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.

City of Splendors: Waterdeep (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying, Forgotten Realms Supplement)

Average customer rating:

Delightful Book
Excellent Guide
pleased with waterdeep but...
A decent disappointment
THE BEST CITY JUST GOT BETTER!

City of Splendors: Waterdeep (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying, Forgotten Realms Supplement)
Eric L. Boyd
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0786936932
Release Date: 2005-07-14

Book Description

The first in-depth look at Waterdeep, the shining jewel of the Forgotten Realms setting, in many years.
City of Splendors: Waterdeep offers an in-depth examination of the great city of Waterdeep in the Forgotten
Realms setting. An overview of the city includes history, a who's who, information on laws, and rules for
running and playing in a Waterdhavian campaign. Information on the people of Waterdeep covers non-player characters, arcane schools, armed forces, guilds, nobility, prestige classes specific to the city, and more. Also included in the book are discussions of specific Waterdeep locales, adventure locales, and new monsters. An extensive appendix gives information on new equipment, magic items, psionic powers, poisons, spells, and more.

Customer Reviews:

Delightful Book.......2007-05-10

Wizards of the Coast has released a book concentrating on Waterdeep, the ultimate adventuring city in the Forgotten Realms. And why not? The city is one of the most beloved locations in the gaming world, finding its only real competition in the City of Greyhawk. Plus, if RPGNOW stats are any indication, there's good money in a well-done city book.
So does Waterdeep hold up?

I wish I could say no, at least this review would be funnier, but I enjoyed it quite a bit. There's a wealth of material in this book and you get the feeling that it just scratches the surface. In fact, I think the only complaint most readers will have is the low page count (at 160). There just isn't enough room in this book for everything that one might find in Waterdeep.

Still, the material is interesting and the author (Eric L. Boyd) has a delicate hand for how much is just right. I didn't feel like he rambled on too long and for the most part I felt like he gave me enough to build a game in the City of Splendors. Heck, I could probably build a whole campaign there, using just this book.

Chapter One begins with an interesting history of the city. This chapter actually captured my attention (whereas usually histories are just text you have to get through). It's hard to point out exactly why this appealed to me, but I think that it has to do with the many iterations of settlement the city passed through before becoming the place we all know and love. It took me back to certain real world histories I've read, and where an author's usual instinct is to say, "The city was founded in ," Waterdeep has lived under different names, guises and rulers over the years. It just felt . . . rich.

The book then moves on to a brief who's who and then a treatise on laws and culture. It then tackles all the ways to get to and from the city . . . including teleportation. It was refreshing to have a high fantasy world deal with an issue that almost everyone ignores . . . how the casual use of magic could kill people in the streets. Finally, the book tackles the defenses of the city, both magical and mundane.

Chapter Two deals with People of Waterdeep (I'm not sure why the Who's Who wasn't here.) This chapter is long an complex, taking about a third of the book. In it they cover everything from guilds to monsters to the underworld to secret societies to the nobility and much much more. This is where the book really sold me, the level of detail just enough to fill me with the maximum number of colorful characters while giving me just enough information to run them properly in the game. As a game designer, I can only say this chapter must have taken five times as long to write as the rest of the book put together (characters can take forever, even when many of them aren't statted). I can only tip my hat at Mr. Boyd for not losing sight of the prize and becoming sloppy. Still, I think there are too many dragons detailed for a city with a ward against dragons.
Chapter Three handles presitge classes. You know what? I'm gonna give the book a pass on this one (and it's not the same pass I gave DMG II). This book needed prestige classes, and while I thought that four was probably a bit excessive, this is the perfect use of the game mechanic: defining a particular organization and their unique and often mystical abilities. The Gray Hand Enforcer, for instance, can tap into the dragonward of the city, accessing its power. I don't mind using a prestige class to simulate this.

Chapter Four is the obligatory sites-of-the-city chapter. I don't have much to say about this. It got the job done.

Chapter Five is a section on adventure opportunities in Waterdeep. This section contains everything from single encounters (a disturbing amount of haunted locales) to mini-adventures, to a small section on Undermountain. I think that a DM could build a good campaign, starting with this chapter.

