Book Description
Why is it that our current twenty-first century a.d. is so similar to the twenty-first century
B.C.? At a time when religious fanaticism and a clash of civilizations raise the specter of a nuclear Armageddon, many ask: Is history destined to repeat itself? What does the future hold? Will biblical prophecies come true, and if so, when?
Ever since Zecharia Sitchin, in his first trailblazing book The 12th Planet, brought to life the Sumerian civilization and its record of the Annunaki—the extraterrestrials who had come to Earth from their planet Nibiru, fashioned mankind, and gave us civilization and religion—questions have abounded. Are the ancient gods still here, or did they leave? Will they return? What will happen then? Will there be another Deluge or Apocalypse when Nibiru meets Earth? What about “Planet X” and the Mayan 2012? What about Jesus?
In The End of Days, a masterwork that required thirty years of additional research, Sitchin dares to give the answers by presenting compelling new evidence that the Past is the Future—that mankind and its planet Earth are subject to a predetermined cyclical Celestial Time.
Tracing historical events from the messianic fervor and use of nuclear weapons in the twenty-first century
B.C., Sitchin resolves ancient enigmas like the Nazca Lines or the origin and significance of the Cross, the Fishes, and the Chalice, places in context the events of the Last Supper and hidden clues like those in Da Vinci's painting, explains the space-related reasons for the everlasting centrality of Jerusalem, and—following in the footsteps of Sir Isaac Newton—deciphers the Time Code in the books of Daniel and Revelation and of the Day of the Lord and the End of Days prophecies.
In this remarkable and relevant conclusion to his bestselling The Earth Chronicles series, Sitchin shatters perceptions and uses history to reveal what is to come at The End of Days.
Customer Reviews:
Awesome FICTIONAL work........2007-09-26
What a great story! From a purely fictional point of view that is. But please don't take Mr. Sitchin seriously. Yes, he's done a lot of work and he's very passionate and I believe HE believes all that's in his books. But if you want facts, follow the work of true scholars.
There are plenty of reviews on this book and even more opinions I'm sure.
What's more important than a review is a call to reason. People - please... Just because you want or need to believe something is true doesn't mean that it is. When dealing with history and languages, I would highly recommend reviewing the work of true and accomplished scholars. Do this and you will likely get complete (as much as is possible) and the most accurate picture of the past as one can.
His credentials in no way qualify him to make such claims. If nothing else, look at his credentials and ask yourself how is this man qualified to make such claims?
I drive a fancy sports car and can give you the exact specs on the engine and body, from top to bottom. I could WOW the best of them with all the tech talk about the engine, transmission, suspension, etc. I could even carry on a detailed conversation with the mechanic if I had to. But I can tell you with certainty that if I was given a shop full of tools all to myself I couldn't fix my fancy sports car if it broke.
If you take your car into the shop be worked on, do you want the guy who talks like he knows what he's doing working on your car or do you want the guy with all the certificates on the wall that's PROVEN he knows what he's doing working on your car?
This is the case with Mr. Sitchin and his books. He talks a good line but has no credentials to prove he's anything more than just a fanciful talker.
Mr. Sitchin graduated from the University of London, majoring in economic history and he was a journalist and editor in Israel. How does this make him an expert in ancient Hebrew and the old Testament? In Sumerian culture? IMHO, this is a classic case of someone learning enough about an ancient language "to be dangerous". He absolutely sounds like he knows what he's talking about and sadly that fools a whole lot of people.
Like many, I was very taken initially with his ideas. But too much didn't add up. After months of research I was quite disappointed to realize that the basis of at least some of his theories (the ones I researched anyway) were too full of holes to be true.
There is an upside though - this a GREAT fictional story!
Real seekers of truth will check multiple sources and validate claims from many different sources. Do this and in time you will find the truth.
If you are looking to be entertained, look no further.
A LITTLE BIT CONFUSING..........2007-09-13
The book somewhat confused me because of some claims. The author also states that the reader should read his other books to understand this book clearly. Nevertheless, I still admire Zecharia Sitchin for all his efforts.
A Keeper.......2007-09-06
Buying a book is one thng haveing it be worth the storage space another. This is worth the storage space.
Creative .......2007-08-27
Sitchin can spin a tale of fiction that is inspired to say the least. He is universally hated in the astronomical, archaeological, and historical communities for his attempt to pass pseudo science off as fact. If fact is not what you are after, then buy this book and invest in a tinfoil hat.
A little disappointing ****** SPOILER ALERT *******.......2007-08-21
I've read all of Sitchin's books and was always pleased at the conclusion of each one. They were like adventure quests of hidden knowledge with the worst case scenario being a nice scifi story (and what a story!). This one left me wanting. I believe he just wanted to put his two cents in about 2012 even though he doesn't think it will be a date that anything significant happens. I think he's got a better theory floating around in his head but didn't want to share it for whatever reason. The beginning of the book is a bit boring as he has to tell the back story. The middle is more interesting with more detail about the tales of the annunaki and their petty power struggles. The end was a bitter disappointment to me. His theory on the davinci last supper painting, in which he thinks the space between jesus and mary/john is where elijah should be and the missing cup being the grail that elijah took, is just lacking. To me the alternate grail theories make more sense and have better documentation. Obviously this book is a must read if you've read the rest of the series as how can one not read the supposed last one but it doesn't hold up to his prior standard. When does Sitchin think the annunaki will return? Sometime in the age of pisces .... and that only leaves up to anywhere from 100 years from now to about 800 years from now depending on if you are going by the math or by sight.
Book Description
James Howard Kunstler's The Long Emergency was an underground hit, going into nine printings of the hardcover edition. His shocking vision for our post-oil future caught the attention of environmentalists and business leaders and was the subject of much debate, stimulating discussion about our dependence on fossil fuels. Now in paperback, with a new afterword, The Long Emergency is set to reach an even larger audience.
