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.

To Purge This Land With Blood: A Biography of John Brown

Average customer rating:

Very Good Book
Solid history and decent prose.
Strike the Blow- The Story of a Revolutionary Abolitionist
The research is showing
You don't know John Brown

To Purge This Land With Blood: A Biography of John Brown
Stephen B. Oates
Manufacturer: University of Massachusetts Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0870234587

Customer Reviews:

Very Good Book.......2007-10-04

Having read this author's biography of Lincoln (Malice Toward None) I was so impressed with his writing style and story telling that I wanted to stick with him.

This book reads well. I recommend it. I enjoyed it. The book reads like a novel and seemed fairly comprehensive, thought it's under 400 pages and moves along at a comfortable pace. It provides plenty of food for thought about Brown. Having always heard that Brown was a mad-man, I was pleased to find that his story is much more than that.

As far as dismissing John Brown as a crazy, consider how many renowned people of his day he befriended and persuaded to back his endeavors! Were they all crazy too?

The book revealed for me the political / social / religious dynamics of those wild times in a meaningful way. If the issue of John Brown comes up for discussion, I now feel confident to participate.

Solid history and decent prose........2007-06-22

There are a lot of books on Brown, for good reason. He is a fascinating figure, a sort of mythical creature. Many books dumb this aspect down through their soggy prose and endless fact-logging, but the prose in this book is not too bad. Oates doesn't relate too much worthless information, which is common in the social sciences. I remember reading one Brown biography that debated whether his cabin was made out of pine or oak. Many historians cannot understand that not all pieces of information were created equal.

Seriously though, the prose here is decent and the history seems fairly accurate. There are some passages that are poetic in their way, and I was affected by many aspects of Brown's personality and U.S. History that Oates managed to describe quite well. Times of revolution can make for excellent reading, especially when the world today seems very difficult to change. Brown tried to change it, and in the minds of many, he did. So, for those unfamiliar with Brown, he makes for a good story.

It is obvious at times that Oates is angling to not "alienate" the Southern reader. He talks about how Southerners "had a right to be scared" and makes the argument that slavery-accepting Southerners were not such bad people, etc. Racism was widespread, only slightly less so in the North, so this is partially reasonable. However, there is hardly any material about how disgusting slavery really was. There are good reasons that John Brown was violently opposed. Basically, Oates is trying to be "balanced." What that means is he is giving both sides of the argument, even when one of them has been proven to be self-evidently stronger. Slavery was wrong, and it died out, and good riddance to the Southerners who accepted and perpetuated it.

If you want to read about how nasty slavery really was, and I recommend that you do if you are open-minded about judging characters such as Brown, then you can start with some of the slave narratives, for example the narratives of Frederick Douglass and Mary Prince.

John Brown was one of the few people who doesn't just stand around and watch while injustices abound. He acts, and that is the reason that many cannot stand him. He is a profoundly moral person, and that is threatening to people who are not. They cannot understand that it is better to kill a thousand men then to let millions rot in slavery.

Highly recommended, just don't get thrown off by the "balance."

Strike the Blow- The Story of a Revolutionary Abolitionist.......2006-02-05

Please note that the substance of the following review has been used in the review of W.B. Dubois's book on John Brown reviewed elsewhere. Both books offer a good prospective on the life of John Brown and can be profitably read together. Dubois's book is a decent historical narrative of Brown's life from an earlier time and in a more partisan perspective. Oates book reflects more modern academic methods of analysis and research and tackles the weaknesses in other interpretations. In that sense, Oates book is close to the definitive study of John Brown's life. Most importantly, both books reflect a Northern view of Brown exploits previously long absent from the historical record. My review reflects the need to study an important American fighter for justice and for today's generation to learn some lessons from his life.

I would like to make a few comments on the role of Captain John Brown and his struggle at Harper's Ferry in 1859 in the history of the black liberation struggle. This is appropriate as I am writing this review during Black History Month of 2006. Unfortunately John Brown continues to remain one of the very few white heroes of the revolutionary struggle for black liberation.

From fairly early in my youth I knew the name John Brown and was swept up by the romance surrounding his exploits at Harpers Ferry. For example, I knew that the great anthem of the Civil War -The Battle Hymn of the Republic had a prior existence as a tribute to John Brown. I, however, was then neither familiar with the import of his exploits for the black liberation struggle nor knew much about the specifics of the politics of the various tendencies in the struggle against slavery. I certainly knew nothing then of Brown's (and his sons) prior military exploits in the Kansas wars against the expansion of slavery. If one understands the ongoing nature of his commitment to struggle one can only conclude that his was indeed a man on a mission. Those exploits also render absurd a very convenient myth about his `madness'. This is a political man and to these eyes a very worthy one. In the context of the turmoil of the times he was only the most courageous and audacious revolutionary in the struggle against the abolition of slavery in America.

