History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

The Knights Templar: The History and Myths of the Legendary Military Order

Average customer rating:

Excellent overview of the history of the Knights Templar
It's a pamphlet!!!
the legend continues
The Almighty Templars Revealed!
A waste of time and money

The Knights Templar: The History and Myths of the Legendary Military Order
Sean Martin
Manufacturer: Thunder's Mouth Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1560256451

Book Description

This book is an essential exploration into the history of a legendary group of Crusaders, which are prominently featured in Dan Brown’s recent best seller, The Da Vinci Code. The Knights Templar rose from humble beginnings to become the most powerful military religious order of the Middle Ages. Formed to protect pilgrims in the Holy Land, they participated in the Crusades and rapidly gained wealth, lands, and influence. Seemingly untouchable for nearly two centuries, they fell from grace spectacularly after the loss of the Holy Land. In the ensuing centuries the Templars have exerted a unique influence over European history; orthodox historians see them as nothing more than soldier-monks whose arrogance was their ultimate undoing, while others see them as occultists of the first order. With clarity and ease, Martin navigates between the orthodox and the speculative, the historical and the myth, to bring alive the story of the Templars. Like those other legends of the Middle Ages—the characters of the Arthurian tales—The Knights Templar holds captive the imagination of all those intrigued by conspiracy and how history and myth intertwine to become the stuff of legend.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent overview of the history of the Knights Templar.......2007-06-25

After reading "The Da Vinci Code" I wanted to know more about the real history behind the book. The Knights Templar turned out to be one of the most difficult subjects to find solid information on. This was practically the only book I could find that had any kind of respectable citations, although they are light even in this book. As I came to learn this was because there was very little hard history about the Templars, most of the stories are anecdotal at best and at worst mostly fiction. Sean Martin covers their history fairly and clearly delineates what is backed by hard evidence and what is purely anecdotal. The book is definitely brief but it covers the subject well and without the sensationalism most of the books on the subject use.

It's a pamphlet!!!.......2007-01-21

Tiny, short, ill-researched. I recommend this to those with more money than sense or whom are OBSESSED with getting anything and everything about the Templars regardless of how shaky the ground on which it stands. Avoid this one.

the legend continues.......2006-09-05

This book is great but too short. It sticks to the point and facts but leaves you wanting more.

The Almighty Templars Revealed! .......2006-08-09

This being my 1st book about this particular topic, "The Knights Templar" was a very easy read, and I think a good start in the field of Templar History. Sean Martin breaks everything out in a very understandable way. He discusses their origin and how The Templars began. He makes note of all the different kings, and various religious orders involved in the Crusades. After viewing the wonderful film, "Kingdom Of Heaven" recently released - you see some great characters come to life again, namely: Saladin, King Guy, King Baldwin the leper, etc).

I like the way Sean Martin explains the mysteries in the last section of the book. He goes into detail about the myths surrounding this unbelievable organization. Also, towards the end of the book, we see the decline of The Templars. It goes to show that when someone/some organization gets too powerful, the government will do whatever is necessary to rid the world of their existence. The same practice is still present in today's society! Nevertheless, it's still hard to believe that anyone had the ability to take The Templars down (being as rich, powerful, and influential as they were). *They had received papal bulls from Pope Innocent II (and a few popes to follow) which granted them unprecedented power without having to answer to anyone, kings included - simply amazing! The Templars had "divine power" (answering solely to the pope) and they used that leverage to their advantage for any endeavor they pursued. We'll never see that kind of institution again!

I will definitely have to read this book again to get more acquainted with the times, important figures, events and so on. For a small paperback, there is a lot of information to take in which makes this book a great little treasure to have! However, it will be a pleasure to read this book another time, and furthermore, I will use "The Knights Templar" as my guide to pursuing more books of the same interest. I hope to expand my knowledge about The Templars, and the power they held like no one else in history!

A waste of time and money.......2006-07-21

I bought this book mainly on the recommendations of other reviewers. That was a mistake. The book is a dull gleaning from unacknowledged secondary sources. Lots of more or less accurate names and dates, but no depth analysis at all. Style? Try this: "The feeling that the arrests were a criminal act of unapralleled dimensions were felt at the time."

If you still want the book, don't buy it. Let me know and I'll give you my copy.

World War I: A Short History (2nd Edition)

Average customer rating:

Straight Facts on World War I
A clear military/political history of the First World War

World War I: A Short History (2nd Edition)
Michael J. Lyons
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0130205516

Book Description

With unusual clarity and "from the trenches" insights, this book explores in detail the complexities of the origins, course, and momentous effects of World War I. It focuses not only on the grand scale of the war, but on its everyday realities for the common soldier and the civilian populations on the Western, Eastern, and other fronts. Explores the military and non-military aspects of the War and its causes. Synthesizes various analyses and interpretations of the many controversies of the war. Includes insights from the most recent literature on the role of women in the conflict; the war in the air; the Armenian Genocide; the assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand; Total War and the Home Fronts. Contains a graphic, in-depth account of the appalling existence of soldiers at the front -- including not only the horrors of battle, but the oppressive psychological impact of life in the trenches. Features a large number of maps and lively biographical sketches of important figures. For anyone interested in World War I, Military History, 20th Century Europe.

Customer Reviews:

Straight Facts on World War I.......2003-01-23

World War I, A Short History is one book that certainly can be judged by its cover, it is a no frills statement of all facts concerning World War I from its causes to its consequences, it is accurate, detailed and has a refreshing lack of personal opinion. Do to its overwhelming detail and lack of personal opinion Lyons's book is best suited not as a class room text but as a stand alone resource of the First World War. There is no doubt of Lyons in depth knowledge of his subject but the comprehensive manner in witch he presents it makes the book no light reading, careful note taking is required in order to make the most out of the information that Lyons presents, despite this inconvenience the book is still a valuable resource.

A clear military/political history of the First World War.......2001-04-27

This is a clear, readable textbook that covers the background of the war, wartime developments on all fronts, and the aftermath of the war. The focus is almost entirely on Europe; there is one chapter on the war outside Europe, but little attention otherwise to the involvement of non-Europeans (primarily via colonial empires) in the war effort. The focus is political and military, with occasional discussion of economic matters. There is little social and no cultural history--for those topics, look elsewhere. The maps are clear (though I would prefer more of them), and there are some photos--though for the price of this book, I would have expected more illustrations. It has a list of recommended reading and takes account of a good deal of recent research. The writing isn't gripping--it is a textbook, after all--but it's clear. Section headings help readers keep track of major trends.

