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

Book Description

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

Customer Reviews:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Pirate Coast: Thomas Jefferson, The First Marines, and the Secret Mission of 1805

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Pirate Coast
The Pirate Coast; Thomas Jefferson, The First Marines, and the Secret mission of 1805
"Nother excellent book by Mr. Zacks
The Pirate Coast (Book Review)
Great Telling of an Obscure Story

The Pirate Coast: Thomas Jefferson, The First Marines, and the Secret Mission of 1805
Richard Zacks
Manufacturer: Hyperion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1401300030
Release Date: 2005-06-01

Book Description

A real-life thriller from acclaimed historian and author of The Pirate Hunter, Richard Zacks-the true story of the unheralded American who brought the Barbary Pirates to their knees n an attempt to stop the legendary Barbary Pirates of North Africa from hijacking American ships, William Eaton set out in 1805 on a secret mission to over-throw the government of Tripoli. The operation was sanctioned by President Thomas Jefferson, but at the last moment he grew wary of 'intermeddling' in a foreign government, and Eaton set off without proper national support.

Customer Reviews:

Pirate Coast .......2007-09-21

I Just finished a book titled "The Pirate Coast" by Robert Zacks. A very interesting historical account of how a handful of Marines along with General William Eaton embarked on America's first overseas covert op. They traipsed across the Sahara in an endeavor to free American soldiers that were captured and enslaved by Barbary pirates- Moslems. It's an interesting chronicle of how Moslems enslaved Christians, Americans & Europeans dating as far back as the 1700's.

Even back then we were the only nation with the cajones to stand up to these despicable pirates. It was during a time when many nations were intimidated into paying "tribute' to these Moslem nations in order not to be enslaved/ or unlawfully seized from the waters.

It was during these troubling times when a US Navy vessel(USS Philadelphia) ran aground in the harbor of Tripoli-(now Libya) and was captured along with over 270 American soldiers. The Bey or Pasha of Tripoli - Yusef Karamanli was a ruthless thug that murdered his brother, de-throned his father, & exiled his next older brother, Hamet, while keeping Hamet's wife & children hostage in the castle; as an incentive for him not to return and stake claim to his rightful throne. Yusef enjoyed the notoriety of the first foreign ruler ever to declare war on the U.S.A.

I think you would enjoy it.

From the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli....

The Pirate Coast; Thomas Jefferson, The First Marines, and the Secret mission of 1805.......2007-07-19

Courage, adventure, and political intrigue. Accurate historical account of early American foreign policy toward Muslim states. Many parallels to issues facing America today.

"Nother excellent book by Mr. Zacks.......2007-07-09

And "avoid a land war in asia" should be modified to include North Africa. medaling in the affairs of foreign governments has led us to no good outcomes for a very long time. Mr. Zacks makes is abundantly clear that the grounding of the ship Philadelphia was a minor problem compared with its premature abandonment. And that the secret mission of Pres. Thomas Jefferson and his agent Mr. Eaton led us to far more grief than if we had just arrived with the fleet and demanded an end of this open sea piracy.

A great read for all of those who love politics as theater and are interested in sea stories. Reads like a Patric O'Brien novel but has the full truth in it.

The Pirate Coast (Book Review).......2007-06-30

'Small Fonts'

My biggest issue w/ this book is that the font used is kinda tiny, about 8 or 9 pt. size. I noticed this when I started having headaches after reading it, which I didn't used to get when reading other books.

Comparing it to other Trade Paperback Books, the others normally use 10 pt., rather than the 8-9 pt. size used on this one.

Apparently, this is a rather long book, since even w/ the small font size, it is already almost 500 pages long. If they had used the normal 10 pt. font size, the book would've ballooned to 600-700 pages, adding to the costs & perhaps made the book unattractive.

The book could've likely used more careful editing, trimming it down to around 500 pages using the usual 10 pt. font size.

I sort of regretted buying this book, its kinda expensive, & am not sure if I will ever be able to finish it.

Great Telling of an Obscure Story.......2007-05-30

Richard Zacks' "Pirate Coast: Thomas Jefferson, the First Marines, and the Secret Mission of 1805" is an engrossing tale of one of the first US overseas "covert" missions. While also telling the story of the First Barbary War, Zack concentrates on the energetic and ambitious William Eaton, whose audacious plan was to march over 500 miles across the North African desert to attack Tripoli (one of the Barbary States) from land.