The final chapter covers more rules-oriented materials. Starting with feats, it then covers magic items, poisons and a section on spells. The section on spells is mercifully short, and I can't begrudge it. People in Waterdeep will make spells. This, like the Prestige Classes, is a much better place for new material like this than 90% of the books WotC produces.

I do have to give one qualification on this review. I haven't done more than skim most of the past material on Waterdeep, so I don't know how much of this book is recycled materials. Still, I found what was here to be interesting, useful and well presented. This is one of the better books WotC has produced since 3.5 released. If you adventure in the Realms, it's probably a must-have.

Excellent Guide.......2005-10-09

This book adds substantial information on one of the key role-playing locations in all the Realms, and also reveals a lot of plots that are going on there. It is written with very easy cross-referencing with other FR material, while also giving some background on the referenced characters. And of course, you get adventure hooks, history background and some very interesting NPCs. This product is a must have for the FR campaign setting!

pleased with waterdeep but..........2005-09-16

i was generally pleased with the waterdeep exercise but i would have liked to see revision stats for the important people.
the book had tons of 411 in it so you could not be displeased with it. i just felt that i needed a bit more if it was to stay in my usage crate and not on my storage shelf...

A decent disappointment.......2005-08-16

I have played forgetton realms but over a decade and I have always loved Waterdeep as a campaign setting. Given that, I was very excited to hear about a 3.5e revision of the city of splendors. However, when I got the book I was very disappointed to find that it did not come with a pull out map. That was one of the greatest appeals of 2e TSR products, they always had such large beautiful maps. This edition only included a split up map mixed among the pages of the book.
Like the reviewers have mentioned it doesn't have much info on Undermountain if that is your interest. Although the Wotc website does have an undermountain article that works perfectly with this book. What this book DOES offer is a great new taste of recent events as well as a fairly revolutionary guild system including magical colleges. The book does not contain very detailed descriptions of the locales in waterdeep. For that, I'd recommend the 2e Volo's Guide to Waterdeep.
This book is most useful for combining with and/or updating existing 2e products. For much more detailed and useful content on the subject of waterdeep, you should really get your money's worth with some .pdf downloads of the old 2e waterdeep products like Volo's Guide to Waterdeep, City of Splendors box set, and Ruins of Undermountain. Overall the book is a decent addition but not wonderful enough on its own for five stars.

THE BEST CITY JUST GOT BETTER!.......2005-08-09

After more than fifteen years, gamers in the Forgotten Realms campaign are finally getting a new and updated version of the campaign's most famous and notorious city, Waterdeep. The Forgotten Realms has always been my favorite campaign to adventure in and run. It is supported by dozens of supplements as well as dozens of novels set within the realms. No campaign the kind of source material that the Forgotten Realms can. In this new, 160 page hardcover by Eric Boyd, the City of Splendors gets a makeover to update it to the current system and provide greater depth and detail than the original supplement.

Boyd provides a thorough history of the city and provides background information on major characters, rulers, laws, trade and much more. There are literally hundreds of organizations and guilds operating within the city, and many of them are outline in the book which includes the guild type, alignments of members, dues, salary, class requirements, and leadership. The same elements are also provided for all of the various churches and temples found within Waterdeep. Then there are a wide array of ruffian and rogue gangs such as the Black Boar Tribe, a group of fighters and barbarians who run protection rackets in the Dock Ward and the Shadow Thieves who were banded long ago but are now re-emerging as a threat. In addition, Boyd provides information on noble houses that includes their histories, key members, and plots and intrigues which can be starting points for adventures for player characters.

Four new prestige classes are included and unique to Waterdeep: The Knights of the Blue Moon, Moonstar Agents, Sun Soul Monks, and the Gray Hand Enforcers. The latter is the most intriguing, being they are basically the shock troops of the Lords of Waterdeep. Enormously powerful, non-evil aligned fighters who gain attack bonuses and resistance to damage and spells. People tend to get out of the way of these guys as they have a reputation for causing a great deal of collateral damage when dealing with a threat.

Boyd covers each of the 6 main districts of Waterdeep which are referred to as "wards". Each ward has a corresponding map and legend which details some of the more important buildings to be found but much is left for the DM to fill in as he or she best sees fit. Each of the buildings has a class rating which designates it's size and scope. Besides the main 6 wards information is provided on the notorious haven for smugglers known as Skullport.

