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.

Faithful Elephants: A True Story of Animals, People, and War

Average customer rating:

Beautiful
Have a Heart
are you KIDDING me?!!
Great book for any age read aloud!
Thought provoking

Faithful Elephants: A True Story of Animals, People, and War
Yukio Tsuchiya
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Baby-3 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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

Japanese | Foreign Language Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Children's Books | Japanese | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

All Japanese Books | Japanese | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

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

Terrible Things: An Allegory of the Holocaust
Baseball Saved Us
Bracelet,The
Rose Blanche
Train to Somewhere

ASIN: 0395861373

Book Description

A zookeeper recounts the story of John, Tonky, and Wanly, three performing elephants at the Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, whose turn it is to die, and of their keepers, who weep and pray that World War II will end so their beloved elephants might be saved.

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful.......2007-03-11

I just attended a Peace Prize Forum in Sioux Falls, SD, and this book was part of a curriculum for teaching children about peace and war. I think it is one of the most powerful books I have ever read.
This is a tender book about how war affects life, in a way accessible for children, and equally vivid and profound for adults.
The illustrations are also beautiful.

Have a Heart.......2007-02-08

This is a response to Tamara Lakeman's review:

It's a shame that there are people who feel that it is necessary to censor literature which brings awareness to all aspects of war, including death, compassion, and despair. Yes the elephants died as a result of being starved to death. However, the trainers were put in a position of having to carry out an order that forever scared them thus leading them to cry out in despair of what the war had done to them, and their beloved animals.

Would the reviewer feel the same if the story was about three American soldiers who were forced to let their Japanese friends starve to death in a cell because of being on opposing sides?

Oh, let's just sweep everything about death and dying under the rug. Let's cover our children's ears so that they may be ignorant and pretend that nothing bad ever happens including the millions of animals that are euthanized yearly because of irresponsible humans!

The story calls for awareness. It's making people aware of the terrible things that happen in our world. Every once in a while we all need a little wake up call. Maybe we can help in preventing these things from happening again in the future instead of retaining an egocentric, self centered, it's all about me lifestyle.

This reviewer forgets to mention that every August 15th, "Faithful Elephants" is read over the radio in Japan in hopes of bringing awareness of the effects of war. Does the reviewer know that zoos in Iraq were abandoned during this war? Many of those animals starved to death as well. Remember... History repeats itself.

I agree that reading the book as a bedtime story would be obviously inappropriate (as with any war story), however I do feel it will bring out the compassionate side of anyone who has a heart not just reserved for his or her own corner of the world.

The only reason why I will not read this book to my students in the classroom is that I would end up crying: I will however read it to my own children. Maybe one day I will go to Ueno Zoo in Tokyo Japan and a paper crane on the three elephants' memorial.

are you KIDDING me?!!.......2006-12-04

I found this book under the 'War and Peace' section of my local bookstore. I read it just out of curiosity... and WOW... Talk about a book that probably should NEVER EVER find it's way into a child's hands. I realize that it's intention is to talk about the cruelty and savagry of war, but I still think the subject matter is highly, HIGHLY uncalled for.

Basically, here's the story. During WW2 the officials of a Tokyo zoo decide that they need to kill all the zoo animals for fear the if they do not, the zoo will eventually be bombed and the animals will run wild. Clearly the only solution is to kill them (*scoff*). Anyway, so they officials go about poisoning all the animals, however every method they try does not work with the elephants. And so, naturally, they decide that the only way to kill these elephants is to starve them to death (forget a quick bullet to the head, no, only starving them will work.. AGH!)... So the book spends a good 5-6 pages following these poor elephants over a 2 week period as they slowly starve to death.

In the end, all the elephants lay dead in the cages, with limp trunks hanging between the bars. Nice. Fantastic bedtime story for children of all ages...

.... NOT!

Absolutely horrific!! Why not just take your children to the SPCA and make them watch animals be euthanized? There are things that children just do not need to have thrown in their faces, and this is one of them. Wait until they are in their teens are are able to really grasp the concept of war and death. This book is EXTREMELY emotionally disturbing and I can see it causing a great deal of harm to a senstive child.

