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.

Glitter and Doom: German Portraits from the 1920s (Metropolitan Museum of Art Publications)

Average customer rating:

Long Wait for an Excellent Book
A beautiful exhibition
Glitter and Doom
Beautiful catalog for
You can't go wrong with German Expressionism

Glitter and Doom: German Portraits from the 1920s (Metropolitan Museum of Art Publications)
Sabine Rewald , Ian Buruma , and Matthias Eberle
Manufacturer: Metropolitan Museum of Art
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0300117884

Book Description

In the 1920s Germany was in the grip of social and political turmoil: its citizens were disillusioned by defeat in World War I, the failure of revolution, the disintegration of their social system, and inflation of rampant proportions. Curiously, as this important book shows, these years of upheaval were also a time of creative ferment and innovative accomplishment in literature, theater, film, and art.
Glitter and Doom is the first publication to focus exclusively on portraits dating from the short-lived Weimar Republic. It features forty paintings and sixty drawings by key artists, including Otto Dix, Max Beckmann, and George Grosz. Their works epitomize Neue Sachlichkeit (New Objectivity), in particular the branch of that new form of realism called Verism, which took as its subject contemporary phenomena such as war, social problems, and moral decay. Subjects of their incisive portraits are the artists’ own contemporaries: actors, poets, prostitutes, and profiteers, as well as doctors, lawyers, businessmen, and other respectable citizens. The accompanying texts reveal how these portraits hold up a mirror to the glittering, vital, doomed society that was obliterated when Hitler came to power.

Customer Reviews:

Long Wait for an Excellent Book.......2007-05-12

Finally an excellent review of what the first World War did to German culture and psyche. This book lays it all out. Hitler was a logical consequence. Unfortunately the Western world did not pay enough attention to these portentious signs. The book has beautiful color reproductions, great detailed commentary on each artist featured and enaough historical commentary to make it all plausible.

A beautiful exhibition.......2007-04-08

This is the catalogue for a beautiful exhibition held at the Met last year. The paintings reproduced here are among the best examples of the New Objectivity, a movement that was able to depict the atmosphere, the soul, the world of the Weimar Republic, that brief time span when pre-war Germany enjoyed freedom in the arts and in the minds. These gripping paintings show how ultimately doomed that world was and how the artists were the first to sense the tragic developments that were to succeed it. The front cover, a detail of one of Christian Schad's best known paintings, is a perfect illustration of a society that seems to have enjoyed life knowing that death would come too soon, with the end of that joyful and poetic decadence that was the Berlin of the 1920's.

Glitter and Doom.......2007-03-22

Twice viewed the exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum here in New York. German art in the 20s is raw, obscene and decadent. A raucus reflection on hard times there. They had just suffered WW1, in the midst of fascism, insane inflation, etc.
Highlight: Otto Dix is a wild artist, forever a favorite now. Also a DaDa artist.
I am a frequent art museum visitor. Therefore, in my opinion, this catalogue did the show great justice which is not aways the case.

Beautiful catalog for.......2007-03-08

The BEST museum show I have seen in a long time. Sabine Rewald is a truly great curator, the book is smart and well designed, great color reproductions.

You can't go wrong with German Expressionism.......2007-01-29

How can you say "no" to Otto Dix?? Well...you can't! The actual exhibit at the Met was good (although I thought it'd be bigger) and relatively informative, but the book gets into depths the exhibit couldn't. Ideally you should see the exhibit and thoroughly read the book. You can't quite get the experience of seeing the works within the book, and you can't exactly get the knowledge of just reading the little blurbs that are glued beside each piece in the exhibit.

The book explores the themes of German life before the world turned on itself and the second world war exploded. For the money it's worth the dive into the celebrated, vastly entertaining, stunningly morbid and little studied area of German Expressionism. It's not too late...go out and there and see the exhibit. And then buy the book, since that's what the Met would like you to do.

Average customer rating:

An American Icon
As a glamour photographer myself...
ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL
Hurrell's Hollywood Portraits
EXCELLENT BOOK! Vieira's mastery of the written word brings that era to life.

Hurrell's Hollywood Portraits
Mark A. Vieira
Manufacturer: Harry N. Abrams
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Hollywood Portraits
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ASIN: 0810934345

Amazon.com

They had faces then, in the golden age of Hollywood when a publicity photo could make or break a star. The visual power of George Hurrell's portraits, with their Rembrandtesque lighting and dramatic poses, shaped the careers of such stars as Joan Crawford, Jean Harlow, and Jane Russell, and did as much or more to establish them as their film performances. Mark Vieira, who adopted Hurrell's techniques and uses them to this day, explains how the master portraitist lit and retouched his photographs--a portrait of Crawford before and after retouching reveals what an artist the one-time painter really was--and analyzes their impact.

Customer Reviews:

An American Icon.......2007-08-25

George Hurrell is universally acknowledged THE Hollywood portrait photographer, the man who recreated during the talkies much of the mystery of the silent stars through his breathtaking photographs. At a time when the finest still photography was becoming more incisive and natural, Hurrell managed to balance this new naturalism and directness in highly manipulated ways, producing in his best work iconic images of the great stars of MGM. After the second World War his work became largely passe, appearing too contrived and built up for an age demanding grit and spontaneity and an off-hand naturalness.
This work seeks to both show and tell the story of Hurrell's highwater era as not only the major photographer of the stars, and MGM in particular, but also his development as artist. Hurrell's flamboyant personality, his novel and sometimes off-putting behavior during shootings, seems now unfortunately taken as role template by many lesser fashion photographers. In his day and at his height during the late twenties through the beginnings of World War II Hurrell dominates a demanding and highly accomplished professional field.
Whether you live in a sumptious penthouse overlooking Central Park, need a single book for the coffee table in the living room of that restored Neutra you just purchased, or just enjoy reasonably priced fashion books, Hurrell's Hollywood Portraits fits the bill. At a significantly reduced price its a lovely reminder of one of the nicer advantages of democratic publishing: not every fine art book is a prohibitively expensive limited edition printed by a small press.

As a glamour photographer myself..........2007-04-13

As a glamour photographer myself, this is a book I own and use for inspiration. I love the way Hurrell not only captures the inner-beauty of the subjects, but his photojournalistic approach. I often graze through this book as I've read it many times over--the grazing gets me going when it comes to my own glamour photography. I recommend anyone interested in this book, buy it now! If you'd like to see how it's affected my career, also check out the following books, Garage Glamour: Digital Nude and Beauty Photography Made Simple, Rolando Gomez's Glamour Photography: Professional Techniques and Images and even a book where I have a chapter, Professional Portrait Lighting: Techniques and Images from Master Photographers (Photo Pro Workshop series) This book should not only be on a collector's list, but for any student of photography--we're always learning no matter what level your photography. ---Rolando Gomez, contributing writer, Studio Photography magazine

ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL.......2006-08-19

This book -- how beautiful. I have photography books by several of the great portrait photographers of the 20th Century, and this one is the best. There are a wealth of photographs, and the story of Hurrell's life is also interesting. If you ever thought about seriously learning about photography and taking some good pictures, this book will take any hesitation out of your mind. Gorgeous!!

