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

Book Description

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

Customer Reviews:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Annals of Ireland Translated from the Original Irish of the Four Masters by Owen Connellan (2 Vol. Set)

Average customer rating:

J. Chrys Dougherty - early review
First Ever English Translation of the Four Masters (1846)

The Annals of Ireland Translated from the Original Irish of the Four Masters by Owen Connellan (2 Vol. Set)
Michael O'Cleary
Manufacturer: Irish Genealogical Foundation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

General | Genealogy | Reference | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Travel Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
ASIN: 0940134772

Book Description

This was the first translation of these annals into English. It was published in 1846, and appears here exactly as the copy in the IGF library, with additions. The time period covered by the Four Masters here is from the 12th to the 17th century, with annotations covering the earliest times in Irish History. This is a two volume set, with color frontis in each, and a large folding map showing the location of families as given in the annals themselves. Celtic lettering is found on specific pages. New IGF map index included in this edition only. There is no comparable work to that of the Four Masters in Irish History and genealogy.

Customer Reviews:

J. Chrys Dougherty - early review.......2006-08-22

I haven't had time for more than a brief review of both volumes, but since our family from Derrylehan, Donegal, is descended from the O'Daughertaighs of Inshowen, this work is a treasure of infomation of which I have long known but now for the first time have had access to in an excellent translation. I have traced all references to the O'Dohertys in both volumes, but have not yet had time to trace the grandmother's McMahans of Fermanaugh. These books are a big help to anyone wanting to understand the culture of Ireland from the 11th to the 17th century.

First Ever English Translation of the Four Masters (1846).......2003-08-07

A very impressive work, in 2 volumes, hardbound, with four color frontis and the almost forgotten original map of Irish Family locations. The fold out map is about 20 x 25 and is the best of the genre. The Annals by the Four Masters are perhaps the most noted source in Irish history and this was the first translation into English (1846). The formal text is complete from the 12th to the 17th century. In addition, the annotations cover Irish history from the earliest times. We have been waiting for this edition to be published ! (note that Connellans translation preceeded that of O'Donovan.) Helpful index to the old map has been added for the first time. These Annals are in the English language. A few pages have some age markings on them from the original, and it remains a magnificent set of books. All in all, this is one of a kind, with a distinctive color frontis, some celtic lettering, and a map that has been out of print for over 150 years . If you have been waiting for the Annals as we have,
this is a real treat. Connellan, was a leading gaelic scholar, and this first ever translation laid the groundwork for all that would follow in the field.

INVASION 1982: The Falkland Islanders Story

Average customer rating:

INVASION 1982: The Falkland Islanders Story
Graham Bound
Manufacturer: Pen and Sword
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

Strategy | Military | History | Subjects | Books

20th Century | World | History | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Falkland Islanders were the first British people to come under enemy occupation since the Channel Islanders during the Second World War. This book tells how islanders' warnings were ignored in London, how their slim defenses gave way to a massive invasion, and how they survived occupation.

While some established a cautiously pragmatic modus vivendi with the occupiers, some Islanders opted for active resistance. Others joined advancing British troops, transporting ammunition and leading men to the battlefields. Islanders' leaders and 'trouble makers' faced internal exile, and whole settlements were imprisoned, becoming virtual hostages.

A new chapter about Falklands history since 1982 reveals that while the Falklands have benefited greatly from Britain's ongoing commitment to them, a cold war continues in the south Atlantic. To the annoyance of the Argentines, the islands have prospered, and may now be poised on the brink of an oil bonanza.

The Specht Journal: A Military Journal of the Burgoyne Campaign (Contributions in Military Studies)

Average customer rating:

The Specht Journal: A Military Journal of the Burgoyne Campaign (Contributions in Military Studies)

Manufacturer: Greenwood Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Revolutionary | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Biographies | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

All Amazon Upgrade | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

Biographies & Memoirs | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

History | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 0313294461

Book Description

The Specht Journal is one of the major diaries written by Braunschweig military personnel during the Burgoyne campaign of the American Revolutionary War. From the departure from Wolfenbuttel on February 22, 1776 to the end on Winter Hill near Boston on November 9, 1777, the narrator faithfully accounts for each day of the ill-fated campaign. He describes the astonishing affair at Ticonderoga, the short battle at Hubbardton, and the toilsome march south to Fort Miller via Forts Ann and Edward. The campaign ends after two indecisive battles at Saratoga, where Burgoyne, without supplies and badly outnumbered, has to sign a "Convention" with the victorious American commander Horatio Gates.