Naples '44: A World War II Diary of Occupied Italy

Average customer rating:

Rare gem
Thoroughly delightful and informative
Great!!!
A Snapshot of WWII Seldom Discussed
Unbreakable life spirit in time of war

Naples '44: A World War II Diary of Occupied Italy
Norman Lewis
Manufacturer: Carroll & Graf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Irish | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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In Sicily
In the Shadow of Vesuvius: A Cultural History of Naples
Falling Palace: A Romance of Naples
The Tomb in Seville: Crossing Spain on the Brink of Civil War
The Honoured Society: The Sicilian Mafia Observed

ASIN: 0786714387

Book Description

As a young intelligence officer stationed in Naples following its liberation from Nazi forces, Norman Lewis recorded the lives of a proud and vibrant people forced to survive on prostitution, thievery, and a desperate belief in miracles and cures. The most popular of Lewis’s twenty-seven books, Naples ’44 is a landmark poetic study of the agony of wartime occupation and its ability to bring out the worst, and often the best, in human nature. In prose both heartrending and comic, Lewis describes an era of disillusionment, escapism, and hysteria in which the Allied occupiers mete out justice unfairly and fail to provide basic necessities to the populace while Neapolitan citizens accuse each other of being Nazi spies, women offer their bodies to the same Allied soldiers whose supplies they steal for sale on the black market, and angry young men organize militias to oppose “temporary” foreign rule. Yet over the chaotic din, Lewis sings intimately of the essential dignity of the Neapolitan people, whose traditions of civility, courage, and generosity of spirit shine through daily. This essential World War II book is as timely a read as ever.

Customer Reviews:

Rare gem.......2006-03-23

Lewis left us with a fascinating account of this small but very human part of WWII. And gathered some very interesting details that otherwise would have been lost forever.

Thoroughly delightful and informative.......2006-01-04

This is a real gem of a memoir-cum-diary of World War II in Naples and its environs. I have just 'discovered' Mr. Lewis, and am knocked out by his eye for detail and the transparency of his writing. The book really gives you a sense sense of the tragi-comedy of a city recently liberated from the Germans; more than that, you cannot help but be impressed with the creativeness of Neapolitans' dealings with the incredible difficulties they faced after the Germans retreated North. You will also, sadly, get a sense that the United States Army was not completely comprised of "Band of Brothers" soldiers. Nor, for that matter, was the British. Read this book.

Great!!!.......2005-08-08

I am Neapolitan and a British friend of mine told me to read this book that I found amazing. I reccomend to read this book to learn more about different cultures, lifestyle, and most important about the difficulties that people experience during the world, what they are forced to do to survive, something that I have learned from my parents, since at the time they were young kids starving in Naples. Naples is a vibrant and "smart" town where people is unique, in good and bad...

A Snapshot of WWII Seldom Discussed.......2004-04-22

This is not a book for the sqeamish, nor is it a book for those seeking a Tom Brokaw-ish golden memory of WWII. It is, however, a wonderfully written, and easy-to-read war diary. Every page is fascinating in it's detail of human behavior. If you are seeking information about the movements of great armies and generals,or a recap of military hardware or uniforms, this isn't it. This is a good look at what war does to the people who have to live in the middle of it, and how occupying armies deal with people and customs they barely understand. We have very deep ties with Italy and the Italians, so it makes one wonder whether it's possible for Iraq to make a post-invasion recovery. There is a critical difference, we and the Germans mostly disarmed the Italian populace.They didn't wander the streets with AK-47s and RPGs, though weapons were hidden for a possible civil war. I also recommend reading "The War in Val D'Orcia" by Iris Origo for a look at WWII Italian life farther north in the Apennine mountains of Italy.

Unbreakable life spirit in time of war.......2004-02-28

The author wrote a diary during his stay as a member of the allied occupational force in Naples after the allied liberation. The "liberators" turns out to be more corrupt and less disciplined by the fascists, and even the previous German occupiers. The civilian population suffered incredible privations from the corrupt and mafia influenced occupationary government, and from soldiers and bandits rampaging through the countryside. The author is gradually won over unbreakable spirit and adaptability of the Italians. The book is written in a direct and conversational tone that goes directly to the heart.

Average customer rating:

The Zimmermann Telegram and U.S. entry into WW I
The Second Mexican-American War ?
Interesting but not compelling given history
Crisp Narrative of Intrique
Very entertaining and exciting

The Zimmermann Telegram
Barbara W. Tuchman
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

World War I | Military | History | Subjects | Books

The Guns of August
The Proud Tower: A Portrait of the World Before the War, 1890-1914
Bible and Sword: England and Palestine from the Bronze Age to Balfour
Stilwell and the American Experience in China, 1911-45
The March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam

ASIN: 0345324250
Release Date: 1985-03-12

Customer Reviews:

The Zimmermann Telegram and U.S. entry into WW I.......2007-05-14

This book, by an eminent historian, greatly enlightened me as to the primary events that caused our entry into WW I. I heretofore had thought that the Lusitania sinking and the resumption of untrestricted submarine warfare were PRIME, while the Zimmermann Telegram was realtively minor and/or a British hoax. However, the revelation of the Zimmermann Telegram "galvanized" U.S. citizens like nothing else could have and the credibility of it was, strangely, even admitted to by Arthur Zimmermann himself. Had always been curious as to just what part the "Telegram" had played and/or the above-mentioned potential for it being a British hoax?
Also, I was appalled at German stupidity and arrogance in thinking their code could NOT be broken. Incredibly, they AGAIN did the same thing in WW II and "The Ultra Secret" thing. People, even of the vaunted intelligence of the Teuton, are still prone to studpidity. For more of this latter, see Mrs. Tuchman's work: "The March of Folly". The Japanese too, were not immune, reference "Magic" intercepts in WW II.

The Second Mexican-American War ?.......2007-04-20

This is the second book by Barbara Tuchman that I've read and once again, her writing skills are manifest. She has taken a seemingly minor document (maybe not all that minor), showing the conception behind it, its transmission to German agents in Mexico, its decoding by British Naval Intelligence agents, and its release to American government officials, and hence we have this captivating and dramatic story. In Tuchman's view, this document was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back, which in this case was America and its leaders (most especially Wilson's) reluctance to enter into the First World War.

A cast of scores come to the surface in this book, many of whom I knew little about, from British intelligence figures, German and Mexican agents trying to formulate a plan for alliance, along with Japan, and others from various diplomatic and political spheres of influence from the Allied and Central Powers. As in the Guns of August, I sense her abilities in capturing the drama of the moment and the human elements of the stories. This is a relatively small book, but is choke full of information.

