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.

Born in Blood And Fire: A Concise History of Latin America, Second Edition

Average customer rating:

For what it is, it isn't bad
History Light
Great book
Concise Book
Useless and Biased

Born in Blood And Fire: A Concise History of Latin America, Second Edition
John Charles Chasteen
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0393927695

Amazon.com

Made up of 20 very different countries, Latin America has sometimes been treated as though it were a homogeneous unit, one mired in poverty and political instability. University of North Carolina scholar John Charles Chasteen's sweeping history of the region imparts a sense of how diverse--ethnically, linguistically, culturally--Latin America truly is, and of how that part of the world is rapidly changing, mostly for the better. (For example, he writes, "in 1980 most governments of the region were dictatorships of various descriptions. In 2000, elected governments rule almost everywhere.")

Chasteen observes that, although Latin America came into being under the imperial aegis of a few European powers, principally Spain and Portugal, it quickly branched into sometimes conflicting regions with widely differing ideas of economic development and government. He goes on to examine the careers of some of Latin America's most important historical figures, among them Simon Bolivar, who spread a revolutionary gospel of independence throughout the hemisphere, and Lázaro Cárdenas, the Mexican president who, in 1938, nationalized the oil industry and set his nation on a difficult course toward economic self-government. Of particular interest is Chasteen's consideration of the many reasons Latin American governments have clashed with that of the United States--among them disenchantment over the 1947 Marshall Plan, which rebuilt Germany at enormous cost, while offering almost no assistance to needy Latin American allies.

Designed as an undergraduate textbook, Chasteen's survey offers a useful overview of a region that, although of growing importance in world affairs, remains little understood. --Gregory McNamee

Book Description

Adopted at over 450 colleges and universities in its First Edition, Born in Blood and Fire has quickly become the standard survey history of Latin America. Drawing on the most current scholarship, this concise text presents a direct, compelling narrative that spans six centuries and twenty countries. Carefully revised in light of recent Latin American history, the Second Edition introduces new maps, helpful chapter timelines, and a new Student Web site.

Customer Reviews:

For what it is, it isn't bad.......2007-10-10

I am reading this book for a class on Independence and Nationalism in Latin America and find that it is only appropriate for a very general survey of Latin American history. It is, perhaps, too concise! It is, however, informative and a very simple read. Chasteen wanted to make a history of Latin America readable and approachable and this book is definitely both. I would recommend this text with reservations. It paints a picture that is somewhat biased and full of holes. As an introductory reader, however, it succeeds.

Would have given it a four-star rating, but the edition pictured (2006, second edition) is riddled with typographical errors. The index cites pages that are either blank or diagrams not related to the terms. Not exactly helpful! For example, the entry for Diego Rivera points to page 215, which is BLANK. The other side of the page (216) is in fact a mural by Rivera, but what gives?

History Light.......2007-05-21

You have probably seen movies about Che Guevera or Eva Peron, but do you know in which countries they had influence? You probably know how the Cold War affected U.S. policy in Asia, but do you know how it affected Latin America? You may know about European immigrants living in New York or Chicago, but did you know they flocked to Latin America as well? If the answer to these questions is "no," you need this book. It is a quick, easy read, covering more than 500 years in a little over 300 pages. Of course, details are sparse, but it is an excellent way to gain a basic understanding of our neighbors to the south. I was particularly glad to see segments that told about the lives of particular groups in Latin America since its European conquest to present including minority groups and women. Ever had Moctezuma's revenge? Now you can find out why Moctezuma is so angry!

Great book.......2007-03-09

This is a very good book for Latin American history. Have used it for tests/quizzes and have no gotten uner a B. Provides and takes you through Latin American history.

Concise Book.......2006-03-08

I was assigned to read this book for my class in Latin American Studies. I especially liked the time line the author inserts before chapter 1 and the time lines he inserts for each period. The information in this book is extensive and serves well as a textbook.

Useless and Biased.......2005-12-28

I had to read this book for a course on Latin America. The author is clearly very biased, if you agree with him you will most likely enjoy the book. Chasteen often states his opinions as fact, stating several times that marxism would have been a better option for Latin American countries (how well did this work in the USSR?) Also, he skips over details that don't support his thesis; while he goes in great detail describing the killing and torture commited by government forces, he never acknowledges the torture and murders commited by guerrilla forces.

The book does cover a great deal of history, but the excessive bias takes away from the credibility of the text and the learning experience. I would reccomend finding a book that focuses more on fact than opinion.

Average customer rating:

The fire of youth.
Fire in the Blood audio CD
"What happened twenty years ago was nothing but a moment of madness..."
A Flicker of Talent
There's tragedy, of course, and scandal

Fire in the Blood
Irene Nemirovsky
Manufacturer: Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0307267482
Release Date: 2007-09-25

Amazon.com

A NOTE ON THE TEXT from Fire in the Blood

Until recently, only a partial text of Fire in the Blood was thought to exist, typed up by Irène Némirovsky's husband, Michel Epstein, to whom she often passed her manuscripts for this purpose. However, Michel's typing breaks off at the words 'I felt so old' (see p. 37), leaving the novel unfinished. Did Michel stop typing when Irène was arrested and deported to Auschwitz on 13 July 1942? Or perhaps even earlier in 1942, when she could no longer find a way to get her novels and short stories published?