The last two hundred years have seen the greatest explosion of progress and wealth in the history of mankind, much of it based on the exploitation of cheap, nonrenewable fossil-fuel energy. But the oil age is at an end. Life as we know it is about to change radically, and much sooner than we think. The Long Emergency tells us just what to expect after we pass the point of global peak oil production and the honeymoon of affordable energy is over, preparing us for economic, political, and social changes of an unimaginable scale. Riveting and authoritative, The Long Emergency is a devastating indictment that brings new urgency and accessibility to the critical issues that will shape our future, and that we can no longer afford to ignore.
Customer Reviews:
A very important book..........2007-10-03
There are many reviews here and on the web so I will add only a small amount to the praise. "The Long Emergency" is a very important book since it grapples with the issue of how (and even examines if) western culture can proceed now that we have passed peak oil. I use the past tense since all indicators point to the fact that we passed peak oil at the end of 2005 - so there is a real state of global denial over planning and implementing changes to deal with this problem.
Kunstler guides the reader through the issue - our global reliance on cheap oil - and the ramifications of the fact that this stage of our development is now over. He deftly examines the geopolitical history of the production of oil and the impacts that this history will have shaping the future. He makes his case on the enormous issues that arise because everything is based upon the premise that oil is a cheap and infinite resource. That is, technology (and he nicely separates the concept progress from growth/technology) is dependent on cheap oil so there is no quick fix.
His real aim is to examine the possible outcomes of our lack of response, on any but a very small individual level, to the problems that now face us. This is why the book is so scary - no government action is occurring besides preparations for resource wars and keeping the soon-to-be-irate population under control (hundreds of millions are being spent on incarceration facilities!). Not a good prognosis for the future and a very pathetic legacy for future generations.
It is nicely summed up:
"Some other things about the global energy predicament are poorly understood by the public and even our leaders. This is going to be a permanent energy crisis, and these energy problems will synergize with the disruptions of climate change, epidemic disease and population overshoot to produce higher orders of trouble.
We will have to accommodate ourselves to fundamentally changed conditions."
We are shortly going to look back and wonder why we didn't act when there was still time...You should read this book so at least you know the facts for later years when you and your children are living like we did hundreds of years ago...
Must read, must share..........2007-09-21
This book provides a glimpse into our not-very-distant post-oil world. Realistic, without becoming negative. Fact-based and logical in every respect. The writing is never dull. Since buying this book, I've shared it with five friends. I also enjoyed Mr. Kunstler's book "Geography of Nowhere: The Rise and Decline of America's Man-Made Landscape".
Mr. Kunstler was also very giving of his time in answering some questions I emailed to him after reading this book.
The Long Emergency by James Howard Kunstler.......2007-09-19
The Long Emergency is an eye-catching book with hits bright alarm-yellow cover and black and red title. It's a book about the future of the world, what's going to happen when we run out of oil, and what to do when this "Long Emergency" begins. The first part of the book goes into depth about when oil was discovered, how it was first used, when and how it was converted into the many products that use oil today. The reader learns what are the events that led up to the discovery of oil in the Middle East and the reason it is in its horrible state today.
After this enlightening history lesson, Kunstler goes on to explain that there is a specific oil production peak that will be reached, when half of the available oil would've been used up, and the other half -- which is harder to get -- will drive up gas and oil prices. According to a number of sources in the footnotes, this peak will be reached some time between the year 2000 and 2008. Kunstler says that they way we will be able to tell is through the oscillation of oil prices rising greatly, then dropping a little, then raising more, but only going down a little each time. Over the past year, this is exactly what has happened, and I'm pretty sure we're never going to see gas go below $2 again.
Kunstler goes on to point out that the supposed alternative forms of energy we're working on will be nowhere near to replacing the oil industry once we dispense with it. This is mainly due to the recent Republican Presidents, starting with Reagan who stopped most funding to alternative energy means and essentially killed the drive for it. Along with Bush Senior and our current idiot, they are all part of a white male arrogant group that believe we will never run out of oil, and it is merely a case of finding it in the earth, albeit by digging deeper and further (re: Alaska!); couple with this is these men's beliefs that the Rapture will arrive tomorrow and they'll be ascending to Heaven, leaving all their problems behind them. Though Clinton is also to blame for looking towards the future and working on prepare the civilized world for the inevitable.
Kunstler predicts all out pandemonium and chaos, worst felt in the United States, of course, where suburbia is in full force. When all the material goods and services we've taken for granted for so long collapse, and our society crashes around us, the Long Emergency will being. This is what Kunstler says. Though he provides little advice and assurance in how one can survive this event. Plus there's the fact that this nonfiction work doesn't have an index or bibliography at the end. I know all nonfiction works don't need this, but when it's a book predicting everything going to hell in my lifetime, I would at least like a list for further readings, or maybe some websites.
It will at least be interesting the see in the coming decades what will begin happening, and I know for now what I most want to get is a hybrid, because gas prices aren't going down ever again.
For more book reviews, and other writings, go to www.alexctelander.com
Enjoyable read, for the most part........2007-09-11
I enjoyed reading most of this book, except for the rant against Wall Mart, that section seemed unrelated to the rest of the books arguments and subject matter, and a bit lefty to boot whilst most of the rest of the book seemed fairly politically agnostic.
It has been over a year since I read it, so there may have been other bits that bothered me, but I can't recall them.
On target.......2007-08-27
Kunstler does an excellent job of pulling together information on many subjects to provide a coherent forecast of the near future. He then uses his imagination to extrapolate further. An awesome and well written book.
Average customer rating:
- Calculations are only as good as your numbers
- Pants on fire?
- Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
- Very Interesting
- History as Science Fiction
|
History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
Manufacturer: Mithec
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 2913621058 |
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.
Book Description
Patagonia is a wild and windswept land located near the tip of South America that includes portions of Chile and Argentina. It features spectacular granite towers, some of the biggest glaciers in the southern hemisphere, and grassy steppes where colorful gauchos herd cattle and sheep across limitless prairies. It's a place that has always appealed to a special kind of traveler, lured by lofty summits and stupendous scenery. It's the kind of land where you can wander at will and find yourself lost in the most interesting ways.
