Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook: Recipes from Hunan Province

Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook: Recipes from Hunan Province
Average customer rating:

A 'must' for any serious collection offering Chinese cookbooks beyond one or two basics.

Worthy successor to "Land of Plenty"

One of the best cookbooks

Breathtaking, authentic, scholarly, beautiful

Even Better than Her First Chinese Cookery Book!

Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook: Recipes from Hunan Province
Fuchsia Dunlop
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Asian | Regional & International | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Chinese | Asian | Regional & International | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Land of Plenty: A Treasury of Authentic Sichuan Cooking

Cradle of Flavor: Home Cooking from the Spice Islands of Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia

Into the Vietnamese Kitchen: Treasured Foodways, Modern Flavors

Simple Chinese Cooking

The Shun Lee Cookbook: Recipes from a Chinese Restaurant Dynasty

ASIN: 0393062228

Book Description

Authentic recipes and fascinating tales from one of China's most vibrant culinary regions.

Fuchsia Dunlop is the author of the much-loved and critically acclaimed Sichuanese cookbook Land of Plenty, which won the British Guild of Food Writers' Jeremy Round Award for best first book and which critic John Thorne called "a seminal exploration of one of China's great regional cuisines." Now, with Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook, she introduces us to the delicious tastes of Hunan, Chairman Mao's home province.

Hunan is renowned for the fiery spirit of its people, its beautiful scenery, and its hearty peasant cooking. In a selection of classic recipes interwoven with a wealth of history, legend, and anecdote, Dunlop brings to life this vibrant culinary region. Look for late imperial recipes like Numbing-and-Hot Chicken, Chairman Mao's favorite Red-Braised Pork, soothing stews, and a myriad of colorful vegetable stir-fries. 65 color illustrations.

Customer Reviews:

A 'must' for any serious collection offering Chinese cookbooks beyond one or two basics........2007-07-08

The tastes and influence of the Hunan region of China are fully explored in Fuchsia Dunlop's Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook, which provides over a hundred dishes easy to make and accompanied by color photos and stories from the province. Dishes come with historical introduction, many a cultural insight, and the author's own experiences discovering and cooking the dish: all these factors make for a fine and well-rounded cookbook which goes far beyond the usual light Hunan coverage to probe the depth of Chinese culture and cuisine, making it a 'must' for any serious collection offering Chinese cookbooks beyond one or two basics.

Worthy successor to "Land of Plenty".......2007-06-10

Ms. Dunlop continues to amaze and delight with her second book. The current tome educates the reader in the disciplines of cooking (as well as) ancient Chinese history (Appendix: the Main Chinese Dynasties), language (Appendix: Glossary of Chinese Characters) and contemporary history (revolutionarily centric). Echos of David, Grigson and Fisher resonate. [Not unsurprising considering her Cantabrixian education! (superb bibliography)] I haven't yet tried any of the recipes, so cannot vouch for their efficacy - but, they have a good feel about them. Will become a classic by aficionados.

One of the best cookbooks.......2007-04-05

This is one of the best cookbooks I own. I received the book as a gift and I use it everyday.

Breathtaking, authentic, scholarly, beautiful.......2007-03-13

I cherish my copy of Dunlop's _Land of Plenty_, and had eagerly awaited this new book. I've cooked 15 or so recipes from this book so far, and all of them have been perfectly successful. My favorite so far is her rendition of red-cooked pork (Chairman Mao's Red-Braised Pork), and some others I've made which were wonderful were her Tiger-Skin Steamed Pork, Beef Slivers with Coriander, her unctuous & delectable Steamed Eggs, and a delicious dish of stir-fried baby greens & shrimp. Ooh, and another extraordinarily delicious dish: Stir-fried Zucchini with Salty Duck Egg Yolks. Yum!

I think that _Land of Plenty_ is still her best book, but this is a close second. The essays in _Land of Plenty_, for instance, are just superb, particularly the one about tea.