As readers will learn from the Preface to the French edition of this novel found at the back of the book, it is likely that Némirovsky was still working on Fire in the Blood in 1942. We know this thanks to the work of Olivier Philipponnat and Patrick Lienhardt, who were commissioned to write a biography of Némirovsky, and who began extensive research into her archive. Two pages of the original manuscript were found to have been in the suitcase that Némirovsky's daughter, Denise Epstein, carried with her from Issy-l'Évêque when she and her sister, Elisabeth, fled after their mother's arrest, and which contained Némirovsky's great lost novel Suite Française. And as Philipponnat and Lienhardt trawled the Némirovsky archive at the Institut Mémoires de l'édition contemporaine (IMEC), they discovered, amidst papers given by Némirovsky for safe-keeping to her editor and family friend in the spring of 1942, the rest of the missing manuscript: thirty tightly packed pages of handwriting, with very few crossings out, the beginning of which corresponded to Michel's typed version.

It is an extraordinary collection of papers, which adds to our understanding of Némirovsky's oeuvre. As well as the manuscript of Fire in the Blood, it contains Némirovsky's working notebooks dating back to 1933, successive versions of several of her novels--including David Golder--as well as outlines for Captivité, the projected third part of Suite Française.

Book Description

Here is a missing piece of the remarkable posthumous legacy of Irène Némirovsky, author of the internationally acclaimed Suite Française.

Written in 1941, the manuscript of Fire in the Blood was entrusted in pieces to family and a friend when the author was sent to her death at Auschwitz. The novel—only now assembled in its entirety—teems with the intertwined lives of an insular French village in the years before the war, when “peace” was less important as a political state than as a coveted personal condition: the untroubled pinnacle of happiness.

At the center of the tale is Silvio: in his younger years he fled the boredom of the village and made a life of travel and adventure. Now he’s returned, living in a farmer’s hovel in the middle of the woods, and, much to his family’s chagrin, perfectly content with his solitude.

But when he attends the wedding of his favorite young cousin—"she has the thing that, when I was young, I used to value most in women: she has fire"—Silvio begins to be drawn back into the complicated life of this small town. As his narration unfolds, we are given an intimate picture of the loves and infidelities, the scandals, the youthful ardor and regrets of age that tie Silvio to the long-guarded secrets of the past.

Némirovsky wrote with a crystalline understanding of the pretensions and protections of society, and of the varied workings of the human heart, in language as evocative of a vanished era as of the emotional and moral ambiguities in her characters’ lives. All of which was evident in Suite Française—and abundantly evident again in this powerful, passionate novel.

A Note on the Text

Until recently, only a partial text of Fire in the Blood was thought to exist, typed up by Irène Némirovsky’s husband, Michel Epstein, to whom she often passed her manuscripts for this purpose. However, Michel's typing breaks off at the words 'I felt so old' (see p. 37), leaving the novel unfinished.

Did Michel stop typing when Irène was arrested and deported to Auschwitz on 13 July 1942? Or perhaps even earlier in 1942, when she could no longer find a way to get her novels and short stories published? As readers will learn from the Preface to the French edition of this novel found at the back of the book, it is likely that Némirovsky was still working on Fire in the Blood in 1942. We know this thanks to the work of Olivier Philipponnat and Patrick Lienhardt, who were commissioned to write a biography of Némirovsky, and who began extensive research into her archive. Two pages of the original manuscript were found to have been in the suitcase that Némirovsky's daughter, Denise Epstein, carried with her from Issy-l'Évêque when she and her sister, Elisabeth, fled after their mother's arrest, and which contained Némirovsky’s great lost novel Suite Française. And as Philipponnat and Lienhardt trawled the Némirovsky archive at the Institut Mémoires de l'édition contemporaine (IMEC), they discovered, amidst papers given by Némirovsky for safe-keeping to her editor and family friend in the spring of 1942, the rest of the missing manuscript: thirty tightly packed pages of handwriting, with very few crossings out, the beginning of which corresponded to Michel’s typed version.

It is an extraordinary collection of papers, which adds to our understanding of Némirovsky’s oeuvre. As well as the manuscript of Fire in the Blood, it contains Némirovsky’s working notebooks dating back to 1933, successive versions of several of her novels including David Golder as well as outlines for Captivité, the projected third part of Suite Française.

Customer Reviews:

The fire of youth........2007-10-08

Although this novel is not on the same par as Suite Francaise, it is a quite a piece in its own right. It is set in a small French village, where everyone is connected to everyone else in some twisted way - an ideal hotbed for drama and controversy.

Silvio leaves the country in search of a different life, then comes back later on to find the same people there. Secrets of the past unearth themselves, and Silvio finds himself revisiting the life he thought he'd left. It's an interesting tale with a few twists to liven it.

In many ways this book is reminiscent of Dolce in Suite Francaise. Not surprising - the inspiration for the setting in both books is the same, Issy-l'Eveque, the village in which Nemirovsky's last months were spent.

Fire in the Blood audio CD.......2007-10-06

Fire in the Blood
I cannot imagine a more beautifully written or narrated (Mark Bramhall) book. This is a masterpiece that engrosses the reader with the tastes, smells and textures of the French countryside in the early 1900's. Of course there's plenty of gossip and family scandal in this relatively short work of 3 CD's. You won't regret a minute spent in the company of Silvio, the character telling this quiet, but fascinating tale.

