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.

The Machine Crusade (Legends of Dune, Book 2)

Average customer rating:

Super Reader
This book could have beneffited from some more creativity.
The Legend of Dune Series Continues...
Falling short of Dune
The Rape & Pillage Continue

The Machine Crusade (Legends of Dune, Book 2)
Brian Herbert , and Kevin J. Anderson
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 076534078X
Release Date: 2004-07-29

Book Description

The breathtaking vision and incomparable storytelling of Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson's Dune: The Butlerian Jihad, a prequel to Frank Herbert's classic Dune, propelled it to the ranks of speculative fiction's classics in its own right. Now, with all the color, scope, and fascination of the prior novel, comes Dune: The Machine Crusade.. More than two decades have passed since the events chronicled in The Butlerian Jihad. The crusade against thinking robots has ground on for years, but the forces led by Serena Butler and Irbis Ginjo have made only slight gains; the human worlds grow weary of war, of the bloody, inconclusive swing from victory to defeat. The fearsome cymeks, led by Agamemnon, hatch new plots to regain their lost power from Omnius--as their numbers dwindle and time begins to run out. The fighters of Ginaz, led by Jool Noret, forge themselves into an elite warrior class, a weapon against the machine-dominated worlds. Aurelius Venport and Norma Cenva are on the verge of the most important discovery in human history-a way to "fold" space and travel instantaneously to any place in the galaxy. And on the faraway, nearly worthless planet of Arrakis, Selim Wormrider and his band of outlaws take the first steps to making themselves the feared fighters who will change the course of history: the Fremen.Here is the unrivaled imaginative power that has put Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson on bestseller lists everywhere and earned them the high regard of readers around the globe. The fantastic saga of Dune continues in Dune: The Machine Crusade.

Download Description

The exciting sequel to the New York Times bestseller, Dune: The Butlerian Jihad.

Customer Reviews:

Super Reader.......2007-08-26

An group of outlaws lead by a Wormrider is increasing their numbers on Dune.

A couple of decades after the death of Serena's child, Xavier Harkonnen and Vorian Atreides are leading the human resistance to Omnius and the Cymeks, with assistance from their Priestess, but not suspecting that they are being duped by a leading politician.

This book could have beneffited from some more creativity........2007-07-30

We all know that this series is no match for Frank Herbert's work. So I will not beat that dead horse here.

Looking at this series as on its own, I have to admit, I liked Butlerian Jihad as a summer trash read. I picked this one up to complete the story and have to say to Brian and Kevin this: Give me a break! - A Human/Machine Hybrid that looks like a dragon and flies around the galaxy in an asteroid!!!!

This book does fill some holes of the history/mythology of the Frank Herbert Dune series which is nice, but this book lacks the creativity and imagination that one would expect in the Dune universe.

I would have prefered an encyclopedic chronology of this era of "Dune History". Perhaps if this book/series was written as if it were a history book, without the cheesy story line, it might have been more widely accepted by the die hard Frank Herbert dune fans. Alas, this is hand that we have been dealt and now must live with it for the rest of eternity.

This book/series should not ever be considered as required reading as the original series should be. Never the less, it is a somewhat enjoyable summer trash read if you are into spoon fed, paint by numbers plot and character development. No thinkers here please.

3 out of 5 stars (and that is really pushing it). I hope these two don't blow it with Hunters of Dune/Sandworms of Dune.

The Legend of Dune Series Continues..........2007-03-21

As with the other books by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, I believe this book is judged harshly based solely on the fact that Frank Herbert didn't rise from the dead and pen it himself. That aside, this novel is an excellent addition to the dune universe. This novel continues where The Butlerian Jihad leave off and is quite entertaining. Dispite being the middle book in a trilogy, this novel does resolve several plotlines and sets up a few more to come into fruition in the next novel. In all, a great set-up for continuing the plotline in The Battle of Corrin.

As a side note I do recommend before beginning here to read all six classic dune books, followed by the Dune Prelude Trilogy, and then The Butlerian Jihad. The background information found there will make this book a much more enjoyable (and considerably less confusing) read.