Steer clear!

Great book for any age read aloud!.......2006-08-28

My students love hearing this book. It is different to see a picture that is a happy/sappy tale. They really get into this book asking a ton of questions throughout the story. It is a great book to use in the classroom as it ties in with many subjects!

Thought provoking.......2006-08-28

I teach Grade 5 children and the unit of work we were studying was "World Peace". We had read "Sadako" and talked a lot about WWII - then this book was recommended to me. My students sat enthralled as I read it.(I had forewarned them that it was very sad) It produced lots of great discussion and helped re-inforce the impact that war has on people and societies. An excellent book for older students.

Average customer rating:

Fun and beautifully illustrated!

My Cat, the Silliest Cat in the World
Gilles Bachelet
Manufacturer: Abrams Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Humorous | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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

Picture Books | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Once Upon a Banana
Move Over, Rover!
Not a Box
Hippo! No, Rhino
Thelonius Monster's Sky-High Fly-Pie

ASIN: 081094913X

Book Description

A new book in the vein of The Story of the Little Mole Who Went in Seach of Whodunit and Elephant Elephant

Gilles Bachelet's cat behaves like any normal cat--sleeping, eating, getting in the way, making a mess--but in this warm and funny picture book he happens to be. . . a very large elephant. Whether he's keeping clean, playing with yarn, or posing for a portrait, this cat has his own unique way of doing things. Readers of all ages will delight in the whimsical and fun illustrations that accompany this "cat's" sweet and silly tale.

Customer Reviews:

Fun and beautifully illustrated!.......2007-01-05

I bought this book for myself even though it is aimed at children. It is beautifully illustrated. Very lighthearted. The owner of the "cat" never seems to realize that his pet is not a cat at all. I have shared this book with friends and family, and everyone has loved it. I highly recommend it as a gift for cat lovers of all ages.

The Retreat of the Elephants: An Environmental History of China

Average customer rating:

new angle to understand China
Thought-provoking

The Retreat of the Elephants: An Environmental History of China
Mark Elvin
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Human Geography | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Conservation | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The River Runs Black: The Environmental Challenge To China's Future (Council on Foreign Relations Book)
Mao's War against Nature: Politics and the Environment in Revolutionary China (Studies in Environment and History)
China Marches West: The Qing Conquest of Central Eurasia
China's Environment And The Challenge Of Sustainable Development
Rightful Resistance in Rural China (Cambridge Studies in Contentious Politics)

ASIN: 0300119933

Book Description

This landmark book—the first environmental history of China—is based on a wealth of literary, political aesthetic, scientific, and religious sources that reveal the views of the Chinese people toward their environment and landscape.

"Masterly and engaging. . . . Essential for those who want to understand the long sweep of Chinese history, and it will enhance the perspective of those who think they already understand it. A scholarly tour de force."—J. R. McNeill, Wilson Quarterly (Note to DMB: check print review—also in Science?)

"Elvin combines an illuminating account of the 4,000 year-long collision of humans and nature with delightful tidbits about everything under the Chinese sun. . . . A magisterial work."—Nicholas D. Kristof, Scientific American

Customer Reviews:

new angle to understand China.......2007-01-18

This is a landmark book on environmental history that is well-received by many academics (also check out other reviews on the web). For me personally, this books helps me understand today's China's problems better than many other books I've read.

It maybe a stretch for people that to understand today's China, you need to go back to its 3000 years of environmental history. However, this book offers many potential answers to many questions that are still relevant today - e.g. Is China's growth sustainable? Why Chinese people have such relationships with their government? Where does her seemingly in-exhaustible labor pool come from?

The book illuminates the constant struggles between the Chinese population and her environments throughout her 3000 years of written history, with the Chinese state often being the driving force and the subsequent victim when nature eventually fought back. Many such struggles are still being repeated today - for example, the recent push of China to develop its north-west region resembled the same push Chin/Han dynasties started from 300 BC, which resulted in permanent soil erosions that gave yellow river its name and caused numerous disasters downstreams since. The Three Gorges Dam is an extension to the long running tradition of massive state-sponsored hydro-projects trying to control the river in the name for "growth". The list goes on and on...

