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.

History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)

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Check and see
Suprise! Suprise!
Prescient St Augustine?
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.

The Art of Gaman: Arts & Crafts from the Japanese American Internment Camps 1942-1946

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Crafts behind the wire
THe Human Spirit Defined
I was moved to tears
Well done!
The Art of Gaman by Hirasuna

The Art of Gaman: Arts & Crafts from the Japanese American Internment Camps 1942-1946
Delphine Hirasuna , and Kit Hinrichs
Manufacturer: Ten Speed Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1580086896

Book Description

In 1942,Executive Order 9066 mandated the incarceration of 110,000 Japanese Americans, including men, women, children, the elderly, and the infirm, for the duration of the war. Allowed only what they could carry, they were given just a few days to settle their affairs and report to assembly centers. Businesses were lost, personal property was stolen or vandalized, and lives were shattered. The Japanese word gaman means "enduring what seems unbearable with dignity and grace. "Imprisoned in remote camps surrounded by barbed wire and guarded by soldiers with machine guns, the internees sought courage and solace in art. Using found materials at first and later what they could order by catalog, they whittled and carved, painted and etched, stitched and crocheted. What they created is a celebration of the nobility of the human spirit under adversity. THE ART OF GAMAN presents more than 150 examples of art created by internees, along with a history of the camps.

Customer Reviews:

Crafts behind the wire.......2007-08-30

Delphine Hirasuna is to congratulated on producing a fascinating and moving tribute to the 120,000 Japanese who were interned, firstly in makeshift Assembly Centers for a few months then in Relocation Camps until 1946. It took until 1988 before a Presidential apology was forthcoming for the blatant violation of their civil rights by the federal government.

I think the strength of the book is the background to why the art and craft was produced. Hirasuna explains the rounding up process and public perceptions towards the Japanese only a few months after Pearl Harbor, the locations of the camps (as remote as possible it seems) and daily struggle in a hostile environment.

On page seventeen there is a map of the US and some camp statistics including a reference to Crystal City in Texas which bizarrely held 2264 ethnic Japanese from Latin and South America (1811 from Peru) who, having been forcibly taken to the camp, were then accused of entering the country illegally! After the war the Peruvians were not allowed to return home until Congress sorted out this injustice in 1953.

Look at the paintings, sculpture, craftwork and furniture and be amazed that most of it was created from whatever materials were available, discarded wood, sacking, vegetation, rocks, shells and anything that could be cut, woven or molded. My favorites are twenty-two brooches made from shells, ribbon and wire and they look just stunning. On pages 104-5 you can see a Buddhist shrine, five foot tall, with the most intricate carvings and hard to believe that it was probably made from firewood.

In the back of the book there is some background information about Japanese history museums and a short bibliography which strangely misses out Manzanar: Photography by Ansel Adams, Commentary by John Hersey. A more recent look at the subject is Impounded: Dorothea Lange and the Censored Images of Japanese American Internment a portfolio of photos by Dorothea Lange. Unfortunately the reproduction and design of the book don't do the photos justice.

The Art of Gaman is beautifully printed and designed (by Kit Hinrichs of Pentagram) and a suitable tribute to creativity in hard times.

***FOR A LOOK INSIDE click 'customer images' under the cover.

THe Human Spirit Defined.......2007-04-13

This book will have you in tears with its beauty in the face of diversity so extreme you can't imagine unless you've talked with a survivor of these internment camps. The level of the art is very fine, museum quality. It is hard to believe they had to scrounge the materials from dump piles and surplus. Anyone who doesn't think art can save lives should get this book.

I was moved to tears.......2007-01-11

The heart and spirit of the japanese internees continued to shine within the walls of their confinement. They found beauty and admiration of beautiful things living in desolate and inhumane conditions of the prison camps. This is a understated book with touching stories to tell.

Well done!.......2007-01-10

This book shows artwork done with minimal supplies in the Japanese-American concentration camps of the western US during WWII. The images are high quality, in color, and very thought-provoking.

The Art of Gaman by Hirasuna.......2005-12-21

This work documents the extensive detainment of Japanese
citizens during the later period of WWII. These prisoners
were kept in whitewashed horse stalls in California, Oregon
and the State of Washington. The camps emphasized education
including arts/crafts with a shortage of teachers.