The Invasion of Indian Country in the Twentieth Century: American Capitalism and Tribal Natural Resources

Average customer rating:

The Invasion of Indian Country in the Twentieth Century: American Capitalism and Tribal Natural Resources
Donald L. Fixico
Manufacturer: University Press of Colorado
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Outdoors & Nature Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0870815172

Book Description

The struggle between Indians and whites for land did not end on the battlefields in the 1800s. When this hostile era closed with Native Americans forced onto reservations, no one expected that rich natural resources lay beneath these lands that white America would desperately desire. Yet oil, timber, fish, coal, water, and other resources were discovered to be in great demand in the mainstream market, and a new war began with Indian tribes and their leaders trying to protect their tribal natural resources throughout the twentieth century.

In The Invasion of Indian Country in the 20th Century, Donald Fixico details the course of this struggle, providing a wealth of information on the resources possessed by individual tribes and the way in which they were systematically defrauded and stripped of these resources. Fixico contends that federal policies originally devised to protect Indian interests ironically worked against the Indian nations as the tribes employed new tactics with the Council of Energy Resources Tribes, using the law in courts and applying aggressive business leadership to combat the capitalist invasion by mainstream America.

Fixico's analysis of this war being waged throughout the century and today serves as an indispensable reference tool for anyone interested in Native American history and current government policy with regard to Indian lands.

Assault Division: A History of the 3rd Division from the Invasion of Normandy to the Surrender of Germany

Average customer rating:

Assault Division: A History of the 3rd Division from the Invasion of Normandy to the Surrender of Germany
Norman Scarfe
Manufacturer: Spellmount
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This book, first published in 1947, and therefore not reliant on secondhand sources, details the full story of one Division, the 3rd from its preparations for the Normandy landings through to the reduction of the city of Bremen and the surrender of Germany. The author, who served in the Division, is able to describe events from the point of view of the fighting man. This is a true classic of military writing and a book of major importance. It is the story of their training for the amphibious assault on Hilter's Atlantic Wall, very thoroughly planned and rehearsed in the months before D-Day. The Division's commander at the outset of the war was 'Monty', Major General B L Montgomery, who was succeeded by Major General T G Rennie and Bolo Whistler, a distinguished armoured brigade commander from the North African campaign. The Division's assault on Sword Beach on D-Day was remarkably successful, though the follow through to take the city of Caen that day proved altogether too 'aspirational' for one division. Later in the campaign, the 3rd Division was particulary proud of its conduct in the battles for Overloon and Venraij, and in the even more intense fighting between the Maas and the Rhine.

Invasive Species: Vectors And Management Strategies

Average customer rating:

Invasive Species: Vectors And Management Strategies

Manufacturer: Island Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books

Conservation | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Outdoors & Nature Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

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

ASIN: 1559639032

Book Description

Recent years have seen a steep rise in invasions of non-native species in virtually all major ecoregions on Earth. Along with this rise has come a realization that a rigorous scientific understanding of why, how, when, and where species are transported is the necessary foundation for managing biological invasions.

Invasive Species presents extensive information and new analyses on mechanisms of species transfer, or vectors, as the latest contribution from the Global Invasive Species Programme (GISP). Contributors assess invasion vectors and vector management in terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems for major taxonomic groups in a variety of regions around the world. The book:

examines invasion causes, routes, and vectors in space and time
highlights current approaches and challenges to preventing new invasions, both from a geographic and taxonomic point of view
explores strategies, benefits, and limitations of risk assessment
offers a synthesis of many facets of vector science and management
presents recommendations for action

Chapter authors review fungi, plants, invertebrates, and vertebrates, with geographic assessments covering New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and the United States.

Although the full extent and cumulative impact of nonnative species can only be approximated, biological invasions are clearly a potent force of global change, contributing to a wide range of deleterious effects including disease outbreaks, habitat alteration and loss, declines of native species, increased frequency of fires, and shifts in nutrient cycling. Vectors are the delivery mechanisms, resulting in recent increases in rates of new invasions. Invasive Species brings together in a single volume new information from leading scientists around the world on approaches to controlling and managing invasion vectors. This volume is a timely and essential reference for scientists, researchers, policymakers, and anyone concerned with understanding biological invasions and developing effective responses to them.

Average customer rating:

A thorough airing of the physiological problems

The Terrestrial Invasion: An Ecophysiological Approach to the Origins of Land Animals (Cambridge Studies in Ecology)
Colin Little
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biology | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
General | Paleontology | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
General | Evolution | Science | Subjects | Books
General | Science | Subjects | Books
General | Geology | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
General | Biology | Biological Sciences | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0521336694

Book Description

The theme of this book is the invasion of land by animal lines which originated in aquatic environments. It brings together physiological and ecological evidence to show both the likely routes taken out of the sea by the aquatic ancestors of terrestrial animals and the changes in structure and function associated with these routes. The author takes an ecophysiological approach, and by using representative examples, provides a novel background against which both the terrestrial adaptations of individual species and the make up and function of terrestrial ecosystems can be considered. Dr Little is the author of the highly acclaimed book The Colonisation of Land, which discusses the phylogeny and physiology of terrestrial and semi-terrestrial animals. The Terrestrial Invasion takes a fresh approach and provides an excellent introduction to the origins of land animals suitable for ecologists, physiologists and evolutionary biologists.