Hurrell's Hollywood Portraits.......2006-07-25

This book is everything I expected. The pictures are great and the text very informative. I am enjoying it very much and it is a valued addition to my film library.

EXCELLENT BOOK! Vieira's mastery of the written word brings that era to life........2005-12-03

I thoroughly enjoyed browsing through and then reading this beautiful tribute to the legendary work of George Hurrell. As compelling as Hurrell's photos are it is the author's indepth knowledge and understanding of Hollywood and Hurrell that set this book apart.

Mark Vieira's own photographic artistry is based on Hurrell's techniques, providing current-day enthusiasts with authentic glamour photography of their own.

Average customer rating:

Buy the first book
The Peace Within
Another Dip Into The Pool

Men of WW II: Fighting Men at Ease
Evan Bachner
Manufacturer: Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Collections, Catalogues & Exhibitions | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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At Ease: Navy Men of World War II 2007 Wall Calendar
Bondi Work (Bondi)
Gay Art: A Historic Collection
Sailor: Vintage Photos of a Masculine Icon
Shortbus (Unrated Edition)

ASIN: 0810992876

Book Description

The long awaited follow up to the original At Ease presents 160 new, never before published photographs of WWII Navy men. These photos are not the combat photography weÂ're so accustomed to seeing; here are disarmingly winsome and playful pictures of sailors and soldiers at leisure, displaying an innocent affection for each other that is practically unthinkable today. This was a time when men had no reservations about showing their devotion to their comrades through physical contact, and the included photographs are truly snapshots of a lost era. This volume includes photos from the National Archives by Edward J. Steichen, Wayne Miller, Horace Bristol, Victor Jorgensen, Barrett Gallagher, and many others.

Customer Reviews:

Buy the first book.......2007-05-13

This was quite a let down from his first photo book. It's not that their isn't any good work in it, it's just that I feel this was published just for the extra buck.

The Peace Within.......2007-05-10

This picture book is a work of art. There are over 150 pictures of military men in the middle of a war, yet clearly at peace within themselves.

Another Dip Into The Pool.......2007-04-03

Author Evan Bachner returns two years later with a follow-up to his first book, "At Ease". If you thoroughly enjoyed his first book, as I did, you wont be disappointed. Filled with over 150 photos of sailors and soldiers looking quite peaceful,even though a war raged around them. Being a Navy veteran, I couldn't help but notice how familiar some of these images seem. A perfect companion to the first book.

Franklin and Winston: An Intimate Portrait of an Epic Friendship

Average customer rating:

Great Book!
BFF?
An Excellent look at the friendship that shaped the modern world
Captivating Insights
Great read!

Franklin and Winston: An Intimate Portrait of an Epic Friendship
Jon Meacham
Manufacturer: Random House Trade Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Presidents & Heads of State | Leaders & Notable People | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation
Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream
No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II
Truman
Alexander Hamilton

ASIN: 0812972821
Release Date: 2004-10-12

Book Description

The most complete portrait ever drawn of the complex emotional connection between two of history’s towering leaders

Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill were the greatest leaders of “the Greatest Generation.” In Franklin and Winston, Jon Meacham explores the fascinating relationship between the two men who piloted the free world to victory in World War II. It was a crucial friendship, and a unique one—a president and a prime minister spending enormous amounts of time together (113 days during the war) and exchanging nearly two thousand messages. Amid cocktails, cigarettes, and cigars, they met, often secretly, in places as far-flung as Washington, Hyde Park, Casablanca, and Teheran, talking to each other of war, politics, the burden of command, their health, their wives, and their children.

Born in the nineteenth century and molders of the twentieth and twenty-first, Roosevelt and Churchill had much in common. Sons of the elite, students of history, politicians of the first rank, they savored power. In their own time both men were underestimated, dismissed as arrogant, and faced skeptics and haters in their own nations—yet both magnificently rose to the central challenges of the twentieth century. Theirs was a kind of love story, with an emotional Churchill courting an elusive Roosevelt. The British prime minister, who rallied his nation in its darkest hour, standing alone against Adolf Hitler, was always somewhat insecure about his place in FDR’s affections—which was the way Roosevelt wanted it. A man of secrets, FDR liked to keep people off balance, including his wife, Eleanor, his White House aides—and Winston Churchill.

Confronting tyranny and terror, Roosevelt and Churchill built a victorious alliance amid cataclysmic events and occasionally conflicting interests. Franklin and Winston is also the story of their marriages and their families, two clans caught up in the most sweeping global conflict in history.

Meacham’s new sources—including unpublished letters of FDR’s great secret love, Lucy Mercer Rutherfurd, the papers of Pamela Churchill Harriman, and interviews with the few surviving people who were in FDR and Churchill’s joint company—shed fresh light on the characters of both men as he engagingly chronicles the hours in which they decided the course of the struggle.

Hitler brought them together; later in the war, they drifted apart, but even in the autumn of their alliance, the pull of affection was always there. Charting the personal drama behind the discussions of strategy and statecraft, Meacham has written the definitive account of the most remarkable friendship of the modern age.

From the Hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews:

Great Book!.......2007-09-16

Jon has done a splendid job of bringing to life these two titans of world history. The relationship of these two men are recreated with a detail to personal traits and their crumbling world around them. This book has been pivotal in enhancing a better understanding of both men, and particularly how Franklin D. Roosevelt, albeit his duplicity and guile, was crucial in the fight against the evil Axis powers.

Some have criticized FDR for those white lies, yet those lies and actions secured success for a slumbering nation that would have remained set in their isolationist ways, and would have certainly fallen victim to Hitler's death machine if America followed their own self interest and avoided conflict. Roosevelt was clairvoyant enough to understand the threat and coddle America's misguided sentiments and turn it into action, action that made America the clear world leader it became. A magnificent book of a magnificent man, along with his strong-willed partner Winston. Mecham's treatment of both men is sound and extremely admirable. Highly recommended.

BFF?.......2007-09-07

Well, while Winston and Franklin might not have been best friends forever, it certainly is refreshing and enlightening to see this aspect of WW2 given such detail. The book is rife with quotes from direct corespondences as well as excerpts from various diaries of those surrounding these two titans. Jon Meacham does an excellent job with this book and really makes learning about these two enjoyable. While not a complaint, it is worth noting that this is NOT a history of WW2 and you should probably know the basics before diving in because Meacham jumps forward and glosses over major points, but this best serves his main focus: Churchill and Roosevelt.