While Waterdeep works as a great city it also works as a great dungeon as there are many different dungeons that can be explored from inside of the city including the Dungeons of the Crpyt built by the vampire Artor Morlin, The Cliff Watch Ruins, Citadel of the Bloody Hand, and many more. The Sewers of Waterdeep are vast and connect many of these dungeons and crypts and a full map of the sewers is included. Along with the noting the tunnels which connect to these other areas, a random encounter table is available to the DM. The most famous dungeon in Waterdeep and in all the Forgotten Realms can be found here, too. The Ruins of Undermountain were covered exhaustively more than ten years ago with two outstanding boxed sets. Hopefully WOC will do an update on that as well but if not, try and find those on the secondary market. Boyd does give some details on the Underhalls but refers to these products as the primary source or for the DM to create his own dungeon if these cannot be located.

The Waterdeep sourcebook features 9 new monsters, a half dozen new feats, over three dozen new magic items including new artifacts, and a couple of dozen new spells. The full color illustrations throughout the book are all uniformly good and it's the kind of quality book you expect from Wizards of the Coast. My only complaint is that I wish they had included a fold out map of Waterdeep. The Maps of the various wards are all on separate pages and kind of small. A pull-out map would have been a great extra perk. As it is Waterdeep is a great update on a classic Forgotten Realms city.

Reviewed by Tim Janson

Basilica: The Splendor and the Scandal: Building St. Peter's

Average customer rating:

Read it before you visit St. Peter's
Awesome Alliteration...
Too many popes, not enough building
The Sacred and the Profane - a Grand Enterprise
Exciting, Interesting Tale - but what was left out?

Basilica: The Splendor and the Scandal: Building St. Peter's
R. A. Scotti
Manufacturer: Viking Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0670037761

Book Description

Out of the clash of genius and the caprice of popes came the most glorious monument of the Renaissance

It was the splendor—and the scandal—of the age. In 1506, the ferociously ambitious Renaissance Pope Julius II tore down the most sacred shrine in Europe—the millenniumold St. Peter's Basilica built by the Emperor Constantine over the apostle's grave—to build a better basilica. Construction of the new St. Peter's spanned two centuries, embroiled twenty-seven popes, and consumed the genius of the greatest artists of the age—Michelangelo, Bramante, Raphael, and Bernini. As the basilica rose, modern Rome rose with it as glorious as the city of the Caesars. But the cost was unimaginable. The new basilica provoked the Protestant Reformation, dividing the Christian world for all time.

In this swift, colorful narrative, R. A. Scotti brings to life the artists and the popes, the politics and the passions behind this audacious enterprise. Gothic cathedrals reach up to heaven, but the basilica brings heaven to earth, and the new St. Peter's was the defining event of the high Renaissance.

In the tradition of Brunelleschi's Dome, Scotti turns sacred architecture into a spellbinding human epic of enormous daring, petty jealousy, and staggering genius.

Customer Reviews:

Read it before you visit St. Peter's.......2007-10-07

I will defer to the judgment of other reviewers who have found fault with some of the "facts" Scotti relates in BASILICA. This is a popular, not an academic, history of the building of St. Peter's in Rome. I found Scotti's depiction of the sequence of events and of the personalities at play to be consistent with what I've read elsewhere. And she does a good job of demonstrating how all actions have a multiplicity of consequences--good and bad. If she's a little guilty of playing a "what if" game (What if the popes had not committed themselves to building the grandest church in Christendom and used the selling of indulgences to help finance it, and what if a certain Augustinian monk had found less combative ways to voice his concern about the shortcomings of his church, and what if New World civilizations hadn't been pillaged and destroyed to provide silver and gold for the church's ornament...), at least she conveys a clear sense that history is a complex and intertwined thing. Also, her descriptions of the popes, artists, and architects who had a hand in bringing about an amazing worship space that took generations to complete are pointed but unelaborated (she does no "The Agony and the Ecstasy"-type of filling in the unknowable details). Everything she asserts about them can likely be supported from letters and diary accounts (even if incorporated via secondary sources).

