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.

Average customer rating:

What am I missing here?
Interesting and ludicrous.
Funny, intriguing, very clever
No Title
As bad as it gets

Cat's Cradle
Kurt Vonnegut
Manufacturer: Dell Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 038533348X
Release Date: 1998-09-08

Amazon.com

Cat's Cradle, one of Vonnegut's most entertaining novels, is filled with scientists and G-men and even ordinary folks caught up in the game. These assorted characters chase each other around in search of the world's most important and dangerous substance, a new form of ice that freezes at room temperature. At one time, this novel could probably be found on the bookshelf of every college kid in America; it's still a fabulous read and a great place to start if you're young enough to have missed the first Vonnegut craze.

Book Description

One of Vonnegut's major works, this is an apocalyptic tale of the planet's ultimate fate, featuring a cast of unlikely heroes.

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Cat's Cradle travels from the home turf of Vonnegut's imagination, Ilium, N.Y. to a Caribbean banana republic where an illicit religion called Bokononism is practiced, as a sense of doom (in the form of ice-nine) overtakes mankind.

Customer Reviews:

What am I missing here?.......2007-10-09

This was my first time reading Vonnegut, and I bought this novel largely based on his reputation as an author and the reviews I read here. The premise of the novel also sounded interesting. The narrator, Jonah, is writing a book about the events that took place on the day the atomic bomb was dropped, and focuses on the "father" of the atomic bomb, Felix Hoenikker, and his children. He eventually finds himself on the fictional island of San Lorenzo amid the backdrop of political and religious instability.

I could tell right away that Vonnegut was an excellent author. That is clear from his writing, which is very elegant and well organized. The book is a short read at 300 pages, and with chapters at 1-2 pages long, most people will be through it in a few hours. The chapters all flow into each other and there is no "jumping around" between other characters, as Jonah narrates the story through the first person.

Those are the positives and the reason I gave Cat's Cradle three stars. I believe this is a good book and likely an intellectual commentary on society and the arms race, etc etc, however all of this must have gone completely over my head because I didn't see any of it. Maybe this book is "too" intellectual for me, since I am not used to having to think so much while reading. What's more, the satire also went over my head and I do not recall any humorous moments in the entire book, and kept looking for the plot.

I do not mean for this review to turn people off of Cat's Cradle, just to let them know what they are getting into. If your usual fare is Tom Clancy, Stephen King, J.K. Rowling, etc, and you are not used to writers like Vonnegut, Douglas Adams, Chuck Palahniuk (this book reminded me a LOT of Survivor: A Novel), you may find you are missing out on most of the actual book. I was not disappointed when I finished Cat's Cradle, but I certainly wasn't as satiated as I usually am when I finish a good novel. Caveat emptor.

Interesting and ludicrous........2007-09-18

Worth the read, particularly if you want to "try" Vonnegut. I did this for a book club and it worked quite well since there are infinite interpretations to pretty much every word of Vonnegut. It's hard to say what it's about other than it's a great outlook on apocalypse.

Funny, intriguing, very clever .......2007-09-18

This was my first Vonnegut book, and I had really high expectations for this book. I was not disappointed, not in the least. The irony, the strangeness (especially in the dialogue), the characters, the suspense, the ending, and most importantly, the humor, were superb. I found myself laughing out loud on several occasions. Vonnegut's irreverent take on religion, government, sex, war, and every other topic he takes on in the novel is refreshing, and the history and principles of Bokonon (the fictitious religion featured in the book) he derives through the course of the story added a lot of comic relief as well as interesting perspective on common religious thinking. Tis a shame I never enjoyed the man's work while he was still with us. I certainly intend to read more of his work in the future.

No Title.......2007-08-26

Cats Cradle was a book I had to read over my summer break for my high school honors english class, and orgionaly, I was really reluctant to read it. But, after the first 100 pages, it started to grab my attention.