For me, the power of her words and description really started pouring forth from the chapter entitled Trap. Her portrayals of various German diplomatic figures like Chancellor Bethmann-Hollweg, Ambassador Bernstorff, President Wilson, Walter Hines Page, Balfour and others symbolize her talents in portraying the human elements of the story. The depiction of American naivete on foreign affairs and the dangers posed by the Central Powers came across in this book. For example, how the Americans warmly greeted incoming German Foreign Secretary Arthur Zimmermann and how Wilson refused to believe that Germany's declaration of unrestricted U-Boat warfare would deter the Americans efforts to remain neutral; Wilson still wanted to bring the belligerent powers to a settlement, or as Wilson called it, a peace without victory.

Once again, a marvelous work by a wonderful historian.

Interesting but not compelling given history.......2007-04-19

Tuchman was a fine historian, however she wrote this book before the expiration of the British Official Secrets Act on the Zimmermann Telegram whereupon it was revealed it was, indeed, a fake concocted by the British Secret Service as a ploy to entice the US into the war. That did not happen until 1966-7. At the time it was distrusted by American opinion, as just that, a British fake. However the sinking of the Lusitannia removed any remaining American doubts as to entry in the Great War. Subsequent to the revelation that the Zimmermann Telegram was a fake, (50 years after the fact) followed the item that the Lusitannia was carrying arms and munitions in her hold. The Germans knew this and announced, via ads in New York papers, their intention to sink her, which they did. Undersea exploration has since borne this out. Both incidents drew the US into the war, both were based on falsehoods. In war, the first casualty is truth. Now, what makes us think 9ll is anything different??

Crisp Narrative of Intrique.......2007-02-11

Historian Barbara Tuchman tells the full story of the Zimmerman Telegram in gripping detail. As many know, this note was sent by the German foreign minister to Mexico at the height of World War I. Germany hoped to spur increased conflict between the USA and Mexico, and thus keep America's industrial might from joining the Allies. But Zimmerman's note was intercepted by British intelligence, which quickly decoded it. Then as the author shows, Britain held on to it and waited to release their discovery at the right moment. That moment came in early 1917 as Germany announced it was resuming unrestricted submarine warfare in the Atlantic. The effect in the USA was electric, and it spurred President Woodrow Wilson, a near-pacifist, to ask Congress to declare war on Germany.

Historian Barbara Tuchman (1912-1989) was a talented popular historian with a nicely readable style. This 1958 book is not that long in pages, but it's great for information, tension, and history.

Very entertaining and exciting.......2006-12-04

Barbara Tuchman's style is so refreshing -- she brings a perspective to history that I never thought existed.
The story of intrigue during the first world war and the efforts of the Germans to keep the US out of it so that Germany could launch what it thought would be the final death blow to Britain. The telegram referred to in the book was intercepted but because of the intrigue could not be made immediately public to the American Public.
Very good story

Average customer rating:

The development of warfare from medieval times.
Essential Reading
Worthwhile, but not as interesting as it should be.
Very quick read.
Easy, fun to read, fairly basic.....

War in European History
Michael Howard
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

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The Military Revolution: Military Innovation and the Rise of the West, 1500-1800
The Dynamics of Military Revolution, 1300-2050

ASIN: 0192802089

Book Description

A brilliantly written survey of the changing ways war has been made from the Norse invasions to the present day; its effects on the history of the Continent, and on social and political institutions; and the effect of technological and social change of war itself. 'Though he surveys a thousand years of history, he does so without sinking in a slough of facts and draws a broad outline of developments which will delight the general reader.' A. J. P. Taylor, (Observer)

Customer Reviews:

The development of warfare from medieval times........2006-06-06

This is a good read for those wanting to know how warfare developed. Since Europe controlled most of the land mass of the world at some points, the development of warfare worldwide can be linked with what happened in Europe. War in medieval times was more of a local affair. The development of nation states changed where war became one of merchants and mercenaries. The French Revolution forced war to become revolutionary. Nationalism focused war towards the goals of the nation.

This is a short read on the development of warfare. I would not rate this book for everybody. It does give the history of warfare in simple to understand terms.

Essential Reading.......2005-07-29

A friend of mine recommended this book to me. At the time it was required reading at West Point and it very well may still be. No other book displays the history of war in Europe in such a concise and complete way. It also shows how the nations of Europe developed and what gave them thier defining characteristics. Anyone with an interest in Western history or military history should own a copy of this book.

Worthwhile, but not as interesting as it should be........2003-06-23

This is a short treatise, based on a series of lectures. Its objective is to identify the interactions between economic, social and political structures, technology, the objectives of warfare, and the ways war are thought. It covers European warfare from the middle ages through World War II. The book is replete with insights and interesting generalizations. Yet, for a short book, I still found myself getting bogged down in details of 16th and 17th century political history: perhaps had I a better background I would have enjoyed the politics as kind of a quick review, but I think Howard emphasizes political details too much in several of his chapters, while not focusing sufficiently on tactics and technology. As it happened, immediately prior to reading Howard, I had read about 40 pages of Fighting Techniques of the Ancient World: Equipment, Combat Skills and Tactics by Simon Anglim et al and found this terrific, almost indispensable background (I would not recommend the rest of that book so highly).

Very quick read........2001-03-05

A very good, very quick military history overview - hits all the main points without belaboring any, gives the reader a good list of authors to look at after finishing Howard.

Easy, fun to read, fairly basic............2000-09-26

Regarding this book, I'd go opposite of the last reviewer. I'm not certain that any more than a prefunctory grasp of European history is necessary to make this book worthwhile. It is a small tome (165 pp); it provides a clear and simple diagram of the ways that war has changed as society has changed, and how war itself has changed society.

Howard provides the clear and erudite prose that befits a man who will probably be remembered as one of the class military historians of the last century. I recommend this book as an introduction to military tactics and history; with it, Earle or Paret's 'Makers of Modern Strategy' and John Keegan's 'A History of War' at least an outline of questions to investigate will start to form.....

Easter Rising 1916: Birth of the Irish Republic (Campaign)
Average customer rating:

Hard to See What All the Fuss is About

An Opportunity Wasted

Easter Rising 1916: Birth of the Irish Republic (Campaign)
Michael Mcnally
Manufacturer: Osprey Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1846030676
Release Date: 2007-03-27

Book Description

When the outbreak of World War I delayed home rule for Ireland, a faction of Irish nationalists - the Irish Republican Brotherhood - decided to take direct action and infiltrated a number of other nationalist and militia outfits.

On Easter Monday 1916, whilst armed men seized key points across Dublin, a rebellion was launched from the steps of the General Post Office (GPO) and Patrick Pearse proclaimed the existence of an Irish Republic and the establishment of a Provisional Government.

