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

Book Description

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

Customer Reviews:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Average customer rating:

The Twilight Lord
First and last foray...
Well Done Ms Small
One of the best!
The Twilight Lord

The Twilight Lord (World of Hetar)
Bertrice Small
Manufacturer: HQN Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0373772033

Customer Reviews:

The Twilight Lord.......2007-08-27

For those following Bertrice Small's LARA Character this was the 3rd Book - it was very good - just as Books 1 & 2 were - makes you anxious for the 4th Installment. As far as Amazon goes - I ordered the book used - it came in 4 days in PERFECT condition and even with the shipping cost it was equal to a Book Store Price and I didn't have to use $6.00 worth of gas to go get it.

First and last foray..........2007-08-21

Despite the author's well-recognized name and long, award-filled career, I had never actually read one of Ms Small's books. I received The Twilight Lord (World of Hetar, Book 3) as a freebie and decided to give this author a try, even though I'd essentially be starting in the middle of an established series.

Given Ms Small's many, many awards for her historical fiction stories, I'll have to assume that she is truly a wonderful writer. Unfortunately, I only have The Twilight Lord to judge by, and it was not what I would have expected given the author's reputation.

No doubt someone will point out that it's hardly fair to judge Ms Small based on one book, and that one not the first book in a series. I can only point out the following issues do not rely on a book's order in a series:

- The author and editor should have cut out the numerous, numerous repetition and redundancies in the book, especially in those instances where the characters themselves were already aware of X, Y, and Z.

- There were several instances of rape, which, inconceivably, were portrayed for the most part as being pleasurable for the women involved. Not only was this offensive and cavalier, it didn't even serve the purpose of making the villains out to be more villainous.

- Several of the plot points didn't make internal story sense.

- The characterizations of the main characters were unlikable. They were by turns self-centered, cruel, and immature. It was hard to imagine what redeeming characters they had.

- Despite the big "Lara has a Destiny" plot line and the constant avowal of her powers, the only powers you really see her evince is transporting herself from place to place.

- Many of the sex scenes were repetitive and served no real purpose. Sex in a story is great, but only if it furthers the plot. The only sex that furthered the story in this book was the one that involved the prophecy of the Twilight Lord.

Sometimes, when I start a series in the middle, I'm intrigued enough to want to read the entire series and try other books by the same author. Alas, neither is the case here.

Well Done Ms Small.......2007-08-10

Twilight Lord was a great third book of the series of Hectar. The Subtle hints in book two had taken me in a completely different direction. I hope that this is not the last we see of Lara and the world of Hectar

One of the best!.......2007-08-04

I am thoroughly excited with the new way Mrs. Small has taken her writing. She can keep me up all night long with her stories, but this one makes me want a reread!!!! WOW!

The Twilight Lord.......2007-07-30

The Twilight Lord was a very disappointing example of Beatrice Small's normally excellent work. There is all together too much gratuitus sex and erotica that does not help to move the story along. Some of the scenes, even the shocking ones with the "Twilight Lord" are necessary to demonstrate his evil nature, but many of the sex scenes are redundant and only take up space that could be better used to develop the plot. Also, in a long-awaited book that was at first labeled part of a trilogy, the plot is neither tight nor resolved. After reading Beatrice Small for more than 30 years, I expect more of her writing--although I have little regard for the editors of Harliquin!!
Sarah C Jones

Average customer rating:

A good intro to the Ottoman Empire and its impact on modern Europe
Full of contradictions and inaccurate facts
Ottoman Centuries
East Meets West: Epic Film Material Waiting To Be Born!
good book but with some errors

Ottoman Centuries
Lord Kinross
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0688080936

Book Description

The Ottoman Empire began in 1300 under the almost legendary Osman I, reached its apogee in the sixteenth century under Suleiman the Magnificent, whose forces threatened the gates of Vienna, and gradually diminished thereafter until Mehmed VI was sent into exile by Mustafa Kemal (Ataturk).

In this definitive history of the Ottoman Empire, Lord Kinross, painstaking historian and superb writer, never loses sight of the larger issues, economic, political, and social. At the same time he delineates his characters with obvious zest, displaying them in all their extravagance, audacity and, sometimes, ruthlessness.

Customer Reviews:

A good intro to the Ottoman Empire and its impact on modern Europe.......2007-02-01

I purchased Lord Kinross's "The Ottoman Centuries" on a whim one cold winter evening, and have thoroughly enjoyed reading it: the book is a very detailed examination of the Ottoman Empire's growth and decline. It is for the most part well written, though Kinross' phrasing is often quaint and some of the passages require re-reading to figure out what the author is trying to say. I found his viewpoints to be objective: not tainted with the Anglo-centric cultural bias that many British authors of his generation have been afflicted-with.

The book focuses-on the political and military history of the Ottoman Empire: centered on the lives of its rulers and their court. Kinross includes a fair amount of information on how the Empire's society and economy were structured and functioned, but this is presented mostly as background information in support of the main narrative.

The book filled in many gaps for me in terms of European history, in particular, and described many historical episodes I was unaware of, as well as being a good analysis of the factors and personalities involved in the Empire's rapid rise to prominence, followed by its centuries-long decline. There are some discussions of the Empire's interactions with the tatars and Persians, but only a few brief mentions of the Empire's history and exploits in Africa (or the region now known as the Middle East).

I was fascinated with Kinross' detailed discussions of the many interactions the Ottomans had with nearly every major and minor European state over the centuries. It was also interesting to see how the nature of these interactions changed as Europe evolved from a collection of Feudal Kingdoms into modern Nation-States, while the Turkish state stagnated and was eclipsed.

His analyses of the military tactics and strategies and innovations employed by the Ottomans are very good, as is his examination of how their social, economic and political systems gave them a competitive advantage early in the empire's history, but became an impediment that contributed to the decline, and also impeded attempts to reverse that decline.

I was impressed with the open-mindedness of most of the Sultans in terms of not only tolerating, but promoting Christians and other religious minorities - to the point where populations of Orthodox Christians often favored being conquered by the Ottomans in preference to being dominated by Christian rulers affiliated with Rome (who were often very intolerant of the Orthodox Christian tradition).