Cat' Cradle is a story of a man that wishes to write a book about the father of the Atom bomb(it's a fictonal person) and ends up finding out about some of his 'other' inventions(not some mutant freak). Like I said origonaly, the first half or so of the book loses me. I only got interested in it when the protagonist got on the plane midway through the book.

In some ways, people could find this novel contrivesal, because the main religon(Bokonon) mimics the eairly Christians death by the cross, and that man is going to far with science that is harful to us, but only if your trying to see that like I was. It's a fine book all in all, but it's somewhat boring at first, and his humor isent really that great, in fact, I only saw it once or twice. But then agian, I'm just a high school sophmore trying to disect it to find 'the inner meaning' so, in another 10 years I'll probably enjoy reading it.

As bad as it gets.......2007-08-07

This book is a total disappointment. One of the worst books I have ever read. His "humor" is on idiotic level and the book in general is schizophrenic. Only thing Vonnegut achieved is to annoy me; this is the first book in my life that I threw into the garbage.

The Great Cat Massacre: And Other Episodes in French Cultural History

Average customer rating:

Illuminating
Killing cats to get back at their owners
Other people are other
Broad ranging, entertaining, with an interesting method of discovery
Great for getting into the minds of the common folk

The Great Cat Massacre: And Other Episodes in French Cultural History
Robert Darnton
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0394729277
Release Date: 1985-02-12

Book Description

When the apprentices of a Paris printing shop in the 1730's held a series of mock trials and then hanged all the cats they could lay their hands on, why did they find it so hilariously funny that they choked with laughter when they reenacted it in pantomime some twenty times? Why in the 18th century version of "Little Red Riding Hood" did the wolf eat the child at the end? What did the anonymous townsman of Montpelier have in mind when he kept an exhaustive dossier on all the activities of his native city? These are some of the provocative questions Robert Darnton attempts to answer in this dazzling series of essays that probe the ways of thought in what we like to call "The Age of Enlightenment."

Customer Reviews:

Illuminating.......2007-10-11

It occured to me while reading this book that the art of cultural history is a bit like photography, and extensive research allows the author to offer extensive & insightful commentary about the "episodes" in this case of French cultural history. The actual instance of cat massacre described is probably about as impressive in scope as a Poison concert today or maybe less, but it's clearly illustrative of the points that the author makes about that particular segment of society at the time, although I'm sure I've seen something similar to this in the early eighties.
The Police Inspector sorts his file is also another great "episode" which gives a great viewpoint of the artistic world through the police lense. The author always takes great care to deflect misunderstanding, and details what a police inspector collecting files on artists really meant at the time for the state and the artists themselves, and of course much of the art, probably a good 50% is in the discovery of these files and the selection of this event for the book I would imagine.
My one criticism would be of the first chapter which was good at first and certainly well written and all, but the peasants tales are brought to the fore, explained and dispatched one after another. I guess the point was to set the tone for the experience of the peasant, but if this was the point I got it halfway through the chapter.
Anyway a pretty good book, and I found it a very useful read, and parts were highly illuminating to me about certain aspects of society.

Killing cats to get back at their owners.......2006-12-29

What a waste of the human soul, to stoop to depravities like that.

Other people are other.......2006-06-17

Little Red Riding, of the Brothers Grimm, is really French, 17th century. The Huguenots brought folk tales to Germany when fleeing the prosecution of Louis XIV. Folk tales are historical documents. They have evolved over many centuries. There was a golden age of folklore research in France between the years of 1870 and 1914. Folklore is a nineteenth century neologism. Oral traditions have enormous staying power. Continuities in form and style outweigh variation of details.

Village life, being a peasant, was a struggle in early modern France. Marriages lasted an average of fifteen years, terminated by death. The peasants lived in a world of stepmothers and orphans. The tales present a Malthusian picture. In the 1690's plague and famine decimated northern France when Perrault wrote 'Tom Thumb'. Wishing takes one form, the wishing for food. Meat is an extravagance. Fulfillment of the wish takes place in the everyday world. It is not an escape fantasy, but survival. In the tales daughters must be married off and sons may explore life on the road. There may be no land, no food, no work. There was danger on the road. English tales tend to be whimsical, French tales bawdy, realistic, comical, German tales supernatural, violent. French folk tales told the peasants how the world was put together and how to cope with it. In France, despite the distinction of social rank, there was a common stock of tales.