Whether or not John Brown knew that his strategy would, in the short term, be defeated is a matter of dispute. Reams of paper have been spent proving the military foolhardiness of his scheme at Harper's Ferry. This misses the essential political point that militant action- not continuing parliamentary maneuvering advocated by other abolitionists- had become necessary. What is not in dispute is that Brown considered himself a true Calvinist avenging angel in the struggle against slavery and more importantly acted on that belief. In short, he was committed to bring justice to the black masses. This is why his exploits and memory stay alive after over 150 years.

Brown and his small integrated band of brothers fought bravely and coolly against great odds. Ten of Brown's men were killed including two of his sons. Five were captured, tried and executed, including Brown. These results are almost inevitable when one takes up a revolutionary struggle against the old order and one is not victorious. One need only think of, for example, the fate of the defenders of the Paris Commune in 1871. One can fault Brown on this or that tactical maneuver. Nevertheless he and the others bore themselves bravely in defeat. As we are all too painfully familiar there are defeats of the oppressed that lead nowhere. One thinks of the defeat of the Chinese Revolution in the 1920's. There other defeats that galvanize others into action. This is how Brown's actions should be measured by history.

Militarily defeated at Harpers Ferry, Brown's political mission to destroy slavery by force of arms nevertheless continued to galvanize important elements in the North at the expense of the pacifistic non-resistant Garrisonian political program for struggle against slavery. Many writers on Brown who reduce his actions to that of a `madman' still cannot believe that his road proved more appropriate to end slavery than either non-resistance or gradualism. That alone makes short shrift of such theories. Historians and others have misinterpreted later events such as the Bolshevik strategy which led to Russian Revolution in October 1917. More recently, we saw this same incomprehension concerning the victory of the Vietnamese against overwhelming military superior forces. Needless to say, all these events continue to be revised by some historians to take the sting out of there proper political implications.

The research is showing.......2001-03-12

In the preface of his book, author Oates states it is not his intention to determine the mental capabilities of his subject, abolitionist John Brown. But, he certainly paints a vivid enough picture so the reader can determine for himself if Brown is a crazy old coot, a cold blooded murderer, or a man on a mighty mission or a combination of all three. I had just read Cloudsplitter by Russell Banks (a fictionalized version of Brown's life; see my review) and it made me want to read a real biography of Brown. If anything, this book made me appreciate Banks' immagination even more. To Purge This Land with Blood is a very detailed account of Brown's life, maybe too detailed. Every character, no matter how inconsequential, is named. And this sea of names and places can be mindboggling. I found much of the book slow going and already knowing the outcome of Brown's life didn't compel me to move on quickly. But, after reading the book, I now believe I now know Brown. And isn't that the purpose of biography?

You don't know John Brown.......1999-11-29

If you were, like I was, taught that John Brown was not much more than a well-meaning madman then you don't know the John Brown of history. Oates does a great job of dispelling that myth as well as presenting for the first time the full picture, thoroughly footnoted, of the man who may have sparked the Civil War. I have small gripes with some of the text, but none worth mentioning here. Read it and be impressed.

Blood Diamonds (Ben Kamal and Danielle Barnea Novels)

Average customer rating:

Excellent Story!
Excellent Story!
flawless
timely and believable political thriller
Best thriller this year

Blood Diamonds (Ben Kamal and Danielle Barnea Novels)
Jon Land
Manufacturer: Forge Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Action & Adventure | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

Spy Stories & Tales of Intrigue | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0765302268

Book Description

The West African country of Sierra Leone has long been known as a diamond-rich area. With civil war ripping the heart out of the country, all aspects of life there are unstable. Worst of all, guerrilla rebels, in their lust for the resource-rich land, have sunk to depravity and terrorism to evict people from the country.

It's into this maelstrom of political and emotional turmoil that Ben and Danielle must go. The leader of the rebels, a fanatical and charismatic woman known only as the Dragon, is not content with ravaging her own country. She plans a final coup that will perfect her power and topple Western governments-unless Ben and Danielle can stop her in time.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Story!.......2003-05-16

This book once again has as it's heroes Ben Kamal and Danielle Barnea.In this story uncut diamonds(blood diamonds) mined in Sierra Leon are traded with a Russian crime figure for awsome weapons.One of these weapons is called the "Black Death".This
"Black Death" is going to be used by a vicious lady guerilla leader named the Dragon. The Dragon is planning on using this weapon on the United States.You have another character in this
story in the person of contract killer Jim Black.He is a stone killer who leaves a pile of bodies in his wake.This book has more
than it's share of action. It is exciting from start to finish.
You will enjoy this book.