The major concern I have with about this book is not with the text, but with the publisher's presentation of this book. The paperback edition contains what I assume are reproductions of the artwork from the original 1977 publication; but, in this edition, the representations had poor detail and contrast; giving the impression of having been run off on a cheap copier. They do a disservice to the quality of the text itself.

All in all, an excellent book, well worth the read. Anyone seeking to gain a good understanding to the Ottoman Empire and its impact on European and Mediterranean history will find this book a well written starting point with vast amounts of detail.

Full of contradictions and inaccurate facts.......2006-09-21

My current field of research is the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. I thought it would be a good idea to read about some of the ancient history in the region though so I read John Julius Norwich's A Short History of Byzantium as well as his History of Venice. Both excellent works. Then I read Lord Kindross' work, Ottoman Centuries. This was my first historical work that I have read devoted entirely to the Ottoman Empire.

I was very disappointed. I gave the work two stars because it reads excellently, at times like a novel. However, now that I am finished reading it I am left wondering how much of what I read was in fact, true. I state this because a lot of the statements about the Balkan countries aren't factually correct. The most glaring one I'll provide. On page 356 the author writes:
"Thus a peace conference was held in the last months of 1698 at Karlowitz, in Croatia, on the right bank of the Danube."

He is refering to the Treaty of Karlowitz. However, the treaty was signed in Sremski Karlovci which is in modern day Serbia. I should know, I've had a private tour of the building where the treaty was signed. The city was never actually a part of Croatia, at the time of the treaty it was, one could argue, a part of Hungary but never Croatia.

Also, the author has a common theme of trying to argue that the Ottoman army never practiced forced conversion to Christianity. But then will describe the Janissaries and admit that the very foundation of the Janissaries was taking Christian children forcing them to be Muslims by raising them as such with no other option. He also discusses how churches were converted to mosques constantly following conquests but apparently, that doesn't fall within the realm of forcible conversion. Here is another example of what I am talking about:

On page 559 "Abdul Hamid...offer(ed) his enemies, at the point of a bayonet, the choice between death and forcible conversion to Islam--a practice previously renounced, under British pressure, by Sultan Abdul Mejid." (Which was the previous Sultan). However, on page 26 (just as one of many examples) the author writes, "There was no general Islamization of Christians--least of all by compulsion--within Ottoman territory."

The list goes on and on of constant contradictions within this work which makes this it so hard to take seriously.

Also, the author, or perhaps editor, has an annoying habit of placing words in quotation marks. Serbian Emperor Dusan is "Emperor" Dusan who rules over an "empire" and the balkan states are "nations" though later in the book they become nations without quotation marks.

I would only recommend this work to be read for entertainment purposes. I shall now search for another history of the Ottomans, hopefully one that is more academic.

Ottoman Centuries.......2006-07-17

Superbly written. Excellent overwiew of the Ottoman Empire, in such a short space.It may not reflect some of the newly uncovered facts, but so what.
Very highly recommended.

East Meets West: Epic Film Material Waiting To Be Born!.......2006-06-11

Lord Kinross was the author of many splendid books but The Ottoman Centuries remains his crowning achievement. Published in 1977 shortly after his death and dedicated to Freya Stark, The Ottoman Centuries offers a positive view of the Turkish Empire without glossing over any of its shameful episodes.

Amongst the nomadic warrior hordes that poured out of the Eurasian steppe and into Eastern Europe and Asia Minor, Kinross points to the exception of the Ottoman Turks who `were no longer mere nomads but settlers, creators, and builders too. As time went on they evolved their own frontier civilization, compounded of elements Asiatic and European, Moslem and Christian....This was the prototype of a society destined to inherit and transform.' Conquer and transform is more like it, as these were tumultuous centuries full of the clash of arms.

Kinross's thrilling narrative crosses over to Europe with the Ottoman advance, but reminds us they were initially invited over as mercenaries, securing Gallipoli and eventually assisting a rival faction come to power in one of Byzantium's many civil wars. Marriage took place between the usurpers daughter, now a Byzantine princess, and the Ottoman Sultan.

Kinross gives a brief account of the controversial battle of Kossovo that took place in 1389 and became the graveyard of Serbian independence. Serbian clans betrayed each other, some allied with the Turks by remaining absent from the field, diminishing their own forces. The son of the Serbian prince responsible, by way of atonement, sought a personal audience with the Sultan and stabbed him with such force the blade appeared out his back.

In this divisive atmosphere and after the crippling blow of the Fourth Crusade in 1204, the lands of the Byzantine Empire were swallowed piecemeal by the Ottomans until Constantinople was like a head without a body. The dramatic end finally came in 1453 when Mehmed the Conqueror wrested his way into the city; Belgrade and Vienna would soon come into view, epic film material waiting to be born!

Kinross alternates between the advances made on the battlefield with close up portraits of the Sultans whose combination of `shrewd political judgments' and innovative ability were essential in these early stages of a quickly expanding empire; an empire that developed a meritocracy, where Christian slaves could advance up to the highest rungs on the career ladder simply by having talent. It was that peculiar mix of Greek and Turk, Christian and Moslem, that led to such a unique and dynamic empire, the likes of which Christian Europe had never seen before.

Kinross tends to over use the word `destiny' to explain the rise and fall of empire, suggesting an unnecessary Arnold Toynbee influence. Otherwise, his narrative remains cohesive throughout and full of detailed knowledge, whether exploring the impossible entanglements of the Balkans, `Russian Rivalry,' the courts of Europe or the Sublime Porte.

Turkophile though he was, we are given a chilling description of the Armenian genocide and are left in no doubt that this was a pre-meditated, orchestrated act by the imperial Ottoman government that became it's disgraceful epitaph.