The British response was a military one and martial law was declared throughout Ireland. Over the next five days they drove the rebels back in violent street fighting until the Provisional Government surrendered on April 29. Central Dublin was left in ruins.
The leaders of the rising were tried by court martial: 15 of them were summarily executed and a further 3,500 'sympathizers' imprisoned. Although the majority of the Irish population was against the rebellion, the manner of its suppression began to turn their heads in favor of those who would call for independence from Britain 'at any cost.'

Covering in detail this important milestone in the ongoing Anglo-Irish struggle, bestselling author Michael McNally thoroughly examines the politics and tactics employed, to provide a well-researched study of the roots and outcome of this conflict. Furthermore, the array of unique photographs depicting this calamitous event help to bring to life one of the key episodes that shaped Irish history.

Customer Reviews:

Hard to See What All the Fuss is About.......2007-05-17

The "Easter Rising" by Irish Nationalists in Dublin in April 1916 achieved iconic stature in Irish history and as such, any book that deals with this subject must tread carefully. Michael McNally, who did such a great job with his volume on the Battle of the Boyne last year, sets out to describe the military nature of the uprising in Osprey's Campaign no. 180, Easter Rising 1916. McNally writes well and he clearly has good insight into his subject, as well as objectivity toward the British position. However, the root causes behind the uprising - so apparent perhaps to Irishmen - is not well explained in the lengthy political lead-up to the campaign narrative. Ireland in 1916 was an occupied country but unlike the Poles in Warsaw in 1944 or the Hungarians in Budapest in 1956, this was not a population that was facing mass executions or brutal police state tactics (before the uprising). Irishmen in 1916 had political options that Poles in 1944 or Hungarians in 1956 did not have - the ability to make some improvements through non-violent means. Indeed, McNally's narrative makes clear that the uprising had scant public support in its initial days and was the work of barely 1,000 extremists who sought objectives faster than non-violent means could provide. The so-called "Irish Republic" lasted less than a week and only allowed the British to inflict more repressive measures on Ireland. While the author makes an earnest effort to describe the uprising, by the time that the reader puts this volume down many may ask what all the fuss was about and why over 400 people had to die. Irish Republican die-hards will likely enjoy this volume, but it does not speak well to a broader audience.

Easter Rising 1916 begins with a fairly lengthy discussion of the political context of the uprising, focusing on the issue of Home Rule, the determination of Irish nationalists to seek independence at all costs, Irish efforts to gain German arms to assist in an uprising and British occupation difficulties in Ireland. The section on opposing commanders is a bit brief and the Irish Rebel commanders are presented with much less detail than the three British officers. The section on opposing armies is also brief at four pages, but has three pages of order of battle. Opposing Plans is also brief, with several Irish schemes presented for an uprising, none of which seemed to have any inherent military logic. Several more pages of political prelude are presented in the campaign narrative, which demonstrate that differences between the various Irish para-military groups led to a much lower turnout than expected - the uprising began with no more than 1,200 rebels to oppose a British garrison in Dublin of about 2,400.

The author's campaign narrative is well-written, but after the initial surprise of the outbreak, it tends to bog down as the British reduce one Irish stronghold after another. As city battles go, Dublin 1916 was fairly low-key, with low force levels involved and limited close combat. The author also has a tendency to go over the top at times, describing the Battle of the Mount Street Canal Bridge as "the Irish Thermopylae." Since many of the Irish rebels escaped, it is difficult to see the comparison with Leonidas and his 300 Spartans, who chose to stand and die. Certainly the description of this action between four battalions of British troops and a small group of Irish snipers is the best military set-piece in the volume. The author also seems to see nothing wrong with Irish rebels receiving weapons from Germany, even though other Irish soldiers were fighting these same Germans on the Western Front. Although the author winks at the idea of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend," his viewpoint seems to have some of the typical Irish naiveté about what a German victory would have meant for Ireland. Kaiser Wilhelm was not in business to set minor countries free and was out for European domination - a fact that often seems to escape Irish eyes clouded by anti-English hatred.

Easter Rising 1916 includes four 2-D maps (Arms for Ireland 1914-16; Initial Movements in Dublin, 24 April 1916; the Noose Tightens, 24-25 April 1916; Britain Moves Reinforcements to Ireland) and three 3-D BEV maps (Consolidation, 26-27 April 1916, Interior of the General Post Office Building; the final curtain, 28-29 April 1916). The Battle scenes by artist Peter Dennis (the "Lancers" in Sackville Street, 24 April 1916; the bombardment of Liberty Hall, 25 April 1916; the Battle of Mount Street Canal Bridge, 25 April 1916) are superb. The author also provides a useful bibliography.

In military terms, the uprising was a flop - poorly planned, wretchedly executed and with no hope of success, something these pages don't always convey. The author provides little follow-up to the uprising, other than noting the execution of its ringleaders. A bit more of the political after-affects would have allowed non-Irish readers to better assess the impact of this act of violence. The author is also a bit slip-shod with the casualty toll, suggesting 550 British and 2,500 civilian casualties while other sources suggest 475 and 820 (if there are different estimates, an author owes it to the reader to present both a `high' and `low' end). Overall, this is a good volume, but somewhat constrained by nationalistic viewpoints and thus, not necessarily helpful to an objective overview of the events of April 1916 in Dublin.

An Opportunity Wasted.......2007-05-12

I have long been a fan of Osprey, whether it be there "Men at Arms" Series or the Campaign series of which this book is a member. By the very nature of military history, there are two side to the story and before this book I though Osprey had striven to be fair and impartial in telling the story. However this book falls far short.

It starts off by categorizing the Irish Nationalist forces as "rebels". It is interesting to note that in books dealing with the '45, American Revolution and American Civil war, they refer to the combatants as Jacobites, Americans and Confederates respectively (though they were also considered "rebels" by their respective governments at the time). This respects these mens view (right or wrong) that they were fighting an alien government and not one that represented them. Yet in this book the Irish Nationalist forces are alternately referred to as "rebels" or "insurgents" denigrating their military standing and the ideals for which they were fighting for.

In the section on opposing commanders, there are none of the min-biographies so familiar to readers of the Campaign series for the Irish forces, though strangely there are for the British forces. Firstly, I am at a loss as to how one can write about the Easter uprising without an understanding of Padraic Pearse or James Connolly. Both of these key figures "just appear" in the middle of the text with no background of the men or their character and therefore no understanding of their motivations and desires. However by providing a biography of the British commanders these men are given a much more human quality which the author has denied the Irish leadership.