Eaton's successful attack on the town of Derna was a key element in the peace made to conclude the war. However, upon his return to the United States, Eaton fell into political conflict with President Thomas Jefferson and was never compensated for much of his personal expenses from the expedition - and he eventually died a broken alcoholic.

"Pirate Coast" is not a full telling of the First Barbary War, but Zacks gives enough background that the reader can follow the big picture while also focusing on Eaton's courageous and daring mission. Zacks also brings the many historical characters to life, showing how their personalities impacted the war, the mission, and the aftermath. This is an excellent book for anyone interesting in US history, military history, or who wants to learn more about this forgotten war.

Modern Africa: A Social and Political History (3rd Edition)

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an amazing look at modern africa

Modern Africa: A Social and Political History (3rd Edition)
Basil Davidson
Manufacturer: Longman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Textbook Binding

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ASIN: 058221288X

Book Description

Basil Davidson's famous book -- now updated in a welcome Third Edition -- reviews the social and political history of Africa in the twentieth century. It takes the reader from the colonial era through the liberation movements to independence and beyond. It faces squarely the disappointments and breakdowns that have dulled the early successes of the post-colonial era; yet, for all the sorrows and uncertainties of Africa today, Basil Davidson shows how much has been achieved since decolonization, and the mood of his new final chapter is hopeful and buoyant.

Customer Reviews:

an amazing look at modern africa.......2000-03-30

This book takes you on a raw one-of-kind look at modern Africa. I had little knowladge of the topic before reading this book, but this book took me step-by step through Africa's difficulties. This is a must read for anyone looking to expand their knowladge on world events.

Economic Sanctions Reconsidered: History and Current Policy

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Economic Sanctions Reconsidered: History and Current Policy
Gary Clyde Hufbauer , Jeffrey J. Schott , and Kimberly Ann Elliott
Manufacturer: Peterson Institute
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Exports & Imports | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | International | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0881321362

The Colonial Moment in Africa: Essays on the Movement of Minds and Materials, 1900-1940

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The Colonial Moment in Africa: Essays on the Movement of Minds and Materials, 1900-1940

Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Africa | History | Subjects | Books

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Book Description

This book includes the first five, thematic, chapters from the Cambridge History of Africa, Volume 7. They deal with Africa south of the Sahara, during a period in which economic and cultural changes greatly enlarged the horizons of Africans, even though colonial rule seemed set to last for a very long time. The contributors break much new ground in exploring a variety of topics which transcend colonial frontiers: the impact of Africa on the thought of the colonial powers; impulses to economic growth, and new frameworks directing the movement of people, goods and money; the rapid expansion of world religions and their interaction with indigenous beliefs and colonial regimes; the circulation of ideas among Africans, and the growth of new social identities, as reflected in the press, literature, art and music. Each chapter is accompanied by a bibliography updated for this edition.

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Rommel did also mistakes
Rommel- Overrated
Military history at it's worst
The worst book ever written about Rommel
An Interesting Perspective

Rommel: Battles and Campaigns
Kenneth Macksey
Manufacturer: Da Capo
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Rommel's Greatest Victory: The Desert Fox and the Fall of Tobruk, Spring 1942

ASIN: 0306807866

Customer Reviews:

Rommel did also mistakes.......2006-03-16

Kenneth Macksey is not the kind of writer who will produce a repetition of existing arguments and bore the reader. It is true that he looks at Rommel with a very critical view but that is what I expect from an expert on World War II who is very accurate and does extensive research for his books. Don't let bad critics to keep you away from this book, because it's a terrific factual short account of Rommel's meteoric carreer and not an hagiography of the man. The photo captions are very informative and the maps are numerous and very good.

Rommel- Overrated.......2005-11-13

Anglo accounts of World War Two frequently sing the praises of Rommel and his victories. Reality? Rommel was second rate for the Germans, and got his job, and promotions largely due to propaganda reasons and friendship with Hitler.

While a tactical genius, and excellent at operations, his stratgic level decision making was poor at best... ignoring logistical realities and the larger strategic picture.

Rommel's job in the sand was to hold off the British- not conquor the Middle East. He failed, largely due to ignore logistics.

Macksey does an excellent job reviewing Rommel's life and accurately pointing out his strenghs and weaknesses.

If you are looking for a honest appraisal of Rommel, buy this book. If you a Rommel fan-boy, don't.

