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 Golden Spruce: A True Story of Myth, Madness, and Greed

Average customer rating:

Brilliant book
Here's a MALE Annie Dillard...
Potential Reference Document - Not a Structured Read
The Golden Boy - Vailant
Lack of Direction

The Golden Spruce: A True Story of Myth, Madness, and Greed
John Vaillant
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Conservation | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0393328643

Book Description

A tale of obsession so fierce that a man kills the thing he loves most: the only giant golden spruce on earth. "Absolutely spellbinding."—William Grimes, New York Times

As vividly as Jon Krakauer put readers on Everest, John Vaillant takes us into the heart of North America's last great forest, where trees grow to eighteen feet in diameter, sunlight never touches the ground, and the chainsaws are always at work.

When a shattered kayak and camping gear are found on an uninhabited island, they reignite a mystery surrounding a shocking act of protest. Five months earlier, logger-turned-activist Grant Hadwin had plunged naked into a river in British Columbia's Queen Charlotte Islands, towing a chainsaw. When his night's work was done, a unique Sitka spruce, 165 feet tall and covered with luminous golden needles, teetered on its stump. Two days later it fell.

The tree, a fascinating puzzle to scientists, was sacred to the Haida, a fierce seafaring tribe based in the Queen Charlottes. Vaillant recounts the bloody history of the Haida and the early fur trade, and provides harrowing details of the logging industry, whose omnivorous violence would claim both Hadwin and the golden spruce. 16 pages of illustrations.

Customer Reviews:

Brilliant book.......2007-08-14

The Pacific Northwest is one of history and beauty, as told here it is also one of violence and savagry. The brilliant narrative tells the story of a mythis tree in the Canadian Galapagos. John Vaillant explains in true outdoorsmen style(Into the Wild) how Grant Hadwin came to cut down the Golden Spruce, a semi-mythic survivor, a massive tree.

But this is not just a murder, this is an act of protest by a man who loves the forest and hates what man has done to it, the coprorations, the government, everyone. He is a latter-day Edward Abbey, in the spirit of Crazy Horse and the Monkey Wrench Gang.The Monkey Wrench Gang (P.S.).

The history is as brilliant as the story. The author also describes the rich evology of the Northwest Coastal forest of British Columbis. The Queen Charlotte Islands are also home to the Haida Gwaii, a native people. For them the Spruce was K'iid K'iyaas, as Everest is Sagarmatha to the Sherpas.
Hadwin was a woodcutter and road builder, a man who also loved nature. But as in 'Into the Wild' he left his family and went mad, and committed a great crime.

A brilliant read.

Seth J. Frantzman

Here's a MALE Annie Dillard..........2007-07-28

I checked this book out of local public library because I am interested
in the subject. Never did I expect such fine, concise, and insightful--
not to mention lucid and expressive --writing! Mister Vaillant is
a joy to read... even though the subject is so depressing. He somehow
managed to bring the great American Northwest and the great Canadian
Southwest into vivid, living perspective for me! Thanks, John.

Potential Reference Document - Not a Structured Read.......2007-04-10

This book tried to force a story line in where there was not one to be had. The structure of the book was impossible to follow and there was no flow whatsoever. Before finishing the first chapter, I was skipping paragraphs and a third of the way through the book I was skimming through chapters. If this book had removed the choppy story line about Hadwin, hired a competent editor and then included a complete index, you would have a solid reference document about the natural and cultural history of the Queen Charlotte Islands. Instead you have a longwinded, well referenced mess. I just finished reading a book about the history of the Dust Bowl "The worse hard time". Now you would think, here is a subject that just could not be made interesting, but the power of a good writer made the book both interesting, informative, and just an overall enjoyable read. In ending - Let me save you some money and summarize the whole book for you - The Pacific Northwest has been deforested, local native people of the region are rich in culture, some nutcase cuts down a Sitka spruce with golden needles because he wants to stop deforestation (what? - don't bother asking why because you will not get the answer), and environmentalist are all good.