History is bound to repeat herself if we ignore her. Hopefully this books will not be ignored.

Thought-provoking.......2006-03-05

I found the book fairly hard-going as the writer is a master of many fields and switches from discipline to discipline quite regularly. It is, however, certainly thought-provoking in relation to many issues about humans and the environment, and the current economic boom in China, taking place in a country that has already over-exploited its resources in an effort to feed its huge population.

Average customer rating:

I love this book!
Amazing Story
Best True Story!
Judging a book by the cover
Interesting story

The World's Greatest Elephant
Ralph Helfer
Manufacturer: Philomel
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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

General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Modoc: The True Story of the Greatest Elephant That Ever Lived
Yakov and the Seven Thieves
The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse: A Chet Gecko Mystery
The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights (Bccb Blue Ribbon Nonfiction Book Award (Awards))
The Firefly Junior Visual Dictionary

ASIN: 0399241906
Release Date: 2006-03-16

Book Description

It's unbelievable but true! Born on the same day in the same small, German circus town, young Bram and his elephant, Modoc, had a lifelong friendship that spanned over eight decades. But it was never easy. From the breakup of the circus to the shipwreck in the Indian Ocean that nearly cost them their lives, the bond between the boy and the elephant survived the most unimaginable trials. This true story of their adventures together, and eventual rise to circus stardom in the Ringling Brothers Circus, will be a treasure for animal lovers everywhere.

The beautiful, life-like illustrations by Ted Lewin make the perfect backdrop to this amazing chronicle by Ralph Helfer.

Customer Reviews:

I love this book!.......2007-07-16

This story alone is incredible. Add the beautiful illustrations, and you have a truly wonderful book! EXCELLENT! I can't say enough good things about it. Everyone should read this story! Highly recommended!

Amazing Story.......2007-05-04

I just read this for the first time yesterday with my daughter.
This is an amazing story with beautiful illustrations by Ted Lewin.
A wonderful book!

Best True Story!.......2007-02-17

This was a wonderful "trip" through the lives of the two main characters. It is so awesome, you have trouble believing everything that happens to both of them on their life journey. You will not be able to put this book down. My husband, who hardly ever reads, would not put it down until he was finished. It brought tears to his and my eyes. Can't say enough.

Judging a book by the cover.......2003-04-27

I picked up the book because of the cover, a boy sitting with
an elephant with his arm around it.Little did I know I was about
to embark on a journey to Germany, England, and India. "MODOC", a story that spands seventy-eight years of a boy and his love for an elephant, who sacrifice family and friends to be together. Their true story of a rescue at sea, fighting off bandits in the forest, and a guerrilla war are only a few of their adventures. I could not put the book down till I was finshed..."MODOC" THE TRUE STORY OF THE GREATEST ELEPHANT THAT EVER LIVED. Would make a great movie...

Interesting story.......2003-04-09

This was a good book, easy to read by people of all ages. There are some amazing life struggles depicted very well...

Elmer's Weather (English-Italian) (Elmer series)

Average customer rating:

Buonissimo!
Elmer's Weather

Elmer's Weather (English-Italian) (Elmer series)
David McKee
Manufacturer: Milet Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Board book

Board Books | Baby-3 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Baby-3 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Fiction | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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

General & Reference | Technology | Science | Subjects | Books

Children's Books | Italian | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

All Italian Books | Italian | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Elmer's Colours (English-Vietnamese) (Elmer series)
Elmer's Day (English-Italian) (Elmer series)
Elmer's Friends (English-Italian) (Elmer series)
LA Scuola (Language - Italian - Whiskerville Books)
I Vigili Del Fuoco (Language - Italian - Whiskerville Books)

ASIN: 1840594055

Book Description

Elmer loves all different types of weather, but which one is his favorite?

Customer Reviews:

Buonissimo!.......2007-02-16

This title is wonderful and sweet, and the translations are fun. My son loves the illustrations and laughs when we read each page in italiano. Ci piace!

