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.

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Wow!
Combines Heinlein and Marcinko
Not worth it
I bought my hardcover right before Katrina hit...
Perfectly splendid and splendidly perfect.

The Weapon
Michael Z. Williamson
Manufacturer: Baen
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Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 1416521186

Book Description

Kenneth Chinran was a disaffected youth who joined the military and was recruited for an elite deep cover unit, shrugging off training and exercises so tough that several of the recruits did not survive. Then he was sent by his star nation to infiltrate a fascistic, militaristic planetÂ¿Earth. He lived in deep cover for years, marrying and having a daughter. Then the Earth forces attacked his home system, and he and his team came out of hiding, attacking and destroying the infrastructure of the crowded planet, disabling transportation and communications in city after city. As a result of his attacks, billions died for lack of the food, water and power which the ravaged system could no longer supply. His sabotage was successful, but the deaths of so many weighs heavily on his mind, making him wonder if he can stay sane. Then the secret police discovered his identity. With his daughter, the only thing in his life that had so far kept him human, he was on the run, while the resources of a planetwide police state were tracking him down. He could see no way to escape from the planet, no way to keep hiding, and if he and his daughter were caught, death was the very least that they could expect. But Chinran is a warrior to the core, and even if he loses this last battle, he wonÂ¿t go down without a fight that his pursuersÂ¿the ones who surviveÂ¿will never forget

Customer Reviews:

Wow!.......2007-07-09

This is an engrossing read right from page one until the last page...and I did not even particularly care for the ending! It is well written, humorous, scathing on occasion and just plain fun to read.

The story is one of a soldier. He decided to become a soldier so that he can get away from home. He finds he has a talent for mayhem and is recruited into special operations where he excels, becoming a noncom and, eventually, an officer. His planet is one that broke away from the United Nations and declared independence. This particularly infuriates the UN because the planet seems so successful while Earth and the UN are weighed down by bureaucratic stupidity. The existence of such a successful free planet is viewed as a threat.

This is where our soldier comes into his own. He and his team have a deep cover on earth. When the UN invades his home planet, their job is to bring earth society down around its bureaucratic ears.

This has been a much simplified synopsis. The entire book is worth the read.

Combines Heinlein and Marcinko.......2007-06-07

This is one book I enjoy reading over and over. The author makes the characters believable and the narrative is well-done. I did find some parallels between what the main character (Chinran) says about terrorists and find it exactly in sync with what Dick Marcinko thinks of them in his 'Rogue Warrior' series. Not surprising as both authors were both in the military and walked the walk.

Not worth it.......2007-05-29

I had to put this book down three times, but I had absolutely nothing else to read, so I finished it. The main character spends the first 3/4 of the book proving how macho and bad azz he is (in a boring and predictable, in a childish way). There is an interesting part at the end, but then it quickly gets back to being boring with a poor ending. It is not worth the money to listen to mind-numbing detail of how he is better than everyone else and can do anything anyone else can ONLY BETTER! He has to listen to no one and although he's in the military he can do anything he wants, anyway he wants to do so without answering to anyone. We get it. Move on and tell a real story. I read a TON of science fiction and suspending disbelief is no problem for me. It's the basic common sense that I can't make the leap for.

I bought my hardcover right before Katrina hit..........2007-01-12

Disclaimer: Mike's a friend of mine. Take this review with salt as appropriate.

I enjoyed Freehold. I liked The Weapon more. This book is not for the squeamish, or for pacifists. If, however, you want a look at the lengths to which a man will go, to defend his nation, this is it. The descriptions of Special Operations training, and actual operations, in this book, are fictional. However, you can tell that Mr. Williamson did a LOT of research into actual Spec Ops training methods. There are parallels with current SEAL and other Special Forces training.

The protagonist is a cocky, arrogant, SOB. Take an overconfident punk, an raise him up right, and you get someone who's ENTITLED to be a cocky, arrogant SOB. He doesn't get this annoying trait knocked out of him by outside forces. It's his own actions that beat him up. This book poses the question, "How do you live with yourself, after you've done the unthinkable?". The answer, and the quest for it, make for some great reading.