The Golden Boy - Vailant.......2007-02-23

Golden Spruce, by John Vaillant, is a book about many things. It is quite a few history and biology lessons, an example of how people can be driven to want to destroy something they love, and a damnned good story - all at the same time. The last book that I can think of that I thought I was reading for a good story and not only got the story but ended up knowing a lot more about nature and my own self in the process was Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver. Vailant was praised in reviews by authors who have a lot of nature cred (get it? Not street cred, nature cred - I think it is funny...), such as Sebastian Junger and his storytelling was compared to John Krakauer.
Vailant's primary theme throughout the book seems to be pain. He argues that humans can cause themselves less in the long run by aiming towards sustainability and living off the resources available to them at the time rather than depleting what is around them for export and profit. The context of this message in Vailant's book is timber, but can be applied to a broader range when the reader starts to think about the moral dillemas that Vailant describes loggers and the Haiida face.
What stood out most in Vailant's book is the imagry. As a native Northerwestern myself I often times wanted to put down the book and go for a walk in the woods. There is passage in the begining of the book that I sent to a friend of mine who is now living in Europe because I knew when she read it she could be standing in a patch of Oregon old growth.
Little of the book focuses on Grant Hadwin, the man who fell the Golden Spruce. What is mentioned of him gives the reader a sight of a man determined, perhaps mentally ill, and with a passionate yet skewed cause. He is compared to Timothy McVeigh.
Vailant's research into multiple disciplines makes for a comprehensive picture of the dense Pacific Northwest. Readers are schooled in botany, marine biology and climatology - all in the context of the story being told. Never did it feel like a lecture, like a tangent or like Vailant was trying to make his research count for something. It was all relative and helpful to what he was trying to explain to us, which he said best in one sentence towards the end of the book, "Most of us are led to believe that we have more freedom and choice than ever before when in fact we are driven by the real, if short-sighted, demands of our wallets, sophisticated advertisers, increasingly large and powerful conglomerates, and a reactive response to the clock."

Lack of Direction.......2007-01-30

I got this book because the cover said it was like Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer. Well, it isn't - in my opinion, not anywhere close to it. Krakauer, for the most part, focused on one main subject / storyline and when he did deviate, his stories were always entertaining. John Vaillant, on the other hand, goes on and on about several different subjects. Now, don't get me wrong - I love to learn about history and facts about people and nature. All of his story lines started out interesting, but got boring and tedious after a while and I even started to get the feeling he was repeating himself. I found the background information about the Haida and Haida Gwaii interesting, but I think it would have better if he had made it shorter and written a seperate book about it instead. I got irritated several times throughout the book because I just wanted him to get back to the main story.

The book just seemed to have no direction and was, in my opinion, just a big mess. It gave the impression that he had done a lot of research and just wanted to give you every single solitary detail and fact that he had read. I felt like I was reading a really long high school book report. He should have focused on the story of the Golden Spruce and given short side stories about logging, the Haida, Haida Gwaii, and Hadwin, where applicable, but left the in depth details for another book.

The Virgin Queen: Elizabeth I, Genius Of The Golden Age

Average customer rating:

Elizabeth as supporting player
Brief Biography That Is To The Point
a good read for those who are interested in Elizabeth I
A good Introduction to Elizabeth I
Not just a boring bio

The Virgin Queen: Elizabeth I, Genius Of The Golden Age
Christopher Hibbert
Manufacturer: Books on Tape
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

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ASIN: 0736659080

Book Description

A genius, a beauty, a leader, and a manipulator, Elizabeth I has fascinated and enthralled her public for centuries. The era that bears her name was the most exciting and dazzling in England's history. Witty, cruel, brave, and cantankerous, Elizabeth fascinated and exasperated her intimates, and when she died in 1603 at the age of seventy, she was at the height of her public popularity. Christopher Hibbert's masterful biography introduces a new generation of readers, aware of the challenges women face in wielding power, to perhaps history's greatest monarch. He has given readers today a reason to appreciate and marvel at one of the most remarkable women who has ever lived.

"[Hibbert] never writes a dull or an incomprehensible page...the details of [this book] are often brilliantly illuminating." (Antonia Fraser)

Customer Reviews:

Elizabeth as supporting player.......2006-03-14

The name "Elizabethan" invokes a vision of an era of sumptuous dress, religious strife, European conflict, and the flourishing of the dramatic arts. The Virgin Queen is a study of the ruler for whom the time is named, and her rule, which lasted for an almost-unprecedented 45 years.