Falling short of Dune.......2007-02-03

Having read the original Dune novels by Frank Herbert I delved into the the Machine Crusade hoping to find myself reinvigurated into the Dune universe, but was sorely disappointed. I will read the Battle of Corrin in order to bridge the overall historical gaps in foundations that set the scene up for the original Dune novel but will not read the House books. The writting in these books is very formulaic, and as others have pointed out the author is constantly reminding you about past events which are about 4 pages back in the scene. Also I found it irritating that the legendary vendetta between House Harkonnen and Atreides seems to have been downplayed greatly. It seems destined to be as random as Xaviers fate in the novel. Heres a genuine good character, so its hard to believe that the next novel will provide me with the sufficient reasons behind the legendary grudge between Houses, if anything this book makes me symphatetic to the Harkonnens... whats that all about? Also, other central characters in the novel seem to converge on coincidental ends which seem more like cop outs rather than climactic endings. I could have gained the same amount of detail and information of the events and characters with having read appendixes and timelines. Read the original 6 Dune novels, thats what I plan to do just to filter out this bad taste in the Dune universe. A for effort, C for substance.

The Rape & Pillage Continue.......2007-01-23

There are too many things that don't make sense in this book to list here.

The lack of continuity continues. It's bad enough that Brian can't be consistent with his own writings, but he obviously either never read his father's books or ignores them completely.

Brian's insufficient grasp of religion, politics, and economics continues to be embarrassing. They were the linchpins of his father's books, he only shows his incredible lack of understanding of those topics when he attempts to address them.

Suffice it to say that Brian Herbert's rape, pillage, and dishonor of his father's fine legacy continues. I'm glad to know that Frank Herbert isn't alive to see the horror that his son has visited upon the Dune Universe.

Avoid these atrocities at all costs.

Average customer rating:

Practical Astrology
A lively, funny, and wonderfully entertaining read!
A hilarious tour-de-farce! Anderson rocks!
King Arthur retold
Excellent Light Reading

The High Crusade
Poul Anderson
Manufacturer: I Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0743475283

Book Description

In the year of grace 1345, as Sir Roger Baron de Tourneville is gathering an army to join King Edward III in the war against France, a most astonishing event occurs: a huge silver ship descends through the sky and lands in a pasture beside the little village of Ansby in northeastern Lincolnshire. The Wersgorix, whose scouting ship it is, are quite expert at taking over planets, and having determined from orbit that this one was suitable, they initiate standard world-conquering procedure. Ah, but this time it's no mere primitives the Wersgorix seek to enslave-they've launched their invasion against Englishmen! In the end, only one alien is left alive-and Sir Roger's grand vision is born. He intends for the creature to fly the ship first to France to aid his King, then on to the Holy Land to vanquish the infidel!

Customer Reviews:

Practical Astrology.......2007-07-27

The High Crusade (1960) is a standalone SF novel. The Wersgorix were supreme in their spatial region. The other spacefaring races -- the Jairs, the Ashenkoghi and the Pr?*tans -- were weaker and allowed to retain their planets only upon Wersgorixan sufferance. Yes, the Wersgorix were supreme ... until a scoutship landed in England.

In this novel, Baron Sir Roger de Tourneville is preparing for the war against the French in the year of grace 1345. He has gathered a large force of cavalry, men of arms and bowmen, who are camped outside his castle. Then a large shiny object falls slowly out of the sky.

The ship is two thousand feet long. Lowering itself onto the boggy soil, it sinks deep into the mud. A hatch opens and a ramp lowers to the ground. A short but brawny creature, with blue skin and a short tail, steps out of the ship and three more follow him. The first creature lifts an object that projects fire, instantly killing one of the soldiers. This blue creature is immediately downed by a clothyard arrow and soon after that the other three bristle with arrows.

Sir Roger leads a charge into the huge vessel and the blueskins are slaughtered throughout the ship, at the cost of a dozen human soldiers. The blueskins seem to be little practiced in hand-to-hand combat and many are not even armed. The only survivor is carried out by Red John Hameward, Captain of the archers, who has recognized the need for an informant.

Brother Parvus teaches the captive, Branithar, the Latin language and is able to learn something of the ship and its mission. The Wergorix were following their usual practice to searching out suitable planets and subjugating the inhabitants. Unfortunately for them, the humans are not strangers to warfare and not too fearful of the unknown.