The apprentice printers, who staged a cat massacre, delighted in performing the affair again and again--copies. Masters loved cats and, therefore, apprentices hated them. In the second half of the seventeenth century there was an oligarchy of printing masters. It was difficult for journeymen to rise to the rank of masters. The wail of a cat could mean witchcraft, cuckoldry. Killing the mistress's cat was a metonymic insult. The cat massacre was put into writing by Nicholas Contat. In the massacre one of the apprentices imitated a cat.

A description of a French city, Montpellier, was written in 1768. The anonymous writer had an obsession with completeness. A sense of place is fundamental to our sense of orientation in life. The bourgeois was the owner of the modes of production and acquired class-consciousness. Except in Lille and a few other areas, a self-conscious industrializing class was absent prior to the Revolution. Thinkers belonged to the traditional elite. Montpellier was an administrative center. It had a commercial oligarchy. It was underdeveloped and wealthy people dominated the social and cultural life. It had a music academy and there was interest shown in science and technology. There were cabinets containing private natural history collections and private libraries. The ideal of the honest man had, in 1768, a bourgeois coloring.

The author relates that a police officer in Paris, Joseph d'Hemery, inpected the book trade and the men who wrote books. In five years, 1748-1753, he wrote five hundred reports. Clergymen constituted twelve percent of the authors. Seventy percent came from the third estate. Ten percent were doctors or lawyers. Thirty six percent were journalists, tutors, librarians, secretaries. Many careers went from the garret to the gutter. Everyone in the files was seeking or dispensing protection. The police did not question influence peddling. Police agents picked up sedition talk. Diderot was singled out for atheism.

Rousseau described reading and experienced it. He saw literature as an element of a power system. Rousseau initiated a new conception of an author--Prometheus. LA NOUVELLE HELOISE was probably the best seller of the century. Readers believed that Jean-Jacques had made them see deeper into the meaning of their lives. In thinking of how people read five centuries ago, it may be important to keep in mind the distinction between extensive reading and intensive reading. Rousseau taught readers to digest books and literature became absorbed in life.

The notes at the back of the book are interesting and varied.

Broad ranging, entertaining, with an interesting method of discovery.......2006-05-06

Whereas I enjoyed most of this book, I found it somewhat uneven with some chapters written in a far more academic manner than others.

In the first chapter, Darnton explores the folk tale with the argument that a full exploration of such tales gives insight into the social construction of reality and thought in previous generations and eras and we can thus explore better the vast differences between modern thought and thought from the Middle Ages. Darnton ridicules the psychoanalytic interpretations of folk tales offered by Bettelheim and Fromm. However he just glosses over the archtypal interpretations of Jung or the structural interpretations of Levi-Strauss. After pages and pages of half told folk tales he concludes that folk tales conveyed conventional wisdom to common folk in a time of great economic and social uncertainty. Life was fragile and this was reflected in these odd tales. Of course some tales have as the moral that we should be kind to strangers and other folk tales have as the moral that we should be careful around strangers, but what the heck, Darnton thinks there are lessons to be learned from them all. He observes that common sense varies from culture to culture and is basically a social construct. I am not sure if I totally agree with him. I would think in all cultures it is best not to argue with a drunk man who holds a gun. However, for some phenomena, Darnton may be correct, common sense differs from culture to culture and era to era. He does point out an observation from study of folk tales across Europe. He finds that Italian and French folk tales are more playful, full of trickstes who jest and humble the powerful; whereas German folk tales are more dark and more often violent. We are immediately struck by the weakness of Darnton's work, which is the issue of sampling. Does he select a random sample of such tales, or all tales, or just the ones he wishes to discuss? I found his arguement that for many peasants who toiled continually in the fields, that history was not conceived as a series of political events to which they were not privy. This is an interesting thought but I suspect that common villagers made up for this with a sense of seasonal history based on planting, harvesting, and storing crops; religious history based on multiple Saint days and other Christian holidays throughout the year; and personal history as one experiences births, marriages, childhoods, deaths in families and friends. Another interesting item from Darnton is that when someone is given a wish in a folk tale, they ask for food. He relates this to the lack of food during much of Europe's history. On this point, I think he wins.