An Excellent look at the friendship that shaped the modern world .......2007-06-21

Jon Meacham presents an interesting portrait of two leaders in World War II and the way they united the allies. This book is not meant to serve as a book on World War II and diplomacy but on the relationship between FDR and Churchill. In doing so the author presents a unique perspective that has not been looked at in many of the countless World War II books. The personal relationship of these two men (much like the personal relationship of their enemies Mussolini and Hitler) drove and shaped the course of the war. Each complimented each others strengths and in the end allowed for a unique position to be taken. There had been few examples of this kind of diplomacy before World War II and Meacham shows a diplomacy that would be very important thereafter. This book is filled with excerpts from personal letters and is very well cited. For those who want a different look that your standard World War II books this is an excellent place to start. It is a very light book to read and a lot of fun.

Captivating Insights.......2007-05-11

Franklin and Winston is an excellent book about the friendship between FDR, and Winston Churchill. Many people know the big-picture history between these two men, mostly centering around WWII, but few actually know and understand the smaller details between the two giants of the 20th century. Meacham does a remarkable job detailing the intimate moments between these men, often giving the reader a fly on the wall feel. Franklin and Winston is a fast-paced read, and is highly recommended.

Great read!.......2007-04-29

Superbly written! Whether you like biographies or not, you will love this book!!

Iwo Jima: Portrait of a Battle: United States Marines at War in the Pacific

Average customer rating:

Battle portrait
Stark, spare, haunting, beautiful
Fabulous Book
Great Book!
Beautiful Book

Iwo Jima: Portrait of a Battle: United States Marines at War in the Pacific
Eric Hammel
Manufacturer: Zenith Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Japan | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0760325200

Book Description

Even in as bloody and violent a war as Americans encountered in the Pacific, the brutality of Iwo Jima stands out for its unremitting savagery; it was arguably the hardest won and most memorable battle of the United States Marines in World War II in the Pacific. Remarkable photographs, many never before published, and text by acclaimed military historian Eric Hammel vividly recreate this iconic battle: the pummeling of inland targets, the strafing, and the rocket fire that accompanied the landing; the eerie silence that greeted the marines as they set foot on the island; and then, as the newly-landed marines regrouped on the shoreline, the horrors of all hell breaking loose. The fighting that followed34 of the bloodiest days of the Pacific Warcomes to harrowing life in this volume. Iwo is a uniquely fitting tribute to the valiant struggle that gave us our most enduring image of victory in World War II.

Customer Reviews:

Battle portrait.......2007-07-10

Simply put---one of the best battle depictions I have read anywhere.Stunning pictures.Day-by-day breakdown of gains and losses make you feel like you are right there.This book made an impression on me that has not abated.Definitely at the very top of the military battles that I have read.

Stark, spare, haunting, beautiful.......2007-03-19

Hammel's text is spare but precise, and tightly interwoven with the photographs. It is difficult to exaggerate the quality of the photographs in this volume, which is beautifully produced and bound. The large format and glossy paper do justice to the photos. The extreme resolution and fine detail of the black & white photographs are breathtaking and haunting; use of a magnifying glass reveals the faces and expressions of men wholly consumed in, and being consumed by, their fearsome tasks. This is a work of beauty and awesome respect.

Fabulous Book.......2007-03-13

This book is a treasure, especially for family members and children of the courageous men who fought and gave their lives during this battle. Through extensive use of text and photographs, Mr. Hammel thoroughly describes the conflict in a way that assists the reader in understanding the extreme sacrifice that those young men made for their country.

Great Book!.......2007-03-13

This book is very worth for the price, hundreds of photographs taken during the battle. For WW2 books collector, this book is a must!

Beautiful Book.......2007-02-22

This is a beautiful book. Iwo Jima is a perfect combination of photography and narrative. There is just enough written description to give the outline of events, but not enough to overpower the photographs. The photographs are very emotional. One gets sense of sadness at seeing the destruction and death and the overpowering odds against these men, but a sense of awe at their raw courage and determination. The written descriptions of the of Metal of Honor winners is difficult to appreciate. How could these men muster such courage and tenacity? Historians describe the Iwo Jima battle against the Japanese defense as "throwing human flesh against reinforced concrete." You wonder if the current generation could do the same. Maybe so, if the cause was the same. In any event, this book is worth reading so we can appreciate what these men accomplished.

Field Marshal Von Manstein, The Janus Head - A Portrait

Average customer rating:

A 'must' for any collection going beyond casual World War II analysis.
Outstanding new study
Could have been excellent, if weren't published horribly
A comprehensive look at Manstein's career

Field Marshal Von Manstein, The Janus Head - A Portrait
Marcel Stein
Manufacturer: Helion and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

Death of the Wehrmacht: The German Campaigns of 1942 (Modern War Studies)
Hitler, Donitz, and the Baltic Sea: The Third Reich's Last Hope, 1944-1945
The Fall of Hitler's Fortress City: The Battle for Konigsberg, 1945
The Wages of Destruction: The Making and Breaking of the Nazi Economy
KONIGSBERG: THE BATTLE FOR EAST PRUSSIA JANUARY - MAY 1945: The Russian Offensive: January - February 1945 (Operations / East Front S.)

ASIN: 1906033021

Book Description

Most military historians are in agreement that Feldmarschall Erich von Manstein was the most outstanding German high commander of the Second World War. Many view him as the foremost exponent of large-scale mobile operations in any of the Second World War armies.

Surprisingly, no biography of him has yet been written. To this day, his family refuses to release the papers of his estate to the German military archives at Freiburg. Furthermore the contradictions in the personality of von Manstein make it difficult to generate a synthesis. On one side there is an extraordinary military talent, on the other many political and moral aspects. His military achievements stand in sharp contrast to his inhumane policy of occupation in Russia, his active participation in the slaughter of Jews in Southern Ukraine and the Crimea and his ambivalent attitude to the military resistance movement.

These contradictions have led the author to describe Manstein as 'the Janushead' - the term chosen for the title of the book. He has not written a traditional biography but a portrait.

A complete account of all phases of Manstein's career is given in one chapter, seven more chapters deal extensively with milestones in Manstein's career: his successful plan for the battle of France which led to the defeat of the French Army in less than one month, his dereliction of duty during the battle for Stalingrad, his hubris which led to the disaster of the battle for Kursk, his refusal to take part in the military resistance movement, his compliance with the Commissar order and his involvement in the Holocaust.

The author has widened the subject well beyond the personality of its central figure. It shows how the Nazi system, step by step, succeeded in perverting the centuries-old traditions of the Prussian and German officer corps. Thus, an additional number of German generals are treated in detail to illustrate how moral decrepitude progressively penetrated the highest levels of the armed forces.

This is a very important book, not just because of its up-to-date treatment of von Manstein, a personality who very much requires such an examination, but also due to its wide-ranging and original examination of the Second World War German officer corps at the highest levels.

