-Files, there's lots going on, enough that keeping track is essential: In Marshall's world, surreal, horrific conspiracies and cover-ups abound. In fact, he goes as far as to reference the X-Files early in Blood of Angels, during a drug deal about to go strangely wrong.

Here, our Mulder and Scully are ex-CIA intelligence agent Ward Hopkins and FBI agent Nina Baynam, who, after the bloody events in the previous books, are now hiding out in a small cabin, secluded on the edge of the Washington State forest. Their semi-idyllic life is cut short with the sudden - but not entirely unexpected - arrival of Nina's FBI boss, who's come with news. The story jumps into gear as they learn of a new, possibly female serial killer, and the kicker - the escape of Ward's murderous twin brother, a serial killer called The Upright Man, who is - was? - part of a powerful, world-wide cabal of killers who believe the rest of us are infected with a communal sort of virus that makes us behave more-or-less like sheep. They view themselves as the wolves in this demented scenario, and therefore, well, we're ripe for the picking.

Unlike the X-files, however, which presented its version of space-aliens, governmental cover-ups and general weirdness as a growing mystery waiting to be uncovered, Marshall has structured his premise in a much more straightforward manner: There's a big group of serial killers out there, firmly entrenched in all walks of life, and they're planning something BIG.

Quite an apocalypic scenario, eh? Unfortunately, Marshall wimps out on us. Nothing against his writing per se: the books in and of themselves are entertaining enough, taken as a breezy way to pass the time at the beach; the characters are well-drawn and there's action and intrigue aplenty, and we're treated to Marshalls' sly, cynical humor and cultural observations which helps break up the otherwise oppressive atmosphere. The problem is that (unless, perhaps, there is to be another book, say...) for all the big, ominous setup, nothing much happens. And in the end, we don't uncover much more about the Straw Men than we already knew from the first book. I'd hoped Marshall would explore this group he's created (a group that is not so unlike the terrorist organizations operating in the real world) and to see how deep the evil really goes, but no. Instead, we're basically told again and again that they're devious and untouchable mass-murderers. Great. Whooo. Creepy.

I was left feeling feeling vaguely unsatisfied, like I'd choked down a stale pastry and cup of lukewarm coffee for breakfast, instead of having the artery-clogging plate of butter-smeared waffles and eggs and hot, greasy bacon and hash browns that I really wanted. For all of that, because the premise is so intriguing and holds so much untapped potential, I hope Marshall is inspired to give us another, final chapter in the Straw Men legacy.

Fantastic thriller.......2006-04-12

I loved this book. Every bit as good as the first two straw men novels. The ending is powerful and shocking.

Murders unlimited.......2006-01-19

Perhaps I shouldn't even be writing this review as I've come in as a reader on the third book, and a lot of what's going on is fairly incomprehensible to someone who doesn't know the characters. It begins with an ex CIA agent and his lover, who is still an active CIA operative, coming out of hiding after some previous, bloody events. The group known as The Straw Men, has once again begun a campaign of murder, calling in favours and recruiting young members. I can't work out just what these Straw Men are trying to achieve...perhaps it was clearer in the earlier books. The actual writing of Michael Marshall can't be faulted and the whole book rushes forward at the pace of a train, but, for most of the time, I didn't know what on earth was going on. The answer obviously is to read the preceding books first before tackling this one.

Excellent third novel about The Straw Men........2005-12-26

In this third entry involving The Straw Men and the three people who know about them (ex-CIA Ward Hopkins, FBI Agent Nina Baynum, ex-cop John Zandt), there are three plot strands: Nina investigating a pair of murders, young rich guy Lee John moving up in the drug business, and James/Jim heading off to destinations unknown for a particular job. Of course, all these strands join together for a heart-pounding climax.

I really enjoyed this book. After being severely disappointed by the previous book in the series, I was blown away by this one. Lots of twists and unexpected occurences, plenty of action and thrills, and a climax so entertaining I almost couldn't turn the pages fast enough. The book only has minor flaws, primarily Marshall's habit of slapping three metaphors into a paragraph when one will suffice. And a bit too much time is spent with James/Jim when, at the end of the day, he doesn't figure in the action all that much once his purpose is made clear. Last of all, the conspiracy behind The Straw Men (how they've evolved over time) is a little too far-fetched and silly, but at least Ward Hopkins himself is sceptical.