Hibbert takes a primarily episodic approach to Elizabeth's life, from her birth as the unwanted daughter of Henry VIII and his second, ill-fated wife, Ann Boleyn. When Henry finally produces a legitimate male heir, Elizabeth is reduced from "princess" to "lady." After her unpopular, Catholic half-sister Mary ascends to the throne and she is vaguely implicated in some plots against the new queen, Elizabeth is imprisoned despite her seeming subservience and her pleas of innocence, devotion, and loyalty.

Raised away from the court by hired nobility and taught by Cambridge scholars, Elizabeth appears to be both demure and autocratic. The important point is "appears," because, while Elizabeth in her correspondence is deferential and in her appearance demure, her peers invariably see her as withdrawn, haughty, and "proud and disdainful"-traits that "much blemished the handsomeness and beauty of her person" (Sir William Sidney). Mary, not unjustifiably paranoid, does not believe in Elizabeth's humility, honesty, or loyalty. Hibbert's portrayal of Elizabeth, who craves the adoration of peers, councilors, and subjects alike, seems to support Mary's assessment.

Elizabeth proves to be arrogant and autocratic, allowing no one to question either her or her rights as ruler. She is keenly aware of the importance of having the support of the populace, which she enjoys in contrast to the despised "Bloody Mary." She ignores the advice of privy council, however, when it suits her, occasionally to the detriment of her popularity.

Hibbert does not explain why or how Elizabeth, kept out of the way during the reigns of her half-brother and half-sister, became so popular. This points to one of the flaws of Hibbert's episodic approach; recounting Elizabeth's life in terms of "Subjects and Suitors" (although not all of them), "Papists and Puritans," "The Queen in her Privy Chamber," "Traitors and Rebels" (again, not all of them), and so forth, veils or distorts much of the historical context of Elizabeth's development and reign. Within one chapter, she may be young at one point and in late middle age at another. With England's changing allegiances and relationships with France and Spain, it is difficult to track what is happening at a given time and why. Elizabeth's most noted accomplishment, England's defeat of the Spanish armada, is covered briefly and superficially, almost as an aside, leaving the reader with the impression that it was happenstance that no one, including Elizabeth or the privy council, had much to do with; it just happened, with little explanation.

The tale of Elizabeth's suitors can be equally confusing. Hibbert describes her negotiations with Henry, Duke of Anjou (later Henry III of France), when he was 20 and, "in fact, twenty years younger than herself." A few pages later, Hibbert discusses her negotiations with his younger brother Francis when Francis is "not yet nineteen" and she is 39, yet it appears that the talks with the older brother occurred first, which would make sense. Even more confusing, the negotiations with younger brother Francis continued until she was 45 (they would be the last hopes of getting her married).

Elizabeth's treatment of religious conflict is glossed over. While Mary is noted for her brutal repression of Protestants, Elizabeth, at least in this biography, is a conservative Protestant who fears and loathes radicals of any kind, Protestant or Catholic. During her reign, repression is focused primarily on the rebellious poor; she is less interested in punishing the wealthy nobility than in grabbing their riches.

As portrayed by Hibbert, Elizabeth is a parsimonious, greedy, emotionally needy woman who wishes to rule absolutely but who cannot make a necessary, definitive decision, such as signing the death warrant for her conniving cousin, Mary Stuart. The privy council, led by Lord Burghley, the Earl of Leicester, and others, devote much of their efforts to manipulating this indecisive autocrat into decisions they want and to making sure that she cannot renege on them-an ironic situation for the woman who says to Burghley's son, "Little man, little man, the word must is not to be used to princes."

There are several weaknesses in addition to the episodic structure. For example, the queen herself is not quoted often enough in key areas, yet Hibbert devotes one-third of a page to Alfred, Lord Tennyson's poem speculating about how she might have felt during her confinement in the Tower of London.

Most notably, however, the book's subtitle is never explained-neither why the era is "golden" nor why the queen was the "genius" of it. While the biography makes it clear that Elizabeth had a strong personality, as did her parents, the nation's successes seem to have been the work of the privy council under the leadership of Lord Burghley and of adventurers like Sir Walter Ralegh. Elizabeth is not shown even to have played a role in, for example, nurturing the famed playwrights of the time, such as Shakespeare, Marlow, and Beaumont. The subtitle implies that Elizabeth's brilliance inspired a benign, cultured age, while the text shows a woman so cold and petty that, when her best friend and seeming lover Leicester dies, she worries only about controlling his estates and monies, and so indecisive that her own privy councilors avoid working with her whenever possible. The age itself is brutal, with the crowd "disgusted by the spectacle" of a drawing and quartering performed, against tradition, while the victims are still alive.