One could go on and on: the key role that British plans to introduce conscription in Ireland (despite previous agreements to the contrary) in driving many youg men to enlist in the Nationalist cause is not touched on. The aftermath of the battle, where drum head courts, executions and government whitewash lost the war for Irish "hearts and minds" for Britain and drove many heretofore neutral Irish into the nationalist camp is barely and not sufficiently mentioned.

More than most conflicts covered by Osprey, the echos of 1916 can still be heard in today's headlines. Only by a fair and balanced examination and respect for both parties' points of view can understanding be achieved. Unfortunately, for reasons known but to them, Osprey has let the reader down in this title. It is also interesting to note that Osprey makes note that the author is "of Irish parentage", I don't recall ever seeing references to an authors parentage before, and I am not sure of it's relevance. It is almost as if they knew that this title would raise objections and are trying to be preemptive. This of course overlooks the fact that many of the greatest leaders for Irish Independence were of Anglo-Irish parentage, proving ones genetics due not necessarily influence ones beliefs and biases.

Supplying War: Logistics from Wallenstein to Patton

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The Big L brought to the masses...kind of
useful intro to military logistics
Logistics for the Armchair General
Accountants, Gamblers and Thieves
the best book about the history of logistics

Supplying War: Logistics from Wallenstein to Patton
Martin van Creveld
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0521297931

Book Description

Why did Napoleon succeed in 1805 but fail in 1812? Were the railways vital to Prussiaâ€™s victory over France in 1870? Was the famous Schlieffen Plan militarily sound? Could the European half of World War II have been ended in 1944? These are only a few of the questions that form the subject-matter of this meticulously researched, lively book. Drawing on a very wide range of unpublished and previously unexploited sources, Martin van Creveld examines the â€~nuts and boltsâ€™ of war: namely, those formidable problems of movement and supply, transportation and administration, so often mentioned - but rarely explored - by the vast majority of books on military history. In doing so he casts his net far and wide, from Gustavus Adolphus to Rommel, from Marlborough to Patton, subjecting the operations of each to a thorough analysis from a fresh and unusual point of view. The result is a fascinating book that has something new to say about virtually every one of the most important campaigns waged in Europe during the last two centuries.

Customer Reviews:

The Big L brought to the masses...kind of.......2007-04-06

Martin Van Creveld's Supplying War: Logistics from Wallenstein to Patton is a highly readable examination of the 'evolution' of the Big L, military logistics, as associated with European wars over the last few hundred years up through WWII. While armies, from ancient to modern times, "march on their bellies" - as Napoleon once said, and thus logistics provide the cornerstone of all successful campaigns, the Big L tends not to be popular reading among historians, amateur and profession alike; in other words military logistics is a hard nut to crack from a literary standpoint. Van Creveld's book is a serious, and at least partially successful, attempt to bring the Big L to the masses (re: not to bookstores and best-seller lists but probably most large metro and university libraries).

In his presentation of the material at hand Van Creveld is careful not to present overwhelming 'facts' and 'logistical trivia', and in doing so is able to keep the readers attention. On the other hand as 'facts' and logistical trivia' are the commodity of the Big L a fair portion of Van Creveld's conclusions and suppositions are hard to reconcile as the reader has little frame of reference from a data standpoint. Thus in trying to make his subject accessible Van Creveld in large part shortchanges the importance of the subject matter. Yet, his prose is accessible and one can walk away for an 'appreciation' for military logistics at a minimum.

Will the reader be well versed with military logistics after reading Van Creveld's book? Absolutely not. However, if one's interest is even slighted piqued by the story Van Creveld presents then there is ample material out there to lose oneself in with respect to the Big L; this is especially true of the dearth of data, statistics and pages dedicated to logistics of the second world war. In the end Supplying War: Logistics from Wallenstein to Patton does a fair job capturing the imagination of the reader on a topic so often lost to even the hardcore military historians out there. It fails to fully 'teach' logistical lessons, but that's forgivable given the subject matter and it's usual inaccessibility. 3.5 stars total.

useful intro to military logistics.......2007-03-09

This is an interesting and thought-provoking book. Much more has been written on this subject since this first came out but as a starting point for anyone interested in military logistics this book can still not be bettered.

Logistics for the Armchair General.......2005-06-28

It has been said that armchair generals think of strategy, whereas professionals study logistics. If that is true, Martin van Creveld has written a book on logistics for armchair generals.

Those familiar with military history and strategic studies are likely familiar with Van Creveld and his proclivity for making bombastic and sweeping assertions on the nature of warfare. "Supplying War" is no exception. (By way of example, he labels Operation Overlord "an exercise in logistic pusillanimity unparalleled in modern military history.")

Originally published in 1976, "Supplying War" was the first book to directly address the critical, but often ignored issues of logistics in warfare with a primary objective of identifying key themes and trends across time. Even Van Creveld's most trenchant critics - and he has many in the academic community - concede that his work was original and reached a large audience, and has therefore largely defined the debate on the subject.

Van Creveld reviews seven historical case studies (17th century feudal warfare, Napoleon's invasion of Russia, the German invasion of France in 1870 and 1914, and Russia in 1940, Rommel's 1942 North African campaign and the Normandy invasion of 1944) and comes to the following general conclusion: In pre-modern military history food (including animal fodder) was the primary logistical concern and most armies were forced to keep moving to survive by living off the land; but the rise of the modern, mechanized army inverted the paradigm, as ammunition and fuel supplies became paramount and armies were increasingly tied to rear-area depots for their survival.

"Supplying War" is as interesting and easy to read as a book on such an inherently dull topic can be. Given the broad impact the book has had serious students of military history will want to read it if only to understand Van Creveld's perspective and arguments.

I would add, however, that no one should read "Supplying War" without also consulting the extremely thoughtful and hard-nosed critique of it written by John Lynn in "Feeding Mars: Logistics in Western Warfare from the Middle Ages to the Present." Lynn's essay points out a number of serious flaws in Van Creveld's approach and conclusions. For instance, Lynn notes that Van Creveld conveniently avoids the issue of naval logistics, which happens to undermine his argument that military forces have only recently been engaged in serious logistical planning. Unlike armies, from at least the time of the Spanish Armada navies have had to engage in sophisticated logistical planning to ensure they had enough food, water and ammunition to complete their mission, and with the arrival of steam power they had to worry about fuel as well.

Lynn points out a number of other convenient omissions in Van Creveld's work, such as the successful use of railroads and steamboats for front-line supply in the US Civil War, the critical and successful role trans-Atlantic and -Pacific US logistics support played in both the First and Second World Wars, and the political constraints on 17th Century warfare that inhibited operations much more than logistical considerations. However, the most convincing (and damning) scrutiny of "Supply War" comes in a section titled "A problem with numbers?" in which Lynn comes very close to accusing Van Creveld of intellectual and academic dishonesty by twisting or misrepresenting quantitative data on the purported rise of ammunition and fuel as a percentage of the overall supply requirements and the selective quotation of certain sources.