Sir Roger soon conceives of using the ship as transport to France, thus taking the whole of Ansby village with him. The men, women and children -- including Sir Roger's own family -- load their herds and tools into the ship and then board themselves. Branithar sets the controls and presses a lever to start the journey.

Unfortunately, Branithar has set the controls to take them back to Tharixan, the nearest Wersgorixan world. Once activated, the automaton cannot be stopped nor reset. Ansby village is going to the stars instead of France.

In this story, the primitively armed English defeat Wersgorixan forces time and again, using raw courage and tactics unfamiliar to the aliens. Sir Roger gains stocks of alien weapons and uses them on their former owners. He even convinces the other spacefaring races in the region to become his allies; it seems that these aliens have little experience in the fine art of diplomacy and intrigue.

With the occasional threat of One-eye Hubert -- the Tourneville executioner and torturer -- Brother Parvus gets Branithar to teach the English how to use the alien devices and weapons. While the underlying principles are incomprehensible, the devices themselves are easier to use than the more familiar earthly devices. Soon, women and children are operating these mechanisms while their menfolk are away fighting the war.

This story is a classic examples of the SF theme of technologically unsophisticated natives acquiring advanced devices -- including spaceships -- from visiting aliens. Weber's The Excalibur Alternative is very similar example of this approach and Ringo's Posleen War series has this theme in the backstory. A variant of the theme is used in Pournelle's Janissaries series and Drake's Ranks of Bronze, where aliens kidnap a group of Terrans and use them as slave troops on other planets.

In this tale, and in The Excalibur Alternative, the installation of a feudal form of government is a significant result of the conquest. The mutual vows of a feudal lord and his vassals are often presented in SF tales as a desirable alternative to looser forms of government such as democracy. Many SF stories (and countless fantasies) have dwelt upon the surety such mutual vows bring to social and personal relationships.

This story was written in the first decade of the author's career as an SF writer. It has become a classic in the field and has generated many imitations and stimulations. Enjoy!

Highly recommended for Anderson fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of swordwielding adventure, political intrigue and romantic misunderstandings.

-Arthur W. Jordin

A lively, funny, and wonderfully entertaining read!.......2007-04-11

The year is 1345, and Sir Roger de Tourneville is gathering his army in preparation for joining King Edward III's war against France. Suddenly, everything changes when a spaceship arrives to begin the conquest of the Earth. Well, Sir Roger is not one to shy away from any fight, so he immediately attacks! To the great surprise of the aliens (Wersggorix), Sir Roger not only captures their ship, but he launches a crusade against their empire! Does poor Sir Roger and his medieval army stand a chance? In an infinite universe, anything is possible.

I first read this book when I was a kid, and I absolutely loved it. Heck, to my surprise, I still find this to be a lively, funny, and wonderfully entertaining read! Poul Anderson was one of the giants of the science-fiction genre, and his book shows off his talents beautifully.

If you want to read a good, entertaining piece of science-fiction, than I cannot do better than to recommend The High Crusade to you!

A hilarious tour-de-farce! Anderson rocks!.......2005-01-14

This old "classic" is a great tour-de-farce that Anderson masterfully keeps just on the edge of plausibility. The premise is simple. A highly advanced alien spaceship, from the "Wersgor Empire" lands on Earth with the intent of subjigating it. The time is the 14th Century, the place, England.

Well, the local horse cavalry surprises and overwhelms the aliens and takes control of the spaceship. The Englishmen then proceed to take on the whole Wersgor Empire by guts, guile, and good old human deviousness. This all makes for great fun. This is a terrific "beer and chips" novel, which is all Anderson, a Grand Master of SF, intended for it to be. I only gave it three stars because this is not great literature, nor is it the best that Anderson has written. But make no mistake, this one gets 5 stars in the category of readability and fun, and I recommend it to anyone who likes Science Fiction and has a good sense of humor. Enjoy.