At best, The Virgin Queen is a brief, superficial biography that leaves the reader hungry for more-more about Burghley, Leicester, Mary Stuart, and others, but not about Elizabeth herself, who somehow becomes a supporting player in her own biography.

Brief Biography That Is To The Point.......2004-07-27

This book is a good general introduction to Queen Elizabeth. Hibbert always paints a portrait of his subject, rather than discussing every detail of the person's life. Since most biographers write too much, we should all be grateful to Hibbert. He does a great job of describing Queen Elizabeth's decisionmaking process, her interactions with her advisors, and her reluctance to marry. He also explains the religious issues that surrounded the time briefly yet thoughtfully.

a good read for those who are interested in Elizabeth I.......2004-04-30

This is a biography of Elizabeth I, The Virgin Queen. And that's exactly what it is. Queen Elizabeth I, daughter of Henry the VIII is a legend, which Mr. Hibbert attempts to address. Often, this is a dry and, at times, tedious read. However, the details of Elizabeth's physical appearance, politics, and idiosyncracies are extremely interesting. The author details life with Elizabeth and her court, including both of the Queen Marys, Robert Dudley, Sirs Walter Raleigh and William Cecil and others.

The time line is obscure - Mr. Hibbert jumps around quite a bit and it can be confusing to the reader that isn't paying exacting attention. I wouldn't recommend it to a casual reader looking for a lot of melodrama and action. But, all in all, this is a good read for those who are interested in Elizabeth I.

A good Introduction to Elizabeth I.......2001-11-14

I've been a fan of Hibbert's historical works for many years and this is a solid one-volume introduction to a woman whose fascinating life almost seems made for the movies (as it frequently has been). However, specialists in Elizabeth should be aware this is definitely an introduction and does not go into the depth that authors like Alison Plowden bring to their multiple volumes. And I did find - having read a great many books on Elizabeth - that there was an indefinable quality to Hibbert's work that became slightly irksome. In the early 20th century and before, it was standard convention to write about Elizabeth's prevarication, her changes of mood and occasional bad temper, and the despair of her (all male) counselors, as a typical example of an emotional women who happened to be queen. I've even read volumes which imply that Elizabeth's reputation is largely due to her male council keeping her feminine weaknesses under control. Only in the past decades has that slightly condescending tone been dropped and Elizabeth seen for the statesman she was (albeit, still a difficult woman!) I detected the slightest hint of that condescension in Hibbert's book, particularly in his later chapters dealing with Elizabeth's agonies in deciding how to deal with Mary Queen of Scots. For that reason only, I rate it a "4" and not a "5." With that slight caveat, an excellent introduction overall.

Not just a boring bio.......2001-10-05

For those interested in the life of Queen Elizabeth, I recommend this biography. Unlike a cold interpretation, Hibbert allows us an accounting that reads fairly easily with descriptive details lively enough to keep the pages turning.

The Disney Princess Little Golden Book Library (Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Cinderella, Little Mermaid, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White)

Average customer rating:

A favorite of my 4 year old
Princess Lovers will Enjoy This

The Disney Princess Little Golden Book Library (Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Cinderella, Little Mermaid, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White)
Golden Books
Manufacturer: Golden/Disney
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0736422773
Release Date: 2004-09-14

Book Description

THE FAIREST BOX set of them all! The enchanting Disney Princesses are together at last in this beautiful Little Golden Books boxed set. From Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Snow White to Ariel, Jasmine, and Belle, this enchanting boxed set brings the most-beloved Disney Princesses together for fans and collectors alike.

Customer Reviews:

A favorite of my 4 year old.......2007-06-06

Great set of 6 books and a great price. My daughter of course has a favorite, and we read them often. I'm sure your princess fan will love them too.

Princess Lovers will Enjoy This.......2007-01-13

Any little girl who likes Disney princesses, will love these books. Little Golden Books are always a hit with my children, and these little books are just the same. Cute books for bedtime stories.