I'm wishing this cook & author a LONG life so she can continue to explore the food & food culture of China, and write many more books to share her learning with us.

Even Better than Her First Chinese Cookery Book!.......2007-03-02

I enjoyed her first cookbook on Sichuan cookery, Land of Plenty, and I like this second book on Hunan cookery even more, with even more helpful beautiful photos. As far as portion sizes, she states "all recipes serve two people with one or two other dishes and rice, or four people, with 3 or 4 other dishes and rice".

The Sichuan and Hunan cuisines differ from each other as New Orleans Southern food differs from South Carolina Southern cuisine, and yet both of Dunlop's cuisines are clearly hotter and spicier "Chinese" to our tastes. Hunan folks are said to like food with chilies "fire-hot-hot" whereas Sichuan's dominant style is a mix of chili hot and the peculiar "mouth numbing", from the Sichuan "peppercorns".

The Hunan recipes in this Revolutionary Cookbook are straightforward, nearly all ingredients can be obtained from a local Chinese or Asian grocery store. The only one I can't find is "purple perilla", for which Asian basil is not quite a substitute. Not a problem.

The 120 recipe instructions are for preparing simple, straightforward "comfort food", and the food comes out tasting very good. It's lighter, and not gooey, like the cornstarch-laden Americanized Chinese food.

Delights include: Spicy steamed pork buns, BBQ'd lamb chops, Changde Clay-bowl chicken, yellow cooked salt cod in chili sauce, with most fish dishes steamed. Try Chairman Mao's red braised pork, or one of it's 7 supplied variations. I think Ms. Dunlop overdoes the Chairman Mao bit, putting his cheery face on many, many pages for no good reason; it contributes little to understanding of him, or of the Hunan cookery. I'd rather have had more beautiful photos of food and other aspects of Chinese culture and people, instead of so many of Mao's images.

Have you had the traditional Hunan dish- "General Tso's Chicken"? Guess again! FYI, She met the accepted creator of this NON-Hunan dish, with added sugar for US tastes, created in the 1970's in New York by Hunan chef Peng Chang-Kuei! And yes, most Hunanese have never tasted this bogus, yet popular dish that is known in the USA as the "quintessential Hunan dish"! To adjust for tastes, she has both a Hunan version, and a USA version of Gerneral Tso's to choose from.

From her first book being shown to a Chinese friend of mine from Chengdu,who cooked from it and proclaimed it "the real thing" I know that Ms. Dunlop's current book is gonna be just as accurate. No, I do not currently have an authentic Hunan friend to vouch for the recipes, and I do not mind, I like what spicy hot things I have cooked so far!

Just as an aside- Her photo is only somewhat kind to her, it is an oldie, and she looks better than that in person. She clearly "knows her stuff"; I recommend meeting/hearing her on her book tour.

Buy this, and buy the Sichuan book, Land of Plenty, and cook and taste authentic Chinese "comfort food" as it tastes in China... It's a lot better than the cornstarch-laden "Chinese" food served in most US restaurants.

I look forward to her next books.

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

Average customer rating:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers
Pants on fire?
Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
Very Interesting
History as Science Fiction

History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
Manufacturer: Mithec
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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

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

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

Women | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Doctors & Medicine | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Lawyers & Criminals | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Love, Sex & Marriage | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Assyria, Babylonia & Sumer | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

Early Civilization | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

General | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

Historiography | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

French | Erotica | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Victorian | Erotica | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Epic | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

German | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Russian | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Spanish | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Chinese | Classics | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Conspiracy Theories | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

War on Drugs | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

English (All) | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books

Science | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books

Online Research | Genealogy | Reference | Subjects | Books

Native American | Earth-Based Religions | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

General | History & Philosophy | Science | Subjects | Books

History of Science | History & Philosophy | Science | Subjects | Books

Magic & Wizards | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Sailor Moon | Popular Characters | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Pilates | Exercise & Fitness | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

History | Fashion | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)
History: Fiction or Science? Astronomical methods as applied to chronology. Ptolemy's Almagest. Chronology III
Discovering the Mysteries of Ancient America: Lost History And Legends, Unearthed And Explored
Before the Pharaohs: Egypt's Mysterious Prehistory
They Cast No Shadows: A Collection of Essays on the Illuminati, Revisionist History, and Suppressed Technologies

ASIN: 2913621058

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.