"What happened twenty years ago was nothing but a moment of madness...".......2007-10-05

This novel was written by a 34-year-old woman who was reflecting on her youth, on aging, on the differences between young and old, and on past mistakes and how they are never erased. In this brief and sketchy work, you will find exquisite passages that describe the beautiful French countryside and the comforts of small town life, of love, and of family. The work is narrated by an older man whose passions are burned out but whose memories still haunt him. He sometimes stands off from the lives and dramas surrounding him, but that pose can only hold up for so long. And in fact, almost all the characters in this book want merely peace, love, and solitude, but these qualities prove very hard to attain in the face of life's passions. Although the book at times resembles a soap opera, there are nuggets of wisdom here, and, like all great literature, this work takes on our mortality, our passions, and our human story unfolding in the passing of time. For me this book was well worth reading and savoring Irene Nemirovsky's great literary skills.

A Flicker of Talent.......2007-10-01

"Fire in the Blood" is the second work to be published posthumously from Irene Nemirovsky, whose masterpiece "Suite Francaise" became a well deserved international sensation in 2006 and 2007. Once again Sandra Smith composes the English translation from the original French and does a splendid job of capturing the spirit of Nemirovsky's prose, though this work lacks some of the cunningly evocative wordplay that had some sections of "Suite Francaise" seem so poetic and fluidly verbose.

Focusing on the romantic follies and unintentionally murderous affairs of the residents of a small village in the French countryside, "Fire in the Blood" is an entertaining slice-of-life style soap opera told uniquely from the point of view of travel-worn aging bachelor who has returned reluctantly to his quiet hometown. Focusing more of the memories of love and youth than on the actual encounters, Nemirovsky avoids the typical trappings of the run-of-the-mill romance novel. There's an often cold, bitter, outsider's sense of detachment to the follies of the characters in the book that give it a sharp observer's edge and turns it into more of anthropological study than a melodrama. Many nuances of rural life and the social mores of the pre-WWII French are delivered spot-on by the Ukranian born writer. Nemirovsky seduces the reader in the end, as secrets are revealed, and we get a brief flicker of the passion and the fire that had been elusive in the rest of the novel (hidden in gossip and observations after the fact) in the closing pages and haunting final lines. For Nemirovsky, true love dances across the whitewashed walls of our memories like shadows before the flame is snuffed out and we go to sleep for the rest of our lives in utter darkness.

One can only assume that this brief work would've been fleshed out and revised a few more times had Nemirovsky been given the chance. It lacks the epic scope and immediacy of her other lost masterpiece. While superficially it may seem like a frivolous afterthought in the wake of "Suite Francaise", Nemirovsky makes it clear with "Fire in the Blood" that even at their basest levels matters of the heart are no small affair.

There's tragedy, of course, and scandal.......2007-09-27

I just got done reading Tino Georgiou's masterpiece--The Fates, and picked up a copy of Fire in the Blood. The book opens when Silvio's cousin Hélène and her daughter Colette and the rest of the family come over to introduce Colette's fiancé. Hélène is prompted to tell the story of how she and and her husband got together. In fact, François wasn't her first husband. Though he fell in love with her when she was barely more than a child he waited--and waited even after she was married off to a wealthy older man, returning only when Hélène's first husband died, true--or romantically idealised--love then finally taking its course.

Such a situation isn't that uncommon: even now there's a similar case in the neighbourhood, where mean, rich old Declos married the very young Brigitte. Declos hasn't got long to live, but he still hangs on for the time being. Némirovsky is artful in her presentation, careful in the clues she strews from the first page on. As it will turn out, there are many more secrets and connexions here, but she only very gradually lets on what the various relationships and histories are and were. There's tragedy, of course, and scandal, though in this close-knit community the last thing anyone wants is to involve the authorities or anyone from outside.

Average customer rating:

Sixth in the Ten Book (currently) Series
Good, even without the background
Quite entertaining
Book Seven of an Outstanding Series
This book is worth every cent.

Days of Blood and Fire (Deverry)
Katharine Kerr
Manufacturer: Spectra
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0553290126
Release Date: 1994-06-01

Book Description

In the peaceful land of the Rhiddaer, Jahdo the ratcatcher's son stumbles upon a secret meeting between a city council man and a dangerous, mysterious woman. Suddenly the boy is tangled in a web of intrigue and black magic that drags him far from home. In the company of a blind bard, Jahdo must travel to Deverry to unravel the evil that binds him. But there the boy is caught up in dangers far greater than he has ever known. Two powerful sorcerers--one human, the other elven--are battling to save the country from a goddess gone mad. Their strongest ally is the mercenary soldier Rhodry Maelwaedd, a berserker bound to both women by fate and magic . . . and to the dragon upon whom all their live may depend. Days Of Blood And Fire begins an exciting new chapter in the chronicles of Deverry and the Westlands, with a story suited to new readers and loyal fans alike.

Customer Reviews:

Sixth in the Ten Book (currently) Series.......2006-08-01

In the peaceful land of the Riddaer, Jahdo the ratcatcher's son stumbles upon a meeting between a city councilman and a dangerous, mysterious woman. Suddenly the boy is tangled in a web of intrigue and black magic that drags him far from his beloved home. In the company of Meer, a blind bard of the Horsekin, Jahdo must travel to Deverry to unravel the evil that binds him. Gut there the boy is caught up in dangers far greater than any he has ever known. Two powerful sorcerers--the human Jill and the elven Dallandra--are battling to save the country from a goddess gone mad. Their strongest ally is the mercenary soldier Rhodry Maelwaedd, a berserker bound to both women by fate and magic...and to the dragon upon whom all their lives may depend. For fantasy lovers who have never read the novels of Deverry before, Days of Blood and Fire is the place to begin.