The book's coming out soon in paperback. If you don't have the hardcover, then get the PB. Read it. It's worth it.

Perfectly splendid and splendidly perfect........2007-01-11

On one hand, this an excellent military science-fiction novel dealing with "the trooper, in training and in battle," even when the battle is behind enemy lines and under deep cover. However, it's also what the Germans call a "bildungsroman", "a novel which traces the spiritual, moral, psychological, or social development and growth of the main character from (usually) childhood to maturity."

The military science fiction aspects are handled more than competently. Every such novel, done right, covers such things as "Where does the trooper come from?","How is he recruited, trained, disciplined, led?", "How does he function in battle?" and finally, "What happens when the war is over?" We get to watch all of this and more, and there are aspects to the answers for these questions that are both realistic and NOT for the squeamish. I agree that, as a military science fiction novel, this one ranks evenly with Heinlein's masterpiece and in some ways is even better written.

But Michael Williamson has a gift I've found to be rare in writers. He can get you into the hero's heart and mind and feel what it's like, not just to DO the things the hero does, but to BE the hero, and see every event not just through his eyes, but his heart.

You do get warned, very early, what the book is about, when Chinran announces "I'm the man who destroyed most of Earth." But Chinran is NOT a monster. He is very much a warm and loving man who merely happens to be an unstoppable weapon.

I read this book not knowing much more than the above quotation and the fact that I'd already enjoyed every other thing of Williamson's I have read. This one is the best yet. The writing is smoother than ever, the humor, if possible, even viler, and the story riveting. I was enthralled all the way from chapter one to the end of the roller-coaster ride. And I plan to read it again.

With the "Surgeon General's Warning" completed, I urge you to get this book and read it. Meet the kind of man you'd trust to be at your back in a dark alley, to babysit your kids, and keep his promises regardless of cost. He's also the kind of man a people, if they're really lucky, will never need to turn loose on their enemies.

NO culture has ever been THAT lucky.

Enjoy.

Thank you, Michael. Please keep 'em coming.

Seeking New World Vistas: The Militarization of Space

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Seeking New World Vistas: The Militarization of Space
Roger Handberg
Manufacturer: Praeger Publishers
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Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0275962954

Book Description

The military is moving slowly but surely toward a world in which weapons will be stationed in outer space, and officials argue that these developments are essential to the maintenance of US national security in the post-Cold War world. Handberg explores these recent proposals for change and assesses the policy implications that might well result in a challenge to proponents for the militarization of space. Taking the reader through the first Sputnik launch and then the Gulf War, the "first space war," Handberg introduces his audience to a broad overview of space as an arena for the conduct of military activity. He argues that the new policies are likely to result in a world that is less, not more, secure. Both technologically and organizationally, the Gulf War served as a watershed for military and political leaders. As a result, the great changes occurring across the spectrum of space activities, as well as the commercial applications of space, have become particularly critical to the field. Handberg argues that one unintended outcome of current policy decisions could well be a resumption of the global arms race as powers jockey for positions in the heavens. Too much of the current military advocacy is premised upon temporary advantages, both military and economic, which will dissipate in time. The political leadership of the United States must be fully engaged in this debate, given its crucial importance for future American national security.

War in Heaven: Stopping the Arms Race in Outer Space Before It's Too Late

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A Well Done anti-Bush Polemical

War in Heaven: Stopping the Arms Race in Outer Space Before It's Too Late
Helen Caldicott , and Craig Eisendrath
Manufacturer: New Press
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ASIN: 1595581146

Book Description

A revelatory look at the U.S. Government's plan to put weapons in outer space, by two bestselling experts.

"During the early portion of the twenty-first century, space power will also evolve into a separate and equal medium of warfare….The emerging synergy of space superiority with land, sea, and air superiority will lead to Full Spectrum Dominance."—from "U.S. Space Command Vision for 2020"

When most of us think about the potential of outer space for future generations, we think of world communications, satellite navigation, and scientific exploration. U.S. Space Command, however, thinks about weapons. Believing that conflict in space and wars fought from space are inevitable, the president has called on the agency to weaponize outer space and thus provoke an arms race that could cost the United States trillions of dollars and could lead to the demise of the human race.