But these are minor quibbles. Blood Of Angels caps off this franchise to great effect, and leaves enough plot strands dangling to possibly (hopefully) weave another sequel.

Average customer rating:

SO GOOD

Blood Of Angels
Robert J. Randisi
Manufacturer: Leisure Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0843954760

Customer Reviews:

SO GOOD.......2004-12-13

Joe Keough is back with his partner Harriet. This time, they are dealing with a/or more serial killer(s). Killing of little children are happening in St-Louis and Chicago with strange coincidences.

I LOVE the character of Joe Keough. This book is not chock full of action, but the author manages to describe the murder scenes with a vivid accuracy (without too much gore) and lets you feel as though you are seeing it yourself.

The character of Keough is far from perfect and is, in fact, loaded with confusion. HIs heart is in the right place though and all he knows is that he needs to find the killer(s).

As I said, there isn't a ton of action on every page, but Keough will walk you through these murders with a sharp eye and very interesting twists.

This is a smart thriller and is absolutely worth the price of the book.

Buy it.

Average customer rating:

Now this is how you write a book!
A great read!
Greatly Entertaining
As near to perfection as possible
Rolls right along...

Blood of Angels : A Novel
Reed Arvin
Manufacturer: Amazon Remainders Account
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: B000EMSZ1U

Download Description

Reed Arvin's previous novel, The Last Goodbye, was ""the best thing a thriller can be: suspenseful, intelligent, and well written"" (Harlan Coben), and had the critics raving: People magazine stated, ""You'll be hooked,"" and the New York Times declared it ""sultry, devious, adrenaline-boosting suspense."" Now comes a vivid and haunting tale of one man's search for the truth -- no matter what the consequences.

Thomas Dennehy, senior prosecutor in Davidson County, Tennessee, doesn't recognize Nashville anymore: a decade of relentless immigration means cops are learning Spanish, and the DA' s office is looking for Vietnamese translators. Thomas's latest case is prosecuting Moses Bol, a Sudanese refugee who faces the death penalty for killing a white woman in the Nations, a notorious, racially charged part of town. Bol's conviction seems certain, until a university professor claims Thomas sent the wrong man to the death chamber in a previous case. The DA' s office is rocked to its core, but within days another blow falls: a beautiful and brilliant anti-death penalty activist mysteriously surfaces as Bol's alibi, claiming she was with him at the time of the crime. Bol's case becomes a lightning rod as protesters on all sides converge on Nashville and tensions threaten to explode.

Meanwhile, Bol's alibi has her own secrets -- and is terrified of someone working behind the scenes to get what he wants -- even if it means murder.

Will Dennehy be able to piece things together before everything he believes about the law, and about justice, is torn apart?

Vivid with the emotional complexity that has become the hallmark of Reed Arvin's work, Blood of Angels is filled with nonstop action, impeccable detail, and unforgettable characters, making this a novel that is impossible to resist.

Customer Reviews:

Now this is how you write a book!.......2007-09-13

The start was a bit misleading ( I thought I'd stumbled upon an anti-death penalty rant disguised as a novel ), but was pleasantly surprised to find myself in the middle of a fantastic thriller.

I recommend readers go through the bargain hardcover book section of their local bookstores and experiment with new authors on the cheap. That's how I found Reed Arvin and now I plan on reading all of his books.

A great read!.......2006-07-27

Thomas Dennehy, Assistant District Attorney of Davidson County Tennessee, has his hands full in Blood of Angels.

The case of one Wilson Owens has come back to haunt the DA's office as new evidence has come to light that the State of Tennessee may have executed the wrong man two years ago.

Dennehy was the prosecutor in the case known at the Sunshine Grocery murders and has the singular notoriety of having convicted two men in separate trials and of separate crimes of killing the same woman. This in itself puts a tornadic twist into this book that would make it a brilliant story, but Arvin goes one-step further by hurling the racially charged murder of a local white-trash girl by a Sudanese immigrant into the mix.