Katherine Kerr's writing takes a bit of getting used to, but it's worth the effort. She approaches her stories with a Celtic storytelling mindset, which means she conveys events according to their significance to the story, as opposed to chronologically. Consequently, while the stories begin in the "present" (which is an elastic concept, anyway, in a fantasy setting), the events unfold, chapter wise, both in the "present" and in the distant past. This can be frustrating, at first, but Kerr's writing is heavily steeped in Pagan and Western Mystery tradition, and the Celtic setting (and mindset) of her characters means that time, or chronological time, is not essentially relevant. To be honest, I found the first book infuriating, as I spent a lot of time trying to adjust to the writing style. However, I found the story engrossing enough that I persevered, and by the second book was so hooked I've read all ten in her three series.

Kerr's story evolves around the concept of reincarnation, and unfinished business, and "karma", and fate. The same souls recur again and again, just in new bodies, over the course of the centuries over which the story unfolds.

Kerr's world is one of High Fantasy, populated by Elves, Men, and Dwarves, as well as faeries/elementals, which she terms the "Wildfolk". However, hers is a slightly more dark, dangerous and less clear cut world than the works of other High Fantasy authors, not the least due to the fact that someone who was your friend in a former life can re-emerge in the story centuries later as a foe, and vice versa. There is a tremendous amount of magic, but it's the magic of the Western Mystery tradition (quite a bit of Golden Dawn and even Enochiana), and that of R.J. Stewarts Faery tradition. There are dragons, and giant beast men.

The Elves are a fallen race, driven out of their magnificent and palatial cities centuries before by invaders, and who now roam the plains as primitives. They possess the potential to be superlative magicians, but the knowledge was lost in the fall of their civilization. Humans, though warlike and shorter lived, have preserved this knowledge, but guard it jealously. The Wildfolk, basically magic incarnate, are unhinged from the effects of "karma", but lack permanence of personality, and cannot grow or develop, cursed to stagnation. The Dwarves are a secretive mystery, entrenched within the earth. Each has something to offer the other, and the story that unfolds is the story of this "technology" exchange, of sorts, between them.

Fans of Marion Zimmer Bradley, who clearly influenced Kerr, will be enraptured by this series, as will fans of Kate Eliott, who Kerr, herself, clearly influenced. It's phenomenal! Devotees of the New Age, Esoteric or Occult will find themselves nodding and smiling as they read, and sincerely hoping Kerr's writing will do for the Western Mystery and Faery traditions what Bradley's has done for Wicca.

Good, even without the background.......2005-05-17

I found this book to be quite enjoyable, though I think that I would have liked it more if I had read the other books in the series. It stood on it's own rather well, but there were a few things that I didn't understand as well as I think I could have if I'd read the other books.

The only thing that really bothered me about this book was the name of the Sorceress. Jill just didn't fit in with the other names in the book, and the excuse that was given wasn't a very good one, or at least it wasn't to someone who had only read that book. It was alluded that there might have been a better explanation in another book, something to do with who her father was, but it was not satisfactory to me.

I did, however, find the characters to be vibrant and the plot to be engaging, so that little complaint really isn't much of a complaint at all. This was, I thought, a rather decent fantasy novel and if I stumble across more of her work, I will likely pick it up.

Quite entertaining.......1999-06-28

Whether or not you started with Daggerspell or if you have just recently started reading the works of Katharine Kerr, you should definately read this. I found the book entertaining with all the old characters mixed with the new and their wonderful skill at getting wound up in problems that seem to large to remedy. You get to see parts of her world that you do not see in the other books which is always exciting with this author. She transends into the world "high fantasy" well and the ending is rather different from most of her others because it is sudden and leads into the next book.

Book Seven of an Outstanding Series.......1999-06-25

Similar to "The Dragon Revenant" Kerr again returns to a linear plot previously set up in "Time of Omens," again abandoning her usual interaction of stories set within differing time periods. Obviously by now I am an enthusiast of the tale and world begun in "Daggerspell" and would recommend fans of better fantasy fiction take a look. Despite the positive response of the previous reviewer, however, Kerr's books are not written as stand-alones, and without the information provided by the earlier works, one's enjoyment of this book will be greatly limited. Despite the fact that it was the weakest book in the series, start with "Daggerspell": By the time you reach "Days of Blood and Fire" I'm sure you'll conclude that the considerable time invested was enjoyably well spent.

I do however have one reservation regarding this book: The introduction of a dragon. It may be a personal quirk on my part, but rarely have I found the active appearance of dragons in a tale either satisfying or credible. Often anthropomorphised in manner either typecast or silly - McCaffrey's romanticized and laughable wyrms are but the most notable examples - their inclusion as characters almost invariably fails to be convincing (At the risk of sacrilege I would include Tolkein's Smaug). Though the dragon here is present for only a few pages, it is apparant that it will play a large role in the next book, and it talks, which may not bode well for the conclusion of the series. Those of you who delight in clever wyrms, carry on. I will reserve final comment for completion of the next book.