Fine works of art include:
- The Natural Form of a Snake by Obata
- Kobu by Matsuhiro
- A Bonsai Notebook by Iseyama
- Shell Broaches and Corsages by Iwa Miura and Shintaku

The volume is a solid value for the price charged. It is a must
for serious students of WWII and historians everywhere.

Imaging Japanese America: The Visual Construction of Citizenship, Nation, and the Body

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Recommended for college-level Asian studies readers
Amazing Book

Imaging Japanese America: The Visual Construction of Citizenship, Nation, and the Body
Elena Creef
Manufacturer: NYU Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0814716229
Release Date: 2004-01-01

Book Description

View the Table of Contents. Read the Introduction.

"Imaging Japanese America examines myriad genres of visual and linguistic representation in order to understand the historical and contemporary 'imaging' of Japanese Americans. It is both an artful writing project and an exemplary scholarly work within the field of visual culture studies. Readers will appreciate the interdisciplinary methodology, the rich detailed analysis, and Creef's powerful voice. A joy to read—one learns something new at every turn."
—Kent A. Ono, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

"An astute and lucid study of visual representations of Japanese Americans and an important original work for understanding American history in the second half of the twentieth century. Creef elegantly reads the myriad interdisciplinary contexts in which dynamics of race, gender, class, and nation frame Japanese Americans as foreign or the same, alien or national, while revealing the hidden costs such representations extract from individuals and communities."
—Shirley Geok-lin Lim, University of California, Santa Barbara

As we have been reminded by the renewed acceptance of racial profiling, and the detention and deportation of hundreds of immigrants of Arab and Muslim descent on unknown charges following September 11, in times of national crisis we take refuge in the visual construction of citizenship in order to imagine ourselves as part of a larger, cohesive national American community.

Beginning with another moment of national historical trauma—December 7, 1941 and the subsequent internment of 120,000 Japanese Americans— Imaging Japanese America unearths stunning and seldom seen photographs of Japanese Americans by the likes of Dorothea Lange, Ansel Adams, and Toyo Mitatake. In turn, Elena Tajima Creef examines the perspective from inside, as visualized by Mine Okubo's Maus-like dramatic cartoon and by films made by Asian Americans about the internment experience. She then traces the ways in which contemporary representations of Japanese Americans in popular culture are inflected by the politics of historical memory from World War II. Creef closes with a look at the representation of the multiracial Japanese American body at the turn of the millennium.

Customer Reviews:

Recommended for college-level Asian studies readers.......2004-06-06

Elena Tajima Creef's Imaging Japanese America: The Visual Construction Of Citizenship, Nation, And The Body is a recommended pick for college-level Asian studies readers: it begins with the internment of 120,000 Japanese Americans during World War II and supplements photos with insights on how American popular culture viewed Japanese-Americans. An intriguing cultural analysis.

Amazing Book.......2004-01-31

From the power of the cover photograph, to the images and words inside, Professor Creef has written a book that - as the above review says - correlates to the times in which we now live, while also offering an insider's view of the impact and power images possess. Anyone interested in the gaze, Japanese America, self-representation and cultural studies should definitely buy this book. It will certainly occupy a permanent place on my bookshelf.

War, Occupation, and Creativity: Japan and East Asia, 1920-1960

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War, Occupation, and Creativity: Japan and East Asia, 1920-1960

Manufacturer: University of Hawaii Press
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Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0824824334

The Japanese Art of War: Understanding the Culture of Strategy (Shambhala Classics)

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Robert Lane - Dayton Ohio
Interesting to the lover of Asian history.

The Japanese Art of War: Understanding the Culture of Strategy (Shambhala Classics)
Thomas Cleary
Manufacturer: Shambhala
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ASIN: 1590302451
Release Date: 2005-05-10

Book Description

Military rule and the martial tradition of the samurai dominated Japanese culture for more than eight hundred years. According to Thomas Clearyâtranslator of more than thirty-five classics of Asian philosophyâthe Japanese people have been so steeped in the way of the warrior that some of the manners and mentality of this outlook remain embedded in their individual and collective consciousness. Cleary shows how well-known attributes such as the reserve and mystery of formal Japanese behavior are deeply rooted in the ancient strategies of the traditional arts of war. Citing original Japanese sources that are popular among Japanese readers today, he reveals the hidden forces behind Japanese attitudes and conduct in political, business, social, and personal life.