Customer Reviews:

A 'must' for any collection going beyond casual World War II analysis........2007-07-08

Military libraries strong in World War II history, particularly in profiling German military personalities, probably already have casual coverage and mention of von Manstein, largely considered the most outstanding German high commander of the war - but no complete biography of him has appeared in print until now, making Field Marshal Von Manstein: The Janus Head/A Portrait an unparalleled 'must' for any serious military holding. From his political and military achievements to his inhumane policies in Russia and active participation in Jewish slaughters, this book outlines the contradictions in Manstein's psyche and analyzes both his military and philosophical might. A 'must' for any collection going beyond casual World War II analysis.

Outstanding new study.......2007-06-25

This is comfortably one of the most important books published on the Second World War German armed forces in recent years. For decades, Manstein's reputation has rested on his self-serving autobiography, and similar hagiographical studies. This brand new work, based on deep research in German and Soviet archives, paints him in a different light.

The book is organised around central themes, which are broadly chronological. Some of the most interesting material relates to his involvement in the invasion of the Soviet Union, both in terms of his battlefield performance and his involvement in the Holocaust.

This is not light 'airport' reading, but it is filled with clarity and throws a huge amount of light on the German Second World War officer corps in general, as well as Manstein himself.

However, I cannot agree with one reviewer that this book has been sloppily done by the publisher. The book is very professionally laid out, with very clear footnotes and maps. There is a comprehensive list of sources and bibliography, and index.

In a word, Superb! If you have a real interest in the German Armed Forces in World War II, then this should be on your bookshelf.

Could have been excellent, if weren't published horribly.......2007-06-07

In terms of design, editing, typesetting and proofreading, this is the worst book I've red in the last 20 years or so. 5 stars for author's content, 1 for publisher's mess of a job.

Let me elaborate.

The German original of this book has the title "Der Januskopf: Feldmarschall von Manstein: eine Neubewertung" ("The Janushead: Field Marshal von Manshtein: A Reappraisal") and a Roman coin with double-faced Janus on its cover. Clear and simple: Janus implies duplicity, so probably not everything was OK with the "best strategic mind" of the Wehrmacht. Hence 'reappraisal.' What was wrong with that? Apparently, everything.

On page iv, you can find that the English edition "is not a verbatim translation of the German original": something has been removed, something added, "in order to help the foreign reader's understanding of details that are clear to a German reader, but which require further elaboration in a foreign version."

Here goes the Roman coin: a foreign (that is, English) reader would think that the book is about ancient Rome. Haven't you heard what happened to "A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian?" Why not make it straight and place Manstein's mug on the cover instead? And to make it even easier, let's turn subtitle into the title: "Field Marshal von Manstein." That's better. Now, "a reappraisal"? God forbid, we are talking about the Great Manstein here! Marketing, you know. So, what these downsized Janushead and his coin are doing here, confusing a prospective buyer? My guess is, the author did not agree with their total removal. But that's fine: the Wehrmacht uniform is clearly visible, and what sells better than Nazi (aside from cats and golf, of course)?

Author "extends his thanks" to the publisher for "professionalism." Does Helion & Co. deserve his thanks?

Here are some errors I've notices (and I am not a proofreader). I will not list here misplaced or missing spaces, commas, periods, hyphens, dashes, quotation marks or parentheses--it will be too much. Missing text is in brackets:

p. 5: "Trotsky will remain [in] history's pantheon ..."--as you will see, somebody at Helion has an issue with the preposition 'in.'
p. 6: "Books in German, and in foreign literature, that treat Manstein [in] some detail ..."
p. 8: "His book is apologetic and inspired by a wish to respond to the growing crtiticism of Manstein [in] Germany."
p. 9: "Apart from the his participation ..." [delete 'the']
p. 10: "The book appeared in 1976."--compare fn 12 on the same page: publication date is 1966.
p. 12: "History Otetchesvennoi Voiny Sovietskogo Soyuza (IVOVS)"--should be "Istoriya Otechestvennoy Voiny Sovietskogo Soyuza (IVOVSS)" ("History of the Patriotic War of the Soviet Union").
p. 13: "Often several 'fronts' were temporarily placed under the authority of one commander and his unit was named 'direction' in Russian". Yes, a deputy of the Soviet High Command (Stavka) could coordinate actions of several fronts, but this never was a unit, and it never been called 'direction' in Russian, which doesn't have such a word; apparently, it's Russian "napravleniye," which still wasn't a unit.
p. 28: "... was untiring in his efforts to obtain a complete a rehabilitation of Fritsch." [delete second article 'a']
ibid.: "... to find himself in the place that a Moltke, a Schlieffen and a Beck had occupied ..." [delete articles 'a']
p. 29: "Although Hitler had never met Manstein [in] person ..."
p. 31: "... Manstein's plan was the architect of the German ... victory."--Plan was the architect?!
p. 40: "... parts only of 11th Army ..." should be "only parts."
p. 42: "... against Hitler's order to have 6th Army remain [in] the Kessel."
p. 44: "... that he longed to meet Manstein [in] person ..."
p. 58: "9 November 1944: ..."--should be 1943: Manstein was dismissed on 30th of March 1944 (see the next paragraph).
p. 80: "... he laid out his his ideas about Sichelschnitt to Rundstedt[.]" [delete second 'his']
p. 81: "Schundt"--should be Schmundt, compare with correct spelling on the very next line.
p. 86: "After the end of World War II, Marshal Pétain became vice president ..."--after the World War ONE!
p. 87: "Methusalems"--should be Methuselahs.
p. 90: "Gamelin complained to the British Secretary of War, Duff Cooper, who Deverell had relieved."--should be "who had relieved Deverell."
p. 91: "In 1939, it became, 'Try to become a shirker.'"--compare with fn 39: the quoted book was published in 1917 (?): no, the correct date is 1971 (!), see Bibliography, p. 420.
p. 94: "In his description of the 'Breda variant', Frieser calls Gamelin a new Terentius Varro, an early Roman scholar." I don't have the German original of "The Blitzkrieg Legend" by Karl-Heinz Frieser; in the English translation, which I have in my possession, on p. 46, Frieser quoted the former French air force minister Pierre Cot, who wrote that the French could cry to their air force, 'What did you do with our aircraft?', like Augustus was crying 'Varus! Give me my legions back!' after Quintilius Varus lost three legions in the Teutoburg Forest. You don't have to be classical scholar to know that the Roman general Publius Quintilius Varus is not the same person as 'an early Roman scholar' Marcus Terentius Varro--it would be enough to watch "I, Claudius." K.-H. Frieser didn't call Gamelin 'a new Terentius Varro'--why would he? What that scholar has to do with General Gamelin? I bet, it was also correctly Varus in the German edition of the "Januskopf." Is this one of the 'details that are clear to a German reader,' but which needed 'further elaboration' for a dumb foreigner?
p. 109: "Pi³sudski"--should be Pilsudski.
p. 112: "... he phoned Manstein [in] the midd[l]e of the night."
p. 113: "No German high command [officer?] would go further than Manstein ..."
ibid.: "In 'antiquity' [why in quotation marks?], traitors were thrown off the Tarpeian Rock in Rome."--another 'elaboration in a foreign version' of a detail 'clear to a German reader'? Or was this in the original, too?
p. 115: "Koralev"--should be Korolev.
p. 121: "Ssadogoye"--??? may be, Sadovoye?
p. 123: "... the nickname Fabius Cunctator, the delayer ..."--Why 'Fabius Cunctator' in italics? It is a name! And what student of military history doesn't know Quintus Fabius Maximus, the conqueror of Hannibal? Why 'elaborate'?
p. 127: "... had warned him in September 1952 ..."--should be 1942.
ibid.: "... I am not a Reichenau." [delete 'a'?]
p. 131: "Potemkin type village"--why 'type'? Potemkin village is a Potemkin village. Proverbial.
ibid.: "... become Communist sympathisers and remain [in the] East Germany after the war."
p. 138: "Anatol[y] Mereschko"--should be transliterated 'Merezhko' (same Russian letter as first in Zhukov).
p. 140: "... assisted the NKVD in their 'terror'."--why in quotation marks? was it terror, or wasn't? (same again of pp. 166 and 257).
ibid., fn 69: "Ibid, p. [?]"
p. 143, fn 82: "Piekalkiewicz, p. [?]"
p. 149: "... was named a Fabius cunctator, ie a great delayer."--again (and again on pp. 152 and 159), why this name is in italics? and why Cunctator (which should start with capital 'C,' by the way) with an article? why again this elaboration, 'ie a great delayer'? By the way, Maximus (the Great) in the Cunctator's name is because he saved Rome from Hannibal, not because he was a great delayer.
p. 150: "Mychkovka"--probably, should be Mychovka (compare with spelling just few lines further down); if this is correct, the English transliteration is Mykhovka.
ibid.: "Nish-Kimsky"--should be Nischne-Kimsky (means Lower Kimsky, compare with Verchne-Kimsky, that is, Upper Kimsky, on the same line). Correct English transliterations of the toponyms in the following paragraphs: Verkhne-Kimsky, Nizhne-Kimsky, Chir, Kalach, Chervlenaya.
p. 151: "... rendering it impossible to remain [in] the Kessel ..."
ibid.: "... with a reservatio mentalis, ie a silent disagreement ..."--this has just been explained, on the previous page.
p. 152: "inititiative"--should be "initiative."
p. 155: "... while the brea[k]-out proceeds ..."
p. 164: "chipucha"--correct transliteration is "chepukha."
p. 165: "Stalin became Vassil[i]ev ..."
p. 166: "... the image of Stalin [in] a soldier's greatcoat ..."
ibid.: "Gossudarstvennyi"--should be "Gosudarstvennyi."
p. 168: "No man can jump over his shown shadow ..."--should be "his own shadow."
p. 169: "From that day Manstein became his direct superior, Paulus suffered ..."--should be "from the day."
p. 172: "... the fall of Kiev in the November." [delete 'the']
p. 173: Folio and the running head are missing.
ibid., also twice on p. 212: "Solovev"--should be "Soloviev" (compare with spelling in Bibliography, p. 428: "Solowiev" and "Solowiew"; it is the same name!).
p. 179: Delete "215" after the footnote reference 22.
p. 185: "As commander in chief of 9th Army his opinion was not even requested."--is grammar OK here?
p. 190: "... it will be a difficult [task?] to find an occasion ..." [alternatively, delete 'a']
p. 206: "... the Russian word BEPTEP, a den of brigands ..."--A den of brigands in Russian is "vertep," it has nothing to do with Goethe's Werther (Russian "Verter"). That 'den of brigands,' obviously, is yet another 'elaboration' which is wide of the mark.
p. 209, fn 118: "Tankvoye zrashrenye pod Prochorovkoi"--correct spelling and transliteration: "Tankovoye srazheniye pod Prokhorovkoy."
ibid., fn 120: "Dyelo vsey zhisni"--should be "zhizni."
p. 212: "Sokolev estimated ...", again "Sokolev" in fn 138--apparently, it's Soloviev again (fn 135 above). There is no Sokolev in Bibliography (if there was, it should have been "Sokolov").
p. 213: "... members of military 'resistance' ..."--why in quotation marks?
p. 217, fn 19: "... the numbers indicated ibn all sources ..."--should be "in all sources."
p. 218, fn 24: "Ibdid"--should be "Ibid" (ibi dem).
p. 219, fn 25: "Soldatenleben, p. [?]"
p. 226, fn 54: "Lagebsrpechungen"--should be "Lagebesprechungen" ("briefs"), correct spelling on p. 422, in the Bibliography.
p. 232: "... get out [of] OKH ..."
ibid.: "In January 1973, Zeitzler was still the National-Socialist chief of the Generalstab ..."--fortunately, he was not: should be 1943.
p. 235: The forth paragraph from the bottom of the page, starting with "In the video ..." is the author's comment; it should be separated from the rest of the quotation (with square brackets, perhaps, like it is done elsewhere in the book). Same on p. 241, second paragrpaph from the bottom: "Peter Hoffmann ... many knew much." is another comment not separated from the citation. Again on p. 322: "Given this 'definition' ... execution." is the author's comment to the quotation; and once more on the next page: "Streit emphasised ... military commanders." And again, p. 369: "As in the documents ... by 'resettled'."
p. 240: "Joachim Fest took them up again [in] his book ..."
p. 251: "... with 11th Army on the Crimea."--should be "in the Crimea" (again on p. 315: "... partisan danger increased on the Crimea ..."; p. 355: "He had acted on the Crimea ..."; p. 364: "The partisans on the Crimea ...").
p. 255: "Seaton expressed himself in a similar vein [in] his work ..."
p. 257: "Krasnaya Sviezda"--should be "Zviezda."
ibid., fn 31: "Ot zhimnego dvorca do kremlyovskoy steni. Ocherkyi sovietskoy istoryi ot 1917 do nashich dneyi"--should be "Ot Zimnego dvortsa do Kremlyovskoy steny: Ocherki sovietskoy istorii ot 1917 do nashikh dney."
p. 268: "... by a decree of the Convenant"--should be "National Convention" or "Convention."
p. 269: "Sampolit"--should be "Zampolit."
p. 278: "A general 'orders', he does not 'express' wishes."--why quotation marks?
p. 283: "... it must be said again [in] defence of Manstein ..."
p. 286: "I 'personally' do not believe ..."--why quotation marks?
p. 288, fn 10: "Die Truppe des WeltanschauungskriEinsatzgruppees."--should be "Weltanschauungskrieges" (correct spelling on p. 424).
p. 290: "Kichinev" ("Kichinew" on p. 342)--English transliteration is Kishinev (or Chisinau, as it's spelled in Modlova).
p. 291: "... no one in German[y] had any knowledge ..."
p. 305, fn 72: "Madison 194"--should be 1964.
p. 318: "... the German Federal [Re]public forbade ..."
p. 319: "... Manstein became one of the active 'perpetrators' of the genocide."--if he did, why quotation marks?
p. 325: "... as an ally of Czarist Russia."--why Czarist in italics?
p. 328: "... was not persona grata, ie a welcome guest ..."--yet another 'elaboration' for a dumb English reader?
p. 330: "Kuchler"--should be "Küchler," with umlaut.
p. 338: "Wöhler felt that he was entitled to order Ohlendorf around, and that Ohlendorf had to remain [in?] total respect of his military rank."--grammar?
p. 341: "Czernovits"--German transliteration is Czernowitz, English--Chernovtsy.
p. 352: "Kachovka"--preferrably, Kakhovka.
p. 364: Yet another example of helpful 'elaboration': "... the nimbus, ie the cloud over the German Generalstab ..." Should be 'halo,' perhaps, like over a head of a saint?
p. 369: "Motorized Gendarmerie Unit 683 reported had already reported ..." [delete the first 'reported']
p. 371: "Dchanskoy"--correct German spelling is Dschankoj, English--Dzhankoy.
p. 373: "... many suspicious elements remain [in] the city ..."
p. 374: "Bakhtiassaray"--should be Bakhchisaray (correct German transliteration is Bachtschyssaraj).
p. 387-388: It would be nice to 'elaborate' here, and translate German poems.