The Ottoman Centuries is a vibrant canvass that shows what became of the shattered Byzantine empire; the phoenix that rose was an equally stunning, Islamic mosaic.

good book but with some errors.......2006-05-14

this is a well written book, but there are some mistakes in it, especially when the author talks about homosexual inclinations of some of the Ottoman (Osmanli) rulers e.g. Mehmet the Conqueror (Mehmet Fatih) fell in love with a teenage boy and so on. This is simply not true, there are no historical facts to support this claim. That's why I do not give 5 stars to this book.

Drug Lords: The Rise And Fall Of The Cali Cartel, the World's Richest Crime Syndicate

Average customer rating:

Too many details
Drug Lords Scores a Big Hit!
Other Cartel....
Thorough, but boring
Drug Lords : The Rise and Fall of the Cali Cartel

Drug Lords: The Rise And Fall Of The Cali Cartel, the World's Richest Crime Syndicate
Ron Chepesiuk
Manufacturer: Milo Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1903854385

Book Description

For 20 years, the Cali drug cartel, a vast criminal conspiracy, pumped thousands of tons of cocaine into the United States, laundered billions of dollars in profits and was responsible for endemic political corruption and an untold number of murders and assassinations. It ultimately controlled 70 percent of the world's cocaine market, flooding towns and cities with the addictive white powder dubbed the "champagne of drugs."

Through organized violence, terrorist strategies, intimidation and bribery, the cartel became a major threat to Colombia's fragile stability. It also brought an unprecedented degree of strategy and planning to the drugs trade. It would take more than two decades and a global effort to bring it down.

In this first-ever account of the cartel's rise and fall, author Ron Chepesiuk provides a compelling insight into the history of international drug trafficking, organized crime and US drug policy. He draws vivid pictures of the gang's founders-Jose "the Chess Player" Londono and brothers Miguel and Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela-and reveals how they built their empire, carving up the massive US market with their rival Medellin Cartel: New York going to Cali, Miami to Medellin.

Unlike Medellin, headed by the vicious Pablo Escobar, the men from Cali kept their complex operation in the shadows. It grew quickly and came to operate like a multinational corporation. In time, they became too big to share their spoils and fought an indescribably bloody war with the Medellin mob, a war they ultimately won.

Written with the pace and vividness of a thriller, Drug Lords also illustrates the similarities between global traffickers and international terrorists and compares the current war on terror with the war on drugs.

Customer Reviews:

Too many details.......2007-02-05

This book drowns in too many details and facts, and because of that the main characters remain a bit 'without character' so to speak. If you liked Mark Bowden's 'The Hunt for Pablo', do not think that this book is from the same order. It is not. It's far, far below.

Drug Lords Scores a Big Hit!.......2005-11-13

Anyone wanting to read a thrilling yet informative book about organized crime should start with Drug Lords. This is certainly the best book I've read about the international drug trade and how it works. The detail the author provides is amazing and everything is documented, but he still manages to present it in an interesting and riveting way. The story of the hunt for Pablo Escobar is a simple tale compared to what it took to take the godfathers from Cali.

I also found it fascinating to read how the Cali Cartel outwitted their bitter rival, Pablo Escobar, in a brutal war that has no parallel in organized crime history. Then the Cali Cartel almost got away with taking over Colombia! As this well-written book shows, the War on Drugs may be futile, but the drug agents working the streets to protect the public against illegal drugs are real heroes. Highly recommended

Other Cartel...........2005-10-22

it was good to read about the other major cartel in colombia, The cartel allowed Pablo Escobar to cause Havoc and quietly but efficiently went about spreading they're tentacles around the world. A fascinating insight to the inner workings of one of the most successful drug distribution networks ever! Maybe it was me but i knocked stars off the review because of the constant flicking back and forth to the index page to remind myself of each main character of the book. But this should not stop anyone who may be interested in this fascinating subject of one of Forbes top earners!

Thorough, but boring.......2005-10-01

Too much like reading a police report, actually a thousand police reports. See Killing Pablo if you want a good feel for how interesting this story COULD be if it was told well...

Drug Lords : The Rise and Fall of the Cali Cartel.......2005-06-06

I have just finished reading this truly remarkable and somewhat startling book. Investigative journalist Ron Chepesiuk's Drug Lords: The Rise and Fall of the Cali Cartel provides us with the most comprehensive and detailed look at the largest drug operation in history and efforts to bring it to a halt.

Chepesiuk's investigative reporter approach has resulted in the most thorough study of Colombian drug trafficking to this date. His use of hundreds of personal interviews, government documents, news media accounts, and the findings of other experts in the field leaves no stone unturned. His sources of information are truly impressive.

Beginning with a small time drug encounter in New York City, Chepesiuk cleverly describes how the U.S. government slowly began to realize that our nation faced a serious threat of the importation of cocaine, coming from Colombia. At first, agents found it difficult to accept the fact that cocaine had replaced heroin as America's major drug problem.

To gain an understanding of the problem, American agents, working in the United States and Colombia, worked with their Colombian counterparts to observe and infiltrate Colombia's growing drug cartels. Chepesiuk shows how these efforts grew, and through some very hard work, and often a bit of good luck, resulted in destruction of the two leading cartels.

As the book unfolds, leading "characters" are described and analyzed. These include American agents, cartel leaders and underlings, and Colombian politicians and law enforcement officers. Very early on, one begins to understand the enormous power and influence of the two leading Columbians drug cartels, the Cali cartel and the Medellin cartel. The amazing story of how these two groups grew from small time operations into Fortune 500 type businesses, with billions of dollars in assets, is told in captivating narrative which keeps the reader's attention from beginning to end. Always entwined with these developments are the ever growing hostility between the cartels, the enormous level of corruption within Colombian society and certain American lawyers, and the sophistication of operations and efforts to combat these illegal activities.

The destruction of the cartels is a spellbinding chronicle. Their demise resulted largely from four factors: the misstep of key players, the growth of successful strategies by American and Colombian officials, the deadly war between the two cartels, and some pure luck. In any event, the houses came tumbling down.