Excellent Story!.......2003-05-16

flawless.......2002-07-11

Blood Diamonds is the fifth book in the Barnea-Kamal series and Providence author Jon Land writes a brilliant tale of intrigue that is a true page-turner. Chief Inspector (Pakad) Danielle Barnea of the Israeli Police teams up with Palestinian Inpector Ben Kamal in a cooperative effort to solve crime. Together they show that there can be cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians and that the two sides may not be so far apart.
Sierra Leone is a diamond-rich nation but an ongoing civil war rocks the country. The instability is made worse by greedy, guerilla rebels who will stop at nothing to get the diamonds and use them to meet their own evil goals. The leader of the rebels is a fanatic named the Dragon who is not content to ravage her country, she plots a coup that will topple Western governments. Ben and Danielle must race against time and numerous obstacles to stop the Dragon.
Ben and Danielle face more than external enemies in this book as each must struggle with internal demons. Land writes, "She had felt nothing for so long it was good to feel even this. Years ago, during her tenure with the Sayeret, it was moments like this that had made her feel the most alive. To do that job you had to accept more than violence; you had to welcome it. After Beirut that had all begun to change, culminating sixteen months ago when pregnancy took away her taste for the very work that defined her. Her own mortality had suddenly become an issue." Her strength is tested even further when she faces an enemy from her past.
Ben also has demons to face as he uncovers pieces of the past and the truth about his father's death. The always colorful Colonel Al-Asi tells Ben, "Your father advocated that the Palestinians make their own peace with the Israelis or risk losing far more than they had already. His was the lone dissenting voice against a violent response."
In Blood Diamonds, Land brings back characters from previous books including Colonel Al-Asi whose loyalty to Ben is unwavering. Ben, Danielle and Colonel Al-Asi are like old friends at this point but just when you think you know them Land throws a few curve balls. The Dragon is not the only new character in Blood Diamonds. She is joined by the deceptive and dangerous assassin Jim Black.
It is the blend of old and new characters along with the unexpected plot twists that make Blood Diamonds a terrific read. Its timeliness reflects the constant changes in the Middle East without getting lost in the politics. Ben and Danielle are strong individuals whose combined strengths are a formidable match for any enemy even one as powerful as The Dragon.
Ben and Danielle are two human beings whose individual struggles do not take away from their strength as a team. Their struggles reflect those faced daily by Israelis and Palestinians, but if like Ben and Danielle they can set aside their differences and work together peace may not be impossible. These characters show us a great deal about ourselves and I look forward to following their exploits with each new book.
If a perfect diamond is flawless and rare, then Blood Diamonds is the literary equivalent of the perfect stone with just the right cut, color, clarity, and carat. As with all of Land's novels Blood Diamonds will leave you yearning for the next one.

timely and believable political thriller.......2002-04-12

It is over a year since the events in New York and it appears that the relationship between detectives Palestinian-American Ben Kamal and Israeli Danielle Barnea is at an end. He is returning to America while she tries to reconcile with the National Police. On an undercover assignment for her old boss, a trap is sprung and Danielle is arrested supposedly for killing her immediate supervisor.

When Ben hears about this, he helps her escape from jail. The pair learns that African diamonds are exchanged for weapons using corrupt Israeli officers as well as Palestinians and the Internet. The United Revolutionary Front in Sierra Leone led by the fanatical Latisse Matabu is determined to unleash weapons of mass destruction on their own people and the United States unless the Palestinian and the Israeli can work together to stop her.

Jon Land authors a timely and believable political thriller that reflects the complexities of the global social and military infrastructure. His characters reflect the times and culture that they live in so when they intermingle, there is always a lot of action. BLOOD DIAMONDS is one of the author's best works to date and it will be interesting to see what will happen to Ben and Danielle in the next installment of the series.

Harriet Klausner

Best thriller this year.......2002-04-11

International thrillers do not get any better than this.

The main plot of this suspenseful novel involves the rebel leader of a group known as the Revolutionary United Front (RUF). They call her the Dragon. This group is trying to overrun the Sierra Leone government. The Dragon's subsequent plan is then to destroy the USA with a secret weapon known as the Black Death (not the Black Death you're familiar with either). Ben Kamal and Danielle Barnea, in a most unusual way, get back together in an effort to stop the Dragon and her secret weapon. Of course this is just one of their problems. Old enemies also return.