The second chapter is an analysis of a printer's journal where he relates a story from his youth where he and other workers beat to death neighborhood cats. Darnton first puts this story in a context of general cruelty to animals, especially cats. However he then gives it a particular interpretation of social protest by young worker men against the rich employers, many of whom owned cats. He documents well the deterioration of the old guild system and the effect this had on the lowest level workers. Whereas I found his analysis of the killing of the cats to be somewhat of an economic statement during class-warfare, I wish Darnton had commented more on the sadistic cruelty of human beings, particularly males between 13-19.

The third chapter was one of my favorites, though far less dramatic than the first and second chapters. Darnton analyzes a description of a town procession written by an upper-middle class middle-ages male observer who put social annotations throughout the description. The desire of the middle class to emulate the upper class and find many social distinctions between themselves and the the lower classes is perfectly displayed here in this interesting case study.

The fourth chapter also analyzes the work of a single man, however this time it is the extensive files of a spy who maintained records on the intelligensia during the Enlightenment. One reason this chapter is interesting is that writters we now consider to be primary thinkers of the Enlightenment were suspects to this well organized and thoughtful policeman for the social order.

The fifth chapter is the most academic but is very interesting. We learn about the tree of knowledge that Diderot used to construct his theory of human knowledge for the Encyclopedia. We get a delightful story from Borges about categorization which sets the tone of the chapter. We see how the assumptions and work of Descartes, Locke, and Bacon greatly influenced the taxonomy of human knowledge and expereince which created the structure for the Enlightenment thought as well as the structure for this major publication.

The sixth chapter got tiresome as we read about Rousseau and one of his devoted reading fans.

Overall a good book with some unique and thoughtful observations and generalizations. I liked his method,using texts to gain insight into the consciousness of another time and place.

Great for getting into the minds of the common folk.......2006-03-22

One other reviewer used the term "between academia and pop nonfiction". I suppose accurate pop non fiction was what I was looking for as I was trying to get an overview of the mind set or zeitgeist of prerevolutionary France. It was a little narrower in it's scope than I expected but in hind sight accomplished it's goal in giving me a feeling for that period which in turn helps putting the revolution in context.

For me this book complimented "Holy Madness : Romantics, Patriots, and Revolutionaries, 1776-1871"by Adam Zamoyski
I would recommend the book for those interested in folk stories and fairy tales. I enjoyed the comparisons of the same themes expressed the folk literature of Germany, England, Italy etc.

The Tale of Tom Kitten (The World of Beatrix Potter)

Average customer rating:

For anyone who ever resented having to take baths.
The Tale of Tom Kitten

The Tale of Tom Kitten (The World of Beatrix Potter)
Beatrix Potter
Manufacturer: Warne
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0723247773

Book Description

To celebrate Peter's birthday, Frederick Warne is publishing new editions of all 23 of Potter's original tales, which take the very first printings of Potter's works as their guide. The aim of these editions is to be as close as possible to Beatrix Potter's intentions while benefiting from modern printing and design techniques.

The colors and details of the watercolors in the volumes are reproduced more accurately than ever before, and it has now been possible to disguise damage that has affected the artwork over the years. Most notably, The Tale of Peter Rabbit restores six of Potter's original illustrations. Four were sacrificed in 1903 to make space for illustrated endpapers, and two have never been used before. Of course, Beatrix Potter created many memorable children's characters, including Benjamin Bunny, Tom Kitten, Jemima Puddle-duck and Jeremy Fisher. But whatever the tale, both children and adults alike can be delighted by the artistry in Potter's illustrations, while they also enjoy a very good read. Because they have always been completely true to a child's experience, Potter's 23 books continue to endure.