In War in Heaven, a Nobel Prize-nominated peace activist and a former U.S. foreign service officer (who helped write the Outer Space Treaty of 1967) look at the history of military uses of space and the current plans for "militarizing the heavens," including kinetic, laser, nuclear bombardment, and anti-satellite weapons. Contrary to the claims of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld that the United States faces a "space Pearl Harbor," Caldicott and Eisendrath show that the United States itself is today the principal obstruction to passage of an international treaty banning weapons from outer space.

At a time when plans to build and deploy space weapons are on the administration's agenda but only just becoming known to the general public, this book will help launch a national discussion of a critical issue.

Customer Reviews:

A Well Done anti-Bush Polemical.......2007-04-05

This book is a history of the military uses of space, the treaties that exist about space, and the development of space oriented weapons. It is also a plea that we not militarize space. It is well written, well intended, well thought out but I'm afraid pointless.

Mankind has militarized everything. First the land, then the sea, then the air, next orbiting space based weapons systems and then the moon. And I have to say that I'm not so sure just where I personally stand on this.

One of the points made by the authors is that more money should be spent on foreign economic aid and situations like the aftermath of Katrina. This is going to be a hard sell. Most people believe that money given to foreign aid winds up in the hands of the local politicians and is not really helpful to the intended people. Money to the Katrina victums is one thing. Rebuilding New Orleans is an entirely different matter. It's a stupid place to build a city, the French knew it when the laid it out, which is why the French quarter remained dry. With rising sea waters from Global Warming, a rebuilt New Orleans is another disaster waiting to happen.

This book presents the side of the anti-weapon, anti-Bush (Eisendrath has also written: Bush League Diplomacy: How the Neoconservatives Are Putting the World at Risk) people. I think they have a hard sell before them

Remote Sensing from Air And Space (SPIE Press Monograph Vol. PM162)

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Remote Sensing from Air And Space (SPIE Press Monograph Vol. PM162)
R. C. Olsen
Manufacturer: SPIE
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0819462357
Release Date: 2007-01-22

Product Description

Remote Sensing from Air and Space will guide you in the use of remote sensing for military and intelligence gathering applications. It is a must read for students working on systems acquisition or for anyone interested in the products derived from remote sensing systems. R. C. Olsen of the Naval Postgraduate School offers an eclectic description of the technologies and underlying physics for a wide range of remote sensing systems, including optical, thermal, radar, and lidar systems. This monograph describes this diverse set of applications using full-color graphics and a friendly, readable format.

Tactical and Strategic Missile Guidance, Fourth Edition (Progress in Astronautics and Aeronautics)

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Comments from author on 5th edition
Tactical and Strategic Missile Guidance, Fourth Edition
Some problems
Outstanding text for learning about missile guidance

Tactical and Strategic Missile Guidance, Fourth Edition (Progress in Astronautics and Aeronautics)
Paul Zarchan
Manufacturer: AIAA (American Institute of Aeronautics & Ast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1563474972

Book Description

The fourth edition of this best-selling book has three new chapters on important topics related to missile guidance. The first new chapter shows how the guidance problem can be reformulated so that a new guidance law can be derived that both hits the target using minimum energy and, in addition, travels on a desired trajectory. This type of guidance is important in applications in which the trajectory must be shaped for either sensor or lethality considerations. Intentional or unintentional spiraling maneuvers on the part of a tactical ballistic missile can also make it particularly difficult for a pursuing missile to hit.

The second new chapter explores the various filtering options that can be used to estimate the necessary states for using advanced guidance techniques. As with other material in the text, this chapter uses a step-by-step approach in explaining and deriving the various filtering options.

The third new chapter approaches the guidance problem from a totally different perspective that is often used by the space community. In this new chapter it is shown how a predictor-corrector type method can be applied to a problem in which other more conventional guidance laws are also applicable.