The story also has numerous subplots that each come together to make this one of the most satisfying thrillers I've read in some time. From the civil war in Sierra Leone to the secret weapons factory in Russia, this novel carries you non-stop from beginning to end. The timely subject of the Middle East also plays a prominent role.

Quote: You do this out of hate for the enemy, not love of the people.

Book Description

Until now, very little about the recent history of the Mapuche, Chile’s largest indigenous group, has been available to English-language readers. Courage Tastes of Blood helps to rectify this situation. It tells the story of one Mapuche communityâNicolÃ¡s AilÃo, located in the south of the countryâacross the entire twentieth century, from its founding in the resettlement process that followed the military defeat of the Mapuche by the Chilean state at the end of the nineteenth century. Florencia E. Mallon places oral histories gathered from community members over an extended period of time in the 1990s in dialogue with one another and with her research in national and regional archives. Taking seriously the often quite divergent subjectivities and political visions of the community’s members, Mallon presents an innovative historical narrative, one that reflects a mutual collaboration between herself and the residents of NicolÃ¡s AilÃo.

Mallon recounts the land usurpation NicolÃ¡s AilÃo endured in the first decades of the twentieth century and the community’s ongoing struggle for restitution. Facing extreme poverty and inspired by the agrarian mobilizations of the 1960s, some community members participated in the agrarian reform under the government of socialist president Salvador Allende. With the military coup of 1973, they suffered repression and desperate impoverishment. Out of this turbulent period the Mapuche revitalization movement was born. What began as an effort to protest the privatization of community lands under the military dictatorship evolved into a broad movement for cultural and political recognition that continues to the present day. By providing the historical and local context for the emergence of the Mapuche revitalization movement, Courage Tastes of Blood offers a distinctive perspective on the evolution of Chilean democracy and its rupture with the military coup of 1973.

Average customer rating:

Heroine to be admired
BLOOD LANDS IS AN EXCITING PAGE TURNER-A MUST READ!!

Blood Lands
Ralph Cotton
Manufacturer: Signet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0451218760

Book Description

Julie Wilder lost her father-and her soul-in an act of violence that continues to haunt her. But with the help of infamous gunfighter Baines Meredith she will find the courage and strength to stand up to those who wronged her-and have vengeance.

Customer Reviews:

Heroine to be admired.......2006-06-24

Ralph Cotton has thrilled me for years with his stories. My favorites have always been the Ranger Sam Burrack stories, but Mr. Cotton has taken his storytelling to a new level in Blood Lands.

Near the end of the Civil War in Kansas, rogue militia units are roaming the state. One unit engages in wholesale murder and extortion to achieve their goals. They murder the Shawler family and hunt down the one member who escapes. The Wilder family shelters the survivor. The men are killed and Julie Wilder barely survives the ultimate torture and humiliation.

Baines Meredith is a bounty hunter who finds the murdered family. He is surprised Julie survived and takes her to Umberton to an old friend. He stays in town and oversees her recovery and provides protection.

The Army decides to investigate and brings the militia to help. Julie believes the militia in the parlor murdered her father and violated her but can't prove it as they wore masks.

When the militia frightens her into leaving town, Julie heads to Baines Meredith's home. She does not want him to fight her battles but to teach her the skills to fight them.

In a riveting ending Julie faces her demons and conqueors them.

Mr. Cotton has created a heroine that is strong and resourceful. Baines is a hero who complements her and shows her the key to survival.

The writing is crisp, fast-paced and accurate. The story is well researched and comes alive as Julie learns to live again. Well done, Mr. Cotton, well done.

BLOOD LANDS IS AN EXCITING PAGE TURNER-A MUST READ!!.......2006-06-07

The year is 1865. Around the town of Umberton, the Kansas Border Miliia are part of the reason this palce is called Bloody Kansas. At the farm of Harvey Shawler in Missouri, Captain Ruddell Plantz and his so called militia soldies take what they want from the dirt farmer. In their wake they leave death and destruction. All the family members are killed except young Jed Shawler who witnessed the whole bloody affair. Plantz can not let the boy escape to tell the regular army what took place on the farmstead.

In Umberton, Colonel Bertrim, his former sergeant Shepherd Watson and his daughter Julie Wilder bring in a string of horses to sell. The colonel does this in defiance of Plantz and the captain's request of all to pay a tribute. The three riders are spotted by two of Plantz's gunmen stationed in Umberton to keep an eye on the town. The captain sends one of his men to follow Jed's tracks. The boy is found by Wilder and his riders. The colonel refuses to turn the boy over to the militia man and instead, takes him to the Wilder Ranch. Leaving Julie to watch over the boy, the colonel and Shep ride out.