Customer Reviews:

Robert Lane - Dayton Ohio.......2005-07-16

7.15.05 - Clearly a secret weapon in business today. If you take time to study what the book is sharing the information can be applied to every aspect of business. The information is very old but timeless. What is remarkable is how applicable the information is to the American buying and sell process. Salesmen - put down your modivational books and start studying information that will make a difference in your customers lives.

Interesting to the lover of Asian history........2002-07-19

In history most nations are always taking ideas and beliefs from others, even when they don't know it. Japan is no different. Much of the Far East classes in American colleges spend much of their time teaching students about where Japan gets much of its culture, language and traditions.
The Art of War is like everything else that came to Japan. They took it, made it Japanese and used it in the way THEY felt was best. The Art of War soon spread into areas of business and philosophy. The ideas were soon adapted and proved to be useful rules for every walk of Japanese life. It could guide a warrior or help a baker do his best.

Much Recorded War: The Russo-Japanese War In History And Imagery, A

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An exceptional testimony to both art and reporting

Much Recorded War: The Russo-Japanese War In History And Imagery, A
Sebastian Dobson , Anne Nishimura Morse , and Frederic Sharf
Manufacturer: MFA Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0878466924
Release Date: 2005-08-15

Book Description

At the dawn of the 20th century, the Russo-Japanese War (1904-05) became a worldwide political focal point. The war, marked the rise of Japan as a world power, paved the way for the Russian Revolution, and made Theodore Roosevelt the first American ever to win the Nobel Peace Prize. It engaged the fervent attention of Asia, Europe, and the United States--so much so that the Milton Bradley Co. created a popular board game based on the war. But more than this, the Russo-Japanese conflict was the first war to be fully recorded by the international media. Journalists, photographers, and filmmakers poured into the areas, capturing the battles in words and visuals, and creating in the process a flood of images remarkable for their vibrancy and power. A Much Recorded War examines the Russo-Japanese conflict from the viewpoint of its artistic legacy, exploring the ways in which it was represented, promoted, and mythologized. Featuring more than 80 objects--from woodblock prints, lithographs, watercolors, and photographs to film, postcards, and even garments--the book discusses the origins and history of the war, the development of its imagery in Japanese art, and the groundbreaking role of photography and film. Published to mark the 100th anniversary of the Portsmouth Treaty, which ended the war, this is both a remarkable work of historical scholarship and a brilliant compendium of period graphic art.

Customer Reviews:

An exceptional testimony to both art and reporting.......2005-11-06

A Much Recorded War: The Russo-Japanese War In History And Imagery could just as easily have been featured in our 'Art' review section: it's that packed with lovely woodblock prints, postcard reproductions, and other visuals which represented the first fully reported struggle. It's featured here so that no history student or student of Japanese or Russian history will miss the lovely blend of art and history represented here in full color. From photography's evidence during the war and how news filtered to the West to the lasting impact of visual images and chosen perspectives, A Much Recorded War is an exceptional testimony to both art and reporting.

Iaido: History, Teaching & Practice Of Japanese Swordsmanship

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history, yes. teaching, a little, practice a little less
As a former student.....
Not for beginners.

Iaido: History, Teaching & Practice Of Japanese Swordsmanship
Akita Moriji
Manufacturer: Weatherhill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0834805006
Release Date: 2002-05-01

Book Description

For over a thousand years the sword has played a crucial role in Japanese society. Even today it remains a ubiquitous and venerated object, whether cherished as a work of art, admired as a feat of technology, or wielded in one of the many schools of fencing that have survived Japan's feudal era. This book not only explains the techniques of that era's most prominent school, it also gives the reader a fascinating insight in the history and martial ethics that underpin the modern day practice of Japanese fencing, an art known to the Japanese as Iaido.

Customer Reviews:

history, yes. teaching, a little, practice a little less.......2007-09-23

Not a bad book for someone experienced in Iai, definitely a dry read. The photos and descriptions of technique are somewhat vague and generally un-helpful unless you've seen it in real life before. If I had picked it up in a bookstore I'd flip through it and then put it back. It is still a good, well written book and a good addition to the library of the sword enthusiast just don't expect to beat any samurai after reading it.