Customer Reviews:

A thorough airing of the physiological problems.......1998-01-23

The title of this book is a little misleading, as if the book dealt with a single "terrestrial invasion," most likely the invasion of the land by vertebrates. In fact, the book focuses on more recent invasions--by snails and crabs and sandfleas--where the data is more plentiful, and only a single chapter addresses the vertebrate story. A thorough examination of the osmoregulatory issues involved in land colonization occupies much of the first half of the book. The author also spends a good deal of time on the microclimates of tide pools, estuaries, beaches, salt marshes, rivers, etc., to get a feel for the problems and opportunities faced by small organisms at the edge of land and water. His thoughts on the vertebrate case are somewhat iconoclastic--he eschews the popularly held notion of drying ponds forcing aquatic creatures up onto land, preferring instead to look closely at the conditions in certain very stagnant, anoxic, flooded swamps in present-day South America. He makes a good case that the adaptations of the creatures inhabiting these swamps (the Chaco in Paraguay, I believe) hold the key to understanding the preadaptations to terrestrial life among vertebrates. In short, the "ecophysiological approach" of the title is sound, illuminating and refreshing.

African Tears: The Zimbabwe Land Invasions

Average customer rating:

African Tears has been reprinted
A necessary book of lamentations of profound proportions ...
Insider's View of the Farm Invasions
Zimbabwe
A Disappointing Treatment of an Important Issue

African Tears: The Zimbabwe Land Invasions
Catherine Buckle
Manufacturer: Covos Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Africa | History | Subjects | Books

Zimbabwe | Africa | History | Subjects | Books

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1919874275

Book Description

"They broke us eventually, crippled us psychologically and drove us to the brink of bankruptcy. They harassed us and our employees, tortured one of our workers, pulled a gun and threatened to kill me, slaughtered one of our oxen, roamed our fields with packs of hunting dogs, felled over 3,000 gum trees and burnt the entire farm to the ground. Our farm remains undesignated, unlisted and not required by the government for compulsory acquisition." Catherine Buckle.

""African Tears" is the story of a white farmer in Zimbabwe, living side by side with "war veterans" for 7 months. The veterans claimed the small 1,000-acre farm belonged to their ancestors. For 7 months the squatters watched and intimidated, claiming the farm field by field, "liberating" the small stock dams and then the timber plantation. The farm was claimed as a war veterans headquarters and every weekend political meetings were held in the field below the house--with hundreds in attendance.

Search your heart, revisit your past and squint into the future, into your greatest fears, your truest loves. Then understand that the emotional and psychological traumas one family has had to endure--in the face of unabashed greed, ignorance and savagery--has been pushed to its limits; their lives threatened; their farm stolen before their eyes and burned to the ground. Readers may well want to ask author Catherine Buckle, "If things are so bad in Zimbabwe, why don't they leave?" Her answer sums things up swiftly by asking, "How much longer are we going to be made to pay for the sins of our fathers, grandfathers?" She wants to know why history cannot be laid to rest. Blame for the injustices of the past has been placed squarely on the white population of Zimbabwe; she wants to know why the nation cannot accept this blame, admit that what went on 100 years ago was a disgrace, and move on. She admits openly that her patriotism is both old-fashioned and deep-set. "I love my country, I love the people here, I love being here. That's why I wrote 'African Tears.' Perhaps, because I don't want to leave. I want to belong."

Customer Reviews:

African Tears has been reprinted.......2004-06-07

Go to http://africantears.netfirms.com to get African tears and Beyond Tears - to understand what's going on in Zimbabwe, read her books or at least visit her web site.

A necessary book of lamentations of profound proportions ..........2002-10-08

As a member of the white race, I feel it is my duty to pontificate that much is to be said about our fight against tyrannical monstrosities like Mugabe, his many and various degrees notwithstanding. Such is reality. That persons of European descnedentations are superior, intellectually as well as in the careful & proper--and indeed expedient running of a nation--is now beyond any redemption of debate. Unanimous & self-explanatory as it stands the question must be asked: what is to done now. What duties shall we assignate to the many and various tired souls who stand at the brink of a once robust & thrivening nation's ruins laying bare before them? To answer such a question requires unimaginable heights of intellect, greater even than my own. Indeed, perhaps only an extra-terrestial (many of whom have vistited this little nation) would have the capacity for cognisance of the situation that has befallen Zimbabwe and its' peoples. In any case, three cheers for our beloved leader, the Honourable Ian Douglas Smith.