In closing, add this book to your reading list, read it carefully and skeptically, consult Lynn's analysis closely and draw your own conclusions.

Accountants, Gamblers and Thieves.......2003-02-01

Studying this book one gets the distinct impression that some of the most acclaimed military men in history were gamblers with a lucky streak or in other words very successful thieves, who solved their own supply problems by stealing it.

That is how Napoleon did it while he was winning, but when he organized his own supply for the Russian campaign he lost. Likewise the Prussian general staff got a reputation for perfect planning while in the field the army operated by chaotic requisition. The Schlieffen plan was unworkable from the start, Patton won by stealing from his neighbor units and ignoring the supply bureaucrats and Rommel overextended himself without a chance of winning ...

Interesting perspectives that give lot of food for thought - even if they may be somewhat biased. For example when Creveldt blames the German general stuff for not preparing the Russian campaign properly he claims that Hitler 's decisions made sense ....

It is a pity that the book stops in 1944; Korea, Vietnam and the Gulf war would be very interesting by comparison.

the best book about the history of logistics.......2002-07-07

Martin Van Creveld provides an interesting overview of how logistics influenced the outcome of miltitary operations. The first part of the book deatils warfare during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries the armies had to keep advancing in order in replemish their supplies. If the army stayed in the same area over a large amount of time such as Napoleon's army in Moscow, than the army would run out of supplies. This situation did not change during the Franco-Prussian War in which the Prussian army had to scrounge for food at the outskirts of Paris. All though food remained a problem for the armies there was always a plentiful supply of ammunition since armies of the 18th and 19th centuries expended very little of it. Martin Van Creveld makes some surprising claims in the later part of the book describing twentieth century warfare. Martin Van Creveld believes that the Schlieffen Plan was doomed to failure because of the logistical constraints of the German army. Because most of supplies delivered to the German army were by rail, the desturuction of the railways impeded their advance. Also German planners made no plans to deal with the massive traffic jams in Belgum. The next chapter Van Creveld has an revisionist appraisal of the Germany invasion of Russia in 1941. Van Creveld believes that Germany had the supplies to deal with winter warfare but the inability to transport them across Russia. Due to the difference between German and Russian rail tracks and maintance problems of German engines the supplies never reached the front. Van Creveld strongly criticizes Rommel's handling of the North Africam campaign. Rommel advance to far for his supplies to be replenished. The problem of supply duirng the North African War was that the supplies had to be delivered by trucks that were highly vulnerable to air attack. When Rommel tried to solve the problem by taking Tobruk, he only made matters worse. The ships that arrived at Tobruk were in range of Allied aircraft and as a result sunk. The final Chapter, Van Creveld evaluates Allied operations in Western Europe. Van Creveld believes that Patton's success had to due with the fact that Patton ignored logistic officer's plan for a slow a orderly pace but instead took advantage of the situation to advance quickly. Van Creveld theorizes that Montgomery's narrow front approach could have logistically reached Northwest Germany but were have not captured Berlin. I would highly reccomend this book for anyone who wants a new and interesting perspective about operations during the First and Second World Wars.

History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)

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Check and see
Suprise! Suprise!
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Something of a disappointment
Romulus courts Helen, Paris founds Rome, Moses goes to Troy..

History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)
Anatoly T Fomenko
Manufacturer: Delamere Resources LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 2913621066

Product Description

`History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2` is the second volume of the most explosive and astounding tractate on history ever written - however, every theory it contains, no matter how unorthodox, is backed by rock solid scientific data. The book is easy and pleasant to read; it is well-illustrated, contains hundreds of charts, graphs and illustrations, copies of ancient manuscripts, and countless facts attesting to the falsity of the chronology used nowadays. You will be amazed to discover: - That the chronology universally accepted today and taken for granted is simply wrong; - That ALL methods of dating of ancient sources and artefacts known today are erroneous or non-exact; - That there is not a single document that could be reliably dated earlier than the XIth century; The Author refers to the Middle Ages as the Antiquity and proves mutual superimposition of the Second and the Third Roman Empire, both of which become identified as the respective kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Furthermore, he asserts that the famous reform of the Occidental Church in the XI century by Pope Gregory Hildebrand was the reflection of the XII century reforms of Byzantine emperor Andronicus who in his turn identifies with Jesus Christ. The Trojan war counted by Homer happened only as late as of the XIII century A.D. and the great poet actually lived in XIV century A.D. No stone in history of Antiquity is left unturned. Literally. This book is the beginning of a major correction to the chronology we live with.

Customer Reviews:

Check and see.......2007-06-21

I don't care what other people say of this book. Those affirmig it's fake, they hadn't ever read it. Or have some special reasons to do so. "Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see..." This book won't make you feel comfortable. It'll make you feel free. It'll make you feel you're "not the only one" to feel you'd been lied to for centuries.

Suprise! Suprise!.......2007-03-22

Here is a serie of books which turns "the whole world" upside down. I learned a lot of it and I hope that a new book from A.T. Fomenko will follow very quick. A absolute must for everybody who is interested in history or even a little bit from it.

Prescient St Augustine?.......2006-02-05

We can so far divide the New Chronology into the following three parts:

a) The verifiable theory that proves consensual chronology wrong with the aid of astronomy, statistics and mathematics;

b) The new chronology hypothesis based on a new understanding of known historical facts and the most likely logical explanation of the most obvious inconsistencies inherent in the official version of history;

c) The history conjectures, that is experimental historical reconstructions based on assumptions that the authors believe to make sense in the light of their research and linguistic parallels - void of ironclad factual support to date.

Fomenko's theory complies with the most rigid scientific standards as a whole:

It gives a coherent explanation of what we already know.

- It is consistent: independent lines of inquiry all lead to the same conclusion.

- The predictions it makes are confirmed empirically.

Fomenko goes by the following axioms:

- Chronology is the basis of history;

- Human evolution has always been linear, gradual and irreversible;

- The "cyclic" nature of human civilization is a myth, likewise all the gaps, duplicates, "dark ages" and "renaissances" that we know from consensual history;

- The accumulation of geographical knowledge as reflected in cartography is a gradual and irreversible process;

- The chronological distance between a given manuscript and the events described therein is proportional to the amount of distortions it contains;

- There is no "useless" information in authentic ancient sources.

Why the mainstream historians do not shower mathematician Academician Dr.Prof Fomenko with thanks and laurels?