If this of any consolation, I have yet to see either an English or an American publication which cites Russian books, articles and archived documents without errors: Helion is not unique in that matter.

Lesser, but still irritating, annoyances: Footnotes--either with period in the end, or without, not both. Abbreviation of "ibi dem"--either with a period (ibid.) or without. There should be, throughout, a space (or consistently no space) between initials and a surname; between 'p.' or 'vol.' and the following number; and, in a sentence, after a comma; also, space needed before opening brackets.

Still more errors could be found in the Bibliography and in the Index, but enough is enough.

Have an editor and a proofreader even touched this book?

Very professional indeed. Thank you, Helion & Company!

A comprehensive look at Manstein's career.......2007-05-13

When I finally got around to reading Manstein's military memoirs I was quite surprised at how much I was annoyed by it. Instead of explaining what had happened and why I was presented with 'what if' solutions and how everyone around him was responsible for the failures under his command and he was innocent and out of the loop. This only one of the reasons I was happy to read Stein's portrait of Manstein. It isn't a biography and it isn't solely about Manstein, at times Stein goes off on tangents to explain who the other characters are in the drama that turned out to have been the German officer corps at war. From the early days when Manstein was coming up the ranks to the July 20th plot against Hitler's life and finally to his testimony at the war crimes trials, all are covered and those who stood up for him and voiced their opinions against him are mentioned and covered in a variety of detail.

To start off I see the good and bad of this book, I agree with many of the authors contentions and at the same time there are some things that I do not think are wholly evident and should be considered practically a given when speaking or thinking of Manstein.

The book starts off with a chronology of his activities from birth until he was dismissed from his post by Hitler. At which point there is a chapter by chapter report about his various and controversial activities. The reader is presented with Manstein's actions during the campaign against France. I appreciated Stein's conclusions in regards to what might have happened if Manstein's plan had not been taken up, in retrospect considering the condition of the French Army, the same outcome would have occurred. The Germans, although outnumbered, would have been victorious against the forces of Belgium, the British Expeditionary Force, and the French Army. Yet, Manstein's plan was helpful in bringing the war to a quick end. I cannot say personally that it was "Brilliant" since its outcome was more so decided by the ineptness of the French military than anything 'spectacular' that Manstein or the German army came up with or did, respectively. In the conclusion one will notice Stein says if this is all Manstein had on his record he would be considered one of the great commanders of history, yet to a degree I think he contradicts himself when, as earlier pointed out, he said the outcome was assured before Manstein's plan was even adopted. Considering the fact that the German General Staff is held in such high esteem, it's hard to believe that their original plan would have been that much off as to cause them to lose the entire war.

The next chapter outlines Manstein's actions in the Crimea and specifically his actions toward a certain divisional commander whom, through his indirect actions, would eventually be killed and whose wife would end up in a concentration camp with 40 marks to her name. Already, it is seen that when Manstein was in trouble, the trouble came from the fact that the Soviets launched amphibious operations in the Crimea when Manstein was head of the 11th Army, that he found someone else to blame. Not taking any responsibility on himself, and in all likelihood that von Sponeck, whom Manstein had dismissed from his position, did the right thing and saved his division rather than listening to Manstein and acting against his own better judgment.

Next is the ever controversial actions of Manstein as commander of Army Group Don and Paulus's 6th Army which was trapped in Stalingrad. Was Manstein his superior? Yes. Could Manstein have ordered Paulus out of the pocket and helped rescue the 6th Army? Yes. Did he? No. In detail this is treated in an entire chapter in Stein's book and the outcome is still not definitive, but simply put, it adds to the idea that when Manstein was put into an uncomfortable situation, minus combat ones, he cracked and couldn't do the right thing. Again and again Paulus asked him for orders hinting that he should let him break out or give him freedom of action and again and again Manstein refused.

Kursk, an operation doomed from the start for a variety of reasons can be viewed as being, at least in part, Manstein's operation. How could a professional commander undertake such an operation without numerical superiority against an enemy that knows he is coming and exactly where? Wishful thinking, what else could be the answer? Those who would argue that it wasn't Manstein who was responsible, I advise to read the book and think again. Too many have made Manstein into a hero he was not and too many ignore his actions thinking him incapable of making them.

Manstein's role in the resistence movement to Hitler. He was approached more than once and by a variety of officers who asked and hinted at the fact that Hitler needed to be killed so that Germany could have a chance at a future. Manstein couldn't find it in himself to choose the correct form of honor. To him honor is doing your duty and obeying orders when you know they are wrong, while there is another kind of honor and Stein does an excellent job of describing it via many other German officers and their actions when it came to the resistance against Hitler or simply disobeying his racist orders in the East. Which leads to the last chapter.

In this chapter Manstein's activities including his 11th Army's actions in conjunction with the Einsatzgruppen are discussed. Many excerpts are taken from his trial and one can easily see that he is hiding something. Him and the 11th Army's chief of staff and a slew of other generals who were on the stand for their orders against Jews and Commissars, for their activities which led to the massacre of Jews and others in their army rear areas, and a plethora of reports that they had to have seen describing Einsatzgruppen actions, at times with cooperation from Wehrmacht units, in the rear areas and the body count of killed climbing higher and higher.