Patagonia exudes a magnetic emptiness that calls forth a commensurate feeling for a newer, fresher, more hopeful world. Photographer Tim Hauf captures the spirit of this remarkable place in over 130 photographs that run the gamut from stunning vistas to intimate details. Conger Beasley provides an illuminating text that describes the fascinating history of this remote world, as well as its remarkable flora and fauna.
Customer Reviews:
Beautiful photographs of a far away place.......2006-07-25
I bought this book because we are planning a trip to Patagonia. This book with its magnificent photographs has been a huge help in planning the trip. Not because it gives any travel tips, but the photographs speak for themselves. This is not a travel advice book. There is no information regarding where to stay or eat. However, the photographs tell me what not-to-miss sites to include in my tour. The photographs are so gorgeous that I cannot hardly wait to get there. This book plus a good South American travel agent have allowed me to establish a travel plan to the most scenic locations. The photographer must have spent a long time traveling the area. His views of glaciers, lakes, dramatic clouds and wildlife show his talent. Many outstanding panoramas are included. These must have been taken with a high quality panorama camera. This is a very nice photo book, to be looked at over and over again.
Patagonia a beautiful read!.......2004-07-21
I recommend this book highly. Tim Hauf?s remarkable photography captures the many regions of Patagonia - the diversity of landscapes, the various moods and raw beauty, a stark grandeur. The uncivilized immensity of mountains and water, sometimes filled with icebergs other times with whitecaps, some misty above the power of falls, leaves the viewer in awe. We are surprised and delighted by the variety of images, from the smallest of flowering bushes to the romping of guanacos, but overall we are speechless before the vastness of empty space. Fortunately, Conger Beasley?s text brings the photography into a semblance of understandable. By introducing us to the history of the region alongside tales of the personal journey that he shared with Hauf, Beasley brings the reader into the wild and foreign land as a fellow traveller. We are less intimidated by the endless wild.
Enhanced with an informative text.......2004-05-03
Tim Hauf is one of those photographers who raises to the level of visual art with his spectacular, full-color photography. Patagonia: Wild Land At The End Of The Earth continues to document his ability to capture truly memorable and impressive imagery -- this time to that wild and desolate region near the bottom-most tip of South American known as Patagonia. This latest showcase of Tim Hauf's photography is enhanced with an informative text by Conger Beasley as we tour through the history of this obscure but fascinating country which is sparsely populated, yet offers visions of granite towers, glaciers, wildlife, farmlands, and breathtaking landscapes of incredible beauty. Patagonia: Wild Land At The End Of The Earth is a welcome and highly recommended addition to personal, professional, and academic landscape photography collections.
Book Description
Unforgettable stories and images from America's preeminent adventure photographer on his most challenging, exhilarating expeditions.
Renowned as one of the world's foremost expedition photographers, Gordon Wiltsie has climbed Himalayan mountains, mushed dogs on the frozen Arctic Ocean, skied in Antarctica, and hacked through the Amazon jungle to photograph the most remote reaches of the planet. For the last three decades he has accompanied many of the great modern explorers—Alex Lowe, Conrad Anker, Will Steger, Jon Krakauer, David Breashears, Norman Vaughan—on incredibly challenging climbs and epic adventures. Despite carrying his own share of the weight—along with cameras, film, and lenses—he has matched these companions pitch for pitch and mile for mile, photographing them every inch of the way.
In this journey through ten unique expeditions, Wiltsie illustrates the daily life of an explorer—from the thrill of summiting a virgin peak to the fear of surviving a storm, to the humorous and unexpected everyday moments of life on the edge. 175 color illustrations, 9 maps.
Customer Reviews:
The pairing of vivid text adventure and color drama is not to be missed........2007-04-12
TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH: ADVENTURES OF AN EXPEDITION PHOTOGRAPHER tells of the author's passion for adventure and his life photographing some hundred expeditions to the wildest places on the planet. Here are ten of his greatest adventures, paired with stunning color photos, in a collection highly recommended not only for the general interest public library, but for college-level art photography holdings. The pairing of vivid text adventure and color drama is not to be missed.
A lifetime's experience.......2006-12-30
Gordon Wiltsie takes us to the ends of the earth and gives us a glimpse of the reality of expedition life; unlike other "adventure travel" books this one makes it clear that there is a huge amount of arduous labor, and often not much glory, involved. It's also apparent that he, if not his companions, truly enjoyed the inevitable unexpected challenges, and even the hardship and discomfort, of such trips.
Wiltsie's photographs are spectacular. While reading the book I continually wondered how he made some of these images ("how-the-hell-did-he-do-that?"). Which raises a minor complaint, I would have loved to have read more about the technical details of the author's workday in the field, as well as some technical detail about the photos.
Wiltsie's writing is clear, expressive, and warm; his self-effacing tone belies his athletic, technical, and artistic proficiency. I have to agree with a previous reviewer, more pictures and text are called for.
Superb Images........2006-10-24
This collection of images and stories is as compelling as any I've seen. Many will know Wiltsie's photographs from his mountaineering expeditions, and his photos here of the late Alex Lowe, Conrad Anker, and many others in dramatic action offer plenty on that count. But Wiltsie is one of the best "travel" photographers going, catching ordinary people from the far reaches of the planet in traditional dress and situations. Each is a fascinating study in itself. Wiltsie is a better photographer than writer, and almost all of the narratives--candid and spicy as they are--could be fuller and more detailed, for certainly the stories give the images their vital context. My greatest desideratum for this book was only that it include more: more words, more of those amazing photographs.
Book Description
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, well-known Vatican prelate and head of the Congregation on the Doctrine of the Faith, gives a full-length interview to a secular journalist on a host of controversial and difficult issues facing Catholicism and Christianity at the end of the millennium. Similar to his best-selling book interview in 1985, The Ratzinger Report, he responds with candor and insight, giving answers that are often surprising and always thought-provoking on a series of wide-ranging topics regarding the present and future state of Christianity.