Elmer's Weather.......2000-04-05

Elmer the elephant is an adorable character for toddlers. In this book, the multi-colored elephant incounters a different weather conditions on each page. From windy to snowy to sunny, toddlers learn about the weather in a simple, brightly colored format. My 19 month old son adores Elmer and insists on taking this book to bed with him each night.

Abstraction and Empathy: A Contribution to the Psychology of Style (Elephant Paperbacks)

Average customer rating:

A fantastic read of early modern theory
One of the key documents of modern art
Classic treatise on man's urge to create

Abstraction and Empathy: A Contribution to the Psychology of Style (Elephant Paperbacks)
Wilhelm Worringer
Manufacturer: Ivan R. Dee, Publisher
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | History & Criticism | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Criticism | History & Criticism | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Modern | Schools, Periods & Styles | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

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

Arts & Photography | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Art (Illustrated Edition) (Dodo Press)
Kandinsky, Complete Writings on Art
Concerning the Spiritual in Art
The Poetics of Space
Critique of Judgment (Hackett Publishing)

ASIN: 1566631777

Book Description

Worringer's classic study argues that in historical periods of anxiety and uncertainty, man seeks to abstract objects from their unpredictable state and transform them into absolute, transcendental forms. With an Introduction by Hilton Kramer.

Customer Reviews:

A fantastic read of early modern theory.......2007-05-14

Without writing a summary, I have to say that this book was delightful. It gives an excellent perspective on western thought in the early 20th century.
I definitely recommend it to anyone interested in art theory, art history, architectural history, or just generally interested in the modern movement.

One of the key documents of modern art.......2007-05-13

Published in 1908 , this doctoral dissertation of Wilhelm Worringer soon became the most valid theoritical support for Expressionism.Elaborating the idea of Riegl's "kunstwolen"(roughly means the will to create)Worringer suggested that the history of art is the history of artistic intentions raher than the artistic skills which culminates in the scientific observaton of the external world and became a Greco-Roman-Reaissance tradition.Empathy ,on he oher hand,is a subjective approach to aesthetics and fails to exlplain the arts outside the European tradition.So a more fundamental phychology is needed and Worringer showed that how this "will to form" at any period of human history is related to a man's surrounding world which causes him insecurity and fear. Art is a responce to overcome this constant flow of randomness and becomes a corrective to this feeling by means of creating permanent asthetic forms. Great book .Physical shape and large font of this book is highly satisfying.Also read author's "Form in Gothic".

Classic treatise on man's urge to create.......2003-02-14

Breaking man's urge to create down to the point of a dialectic battle between his level of comfort with the surrounding environment, Worringer outlines the historical balance between our urge to make what we perceive concrete (through abstraction) or organic (through empathy). This classic dissertation argues it is only by finding a state of equipoise between these two urges that art can make a lasting connection with any generation.

Book Description

To all those who witnessed his extraordinary conquests, from Albania to India, Alexander the Great appeared invincible. How Alexander himself promoted this appearance--how he abetted the belief that he enjoyed divine favor and commanded even the forces of nature against his enemies--is the subject of Frank L. Holt's absorbing book.
Solid evidence for the "supernaturalized" Alexander lies in a rare series of medallions that depict the triumphant young king at war against the elephants, archers, and chariots of Rajah Porus of India at the Battle of the Hydaspes River. Recovered from Afghanistan and Iraq in sensational and sometimes perilous circumstances, these ancient artifacts have long animated the modern historical debate about Alexander. Holt's book, the first devoted to the mystery of these ancient medallions, takes us into the history of their discovery and interpretation, into the knowable facts of their manufacture and meaning, and, ultimately, into the king's own psyche and his frightening theology of war. The result is a valuable analysis of Alexander history and myth, a vivid account of numismatics, and a spellbinding look into the age-old mechanics of megalomania.