Military history at it's worst.......2003-01-02

In Rommel: Battles and Campaigns, Macksey (a British officer in WWII) continues his efforts to atone for British defeats in France and North Africa by painting the German military leadership as incompetent. This book is less of an objective review of Rommel's campaigns, but rather a poorly masked attempt to completly discredit any and all actions taken by Rommel in WWII. The strong bias in this account is evident within the books first few pages and continues throughout the volume. I have tried to read this book twice without success. The unbalanced nature of the account is so annoying that after my second attempt the book found it's rightful place in my circular file. Hence this review.

Avoid this one like the plague! There are too many numerous and well written accounts of Rommel's war record to waste time on this one.

The worst book ever written about Rommel.......2002-02-02

The reader should don a pair of waders before opening this book because of the amount of mud that it slings. This book has little to do with examining battles or campaigns, rather it is an exercise in character assassination. It is another entery in the author's ham-fisted attempts to convince the reader that Rommel was a sham, and a mendacious simpleton.

An Interesting Perspective.......2000-04-26

Kenneth Macksey, in his biography Rommel: Battles and Campaigns, is highly critical or Rommel. Macksey sees Rommel as a leader who changed little about his tactics from the First World War, despite massive technological changes. Macksey believed Rommel had a huge amount of luck in his battles. This differs from most historians' views, with David Frazer (Knight's Cross; HarperCollins) pointing out that war relies to a large extent on luck. There is also the cliché that `you make your own luck'. Macksey views Rommel's advance through France in 1940 critically, and is quick to move acclaim from Rommel to his superiors, fellow generals, and troops. Although Macksey does have examples to support this view, they are highly specific, and are lost in a general evaluation of Rommel's successes. Macksey sees Rommel's success in North Africa as due to the poor leadership of the Allied forces, not the skill of the `Desert Fox'. Frazer again has a different view, and states that in almost every single battle of his African campaign, Rommel was hugely outnumbered, but won some marvelous victories against vastly superior opposition. This was an interesting account, obviously from an anti-Rommel perspective, but giving excellent details on all of Rommel's battles, great maps and visuals as well.

Battle for the Bundu: The First World War in East Africa

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An amazing story, brilliantly told
A fascinating account of an extraordinary event
A well written book about a facinating chapter of WWI

Battle for the Bundu: The First World War in East Africa
Charles Miller
Manufacturer: Macmillan Publishing Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0025849301

Customer Reviews:

An amazing story, brilliantly told.......2005-03-23

In this book, Miller tells the story of the first World War in east Africa, and he tells it well.

While shells flew and men died at the Western Front, the perfect Prussian officer, Paul Von Lettow Vorbeck led his vastly outnumbered band of German and African infantry across thousands of miles of East Africa, and come Armistice Day in 1918, his was the only German army that had not been forced to surrender.

It is a fascinating book, and particularly well researched. Miller has brought together materials from memoirs and diaries of those who took part, to military archives, making it both accurate and detailed as well as funny in parts and quite human.

The story abounds with stuffed-shirt generals, wily elephant hunters, cynical intelligence officers and singing porters. For a large part, all these characters go about prosecuting a war as if it were a game of cricket. Yes, they killed an awful lot of each other, but they always seemed remarkably gentlemanly about it.

There are many side plots, including the history of the German raider Konigsberg, which was mirrored in World War Two with the Graf Spee in the River Plate, an amazing rescue attempt by zeppelin, and a bizarre campaign to control the great lakes of Africa, which later inspired the film African Queen.

Whereas many historians and chroniclers tend to get bogged down in their subject matter, producing a somewhat dry, flat book, the reader will be pleasantly surprised with this offering, as it is full of life.

Whether you are interested in history, or just like a good read, I recommend this book to you.

A fascinating account of an extraordinary event.......2004-12-24

When the First World War broke out, the British government believed that seizing Germany's African colonies would be accomplished quickly and painlessly. One man decided to ensure that this would not be the case. That man was Colonel von Lettow-Vorbeck, commanding officer of the German army in the colony of German East Africa. From the very start of the war until after the Armistice was signed in Europe, von Lettow led his mixed army of Germans and native Africans (mostly the latter!) on an odyssey around East Africa, tying down a large British army, and refusing to be beaten. This is the story of the Kaiser's African soldiers, and their brilliant leader.