Finally, Chepesiuk skillfully relates the present War on Terrorism to the War on Drugs as described in the book. He shows their many similarities and predicts that a heavy price will be paid if lessons from the previous War are not learned and applied to the present War. This section of the book turns it from a brilliant description of a fascinating struggle into a powerful warning that must be carefully considered by our nation's leaders.

This is book is highly recommended for readers who want an inside and entertaining look at the world of organized crime and the War on Drugs.

Lords of Battle: The World of the Celtic Warrior (World of the Warrior)

Average customer rating:

A really, really good read
Unique and worthy of acquisition.

Lords of Battle: The World of the Celtic Warrior (World of the Warrior)
Stephen Allen
Manufacturer: Osprey Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1841769487
Release Date: 2007-03-27

Book Description

To the classical civilizations of Greece and Rome, the Celtic warrior of the late Iron Age was the archetypal barbarian: savage, undisciplined, and bloodthirsty. In a clash of cultures that lasted almost 500 years, the rich and vibrant society in which he lived, fought, and died was virtually destroyed, becoming the stuff of myth and legend.

Covering the period from the first mention of the Celts by ancient Greek writers to the Roman conquest of Britain, this book examines the Celtic warrior, his society and his place within it, and the conflicts that would eventually destroy his world. Beautifully illustrated with many examples of Celtic art and craftsmanship, this book provides a fascinating insight into a culture whose legacy has endured to the present day.

Customer Reviews:

A really, really good read.......2007-10-05

Lords of Battle was a really, really good read. Many books on the Celts are more like references, with many nice pictures, discrete sections etc., books that you tend to dip into, but not read through. With Lords of Battle however, I read it cover to cover, and enjoyed it greatly. The text is great, the images beautiful, and its well turned out. As the title suggests, it is focused on Celtic Warrior, but not exclusively so, there is a lot of accompanying information. If you want to read only one book on the Celts (giving a broader view, linguistics, insular Celts etc), then it should be "The Celtic Empire" by Peter Ellis, but this book makes a good accompaniment, and there were a number of interesting perhaps "new" nuggets of information, that I have not found in other books on the Celts. For example the early retrograde movements of the Danubian Celts into Britain and what is now Belgium, some interesting things on the Celtiberians etc. Its an excellent addition to anyones library on the Celts.

Unique and worthy of acquisition........2007-05-17

LORDS OF BATTLE: WORLD OF THE CELTIC WARRIOR covers the period from the first mention of the Celts by ancient Greek writers to the Roman conquest of Britain, blending lovely color illustration throughout with a survey rich in Celtic history. Chapters focus on the military might and sentiment of these early Celts, covering everything from appearance and dress to arms and rebellions. While its narrowed scope will appeal primarily to specialty holdings and libraries strong in early Celtic history, these collections will find the military focus unique and worthy of acquisition.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Average customer rating:

A Book To Remember
The undisputed champ after 52 years
A Minute-by-Minute Account of the Sinking of the Titanic
A great book to read
The 'definitive' version?

A Night to Remember
Walter Lord
Manufacturer: Holt Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0805077642
Release Date: 2004-12-23

Amazon.com

James Cameron's 1997 Titanic movie is a smash hit, but Walter Lord's 1955 classic remains in some ways unsurpassed. Lord interviewed scores of Titanic passengers, fashioning a gripping you-are-there account of the ship's sinking that you can read in half the time it takes to see the film. The book boasts many perfect movie moments not found in Cameron's film. When the ship hits the berg, passengers see "tiny splinters of ice in the air, fine as dust, that give off myriads of bright colors whenever caught in the glow of the deck lights." Survivors saw dawn reflected off other icebergs in a rainbow of shades, depending on their angle toward the sun: pink, mauve, white, deep blue--a landscape so eerie, a little boy tells his mom, "Oh, Muddie, look at the beautiful North Pole with no Santa Claus on it."

A Titanic funnel falls, almost hitting a lifeboat--and consequently washing it 30 yards away from the wreck, saving all lives aboard. One man calmly rides the vertical boat down as it sinks, steps into the sea, and doesn't even get his head wet while waiting to be successfully rescued. On one side of the boat, almost no males are permitted in the lifeboats; on the other, even a male Pekingese dog gets a seat. Lord includes a crucial, tragically ironic drama Cameron couldn't fit into the film: the failure of the nearby ship Californian to save all those aboard the sinking vessel because distress lights were misread as random flickering and the telegraph was an early wind-up model that no one wound.

Lord's account is also smarter about the horrifying class structure of the disaster, which Cameron reduces to hollow Hollywood formula. No children died in the First and Second Class decks; 53 out of 76 children in steerage died. According to the press, which regarded the lower-class passengers as a small loss to society, "The night was a magnificent confirmation of women and children first, yet somehow the loss rate was higher for Third Class children than First Class men." As the ship sank, writes Lord, "the poop deck, normally Third Class space ... was suddenly becoming attractive to all kinds of people." Lord's logic is as cold as the Atlantic, and his bitter wit is quite dry.

Book Description

The classic minute-by-minute account of the sinking of the Titanic, in a 50th anniversary edition with a new introduction by Nathaniel Philbrick First published in 1955, A Night to Remember remains a completely riveting account of the Titanic's fatal collision and the behavior of the passengers and crew, both noble and ignominious. Some sacrificed their lives, while others fought like animals for their own survival. Wives beseeched husbands to join them in lifeboats; gentlemen went taut-lipped to their deaths in full evening dress; and hundreds of steerage passengers, trapped below decks, sought help in vain. Available for the first time in trade paperback and with a new introduction for the 50th anniversary edition by Nathaniel Phil-brick, author of In the Heart of the Sea and Sea of Glory, Walter Lord's classic minute-by-minute re-creation is as vivid now as it was upon first publication fifty years ago. From the initial distress flares to the struggles of those left adrift for hours in freezing waters, this semicentennial edition brings that moonlit night in 1912 to life for a new generation of readers.