Customer Reviews:

For anyone who ever resented having to take baths........2002-05-13

'The Tale Of Tom Kitten' sees Beatrix Potter at her most fey. Three young kittens muck about in the garden, tormenting their neighbouring creatures, and generally being boisterous-but-nice kids. Their class-conscious mother (very few fathers in Potter's world) is having relatives around for tea, and gives her children unwelcome baths and brushings down, before making them wear the most appallingly naff Sundaywear. Unfortunately, Tom's been eating one too many pork pies, and bursts out of his pale blue two-piece, looking rather seedy.

The charm of this story lies in the infectious playfulness of the children, their universally-understandable indifference to their elders' desire for 'respectability', and the quaint evocation of an Edwardian farmstead.

The Tale of Tom Kitten.......2000-05-18

The Tale of Tom Kitten is Beatrix Potter at her best. It is certainly one of our family favorites. This is the story of three kittens all dressed in their best clothes and set out to play. They struggle to keep their clothes on only to lose them. They meet three ducks along the way who waddle off with the poorly fitted clothes. When the kittens return home their mother sends them upstairs while she hosts a tea party. Of course they cause a ruckus disturbing the "dignity and repose" of the party. The book ends with the ducks still searching for the clothes at the bottom of a pond. What makes Beatrix Potter so wonderful is her delightful vocablary that stretches a childs intellect. There is a mutual respect between Potter and the reader. Having drawn and painted animals and plant life since a child she is a master of anthropomorphisim, the giving of human qualities to animals or objects. Her delicate watercolors are perfectly suited to the playfullness of the story. This is a classic that should be a part of every child's library.

The Cat of Bubastes: A Tale of Ancient Egypt (Adventure)

Average customer rating:

got for my son who is 14
Good, a little boring
Great read!
Old-Fashioned, Rip-Roarin' Fun!
10 YEAR OLD BOY

The Cat of Bubastes: A Tale of Ancient Egypt (Adventure)
G. A. Henty
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0486423638

Book Description

A young Egyptian accidentally kills a sacred cat and must flee from an angry mob. Set in 1250 B.C., the time of Moses, this thrilling adventure also features fascinating details about Egyptian religion and geography, the methods by which the Nile was used for irrigation, and how the Egyptians were prepared for burial.

Customer Reviews:

got for my son who is 14.......2007-07-12

My son thought this was a good book, but a little hard to follow, because it uses older terms. Otherwise, he said it was a great book. He enjoyed the Light of Eidon more.

Good, a little boring.......2007-05-01

I don't know about you, but I have to read a book with lots of excitment to keep me reading. After reading the first three chapters, this book lay forgotten on my desk, getting covered with dust and cobwebs. My mom found it (I am an eleven year old girl who is homeschooled) and told me I had to read it. I picked up the boring book and stuck my whole face into the book. I read and read and read. I almost fell asleep a few times. Then, the light turned on for me. About half way through the book the excitment happened. I could put the book down until it was over.

So, I think this book is worth four stars and four stars only. If it doesn't have a booming introduction, I'm not reading it. (or at least not until my mom says)

Some good books, however are the following. I had to read them for school. They are historical fiction.

Bonze Bow
Hittite Warrior
Golden Goblet
...just a few of some really good books. The Bronze Bow is the best book I've read in my life.

Over all, I think that The Cat of Bubastes has its share of boring parts in it. I would much rather read Harry Potter books than this, let's put it that way. But, it has its share of excitment in it too. I would read it again if I had to.

Great read!.......2007-03-19

Great addition to our study of Egypt. And it's a Henty of course!