This is a great book! The author takes what is a forgotten chapter of world history, and spins a fascinating tale of action and adventure. The book is thick and quite informative, but more than that the author succeeds in making the story interesting and even periodically humorous. So, if you want to read a fascinating account of an extraordinary event in world history, then you must get this book. I give this book an enthusiastic two thumbs up!

A well written book about a facinating chapter of WWI.......1998-06-30

An incredible story about German resistence to British invasion in East Africa during the 1st world war. What started as a beach landing calculated to force the German to surrender overnight, ended four years later with an undefeated German army surrendering to a British army that had not defeated them! This book is full of hard-to-believe stories. Once you start reading you will not put it down.

The Colonial Disease: A Social History of Sleeping Sickness in Northern Zaire, 19001940 (Cambridge Studies in the History of Medicine)

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Africa's Unique Environmental Problem

The Colonial Disease: A Social History of Sleeping Sickness in Northern Zaire, 19001940 (Cambridge Studies in the History of Medicine)
Maryinez Lyons
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Democratic Republic of Congo | Africa | History | Subjects | Books

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A Colonial Lexicon: Of Birth Ritual, Medicalization, and Mobility in the Congo (Body, Commodity, Text)

ASIN: 0521524520

Book Description

The Belgians commonly referred to their colonisation of the Congo as a â€~civilising missionâ€™, and many regarded the introduction of western bio-medicine as a central feature of their â€~giftâ€™ to Africans. By 1930, however, it was clear that some features of their â€~civilising missionâ€™ were in fact closely connected to the poor health of many of the Congolese. The Europeans had indeed brought scientific enquiry and western bio-medicine; but they had also introduced a harsh, repressive political system which, coupled with a ruthlessly exploitative economic system, led to the introduction of new diseases while already-existing diseases were exacerbated and spread. Tropical, or â€~colonialâ€™, medicine was a new field at the turn of the century, linked closely both to European expansionism and human trypanosomiasis, or sleeping sickness. In 1901 a devastating epidemic had erupted in Uganda, killing well over 250,000 people.

Customer Reviews:

Africa's Unique Environmental Problem.......2004-01-09

The tsetse fly, and the animal and human trypanosomiasis ("nagana") it transmits, is a major, uniquely African problem, causing misery and hindering economic development over huge regions. Lyons's book adds greatly to our understanding of efforts to control the "fly," not least because she very effectively exploits Belgian, British and Sudanese archives. As a full study of policy and practice in the major colony of the Belgian Congo, it also adds an important dimension to the history of African environments, previously dominated by research on British Africa. The main contrast between the two approaches was that Britain sought to control tsetse-friendly areas by modifying the landscape, basically waging war against vegetation, while Belgium sought to minimize infection among human populations through forced resettlement and coercive quarantine measures. This enhanced Africans' resentment and sense of injury under Belgian rule, but both policies barely grasped how colonial-era changes aided the spread of fly belts. "Colonial Disease" is a fine if primarily documentary study, and would probably be better with more access to materials in Congo/Zaire. Though it has some good interview data, its fieldwork component is less strong than J. Giblin, "The Politics of Environmental Control in Northeastern Tanzania," and the forbidding classic by J. Ford, "The Role of the Trypanosomiases in African Ecology." F. Lambrecht, "In the Shade of an Acacia Tree" is a Belgian-American's vivid memoir of 1950s glossinology, or tsetse science.

Armies in East Africa 1914-18 (Men-at-Arms)

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A fine resource
The First Desert Fox
Good Order of Battle Data

Armies in East Africa 1914-18 (Men-at-Arms)
Peter Abbott
Manufacturer: Osprey Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Africa | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1841764892
Release Date: 2002-10-18

Book Description

One of the least-published campaigns of the Great War was that fought in East Africa by forces of colonial troops – British Empire, Belgian, Portuguese and German. Short of resources, many European, African and Indian soldiers recorded epics of endurance as they hunted the outnumbered but brilliantly led German colonial forces across a disease-ridden wilderness.
The achievements of Paul von Lettow Vorbeck – the last German commander in the field to lay down his arms – brought him fame and respect comparable to that won by Rommel in World War II. The events and the forces are described here in concise detail, and illustrated with rare photographs and striking colour artworks.

Customer Reviews:

A fine resource.......2007-08-18

This book is almost a necessity if you're studying World War One in Africa. As always, this format is limited but typically packed with information available nowhere else. I only wish there had been some black and white plates of some of the regimental badges and other insignia.