Customer Reviews:

A Book To Remember.......2007-10-09

Walter Lord did his homework on the Titanic's fateful night in this unforgettable and memorable book. He did not need to create fiction or suggest anything to the contrary. In fact, he writes about it from the survivor's perspectives. Despite the horrors, what shocked me was the situation in the lifeboats in the aftermath of shell-shocked people who have watched their loved ones, mostly their husbands, go down with the ship. I don't know why California didn't seek to assist them or inquire about the distress signals. We'll never know what makes people ignore others in time of great distress. When the Carpathia arrived to pick up the survivors, they are shocked by the news that Titanic is gone and they are the only ones to tell a shocking story of so many people's last moments on earth. Forget James Cameron's movie, this book is real and faithful to those fifteen hundred men, women, and children who perished as it is to the survivors who never recovered fully. Because of the Titanic disaster, every ship since was required by international shipping law to have enough lifeboats for everybody on ship and supplies during the worst of disasters. The last pages of the book are the names of those who died and survived. Where they embarked for their final destination to New York City but most of them would never make it there. I remember survivor Eva Hart who lost her father in the disaster that it was all about arrogance. The ship had to be fast, unsinkable, and yet the disaster was unthinkable. She said her mother, Miriam Hart, lashed back with a comment that has stuck with me for years that when saying the ship is unsinkable is like tempting fate to occur. Mrs. Hart, Eva's Mother, spent her nights awak and days asleep as if a premonition of this ship never making New York City. This story was not included in this book but Walter Lord does his best and it's remarkable that he prefers facts to rumors or gossip. It has taken me years to read this book maybe because of all those who perished still resonate with the Titanic's ultimate fate. The Titanic was the ultimate ship and none has ever come close in the ship's genius, magnificience, style, and sophistication. The third class passengers never enjoyed it. The second and first class passengers must have felt like they were in heaven with first class service catered to their needs and fancies. Rest in Peace, Titanic, and all those who have sailed with you on that fateful trip. You will always be in my heart as the ship of dreams and destiny.

The undisputed champ after 52 years.......2007-08-01

Two things set A Night to Remember apart from every other book and film on the subject of the Titanic:

First, with the exception of the ship breaking up as it sank (and the official record, with its conflicting testimony, shows it could have been written either way in 1955) and the use of the first SOS (which Lord corrected in later editions), there is not a single fact in the book that has ever been proven wrong. And, oh, how supporters of Capt. Lord of the Californian have tried.

Second, this is not a book about the sinking of the Titanic so much as it is a book about the PEOPLE involved in the event of the sinking. Take just the first sentence of the first chapter: "High in the crow's-nest of the new White Star Liner Titanic, Lookout Frederick Fleet peered into the dazzling night." Remember back to your English grammar classes and you will note that the subject of this sentence is a person, not a ship. So it is throughout the rest of the book. As readers, are we not more compelled by people rather than objects? Of course we are.

And as Walter Lord reminds us from the first that this is a story about people, so does he employ the expertise of a reporter and the flair of a novelist. The reporter . . . Who? Frederick Fleet. What? He peered. When? Night. Where? The Titanic's crow's-nest. Why? He was a Lookout. But by dressing up these facts with a few choice words and phrases ("High up", "new", "dazzling"), Lord draws us in dramatically.

Over the years, science and technology have given us greater insight into the building, operation, and physical break-up of the Titanic. But no one has ever come close to Walter Lord in recreating and relating the events of the night of April 14 - 15, 1912.

A Minute-by-Minute Account of the Sinking of the Titanic.......2007-01-26

At 11:40 p.m. on the night of April 14, 1912, the White Star liner Titanic, on its maiden voyage to New York, struck an iceberg in the north Atlantic. Less than three hours later, the ship known to the world as "unsinkable" was on her way to the bottom of the sea.

The unexpectedness of the event, along with the shocking number of lives lost (more than 1500 by most estimates) and the many stories of carelessness and incompetence contributing to the disaster, cemented the Titanic into the collective consciousness of Western culture. Countless articles, exhibits, books, and movies (the most famous, released in 1997, grossed over $1.8 billion in worldwide revenue) have documented and fictionalized various aspects of the tragedy. Even nearly a hundred years later, it would be difficult to find someone who had never heard of the Titanic.

In 1955, while many of the survivors of the Titanic's first and only voyage were still alive--and before the journalistic novel became fashionable as a genre--Walter Lord researched and wrote a minute-by-minute account of what happened during the ship's final night. Called A Night to Remember, Lord's account provides an interesting blend of minute details and broad sweeping overviews in its description of what happened onboard the ship.

The book is easy to read and goes very quickly. Lord gives his prose a very journalistic feel, with short sentences and easy language. Entertaining is hardly the right word to use for a description of an event that claimed so many lives, but compelling describes the account pretty well. Lord puts readers right on the deck of the doomed ship, and then right into the lifeboats and, later, into the courtrooms and newspaper editors' offices during the aftermath of the sinking.

Chapters are entitled with snippets of the dialog that occurs within each. Examples include "There's Talk of an Iceberg, Ma'am," "God Himself Could Not Sink This Ship," "There Is Your Beautiful Nightdress Gone," and, perhaps most poignant, "Go Away--We Have Just Seen Our Husbands Drown."

The book's primary weakness is that in trying to include glimpses of so many people's experiences, Lord was mostly unable to go into much depth with any of the individual characters. Unlike later books in this genre--such as Blackhawk Down or The Perfect Storm, both of which describe in detail the experiences of a relatively small number of people during catastrophic events--A Night to Remember has to catalogue the experiences of over 2,000 individuals. Lord manages to include a lot of names, but without any background or detail, they quickly become meaningless.

Though the scope of the book (probably necessarily) minimizes the amount of emotion connected with the tragedy, there are a few emotive moments when the reader realizes along with a child or a wife that a beloved husband or father will not be coming on a lifeboat. Depictions of the wireless operator sleeping onboard the nearby Californian, panicky passengers in lifeboats violently refusing to assist drowning swimmers, and determined high-society men donning formal evening dress to "go down like gentlemen" evoke flashes of emotion as well.