Kwame Jamal Hale has come forward and delivered what may prove to be very damning evidence that he, not Owens, was the murderer at the Sunshine Grocery. His claim? He knows where the heretofore-undiscovered murder weapon can be found. Dennehy, his boss David Rayburn and soon-to-be retired fellow prosecutor Carl Becker, can only wait and watch as the circus rolls into downtown Nashville and the DA's office prepares to tender their resignations en toto, if it is proved that Wilson Owens was innocent and unlawfully executed.

Meanwhile the bond hearing of the suspected Sudanese murderer Moses Bol comes to court. The DA is dealt another blow when bail is set at $1.5 million and is paid by one Fiona Towns, a Presbyterian preacher of a dying central Nashville church that has less the dozen members.

These two stories together are not enough for Arvin. He tosses in the failing personal life of Dennehy, a cast of characters that make every page a thrill to turn and just enough action for you to gnaw your fingernails down to the cuticles. Dennehy has a wit and dark sense of humor that would be depressing if it were not written so well. Add his ex-wife, her wealthy doctor second husband, and a daughter that truly loves her daddy, and you have the full package in a legal thriller that you will be proud to recommend to every fellow fiction reader you know.

Armchair Interviews says: If you love legal thrillers, check this one out!

Greatly Entertaining.......2006-07-20

I loved "The Will" by Arvin and grabbed "Blood of Angels" as soon as it was released in hardcover. It is a book to own and I will read again one day. Great suspense, character developement and plot. This book has it all. It's one of those you can't put down once you start it.

As near to perfection as possible.......2006-04-27

As a former resident of Nashville and currently living in the city of Frankling (the hero's city) I was expecting to be somewhat familiar with the sites and locations. What I was not expecting was the absolutely riveting story - a police procedural of the first degree. I now know how residents of New York, DC, LA & Chicago feel when they read stories that take place in their city. The areas described are well-known and provide a reference point for the story.

This is the New South. Absent are evangelicals, the dominant Democrat party, close-knit generational families and a whites only landscape. Instead, Thomas Dehenny, the district attorney, is a driven, dedicated hard-drinking, divorced father who never attends church. One detects that the author (through Thomas) decries those who devote their lives to defending murderers and rapists. He asks, What about the victims? Who speaks for them?

In this case, there is a strong possiblity that the wrong man was executed. The crime involved two defendents - the shooter & the medic who actually killed the woman through negligance (he was on meth). At the same time, the city is rocked by the brutal murder of a Nationite woman by an African refugee. The struggle between low-class whites (The Nation) & the growing numbers of refugees and immigrants is real & depicted with accuracy. Into the fray steps Fiona Tonws, local Presbyterian minister/activist. Despite their positions, a romance breaks out between the two. The real villian is revealed midway through the book & he is as horrible and clever as they come. The ending was sheer perfection as was the entire story. I cannot say enough about this book! Buy it.

Rolls right along..........2006-01-06

This was a novel that was very easy and fun to read due to the many plot twists. You would start to think the book was resolved and then realize there were still more things that were going to happen. I don't normally like 'legal' type suspense novels, however, this one didn't get all wrapped up in courtrooms and leagalesque speak. There was action!! The DA actually had to go out in the field to solve the mysteries.

Angels in the American Theater: Patrons, Patronage, and Philanthropy (Theater in the Americas)

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Angels in the American Theater: Patrons, Patronage, and Philanthropy (Theater in the Americas)

Manufacturer: Southern Illinois University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Running Theaters: Best Practices for Leaders and Managers

ASIN: 0809327473
Release Date: 2007-02-22

Book Description

Angels in the American Theater: Patrons, Patronage, and Philanthropy examines the significant roles that theater patrons have played in shaping and developing theater in the United States. Because box office income rarely covers the cost of production, other sources are vital. Angels—financial investors and backers—have a tremendous impact on what happens on stage, often determining with the power and influence of their money what is conceived, produced, and performed. But in spite of their influence, very little has been written about these philanthropists.