Ratzinger begins by discussing his own life, including his family life, being a theology professor and writer, becoming a Bishop, Cardinal and the Pope's top authority on doctrine. He then discusses the problems of the Catholic Church today and talks about the challenges and hopes of the future of Church and the world at the beginning of the Third Millennium.
Customer Reviews:
Sugar for the Soul .......2007-05-09
Without a doubt, this new Pope Benedict XVI is the most brilliant man in the world!
That probably does not need to be said, does it? What is more important than being brilliant is that the "then" Cardinal Ratzinger, is seen as one who can and does communicate with the people. We are those people! Anyone can understand what Cardinal Ratzinger means when he answers Peter Seewald's questions - one would never go away saying, "What did He mean by THAT!" Brilliant!
Peter Seewald asks great questions - for a starter, "Do you pray when you and the Pope (then Pope John Paul II) meet?" "What do you wear?" Silly? Maybe, but we learn about the setting of the meeting of the Pope and the Prefect - we see the picture - we ARE there with them! You seem to take a chair here with Seewald and the "then" Cardinal Ratzinger, now Holy Father - who is also fondly called the German Shepherd and/or B16. You can take him anywhere! Later Peter Seewald's questions become deeper and more profound, but never more profound that the answers.
I swooned over the first 20 pages. I began putting green stars to mark things that were amazing - then green exclamation points to help me locate great comments - then began to underline - now I have a book that is almost totally green in ink! What a heart for God this Cardinal had in 1996 and to think that 10 years later he was our new Pope. Get out your markers!
Purchase this book and, at the same time, order God and the World: A Conversation With Peter Seewald - the next book dated 2000. At least, put these books on your Wish List for Mothers' Day or Fathers' Day. Actually begin by adding everything Pope Benedict XVI has ever written to your library.
I believe Mr. Seewald went "Home" to the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church shortly after this book. They were a great team!
An intelligent and loving man.......2007-03-10
Every question is answered with clarity and right to the point. For those who would like to learn about our present Pope and his beliefs this is the book to buy. The church and the world should feel blessed to have a man as Joseph Ratzinger . Tremendous insight into the church and his own life before he became Pope. Peter seewald is a great writer and Ratzinger really comes through in this interview. Catholics around the world should thank God that this man speaks on behalf of us.
Gather a summary and freely choose.......2006-06-10
After all the costly legal expenditures (and the lack thereof) have, in the majority of cases, been accounted for, Ratzinger now no longer feels pressured to provide us with the keys to the Kingdom of Secrecy relegated above. Is this "upper surface" really all that remains of his famous sight outside, or is it nothing more than a considerable reputation that has been established for reliable books? And how can such an author hope for so long that Ratzinger's new book, by its absence, will have cultivated anything like it? Seldom, the beginner thinks, will the work of such an author--lacking the reserve or the aesthetic control of the above-mentioned colonels--be captured immediately. Nor will it be completely convincing. But that, of course, was precisely the experiment that was forced on them after Ratzinger's consideration was ceded in 1960. The impact of this first impression shows the entire direction of the book. In the library, after which I was completely in agreement with his single new worldview, one could see signs that it would soon disperse. With the relative lack of English letters on Ratzinger, I, for one, would like to gather a summary and a consideration of Ratzinger's body of work, under one flag, as completely as possible. And on the general topic of any official meetings, if each report made a first impression as written, then what prospect does the neophyte have, when he comes for the first time to these books. The catch is that, as a unit, I can only hope that these pieces will be useful as an inspiration, mostly so that our readers will freely choose the work of an author who has spent too a long time in negligence.
Excellent insight into the thought and world of Joseph Ratzinger (Benedict XVI).......2006-06-09
Read this book.
There are so many things that are wonderful about this book; it is hard to know where to begin. First and foremost, this is a fantastic comprehensive synthesis of Ratzinger's views regarding much of the current concerns of the Church and of the world.
Additionally, the question and answer format makes this book extremely accessible, even for those who might think they are too busy to read about the new Pope. I would even say that the topics that are discussed in this interview are of interest to everybody as they do not necessarily revolve around interior Church issues.
Like I said earlier, I suggest that you read this book. It's a great way to start learning more about what Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) is like and how he thinks.
Ratzinger's Reply to the Contemporary Mind.......2006-05-14
Contrasted to Vittorio Messori's breakthrough interview of Cardinal Ratzinger, the famous Ratzinger Report, this book at first glance does not seem to stand up as well. Messori is Catholic, prepared, and focused. The interviewer here, Peter Seewald, is a contemporary journalist and while obviously a man of good will, comes on too often with cliched assumptions about Catholicism. The gracious Ratzinger sidesteps this as consistently as Lou Gehrig could hit singles, but the overall result can become monotonous, tedious, and diffuse.
Yet many will doubtless prefer this book as an introduction to the new pope's thinking. The reason, simply, is that for all its flaws the book is more human, intimate. It often looks just like straight transcription of a conversation about the faith between two men, who for whatever different reasons do care about the subject and the answers. There is a thus, finally, a certain glow of Christian fellowship to the whole undertaking. The Ratzinger Report, in contrast, now begins to betray something of the hand of the editor -- on both sides. Thus however stumbling and sometimes clumsy, this book is more than a "semi-official" report: it is something that might even convert somebody -- as the meetings apparently did Seewald.
The focus here is less on the Catholic Church as an institution, more on the burden of Christianity and belief at this precise moment of history. Seewald stands for the contemporary mind. Ratzinger's replies both exhibet a bounty of patience and a dogged persistence to be understood with as much accuracy as his questioner can glean. For once, the theologian is out of his skin, and must become catechist -- to a most unlikely candidate. As perfectly chiseled as the Ratzinger Report was, one suspects that this book, then, will for now on find the wider audience, perhaps even endure.
Simply, when the voice of the modern man is modulated, as befits an interview -- and not screaming in protest or assault -- the Cardinal's responsive voice, densely civil, jam-packed with informed response in defense of belief -- and poignant questions of its own for the modern man -- levels the field like a superhighway. Disarmingly, while Ratzinger seems to play a long hand, at the end one is no longer even listening to modern man's wailing. The man of quiet belief has known all along it was a but a feisty baby's howl for real food.