My regret is that I read this book AFTER visiting the Vatican. I'm sure I would have had a more meaningful visit if I had read Scotti's history beforehand. And as lively as her writing is, most people could easily finish this 269-page book during a 9-hour trans-Atlantic flight. Perhaps Scotti's final sentence sums up one's mixed feelings about a building that cost the world so much: "Gothic cathedrals reach up to heaven. St. Peter's--muscular, sublime, irrevocable--brings heaven to earth."

Awesome Alliteration..........2007-09-03

Scotti's ability to tie the present to the past is impressive and instructive. I listened to the audio book and was both educated and inspired. Scotti built an understandable timeline and an understated history of popes and painters (and sculptors). My only complaint is that the alliteration was both constant and contrived.

Too many popes, not enough building.......2007-08-06

I very much anticipated reading a history of the building of St. Peter's. I was dismayed to learn that this book is a thinly-researched effort that is too pope-bio focused, with very little concentration on the building itself.

Full of anachronisms, full of misinformation. If you can keep your lunch down when reading chapter titles like "The Knaves of Saint Peter's", you are a better man than I am.

Thank God that I borrowed it from the library as opposed to buying it!

The Sacred and the Profane - a Grand Enterprise.......2007-07-23

Saint Peter's Basilica is at once a magnificent place of worship and a symbol of both the best and worst in the hearts, minds and souls of its human designers. A wondrous architectural and engineering achievement, the logistics and financial excesses and abuses contributed in no small way to the fracturing of the Catholic Church, sparking the Protestant Reformation and leading to the counter-Reformation at the Council of Trent.

BASILICA chronicles the story of this unique structure, spanning decades of human tumult and artistic controversy. Author R.A. Scotti (whose works include the fascinating SUDDEN SEA: THE GREAT HURRICANE OF 1938) offers the reader a lively portrayal of the strategies and machinations of artists, clerics, politicians and others. BASILICA is filled with gripping drama, expansive egos, and enough plot twists to keep the reader engaged the 320-some pages.

Some of the reviews, particular those from "scholars," refer to historical inaccuracies. As I am not a Renaissance scholar, I cannot comment upon them. The only complaint that I would have about the book is when the author editorializes on the Catholic faith itself. Although infrequent, these criticisms seem to be based on issues other than the subject matter of the book. Nevertheless, the book provides a fascinating look into the [arguably] crowing achievement of Renaissance architecture.

Exciting, Interesting Tale - but what was left out?.......2007-03-19

Very well written and apparently balanced account of the"space program" of the middle ages. Would have been 5 stars but the word "Cluny" does not appear in the book. With an omission that huge one wonders what else of great significance also was lost along the way.

Average customer rating:

Not their best...
dry and unimaginative
Great for fans
About average
Grade= D+ Fair to Poor

The City of Splendors (The Cities)
Ed Greenwood , and Elaine Cunningham
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0786940042
Release Date: 2006-05-09

Amazon.com

Amazon.com Exclusive Content

Amazon.com's Significant Seven
Ed Greenwood kindly agreed to take the life quiz we like to give to all our authors: the Amazon.com Significant Seven.

Q: What book has had the most significant impact on your life?
A: I can't possibly pick just one. The Lord of the Rings is one of them, but there have been so many. I have 80,000 of them at home right now.

Q: You are stranded on a desert island with only one book, one CD, and one DVD--what are they?
A: The book: any Discworld omnibus (Terry Pratchett), because I'm greedy. I think I'll ask him if I can pick my own selection, the next time his publishers are slapping several titles together. If it really must be just a single book: A Song for Arbonne by Guy Gavriel Kay.

The CD: Cheating time again. Your Hundred Best Tunes (London label, two four-CD sets, but a dearly loved and now-vanished store, the Madrigal, once sold them taped together, in a brick of glorious music). Force me to pick just one? I can't. Tubular Bells? Selling England by the Pound? Eldorado? No, I just can't.

The DVD: Jackson's complete Lord of the Rings set. If I really can only pick a single disc: The Man Who Would Be King (Connery, Caine, and Plummer). Beats The Princess Bride by a nose, some days but not others.