The Russians:

Because Fomenko asserts that there was no such thing as the Tartar and Mongol invasion followed by three centuries of slavery, providing a formidable body of documental evidence to prove his assertion. The so-called "Tartars and Mongols" were the actual ancestors of the modern Russians, living in a bilingual state with Arabic spoken as freely as Russian. The ancient Russian state was governed by a double structure of civil and military authorities. The hordes were actually professional armies with a tradition of lifelong conscription (the recruitment being the so-called "blood tax"). Their "invasions" were punitive operations against the regions that attempted tax evasion. Fomenko proves that Russian history as we know it today is a blatant forgery concocted by a host of German scientists brought to Russia by the usurper dynasty of the Romanovs, whose ascension to the throne was the result of coup d'état, charged with the mission of making their reign look legitimate. Fomenko proves Ivan the Terrible to be a collation of four rulers, no less. They represented the two rival dynasties - the legitimate rulers and the ambitious upstarts. The winner took it all! Over some 30 years of controversy, Russian historians have made a most remarkable transition - they were initially accusing the young mathematician Fomenko of anticommunist dissident activity and attempts to deface the historical legacy of Soviet Russia; nowadays the middle-aged mathematician is accused of adhering to "pro-communist Russian nationalism" and defacing the proud historical legacy of Great Russia.

The Westerners:

Because Fomenko blows consensual Russian history to smithereens, successfully removing a crucial cornerstone from underneath the otherwise impeccable edifice of World History. Fomenko adds insult to injury, wiping out one by one the Ancient Rome (the foundation of Rome in Italy is dated to the XIV century A. D.), the Ancient Greece and its numerous poleis, which he identifies as the mediaeval crusader settlements on the territory of Greece, and the Ancient Egypt (the pyramids of Giza become dated to the XI-XV century A. D. and identified as the royal cemetery of the Global "Mongolian" Empire, no less). The civilization of the Ancient Egypt is irrefutably dated to the XII-XV century A. D. with the aid of the ancient Egyptian horoscopes cut in stone. He was the first one to decipher and date all such horoscopes, coming up with mediaeval dates in every case. English historians rage at the suggestion that the history of Ancient England was de facto a Byzantine import transplanted to the English soil by the fugitive Byzantine nobility. To reward the English historians who consider themselves the true scribes of World History, the cover of the present book portrays Tintoretto's Jesus Christ crucified on the Big Ben.

The Chinese:

Because Fomenko wipes out the Ancient History of China outright. No such thing. Full point. The compilation of the so-called Ancient Chinese History is reliably datable to the XVII-XVIII century only. It is perfectly recognizable as the Ancient European history, reworked and transcribed in hieroglyphs as yet another historical transplantation, this time performed on the Chinese soil by the loving Jesuit hands. The Chinese are the next in line to go berserk. Chinese history is inevitably bound to get both more ancient and more eventful, proportionally to the growing involvement of China in the world affairs. Chinese historians will keep on finding valid proof of prehistoric Chinese spaceflights until the Politburo orders them to shut up.

The Arabs:

Too bad. Islam with all its key figures is datable to XV-XVI century A. D. Arabic historians may find consolation in the crucial historical role of the Ottoman Empire in the XVI-XVII century. The trouble is that this empire was initially a Christian state, with Hagia Sophia identifiable as Temple of Solomon, according to Fomenko! We can only guess if the acquisition of Alexander the Great (a Macedonian and a Christian) as the founder of the Muslim World Empire will make Fomenko's theories more acceptable to the Arabic mainstream. He certainly does not spare any holy cows at all, claiming The Stone of Qa'Aba in Mecca to contain the lost Arch of the Covenant.

The Divinity:

Despite of reiterated statement that his theory is all about chronology and not Religion, Fomenko stirs up a whole condominium of wasp nests. His collection of anathemas, fatwa, and other condemnations from all parties concerned is already considerable. Little wonder, considering that the history of religions à la Fomenko looks as follows: the pre-Christian period (before the XI century and JC), Bacchic Christianity (XI-XII century, before and after JC), JC Christianity (XII-XVI century) and its subsequent mutations into Orthodox Christianity, the Catholicism, Islam, Buddhism, and so on.

According to Fomenko we know strictly NOTHING about the events that predate the X century A. D.

St Augustin was prescient when he spoke unto us: "be wary of mathematicians, particularly when they speak the truth."

Something of a disappointment.......2005-09-09

After having read the first volume of this expected series of 7 volumes I was triggered by the thesis of these authors that ancient Greek and Roman history did in fact take place in the Middle Ages. So I started studying medieval history of the Middle East - also known as Islamic history - to find out if the opponents of the ancient Greeks and Romans - the Acheamenid Persians, Sassanids, Scythians, Egyptians, etc. - also have their duplicates in medieval history. My search was disappointing: none of the many medieval Islamic dynasties seemed to correspond to the ancient middle eastern rulers.

However, I did find a close correspondence between Herodotus' Persian kings and medieval events:

- the defeat and capture of an Anatolian king - the Lydian Croesus - by the Persian conqueror Cyrus is identical to the defeat and capture of another Anatolian king - sultan Bayezid - by the Asian/Mongol conqueror Tamerlane;
- the Persian conquest of Egypt by the cruel tyrant Cambyses reds almost exactly as the Ottoman conquest of Egypt by Selim the Grim (note the nickname!);
- Darius the Lawgiver of the Persian Empire looks very much alike to Sulayman the Magnificent, the Lawgiver in Islamic history;
- Xerxes, whose main claim to fame is to be defeated by the Greeks at the naval battle of Salamis, looks like Selim II (the Sot) whose main claim to fame is to be defeated by a Spanish-Italian alliance at the naval battle of Lepanto.

I should have expected Fomenko et al. to arrive at similar conclusions, however, they claim that the Persian kings are the alter egos of the Angevin kings of Sicily whose biographies do not contain the exploits of the Persian kings.

The similiarities I indicate lead to the conclusion that Herodotus must have written his Histories at the close of the 16th century. But this is extremely late, given that Herodotus is "the Father of History", so therefore all other "ancient" histories must have been fabricated even later. Yet, the founders of modern chronology - Scaliger and Petavius - laid their foundations also at the close of the 16th century and had the full corpus of ancient histories already at their disposal.

It seems to me that Fomenko has to address these inconsistencies, maybe in the forthcoming 5 volumes?

Another critique of their book is that the correspondencies between different rulers are often based on a superficial comparison of the biographies; upon a more thorough comparison many details appear that do not correspond at all.

Finally, the authors rely heavily on the works of Gregorovius (1821-1891!!) - his medieval histories of Rome and Athens - as the source of medieval history; these works are - at least in the West - hoplessly outdated and have been superceded by more up-to-date works (for instance, Julius Norwich's trilogy on Byzantine history is not even cited).