King Arthur retold.......2002-11-25

This is a classic tale in the 'Terrans Uber Alles' genre. Evil aliens try to take over the earth but the humans triumph and take over the galaxy. The twist to the story which makes it such an engaging read is that the aliens landed in medieval England and a rag-tag band of goatherds and farmers can still win. There are strong elements of the King Arthur plot mixed throughout this story.

A very good read.

Excellent Light Reading.......2002-10-23

This book is good fun. It is not hard science fiction by any stretch of the imagination, but if you can suspend your disbelief for just a bit you will have a heck of a time reading this. Mr. Anderson's style really hits its stride with this work. In a way it feels like a reversed 'Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court' with the protagonist(s) travelling forward in time rather than backwards. The mixture of drama and satire gives these two works some common ground as well. I am not arguing that this work is as strong as Mark Twain's piece but it at least aspires to be so, and with all the trash out there it is nice to see an occasional gem of imagination.

Average customer rating:

A Good Start
Some amusing unintentional irony and plenty of action
A Different Space Opera
Fun and all
Sub-Plots Save the Book

Crusade
David Weber , and Steve White
Manufacturer: Baen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0671721119

Customer Reviews:

A Good Start.......2006-07-10

Crusade is the first book written by Weber and White, and takes place before In Death Ground, and lays a pretty good base for the three books that would follow.

When ships emerge from a forbidden warp point, they begin to attack the Orion's, a cat-like race with whom Humans have a very shaky relationship. Because these attackers claimed to be humans, it is left to the Terran Federation to sort things out, or face another possible conflict with their neighbors.

The war quickly becomes a mess for Terrans as politics once again meddle in military afairs, sending humanity on the defensive immediately.

There are some interesting plot twists to the book, both with the Humans and the alien Thebans, who often show many of the dark tendancies of medieval man. The book itself is not straight up action like In Death Ground and the Shiva Option, going more in depth into the characters and their driving forces and how the universe is shaped by events they cause. A good portion of the book is focused on those in the resistance on occupied planets, and the Theban leaders who have their own thoughts on the war. This is a major strength compared to the other books who don't focus much on the aliens, or their interaction with Humans.

Crusade is not of the grand scale that is found in the two aforementioned sequels. You won't find battles between hundreds or thousands of ships, and neither enemy seems to have a limitless supply of ships. However, the more in depth character plots help to balance this out.

I had read In Death Ground before Crusade, but that didn't hinder liking the book at all. The smaller scale throws you off a bit, as do less plot twists, so I would suggest reading this before the others, but if not you won't be dissapointed.

Some amusing unintentional irony and plenty of action.......2006-02-11

The alliance between humans and their cat-like former opponents isn't perfect, but it seems to be working. Working, that is, until starships emerge from a warp point that has resulted in the destruction of every starship that ever entered it. The intruders claim to be human--descendants of a colony ship that fled through the warp point generations before. They fake a willingness to negotiate and destroy the Orion fleet guarding the system. From there, the 'Thebans' attack the humans who, thanks to an agreement reached to head off war against two enemies, become solely responsible for punishing the attackers. Punishing takes second place to surviving, however, as the Thebans trick the human 'Peace Fleet' and virtually destroy it.

Human politicians overrode military commanders and were responsible for the destrution of the peace fleet but now, their backs to the wall, they call on the military to save them. Led by former admiral and ex-president Anderson, the human spaceyards begin to churn out weapons with which to confront their enemies who, it turns out, turned their first contact with the human colony ship into the basis for their religion--and a need to purify 'Holy Terra.'

At this point, the war takes a typical David Weber direction. The 'goodguys' (humans in this case), unfettered by milksop politicians, are able to gain secret weapons that virtually annilalate the Thebans when they face them. When the Thebans are able to gain an advantage, human superweapons and good luck mean that the badguys (Thebans) take almost as much damage as they deliver (compare any of a number of Haven victories in the Honor Harrington universe). Honor Harrington fans will also be familiar with the types of spacecraft, the missile throw weight statistics, and the evil represented by civilian politicians back home.

CRUSADE definitely has its redeeming qualities. From a literary perspective, the straightforward writing style used by Weber and co-author Steve White is engaging. First Admiral Lantu of the Thebans is a much-welcomed multidimensional character as he struggles between everything he has been taught and what he has dedicated his life to, and the truth as he discovers it to be.