Q: What is the worst lie you've ever told?
A: Not telling a friend that the love of her life had just been killed, because I didn't think she should learn that from me, in that place, at that time. It hurt to do it, and I still think it was the right thing to do, but it still hurts.

Q: Describe the perfect writing environment.
A: A Secret Place: a quiet spot where I can go off by myself to think. For me, a forest glade. That just happens to have electricity running up a handy stump, right beside a smooth stump angled to sit upon. Not just for my computer, but for kettles so I can brew endless mugs of green tea and hot chocolate.

Q: If you could write your own epitaph, what would it say?
A: Here lies Ed, who tried to make people happy. Please sit down and have an easy moment. I now have plenty to share.

Q: Who is the one person living or dead that you would like to have dinner with?
A: Any of my grandfathers ("Any?" long story), because I was too young to be able to pick their brains in a candid, man-to-man fashion ere they died. Not just because I'd love to know the truth, or at least their side, of various family tales, events, and disputes. Not just because I desperately want to know more of their characters, and spend more time with them. It's also because they were gushing, articulate fonts of knowledge about times now gone, the daily customs and attitudes and aspirations of "then." The saying: "There were MEN in those days" comes to mind. And no, I'm not belittling the women of the family. They did talk to me, at eloquent length, before passing away. They knew the importance of sharing and passing lore on.

Q: If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
A: The power to read people's minds, at very close range and only when I tried to. Not to read bank account numbers or anything of the sort, but to know their true feelings, so as not to offend and so I can best make them happy. Spreading happiness has to be the most heroic thing ordinary folk can daily do.

Book Description

In the streets of Waterdeep, conspiracies run like water through the gutters, bubbling beneath the seeming calm of the city’s life. As a band of young, foppish lords discovers there is a dark side to the city they all love, a sinister mage and his son seek to create perverted creatures to further their twisted ends.

Customer Reviews:

Not their best..........2006-11-14

I was hoping for something great. Ed Greenwood and Elaine Cunningham together... Well, the prologue was awesome and I bought the book.
Chapter after chapter, I was hoping for the story to get interesting... at last... to no avail.
Not everything was bad. I learned some interesting things about the city and got the feel of some places at least.
I will try to forget this book and fondly remember others I enjoyed so much.

dry and unimaginative.......2006-10-19

being a loyal forgotten realms fan, i was disappointed with greenwood's take on waterdeep. the story line never drew me in and the characters were one dimensional and largely uninteresting. would definitely not recommend this book - thank goodness he didn't write a trilogy.

Great for fans.......2006-09-10

Im actually surprised by some of the more negative reviews, i found this arguably one of the best d&d based novels i've read, and i have read no small number.

Its a quick fun story with several characters i really enjoyed, the depiction of khelben arunsun in the beginning was better written and painted a more interesting character then the entire blackstaff novel did, though this book does not focus on him. The main characters were amusing and interesting. All in all if your interested in waterdeep, or a fan of the forgotten realms it is worth a read, as mentioned before its become one of my favorite d&d novels.

As for its downside, the primary enemy to me was actually less interesting then the misadventures of the main group, whom manage to in my opinion make up for it, the ending was not my favorite either.

In the end its better then average realms fare, but lacking the epic scope of some of the more famous d&d series, still for a single shot story its fun and provides a interesting look in to the city of splendors.

About average.......2006-09-03

WATERDEEP: THE CITY OF SPLENDORS is by no means a bad book. It even becomes decent in parts, but at the beginning, it's stifled by mediocrity. The Gemcloaks I find boring, the dialogue I find overblown (with trademark Greenwood vocabulary and phrasing), the narrative nothing special and oh, the character descriptions? They come in info-dumps that tell you what the character looks like from head to toe, a bit about the character's personality, and a bit about the character's background. They are shoved all at once down your throat, and that is never a pleasant experience. It strikes me as amateurish, but then, many other FR novelists do the same. There's even a paragraph consisting of one long, messy run-on. With this and the inconsistencies in other novels (WAR OF THE SPIDER QUEEN's internal factual errors, game products not agreeing with novels, novels not agreeing with novels, factual errors in THE LAST MYTHAL trilogy), it's obvious that WotC has no editing standards whatsover. Is it any wonder that some people consider this line of novels to be laughingstock or hack jobs, even in the fantasy genre?