Old-Fashioned, Rip-Roarin' Fun!.......2005-10-30

This was the first Henty book that I ever read, and when I finished it I was hooked. Henty will take you to the land of ancient Egypt, and you will be able to live his story because of the depth and detail of his writing. Excellent characters and adventurous plot keep you into this book. If you enjoy historical fiction without objectionable content, give G. A. Henty a try!

10 YEAR OLD BOY.......2005-10-15

This book was exciting from the very beginning until the very end. I thought it was one of the best books I've ever read. It is about a Rebu Prince who lost his kingdom, his father, his family, and his home to the Egyptians in battle and was taken captive to Egypt. There, he was made a slave with his friend, Jethro. But he was not sad there for he was chosen by the high priest of the temple of the god, Osiris. Amuba, the Prince, made a friend at the priest's house, called Chebron. The main part was when they were outside trying to shoot a hawk who was killing all the water fowl. They both fired their bow and arrows. Since the prince had been in a battle, he hit the hawk but Chebron, who had never been in a battle before, missed and killed the sacred cat. In Egypt, if you kill a cat, you will be killed. From that point on in the story, things get exciting. People die, battles happen, the Prince and his comrades flee. In the end, Chebron is save because of the heroics of his friends. I rate this book a 5 star. If you want any kind of book just read this one!!

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Wild Cats of the World. by Barbara Sleeper

Wild Cats of the World
Art Wolfe , and Barbara Sleeper
Manufacturer: Crown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Wild Cats of the World

ASIN: 0517799782
Release Date: 1995-10-24

Book Description

Art Wolfe's stunning full-color photographs and Barbara Sleeper's informative text pay tribute to each of the world's 37 species of wild cats. Shown here in all their fearful symmetry and lithe grace are not only the famous big cats of the wild, but also the many medium-size and small cats. 191 4-color photographs.

Customer Reviews:

Wild Cats of the World. by Barbara Sleeper.......2000-01-12

A *coffee table* book with beautiful photos by Art Wolfe, one of the best US nature/wildlife photographers. It gives basic descriptions of different wildcat species , commenting on general conservation issues in the last two chapters. It's worth buying just for the photos alone.

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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

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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.

Urban Tails: Inside the Hidden World of Alley Cats

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Wonderful true tale of homeless tails!
Not Your Usual "Cat Book"
Steve Owens-Los Angeles, CA
"next time you'll notice them on your way to work..."
Help the feral felines. Please.

Urban Tails: Inside the Hidden World of Alley Cats
Sara Neeley
Manufacturer: New World Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 157731560X

Book Description

In cities and towns across the world, feral cats roam unnoticed, with generation after generation making their way through gritty lives filled with disease and hardship. When photographer Knox began noticing the growing colony of cats in the alley behind his Atlanta music studio, he entered a complex world of feline families struggling for survival. In many ways brutal, this world, he discovered, was also filled with strong family bonds, intriguing personalities, and fun. Urban Tails, featuring Knox's striking images and Sara Neeley's lively text, celebrates these survivors at the intersection of nature and industry as they play in the sun one minute and crouch dramatically beneath a semi the next. Urban Tails is a powerful testament to such operations, giving readers a glimpse into a hidden world of lives that, while not ideal, can be filled with beauty and love.

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful true tale of homeless tails!.......2007-07-14

This is a wonderful story for everyone of all ages and not only for animal lovers.it is an eye opener of the life of homeless cats.It is a true story big as life itself and is shared right from the heart.I am convinced that Knox touched each and every heart of every cat.
It is one of my favorite 'coffee table' books.Beautifully written with exceptional photography.

Not Your Usual "Cat Book".......2007-04-04

Are you looking for something more than the usual, run of the mill cat book?? For something more compelling and informative, as well as beautiful, check out "Urban Tails - Inside the Hidden World of Alley Cats" by Sara Neeley and Knox. It is a photographic journal of urban feral cats who are being cared for by the authors and their own TNR program. No one could fail to be deeply moved by this wonderful and poignant book. Anyone involved in caring for feral cats will especially appreciate this photographic essay of, what are often, forgotten felines.
It makes a refreshing change to see someone who isn't just taking pictures of these homeless/feral cats, but who is actually doing something about their plight.