Average customer rating:

Exquisite - the definitive work on Mongol tantric art

Mongolia: The Legacy of Chinggis Khan
Patricia Ann Berger , Terese Tse Bartholomew , James E. Bosson , Heather Stoddard , and National Geographic Society (U. S.)
Manufacturer: Thames & Hudson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | History & Criticism | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Renaissance | Schools, Periods & Styles | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

China | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

Mongolia | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

Customer Reviews:

Exquisite - the definitive work on Mongol tantric art.......1999-05-21

A stunning compilation in words and pictures, focussing on the arts and culture of the Mongols. Filled with sumptuous full-color plates of thankas and artifacts in museums and collections worldwide, this book traces the rise of Tantric Buddhism within Mongolia and the tremendous transformation in Mongol culture as a result. Featuring some of the finest sculptures to be found within the Buddhist artistic tradition, those created by the first Bogdo Gegen Zanabazar, among a multitude of other examples of the heights to which the Mongolians raised tantric art.

History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)

Average customer rating:

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

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

Assyria, Babylonia & Sumer | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

Historiography | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Medieval | World | History | Subjects | Books

German | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Russian | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Spanish | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Chinese | Classics | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Mythology & Folklore | Encyclopedias | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Controversial Knowledge | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

History | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Celtic | Earth-Based Religions | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Magic & Wizards | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

History | Fashion | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
History: Fiction or Science? Astronomical methods as applied to chronology. Ptolemy's Almagest. Chronology III
They Cast No Shadows: A Collection of Essays on the Illuminati, Revisionist History, and Suppressed Technologies
The Medieval Empire of the Israelites
Discovering the Mysteries of Ancient America: Lost History And Legends, Unearthed And Explored

ASIN: 2913621066

Product Description

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

Customer Reviews:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It gives a coherent explanation of what we already know.

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

- The predictions it makes are confirmed empirically.

Fomenko goes by the following axioms:

- Chronology is the basis of history;

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Russians:

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

The Westerners:

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

The Chinese:

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

The Arabs:

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

The Divinity:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Historians are kindly invited to report the bugs.

Art and Artists of Twentieth-Century China (Ahmanson-Murphy Fine Arts Book)

Average customer rating:

Art and Artists of Twentieth-Century China (Ahmanson-Murphy Fine Arts Book)
Michael Sullivan
Manufacturer: University of California Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | History & Criticism | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Arts & Photography | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Nonfiction | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

A Century in Crisis: Modernity and Tradition in the Art of Twentieth-Century China (Guggenheim Museum Publications)
Modern Chinese Artists: A Biographical Dictionary
China! New Art & Artists
China: Art Now
Between Two Cultures: Late-Nineteenth- and Early-Twentieth-Century Chinese Painting from the Robert H. Ellsworth Collection

ASIN: 0520075560

Book Description

This visually stunning book focuses on the rebirth of Chinese art in the twentieth century under the influence of Western art and culture. Michael Sullivan, recognized throughout the world as a leading scholar of Chinese art, vividly documents the conflicting pulls of traditional and Western values on Chinese art and provides 364 illustrations, in color and black-and-white, to show the great range of artistic expression and the historical processes that occurred within various movements. A substantial biographical index of twentieth-century Chinese artists is a valuable addition to the text.
Sullivan discusses artists and their work against China's background of oppression and relaxation, despair and hope. He expertly conveys the diverse and at times bizarre intertwining of Chinese cultural history and art during this century. Included are the intense debates between traditionalists and reformers, the creation of the first art schools, and the birth of the idea--shocking in ethnocentric China--that art is a world language that obliterates all frontiers. The scholarly traditions of classical Chinese painting, the belated discovery of Western modernism, the artistic upheaval under Communism, and China's rethinking of the very nature of art all have a place in Sullivan's fascinating history.
Michael Sullivan has known many of the major figures in China's modern art movement of the 1930s and 1940s and has also gained the confidence of younger artists who rose to prominence following the 1979 "Peking Spring." This long-awaited book--richly documented and abundantly illustrated--is a capstone to Sullivan's work and will be enthusiastically welcomed by art lovers everywhere.