The storyline meanders a fair bit, and there are probably too many characters. It does start to come together about two-third through the book, though, which is a good thing. I far from oppose this kind of plot: it keeps things unpredictable, even if one has to put up what seems initially to be unfocused and somewhat undisciplined. We have the "New Day" people, with Dyre at the center: at first, again, I found them irritating because it doesn't seem like they'll go anywhere, just old men gibbering about things they'll never get around to. The Gemcloaks are so-so. The Dyrre daughters are all right. For many chapters, I mostly read it for Lark and, of course, for Elaith, a character I've always been fond of in Elaine Cunningham's novels. Mrelder is another character that interested me from early on. All in all, though, I do think that as fantasy characters go, CoS' cast comprises of a fairly atypical mix: an aged master stonemason, his daughters and maidservant, a sorcerer who's not so much evil as... afflicted with issues, and nobles that don't start off being nice and friendly to the common people (a tired device to make them sympathetic. Befriending the kitchen help, and all that; these young men act as those raised opulent and carefree should -- they are brats).

But ultimately, I don't think I cared much for the characters. One Gemcloak dies, but all that came to mind for me was "Oh, yay, we're down with one pointless character!" It's one of the least moving death scenes in fiction I've ever read, and part of that has to do with the fact that Gemcloaks mostly share the same personality. They have a few distinguishing trait and they wear cloaks with different colors, but in most scenes, you can substitute one's name with another and it will still read the same. The characterization, here, is incredibly lazy. I think the book'd have been better off with just three Gemcloaks. The cameo of Asper and Mirt annoyed the living daylight out of me; once again, Mirt pops up to make the same kind of "sly" comments and give "wise" advice, and Asper appears to make men gawk at her (look, she's not only amazing with a blade but also seductive and sexually aggressive -- just like every other Greenwood female character; how refreshing!). Author's darlings, author's darlings. I wish Greenwood would actually develop them or kill them off already. They're just boring and have nothing new to do or say. I swear, even if the Walking Statues had trampled all of Waterdeep into dust, Greenwood's pet characters would still somehow survive.

Elaith's scenes shine. There's an edge to everything he does, though I wish they would drop his angst already. His "conflict with my past! conflict with my morality! I am tortured!" has gone on for a long, long while, and by this point it's become tiresome.

Golskyn's megalomania... came out of the blue. Aren't evil overlord types with insanity a little dated, here? Worse, his madness seems to be a plot device for Mrelder to get out of his father's shadow. It's random and weird. Yes, he's a bit too much "Domination monster domination dominationtion!" from the start, but he started off relatively sane. Why the sudden insanity? What triggered it? Did he get hit by one of those dementia spells?

Still, I liked the overall tone of the ending: not happy, not entirely subdued, but somewhere in the between. Tragic but hopeful, which is, I think, the happy medium. I didn't much care for the action-packed parts, however. Brief action punctuated with "BOOM" gets really old really fast, and if I see the word "BOOM" again, it'll be too soon.

Grade= D+ Fair to Poor.......2006-07-21

This is a slow story that fails to hold the readers interest, it is difficult to read due to lack luster settings and prose, and populated with un-interesting characters. The plot is silly and boring, I did not care at all about story line or the characters, and found this completely dull.

Overall= D+
Readability= D, Character= D, Plot= D, Setting= D, Action= D+, Romance= D+.

Splendors of China's Forbidden City: The Glorious Reign of Emperor Qianlong

Average customer rating:

pictures are beautiful but too small
Not about the Forbidden City
A one of a kind treasure.
A TREASURE
Beautiful in Many Aspects

Splendors of China's Forbidden City: The Glorious Reign of Emperor Qianlong
Chuimei Ho , and Bennet Bronson
Manufacturer: Merrell Holberton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Political | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1858942039

Book Description

This sumptuous new book brings together some of the most priceless national treasures in China, housed in Beijing's royal palace complex, the Forbidden City, and collected by Emperor Qianlong. During his sixty-year reign, from 1736 to 1795, Qianlong not only managed what was then the richest empire in the world, but also amassed the largest collection of art known at that time in China. Providing an introduction to the life at the emperor's palaces, and offering a comprehensive view of imperial art during Qianlong's reign, Splendors of China's Forbidden City is the only work in any Western language devoted exclusively to the court arts of China in the mid-eighteenth century, their last golden age. Many of the objects depicted have never previously been published, and include paintings on canvas, silk and paper, sculptures, palace furnishings, musical instruments, ceremonial clothing, arms and armour, table services and jewellery. This book offers an unprecedented insight into one of the most glittering courts in world history.