Together with numerous new examples and easy-to-understand graphs and explanations, readers with varied learning styles will find Tactical and Strategic Missile Guidance a staple for any aerospace engineer?s library. Companion software, in both Macintosh and IBM-compatible versions, contains source code listings in FORTRAN, C, and MATLAB® languages. A detailed set of appendices not only serves as a user?s guide but also explains how the text?s FORTRAN source can easily be converted to either C or MATLAB. The conversion technique plus detailed source code examples will be tools of interest to all engineers, regardless of whether you specialize in missile guidance or other aerospace-related fields.

Customer Reviews:

Comments from author on 5th edition.......2007-05-16

The fifth edition has three new chapters on important topics related to improving missile guidance performance and several important new concepts in the Appendix. The first new chapter presents several alternative ways of developing guidance laws numerically. These techniques can be used to derive more advanced guidance laws when the missile guidance system dynamics become very complex. An example is presented showing the advantages of a new advanced guidance law over more conventional guidance laws. Previous editions of the text have shown that intentional or unintentional spiraling maneuvers on the part of a tactical ballistic missile can also make it particularly difficult for a pursuing missile to hit. Estimating the target weave frequency is a critical component in advanced guidance laws that can be used to counter these spiraling threats. The second new chapter presents a linear Kalman filter bank approach, originally introduced in the 1960's, for accurately estimating the target weave frequency and improving missile guidance system performance. So far, all of the engagement simulations presented in this text have either been in one or two dimensions. This was done to make it easier for the reader to more easily understand all of the concepts presented in the text. The third new chapter provides several examples on how to convert previous engagement simulation code to three dimensions in both the tactical and strategic worlds. A simplified mapping database is included with the text in order to demonstrate how geographical context can be provided in three dimensional strategic engagement simulations. An example of one of the new concepts presented in the Appendix is the use of the discrete Fourier Transform for calculating the miss due to weaving targets. The new topics are treated from both an analytical and simulation point of view so that readers with different backgrounds and learning styles can benefit from the new material.
On a personal note, it has still been very gratifying for me to learn that many people working with or having to learn about missile guidance have found Tactical and Strategic Missile Guidance useful. Over the years many readers have contacted me and have asked questions when the book's material was not clear to them. Material in the existing chapters has been clarified so that all will benefit from my interaction with the readers. It is still my hope that this fifth edition will be of value not only to new readers, but will also be worthwhile to those who have already read the previous editions.

Tactical and Strategic Missile Guidance, Fourth Edition .......2007-01-18

Ordering was easy and product arrived quickly.

Some problems.......2006-08-02

The matlab scripts do not follow the matlab programming style,and many of the buildin functions of matlab should be used for simplicity and efficiency,such as ode45.

There is a possible error in the 2nd chapter .
On page 13.The closing velocity is defined as

Vc = -d(Rtm)/dt

The author says that" In other words,from calculus we know that the closing velocity will be zero when Rtm is a minimum(i.e.the function is either minimum or maximum when its derivative is zero)."

But the function must be contineous and *differentiable*.
Just think a case with target and missile both on x axis,and missile fly with a constant speed.You will see that the Rtm function is not differentiable at x=0.

Outstanding text for learning about missile guidance.......1998-02-24

Book Description

The insider's story of the Atlas rocket, America's first intercontinental ballistic missile, is offered in this careful history of the rocket in its roles as both a civilian and a military vehicle. Written by the manager of program control for the Atlas project, this tell-all includes intimate details of the rocket, including its origins as the MX-774 prototype missile, the difficult development and deployment of its nuclear payload, the activation and deactivation of the Atlas rocket as part of the Strategic Air Command squadrons, and a host of previously unpublished pictures. The missile's development as a civilian rocket is also documented, including details on its role in the Project Mercury manned spaceflights and its use today as the high-performance Centaur and Agena rocket stages used for satellite and space probe launches.
Appendixes of the Atlas flight history, a detailed key of program events and milestones, and biographies of prominent Atlas managers are also included.

Customer Reviews:

I Loved This Book About The Atlas Booster.......2007-03-17

Very, very interesting. This book talks to many different people involved in the development and flight of the Atlas booster. I eat up all of these details. The people, technology, and infrastructure involved in making this rocket a reality are amazing. If you want to read the definitive history of one of our most important rockets, then this book is the one you need on your book shelf.