Along the trail, Wilder and Watson are surrounded by the captain's men who gun the two down. The hard cases continue on to the Wilder Ranch to search for the missing boy. Julie makes the mistake of going out to meet the militia men. The gunmen, now wearing hoods, beat and rape the colonel's daughter. Warning her to leave the area, she is left lying naked in the dust as they ride off. Bounty hunter Baines Meredith rides up to the ranch and sees Julie on the ground. He takes her in to Umberton to be cared for. Once the gunman's business in town is finished, he rides off.

Julie, once recovered from her ordeal, rides out to find Meredith. At the small spread of the bounty hunter, Julie learns from Baines that there are many ways to deal with those who killed her father and violated her. She also finds out a little about herself as well. In BLOOD LAND'S, Ralph Cotton gives us a fresh new approach to the west and the violence that often times prevailed. BLOOD LAND'S will grab you from the beginning and not turn you loose until the climatic ending.

The Body and the Blood: The Holy Land at the Turn of a New Millennium: A Reporter's Journey

Average customer rating:

Misses a big opportunity to support justice and human rights
A Work in Progress of Preparation: Lament or Liberty
An eye-opening account of real life for Christians in Israel
Far Undervalued...
Required reading.

The Body and the Blood: The Holy Land at the Turn of a New Millennium: A Reporter's Journey
Charles M. Sennott
Manufacturer: PublicAffairs
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Sociology | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1891620959
Release Date: 2001-10-16

Amazon.com

As The Body and the Blood begins, it is raining bullets in the Via Dolorosa. Braving war zones, often on a daily basis, journalist Charles Sennott spent the year 2000 retracing the path of Jesus' life, from Bethlehem to Emmaus, to write about the Holy Land's Christians. His goal was "to open a window for Western Christians into the Middle East conflict, to encourage them to think about the realities of this land, and about what it means if the living presence of Christianity here should wither and die." On his journey, Sennott encounters many salty characters and strange scenes, which he describes with effective economy: "In one Jerusalem parish, there were not enough young Christian men left to carry a casket at a funeral." Sennott, The Boston Globe's Middle East bureau chief, believes that Christianity has traditionally "provided a kind of leavening in the Middle East, a small but necessary ingredient acting as a buffer between the Arab world's broad Islamic resurgence and the strands within Israel of a rising, ultranationalist brand of Judaism." His book is not merely a political travelogue, however. He also makes Middle Eastern Christianity relevant to the everyday lives of Western readers, by showing that Palestinian- Israeli conflicts are rooted in the same social and spiritual conflicts that shaped Jesus' ministry. --Michael Joseph Gross

Book Description

This journalistic pilgrimage seeks out the forgotten people of the Holy Land-its Christians-and shows how their dwindling numbers offer a sober lesson in understanding the modern Middle East.

Retracing the path of Jesus' life at the turn of a new millennium, award-winning journalist Charles M. Sennott finds a region riven by political revolt, religious conflict, apocalyptic prophecies and the quest for Jerusalem-just as it was 2,000 years ago. The Body and the Blood is Sennott's journalistic pilgrimage through the Holy Land from Nazareth and Bethlehem to Egypt and Lebanon and finally Jerusalem itself, during a gripping a year that was also a critical turning point in the future of the region.

Sennott's journey weaves through the local Christian communities of the Middle East, a population which is disappearing dramatically in the land where the faith began. Where a century ago Christians represented as much as 20 percent of the population of what is today Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, now they comprise less than 2 percent of the total population. Historians and demographers fear that within two more generations, native Christianity could virtually disappear in the Holy Land.

Timely and moving, firmly grounded in the troubled history of the region, The Body and the Blood dares to ask questions of the spirit as well as of politics. Two thousand years after Jesus' birth, is there a place for his followers in the land he called home? Has the West fatally misunderstood, even abandoned, the Christians of the Middle East? And most provocatively, could Christianity help answer the riddle of peace in the region? Sennott's elegiac, controversial book is sure to spark national, and international, discussion.

Customer Reviews:

Misses a big opportunity to support justice and human rights.......2004-12-24

There's plenty of material in this book, as Sennott has managed to talk with quite a few people in the region. And he does allow his readers to decide some things for themselves.

Still, just what is the author saying? Well, he's explaining that in the war between the Jews and the Muslims, the Christians of the area are trapped in the middle.

One can sympathize with this. We've seen times in history when Muslims, Christians, Jews, or Pagan civilians have been trapped similarly, with two armies both opposing them.