Overall, the book is worth reading for its historically accurate picture of what actually happened on that cold April night. Though it's no literary masterpiece, it is informative and interesting, particularly for anyone who has seen James Cameron's movie or read Clive Cussler's book and would like to know the real story. The book contains nothing objectionable (except for the event itself), and is suitable for any reader. I recommend it without reservation.

A great book to read.......2007-01-10

This is a great book. The descriptions and detail of the ship are brought to life through the writing of Walter Lord. Let you imagination go as you read this book before watching any of the movies if at all possible.

The 'definitive' version?.......2006-10-02

I've wanted this book for ages, and have both the book and the criterion collection DVD on my wishlist. The DVD is virtually impossible to get, unless I want to part with some serious money, so for now, it's a wish to have.

I thought the book might be quite appropriate to read when I took a boat to Belgium - instead it gave me nightmares. But I was ever so slightly disappointed with the book. I've been what has been called "obsessed" with the Titanic for many years now, and have got every book that I've been able to get my hands on, but this is in no way the definitive version. It has been since 1955, and it's said that Walter Lord interviewed the survivors, to get a first hand account, but there's nothing new that hasn't been written in other books before and better. There's also a definitive passenger list at the back - there's been many quibbles over the Titanic passenger list for many years now, and there's always different versions in each book. There was even a J Dawson found in the Titanic cemetery (a place I would love to visit) after the film came out, which no one knew about, or remembered on the boat.

I hope the movie will be better, however I will still keep this book. It may not be as good as I would have hoped, but it's still about the Titanic after all.

Fifty-seven Words That Change the World: A Journey Through the Lord's Prayer

Average customer rating:

Excellent Book

Fifty-seven Words That Change the World: A Journey Through the Lord's Prayer
Darrell W. Johnson
Manufacturer: Regent College Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Prayer | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Devotionals | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1573832782

Book Description

Nowhere is Jesus' brilliance more manifest than in the prayer he taught his disciples to pray, the prayer that has come to be known as the "Lord's Prayer." A mere fifty-seven words in the original Greek, the Lord's Prayer gathers up all of life and brings it before God. In eight stirring meditations, Darrell Johnson shows how the Lord's Prayer sums up the essence of Christian faith and, when prayed in faith, draws us into the Triune God's work of transforming the world.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Book.......2006-07-09

If you want help in your prayer life, if you want to see the depth and meaning of the Lord's prayer, if you want to change the world with 57 words then read this book! I've been praying the Lord's prayer for several years now and this makes me want to pray it even more.

Lords of the Horizons: A History of the Ottoman Empire

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Enjoyable and enlightening
A quirky look at the Ottomans
Lords of the Horizon - illuminating!
Not perfect, but very good
Lords of the Horizons: A History of the Ottoman Empire

Lords of the Horizons: A History of the Ottoman Empire
Jason Goodwin
Manufacturer: Picador
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Turkey | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

Eastern | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

General | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0312420668

Book Description

For six hundred years, the Ottoman Empire swelled and declined. Islamic, martial, civilized, and tolerant, it advanced in three centuries from the dusty foothills of Anatolia to rule on the Danube and the Nile; at its height, Indian rajahs and the kings of France beseeched the empire's aid. In its last three hundred years the empire seemed ready to collapse, a prodigy of survival and decay. In this striking evocation of the empire's power, Jason Goodwin explores how the Ottomans rose and how, against all odds, they lingered on. In doing so, he also offers a long look back to the origins of problems that plague present-day Kosovars and Serbs.

Customer Reviews:

Enjoyable and enlightening.......2006-10-09

Here is a book of history where the reader feels the author truly loves the subject. The book covers the history of the Ottomans from the beginnings before the capture of Constantinople through to the end of the empire in the early 1900s. The author does not feel the compulsion to cram every fact he has unearthed into the narrative, he has the talent of telling history as a story, keeps it moving, interesting, at times amusing, with a sense of time and place that carries the reader along. The book comes off at the perfect length and depth to tell the whole history without being bogged down. If you have any interest in the history of the Ottomans this book is an excellent choice.
A very good author with a fascinating subject= a great book.

A quirky look at the Ottomans.......2006-08-28

I give the author credit for trying to break out of the mold of "standard history" While I learned much about the Ottoman Empire, I recommend the reader begin with a fairly solid background in Eurasian and Central European history before diving into this work. If you read this book cold you might get lost, since the author is so familiar with his subject that he often fails to give extensive background on the hundreds of historical names and places he throws about.

The true heart of the book is what you will gain if you stick with it. Which is the look, feel, taste, and smell of the Ottoman Empire. These critical features are often missing from most "standard historical works". I really felt like I understood the culture and mindset of the Ottoman leaders after completing the book. The author has obviously spent a great deal of time in the area.

I agree with many reviewers that the title "history of the ottoman empire is misleading". "Impressions of the Ottomans Empire" would have been a better title.

While I am not sure the author's style will ever be widely accepted (academics will always attack his approach, and general readers might become lost and give up). I found it a worthwhile and enjoyable effort.

Lords of the Horizon - illuminating!.......2006-05-26

Brilliantly original, beautifully written, this book is a total tour de force! Jan Morris called it 'a high octane work of art', and I agree. Not only does it lead its readers into another - very foreign - world with consummate ease, but it is massively entertaining. Just read the epilogue and you'll see what I mean. If only more history
books were this good.

Not perfect, but very good.......2006-05-19

As has already been mentioned, "Lords of the Horizons" is not a true-blue history book. The history is confined mostly to its beginning and end; the core of the book is a lengthy, wide-ranging meditation on Ottoman culture at its peak, based largely on travel accounts and primary sources. I'm not surprised that Goodwin's other work includes travel literature; a travelogue is exactly what most of the book reads like.

Most of the book has no real chronological order; one can either see this as disorganized, or as intending to provide a kind of snapshot of Ottoman society. I prefer the latter; its jumpy nature is more than made up for by the author's superb language use: elegant and evocative, without being florid. I do agree however that the Armenian genocide, if not excused is indeed appallingly absent, and one wonders if he was just trying to speed things along by glossing over it.