I suspect Weber and White meant CRUSADE to contain a political message favorable to conservatives and scornful of liberals in America. If so, the decade since this book was written provide a welcome, if unintended irony. Politicians who lied to lead their country into war (although unintentionally in the case of CRUSADE, are singled out as the worst horrors of all. Hateful bigotry and a wish to simply genocide opposition is also argued against--an increasingly 'liberal' view.

I prefer military fiction where strategy and tactics play a more important role than superweapons, and where multiple complex characters wrestle with the reality of war--and the difficult and painful decisions that must be made. CRUSADE shows some of these tough decisions (the final decisions of whether to invade the Theban world or simply bombard it to lifelessness had to bring parallels of the decision on bombing Japan, for example). I would have enjoyed it more if it had taken this direction more fully.

A Different Space Opera.......2005-10-09

I am hooked on the Honor Harrington series. I have spent so much time reading them that, when I was done, I was disappointed because I had nothing else from Weber to read until the next one comes out. I forgot to check for some of his other works. I wouldn't have thought he would have time to write anything else. WRONG!

CRUSADE pits the human federation against a new alien species which considers itself saviors dedicated to saving Terra and humanity for the evil Orions who just happen to be uneasy allies of humanity. It takes a while to figure out how this strange turn of events came to be but, when it finally comes out, it makes sense. Religious zealots are at work promoting a jihad for personal advantage. Their only contact with humanity came at a time when it was at war against the Orions.

A major problem is that the Orions are a warrior culture and their alliance with humanity is an uneasy one. When the new aliens, the Thebans, are first encountered, it is the Orions they attack and they do so in the name of humanity. Resolving this is left up to humanity but the Orions are keeping a suspicious eye on the situation.

The battles are well thought out and fans of space battles will appreciate the book. Just as interesting are the political battles. For me, they are even more interesting to read. It's a good book worth the time.

Fun and all.......2005-07-26

As noted before, there isn't much character development, but this is a fun space opera. The events in the book occur before Insurrection, so you need not have read it before this, unless you just want to get a feel for the weapons and structure of the universe. I found my eyes glazing over during the ground combat moments, and of course the literal translation of the Scottish accent was death to me, but overall I enjoyed the book. I'm looking forward to In Death's Ground, as it seems to have a bit more substance, but I recommend this book as well.

Sub-Plots Save the Book.......2005-06-03

I started backwards, with ON DEATH GROUND. Then I read THE SHIVA OPTION. Now I just finished CRUSADE.

I did think the CRUSADE book was on a par with ON DEATH GROUND. Perhaps the scale of sheer horror was less. But the description of naval battles was on a par.

As I finished the halfway point of CRUSADE, I had this feeling of "battles and battles and battles." It was getting flat, and I had a feeling the authors were just repeating a formula.

The sub-plots really saved the book. There were some embedded narratives involving key characters. The last 75 pages were the story of a Marines division tasked to assault the command center of the Thebes homeworld.

In the epilogue, it was heartening that the "farewell" to six or eight of the key characters really meant something. I was not confused -- each character stood out as an individual. I cared what eventually happened to them. This testifies to the quality of characterization in the book. It's essentially an action novel, but the characters really brought it to live.

David Weber is only rivalled by David Drake in writing "future war" novels. And of course, Keith Laumer and the "Bolo" series.

They are the best. They are not always at their top form, but this book speaks well for David Weber and Steve White both. I may try to go back and find INSURRECTION.

Europe in the High Middle Ages: Penguin History of Europe (Penguin History of Europe)

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Good as far as it goes ...
Well...
NEITHER FISH NOR FOWL
In-depth and complex, yet with a most readable tone

Europe in the High Middle Ages: Penguin History of Europe (Penguin History of Europe)
William Chester Jordan
Manufacturer: Viking
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0670032026
Release Date: 2003-01-27

Book Description

It was an age of hope and possibility, of accomplishment and expansion. Europe's High Middle Ages spanned the Crusades, the building of Chartres Cathedral, Dante's Inferno, and Thomas Aquinas. Buoyant, confident, creative, the era seemed to be flowering into a true renaissance-until the disastrous fourteenth century rained catastrophe in the form of plagues, famine, and war.