Average customer rating:

A great survey on Chinese art!

Chinese Art and Culture (Trade Version)
Robert L. Thorp , and Richard Ellis Vinograd
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Museums & Collections | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Popular Culture | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Entertainment Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside History Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Nonfiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Arts & Photography | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Nonfiction | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Art in China (Oxford History of Art)
Three Thousand Years of Chinese Painting
The Arts of China (An Ahmanson Murphy Fine Arts Book)
History of Japanese Art
Japanese Art (World of Art)

ASIN: 0131833642

Book Description

Lucid, authoritative, written with verve by two respected American scholars, this generously illustrated work provides an introduction to more than 7,000 years of Chinese art—from the pottery-making and jade-carving cultures of the Neolithic Age to contemporary Chinese artists working in video,installation, and performance media.

By placing the arts in context—in active engagement with societies, economies, and wider fields of culture—the authors of this much-needed general survey introduce a dynamic and continually evolving tradition rather than a sequence of isolated museum masterpieces. Although the story of Chinese art unfolds chronologically, the authors introduce relevant themes for each era that will deepen the reader's understanding of and appreciation for what they describe as arguably “the most abundantly productive, continuous artistic culture in the history of the world.”

Customer Reviews:

A great survey on Chinese art!.......2002-03-06

This is a great book for a serious survey of Chinese art and also for common readers interested in Chinese art and culture. The first six chapters by Robert Thorp deal with the period between the Neolithic and the Tang, and the rest of four chapters by Richard Vinograd cover from the Song to the 20th century. Both scholars offer succint yet comprehensive historical and cultural backgrounds, and also the images are discussed in terms of important concepts and themes in Chinese art, rather than traditional categories of architecture, sculpture, painting, and decorative arts. This approach works effectively in avoiding any imposition of the art historical concepts derived from European tradition, and also enable readers to be fully engaged in the subject. When comparing with other survey books on Chinese art, it takes a middle path between the traditional style of _Arts of China_ by Michael Sullivan and an intense and provoking style of _Art in China_ by Craig Clunas.

The Palace Museum: Peking, Treasures of the Forbidden City

Average customer rating:

The Palace Museum: Peking, Treasures of the Forbidden City
Wango Weng , and Yang Boda
Manufacturer: Harry N Abrams
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | History & Criticism | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Museums & Collections | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Average customer rating:

Best taiji guide in English
A book with pictures
A classic, well written, good primer. MUST READ!
Excellent intro to Chen's TaiJiQuan history and philosophy
what a joke

Chen Style: The Source of Taijiquan
Davidine Sim , and David Gaffney
Manufacturer: North Atlantic Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Sports | Subjects | Books

General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Old Frame Chen Family Taijiquan
Taijiquan: Chen Taiji 38 Form and Applications (Tuttle Martial Arts)
Chen Taijiquan (Tai Chi) Master Ren, GuangYi (YMAA)
Taijiquan Classics: An Annotated Translation
Tai Chi for Life: Chen Style Tai Chi

ASIN: 1556433778
Release Date: 2001-11-28

Book Description

As Taijiquan has become increasingly popular, many people have inquired into its origins and development. Answers can be found in the Chen Style, the original method from Chen Village, Henan Province in the People's Republic of China. This book guides the reader through the historical development of the system, its philosophical roots, and through the intricacies of the various training methods of this unique form of Chiinese boxing. Legendary exploits of the Chen family are included to inspire today's practitioners.