All told though, I found this book to be a pleasure to read; I think it's something you're going to want to take some real time with, like a long country walk.

Lords of the Horizons: A History of the Ottoman Empire.......2006-04-29

Excellent book. Easily readable. Based on meticilous research reflecting good observations and truth. Very highly recommended.

The Secret King: Karl Maria Wiligut, Himmler's Lord of the Runes

Average customer rating:

The Secret Reports of the Nazi SS Rune Magician
The Secret Kings is a good translation of an odd book
Hmm.. lost me about 1/2 way through...
The First Real Book of the Millennium
The First Real Book of the Millennium

The Secret King: Karl Maria Wiligut, Himmler's Lord of the Runes
Karl Maria Wiligut
Manufacturer: Runa-Raven
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Occultism | Occult | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1885972210

Book Description

There is much speculation about the “occult roots” of National Socialism, yet little concrete documentation has ever been uncovered. Of the materials that do exist, almost nothing has been translated into English--until now. This book, ten years in the making, contains the collected occult writings of Karl Maria Wiligut, the runic initiate and shadowy “Secret King” of Germany. His works were originally published in the rare ariosophical journals Hag All All Hag and Hagal. Heinrich Himmler --the leader of the SS and possibly the most powerful figure in the Third Reich-- commissioned Wiligut to write private reports on Runes, secret Germanic traditions, and prehistory. It was through this position of influence that Wiligut came to be known after his death as “Himmler's Rasputin.” Adeptly translated by Germanic history expert Dr. Stephen E. Flowers and edited by Michael Moynihan, these writings allow a glimpse into the strange magical world that enchanted high-ranking officials of Nazi Germany. For anyone fascinated about the role occultism played in the Third Reich, here is the evidence. Never before have source documents of this nature been made available to the English-speaking world!

The Secret King contains: A full-length biographical introduction about Wiligut's turbulent life and exploring his magical worldview -- Translations of all Wiligut's major writings -- Wiligut's mysterious invocations, the “Halgarita-Sayings” -- Translations of private documents Wiligut submitted directly to the Reichsführer-SS, Heinrich Himmler -- Essays on Wiligut's cosmology and traditions by other ariosophists of the past and present -- Himmler's own report of an SS name-giving ritual, attended by the inner circle of SS leaders and presided over by Wiligut -- An exclusive interview with Gabriele Winckler-Dechend, Wiligut's closest colleague from his period of service in the SS.

Customer Reviews:

The Secret Reports of the Nazi SS Rune Magician.......2005-02-16

Dr. Stephen Flowers has provided use with a unique opportunity to look inside the works of one of the legendary Germanic Rune Magicians - Karl Maria Wiligut.

Beginning with a detailed introduction, Dr. Flowers then provides clear and understandable translations of Wiligut's writings that are available from no other easily accessible source. Wiligut was a contemporary of such men Guido von List and Jorg Lanz von Liebenfels, and was certainly influenced by the work of these great men.

Later in his life Wiligut was commissioned by Heinrich Himmler - leader of the Nazi SS - to write reports on the Runes, Germanic traditions and pre-Christian history. It is portions of this work that we find translated in "The Secret King".

Certainly not a book for the beginner or someone with a mere curiosity about the Runes, "The Secret King" provides depth and insight for those who have already gained more than a superficial knowledge of the topic in question.

This you know - would you know more?

The Secret Kings is a good translation of an odd book.......2003-06-10

The Secet Kings is a good translation of a very weird book by a very weird man.
First, any one into the occult, Nazism, history, runes, or Asatru should buy this book, for no other reason than this is the only book I know of that has Wiligut's Nazi occult writtings.
As far as German occultists go, Wiligut is only important because he was a friend of the head of the S.S.
Most German Wotanists, both racialists and non-racialists, thought of him as nuts.
There is a thin line between a nut and a prophet.
Some people say there is no line.
In fact, he was kicked out of the S.S. for being insane.
The Great Aryan Pagan Walter Darre thought Wiligut a crackpot; to understand the New Paganism, read Darre.
Guido Von List, who was Folkish, but not an Aryan racist by our standards, is far more important to Neo-Pagan thought, while Wiligut, who was more of a common nut than a true Aryan racist, is more important as a shadowy figure in Nazi history.
This is an interesting book, but it should not be taken too serious in the world of today's Euro-centric Paganism.
Darre is the best Pagan out of the National Socialist age.

Hmm.. lost me about 1/2 way through..........2002-12-27

Well, the introduction gives a decent introduction to Wiligut's basic ideas, but I would have liked more background in Wiligut's involvement with the Nazi party and Himmler. There are vauge references to Wiligut being rejected by the Ahnenrbe as "too fanciful", but more treatment would have been a real bonus. An introduction to rune-ology, and its historical placement & impact on Germanic/Nazi thought would have helped place Wiligut in a broader historical perspective.

Wiligut's writings, which make up the bulk of the book are for the die-hard fan only. You will need a serious grounding in contemporary germanic metaphysical thought to get much out of it.

Layout & printing of the book present well (and it gets an extra star for it)

The First Real Book of the Millennium.......2001-10-11

So much speculation and misconception about the SS has been fed into the minds of people for the past 50 years portraying them as the murderous henchmen of Hitler's "Final Solution". Now the SS speak for themselves through the writings of Widar himself. We learn that the SS were more of an ancient knightly fraternal order other than simple mindless killers as seen on TV. Delve into the dark mysteries of the Black Order of Teutonic Knights, and here, for the first time, read the mystical runo-speech of the Halgarita-Sayings first used by ancient Germanic tribes, and understand Wiligut's knowledge of Esoteric runic power, which may have been used to give the SS so many victories. Although from an unconventional standpoint as compared to modern day Runic Schools, Wiligut talks of the ancient Aryan Warrior Maidenhood, the Evolution of Humanity, the SS Ring, and the trilateral essence of the Got being within every Aryan. This book proves once more that Germanic Orders living by standards of honor and chivalry were not simply fanciful myths created 200 years ago, but deep seated in Germanic culture since even before Christ's birth. The evidence is irrefutable! This book is a MUST for anyone who wishes to further their studies in Armanist or Irminist faith, but beware the knowledge to the novice in Runic Power! Once read, you will have a better understanding of the Rit-Ar-Man Order and their integral part in shaping the Destiny of Mankind for an eternity, thus, truly knowing the meaning of the SS motto: "Meine Ehre heisst Treue"