Romulus courts Helen, Paris founds Rome, Moses goes to Troy.........2005-07-30

If you agree with Fomenko that Roman chronology is basically the foundation of the entire edifice of global chronology; you would also certainly agree that despite its numerous gaps and inconsistencies, Roman history is the best-documented field of ancient history, and thus a reference scale. But how well is the actual date of the Eternal City's foundation known?

Firstly, Rome is supposed to have been founded by the Trojans who had to flee after the fall of Troy. Some claim Rome to have been founded by Aeneas and Ulysses shortly after Troy had fallen; others are of the opinion that there was an entire dynasty that ruled for 500 years between the fall of Troy and the foundation of Rome.

Well, that's just an innocent 500 years long misunderstanding compared with what heretic Fomenko says, asserts, proves in his second volume: Second Roman Empire, Third Roman Empire, Biblical Kingdom of Israel, Biblical Kingdom of Judah, Holy Roman Empire are stories about basically same events, written from different points of view at different times. The underlying events have actually taken place during xii-xv cy. These histories have been written and perfected by multitude of highly talented humanist and clerical writers of xiii-xvi cy disguised as "ancients" with glorious names like Homer, Pluto, Thucydides etc..Chronology 2.0 beta..

Historians are kindly invited to report the bugs.

Eagle Against the Sun: The American War With Japan

Average customer rating:

A One Volume History of the Pacific War
All the Amazon Reviews of this book are correct
Why it happened. Not how.
Classic Analysis of the Pacific War
Excellent One Volume History of Pacific War

Eagle Against the Sun: The American War With Japan
Ronald Spector
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Europe | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Japan | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

The Second World War
The Rising Sun: The Decline and Fall of the Japanese Empire, 1936-1945 (Modern Library War)
In the Ruins of Empire: The Japanese Surrender and the Battle for Postwar Asia
A World at Arms: A Global History of World War II, New Edition
Touched with Fire: The Land War in the South Pacific

ASIN: 0394741013
Release Date: 1985-10-12

Book Description

Only now can the full scope of the war in the Pacific be fully understood. Historian Ronald Spector, drawing on newly declassified intelligence files, an abundance of British and American archival material. Japanese scholarship and documents, and research and memoirs of scholarly and military men, has written a stunning, complete and up-to-date history of the conflict.

Customer Reviews:

A One Volume History of the Pacific War.......2007-06-25

Ronald Spector's "Eagle Against The Sun" was published as far back as 1985 but holds up extremely well as perhaps the best one-volume history of the U.S. war with Japan. Spector's sweep is broad, inclusive, and incisive, packing a tremendous amount of analysis into just 500 pages.

Spector starts, not with Pearl Harbor, but with the political and military climates in the United States and Japan before the war, to make the point that decisions on aircraft, ship types and war plans would have an enormous impact on the opening phases of the war. Spector, a Vietnam veteran, was no worshiper of the brass; his caustic analysis of the U.S. command structure in the Pacific and the planning of each campaign suggests just how much was owed to political as well as to military considerations.

Spector's concise narrative sketches each of the major campaigns in the Central and Southwest Pacific areas, while finding time to address U.S. efforts in the China-Burma-India theater as well. The reader is left with a stunning sense of the sheer scale of the war waged against Japan. Spector also imparts an appreciation for the ability of the U.S. Armed Forces to overcame surprise and a lack of preparation in 1941 to defeat the Japanese Empire by 1945.

This book is highly recommended as a detailed popular history of the war in the Pacific that will appeal to both the general reader and the student of military history.

All the Amazon Reviews of this book are correct.......2007-04-18

Based on the 19 reviews in Amazon I bought the book. The reviews are on target, even the comments about the paucity of maps which I found to be only a minor issue for me. Spector's writing style is a big factor in enjoying this book. So, if you want a good overview of the Pacific war, this book is a very good choice.

Why it happened. Not how........2007-01-11

An excellent fresh look 'behind the scenes' at the war in the Pacific. Gives fascinating personal, technical and logistic data to compliment the well known strategy and battle plans. Required reading for the 'expert' on this conflict. Hard to put down.

Classic Analysis of the Pacific War.......2006-07-31

This is a superb analysis of the Pacific War between the USA and Japan. It is always very difficult for an author to strike a balance between sufficient detail on the one hand, and the risk of overwhelming the "big picture" with too much detail, on the other. Here, the author hits it just right. This is a detailed and thorough analysis of the Pacific War that focuses on the main trends of the war, while supplying sufficient detail to support the themes that the author presents to the reader.

Spector's basic thesis is not new, but this is the best presentation of it that I have encountered. Essentially, the author notes that superior American industrial capacity, organizational skills, and technology overwhelmed a highly trained, well-armed and competent Japanese foe. The Japanese training regime was brutal, featuring tough night training in the icy waters south of the Kurils--Japanese skill at night naval engagements were to give the US Navy ugly moments for years. On the other hand, the author speculates that the savage discipline of the Japanese service tended to "burn out" its officers, often causing them to avoid "thinking outside the box."

Both sides had problems with inter-service rivalries. The Americans fought the war with divided commands, whereby MacArthur advanced through the South Pacific with most of the Army, while Nimitz advanced through the Central Pacific with the bulk of the Navy and the Marines. The author argues that this was an inefficient, sub-optimal strategy. The Japanese Army and Navy were even more riven with rivalries, and the Japanese Navy on numerous occasions concealed from the Army the scope of its defeats at the hands of the US Navy. (It was a long time before the Japanese Army learned of the disasterous defeat of the Navy at Midway; the Army believed that Japan had won, not lost, the Battle of Leyte Gulf).

This is a fairly conventional analysis of the Pacific War, but the author sometimes does come to unorthodox conclusions that will challenge the reader's own opinions about command decisions made by the Pacific War's heavyweights. Frank Jack Fletcher merits heavy blame for lacking aggressiveness on several occasions, which is no surprise, but at times Admiral Spruance (a personal hero of mine) also comes in for criticisms that I did not expect. The author overall attempts to be fair, however, and generally does a pretty fair job of making his case.

Overall, this is perhaps the best single volume analysis of the Pacific War written for the general public that I have come across, and it is highly recommended.

Excellent One Volume History of Pacific War.......2004-06-01

A very readable, interesting history of the Pacific theater in World War II. Despite being a single volume Spector does a masterful job of covering all the key aspects of the Pacific war and does so in a very complete manner. The earlier reviewers comments about the lack of maps is true; you might want to have an atlas handy while reading this book. Definitely worth your investment several times over in both time and money.

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