However, I think the best advice to give people in this unfortunate situation is simple. Run away if you can. If you can't get away (or simply refuse to do so), try to find allies. No matter what you do, value truth: if you don't see things the way they really are, you will be even worse off.

And Sennott does not really provide such advice. He notes that Christians are leaving the area in droves. But he fails to observe that it is generally the Muslims who are driving them away. Nor does he see the extent to which a vicious cycle has developed in which the Christians who stay are precisely those who are willing to side more and more with the Muslims against the Jews. And that such attitudes make the Jews less and less eager to help the Christians. Meanwhile, Christian support for the Muslims does not reduce Muslim pressure on the Christians.

The author's portrayal of Hanan Ashrawi is favorable, as though she is simply seeking peace and human rights for everyone. In fact, this is far from the case. Ashrawi has done nothing to support her fellow Christians and instead has supported the indoctrination of Arab youth that has helped produce the violence that is driving away Christians.

Well, perhaps Sennott has an idea about how to achieve peace in the region. Surely, that would help everyone! How about a little truth and reconciliation? That has helped in other conflicts. But Sennott dismisses this on the grounds that there are no clear villians or victims. To put it mildly, I disagree. We've seen Jews oscillate between defending themselves and showing "restraint" when pressured by the international community. But an Israel at peace would hardly take on the entire Arab world, let alone the rest of the world as well, just for fun. It's obvious that if the Arabs stop attacking the Jews, there will be peace, whether the Jews all like it or not. And that ought to get us to see who the villains are and who the victims are.

There is a little test for Sennott in his introduction, where he describes the takeover of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem by Muslim terrorists. This would have been a good opportunity for the Vatican to unequivocally condemn the misuse of Church property and regard the Christians in the church as hostages (and demand their release). But instead, the Vatican's focus was on condemning Israel. That meant one of two things: either the Vatican was abandoning its coreligionists, or it was indicating that the Christians at the church were willing accomplices of the terrorists. This was the right time for Sennott to take an unequivocal stand in favor of human rights and against terror. But he didn't. Not even against anti-Christian terror.

I don't know if Sennott's approach will get Western Christians to sympathize more with their Arab coreligionists. But it certainly didn't make a very positive impression on me.

A Work in Progress of Preparation: Lament or Liberty.......2003-07-26

Charles Sennott packs a lot into his dolorific account "The Body and the Blood" (New York: PublicAffairs, 2001, 481 pp.). Recently I was led to read his book by Palestinian Lutheran Pastor Mitri Raheb of Bethlehem in a conversation at First Presbyterian Church in Evanston, Illinois. (xxi, 449, 466) Sennott covers the previous fifty-two years of change and conflict in Israel-Palestine and interweaves descriptions of Jesus's activities on twelve of these localities two millennia ago. All of the gory details and insanity of armed violence are here. There seems no other end in sight. It is not unlike the Hatfield-McCoy feuds in eastern Appalachian Kentucky history. His penchant for sentence after sentence of contorted multi-clauses with few smaller breaks makes reading it difficult.

His main theme concerns the diminishing Palestinian Arab Christian population and its sporadic attempts with non-violent civil disobedience for peace, caught between Israelis and Islamists. (xiii, 436, 448) Critics far outnumber experienced mentors. The first exit of Christians began, of course, long ago in 68 A.D. , from the pincers of zealots and Romans. They took with them a contagious message not of respite but of transforming suffering and shame violence exacts.

Sennott's intense and crafted work raises questions of perspective.

Does Sennott realize that non-violent civil disobedience is not new to Christian New Testament Scriptures, but also intimated in the Torah and Tanach (e.g., Exodus 14:14; Proverbs 14:29; Isaiah 11:4; 53)?

Can he discover that the four gospels describe the kingly dynamic sovereignty of God as it is and is now and is not a moralistic set of practical ethics and ascetics but a realm and behavior entered solely by "Grace??" Res ipsa loquitor. and that one of Grace's key gifts--not maxims--is patience?? He almost comes close for a brief moment. (428-29)

Will Sennott recall, even briefly, the historic contributions made by the Jews and Israelis, by Muslims, and by others whose peoples populate that land, in education and medicine, finance, philosophy, and on???

In his search for a path of peace among religions, when will Sennott consult the "Declaration for a Global Ethic" (Chicago, September 1993. ...) of the Parliament of World Religions, whose 200-plus signatories include Christian, Jewish, Muslim, the Dalai Lama, and many others? Or Pope John XXXII's encyclical "Pacem in Terris" (Rome: Vatican, 1963. ...)? Or John Noss and David Noss's "Man's Religions" (New York: Macmillan, 1964) which chronicle all major religions historically interwoven with national politics and economics and culture??