In Europe in the High Middle Ages, William Chester Jordan paints a vivid, teeming landscape that captures this lost age in all its glory and complexity. Here are the great popes who revived the power of the Church against the secular princes; the writers and thinkers who paved the way for the Renaissance; the warriors who stemmed the Islamic tide in Spain and surged into Palestine; and the humbler estates, those who found new hope and prosperity until the long night of the 1300s. From high to low, from dramatic events to social structures, Jordan's account brings to life this fascinating age. Part of the Penguin History of Europe series, edited by David Cannadine.

Customer Reviews:

Good as far as it goes ..........2007-08-15

... but how far is that? There's the occasional nod to eastern Europe, but as usual "Europe" turns out to mean "England and France and Germany" for the most part. Cultural issues are touched upon enough to claim that they've been covered, but not so as to provide much understanding.

For all its faults, Cantor's "The Civilization of the Middle Ages" is the better book. I wish that Jordan had written, or been allowed to write?, a book twice as long -- more the length of "The Pursuit of Glory" in the same Penguin series. Perhaps there will be a second edition.

Well..........2006-11-27

Ummm, well this book has it's moments of clarity and interest and moments when it's like the writer just seems to be rambling. It's not really about what most people would consider the middle ages to be about (knights, castles, dragons), but maybe that is a good thing. So if you read it, don't expect it to be a fun little text, but it's not terrible either.

NEITHER FISH NOR FOWL.......2003-06-22

William Chester Jordan is one of America's most prominent medieval historians. He heads the program in Medieval Studies at Princeton. His previous book, THE GREAT FAMINE, won the Haskins Medal in 2000. He has edited a multi-volume medieval history, written a medieval history for young people, as well as influential articles about France's expulsion of the Jews and about credit and women in medieval society. Jordan is a frequent speaker at symposia and conferences both in the United States and Europe. Small wonder that David Cannadine tapped him to contribute a book to Penguin's History of Europe series. Given his credentials, EUROPE IN THE HIGH MIDDLE AGES ought to be better than it is.

The organization and writing is workmanlike. Jordan's schema divides the period first by century and then by region. This inevitably leads to repetition when the same event impacts dfferent regions and when Jordan backtracks or foreshadows events from other centuries in order to establish context. It is impossible to create a smooth narrative in such a rigid framework. The organization lends itself to spot referencing rather than reading cover to cover. Jordan may not be a prose stylist, but his writing is clear and concise.

There are no footnotes nor endnotes. The "References" section is a scant four pages long and is made up mostly of secondary sources. Jordan makes an occasional historiological feint, but without any real substance. One is left feeling the book is neither fish (a serious academic history) nor fowl (a popular history for the general public).

The most glaring defect in the book, for this reader, is its treatment, or rather non-treatment, of Muslim rule in Iberia and Sicily. Jordan finds time to tell us the sad story of Isaac, a Christian hermit, who persisted in reviling Muhammad in the streets of Cordoba in 852 and was executed after being warned to desist. Yet there is no mention of the Ummayad dynasty that had unified the Iberian peninsula into the Caliphate of Al Anadluz, whose officials put Isaac to death! At the beginning of the 11th Century Al Andaluz may have been the richest, was probably the most tolerant, and was certainly the most cultured region of Europe. Jordan devotes far more space to the "Reconquest" than he does to the Arabic culture and language that dominated the peninsula throughout the period covered in his book. The library at Cordoba contained 400,000 books and manuscripts at a time when the largest libary in Europe north of the Pyrenees had less than 500. Jordan begins his chapter, "The World of Learning" by connecting the start of "...a long period of renewal and creativity in Europe" to the First Crusade. In fact, the translations of classic Greek works of philosphy and science he says fueled the development of the schools of Paris and other universities came from Arabic texts translated by Muslims and Jews in Toledo at the behest of Abbot Hugh of Cluny. More than a page in the chapter on vernacular literature is devoted to the Song of Roland without noting that the chanson commemorates the retreat of Charlemagne before the armies of the first Ummayad Caliph Abd al Rahman. Jordan writes of the freebooter El Cid and "...his struggles with the Muslims", failing to mention that El Cid fought for Muslim rulers as well against them. In the extensive genealogical tables at the end of the book one finds lists of every Christian dynasty from Byzantium to Norway, but no mention of any Muslim dynasty. The first "King" of Portugal listed is Afonso I who ruled midway through the period with which the book is concerned. No earlier Muslim ruler is listed. The same thing is true of the rulers of Spain, Sicily, Tripoli, Antioch, and Jerusalem. Christian rulers of the period are listed, but nary a Muslim monarch. Jordan seems to have gone out of his way to render Muslim participation in and contribution to Europe's high middle ages invisible.