Insider's View of the Farm Invasions.......2002-06-25

One of the misconceptions that people who have not read this book apparently have is that the Buckle family is "reaping what it's sown" by having gotten their farm through illegitimate means (ie. colonialism). This is a very crass attitude grounded in both ignorance and racism.

In fact the Buckle family purchased their farm AFTER Zimbabwean independence with the explicit written promise from Mugabe's government that the land would not be targeted for redistribution. The real story here is how a demagogue like Mugabe, who manufactures racial hatred for his own political gain, can be so disrespectful of the very principles that he espoused to obtain power in the first place.

For those who think that the land reform issue is a simple matter of taking from the rich and giving to the poor, it may be quite a shock to learn that the only ones benefiting so far from newly acquired farmland are Mugabe's wealthy political cronies. Everyone else is on the verge of starvation due to the inevitable collapse of the economic infrastructure following the demise of the rule of law.

The rest of the world stood by and watched it happen. Perhaps someday we'll realize that it's far more humanitarian and cost-efficient to prevent famines before they occur.

Zimbabwe.......2002-05-20

Although not a professional writer and maybe because of it Cathy Buckle gives an insight to the tragedy that is befalling the normal person in Zimbabwe. Mainly due to her own direct involvment in this, is the point brought across that there is a major problem in Zimbabwe of racism. But not racism of whites on blacks as is normally always what is brought to the world's attention by the media. This is Shona racism against anyone who defies Robert Mugabe. And to those of you who apparently read this book, and reviewed it as trash and declined to leave your name, showing the courage of your convictions, I say to you can you actually read? Well done Cathy, a brillaint work done under what must have beem the most trying of circumstances.

A Disappointing Treatment of an Important Issue.......2001-10-19

I've been to Zimbabwe and am planning a return trip next year; consequently, I've been searching for anything I can find to read about the former Rhodesia. There's not a lot available, frankly, though I was looking forward to reading Catherine Buckle's book on the recent farm invasions in rural Zimbabwe (invasions that got a little bit of press over here in Japan before vanishing from the news completely). I was a bit put off by the cover, however: a lurid drawing of an enormous sickle slicing open a bloody and red-rimmed Zimbabwe floating on a background of solid black, with a quote below: 'It's not over yet.' What isn't? Buckle's book?

The cover alerted me to the dodginess of what lay inside. A more appropriate title for this book would have been 'What Happened to ME When Zimbabwean War Veterans Invaded My Farm.' Buckle's claustrophobic (and poorly edited) writing quickly irritates: there is no balance, no dialogue, no depth, no background, and precious little information. The casual reader will learn very little about Zimbabwe from this book, but will come away with a lot of knowledge about Buckle herself, including a lot of sentimental stories about the lambs and bulls on her farm. Indeed, one learns more about her animals than about the workers she claims to care so much about. Furthermore, page after page is taken up with quotes from various emails, many written by Buckle herself, though there are almost as many written by supporters, who all say essentially the same thing: It's terrible what's happening on your farm, and our hearts are with you, and my, aren't you a good writer. Emails are one thing, and books are another. Or so I thought.

To take issue with Buckle's book is not to condone what was done to her and her family (who, like everybody in this book apart from Buckle herself, appear only briefly and who lack all substance) or to detract from the obvious pain and suffering endured by them (and by millions of others in a shattered country). In fact I have nothing but the greatest sympathy for Buckle and all those like her who have suffered under Mugabe's despotism. Nor do I agree with the reviewer above, who trots out the same tired, pat charge of white racism. What has happened in Zimbabwe needs to be told. I only wish a better writer than Catherine Buckle had tackled the job.

Book Description

This is the first-ever concerted effort to use Russian archival and previously classified secondary sources to document the experience of the Red Army in the conflict with Finland. Van Dyke examines the diplomatic, organisational and social aspects of Soviet's 'strategic culture' by first exploring the Leninist interpretation of violence in international relations, and how this legacy influenced Stalin in his use of diplomacy and threat of force to enhance the Soviet Union's 'forward defence' and to address the Baltic Problem in 1939. He documents the Red Army's poor battlefield performances and looks at how it relearnt the techniques lost during Stalin's purge in the late 1930s. The final section of the book examines the Soviet high command's post-war evaluation of the lessons learned, the debates over the re-professionalisation of the officer corps and the effectiveness of the 'unified military doctrine'. This trail-blazing study should become the standard reference on the Soviet-Finnish War for many yearsto come.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books