Customer Reviews:

Sound Conclusions.......2007-09-04

Professor Holt must be a stimulating, admired lecturer in his subject, for this book brings a wealth of knowledge together from a large variety of sources. Primary sources are the medallions themselves, of course. As for myself, this is the first time I have been fascinated with numismatics enough to stay with the whole book (which is easily absorbed in a day). Never again will I briefly skim over exhibits and pictures of ancient coins! Dr. Holt has made me a bit of an expert on many aspects of this subject, and he invites us to delve further with extensive, annotated footnotes on each page. He is certainly a dedicated scholar with deep and wide knowledge of his field, able to clearly present his interpretation while giving a balanced analysis of various theories. Each of his conclusions is supported by strong references to the literature.

"If everybody knows the secret, I don't know who is mistaken".......2007-07-11

Where should I begin? Above all, Holt supposedly invented a mysterious story, but there is no real mystery in it. In fact since the coins were found researchers have come to understand that those coins had been imprinted in memory of the battle between Alexander the Great and Porus, the Emperor of India. It is only the place and time which we think are of secondary importance could not have been determined precisely. In the introduction to his book Holt assumes himself to be Sherlock Holmes, but the solution he suggests at the end of the book is far away from reminding the persuasive arguments of the famous detective and only serves to surprise the reader because of its speculative quality. The majority of the book deals with many ideas which had been previously proposed and refuted by other studies, and apparently re-refutes all of those. When we reach the final part, we encounter the very principal elements of "Sherlock" Holt's solution; the first of these is about the imperfect apperance and imprint of these coins and Holt explains this unusual event by the rushed minting of these coins on a return journey from the Indian expedition, under exteremely difficult conditions caused by muson rains! The historian meticulously discarded a great many arguments throughout the book yet he surprised us by bringing forth this meteorological solution towards explaning the bad apparences of the coins. Perhaps this can justify a reader who may come to propose that the man who was in charge of the minting process was having a bad day! Or even because he did not received the merits he deserved from Alexander. Even more surprising is the explanation which concerns the other side of the coin showing the Alexander holding a thunderbolt. We can't understand why Holt discards the perfectly reasonable, simple yet adequate solution which is in accord with the traditional Alexander narratives deifying him- especially the one which deals Apelles' portrait of Alexander-. Instead he insists on seeing particularly a reference to the the rainy night on which Alexander won a victory against the Indian King Porus. Yes, there are many events in history about rainmaker army leaders. But, for God's sake, Alexander and his troop already knew India's disastrous air and field conditions. While, they advanced to the interior parts of India, they always encountered with such stormes, muds...So, if storm and rain had been an unexpected incident, maybe Alexander's powers which brings rain would have been good and miracolous news. And even after that battle, during the journey to the Babil, Macedonian army suffered from bad meteorological conditions. According to Holt's argument, one may think, Alexander, just after the battle, having been minted that coins, maybe has also seen responsible for that terrible field conditions! But, this time, his men, could not mint properly those coins, because of very same musons(in last chapter, the sentence which concludes with footnote 25!)
Thus Holt's theory -searching the "textual" help to that night- extends to the assumption that these coins were minted in memory of "a dark and stormy night" and these coins function as a narrative picture of the whole war. But this sounds rather weird or impractical because Alexander gifted each of these coins, which allegedly individually represents a particular scene of the war, to his men which means the coins would never come together to form such a picture: One of the generals saves the one with elephant, other has Alexander with thunderbolt and maybe other one has the one with a chariot? As a matter of fact Holt himself was not persuaded by his suggestion that he claimed that these imperfect coins were indeed a turning point in the history of numismatic by this aspect.

As for the much praised popular style of the book, as I read the translation I am unable to comment adequately; however I did not see any extraordinary features that deserve credit. By the way, it seems to me, Mr. Holt's only field of interest -expect coins- Darwinist biology. He mentions him several times, curiously enough, but most of these are unnecessary element of the failed rhetorical construction.

O great another history book!!.......2005-07-16

That is exactly what I thought when I was assigned this book in Dr. Holt's class, but I was later proved wrong. As stated before he definitely has a knack for communicating with those not in this academic circle. Although I have had the privilege to have a class with Dr. Holt this does not in any way taint my recommendation. I encourage others to read other works by Dr. Holt especially his latest "Into the land of Bones"

For those who like History and a mystery.......2004-03-14

This book is a delightful read. Like a good mystery, I was mystified by the clues as they were presented in the narration and wondered at times "so what?" But that only made the satifaction so much more pleasant when the meanings of the clues were revealed at the end and the medallions tell their story after thousands of years.