This book is worth every cent........1998-08-24

This is the best fantasy book that I have ever read, and possibly one of the best books overall. Anyone who is a fantasy reader should definately pick this one up. It kept me on the edge of my seat right up until the end, where I immediately ran out to pick up "Days of Air and Darkness" to find out how this chapter in the Deverry saga ended. Full of action, intrige, and emotion, this book is sure to give anyone a good read. I am about to order the rest of the series to see what else has gone on.

Average customer rating:

Excellent material
Good magazine article reprint--very disappointing as a book
Invaluable reference, and well-told to boot
Up-close and Personal
MY KIDS LOVED IT.

Through Blood and Fire at Gettysburg
Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain
Manufacturer: Stan Clark Military Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1879664178

Customer Reviews:

Excellent material.......2007-01-22

Quick read from Joshua Chamberlain. I enjoyed it and it was amazing how much closely the modern movies follow the actual events.

Good magazine article reprint--very disappointing as a book.......2006-02-22

This article is a reprint of a 1913 magazine piece written by Joshua L. Chamberlain to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Gettysburg. While it's interesting to read his first hand depiction of the battle, all readers should note the story is approximately 15 pages long. The publishers have tried to beef up the "book" by adding 15 additional pages of photos, but it does not make up for the lack of content. I was very disappointed with the purchase.

Invaluable reference, and well-told to boot.......2002-11-16

Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain did history a great favor by recording the events that happened on Little Round Top during the second day of the battle of Gettysburg. Thanks to him we have an eyewitness account of the 20th Maine's valiant defense of the left flank of the Union army. Rich with rhetoric, this account is packed with emotion and feeling.

The narrative is very short, only 29 pages, but there are many pictures and an appendix that make it well worth the money. Many well-known histories have drawn on Chamberlain's account of this part of the battle, and Michael Shaara's novel even quotes some of Chamberlain's lines. This primary source is highly recommended for anyone interested in the civil war, not just the die-hard historian.

Up-close and Personal.......2001-05-20

Though at times difficult to read due to the flowery style of Chamberlain's rhetoric, this book is an exciting insight into the thoughts, feelings and experiences of someone who lived through the Battle of Gettysburg. This is more than an account of the battle, this is a window into the emotions and motives of why these men were willing to risk their lives for an ideal.

MY KIDS LOVED IT........2001-04-24

THIS BOOK IS A GOOD READ FOR ALL AGES. TAKES YOU THROUGH ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT CONFLICTS IN THE MOST IMPORTANT BATTLE IN U.S. HISTORY. EASY TO READ.

Blood of Heaven (Fire of Heaven Trilogy, Book 1)

Average customer rating:

Blood of Heaveb delivers
Ugh.
Page Turner
Full of self-loathing and grief
I read this book in an afternoon

Blood of Heaven (Fire of Heaven Trilogy, Book 1)
Bill Myers
Manufacturer: Zondervan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Soul Tracker (The Soul Tracker Series #1)

ASIN: 0310201195

Book Description

Mysterious blood has been discovered on the remains of an ancient religious artifact. Some believe it is the blood of Christ. And experiments with specific genes from the blood have brought surprising findings. Now it’s time to introduce those genes into a human.

Enter Michael Coleman: multiple killer, death-row resident . . . and, if he is willing, human guinea pig.

There are no promises. The effects may kill Coleman or completely destroy his sanity. He agrees to the experiment, with results so astonishing that the research must continue--but not in prison. Given a new identity and new employer, Katherine Lyon, Coleman reenters society. And that’s when a plot far darker than science alone could construct begins to emerge.

A carefully researched science and psychological thriller, Blood of Heaven is a nonstop page turner that looks deep into the heart of man, examining the nature of good and evil, flesh versus spirit, and the ever-growing controversy over genetically determined behavior.

Customer Reviews:

Blood of Heaveb delivers.......2007-09-26

In Myers Blood of Heaven, the first book in his trilogy, he is one of the first to explore the fascinating possibility of cloning Christ! There have been other authors who have run with the same theme, but they don't hold a candle to Myers effort. This is a fast paced, supernatural thriller that will leave you wanting more and thankfully there is more, in the remaining two books of the trilogy. Bravo Meyers, you keep us on the edge of our seat and up way past our bedtime.

Ugh........2007-01-28

The unbelievable awfulness of the prose makes Dan Brown look like Borges in comparison. Naming characters "Guard One" just shows you don't even try to care. The plot is so hair-brained that just thinking about it gives me a headache -- I just learned, to my horror, that there are two sequels to this that turn the entire thing into a treatise on the end times. I'd have loved to see what a capable author could have done with the premise, but it's been ruined forever by... this. Somewhere, Baby Jesus is crying.

Page Turner.......2006-10-27

This book is a page turner. The idea is good, the characters are pretty good, and the suspence is entertaining. I think though, it could have been edited and tightened up a little and a few strings tied here and there. I enjoyed the main idea of injecting found DNA from Jesus into a killer and the changes that took place in his heart-but the book takes a turn when the opposite gene is abused by the bad guys. Good story fast paced but just a little loose in the writing and some of the language and happenings in the book. It is also labeled Chritian Fiction. It's not strong in the Christian area-it's kind of tossed in but in very light doses.

Full of self-loathing and grief.......2006-05-02

Wow. This story is full of characters who I think were supposed to by sympathetic. . . Before I was even a third of the way through, I was hoping it would end with some sort of catastrophic event that killed every character in a terrible, horrific, painful manner.