Book Description
Author of the "Prophets" series, Dr, Bill Hamon brings the same anointed instructions in this new series on apostles! Learn about the apostolic age and how apostles and prophets work together. Find out God's end- time plans for the Church!
Customer Reviews:
Gods Anointed!.......2004-07-15
I've read alot books about the whole prophet and apostle teachings, but this book was the best of the best. David Cannistraci was my Pastor and I read his book and have the audio teaching on the subject, but Bill Hammon to me is the most accurate writter on the subject. Most of the men or women who have written such books have all been under his teaching's. I am so grieved by the negative reviews I've seen, being warned myself by God not to take Prophecy in contempt and seeing the fire of God comming from this mans mouth, and just being under the anointing God has placed on this mans life makes me quiver at the thought of saying anything bad about him!!!!!!!! He goe's into the Church history and what each denomination has brought into the Church. Read it and see for yourself. I have many of his audio teachings and he's just a fun guy to be around.
Laura Smith.......2003-11-20
This book is a powerful overview of what God has been doing throughout the ages and what He's bringing together in this world for His glorious return. I believe this is the authoritative book to read on the moving of God in these end-times. I recommend it highly to everyone that wants to be on the cutting edge of what the Lord is doing today. This book, alongside the prophetic series by Dr. Hamon is inspirational and motivational.
Looking for anti-Christ!.......2003-04-08
It used to be we were looking for the prophets who would lead us to Christ, now it's apostles. This book will have the misguided lining up as 'apostle wanna-be's'. Is Jesus not capable of leading his church anymore that we have to keep seeking after specially gifted leaders? Read this book with caution - any writing that encourages Christians to be looking for 'a person' with special giftings who they can call an apostle is dangerous. You're paving the way for anti-Christ, who will be the perfect prophet and apostle all rolled into one.
Seeking to understand the calling of Apostle or Prophet?.......2000-04-12
Dr. Hamon's book is a RHEMA heavily grounded in the LOGOS. If you desire to know how Jesus intended the Apostle and Prophet to relate and operate within the body, this book is a must. It is an easy read packed with wisdom and practical application of five fold ministry.
This book is revolutionary!.......1999-11-18
This book simply removes man made tradtions that releases you to manifest as a child of God. I think that it will be many years before I realize the profound nature of the revelation of this book. God is definately doing something new in the earth and this book will cause you to be rite in the middle of it. Heaven is kissing earth and this book will lead you rite into the smack! Bill Hamon has won my heart and admiration because of the magnitude and weight that every word of this book holds. Buy it now! Your life will never be the same.
Book Description
Today we are on the verge of discoveries that should soon reveal the deepest secrets of the universe. In Alpha & Omega, Charles Seife takes us to the front lines of the cosmological revolution to synthesize the discoveries of scientists at observatories and laboratories around the world who are actually peering into both the cradle of the universe and its grave. The cast of characters includes galaxy hunters and microwave eavesdroppers, gravity theorists and atom smashers, all of whom are on the trail of dark matter, dark energy, and the growing inhabitants of the particle zoo. Seife's lucid explanations of scientific theories and current research make cutting-edge science both crystal clear and wonderfully exciting.
Customer Reviews:
wow!.......2007-10-06
Amazing! Truth can be stranger than fiction. Vacuums filled with activity. The beginning and end of the universe. Spacetime a rubber sheet. And all described specifically and clearly.
satisfactory overview.......2007-01-09
This book provides a satisfactory overview of the history and current state of cosmology. Unfortunately, the book describes Copernicus as wasting many years trying to explain the radiuses of the planetary orbits in terms of the five Platonic solids, when in fact it was Kepler who was obsessed with this idea. The majority of popular books devoting space to the history of astronomy mention this, with most also including a picture of Kepler's model, thus it is certainly not an obscure fact. This error made me wonder whether the book was reviewed by anyone knowledgeable prior to publication. I was disappointed to see such a major error in the book as it made me wonder what other errors might be lurking in the text. It definitely showed that the author was not as familiar with the material as he should have been.
This book is a good intro to cosmology and explains every discovery so far..........2005-12-15
I like Seife's writing style. He wrote this book keeping in mind that 'regular' people will be reading it. He starts with the very first theorys on the universe and explains them in a way that slides right into to your mind like butter. The theorys are written chronologically and gradually get more complex as new things are discovered. He also describes these new discoveries chronologically and detailed to where the average person has a broader more precise understanding of the whys and hows and whats of each theory.This book has confirmed what I always thought was a huge part in the creation of the universe: symmetry; particularly TCP symmetry (I wish there was more info on that in the book)...The previous reviewer mentioned that this book suffers by "trying to explain mathematical ideas without using mathematics"... that is a bunch of bull b/c there is a great glossary that explains every mathematical term/symbol....speaking of math; I'll leave you with a though: in this book we find out that the universe is in fact finite(albeit ever-expanding) but how can you truly decifer the language of a finite universe with an infinite language of illusions and possibilities(MATH!)that allows anything to go?... If we could then over 95% of the universe still wouldn't be invisibe dark matter now would it!
Very convincing.......2004-07-25
I am a skeptic. I have a mind of my own, and I like authors who treat the reader with respect. If I wanted religion, I would go to church. I want to be convinced.
In particular, I am very skeptical of the whole big bang idea. I've been exposed to some of the evidence, but it has always seemed relatively scant to me.
No longer. Seife has convinced me. The big bang, basically, probably, did in fact occur.
His deep respect for skeptical scientists, my heroes, runs through the whole book. Seife acknoledges that much of the old evidence was really not overwhelming. When he refers to very recent experiments which disprove moribund but reasonable ideas (some of which have occurred even to laymen like me) he does not criticize the scientists who had held out hope. Actually, he seems to admire the tenacity of the iconoclast.
The icing on the cake is the list of ongoing and future experiments. This section may soon be outdated, but for now it has the effect of including the reader in the scientific pursuit. I am now very excited to learn the results of some of these experiments, though they may be years away.