The Alexander medallions.......2004-02-03

"Alexander The Great And The Mystery Of The Elephant Medallions", by Frank L. Holt. Published by The University Of California Press.

Holt tells us that there have been 2000 books and papers published about Alexander in the last 40 years. What he kindly omits is that most of them have been rubbish; this one is not. It is a fine and valuable contribution to Alexander Studies admirably thought out and very well written. The University Of California Press has, as usual, well presented and marketed the work which is enjoying a popularity it should not have had otherwise. Basically a study of some unusual coin- like medallions depicting Alexander battling elephant mounted men. Holt gives us what might have been a tedious article in an obscure numismatic journal as a fascinating mystery and, along the way, manages to present an unsullied glimpse of Alexander without any of the contemporaneous tints which have been so blithely applied to him over the years. This is an excellent small book by a fine scholar with a keen analytical mind and an unusual facility for communicating with non scholars without pandering.

The Elephant Walk Cookbook: The Exciting World of Cambodian Cuisine from the Nationally Acclaimed Restaurant
Average customer rating:

it was okay.

Excellent in every way

Even a white guy can cook like a Cambodian with this.

Awesome Book! Buying one for my sisters!

Great book - very complete

The Elephant Walk Cookbook: The Exciting World of Cambodian Cuisine from the Nationally Acclaimed Restaurant
Longteine de Monteiro , and Katherine Neustadt
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Asian | Regional & International | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Pacific Rim | Asian | Regional & International | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Oxford Picture Dictionary English/Cambodian: English Cambodian Edition (Oxford Picture Dictionary Program)

Traditional Recipes of Laos

Cambodian for Beginners

Simple Laotian Cooking (The Hippocrene Cookbook Library)

Cambodian System of Writing and Beginning Reader (Yale Language Series) (Yale Language Series)

ASIN: 0395892538

Amazon.com

The Elephant Walk Cookbook, the first volume of traditional Cambodian cooking published in the U.S., is a cultural as well as a culinary adventure. It's also the story of author Longteine De Monteiro and how she and her husband were forced into exile in 1975 by the Khmer Rouge takeover of Cambodia and eventually came to own three restaurants and a market in and around Boston. An important reason she wrote this book--with Katherine Neustadt--was to preserve traditional dishes that now may no longer be served in Cambodia because everyone who knew how to make them was exterminated by the Khmer Rouge, or fled elsewhere.

Cambodian cooking blends influences from Asia and the West, including China, Vietnam, Thailand, India, Spain, and France. It is a balancing act of colors, textures, and most of all, salty, sour, sweet, hot, and bitter flavors. Rice and fish are important, particularly freshwater-lake fish and a fermented fish paste, prahok. So are coconut milk, lemongrass, and a list of other ingredients that are becoming more readily available outside of Southwest Asia. Still, ordering by mail from sources provided in the book--or a special shopping trip--will be necessary to make most of the dishes in The Elephant Walk Cookbook.

The most accessible dishes are the salads (many of which contain chicken or pork), including Tomato Salad and Pineapple Salad, and the pickles, such as Mixed Vegetable Pickles. Loc Lac--beef marinated in mushroom soy sauce, sautéed, and served on crisp lettuce with lime juice--is another easy choice. Loving, lively descriptions and alluring photos will keep you reading about all of the 150 dishes, which are aromatic with basil and cilantro, galangal, kaffir lime and curry leaves, tamarind, fiery chiles, garlic, pungent fish sauce, and the like. --Dana Jacobi

Book Description

Written by the chef-owner of Boston's renowned The Elephant Walk, which has been praised for its unique cuisine by such publications as Esquire, the New York Times, USA Today, and Travel & Leisure, The Elephant Walk Cookbook is a fascinating introduction to the lively and sophisticated flavors of Cambodia. In addition to showcasing Cambodia's foods, this cookbook tells the inspiring story of Longteine De Monteiro. The wife of a diplomat who was forced into exile after Pol Pot invaded Cambodia, De Monteiro escaped to France, where she established what may have been the first Cambodian restaurant in the Western world. She then moved to the United States and opened The Elephant Walk. Less salty than Vietnamese food, less sweet than Thai, and subtler than both, Cambodian dishes feature a rich interweaving of cultural influences and fresh, light flavors. Some of the recipes in the book, like Catfish with Coconut Milk and Red Chilies, were created in the kitchens of Cambodian aristocrats, while others, like Stuffed Cabbage with Lemongrass, have simpler origins.