The author managed to take a pretty interesting idea - rewriting the genetic code of a man using DNA thought to be from Christ - and made it dull and very predictable. The mosr amazing feat is that at the same time, he manged to write several characters who were all in need of a .45 cranial injection. The only character I dind't want dead soon into the book was Freddy. I liked him.

A very disappointing book, which is a shame, since it shouldn't have been. The base idea was interesting, and worthy of exploration, but the author didn't have the courage to see it through, and instead decided to go with old, worn-out plot twists that anyone could see coming from a mile away.

I read this book in an afternoon.......2005-10-30

This book is an excellent read. I could not put this book down. Not since the left behind series have I wanted to lose myself in a book. The author created the perfect mixture of story line, characters and final ending. I would highly suggest this to my fellow readers. I ran out that afternoon and purchased the other two books.

Average customer rating:

But how does Gerrold REALLY feel about Gene Roddenberry?
Another great Star Wolf novel!
Different writer?
Highly entertaining science fiction
newest Star Wolf novel different--not worse

Blood and Fire
David Gerrold
Manufacturer: Benbella Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1932100113

Book Description

Executive Officer Korie had faced and defeated seemingly invincible Morthan battleships, elusive bio-computer imps, and dreaded Morthan assassins. It would be on the starship Norway, however, that he would meet his greatest challenge—a challenge that could change the outcome of a war and the destiny of humankind. The latest installment of the Star Wolf series, this third galactic struggle concludes the popular trilogy with a rescue mission that is far from routine. Never before published, Blood and Fire is the long-awaited conclusion to the Star Wolf series.

Customer Reviews:

But how does Gerrold REALLY feel about Gene Roddenberry?.......2004-06-06

Based on the rather reiterative fore- and afterwords by DC Fontana and Gerrold, respectively, this installment of the Star Wolf's misadventures is a bit of a catharsis for Gerrold regarding the headaches he received trying to get this story filmed as an episode of STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION. The book is interspersed with sharp jabs at the Star Trek franchise, such as Captain Parsons' previous posting, the "Big E" (the US Navy's nickname for the Enterprise) being too valuable to risk on the front lines due to potential morale problems if it's destroyed, and one of the Norway's doomed crewmembers being named M. Okuda, after TNG production staffer Michael Okuda; I also suspect that the Norway's AI "LENNIE" is named after Roddenberry's lawyer who shot down the episode in preproduction. The death of one recurring character wasn't a surprise if you'd read the Star Wolf Briefing Book, which had marked said character for death. The complaints about it not reading like the earlier Star Wolf books do have merit, since this is technically a novelization of a teleplay, but I was able to shrug it off because I've been experiencing similar with novelizing a screenplay of my own.

Another great Star Wolf novel!.......2004-06-02

Blood and Fire is another great book, in a wonderful series, from one of America's most underappreciated authors.

I do not understand where the criticisms of some are coming from. The characters and story of Blood and Fire have all of the depth and breadth that those of us who read Gerrold have come to expect from one of his books. In this book, perhaps, Gerrold places a bit more emphasis than he usually does on the subject matter rather than on the internal lives of the characters; the unsophisticated reader may not appreciate that this is a perfectly valid and, in this case, appropriate approach. But don't be surprised to find significant character development here too; Gerrold is, after all, Gerrold.

Blood and Fire is a fantastic continuation of the Star Wolf story and should not be missed.

Different writer?.......2004-04-04

One of the best books I've ever read in Sci-Fi, was The Voyage of the Star Wolf. In fact, I had re-read it in anticipation of the final book of the trilogy.

It was as fresh and engaging as the first time I had read it. I had forgotten some of the plot, so it was fun to see how Brik and Korie would out smart the terrifying Morthan assassin. Characters were well developed and smartly defined, with fast paced action. The reader is left on the edge of the seat to the very last minute; even past the very last minute.

Blood and Fire reads like a NASA narrative of a Mars mission. Some of the story seems intended to fill pages. Take this passage:

"On the Bridge, Captain Parsons watched the progress of the docking procedure with deep concern."

No, this is not a NASA narrative, this is one of those silly soliloquies one expects from the mouth of an airhead blond on "Days of Our Lives".

Why couldn't Gerrold show us Captain Parsons' concern?

Compare that with this passage from The Voyage of the Star Wolf:

--------

"Korie looked to the captain. The old man was frozen.

"Sir-?"

Captain Lowell started to lift a hand, as if he was about to say something. A thought flashed through Korie's mind. He's never been in a real battle.

Korie whirled. ""Targeting-? Get a lock on her. Battle stations! Stand by to fire.""

HARLIE replied instantly. "Targetting now."

Captain Lowell blinked, as if abruptly realizing where he was: "Uh- what did the flagship say?"

-----

See the contrast? We don't need the author to tell us Captain Lowell was completely freaked out by the Morthan attack, we could feel what was going on in the Captain's mind. We were on the deck of that ship with the attack of the dreaded Morthans underway.

This is Gerrold at his best. Which is why Blood and Fire is a real disappointment. It's as if a really good story concept, Star Wolf, was being used to generate a sequel, and the job was handed off to a team of contract script writers because the original writer was fighting over a contract.

Come on David, you can do better then this.

Two stars only because I admire the author.