Average customer rating:

Golden
Loses Steam
Some very interesting and exciting tales!

Worlds of The Golden Queen
David Farland
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Adventure | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0765313154
Release Date: 2005-05-26

Book Description

A grand tale by a bestselling author collected in one volume for the first time W orlds of the Golden Queenis a stellar tale of love,adventure, and war set in a fantastic future. In book one, The Golden Queen, the insectoid Dronons have slain the human queen Semarritte, throwing into chaos the ten thousand worlds over which she reigned. But a new queen has been created: cloned from the dead monarch, born to rule, Everynne instead is on the run, often only one planet ahead of the Dronons.

Customer Reviews:

Golden.......2007-07-13

I really enjoyed these stories. I had to start the first story more than once, but after I got into it I devoured the tales.

Orick the (Catholic) Bear is an interesting character, and I found his ruminations in the second book particularly compelling. Gallen as a born fighter is well-developed, and I enjoyed reading about Maggie's blossoming from responsible youth to responsible adult.
Without giving much away, I would like to say that I hoped to find out what happened to a certain character and the ending seemed rather abrupt, yet was complete enough.

This would be a great book, particularly for those who don't typically read large books but love a good adventure story and a sense of accomplishment. I think you'd enjoy it.

Loses Steam.......2005-07-04

I really liked the first book, it was inventive, had pretty good characterization and made you want to know what was going to happen. It was predictable at the end, but you liked the characters and wanted to know what their fate turned out to be. Again, some very creatice ideas.

Book two reads as if it is written by a different author. Same characters, a little bit of creativity but to me, very different. It was very unusual to be reading about people you think you know who turn out to be strangers.

First book - 4 or five stars, second book - one or two stars. If possible try to find book one, read it and enjoy. Don't ruin a good thing by reading book two

Some very interesting and exciting tales!.......2005-06-16

I found this two-in-one book to be very fun and exciting but not quite as good as Farland's Runelords series. The second story seemed to be unfinished and cry out for a sequel/conclusion.

In the first novel, The Golden Queen, the "human" (Tharrin, really who are genetically enhanced and have been engineered by humans to be leaders) was defeated as was her Lord Escort, Veriasse by the insectoid Dronons and so the Dronons are taking over the ten thousand worlds over which she reigned. Lord Veriasse, her near-immortal consort who barely survived, has created a new queen: Everynne, cloned from the dead original. They are leaping from world to world via instantaneous transport gates. The Dronons are trying hard to find them and are very close behind. They come to a world where it is "backward" to the Tharrins and others. It is like Ireland in the 19th century perhaps -- no electricity, phones ,etc. Everynne and Veriasse come to an inn where Gallen O'Day, a for-hire bodyguard and general wild lawman, is having an ale with Orick, a talking and intelligent black bear. Maggie Flynn who wishes to marry Gallen even though she is not quite 17, works the inn for John Mahoney. Gallen immediately notices Everynne as she has pheromones that attact people, especially men, and she is very beautiful.

Gallen goes off to escort a drunk friend home over the hills and is attacked by robbers and is outnumbered 12 to 1. He is doing pretty well although the drunk is knocked out and he is injured but then a "sidhe" appears in black robes and lavender face mask and helps run off the rest of the robbers. While Gallen is fighting, Orick sees a Dronon (though to him it is just a monster) trying to get into a window of the inn. He sounds an alarm and attacks the Dronon. More Dronons come and the village priest tries to hold them off but he is also killed.

Luckily Everynn and Veriasse have already left for another gate and Gallen meets up with them and Maggie and Orick to give them escort to the gate. Of course they end up running to it pursued by the Dronons and all of them go through to another world.

It is on these other worlds that Gallen, Maggie and Orick learn through "mantles" more about the world and the marvelous machines in them and that their home world is very primitive in comparison. They also decide to help Everynne and Veriasse defeaet the current Dronon Golden Queen's Lord Escort so that Everynne can become the new Golden Queen and reclaim the worlds for humans and other races to chase off the Dronons. The Dronons want every race to be like them or serve them. How the band of travellers arrives on Dronon and battles is the climax of this story.