Customer Reviews:

it was okay. .......2006-06-30

Well i just bought the book a week ago, i've used 2 recipes..and they're rather bland, i always need to add more stuff to the food, for instance to make the stir fry beef with tomatos, it said to use 3 tablespoons of fish sauce and 1 tablespoon of soysauce..if you look at it, you notice how wrong that would taste..it would be veeeeery salty..so i had to use the regular recipe i learned from my mother.

Excellent in every way.......2005-12-13

If you love exotic cuisine and preparing it at home, then I would suggest that this book should be on the top of your list.

Just for starters, Cambodian cuisine is probably the tastiest of the SE Asian cuisines that I have tried. And what's more, the recipies are usually quite simple to prepare. I was surprised that some barely required anything beyond my neighborhood grocery store. Even for a back woods person like myself, getting some of the exotic ingredients required only a few stops on the web, and I was ready to cook anything from this book.

The cookbook is expertly laid out. It begins with a lengthy introduction, including everything from information on the history of Cambodia to the art of shopping in an Asian grocery store. The recipies are arranged in a pretty logical fashion: appetizers, meat type, noodles, and deserts. The last section covers the basic ingredients of Cambodian cooking which may be new to the western eyes. For someone coming from a small town, I had never used a lot of these ingredients. Even more handy about this book is the fact that there are many coloured pictures of the dishes and the exotic ingredients. If you've never shopped at an Asian grocery store, it's very useful to know what the product looks like, and Longteine de Monteiro also tells what exactly to look for when purchasing said items. Of course, the pictures really help so you know what type of result you want.

I'm really impressed by the amount of work that Longteine put into this book. Not only are the recipies great and it's loaded with information, it looks good too! The research was a bit exhaustive and the commentaries on each dish gave me some background or at least, entertainment.

Weaknesses of the book? Well, sorry to say, but I can't think of anything off the top of my head without really asking for too much (pictures of EVERY dish, for example). All around, this is a great cookbook, if not my favourite from my collection.

Even a white guy can cook like a Cambodian with this........2004-12-06

Even a white guy can cook like a Cambodian with this.

The books very well laid out, easy to follow and could even be a coffee table book. It has a good cross reference to explanations of ingredients that even allow a Texan like myself to impress my Cambodian wife by cooking some dishes as well as her mother. It's a lot of fun trying anyway.

The people who wrote it are real nice. I couldn't find Prahok here in Miami, so I emailed them and they sold me a couple of jars from their store and took the time to ship it to me (at cost).

Awesome Book! Buying one for my sisters!.......2004-07-27

I was very excited to recieve this book in the mail. I tried a few recipes and love them! I, like others have never been able to mimick my mothers Khmer dishes and my mother wasn't able to teach me well enough. I go by measurements and my mother goes by taste and experience. So this book made it easier for me to learn how to prepare Khmer meals for my growing family. I wanted to be able to serve my children meals that I grew up loving and this book helps me in every way. True it is a bit "Americanized" but it is better than what I haven't seen published out there. This is a must have for anyone who wants to learn how to cook these delicious dishes. I plan on purchasing a copy for my two sisters, who as well have been struggling to learn how to prepare our mothers meals.