Customer Reviews:

pictures are beautiful but too small.......2005-03-08

It is rather unfortunate that such a wonderful book has too small pictures.In some pictures one can hardly see the fine details of the pictures which are described in the accompanying text.

Not about the Forbidden City .......2005-01-04

This book is the companion piece to a traveling art exhibit, with a pompous biography of a glorious chinese emperor. There are precious few pictures of the forbidden city, and no comprehensive map. And of the famous emperor, who was comparable to Louis XIV in his lavish spending, his development of culture and arts, and longevity, there is only one portrait. The book is poorly composed, not comprehensive, and worth checking out from the library, but not purchasing. And it definitely is not about the Forbidden City. Lastly, I was disappointed and have tried to understand this Chinese trandsliteration system, but the book gives one no clue as to how to pronounce "Qianlong" In Enlish, Q never occurs without a U following it, and is a K sound. So is it Kianlong? or Shianlong or Chianlong? Another great example is the grand dowager empress Cixi. How would you prononunce that? Sixy? Well, turns out it's more like Tsu-tsi. The only thing to recommend this book is the photos, but a very poor compilation.

A one of a kind treasure........2004-08-26

Splendors of China's Forbidden City: The Glorious Reign of Qianlong is a marvelous work of art in and of itself. Splendors is published to coincide with the special exhibition of the same name currently being held by Chicago's Field Musuem that is set to run until the first week of September, 2004. The book, like the exhibit, is very well done and contains the only published photographs of the objects featured in the exhibit, making this book an extremely rare resource as photography is prohibited in the actual exhibit. These objects have never been publicly displayed in China, so aside from attending the exhibition yourself, this book is your only opportunity to view the the collection that Emperor Qianlong amassed throughout his reign. The book is not, however, simply a catalogue for the exhibition, but features wonderful commentary that gives great insight into the political, religious, and cultural tides of Qianlong's reign. It is the only book of its kind to be published in the English language. As a lover of art and literature, Qianlong himself would be quite pleased with the content of this work.

A TREASURE.......2004-03-27

China's Emperor Qianlong (1736 - 1795) is remembered for many reasons, not the least of which is the priceless collection of treasures which he amassed during his 60 year reign. Now, a number of these stunning objects are presented in this volume, many of them seen for the first time. All bring forth gasps of astonishment and pleasure. Paintings, sculptures, furnishings, armor, and, yes, clothing, glitter and glow in unmatched opulence.

To leaf through this book is to experience an unprecedented view of the Chinese court during its golden age. Included is a towering (six foot high) Buddhist stupa, fashioned entirely of gold. Through this collection life is seen as it once was inside the Forbidden City.

During his day Emperor Qianlong headed what was then the world's richest empire. Today we are the beneficiaries of his acquisitiveness and taste.

Published in association with Chicago's Field Museum, "Splendors of China's Forbidden City" is a treasure in itself.

- Gail Cooke

Beautiful in Many Aspects.......2004-03-24

This must be one of the most beautiful book that I have ever come acrossed. The cover is very imposing and impressive with the portrait of the Emperor Qian Long, the 4th emperor of the Ching Dynasty. The book contains wonderful history about the rise of the Manchurians and how they replaced the Ming Dynasty in the 17th century A.D.

In this book it discuss the origins of the Manchurian and where they originated from and how they ascended the imperial throne of China and ruled over a nation with the largest human population of their time. A country that has been known for its inventions and a long history dating back to early beginning of Chinese civilization.