Steve Owens-Los Angeles, CA.......2007-03-25

This beautiful book changed the way I see these feline members of our world. The photos by Knox pull at my heart. I'm going to look into how I can get involved in TNR. After this book, how could I not?

"next time you'll notice them on your way to work...".......2007-03-15

"...or when you drive by that place near the river" -Jared Carter.

Thank you - gorgeous photographs, bittersweet words, precious lives.

Inspiring!

Our six feline waifs and strays had to wait for their dinner while I read this book, cover to cover, and I'm looking forward to going through it again, slowly, savoring the beautiful photographs.

These urban-tailed cats are my cats, in a different location, slightly different circumstances - my cats came from my workplace too, kittens climbing in the dumpster to eat, a white cat abandoned at a fuel site, an infant kitten left in a box. Now they're in our home; they are our family.

Thank you for this book - it is a joy to read, and an encouragement to help where we can.

Help the feral felines. Please. .......2007-01-20

A sudden movement out of the corner of our eyes is most of us ever see of feral cats. To most of people a hungry tom searching through the garbage or a friendly stray with kittens is a normal every day occurrence. One that leaves our thoughts as soon as we turn around the next corner.

Knox captures on film, the essence of the plight of our forgotten felines, without exploiting them or the horrible fate many suffer. When looking at these pictures you can almost hear their cries for help, you can see the love, caring and compassion they have for each other.
You can also see the pure emotion and see into the "soul" of a forgotten feline. With the images captured in this book, you can see that they do indeed have feelings and do need our help. Coupled with Sara Neeleys writings, you can spend the day looking through the eyes of a cat as they struggle for survival, play, love and find joy in the simplest twig.

These cats are our responsibility as humans. We have domesticated them and they are willing loving companions. We owe them a better life than to be dropped of on the corner, or put outside for good. This is OUR issue and we have to abandon the "its just a cat" attitude.

If to the reader, a cat is a status symbol, or if you think that a cat is only to be purchased by pedigree, then this book is not for you.

However, If you are a true cat lover. A lover of moggies, toms, DSH and all forms of our furry feline friends, then this is a MUST have book.

If you can find it in your heart, buy one for yourself, your vets office and anyone you think would appreciate this.

Thank you Knox and Sara!
RIP Spooner.

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The definitive source for cats big and small
Book Wild Cats of the World
To have a knowledge on wild cats
Wild Cats of the World
Excelent book

Wild Cats of the World
Mel Sunquist , and Fiona Sunquist
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0226779998

Book Description

Did you know that European royalty once used cheetahs to hunt deer, or that caracals can capture birds by leaping six and a half feet straight up into the air from a standing start? Have you ever wondered whether domestic cats really do land on their feet when they fall, or how Canada lynx can stalk their prey in the winter without falling through the deep snow?

Wild Cats of the World is a treasure trove of answers to questions like these, and many others, for anyone who's interested in learning more about the world's felids, including the ones with whom we share our homes. Mel and Fiona Sunquist have spent more than a decade gathering information about cats from every available source, many of them quite difficult to find, including scientific papers, descriptions of hunts, archeological findings, observations by naturalists and travelers, reports from government agencies, and newsletters from a wide variety of organizations. Weaving information from these sources together with their own experiences observing wild cats around the world, the Sunquists have created the most comprehensive reference on felids available. Each of their accounts of the 36 species of cat contains a description of the cat, including human interactions with it, as well as detailed data on its distribution, ecology and behavior, status in the wild, and efforts to conserve it. Numerous photographs, including more than 40 in full color, illustrate these accounts.

Ranging from the two-pound black-footed cat to the five-hundred-pound tiger, and from the African serval with its satellite-dish ears to the web-footed fishing cat of Asia, Wild Cats of the World will fascinate and educate felid fans of any stripe (or spot).