Customer Reviews:

Best taiji guide in English.......2007-03-04

"Chen Style: The Source of Taijiquan" does a really good job of explaining the history and basic principles of taiji, regardless of style. It's well written, well structured, and generally a good read. It is not, like so many books on the market, a learning manual where you learn forms by looking at pictures (which in my opinion is a bad way to learn taiji), but it gives the reader guidelines and pointers to complement your training, leaving the actual teaching to the instructors out there.

It may not be the most advanced manual on taiji, but it is definitely the best overall guide in English I've ever read. Especially for the beginner I think there is a whole lot of valuable information in here. For the advanced student there is maybe not that much new info, but there will probably be something of interest. It nonetheless serves as a good referencework or refresher for more advanced students.

There are better books out there in Chinese, but they are not that easily accesible to most people in the western hemisphere, so until they become, this is the book to read.

A book with pictures.......2006-03-16

With regards to some of the other comments: If you want a Chen-style Tai Chi book with lots of pictures of the form try "Old Frame Chen Family Taijiquan" by Mark Chen.

A classic, well written, good primer. MUST READ!.......2004-08-19

I am a beginner who simply loves to read books about martial arts to learn different perspectives and approaches. This book has a lot of great qualities and it was well worth the time and money investment it took to read it.

For starters, the writing style of the book is fluid and clean. It's beautifully written, a true pleasure to read. The author attempts to give the reader a very good theoretical foundation in TaijiQuan. He provides great background information that draws novice readers into the culture and history of this art form.

I would have to disagree with regard to the sparcity of pictures in the book. Certainly, there is no substitute for a trainer or teacher. I can understand the perspective of reviewers that teach this form and believe that it is best for them to guide each student's progression. But it is unrealistic to think that all readers will have such a resource available to them wherever they may live. Actually, it's also irrelevant. Whether one is availed of expert instruction or not, clear pictures and diagrams showing the postures would help novices to reinforce and retain the information they read in this book. This is why people buy books to begin with!

In short, the content of the book seems to be good. The pictures are ok but there should have been more instructional photographs of the forms, poses and exercises. Overall, a very good introductory text.

Excellent intro to Chen's TaiJiQuan history and philosophy.......2004-06-27

Very few books are available to the public, which are written in English, about Chen style TCC. This is a very good reference book for both beginner and advanced practitioners of this or any style of TCC.
I teach an accredited course in Chen style at a local community college here in San Antonio,Tx. and this is the textbook I use for the course.
One of the main reasons I use it at the college is because it does not contain any how-to photos of the routine. Why is this? The reason is simply that photos and videos alone are not sufficient to learn the art. One needs an experienced guide to show one the way to proficiency in this art. That, and lots of hard work and sweat. There are no shortcuts!!!
As for those of you who long for a book with photos and explanations...my advice to you is,"Get yourself a Teacher". Finding one who is good enough to teach is difficult if you do not know what to look for or what to ask. And remember, just because they may know one form does not mean that they know the system. There is a difference! And do not think that you can attend classes for several months or one year and then go out and profess to "KNOW" TCC. It ain't gonna' happen! It is just like going to school, from Kindergarten all the way through college. Then, there's graduate school....get the picture?
The only conflict I have with the writing is about the 13 postures of TCC. Any experienced Chen teacher/practitioner will tell you that the so called 5 Steps are actually different from those given in the book. Also, it would have been nice to have listed the various "Jings"(energies) of TCC. Some Chen Masters/Grandmasters will tell you there are at least 21.
All in all, I can honestly say that this one's a keeper. And beginners, remember, once you find a good teacher, don't be in a hurry to learn. Remember, first you crawl, then you walk, then you can run.