If you just want to admire the insights, go with Hawking. If you want to dream, try Brian Greene. If you want to be dragged kicking and screaming into the new cosmological era, read this book.
Why only 4 stars? The book becomes less convincing in the final chapters. But it is the best I've found.
Good introduction for non-science types.......2004-07-15
A fine and clear review of the development of cosmological theory from Ptolemy to the present, definitely written for the curious non-scientist.
Seife has a good feeling for how strange the universe is, and for how unsettling it can be to contemplate it. He takes your hand and leads you through the stories of discovery with respect, but assuming you know little to nothing about the subject.
I had trouble putting it down.
Book Description
In 1981, while working as New Mexico State Historian, Stanley M. Hordes began to hear stories of Hispanos who lit candles on Friday night and abstained from eating pork. Puzzling over the matter, Hordes realized that these practices might very well have been passed down through the centuries from early crypto-Jewish settlers in New Spain. After extensive research and hundreds of interviews, Hordes concluded that there was, in New Mexico and the Southwest, a Sephardic legacy derived from the converso community of Spanish Jews.
In To the End of the Earth, Hordes explores the remarkable story of crypto-Jews and the tenuous preservation of Jewish rituals and traditions in Mexico and New Mexico over the past five hundred years. He follows the crypto-Jews from their Jewish origins in medieval Spain and Portugal to their efforts to escape persecution by migrating to the New World and settling in the far reaches of the northern Mexican frontier.
Drawing on individual biographies (including those of colonial officials accused of secretly practicing Judaism), family histories, Inquisition records, letters, and other primary sources, Hordes provides a richly detailed account of the economic, social and religious lives of crypto-Jews during the colonial period and after the annexation of New Mexico by the United States in 1846. While the American government offered more religious freedom than had the Spanish colonial rulers, cultural assimilation into Anglo-American society weakened many elements of the crypto-Jewish tradition.
Hordes concludes with a discussion of the reemergence of crypto-Jewish culture and the reclamation of Jewish ancestry within the Hispano community in the late twentieth century. He examines the publicity surrounding the rediscovery of the crypto-Jewish community and explores the challenges inherent in a study that attempts to reconstruct the history of a people who tried to leave no documentary record.
Customer Reviews:
Did Jews Settle New Mexico and Do They Remain.......2006-06-21
Thesis: Many of the Spanish settlers of New Mexico were either secretely practising Jews or recent converts. Through the ensuing centuries, some kept up tradition and practice of their Hebrew faith, in all or part.
I heard this hypothesis when I first moved to the Land of Enchantment in 1979. Most locals took it as likely. However, "studies" on the subject were mainly collections of anecdotes of familes that did not eat pork or that played with draedels in December but didn't know why.
Stanley Hordes has done scholarship a real service with his meticulous, well-documented, and systematic research, as presented in To The End of the Earth. Rather than rushing into anecdotes, he first gives a broad backdrop of the history of Judaism in Iberia and the political and religious upheavals there in the 13th through 16th centuries.
Having set the stage, Hordes then follows families of "new Christians" to Mexico. Through an examination of correspondence, records of the Holy Office (Inquisition) and other documents, he traces the likely practice of crypto-Judaism in Old Mexico.
Only then does he set forth north of the Rio Bravo to see the fate of some likely Jewish or formerly Jewish families, trace their practices, and scour for physical evidence among a group that was reticent to leave records of what was long an illegal practice.
Hordes wraps up nicely with not only the family stories but with DNA and blood protein studies. He falls short in actually finding evidence such as hidden synagogues or secret Torahs, but he certainly paints a compelling picture that many of the Hispano settlers of New Mexico were, at the very least, reluctant conversos.
This is an engrossing and well-referenced work for any serious scholar. While not light reading, it is also not too challenging for a non-anthropologist.
By all means, if the thesis is of interest to you, you should order this book.
A good history of crypto Jews in New Mexico.......2006-05-25
A couple of years ago I went to a lecture that Dr. Stanley Hordes presented to the New Mexico Genealogy Society. He discussed his then upcoming book about crypto-Jews in New Mexico titled "To the End of the Earth." What intrigued me about Dr. Hordes lecture was that he found proof that the colony of Nuevo Leon, Nuevo Espana ( present day Mexico) probably was populated with crypto-Jews. This same colony en masse tried to illegally colonize New Mexico in 1591, and a few of these people were also part of the official New Mexico colony in 1598. Dr. Hordes' makes a very good argument that there were crypto-Jews in New Mexico during the first years of colonization and that their descendants continued practicing Judaism up until the present day.
A crypto-Jew is a person who converted or whose ancestors converted to Christianity yet still secretly practices Judaism. As with many other Christian countries, Jews were persecuted in Spain during the Middle Ages. In 1390 many Jews converted to Christianity after an especially devastating pogrom. In 1492, after King Fernando and Queen Isabel conquered the last vestige of Muslim Spain in Granada, the Christian monarchs officially expelled the Jews from Spain. All who stayed in Spain were required to convert to Catholicism. Many went to Portugal where they too were forced to convert.
The Spanish Inquisition persecuted many of these New Christians as apostates and heretics. Many were accused of going back to their old religion. In order to avoid prosecution many New Christians went to the New World. Dr. Hordes shows how one such colony from Portugal under the leadership of Luis de Carvajal y de la Cueva were almost definitely New Christians, and most likely crypto-Jews.
Carvajal was given permission by the King Philip II of Spain to found a colony in Nuevo Leon. The king gave specific instructions to officials not to question the ethnicity of the people in this colony. Dr. Hordes contends that these people were probably New Christians since at the time New Christians prohibited from going to the New World. The king's instructions would have made it easier for them to cross over to Mexico. As further proof Hordes notes that Carvajal's son was later prosecuted by the Inquisition. During the younger Carvajal's arrest Gaspar Castano de Sosa lead the entire colony to New Mexico. Hordes contends that he probably did this in order to escape being prosecuted himself as a judaizer. However Castano de Sosa was arrested anyway for trying to illegally colonize New Mexico.