Composed of sixteen essays and fifteen illustrations, Angels in the American Theater explores not only how donors became angels but also their backgrounds, motivations, policies, limitations, support, and successes and failures. Subjects range from millionaires Otto Kahn and the Lewisohn sisters to foundation giants Ford, Rockefeller, Disney, and Clear Channel. The first book to focus on theater philanthropy, Angels in the American Theater employs both a historical and a chronological format and focuses on individual patrons, foundations, and corporations.

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Angel Blood
John Singleton
Manufacturer: PUFFIN (PENG)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Blood and Debt: War and the Nation-State in Latin America

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A Solid Book

Blood and Debt: War and the Nation-State in Latin America
Miguel Angel Centeno
Manufacturer: Pennsylvania State University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0271023066

Book Description

"Centeno's book balances shrewdly between identifying distinctive properties of Latin American national patterns, on one side, and integrating Latin American histories into international comparisons, on the other. Ingeniously piecing together fugitive evidence on wars, military organization, commemorations, taxation, and state structure, he thereby challenges two extreme tendencies: to treat Latin America as a failed Europe, and to stress the utter particularism of Latin America."—Charles Tilly, Columbia University

"Miguel Angel Centeno's trailblazing book sheds much new light on Latin America by paying proper attention to its distinctive ways of making war and the connections of warfare to state development, to national identities, and to the nature of citizenship."—John Markoff, University of Pittsburgh

What role does war play in political development? Our understanding of the rise of the nation-state is based heavily on the Western European experience of war. Challenging the dominance of this model, Blood and Debt looks at Latin America's much different experience as more relevant to politics today in regions as varied as the Balkans and sub-Saharan Africa.

The book's illuminating review of the relatively peaceful history of Latin America from the late eighteenth through the early twentieth centuries reveals the lack of two critical prerequisites needed for war: a political and military culture oriented toward international violence and the state institutional capacity to carry it out. Using innovative new data such as tax receipts, naming of streets and public monuments, and conscription records, the author carefully examines how war affected the fiscal development of the state, the creation of national identity, and claims to citizenship. Rather than building nation-states and fostering democratic citizenship, he shows, war in Latin America destroyed institutions, confirmed internal divisions, and killed many without purpose or glory.

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A Solid Book.......2007-06-17

This book focuses on the themes of war and the nation-state in nineteenth Mexico and the republics of South America; and the approach is highly inspired by Charles Tilly's work on Europe, although Centeno derives entirely different conclusions regarding nation-state formation in Latin America. The work is original, full of data, and the writer is clever, which enables the reader to follow the abstract (academic) concepts of the book with ease. Centeno's work is an intelligible and thought provoking read. He is a sociologist, and his approach to nineteenth century Latin American history is a significant contribution to the literature on this period. Any student of Latin America or any student interested in nation-state building should read this book.

Greg Iles CD Collection: The Quiet Game, Turning Angel, and Blood Memory

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Greg Iles CD Collection: The Quiet Game, Turning Angel, and Blood Memory
Greg Iles
Manufacturer: Brilliance Audio on CD
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: 1423316800
Release Date: 2006-11-29

Book Description

The Quiet Game:
Penn Cage is no stranger to death. As a Houston prosecutor he sent sixteen men to death row, and watched seven of them die. But now, in the aftermath of his wife's death, the grief-stricken father packs up his four-year-old daughter, Annie, and returns to his hometown in search of healing. But peace is not what he finds there. After twenty years away, Penn is stunned to find his own family trapped in a web on intrigue and danger.

Turning Angel:
Turning Angel marks the long-awaited return of Penn Cage, the lawyer hero of The Quiet Game, and introduces Drew Elliott, the highly respected doctor who saved Penn's life in a hiking accident when they were boys. Drew and Penn sit on the school board of their alma mater, St. Stephen's Prep. When the nude body of a young female student is found, the entire community is shocked - but no one more than Penn, who discovers that his best friend was entangled in a passionate relationship with the girl and may be accused of her murder.

Blood Memory:
Catherine “Cat” Ferry is a forensic odontologist, a specialist in bite marks and the clues they provide. In a desperate effort to regain control over a life spiraling out of control, Cat retreats to her hometown of Natchez, Mississippi. But her family's secluded antebellum estate provides no sanctuary. Driven by fragments of her past, Cat attempts a forensic reconstruction of a decades-old crime.

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