The second story or book is "Beyond the Gate". Gallen, Maggie and Orick are back on their home world to hide from the Dronons. Unfortunately, their own people have become jealous and angered by what they perceive as Gallen's criminal behavior based on the testimony of a couple surviving robbers. Gallen and Maggie finally get married after many trials and Gallen lets Maggie know that Everynne needs their help or at least Gallen's help for a trapped Tharrin woman on another world. The three of them travel to this world and find the young woman, Cerravanne, who was once a leader of many of the races of people but now with help from the Dronons the "Inhuman" is infecting everyone.

The races of people they meet, how they survive and how they deal with the Inhuman packs alot of adventure and excitement as well as some issues of humanity and morality. A wonderful tale -- but now what happens to Maggie as Golden Queen and Gallen as her Lord Escort???

Queen Victoria: Fifty Golden Years ; Incidents in the Queen's Reign (English Heritage)

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Queen Victoria: Fifty Golden Years ; Incidents in the Queen's Reign (English Heritage)
Mrs Craik
Manufacturer: English Heritage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1850749914

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BEYOND A DOUBT, THE ILLUSTRATIONS MAKE THIS BOOK
Amazing illustrations.
The Golden Touch and a Cold Heart
"A Man Can Never Have Enough Gold..."
Lovely Book Worth Owning - a review of "King Midas & the Golden Touch"

King Midas and the Golden Touch
Charlotte Craft
Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 006054063X
Release Date: 2003-09-23

Book Description

"There once lived a very rich king called Midas
who believed that nothing was more precious than gold."

So begins this imaginative and breathtaking retelling of the myth of the man with the golden touch. When a mysterious stranger offers to reward Midas for a kindness, the king does not hesitate: He wishes that all he touches would turn to gold. To his delight, his wish is granted and he soon sets about transforming his ordinary palace into a place of golden beauty. But to his dismay, when he accidentally turns his beloved daughter into a golden statue, Midas learns that what at first seems a blessing can also become a curse.

Customer Reviews:

BEYOND A DOUBT, THE ILLUSTRATIONS MAKE THIS BOOK.......2006-09-16

The tale told here is well done and is a good rendering but in this case, the wonderfully detailed and golden illustrations make the book. I found that as I read each page to the children, if I paused and had them study each and ever picture, the questions would start flying. Each child saw something new in each picture and the discussion went on and on which is a good thing. It make the kids actually think. The tale of course is a good one with several lessons to be learned. Old tales are quite often the best ones as they have stood the test of time and this is a perfect example of this. Highly recommend this one.

Amazing illustrations........2006-08-05

Each page is like a canvas from the preraphaelite movement. Gold is simmering in the light with each turn to read more of the story. Its a story that most are pretty familiar with, but I love these illustrations, they are what a fairy tale should look like (in my mind).

Craft's telling of the story is well done, except at one point I felt like I had accidentally turned two pages (but it really was only one) as the story had skipped more abruptly from point A to B than I would have liked. Otherwise, it is worth buying this book for the art alone.

The Golden Touch and a Cold Heart.......2006-04-27

King Midas loved his wealth more than anything in the world. When Greek God Dionysus asks him his wish he replies that he wants everything he touches to turn to gold. A wish granted and the curse begins. Midas can no longer eat or pet his cat or enjoy wine ... everything turns to gold. In desperation he asks for the magic to be reversed and then in disgust gives away his fortune. Moral of the story: Gratitude ALWAYS instead of greed.

"A Man Can Never Have Enough Gold...".......2006-04-26

It's impossible to exaggerate the beauty of K. Y. Craft's artwork. Every shadow, every fold of cloth, every strand of hair, every background scene is stunning in its detail, colour and composition. Forget whatever story is being narrated; the illustrations are glorious enough to sustain any story on their own.

"King Midas and the Golden Touch" is one of three Greek tales that Craft has illustrated, along with "Cupid and Psyche" and "Pegasus", both of which also come very highly recommended. Here the tale of the greedy King Midas is told simply and elegantly by Charlotte Craft, with all the trappings and details of the original myth. After hosting a mysterious stranger at his dinner table, Midas is given his heart's desire - that anything he touches be turned to gold.

At first the gift seems wonderful as he transforms his palace and gardens to gold...but everything comes with a price, as he discovers when trying to eat a meal, clothe himself, and hug his precious daughter Aurelia. Once the King realises the error of his ways, the stranger once again appears to divulge the watery antidote to the golden touch.