Will Sennott ("Body and the Blood," 428) become aware of the paradigm of Restorative Justice from Transformative Justice Australia ("Transforming Conflict," David Moore and John McDonald. Sydney, Australia: Transformative Justice Australia, 2000, 190 pp....), and from the Silvan S. Tomkins Institute in Philadelphia on reparative mutual honor and the compulsive compass of shame ... and approved by the United Nations ?? ... Emotions always shape logic, land and peace. (385)

Pending "diminishing" these questions, Sennott's book may take its place among many other fine preliminary works in progress for preparation of processes that lead from lament into liberty.

The Rev. Dr. Charles G. Yopst, D.Min., ....

An eye-opening account of real life for Christians in Israel.......2003-04-02

This book is beautifully written and is an insightful look at modern-day life for Christians in Israel/Palestine. They are the minority in this tiny nation, so disturbed by militants over the years.

Far Undervalued..........2002-12-28

This book came out without fanfare and without attention by most media at a critical time in history. The Arab Middle East were being blamed for the 9/11 terrorist attacks and painted as extremist Muslims. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict was reaching its greatest intensity since 1948.
For those with a provincial media-driven view of Arab Palestine this will be an eye-opener. For those with a Western Christian perspective of the Holy Land as a touristic site in Israel this tome is a must read to remind them of their forgotten fellow Christians in the original land of Christ.
Although I have an issue with the author's attempt to stand the Palestinian Christians' values apart from the values of Palestinian Muslims, this is a superb narration of the past and present Israeli-Palestinian problem with the palpable humanity of its Christian population as its protagonist.
Its forthright honesty and non-propagandist perspective can be the only reason it did not reach in these times the aclaim it deserves.

Required reading........2002-11-10

If you believe that Israel is justified in its treatment of Palestinians, whether for reasons of security, entitlement or revenge, or if you believe that all Palestinians are culpable, this will be a difficult book. While the fear and anger behind the Israeli' reaction is understandable, neither they nor we can disregard the needs of the Palestinians or our obligation toward all humans.

Sennott will not allow you to dismiss the Palestinians. Their story cannot be overlooked, nor their treatment continue without loss of our own humanity. Sennott makes clear that the villains of this story are not the people, Jew or Palestinian, whether Christian or Muslim, but those seeking to maintain or gain power; those who have forgotten their religious heritage and merely co-opt that heritage for political purposes. He questions the message and motives of the religious leaders whose livelihood is provided by governments or political organizations. He notes the disconnection between indigenous Christians and their denominations.

The parallels between events and motivations today and those faced by Jesus 2000 years will frighten and alarm while providing insight into both the Middle East and our own lives.

You may question his journalistic impartiality. But, he is at least as critical of the Palestinian Authority as the Israeli government. His thesis is that the faiths so deeply invested in this troubled area, particularly Christianity with its tradition of non-violence and forgiveness as prerequisite to healing, are essential to the resolution of an otherwise insurmountable conflict.

You will be moved by this story. You must read it. You will also find in its message, whether Sennott intended it or not, disturbing questions about our culpability in the escalating violence and hatred. [e.g., Our government advised Israel to quickly quash the non-violent demonstrations initiated in the Christian Palestinian community because of the power of such movements; and the monetary support given by U.S. fundamentalist Christian groups to Zionist groups believing that provocation of violence would bring on the second coming of Christ.]

Book Description

With her baby kidnapped, her lover missing, and her deposed cousin making war against her, Rilsin's only hope lies in a princess who may be her salvation--or an enemy worse than any she has ever encountered.

Customer Reviews:

The first one was better........2006-02-28

Personally, I was not impressed by this book. I loved the first one and have kept an eye out for this one since it was published, but I found the writing style to be typical, almost awkward. The plot of the first one was so good that this can be overlooked - this one was a bit slower. The only thing it has going for it is that it's original. I really applaud Brennan for her female protagonists. It's about time somebody's characters stopped wearing skirts. (But she still had to put one of those scenes in there where the guy catches the girl committing a crime and tries to arrange a little quid pro quo, if you know what I mean. I swear, that's probably one of the most common fantasy scenes out there.)
Also, I didn't like how the author switched POV so often. The first book was entirely from Rilsin's POV; this one would switch several times within a single scene. Very unsettling, and as a result we never get to know the new characters well enough to like.
Sola's awesome.