Awesome insider's view!.......2007-02-19

This book is definitely worth the money. I got it recently and pretty much devoured it right away. Note that it is a moderated book, so there are many voices present in many chapters. In addition to the Atlas `steel balloon' flight vehicle design and construction, it also has a lot of information about the impressive civil engineering effort that went into the construction of the launch sites. It also has a detailed write up of the December 1958 Project SCORE, achieving single stage to orbit decades before it became a NASA mantra. To the authors of the book: THANK YOU for sharing all the early anecdotes of the Atlas program in this book, I enjoyed it immensely.

Atlas: The Ultimate Weapon.......2007-01-10

An extremely interesting book about our space industry. However it is written with the Engineering and Management type mind.

The Atlas Missile.......2006-07-10

I was a young engineer right out of college in 1956 when I went to work at Convair in San Diego. I knew most of the people and the history of the Atlas missile. I was in the antenna design group under George Tweed....a great supervisor who latter became Chief Engineer. The work ethic was great in those days. We were working on the ICBM that had national priority. I was with Convair until 1962. This book brought back many wonderful memories of the Atlas missile program and people that worked on it.

Chronology of Atlas Missle Launches.......2006-06-16

I really enjoyed the way this book listed all of the Atlas launches, it allowed to go back a review the successes and failure of the program as I remembered them. It also has a great collection of photographs.

Defending Space: US Anti-Satellite Warfare and Space Weaponry (Fortress)

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Disappointed
Disappointed in Houston

Defending Space: US Anti-Satellite Warfare and Space Weaponry (Fortress)
Clayton Chun
Manufacturer: Osprey Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1846030390
Release Date: 2006-10-31

Book Description

The United States has been developing space for many years, and satellites provide the US military with an unparalleled advantage over adversaries. Constellations of both military and civilian satellites provide protection and support for military operations, deliver ballistic missile early warning, supply reliable, secure and jam-proof communications, gather audio-visual amd electronic intelligence, predict weather patterns, guide navigation, target weapons, and perform a host of other missions. These systems are critical to America's status as a world power, and potential threats to them are carefully assessed by US military planners. In January 2001, a commission led by Donald Rumsfeld warned of the growing threat to US space assets from so-called "rogue states," who (with varying degrees of difficulty) might build and deploy "space mines", launch ballistic anti-satellite weapons, deliberately increase orbital debris or detonate high-altitude nuclear explosions. The defensive options currently available to the US include improving satellite defenses (making them more robust and maneuverable, and improving threat detection) and the controversial placing of weapons in space (in "sentinel satellites") to protect military and civilian hardware. Since the 1950s research and development has been applied to space weaponry with mixed results, and not only by the USA. This book explains the origin and development of systems used to defend the United States from past, present and future threats, and to support military operations.

Customer Reviews:

Disappointed.......2007-04-30

I must say that I was disappointed in this book. There is very little new information, and while the art work is pleasing to look at, it really doesn't do much to detail equipment and installations. No single space warfare system is really highlighted. The author makes several brief references to the X-20 "Dynasoar", but these aren't substantive and the Air Force's equally interesting Manned Orbiting Laboratory program is completely ignored.

More distressing, in spite of his credentials, there is some reason to question the author's basic knowledge of the physics of space flight. At one point the text seems to suggest that a satellite could be positioned over Korea, almost as though it could hover there. That section could simply be poorly phrased, but elsewhere the text clearly asserts that "... if a country puts (a Multiple Orbital Bombardment System) in (geosynchronous Earth orbit) it could aim a warhead above a target indefinitely." The sentence seems to imply that a warhead from such a platform would drop to Earth like a stone. In truth, from a military point of view geosynchronous orbit would likely be a terrible place to base a warhead as it would take it a very long time to descend to Earth and could only be targeted at locations near the equator - though certainly not necessarily those directly beneath it!