But the centrepiece of the tale is clearly K. Y. Craft's illustrations that light up every page, and are sometimes given two-page spreads to better appreciate their beauty. She adds several clever ideas; the stranger (never named in the text as Dionysus/Bacchus, but given an outfit with a grapevine motif as a clever indication of his true identity) is old when Midas first sees him, but young when he grants the King's wish, the golden touch washing over everything in sight is beautiful, but also vaguely sinister as it covers all the vibrant colours of the picture, and the angelic-looking Aurelia is flanked everywhere she goes by two huge German Shepherds.

One slightly odd thing about the pictures is that they seem to meld the landscape of ancient Greece with the architecture and fashion of the Middle Ages, resulting in a depiction of a time period that never truly existed. This certainly does not deplete the beauty of the book, but if you are looking for a version of the Midas story that is portrayed in mythological Greece, I recommend John Warren Stewig and Omar Rayyan's collaboration, which (as much as I love Craft's books) I believe is the best retelling of the Midas myth.

Of course, there's nothing stopping you from getting both!

Lovely Book Worth Owning - a review of "King Midas & the Golden Touch".......2006-02-03

King Midas--We all know the story. It has been told for generations by parents around the world. A king gets his values `confused' and almost looses everything of real value (such as his daughter) as he greedily pursues sparkling gold.

It remains a favorite, I think, because all of us need to be reminded, from time to time, that material things are not really the well-spring of happiness. Health and love come first and it is on the latter that the Craft's focus.

In this lovely, lavish book, the Crafts produce a convincing telling of the story. For example, I have looked at other books where the father's expression of love towards his daughter is not all that convincing. In this one you can feel the King's distress as he holds his lifeless daughter.

Five Stars. A wonderful book. The Craft's tell the tale especially well. The story is well paced and the artwork is simply sumptuous. Worth owning for the story and the art

Queen of the Golden Age: The Fabulous Story of Grace WIlson Vanderbilt

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Queen of the Golden Age: The Fabulous Story of Grace WIlson Vanderbilt

Manufacturer: McGraw- Hill Book Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HLZ44Y

Anacaona: Golden Flower, Haiti, 1490 (The Royal Diaries) (Royal Diaries)

Average customer rating:

The Young Taino Queen
A nice piece to add to my collection
A flower's story.
The golden flower deserves five golden, shiny stars
Good Enough

Anacaona: Golden Flower, Haiti, 1490 (The Royal Diaries) (Royal Diaries)
Edwidge Danticat
Manufacturer: Scholastic Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0439499062

Book Description

With her signature narrative grace, Edwidge Danticat brings Haiti's beautiful queen Anacaona to life. Queen Anacaona was the wife of one of her island's rulers, and a composer of songs and poems, making her popular among her people. Haiti was relatively quiet until the Spanish conquistadors discovered the island and began to settle there in 1492. The Spaniards treated the natives very cruelly, and when the natives revolted, the Spanish governor of Haiti ordered the arrests of several native nobles, including Anacaona, who was eventually captured and executed, to the horror of her people.

Customer Reviews:

The Young Taino Queen.......2007-03-04

The royal diary of Anacaona is excellent, staring with Anacaona's marriage to Chief Caonabo, which made her ruler with Caonabo of Maguana. Next, the couple have a baby daughter whom they name, Higuamota. The spaniards start invading Maguana, and all the rest of Haiti, which results in war between the two people. The Taino people are disappearing, but if you read this book, you will find out if Anacaona survives the war or not.

A nice piece to add to my collection.......2006-07-20

i collece the royal diaries series, so this book fit nicely on the shelf. arrival time was prompt, and the condition of the book was fantastic.

A flower's story........2006-04-27

Anacaona was a woman born to the Taino people of Xaragua, what is now modern Haiti. Her Baba (Father) and Bibi (Mother) raise her and her brother, Behichio, to rule together. However, when Anacaona's premonitions suggest that she rule in the neighboring nation of Maguana she accepts a proposal from Caonabo, the reigning Cacique (king) to be his wife. As Cacica (queen) Anacaona takes on many duties and learns to carve in the way of her husband's people. But a threat arrives in the form of the first European settlers who have landed on their shores in search of gold and it is up to Anacaona and her husband to ensure that their people survive this threat no matter what the costs or means.