The First Real Book of the Millennium.......2001-10-11

Maranatha Our Lord, Come!: A Definitive Study of the Rapture of the Church

Average customer rating:

The Rapture Explained and Clarified
Indispensable to study of the return of our Lord
Packed With Scholarship--Best Rapture Book, By Far
A Formidable Argument For The Pretribulational Rapture
The best defense of the Rapture since the Bible itself

Maranatha Our Lord, Come!: A Definitive Study of the Rapture of the Church
Renald E. Showers
Manufacturer: Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0915540223

Book Description

MARANATHA: OUR LORD, COME! A Definitive Study of the Rapture of the ChurchThis book is an in-depth study of matters related to the Rapture of the church. It addresses such issues as the birth-pang concept in the Bible and ancient Judaism, the biblical concept of the Day of the Lord, the relationship of the Day of the Lord to the Time of Jacobs Trouble and the Great Tribulation, the identification of the sealed scroll of Revelation 5, the significance of the seals, the imminent coming of Christ, the analogy of John 14:2-3, the relationship of the Rapture to the coming of Christ with His holy angels, the relationship of church saints to the wrath of God, the significance of 2 Thessalonians 2, the implications of both the 70-week prophecy of Daniel 9 and the references to Israel and the church in the Book of the Revelation, the meaning of the last trump, and why the timing of the Rapture has practical implications for daily living and ministry.

Customer Reviews:

The Rapture Explained and Clarified.......2007-07-25

Renald Showers is a very careful Bible expositor, and he does a great job with this study on the pretribulational rapture of the church. He has a very strong chapter on the imminency of Christ's return. He also makes it clear that the entire seven year tribulation period is a time where God's wrath is poured out on the earth, and that you cannot confine the time of wrath to the last portion of the period.

I was a bit confused by Showers' distinction between the broad day of the Lord which starts shortly after the rapture and lasts all the way through the 1000 year reign of Christ, and the short day of the Lord, which refers to the day of Christ's second coming. To me, the day of the Lord is time of divine judgment and wrath that lasts from the Rapture to the end of the tribulation period, but ceases at the start of the Millennium.

2 Thessalonians 2 is a tough passage for the pretribulational position, but I think that Showers did a good job expounding this text.

He also shows that the coming of Christ for His saints in John 14 and 1 Thessalonians 4 is different and distinct from the coming of Christ WITH His saints in Revelation 19.

He argues cogently for a two stage coming of Christ, the first stage being the rapture of the church into heaven, an event that can occur at any time, and the second stage being the coming of Christ at the end of the tribulation to set up His millennial kingdom.

This book is a bit stodgy and repetitive. Showers is not the most engaging writer in the world. But I feel that he has established a strong exegetical case for the pretribulational rapture of the church.

Indispensable to study of the return of our Lord.......2007-03-07

Dr. Showers has presented the most solid defense of the pre-trib rapture. So often the discussion of the rapture is focused solely on the event itself, but Dr. Showers' work is key, in that he places the rapture within it's biblical context, by specifically addressing the Day of the Lord. Without the preliminary concerns which he addresses, the placement of the rapture is much more of a case of inference, but when laid out in the context of the broader prophetic scheme, the placement at once becomes obvious. I would recommend this book to any and all who are studying the rapture.

Packed With Scholarship--Best Rapture Book, By Far.......2006-04-29

Subtitle's right, this is a "definitive" rapture study. Far more than the typical Daniel, Revelation, Thessalonians, I Corinthians stuff here. Hundreds (thousands?) of verses are cited as Showers scrutinizes the entire Word of God for inferences supporting his view that the rapture will be before the 7-year tribulation. Detailed analysis of the various birth pangs references, the Day of the Lord (narrow and broad), use of the word tribulation, significance of the Revelation 5 scroll...and that's all preliminary to getting to Part II! I'm unaware of any scripture stones Shower's left unturned to present both the big picture and the details. By far the best of the many rapture books I've read, 'Maranatha' is for the serious student, but so well-organized that even one not so familiar with the Bible can benefit.

A Formidable Argument For The Pretribulational Rapture.......2005-08-07

"MARANATHA" is indeed a definitive study on the rapture. Like an exceptional corporate attorney, Renald Showers scrutinizes pointed details of scripture that address our Lord's coming for His bride. He addresses passages and details that others have overlooked, turning over every stone along the path. Not only does he present the views of the early church fathers, but he also focuses attention on pertinent rabbinical writings.

Regardless of your personal viewpoint, you must respect his attention to detail, his scholarship, and his forthright honesty in stating his position (from the beginning he makes it clear that he holds to a pretribulational rapture). Likewise, in presenting his case, he never makes a disparaging remark about those who do not agree with him. He simply focuses on the matter at hand.

This volume cannot be brushed aside. It is the strongest statement to champion the pretribulational viewpoint.

The best defense of the Rapture since the Bible itself.......2004-03-12

Doctor Showers is one of the most leaned men you can ever sit under. I have had the pleasure of hearing him several times at Middletown Bible Church, and have found his books to be well written, well sourced, easy to follow, and a great blessing for those who wish to learn God's Word deeper.

Doctor Shower's book, MARANTHA! OUR LORD COME is surely the best defense of the Early Church believing that the Rapture was an expected event in their lifetime. While we now know that it did not happen, the teaching is clear from Scripture, and Doctor Showers proves it: The Doctrine of the Rapture is sound and expected that we should be a believer in it for each generation of believers; the immanent return of the Lord Jesus Christ to take His church away before the tribulation.

Doctor Showers books are a must for any serious Bible student.

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