Highly entertaining science fiction.......2004-04-03

For someone who does not typically read science fiction, I must say I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I was reminded at times of a particular popular science fiction/horror movie classic, but that's to be expected, as this is a book based on a Star Trek script. I think it only makes for a more fast-paced, exciting story line. As far as writing goes, Gerrold's tone manages to be entertaining yet never condescending. He gives just enough detail and description to satisfy your imagination without slowing down the story's pace. Overall, Blood and Fire is a great blend of action and substance.

newest Star Wolf novel different--not worse.......2004-03-23

The first two books in this series were written in an earlier era of science fiction-- and they read like it. (Which is not, at all, to say anything against them: Voyage was probably my favorite of the three.) Blood and Fire is a different kind of book, written at a different time, with a different kind of story arc.

The book was based on an unproduced episode of Star Trek: Next Gen . . . and it reads like an episode. Neither better nor worse-- just different. The story plunges you far more quickly into the action, there's more of an ensemble feel, and the duration of time in which the story takes place is much shorter.

Customer Reviews:

Through Blood & Fire: Selected Civil War Papers.............1999-12-07

This book depicts a true American soldier. Joshua Chamberlain's letters and the narrative given by Mark Nesbitt give great insight into JLC's political, personal and military thought. It is a well organized work.

An excellent approach to the life of Chamberlain........1999-10-11

Mark Nesbitt does a wonderful job of organizing the personal letters of Joshua Chamberlain into an informative and enjoyable read. Through the letters, Chamberlain's motives to join the army, his accounts of battles and day-to-day affairs of a soldier's life, and his personal insights bring a new perspective on a man usually know only for his role at Gettysburg. This book allows the reader to get to know many of Chamberlain's other accomplishments in life: his family, his career, and his achievements throughout the war.

tedious, at times emotional.......1998-12-10

I am a great fan of Chamberlain, but found this book hard to digest. It is a compilation of his civil war letters strung together with a little back- ground information (that is mostly confusing, occasionally helpful). Most of the letters are quite boring and tactical in nature (If you find that interesting---sorry---you'll love it!) There are a few really good ones, however that can stand on their own and speak to the true character of the man. I cried twice while reading these, but at other times found myself dreading picking up the book. I'm glad I finished it---and it was worthwhile reading. Trulock is much better!

Blood and Fire: The Story of William and Catherine Booth and the Salvation Army

Average customer rating:

Well-written but overly political rather than spiritual
Stick to Politics Roy!
A Remarkable Partnership
Stick to Politics Roy!
Who really founded the Army?

Blood and Fire: The Story of William and Catherine Booth and the Salvation Army
Roy Hattersley
Manufacturer: Doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Religious | Leaders & Notable People | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0385494394
Release Date: 2000-05-16

Amazon.com

They preached in the streets of London accompanied by brass bands, appropriating the methods of ungodly popular entertainment to draw working-class sinners to righteousness. They founded soup kitchens and people's halls to feed the hungry and give them a place to congregate other than the tavern. William Booth (1829-1912) and his wife, Catherine (1829-90), outraged polite society with the establishment of their Christian Mission in 1865. Rechristened the Salvation Army in 1878, the organization challenged the smug Victorian status quo by insisting that sin sprang from unjust social conditions. British writer and Labour Party stalwart Roy Hattersley vividly conveys the political and religious context within which the Salvation Army operated without scanting the forceful (not to say peculiar) characters of its founders. William was authoritarian and self-righteous, yet he often deferred to intellectual, strong-minded Catherine, whose instinctive sympathy for the poor and belief in women's equality before God shaped their ministry. They were hardly warm people, yet their marital love was unshakable and absolute. The Salvation Army survived their autocratic leadership to flourish into the 21st century: "It is not necessary to believe in instant sanctification," writes Hattersley in a characteristically balanced summing-up, "to admire and applaud their work of social redemption." --Wendy Smith

Book Description

Blood and Fire is a brilliant biography of two great social and religious figures whose inheritance lives on to this day. William Booth (1829-1912) was one of the most extraordinary men of his age, a pawnbroker's clerk who would found the most successful religious movement of the nineteenth century--the Salvation Army. As a twenty-year-old, he developed the unshakable belief that God had ordained him to convert the world to Christianity. Convinced that both churches of Victorian England were ignoring the needs of the poor, he founded the East London Christian Mission. As the mission became the Salvation Army, it recruited thousands of members in battalions around the globe. Its membership is now in the hundreds of thousands in virtually every country.

Catherine, his wife, was in many ways even more exceptional. A chronic invalid and mother of eight children (within ten years), she inspired the social policy that was, and remains, an essential part of the Salvation Army's success. Catherine held ideas on social equality that were ahead of her time, and she encouraged the Army to accept "women's ministry" and give female officers authority over men. Her campaign against child prostitution resulted in the age of consent being raised from thirteen to sixteen. And it was Catherine who, even while dying of cancer, urged William to develop his plans for clearing the Victorian slums. Blood and Fire is a brilliant account of a fascinating period of social history.

Customer Reviews:

Well-written but overly political rather than spiritual.......2005-01-14

The Booths were certainly a very interesting social couple during the mid to late 1800's. The things that they did to reform the church were noteworthy, but not always positive. However, the legacy of the Salvation Army deserves the respectful and compassionate overview. The author does wax political and/or socialist at times, but mostly sticks to the fascinating lives of William and Catherine Booth. Written with heart and soul, this book is a rewarding read. This couple should be remembered more often than they are in secular circles for the enormous contribution they made to British society, and the continuing service the Salvation Army renders to the poor and jobless. A beautiful book!