Approaching a subject like "Anacaona" when you know nothing about the actual person has its pros and cons. A pro is that you learn a touch of history, the culture of the people, and various other tidbits of info. An obvious con is that any of the historical details that have been embellished don't stand out so much. For me, knowing next to nothing about Haiti, this tribe, and woman specifically this was an interesting way to introduce me to her life and how she resisted the colonialization of her homeland. It made me want to do what this series is designed to do, research and read more about this fascinating area and period of time. One thing I did notice that struck me odd was how seemingly similar some of the details of her people were to that of the Mayan people. The flattening of the children's foreheads and the belief that the people came from corn originally was just a few of the many similarities. But there were also many characteristics that differentiated them and made them unique for their own way of life.

This was a great way for me to kick off my reading of the "Royal Diaries" series. I will definitely be reading more in the future, and I especially look forward to reading the ones about the non-westerners history and point of view (the Mayan queen book looks fascinating). All in all, this is a fantastic series for kids, adults, and anyone who wishes to learn about these amazing women and a little of what drove them to be truly memorable.

The golden flower deserves five golden, shiny stars.......2005-07-04

I absoloutely loved the vivid diary of Anacaona, leader of Haiti.She is the golden flower throughout the story and i know that Edwidge Danticat is definitaly the 2nd best ROYAL DIARY WRITER,(first being Kathryn Lasky)This diary tells the true story of the beautiful Anacaona,golden flower of Haiti.This book is based throughout a series of symbols Anacaona used to write her days,just like how the other young women of the other royal diay series wrote down their days into perfect little pages(except for Victoria who stole hers)I thought this book was great and intersting even though theepilogue was sadder than the one of Kaiulani and Anastasia.I also love the radiant beauty that shined through the face of Princes Anacaona of Haiti in the front cover.The words were well chosen and said throughout and i especially like the way the white people said as bad and black good(this happened in the royal diary of Nzingha)I didn't find one bit of the story dull and absorbed the beauty of this beautiful woman in an exotic country,Haiti and independant that will always be rememberd.

PS: I CANT WAIT TILL Catherine-The great journey COMES OUT!

Good Enough.......2005-03-22

Anacona was a pretty good book. It kept me reading and all that jazz but at times I felt it was sorta... lifeless. Almost as If it wasn't a real diary. I can totally understand because she's not a very well known person. I liked the story and stuff. Well, I think my main point is it's great but not as great as some of the other spectacular Royal Diaries. READ THEM ALL!

Star Wars Episode One Mini-Calendar: Queen Amidala

Average customer rating:

Good
GREAT CALENDAR
This is the ONE to buy
Queen Amidala Mini Calendar * * * * * stars! Great!

Star Wars Episode One Mini-Calendar: Queen Amidala
Golden Turtle
Manufacturer: Golden Turtle Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Calendar

Customer Reviews:

Good.......2005-07-26

This is a ggood calendar for Stara Wars fans, but it is the 'Queen Amidala' calendar, not the 'Decoy of queen Amidala' calendar. What I mean is, the girl on the cover of the calendar is not queen Amidala, it's her decoy, Sabe`. Sabe` is Queen more in the movie than Padme`, (The REAL queen) is queen. They showed only a little of the REAL Amidala. 0h well, I guess that this is a Sabe` + Queen Amidala calendar.

GREAT CALENDAR.......1999-12-22

I gave this calendar as a present to my friend Brian, and he LOVED IT! He is absolutely obsessed with it and Queen Amidala. This calendar is a great depiction of the movie, and of the Queen. It shows all of her many costumes, and tells a story of its own about the Queen. Brian thanked me for WEEKS!

This is the ONE to buy.......1999-06-10

Other Queen Amidala items give you bits and pieces of her costumes, but this calendar is comprehensive and *beautiful*. As soon as I saw the cover, I knew that it would be great-- I was not disappointed!

Queen Amidala Mini Calendar * * * * * stars! Great!.......1999-05-16

This is a beautiful calendar with great photos of Natalie Portman, who plays the character Queen Amidala! This calendar starts in May and ends December of 2000! A must for any Star Wars or Natalie Portman fan.

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"There once lived a very rich king called Midas who believed that nothing was more precious than gold."

"There once lived a very rich king called Midas
who believed that nothing was more precious than gold."