what a joke.......2004-06-26

This book contains almost nothing specific to the Chen style. The Authors' understanding of Tai Ji Quan is about at the beginner level. No descriptions or photos of the Chen style forms are included, only a list of the postures. The photos are a real joke too... like photos of a family vacation. It is written well though, and it starts out good enough, but after a few chapters it is clear that the Authors don't know what they are talking about with regard to intermediate or advanced practice. Nothing new here. If you have studied any of the classic Tai Ji styles for more than a few months you probably know everything in this book. Some of the descriptions of advanced practice and weapons are really laughable. It is so obvious they don't know what they are talking about as they stumble all over themselves looking for some way to describe things that they have never actually practiced or learned. I was disappointed because I was hoping to learn about the specifics of the Chen style as promised in this book's promo. Sadly, the promo promises alot but the book delivers very little. There is a photo of a guy (not one of the authors) doing the "xia shi" form, however, it is mislabled as being the "shang bu qi xing" form. This makes me wonder if the authors have ever even learned all the Tai Ji forms or if maybe they just visited China for a few weeks here and there to "study" Tai Ji like as a hobby or something. This book totally lacks any exclusive insight or original information regarding Tai Ji and nearly every other paragraph contains a quote from the Tai Ji Classics or some other already published work. Very disappointing. But the Authors are good writers and as far as basic Tai Ji goes, they did a decent job of explaining the fundamentals, so I gave it 2 stars.

Foreign Devils on the Silk Road: The Search for the Lost Cities and Treasures of Chinese Central Asia

Average customer rating:

The silk road revealed
Archeothefts in Central Asia
Yes Virginia, there really was an Indiana Jones
A Good Book
The Great Game

Foreign Devils on the Silk Road: The Search for the Lost Cities and Treasures of Chinese Central Asia
Peter Hopkirk
Manufacturer: University of Massachusetts Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | History & Criticism | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

China | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

Trespassers on the Roof of the World: The Secret Exploration of Tibet (Kodansha Globe)
The Great Game: The Struggle for Empire in Central Asia (Kodansha Globe)
The Silk Road: Two Thousand Years in the Heart of Asia
Setting the East Ablaze: Lenins Dream of an Empire in Asia
Like Hidden Fire: The Plot to Bring Down the British Empire

ASIN: 0870234358

Customer Reviews:

The silk road revealed.......2007-01-27

Hopkrik takes a break for his usual Great Game stories to explore the Central Asian deserts that have long been forgotten. This book includes a brief introduction to the Silk Road and China,s relations with Barbarians. The bulk of the book is focused on the explorers who penetrated its mysteries and their tales. From Sven Hedin to Aurel Stien explorers were removing the treasures of this hidden landscape. These treasures unlocked
important history until the Chinese decided to prevent their history from being pilfered away to foreign museums. For those who are curious about archeology or just love Hopkrik this is a great book. It is not up to par with his usual stories that everyone would enjoy so read selectively.

Archeothefts in Central Asia.......2006-09-02

Foreign Devils on the Silk Road written in 1980 by the now best-selling author of The Great Game Peter Hopkirk can rightfully be annoverated among classics of archeological history such as Ceram's "Gods, Graves and Scholars". This concise but extremelly well detailed (journalistic cut is evident!) work through brief biographies and excerpts of long travels and explorations plunges us into archeological surveys carried out by Westeners in Central Asia Tarim basin from the 1890's to the 1930's. In that period archeologists and explorers were the heros of the day and names such as Sven Hedin, Aurel Stein, Paul Pelliot and Albert von le Coq were well known. After the closure of Chinese bounderies to foreigners in the 1930's these ante litteram Indiana Jones were forgotten and Serindian culture and Gandahara art only captured scholarly interest. Today all archeological digs in the Middle and Far East have been re-evalutated and Western and harbouring countries public opinion now believe great damage has been done to many historical sites expecially in those cases in which archeological artifacts have been subtracted and removed to Western Museums. All the tombraiders of this book behaved exactly this way even if the times and the habits of the period consented it. But ask a Chinese today....
However, if we suspend moral judgement the adventures and biographies described are incredibly entertaining. From their juvenile dreams, to their meticulous organization we follow the archeothieves through the magnificent and frightful landscapes of the Taklamakan Desert among buried towns and cave temples full of brillant frescos and ancient manuscripts. We meet sleaky forgers and bribable guardians of ancient libraries (Tun-huang manuscripts all come from here), while we face episodes of danger and heroism. I read the book in less than two days, I refreshed my shaky Central Asian culture, I remembered how much I loved Ceram's, Wooley's and Carter's books and I gave Harrison Ford's semblance to Sven Hedin! Enjoy it!