In-depth and complex, yet with a most readable tone.......2003-04-19

Europe's High Middle Ages period spanned the Crusades and the events of Dante's classic writings and Thomas Aquinas: this paints a vivid picture of this lost age, surveying the great popes who revived the power of the church, the thinkers who ruled their times, and the social and religious philosophy of the era. In-depth and complex, yet with a most readable tone, this is a recommended pick.

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The High Crusade

Manufacturer: Baen Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000BKTGOK

Product Description

Excellent condition. First edition.

6 Titles By Poul Anderson : Strangers From Earth - Brain Wave - The Enemy Stars - The High Crusade - Orbit Unlimited - After Doomsday

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6 Titles By Poul Anderson : Strangers From Earth - Brain Wave - The Enemy Stars - The High Crusade - Orbit Unlimited - After Doomsday
Poul Anderson
Manufacturer: various
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000V1W86W

Product Description

multiple books ship as one item. save on shipping/handling charges.

Against Time's Arrow: The High Crusade of Poul Anderson

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Ian Myles Slater on: Getting the Right Book
High crusade was a night of fun reading

Against Time's Arrow: The High Crusade of Poul Anderson
Sandra Miesel
Manufacturer: Borgo Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

History & Criticism | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0893701246

Customer Reviews:

Ian Myles Slater on: Getting the Right Book.......2003-12-29

The (very brief) review already appearing with this title actually refers to "The High Crusade," a science fiction novel by (the late) Poul Anderson. "Against Time's Arrow: The High Crusade of Poul Anderson" is a critical survey of Poul Anderson's writings through the mid-1970s. The allusion in Miesel's title has obviously caused some confusion somewhere and Amazon may eventually straighten it out.

Although not nearly as much fun as Anderson's account of a medieval English lord's acquisition of an interstellar spaceship, "Against Time's Arrow" is a worthwhile review of Anderson's main themes and literary devices. Although the entertainment value of Anderson's fiction is always remembered, it is particularly good on the various moral dilemmas faced by characters. (Miesel who is also known for her critical studies of Gordon Dickson and Tolkien, and for several science fiction stories, may also be familiar to some readers as a Catholic journalist.)

High crusade was a night of fun reading.......2002-04-22

I found this book very fun to read. The basic premise of the story could happen. Although I found it stretching the limits a little. That aliens have massive technology, yet lack any real experience in warfare because of it being so long since they were opposed. The characters were entertaining, as was the plot line. The basic premise that a primitive, and superstitious people could take control of such a deep technology is a little absurd. But, it was fun all the same.Not a perfect book, but a very entertaining one at least.

Ardent Complaints and Equivocal Piety: The Portrayal of the Crusader in Medieval German Poetry

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Ardent Complaints and Equivocal Piety: The Portrayal of the Crusader in Medieval German Poetry
William E. Jackson
Manufacturer: University Press of America
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

German | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0761825509

Book Description

Ardent Complaints and Equivocal Piety treats three sets of medieval German crusade poems, in most of which the crusades are pictured as a source of distress, disenchantment, or even annoyance. These groups of German poems are treated against a background of Latin crusade poems in which the crusades cause stress and distress of a different kind.

Fast Data joins anti-spam crusade with SpamCure : An article from: Boulder County Business Report

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Fast Data joins anti-spam crusade with SpamCure : An article from: Boulder County Business Report
Caron Schwartz Ellis
Manufacturer: The Boulder County Business Report
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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