The First Desert Fox.......2006-11-11

Well-done book. I have not seen a bad Osprey book yet. This book outlines the uniforms, equipment and OOB's as well as the history of the Great War in East Africa. Paul Von-lettow Vorbeck was able to outsmart and outmarch the allies (Britain, Belgium and Portugal).

Good Order of Battle Data.......2003-02-08

Since the amazing resistance of the German colony in Tanganyika in the First World War is rarely covered in any kind of detail, Osprey's Men-at-Arms volume Armies in East Africa 1914-1918 is a welcome addition to the slim literature on that subject. While certainly not comprehensive, the author manages to pack a fair amount of data into less than fifty pages and is not distracted from his subject with trivia about collar piping or various types of footwear (a common flaw in the Men-at-Arms series). Instead, the author delivers a succinct summary of the campaign, with notes on equipment, organization, and uniforms. The best aspect of the volume is the considerable order of battle data provided on all combatants, included the usually neglected Belgian and Portuguese forces.

Armies in East Africa 1914-1918 is divided into short sections on the pre-war colonial forces in place (Germany, Britain, Belgium and Portugal), a campaign chronology, the campaign of 1914-1915, the 1916 Allied offensive, and then stalemate and pursuit in 1917. There are eight pages of color plates, covering the uniforms of all the combatant powers. The author also provides a surprisingly detailed bibliography, which readers may find quite useful.

The detail on Belgian and Portuguese forces provided is particularly welcome, since most sources virtually ignore non-Commonwealth participation in the war in East Africa. Portugal was unique in sending several large expeditionary forces from Europe to fight in East Africa, instead of relying on colonial troops as everyone else did. The author also details the rather self-inflated reputation of the South African troops, who initially disparaged the black German Askaris and even their Indian allies. Perhaps the only area that is slighted is the German ground unit formed from survivors from the cruiser Konigsberg, and the role of the cruiser's salvaged 4.7" guns (they are briefly mentioned and depicted in illustrations, but the fact that these naval troops performed poorly in bush warfare - not surprisingly - is not mentioned). Otherwise, Armies in East Africa 1914-1918 is a fine summary of one of the more unusual campaigns and adaptive commanders of the 20th Century.

Average customer rating:

The first full-length history of this campaign

The Forgotten Front

The Forgotten Front: The East African Campaign 1914-1918 (Revealing History)
Ross Anderson
Manufacturer: Tempus
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The First World War in Africa (The First World War)

Armies in East Africa 1914-18 (Men-at-Arms)

The Great War in Africa, 1914-1918

Mimi and Toutou's Big Adventure: The Bizarre Battle of Lake Tanganyika

My Reminiscences of East Africa

ASIN: 0752423444

Book Description

The First World War began in East Africa in July 1914 and did not end until November 13, 1918. In its scale and impact, it was the largest conflict yet to take place on African soil. Four empires and their subject peoples were engaged in a conflict that ranged from modern Kenya in the north to Mozambique in the south, leaving hunger and devastation in its trail. Yet the East African campaign has languished in undeserved obscurity over the years, with many people only vaguely aware of its course of events. Africans bore the brunt of the fighting and few escaped the impact of the war.

Customer Reviews:

The first full-length history of this campaign.......2004-10-12

The first world war began in East Africa in 1914 and didn't end until 1918: its impact would change a world, and was the largest of its times on African soil - yet the East African campaign would remain largely under-stated and nearly forgotten were it not for Ross Anderson's in-depth study THE FORGOTTEN FRONT. Surprisingly, THE FORGOTTEN FRONT is the first full-length history of this campaign, providing in-depth coverage of events and politics as well as military strategy analysis. It is these elements which make for an exceptional history for World War I scholars.

The Forgotten Front.......2004-07-29

I had high hopes for this book. However, after reading it I found that there was very little new information added to the subject matter and most was from the British point of view. There are already numerous other books which covers World War One in German East Africa and they are more entertaining. I came away from the book with the question if the Gen. Lettow Vorbeck and the schutztruppe were never victorious, then why did it take the Allies four years to defeat them? Anderson's first book on the Battle of Tanga was more informative and added new information which was missing from the other sources. However, in closing the book is well researched and documented and a new reader of the subject would well be advised to have it in their library.

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