Yes Virginia, there really was an Indiana Jones.......2006-07-21

This book is about the first explorers and archaeologists to make it to the most remote parts of Central Asia, where, in areas like Taklamakan, once upon a time before climatic changes, prosperous Buddhist, Nestorian Christian, Chinese, Greek and Hindu civilizations thrived along the trade routes between Cathay and ancient Rome. Taklamakan was surrounded on three sides by vast mountain ranges almost twice as high as the European alps; on the last side was the vast Gobi desert. A hundred years ago, there were no roads, cars, airplanes, radios, or GPS and few water sources to make travel easier, but rather hostile natives, wolves, 130F heat, and -25F cold to make travel there even less inviting. It was so remote that its name in Turki means that "If you go in, you won't come out."

As the British approached Central Asia from India, and the Russians from the North, and rumors of lost civilizations, treasure palaces and pleasure domes made their way to Europe and Japan; intrepid adventurers explored - and carted off by camel caravan - the remains of these civilizations.

The explorers were larger than life: Sir Aurel Stein, an Anglo-Hungarian, Sven Hedin, a Swede, Albert von Le Coq, a German of Huguenot origin, Paul Pelliot a French philologist with a photographic memory, Count Otani, a Japanese Buddhist monk, close relative of the Emperor and probable spy, and Professor Langdon Warner of Harvard. Last but far from least, is a semi-literate tribesman whose endeavors as an artful forger in a Central Asian oasis made fools of Oxford's best philologists. All this makes for an incomparable read.

How often does one read of a British diplomat urging that crossing a 18,000 ft peak and a 3 mile glacier three times during a blizzard to save the life of a frost-bit fellow traveler he met on the way be recognized by making the hero a Knight of the Hospitaliers of Saint John of Jerusalem?

Hopkirk also questions and describes the ethics of removing these treasures from their Central Asian homes to store them in vaults in London, Berlin and elsewhere. Not without sympathy to both those who claim that the treasures should never have been removed, and to those who note that most of the treasures left behind were plundered or vandalized later on, he leaves the issue to his readers' judgment.

I heartily recommend this book.

A Good Book.......2006-03-08

In FOREIGN DEVILS ON THE SILK ROAD, Hopkirk recounts the travels of several explorers in Central Asia, their encounters and the artifacts they came away with. Hopkirk doesn't go into tremendous detail about each explorer or the region, which makes this a rather quick but still interesting read. The book, however, does serve as an excellent primer on the region.

There are a few other reviews which assert that the countries which explored the region should return to China the artifacts they removed, and that Hopkirk endorses the idea that, were it not for their removal, these items would have been destroyed.

Whatever your personal position on the return of these items, Hopkirk does not personally endorse the above statement in the book -- instead, he is merely quoting one of the explorers involved.

The Great Game.......2004-04-13

Mr. Hopkirk in all of his works is accurate, profound and should be mandatory reading for all Foreign Service personnel. Having done Central Asia, the book was the "bible" in knowing the intimate details needed to not only do business in the post-Soviet era, but just in being able to discuss and move within the people where many thousands could not even bring voice to such concepts in the old days, which today are only "chatted" about in remote areas. Hopkirk rips at the fabric of humanity in what the west thinks is proper and what is reality in an eastern environment with its many passionate, intelligent, warm, and emotionally infectious people. I have read all of Peter's works several times and I continue to do so. You just have to be there to know that Hopkirk hits the nerve. It's just too much!!

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books