This woman needs to write more books so I can read them.......2004-12-03

Wow, this fantasy is an edge-or-your-seat sequel to The Sword of the Land, and it continues two years after the end of the first book. Rilsin is now the Saeket, and her daughter her heir. Rilsin and Sola finally get a little farther and all seems to be going great until it becomes apparent that Rilsin's enemies are all out to hurt her all at the same time. Sola and her daughter go missing, and it's up to the heartbroken Rilsin (who's still the commander of the army) to search for them, even though she fears they are dead. Meanwhile, new and old characters appear, not all of them intent on Saeditin's (therefore Rilsin's) well-being.

This book is so fun to read. It's very emotional and exciting, because there's so much action, but you still feel close to the characters. There is a lot of character development in the case of Sola, and it's great to watch the relationship between him, Rilsin, Reniat, Bilt, and others grow and thrive. *semi-spoiler* The ending is great, but it was a shame to me that some people had to die.

This is a great author. I liked everything about the two books in this series, and I can't wait for more. The writing is fresh and eloquent, and Brennan really knows how to express her characters and develop them over the time set in the book. In other words, the pace is pefect, and I believe that anyone who likes light fantasy (meaning little or no magical creatures, spells, etc.) of this type will enjoy this book immensely, as I do, over and over again.

An Irresistible Plot & Finely Crafted Characters.......2004-09-13

After being converted to Fantasy by Brennan's first book "Sword of the Land" I found this to be a wonderful sequel that leaves me crying out for more! Rilsin is a truly believable character who is real, intense yet emotional enough to make her a true heroine that you find yourself fighting right along side her for her beloved Saeditin.

The world of the Saeditin that Brennan created is a world of many stories. I sincerely hope Brennan creates many more stories in the world of the Saeditin. There are many characters whom I would love to read more details about their lives and how they too form and shape the Saeditin. Rislin is a powerful character, but there are many other characters in Brennan's Saeditin series that can be developed into stories of their own.

An extremely exceptional read! Recommended for readers of all genres - not just fantasy, this book has it all: Fantasy, History, Suspense and Romance. And Brennan's cleverly crafted "paganism" which she molds into her own to fit the realm of the Saeditin.

I definately am looking forward to more books by this fabulous new author!

Blood river: The passionate saga of South Africa's Afrikaners and of life in their embattled land

Average customer rating:

Blood river: The passionate saga of South Africa's Afrikaners and of life in their embattled land
Barbara Villet
Manufacturer: Everest House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Southern Africa | Africa | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 089696034X

Achieving Sustainable Freshwater Systems: A Web Of Connections

Average customer rating:

An excellent and timely collection

Achieving Sustainable Freshwater Systems: A Web Of Connections

Manufacturer: Island Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Sustainable Development | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Environmental Science | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

Water Supply & Land Use | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books

Renewable Energy | Technology | Science | Subjects | Books

Conservation | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Water Supply | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

General | Conservation | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Business & Investing | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Computers & Internet | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Outdoors & Nature | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Professional | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Science | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1559639296

Book Description

One of the most pressing challenges of the 21st century is to develop a means of satisfying the water demands of an ever-expanding human population while at the same time protecting the aquatic ecosystems and ecological services upon which all life depends.

Achieving Sustainable Freshwater Systems brings together experts from a wide range of disciplines to present key insights and information on sustainable freshwater systems. Contributors represent a variety of perspectives and expertise, helping to illuminate the multiple connections and concerns involved with freshwater systems. Throughout they focus on the idea that freshwater systems lie at the heart of many different environmental and societal concerns. Achieving sustainability will require a heightened understanding of the connections among those concerns, and a willingness for experts and stakeholders to work together across areas of interest.

For both scientists and managers, Achieving Sustainable Freshwater Systems represents an important new resource for formulating site-specific solutions to problems involving natural resource sustainability.

Customer Reviews:

An excellent and timely collection.......2003-09-19

The collaborative editorial effort of Marjorie M. Holland (Director of the Center for Water and Wetland Resources, University of Mississippi - Oxford); Elizabeth R. Blood (Research Scientist at the J. W. Jones Ecological Research Center, Newton, Georgia); and Lawrence R. Shaffer (Biology Instructor, Northwest Mississippi Community College and Adjunct Faculty Member, Department of Biology, University of Mississippi), Achieving Sustainable Freshwater Systems: A Web Of Connections is a informed and informative collection of erudite essays from diverse authors and specialists studying the problems that beset freshwater ecosystems and addressing the means to deal with the thorny issues concerning environmental preservation. From regional water strategies; to the history of wetlands laws; to wetland restoration and forestry, Achieving Sustainable Freshwater Systems is an excellent and timely collection which is especially recommended for inclusion into academic and governmental Environmental Studies reference collections -- especially for those wanting to directly address contemporary Freshwater Systems remedial and restoration issues.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books