Hordes uses church and government records to demonstrate the possibility that New Christians practiced Judaism throughout New Mexico history. His argument is strongest with the early years of the colony when Inquisition records documented investigations into possible judaizers. He also uses genealogy to show how certain assumed crypto-Jewish families intermarried within culture. However, his arguments are weaker when it comes to the present day. Although there is some proof that certain present day Hispano New Mexican families continue the practice of crypto-Judaism, there are questions as to whether certain evidence truly demonstrates this practice. Hordes does not completely dispel these questions, although he comes closer than others who have tried to prove this theory.
Dr. Hordes' book is well researched and was a fascinating read. Any person interested in Hispanic New Mexican history and genealogy should read this book. One then can make up his or her mind whether Dr. Hordes proves that crypto-Judaism indeed was practiced throughout New Mexico's history.
Scholarly but also deeply inspiring.......2006-03-06
More than 700 footnotes add up to an extraordinary story well worth the telling: quite a few "manitos" of Northern New Mexico were probably crypto-Jews who preserved parts of their own culture through centuries of isolation. So we discover that Hispanos and Hebrews are both part of Chicano history in the American Southwest.
Since these individuals covered their tracks well and most are long dead, the trail was cold and neglected. However, Dr. Hordes did not take the easy, glamorous and lucrative route to selling their extraordinary history. Instead, he and his colleagues spent years and years pouring over thousands of documents. As one who has looked at a little of this "paleography," let me testify that a person can go blind staring at that terrible, ancient, blotched and blotted handwriting. I appreciate such careful scholarship; it lays out all possible evidence without overreaching.
Thanks to this book, a vast number of dots have been laid out on the map of New Mexican history. While each by itself is not conclusive, when I connect the dots I see the fascinating faces of religious dissidents who courageously preserved their own beliefs in the face of enormous social pressure. They went "To the Ends of the Earth" to preserve their integrity. I find their story inspiring.
thought provoking study.......2005-12-24
This new book by Dr. Hordes is an excellent introduction to an area of study that has been given only opinionated overviews up to this point. Whether one agrees or disagrees with Horde's thesis, that fact is Sephardic Jewish culture is a crucial element of the overall Hispanic experience, as much as the Moorish, Roman, and Visigothic contributions. To deny this is to live in darkness. As Spain's historiography is finally opening and accepting of its Jewish past, so too should Hispanic Americans open up and accept that past. It is reality.
While a well written book, I also enjoyed immensely the copious footnotes Horde's provides, to give an indication of the enormous amount of work and research that went into this book. Archives throughout Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Mexico, and New Mexico were searched for scattered references and indications of ANY possible behavior that could point the way to any latent Crypto-Jewish practices or cultural rememberances. Inquisition documents, incredible sources of social and cultural history, were used in an amazing way to gain insight into the world of these Hispanic peoples living in times more complex than we may care to admit.
Ultimately, one must make up their own mind regarding the Crypto-Jews of New Mexico. But if one is responsible in their intellect, they will make an informed decision, one that will require the reading of this book. Whether one's name is Encinias, Truxillo, Martinez, or Chavez, it cannot be denied: you have a Sephardic Jewish past. It comes through not only our bloodlines in Iberia, co-mingling with the native blood of the Americas, but also through our rich Catholic cultural heritage, which itself sprang out of the Jewish Semitic Middle East.
Anyone interested in the diverse and fascinating experience that is the Hispanic experience in the Americas, and in New Mexico in particular, needs to read this book now!
A remarkable scholar produces a remarkable book!.......2005-12-21
Dr. Hordes, long recognized as the "guru" of Crypto-Judaism in the Southwest, has written a book all academics and SERIOUS students of this fascinating subject will find an invaluable addition to their libraries. For those with closed minds on the topic, it's unlikely even this exceptionally well documented and highly readable book will prove compelling. For those three or four individuals who seem to think they can enhance their professional standing by attempting to refute the absolutely solid scholarship and careful, well-documented research this book represents, oh well---. Two fools do not make one wise man. For the rest of us, I can only say, "Bravo, Bravo, Sr. Hordes! Well done!" And for those of you reading this book, (hopefully, with an open mind!) don't skip the footnotes. They're a treasure-trove of information (albeit, the reader will be well-served by the ability to read Spanish). The fascinating emergence of Crypto-Jews in New Mexico--and elsewhere in the Southwestern United States--is a FACT. Deniers SHOULD be silenced by this exceptional work. Sadly, some never will be. I, for one, will light my Shabbat candles openly (at last!) in honor of my Hispanic ancestors who were denied that sacred privilege for five hundred + years. They traveled "To The End of the Earth" seeking safety, all the while preserving what they could of their Sephardic Judaism against incredible odds. Dr. Hordes honors the sacrifice of these brave, determined settlers with a truly significant book.
Randy Baca
Author
Book Description
All his life, Alexander defied the limits the gods gave mortals. That passion overwhelmed cities and armies...and united a vast empire. Alexander was no longer simply King of Macedonia: The Pan-Hellenic League had named him Supreme Leader. Egypt crowned him Pharaoh. And all Persia acknowledged him as Great King. He was a true heir to Achilles and Hercules, a leader who had guided troops to victory beyond the Nile, the Tigris, and the Euphrates. Now, conquering India would place all of Asia in his hands.
But his army reached the limit of its endurance, and the cost of triumph had been high -- in blood, betrayal, and tragedy. Alexander lost Barsine, his first beloved; Bucephalus, a steed unequaled; Peritas, his loyal hound; and Hephaestion, the closest companion of his youth. Still he sought the wisdom and might to transform the empire he had claimed into the one of which he dreamed, no longer divided into victors and vanquished, but a unified people under his rule. For Alexander was destined for timeless glory in the domain of heroes and gods -- both in his lifetime and in the realm of eternal legend.