As a former student............2007-08-13

As a former student of Akita Moriji sensei, I am very much obliged to give this book 5 stars. The book is actually 2 parts- the original (translated) kata section and a well-researched history section. Akita sensei wrote the kata section which includes pictures of him doing the kata and an explanation (albeit basic) of the moves. I believe he published his book as a way to explain the kata to other sensei in Japan who are not familiar with Shinkageryuu, so the descriptions are written for experienced iaidoka- NOT beginners. The book is meant to merely be a guide to remember and explain, not to thoroughly teach the kata. One more point to remember is that Akita sensei's Shinkageryuu is somewhat different from the Yagyuu family Shinkageryuu which is more comon. The history section is great for anyone interested in iaido, though.

Akita sensei has now handed over teaching to his son, but another sensei, Akita sensei's protégé Matsuoka sensei, has also become very well-known for this style. I sincerely hope people in and outside of Japan with embrace this and other non-MSR and MJER styles to continue the traditions. Reading this book, as well as others on lesser-known styles, is essential for experienced practitioners.

Not for beginners........2004-05-27

Interesting book on the Yagyu Shinkage-Ryu style of Iaido. This style claims to be "Koryu", or traditional school. Not for beginners, because only shows you what`s done, but no how`s done.
If you are an Iaido student from any other style this book is a refreshing look at a different style. The differences in this style are many, from the initial draw,"Niki-Tsuke", which in this style is more a two handed deflection of your enemy`s weapon,(Sword,Spear,Tanto etc.),to the imaginary blood cleaning of your sword, "Chiburi or Chiburui", which in this style comes from elevating your sword to a high position,"jodan no kamae" and cutting down in front of your knee, while kneeling. The book does not explain that this is done, with a reversed grip of your left hand. The noto or sheating of your sword is explained in the text, but is not shown in the photographs, which I believe was omited on purpose. I only give 4 stars to this otherwise excelent book, because there`s a lot that is not expalin or show.For someone who is just begining Iaido I recommend "Iaido Sword:kamimoto-Ha techniques of Muso Shinden Ryu" by Richard W. Babin. ISBN 1581603770. Is another style and the book is not a "how to" book, but at least explains many things and most important if you are a beginner, gives you many safety tips, and advise on swords, etc.

The Imperial Screen: Japanese Film Culture in the Fifteen Years' War, 1931-1945 (Wisconsin Studies in Film)

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the Pacific War seen through film-makers' eyes

The Imperial Screen: Japanese Film Culture in the Fifteen Years' War, 1931-1945 (Wisconsin Studies in Film)
Peter B. High
Manufacturer: University of Wisconsin Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0299181340

Book Description

From the late 1920s through World War II, film became a crucial tool in the state of Japan. Detailing the way Japanese directors, scriptwriters, company officials, and bureaucrats colluded to produce films that supported the war effort, The Imperial Screen is a highly-readable account of the realities of cultural life in wartime Japan. Widely hailed as "epoch-making" by the Japanese press, it presents the most comprehensive survey yet published of "national policy" films, relating their montage and dramatic structures to the cultural currents, government policies, and propaganda goals of the era. Peter B. High's treatment of the Japanese film world as a microcosm of the entire sphere of Japanese wartime culture demonstrates what happens when conscientious artists and intellectuals become enmeshed in a totalitarian regime.

English language edition is revised and expanded from the original Japanese

Customer Reviews:

the Pacific War seen through film-makers' eyes.......2003-05-31

This is a very difficult and very useful book. Despite his western name and origins, Mr. High is a professor of film in Japan, and he is evidently fluent in the language. With affection but without excusing anything, he takes us through the early years of Japanese cinema and especially through what is mysteriously called the 15 Years War. (It probably seemed longer, but in fact it lasted 14 years.) More than a survey of militarism in a unique culture, Mr. High uses the movie business as a way to explore Japanese life and behavior during the awfulness, for example by explaining the American bombing raids in terms of the number of movie houses destroyed each month. I've seen but not been able to understand the dialogue in several of the films he discusses, and I was delighted to have some of the gaps filled for me. Altogether, a very valuable exercise, both for the film buff and for those of us with an interest in Imperial Japan and the horrors it unleashed upon Asia. -- Dan Ford

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Modern Design in Japan

Japanese Modern
Heller , Chwast , and Fraser
Manufacturer: Chronicle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Streamline: American Art Deco

ASIN: 0811805093

Customer Reviews:

Modern Design in Japan.......2000-05-27

This book is very informative with absolutely beautiful, clear, accurately-colored photographs of graphic design works. Very helpful for anyone interested in modern Japanese art.

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