Stick to Politics Roy!.......2003-09-25

William and Catherine Booth endured this kind of humanist gossip throughout their marvellous ministry. It is highly significant that no Salvation Army personel recommend this book. The author, being unsaved, and a senior British politician, concentrates on the radical social reforms the Booths and Salvation Army championed in Victorian Britain. Hattersley, sadly, hasn't a clue about salvation. It's akin to Scott of the Antarctic, frozen to death in his blizzard-bound tent, trying to commentate on a Barbados Test Match. Not only does this author not know his subject, but he has no idea of his subject's Subject. I suspect Roy's next book may portray Christ as a zealous Jewish Zionist with Marxist leanings. It's fluff. Dentist room reading only. Now Roy's even managed to write a book about John Wesley, characterising him as a lecherous toad. Don't waste your money.
For a far better biography of William and Catherine Booth, one written by a Christian, get Trevor Yaxley's (ISBN 0764227602). And for John Wesley, read John Pollock's biography.

A Remarkable Partnership.......2003-03-08

William and Catherine Booth were both remarkable. Many past biographers of one or the other have found it difficult to concentrate on their chosen subject, as the other keeps intruding. Roy Hattersley has solved that problem. He has written about the two of them.

The story is engrossing. William Booth, the pawnbroker's assistant, became a Methodist minister, then an itinerant evangelist, before founding the East London Mission, which eventually became The Salvation Army. Catherine, brought up by Methodist parents, met William in London in 1852, where they fell in love and soon became engaged. It was to be three more years before they were able to marry; at one time during that period they endured over 14 months of almost unbroken separation.

They formed a dynamic partnership, each complementing the other. William was an action man, a whirlwind who swept all before him. Though he was not unintelligent, he was anti-intellectual and repeatedly ignored Catherine's frequent urgings for him to study. Catherine by contrast had a powerful mind, wrote forcefully, argued convincingly, and, in spite of her shyness, became a powerful preacher. She had strongly held views about Christians abstaining from alcohol and women being allowed to preach. It is no coincidence that The Salvation Army has always taken a strong stand against alcohol, and women have been prominent in its ministry. Two of its Generals have been women.

One of the fascinating aspects of the Booths' story is the motley crowd of eccentrics they attracted to their flag. Many of their early soldiers were recruited literally from the streets, and then immediately put to work to win others to Christ. Some were illiterate, some had been drunks, others prostitutes. This particular volume, however, does not quite capture that diversity. Though The Salvation Army is probably most often thought of today as an organization engaged in social work, the Booths were first and foremost evangelists. To them the social work was secondary, both in terms of emphasis and chronology.

Roy Hattersley, the author of this book, was a cabinet minister in a British Labour Government, and his political background gives the book an interesting slant, particularly when he examines The Salvation Army's social work. The book does, however, have some problems. Hattersley seems out of sympathy with the Booths' religious convictions, and tends to sound rather condescending when discussing them. He also does not understand some basic Christian terms such as "sanctification", and frequently uses them inappropriately. In addition the book has too many avoidable errors, which suggests it may have been a rushed job. But it remains both very readable and enjoyable, and is a worthy tribute to two great Christians.

Stick to Politics Roy!.......2003-03-05

It is highly significant that no Salvation Army personel recommend this book. The author, being unsaved and a senior British politician, concentrates on the radical social reforms the Booths and Salvation Army championed in Victorian Britain. Hattersley, sadly, hasn't a clue about salvation. I suspect Roy's next book may portray Christ as a zealous Jewish Zionist with Marxist leanings. Well written fluff. Now Roy's managed to write a book about John Wesley characterising him as a lecherous toad. Don't waste your money.

For a far better biography of William and Catherine Booth, get Trevor Yaxley's. And for John Wesley, read John Pollock's.

Who really founded the Army?.......2001-01-23

For those of us who have grown up in the UK Roy Hattersley's wit and intellect has long been well known. For those of us who are also Salvationists the prospect of Hattersley writing about the founders of the movement we love and serve filled our minds with a sense of forboding.

We needed not worry. Hattersley writes well, every word being closely considered, and brings what is for me the best biography I have yet read about these icons of The Salvation Army. In a "no punches pulled" account, which propels one forward with a real idea of the Booths' enthusiasm and obsession, one reads about how the movement began, survived and ultimately prospered. Unlike many in-house accounts there is no glossing over of the shortcomings of these very human beings, rather we learn how, fired by what the Booths would consider Divine Inspiration, they "pressed forward to the mark of their high calling".

Hattersley concludes "It is not necessary to believe in instant sanctification to admire and applaud their work of social redemption." To those of us who do believe we not only admire and applaud but also see the hand of God in all that the Booths did. Hattersley notes that the Army is the only breakaway group from schismatic 19th century Methodism which survives into the twenty-first century. Many of us who believe know the reason - "Blood and Fire" gives enough evidence for every reader to reach his or her own conclusions.

The Giovanni Chronicles II: Blood and Fire (Vampire: The Masquerade)
Average customer rating:

Great trilogy, great setting, great book

The Giovanni Chronicles II: Blood and Fire (Vampire: The Masquerade)
Cynthia Summers , Chris Howard , and Richard Dansky
Manufacturer: White Wolf Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1565042514

Customer Reviews:

Great trilogy, great setting, great book.......1999-09-03

Need I say more . This book continues the great work done by woodruff. loved it

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