This book talks about the Emperor Qian Long and the reign that brought China prosperity and peace. The centuries before that, relations between the Han Chinese and the Manchurians were a little bit unstable. However during Qian Long's reign the country became stable. The country prospered, the relations been the Han Chinese and the Manchurian wasn't as much strained. There are wonderful photographs of robes and jewellry worn by the empror and his wives and family members. Also sections talk about traditions that were Manchurian and others that were created through generations like the wearing of triple earrings by the women. The large headdresses worn by the Manchurian court ladies and the emperor's wives, princesses etc... which in the beginning weren't even of Manchurian origin that has become part of a iconic tradition often associated with the Ching Dynasty. The dragon robe worn by the emperor and the long queues kept by Emperor and the Han Chinese subjects were made to conform to practice which became the stereo type associated with the West in regards to the Chinese.

The book also talks about the private lives of the Emperor Qian Long and his wives and also day to day business and affairs. There are so many artifacts that belonged to Qian Long like his own personal things like brushes, ink stone, wooden lacqured screens, throne, and crockery as well as gold and silver utinsels used by him when dining.

Book Description

Osborne stops in to a voodoo temple on the Boulevard de Clichy, the steam-wreathed inner sanctum of a Turkish bath and an apartment belonging to an ancient veteran of an S&M brothel that once served the blond conquerors of the German occupation.

Customer Reviews:

Understand your own Paris.......2006-11-02

This wonderful book will give you a sense of how to approach your own unconscious Paris. And the more you visit Paris, the more the archetypal inner layers build up inside, and the more this unique and very funny book helps you navigate not just Paris but yourself. There will be those who find Osborne's writing too dense and convoluted for their taste, but to them i would say, persevere! It is worth the effort.

summer in paris.......2002-08-24

just got back from a hot summer in Paris and read this every night - a bit lush for my taste sometimes, but I really got into the layers of architecture, food, urban design, political satire, word-play and sex...it's a really original book, violent and brilliant, if a bit immature in places ( understandable for a writer still in his 20's I guess ). Some of my friends agreed, some disagreed. The chapters on courtesans and Turkish baths rock!

invaluable kinky trip through Parsis.......1998-12-11

This is the most brilliant book on Paris ever written in English - quirky, infuriating, uneven, but definately original and fierce and permeated with amazing erudition. Osborne has written for the Voice here, the New Republic and Lingua Franca - he's a superb essayist all round

The Fall of Shanghai: The splendor and squalor of the imperial city of trade, and the 1949 revolution that swept an era away

Average customer rating:

be cautious and skeptical

The Fall of Shanghai: The splendor and squalor of the imperial city of trade, and the 1949 revolution that swept an era away
Noel Barber
Manufacturer: Putnam Pub Group (T)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Customer Reviews:

be cautious and skeptical.......2004-03-04

A very well-written and well-researched book. One thing bothers me, MR Barber stated that Chiang Kai Shek married Sun Yat Sen's daughter to help him gain the job as China's leader. In fact, Chiang's wife was Sun Yat Sen's sister-in-law and it was generally believed that Chiang, who was poorly educated and knew little or no English, wanted the marriage in order to have good connections and dealings with powerful wealthy Americans - things Madame Soong May Ling and her family possessed. This is almost common-knowledge for all intereasted in Modern Chinese affairs and history.

Book Description

Bruno Bertuccioli presents a vivid history of the Level Club,from it's origins as an exotic Masonic Club of the 1920's,to decadence after the crash of 1929,then renewal in 1984 as a residential condominium

The Level Club is representative of the Art Deco building design that fluorished in New York City in the 1920's

The book provides an itinerary of the building's origin's into the present providing a glimpse of the exciting atmosphere prevailing in New York during the twenties which led a group of Freemasons to envisage and persue their dream of building a Hotel devoted only to Masons with the latest state of the art the Hotel Industry of that time could provide.

The book examines the Level Club's Masonic tradition, the innumerous decorative symbols adorning it's facade the social context of the period,the personalities and motivation of it's founders and members (among them was Al Jolson)and explains why the building can truly be considered as the world only building size rendering of the King Solomon's temple

Average customer rating:
Splendors of China's Forbidden City

Manufacturer: Merrell Publishers Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 1858942586

Average customer rating:
Beautiful Paris: The splendors, mysteries, and people of the great city : photographic representations of its monuments, palaces, statuary, museums, parks, ... and every-day life of its gay population
James W Buel
Manufacturer: J. Singer Book Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B00086R1OE

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