Customer Reviews:
Alexander.......2007-09-10
This is the third book in the trilogy, it is best to start with no. 1, so you can really understand the relationship he has with this boyhood friends/generals. Besides being very well educated, he had a gift in strategy and statesman ship. As it is today, you need loyal people on your team. This book was very well written, it seems that you were right there with him in most of his exploits and personal moments. He was depicted as a man who had a few wives and loves and very respected by his troops and populace. You can always learn from history.
Alexander.......2007-06-11
Really enjoyed this book and the other two in the trilogy. The author brings history to life. I learnt a lot
Best of the series. A rapid-paced conclusion which fits a massive amount of events into 441 pages.......2007-02-13
Starting off just as Alexander has left the Oracle at Siwa, it's amazing to see how expertly Manfredi chronicles the events from the Battle of Gaugamela to Alexander's death in less than 450 pages.
As is typical of him, his writing style is stupendous, fluid, and with its own balanced mix of lush literate prose and straight-forward technical description.
The writing and the way the events unfold is so rich and compelling that by the time of Cleitus's death in Bactria, you feel the strain of the men as they have been on the march endlessly for years, the grueling pace they move at, and the bleak, deserted environment of the hilly areas where they hunt down Darius's murderers in essentially a guerrilla-type warfare. Looking back only two hundred pages, you're shocked to see that the Battle of Gaugamela was so close by, and yet it feels entire novels away.
The fast pace moving from rich Persia to desolate Sogdia, Arachosia, Bactria, to wet and hellish India, to the blazing hot Gedrosian desert never seems to move too fast, though Steven Pressfield's "The Afghan Campaign" spends an entire novel on just the three years Alexander spent wandering around Sogdia, Bactria, etc (modern day Afghanistan).
Manfredi's handling of such thing as Peritas' death, Bucephalus's death, and Alexander's life-threatening injuries is so tender and yet brutal as to make you feel the same emotional impact, if a bit less.
The army's hatred of Alexander over his adopting Persian customs and favoring Persian subjects is one that feels so real that you find yourself hoping that Alexander doesn't do something stupid to garner the hatred of his men.
The whole atmosphere and aura of this book is so radically different from the previous two as to feel like entirely separate novels of different time periods between them. Book 1 being the childhood of Alexander and the Hellenic wars with Thebes and Athens and such, Book 2 being the harsh wars in Asia Minor and the struggle with Memnon of Rhodes and all the way up to the Battle of Issus and the Oracle at Siwa, Book 3 being a new sort of hell in a totally new sort of war bearing little to no resemblence to that you've just read about.
Manfredi's handling of Alexander's death and Ptolemy's afterword to his dead friend is so magically handled that tears come to your eyes reading them.
My only complaint with this novel as with the previous two is that so much emphasis is placed upon the active will and participation of the supernatural, the Gods, seers, magicians, prophets and prophecies etc, as to leave absolutely no ambiguity to the will of the Gods, much less their existence. As soon as Aristander the Seer comes to Alexander warning him of something or advising him on something, it comes to pass almost exactly or Alexander is saved solely because of his heeding to these prophecies.
Amazing book. Buy now
The Fantasy Version.......2006-11-29
I think you learn more about Manfredi in this trilogy then you do of Alexander. He takes a lot of liberties, skips over some of the things we do know about Alexander (so little is known and it feels wrong to skip over what little we do know) and embroiders heavily. If you keep that in mind, the books are a good read. However, if you depend on them to give you a true idea of who Alexander was, how he lived, what he did--even to get an idea of the extend of conquest that Alexander did--you will be seriously misguided by this series. Alexander's relationship with Hespastian was pivotal to his life yet Manfredi hardly touches on it. Alexander's relationship with Bagoas was an important aspect of those times yet Bagoas is hardly even mentioned. Most of Alexander's marriages to women were basically political connections yet Manfredi expands on them (to a degree that rings false if applied to Alexander; perhaps if Manfredi had been Alexander, it may have been that way). The marches Alexander lead his army on through the Hindu Kush, through the desert, through hell basically, was not communicated well in the book; they're made to sound like strained hikes. I think Manfredi missed completely what drove the men to follow Alexander through thick and thin, how the men loved Alexander and for most of those years did everything for him. And I especially detested the ending of this book. Yes, Alexander sickened and died not in battle but was brought down by [disease? poison? multiple physical strains?]--and immediately after his death all that Alexander (and the army) had done, all that had been worked for was all undone by his generals all wanting to be king but none of them up to snuff. If you read this trilogy, just keep in mind that most of the fleshing out is pure Manfredi imagination; don't automatically accept that Alexander felt or said or thought this way. I think Alexander had bigger, deeper, more majestic views of everything that Manfredi can't even begin to guess at.
The Last of the Trilogy.......2006-09-09
Few authors can be better equipped to write about the history of ancient Greece and Rome than Valerio Massimo Manfredi. Professor of archaeology at the university of Milan, he has carried out many excavations and expeditions in the Mediterranean region. He has produced many factual books on historical matters, mainly military and has still found the time to write several novels and this is one of the best of them.
This book is the last of a triology about probably the greatest warrior and general who has ever lived, bearing in mind that Alexander died at an age when most men are only just starting to make their mark in life. Alexander is of course one of histories most colourful and well know character. Even people with little or not interest in ancient history will have heard of Alexander, a charismatic and larger than life figure.
The final chapter in the life of Alexander sees his military might making their way into the heart of Asia and ever onwards towards the Indian sub continent. The Macedonian army is the mightiest force that has ever been seen and sweeps all before it. Virtually nobody and nothing can put any resistance in the way of its unrelenting advance.
Alexander is not just a destroyer, he has a fine brain and has an ambitious project to unite the people of the empire. This project becomes an
The Earth Chronicles Expeditions: Journeys to the Mythical Past
The Lost Book of Enki: Memoirs and Prophecies of an Extraterrestrial god
Twelfth Planet: Book I of the Earth Chronicles (The Earth Chronicles)
Journeys to the Mythical Past (Earth Chronicles Expeditions)
The Stairway to Heaven: Book II of the Earth Chronicles (The Earth Chronicles)