Customer Reviews:

The definitive source for cats big and small.......2007-01-10

This is the most comprehensive reference on wild cats I've yet seen. This is not just a picture book of cats,although there are wonderful plates of all of the cats discussed (even the elusive golden cat). This is an encyclopedic tome offering information about range, habits, food, etc.

Book Wild Cats of the World.......2006-11-06

This book is very educational. Has alot of information on wild cats. I would highly recommand this book.

To have a knowledge on wild cats.......2006-04-17

I haven't seen a textbook this big since my college psychology book a few months back. Anyway, this is a great deal. Almost every aspect of almost every wild cat living in this world is here. Even the Appendices help. Highly recommended for those who are interested in lions, tigers, cheetahs, pumas, etc.

Wild Cats of the World.......2006-02-22

It is a very information book giving black and white and color photos. It is a good reference book for people who do work with predators and for anyone who would like to know about relatives of the domestic cat. The format of the book is an encylopdeia format and it is fairly easy to read.

Excelent book.......2005-09-28

It arrived fast, and all the information I needed is there. beautiful pictures

Average customer rating:

Wow! Woof!

Reigning Cats and Dogs
Katharine MacDonogh
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Popular Culture | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0312228376

Amazon.com

In 1434, Jan van Eyck painted his Arnolfini Marriage and, in so doing, made art history. What van Eyck did, which no previous painter had ever saw fit to do (according to Kenneth Clark), was to include in his masterpiece a little pet dog. Van Eyck has a lot to answer for. By the time you're a few pages into Katharine MacDonogh's book, you'll realize that dogs and cats (and the occasional monkey) must be in virtually every subsequent work of art--especially if that work of art also features a representative of the royal family.

As MacDonogh tells it, these poor, neglected, princely children would find succor away from their dysfunctional families with their beloved pugs, chins, and corgis--and the pets reaped the rewards, getting their own beds, clothes, glittering collars, and bizarre accessories. Why, one is tempted to ask, did Charles II's sister Henrietta-Anne think that her dog needed earrings? MacDonogh has marshaled a staggering array of anecdotes and paintings, and the result is a beautifully rich and generously illustrated body of evidence. It's an all-embracing survey, spanning six centuries and the entire Continent--and, as such, rarely allows for particularly in-depth analysis.

Some will argue that the portraits record generic convention rather than genuine affection for animals; others might cavil that the royals only seem to be more besotted with their pets because they get painted more often than your average dog owner. Jammed in amidst the jollity, there's a disturbing section on how Renaissance royals viewed their "dwarves" and black servants as quasi-animals that cries out for some serious thought. But if you can get past the title--and someone somewhere is very proud of that one--Reigning Cats and Dogs is an intriguing and diverting read for those precious minutes before the dogs need walking again. --Alan Stewart, Amazon.co.uk

Book Description

For monarchs and their consorts, cats, dogs and the occasional parrot have acted as constant companions, unquestioning allies, surrogate children and silent repositories of whispered confidences. For the isolated children of the monarchs, cats and dogs were often the only source of emotional comfort and warmth. From Empress Josephine's collection of pugs (who had their own personal maid) to the Duchess of Windsor's pug named after Princess Margaret's husband (as a barb for the Queen mum) to Elizabeth II's dynasty of corgis, Katharine MacDonogh's history of these pampered pets offers us a fascinating and often hilarious peek into the exalted world of their owners, exposing their romances, intrigues and follies. Reigning Cats and Dogs is a lavishly illustrated pet'seye view of court life that will delight any history buff, pet lover or royal watcher.

Customer Reviews:

Wow! Woof!.......2000-03-04

This is a really fun book. The accumulated information about royal pets is staggering. I'm a dog lover/owner and I really had a good time with this book. It's also beautifully illustrated and worth it for the pictures alone. If you have pets and an interest in history, this is the book for you. It would make a great gift for a dog, cat, bird,(whatever!) owner.

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