I am obviously leaving too much out, but if this review has anyone interested in the book I cannot recommend it highly enough. While a lot of this material is freely available in German, for those who have not yet mastered it, this book is a great start. My only fault with this book is that I think Stein conceives Manstein to have been a greater commander than any other German during the Second World War, that is something he has yet to prove if one pays attention to the, at times, contradictory ideas he has about Manstein, his actions, and his plans. His plan which conquered France, in my opinion any plan put together by the German General Staff at that time which had the Germans advancing with loaded weapons would have been a win against France. His actions in the Crimea, one of the longest campaigns which a German army undertook and against forces that were poorly led, although Stein doesn't go into the details from the Soviet side, Mekhlis, a political Commissar, pretty much lost the battle in the Crimea for the Red Army. His actions at Stalingrad, foiled by the 2nd Guards Army under Malinovsky which stopped cold his relief attempt. His actions at Kharkov, thanks to a Panzer corps which he had previously ordered not to evacuate Kharkov and to whom he owed his win. then again it was against an over-extended enemy who had been on the offensive for months, this was in fact a continuation of the operations started in November around Stalingrad. Lastly, Kursk, a failure from the start. Therefore while some of his actions are noteworthy, they are nothing special in my opinion. A reason, aside from his genius or brilliance, can be found for each of his achievements.

The Proud Tower: A Portrait of the World Before the War, 1890-1914

Average customer rating:

Forceful and Mostly Brilliant
Brillian Style, as Always...
Excellent and unparalleled
A surprisingly confused work from Tuchman
Unique approach to History

The Proud Tower: A Portrait of the World Before the War, 1890-1914
Barbara W. Tuchman
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

World War I | Military | History | Subjects | Books

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General | World | History | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0345405013
Release Date: 1996-08-27

Book Description

"The diplomatic origins, so-called, of the War are only the fever chart of the patient; they do not tell us what caused the fever. To probe for underlying causes and deeper forces one must operate within the framework of a whole society and try to discover what moved the people in it."
--Barbara W. Tuchman
The fateful quarter-century leading up to the World War I was a time when the world of Privilege still existed in Olympian luxury and the world of Protest was heaving in its pain, its power, and its hate. The age was the climax of a century of the most accelerated rate of change in history, a cataclysmic shaping of destiny.
In The Proud Tower, Barbara Tuchman concentrates on society rather than the state. With an artist's selectivity, Tuchman bings to vivid life the people, places, and events that shaped the years leading up to the Great War: the Edwardian aristocracy and the end of their reign; the Anarchists of Europe and America, who voiced the protest of the oppressed; Germany, as portrayed through the figure of the self-depicted Hero, Richard Strauss; the sudden gorgeous blaze of Diaghilev's Russian Ballet and Stravinsky's music; the Dreyfus Affair; the two Peace Conferences at the Hague; and, finally, the youth, ideals, enthusiasm, and tragedy of Socialism, epitomized in the moment when the heroic Jean Jaurès was shot to death on the night the War began and an epoch ended.
"Tuchman [was] a distinguished historian who [wrote] her books with a rare combination of impeccable scholarship and literary polish. . . . It would be impossible to read The Proud Tower without pleasure and admiration."
--The New York Times
"Tuchman proved in The Guns of August that she could write better military history than most men. In this sequel, she tells her story with cool wit and warm understanding, eschewing both the sweeping generalizations of a Toynbee and the minute-by-minute simplicisms of a Walter Lord."
--Time

Customer Reviews:

Forceful and Mostly Brilliant .......2007-09-25

Barbara Tuchman's work shows her brilliance as an historian. Having read nearly all of her works, this one is less a linear narrative than a non-linear analysis of events that intertwined at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. Some of the efforts, frankly, put me to sleep. The events in the English parliament seemed to wander and reduce to a game that had no purpose. I found myself finally skipping pages. The analysis of Richard Strauss, while interesting in places, left me wondering whether Ms. Tuchman simply threw in the biography because it coincided with the times.
However, her analysis of the Anarchists and the Socialsts, of the Dreyfus Affair, of the rise of German militarism, of young American muscle-flexing and of the tremors of future seismic activity were masterful. Each patch on this quilt gave me the sense that the ignorance of, or ideological hope for, the future led us into the worst of all possible worlds. It was clear, from a distance, that the most violent convulsions were about to envelop the world.
This book sat on my bookshelf for years. I am glad I pulled it out. As I read it, I found myself finding parallel arrogance with current events --- with terrorism, with fear of outside culture, with the loss of comfort.
It's well worth reading and it shows why Ms. Tuchman deserves her fine reputation as an historian. The Perfect President, Frameworks: Conflict in Balance

Brillian Style, as Always..........2007-07-25

Tuchman was more a writer than an historian and that shows in every one of her books, but that is not a reason for not to read her, but on the contrary, to do it with deligh. We should have in mind that history is not an exact science and so it leaves lot of room for interpretation and beauty of style. We read Gibbons for exactly that reason, no matter how much his findings and ideas has been superseded by new research and data. Same with Tuchman.

Excellent and unparalleled.......2007-03-10

I am more convinced than ever that Barbara Tuchman was the greatest historian of the 20th century. I cannot think of anyone who can outmatch her.

This is a most penetrating and incisive look at the political and social scene of Europe and America before the First World War. After reading this book the reader is inevitably led to the belief that a major war was forthcoming.

My only negative comment are the words accompanying ther title 'APortrait of the World before the War' These words are inapproprite and misleading. True, Europe was the dominant world power and America getting to become
one. But hardly anything was mentioned about China which was in steep decline and Japan emerging as a superpower.

A surprisingly confused work from Tuchman.......2006-10-15

I'll mention that I am a fan of Tuchman's work, from "The Guns of August" to "The Calamitous Forteenth Century" to "the Zimmerman Telegram", her works are amongst the most accessible historical works (particularly for sometimes less well covered topics) around.

As such, I was suprised by the poor editing of "Proud Tower." I gather that the chapters of this book are cobbled together from various articles that she had published. If that is the case, the lack of unity woefully shows. This is a disjointed, wandering and confused affair that would have benefited from some tough love in the editorial department. It's not so much that skipping back and forth through time to cover various regions or groups in and of itself would have been a bad idea, but there is no real connection or theme that unifies the chapters well enough.

This would have been tolerable, however, had the content of the chapters themselves been of greater coherency. Generally these seem to be little more than a series of disjointed character pieces on a series of notable figures. Although the information presented could have been interesting, rarely do you get a sense of why you're being told about many of the figures since she seems to just tell you about their mannerisms and quirks, and then drops them. Since she switches through so many names in a chapter without providing much framework for why she is doing this, some of the chapters seem little better than a list of names.

If you're interested in reading one of Tuchman's books, she has many fine works, but this is not one of her best.