Disappointed in Houston.......2007-04-02

I was eagerly anticipating the arrival of this title because I had hoped that it would throw some further light on advanced technologies that the US has been deploying in space for at least the last 20 years or more. Alas, not much substance in this volume beyond what, I admit, is a generally good summation of the orthodox technologies that are regularly trotted out for public consumption. Chemical fuel rockets, old school electronics, bicycle technology, etc. But the real US space program goes far, far beyond that...and there is a wealth of credible material on that subject available in published books and on the internet. In my opinion, this volume could have so easily been much more substantive without compromising its credibility one bit.

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Astute assessment of troubled U.S. space efforts

Space as a Strategic Asset
Joan Johnson-Freese
Manufacturer: Columbia University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0231136544

Book Description

Joan Johnson-Freese argues that the race for space weapons and the U.S. quest for exclusive or at least dominant ownership of strategic space assets have alienated the very allies that the United States needs in order to maintain its leading role in space exploration. Taking a balanced look at the issues that have contributed to the decline of America's manned space program, such as lack of political support and funding, Johnson-Freese offers not only a critique but also a plan for enhancing U.S. space security through cooperation rather than competition.

She begins with a brief overview of the history of international space development through four eras: before Sputnik, the space race, after Apollo, and globalization. Then she focuses on how policy changes of the mid-1990s have changed the nation, examining why the United States has grown obsessed with the development of space technology not just as a tool for globalization but as a route toward expanding an already dominant arsenal of weapons. Johnson-Freese claims that these policy choices have greatly affected the attitudes and actions of other countries, and in the fight to achieve security, the United States has instead put itself at greater peril.

Johnson-Freese explains complex technical issues in clear, accessible terms and suggests a way forward that is comprehensive rather than partisan. America is not the only country with space ambitions, but it is unique in viewing space as a battlefield and the technological advancements of other nations as a dire threat. Urgent and persuasive, Space as a Strategic Asset underscores the danger of allowing our space program to languish and the crucial role of cooperation in protecting the security of our country and the world.

Customer Reviews:

Astute assessment of troubled U.S. space efforts.......2007-09-03

Anyone who follows either NASA's human spaceflight program or U.S. military ambitions in space has probably heard plenty of rosy forecasts from the government agencies involved (and their contractors) and plenty of skepticism from the wider community. Joan Johnson-Freese is a long-time observer of all of this activity who has given us a lucid assessment of what's going on beneath the surface. The first sentence of her preface tells us that "The United States is currently the preeminent global space power." The rest of the book is a big "however..." that I believe is neatly summarized by her last sentence in Chapter 6: "We are committing strategic suicide."
She chronicles a disturbing array of ill-conceived policies that will lead to programmatic failures (e.g., NASA's Moon-Mars plans) and massive investment of scarce resources in projects that do not serve - and may undermine - the national interest (e.g., missile defense and space weapons). She advocates much greater cultivation of "soft power" (in which human spaceflight plays a big role) rather than fixation on development of "hard power" in space. Throughout the book the reader is presented with evidence that clearly points to a national epidemic of short-term thinking in space strategy.
The author's extensive experience on the international scene is particularly evident in Chapter 7 (on Europe) and Chapter 8 (on China), which highlight an apparent inability of the U.S. to learn from its past experiences. Even more important, in my opinion, is her description and analysis of the nation's counterproductive export control policies that have been in place since 1999. This theme can be found throughout the book, but is addressed in detail in Chapter 2 ("The Conundrum of Dual-Use Technology") and Chapter 6 ("The Politicization of the U.S. Aerospace Industry"). These chapters are essential reading for anyone unfamiliar with this troubling situation, and also are valuable for those who are more informed because they present the most cogent arguments I've seen in any of the multitude of materials I've read on this subject.
In the spirit of full disclosure, I should note that I've known Joan since 1989 and have read many of her publications since that time. As a result, I feel confident that she is someone who should be listened to when she suggests a preferred path to civil, commercial, and military space leadership (Chapter 9). In addition to her many years of research and teaching experience in both civilian and military institutions, she is well-connected and respected in the European and Asian space communities. Her ability to perceive the big picture is something we desperately need today.

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