Great book - very complete.......2002-09-25

As my girlfriend is from Cambodia, I have looked for a source to learn to prepare some of the dishes her mother also makes, and I've managed to surprise her a couple of times with the mostly very authentic recipes that are in this book (not ALL dishes are perhaps uniquely or typically Khmer, but that does not change the merits of the book! (cfr. the other reader reviews)). The book is very complete, and a pleasure not only to use for cooking but also simply to browse and admire the pictures. For those who wish some extra sources of "authentic" khmer cuisine, I can recommend that they look for the book by Nusara Thaitawat (The Cuisine of Cambodia - I don't think it's on Amazon, but can be found on the internet) - they will find a great second book that also lists a large number of marvellous recipes, with equally exquisite pictures, but does presuppose some more familiarity with the ingredients and measures - which can be acquired by reading and using "The Elephant Walk" first.

Presidents' Secret Wars: CIA and Pentagon Covert Operations from World War II Through the Persian Gulf War (Elephant Paperbacks)

Average customer rating:

excellent overview
Good, but not that good
New insight on the continued insurgency struggles in Europe

Presidents' Secret Wars: CIA and Pentagon Covert Operations from World War II Through the Persian Gulf War (Elephant Paperbacks)
John Prados
Manufacturer: Ivan R. Dee, Publisher
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Intelligence & Espionage | Military | History | Subjects | Books

Strategy | Military | History | Subjects | Books

State & Local Government | Government | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Espionage | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

For the President's Eyes Only: Secret Intelligence and the American Presidency from Washington to Bush
Mass Hate: The Global Rise of Genocide and Terror (Revised and Updated)
U.S. Regional Deterrence Strategies
Rwanda and Genocide in the Twentieth Century
Fatal Choice: Nuclear Weapons: Survival or Sentence

ASIN: 1566631084

Book Description

A newly revised and updated study of CIA and Pentagon covert operations from World War II through the Persian Gulf--a landmark book about U.S. intelligence agencies in the postwar era. An important book. --New York Times

Customer Reviews:

excellent overview.......2003-06-23

Every voter should read this book. This is perhaps the best book to give an overview on the major covert activities of the CIA and its ancestor agencies. A very well researched book. The author appears to have done an immense amount of research to write this book. Very informative and an easy read. The author appears to be unbiased and without an agenda. Every tidbit of covert CIA activity that I read about in past years was discussed in this book, plus many more activities new to me were discussed. Drawing upon this text I believe the average American can get a better feel for the sucess and failure rate of covert activities, risks v.s. advantages.
These covert activities ofter are the first steps that leads the U.S. into succeedingly hostile overt activities. The process is complicated by the fact that a covert operation has some loose oversight within our democracy. The author gives the reader a good feel for the past endeavors of the agency and analyzes the results.
I would recommend this book to any American because wherever the CIA is most active will generally be a place where crucial and influential American foreign policy decisions will follow. It is beneficial to have the past record of covert activity available. Covert activity is as the author states probably the most convenient and easiest way to accomplish a short term foreign policy objective and always a temptation to every U.S. administration, but it often comes with the price of a longterm political backlash from the populace involved.

Good, but not that good.......2000-06-15

Some research was definetly put into writing this book. And at times, the author just throughs out some abstract, needless information. Almost as if he just to put it in their, because he thought the trival knowledge would make the book better.

Well it doesn't. It does fine all by itself. It gives some great insightful information to the reason behind some of U.S invasions, wars, and other candelstine efforts foreign and domestic.

Anybody that lived through the era that the book was covered will get bored easily as no true secrets are revealed. But for those born around the 80's, will become very informed.

A good book, but not that good. I give it three stars because the title does not match the book.

New insight on the continued insurgency struggles in Europe.......1997-08-26

John Prados begins the book with seldom related histories, particular are the accounts of Baltic and Ukrainian insurgents in post WWII. This is the first time I have run into modern cold war accounts were the planning of covert operations in Central and Eastern Europe ran so close to the end of WWII. Prados underlines that the "youth" of Central Intelligence Agency and the treachery of Philby severly undermined any attempts to support these insurrectionist movements behind Soviet lines. Further declassfication of past interogation reports throw new light on the extent of these movements and how unstable Central Europe actually was. Prados contines into the Cold War up to the 80's and 90's where the bilateral covert conflict no longer seemed to have the raw personal nature of covert action in post WWII and the fifties. Author has obviously had a very generous access to herby unpublished documents. A must for those concerned with Cold War history

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books