Unique approach to History.......2006-05-15

This book covers events in a number of European countries just prior to world war one in way which is totally different from any history I have ever read. Tuchman's style is unique and gripping. You almost get the feeling that you were there and participating in the events. She gives a very human dimension to the events.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

Medal of Honor: Portraits of Valor Beyond the Call of Duty

Average customer rating:

Proud great niece!!
Incomplete
best gift ever for anyone interested in heros
Medal of Honor: Portraits of Valor Beyond the Call of Duty
A perfect gift for husband, brother or son

Medal of Honor: Portraits of Valor Beyond the Call of Duty

Manufacturer: Artisan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Ordinary Heroes: A Tribute to Congressional Medal of Honor Recipients: Reflections of Freedom, Faith, Duty and the Heroic Possibilities of the Everyday Human Spirit
Beyond Glory: Medal of Honor Heroes in Their Own Words
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Heroes: U.S. Army Medal of Honor Recipients

ASIN: 1579652409

Book Description

Since the Civil War more than 39 million men and women have answered the call to serve. Of those, 3,440 served with such uncommon valor and and extraordinary courage that they were presented with the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military award. Each of their heroic actionsis as unique as the person who performed it, and here more than one hundred of of America's living Medal of Honor recipients are honored and their bravery recounted by best-selling author Peter Collier and presented in duotone portraits by award-winning photographer Nick Del Calzo.

Customer Reviews:

Proud great niece!!.......2007-06-19

I first saw this book in a Borders and looked in it on a whim. Knowing that my great uncle had be awarded the medal of honor. I was happily surprised that he was in there (pg. 223) and even more to find he is also on the CD! My son never got to meet him since he passed away just before my son turned one so now I have a way of showing my son what his family has done! Great book many other great heroes in it. I will be buying more for my family and friends.

Incomplete.......2007-02-16

Not worth the price. It was a disappointment. It does not cover all the Medal of Honor recipient. It is incomplete. How can you forget Audi Murphy the most decorated person of any war.

best gift ever for anyone interested in heros.......2007-02-01

i bought one of these books for my husband for christmas and he read it from cover to cover in less than 5 days. it is now in his office and he has many people ask if they can stay a little longer to read after he has finished working on their vehicles. he bought one for a friend and he loves it also.

Medal of Honor: Portraits of Valor Beyond the Call of Duty.......2007-01-16

This book is a must for anyone whose interested in military history. The stories are truly inspiring.

A perfect gift for husband, brother or son.......2007-01-10

This book is exquisite--in every way. Together with the DVD, it provides powerful witness to acts of remarkable heroism. These rare individuals talk about the danger that unfolded around them and through which they emerged as heroes. They are spellbinding as they sweep us onto the battlefield with them. It is a unique opportunity to see that they are just like ourselves--unremarkable, until that moment when they knew what had to be done and then did it. This book is about those parts of our history when American individuals have risen to acts of honor; courage in the face of overwhelming fear; and, great humanity--poignantly told in their own words.

Impounded: Dorothea Lange and the Censored Images of Japanese American Internment

Average customer rating:

Great photography and history
Text, yes. Photographs, no
Impounded: Important Photography of the Internment and American History
Heartbreaking images of a shameful past.

Impounded: Dorothea Lange and the Censored Images of Japanese American Internment
Dorothea Lange
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Similar Items:

Looking Like the Enemy: My Story of Imprisonment in Japanese American Internment Camps
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Just Americans: How Japanese Americans Won a War at Home and Abroad

ASIN: 039306073X

Book Description

Censored by the U.S. Army, Dorothea Lange's unseen photographs are the extraordinary photographic record of the Japanese American internment saga.

This indelible work of visual and social history confirms Dorothea Lange's stature as one of the twentieth century's greatest American photographers. Presenting 119 images originally censored by the U.S. Army—the majority of which have never been published—Impounded evokes the horror of a community uprooted in the early 1940s and the stark reality of the internment camps. With poignancy and sage insight, nationally known historians Linda Gordon and Gary Okihiro illuminate the saga of Japanese American internment: from life before Executive Order 9066 to the abrupt roundups and the marginal existence in the bleak, sandswept camps. In the tradition of Roman Vishniac's A Vanished World, Impounded, with the immediacy of its photographs, tells the story of the thousands of lives unalterably shattered by racial hatred brought on by the passions of war. 104 photographs.

Customer Reviews:

Great photography and history.......2007-01-12

Outstanding description and photographs documenting the terrible injustice done to American citizens and residents solely because of their Japanese ancestry throughout the Second World War. The indecencies suffered by these people can barely be described adequately, but this book attempts to further illustrate the horrors that can be inflicted on an ethnic group if racism is allowed to influence government policy, as it did in this country during that war.

Text, yes. Photographs, no.......2007-01-10

These important photographs taking during WW2 in the Japanese internment camps scattered around the American west are almost unreadble. The are reproduced very small, and without the requisite skill to make deteriorated images look half decent on the printed page.
The text is informative, especially about Dorothea Lange's trials in gaining access to the camps in California.

Impounded: Important Photography of the Internment and American History.......2007-01-08

Dorothea Lange's photographs document an important American event that is still unknown to a large number of Americans. The fact that the government impounded the photographs speaks for itself.

Heartbreaking images of a shameful past........2006-11-06

Although the text is informative in telling the history of Japanese internment during World War II, the images speak for themselves, page after page in stark black and white, the young and innocent, the old and careworn, carrying rope-bound suitcases and cardboard boxes, standing in long lines, waiting to be processed by indifferent jailors, an entire race herded into the camps that will be home for the war years, disenfranchising them of investment in community and the pride of being Americans. As history has proven over and over, fear is a monster that cannot be contained once the public is infected, the vulnerable a source of suspicion, marked by the color of their skin and the shape of their eyes.

Whole families gather in these telling photographs, leaving treasured belongings behind, grandparents to infants, all swept up in an infamous display of mistrust in a country suddenly driven to panic by a surprise attack, demanding a quick response from their government. Lange has a particular talent for capturing the very human face of the internment camps, children with ID tags attached to their coats, chain link fences topped with barbed wire circling the arid landscape, family laundry hanging from a window, the barren rows of housing units assailed by constant dust storms, women working on camouflage nets for the War Department.

Famous for her Depression era photos of migrant farm workers, this series of photographs, while ordered by the US Government, were censored for the duration of the war. The most striking feature of the collection is the very American look of these people, standing proud while saluting the flag, teenagers trying to act cool in spite of their surroundings, family gatherings that are familiar Americana. It is also important to mention that, in spite of the extreme measures undertaken, "no Japanese-American was ever found guilty of espionage". Lange's work is enhanced by the two essays that precede the collection of photographs, Linda Gordon's biographical essay on Lange's life and work and Gary Okihiro's "An American Story", outlining Japanese immigration to America and the history of Japanese internment, with personal anecdotes by detainees. This is a moving portrait of a country's response to threat, reminding us to value the precious tenets of freedom. Luan Gaines/2006.

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