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.

Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History

Average customer rating:

Maus: Explores the ineffable with creativity and ease
A Compelling Graphic Novel
Approbation for Maus
Excellent seller!!
DEMEANIG, INSENSITIVE, CRUDE STEREOTYPING, HURTFUL TO "OTHER" HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS

Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History
Art Spiegelman
Manufacturer: Pantheon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0394747232
Release Date: 1986-08-12

Amazon.com

Some historical events simply beggar any attempt at description--the Holocaust is one of these. Therefore, as it recedes and the people able to bear witness die, it becomes more and more essential that novel, vigorous methods are used to describe the indescribable. Examined in these terms, Art Spiegelman's Maus is a tremendous achievement, from a historical perspective as well as an artistic one.

Spiegelman, a stalwart of the underground comics scene of the 1960s and '70s, interviewed his father, Vladek, a Holocaust survivor living outside New York City, about his experiences. The artist then deftly translated that story into a graphic novel. By portraying a true story of the Holocaust in comic form--the Jews are mice, the Germans cats, the Poles pigs, the French frogs, and the Americans dogs--Spiegelman compels the reader to imagine the action, to fill in the blanks that are so often shied away from. Reading Maus, you are forced to examine the Holocaust anew.

This is neither easy nor pleasant. However, Vladek Spiegelman and his wife Anna are resourceful heroes, and enough acts of kindness and decency appear in the tale to spur the reader onward (we also know that the protagonists survive, else reading would be too painful). This first volume introduces Vladek as a happy young man on the make in pre-war Poland. With outside events growing ever more ominous, we watch his marriage to Anna, his enlistment in the Polish army after the outbreak of hostilities, his and Anna's life in the ghetto, and then their flight into hiding as the Final Solution is put into effect. The ending is stark and terrible, but the worst is yet to come--in the second volume of this Pulitzer Prize-winning set. --Michael Gerber

Book Description

A story of a Jewish survivor of Hitler's Europe and his son, a cartoonist who tries to come to terms with his father's story and history itself.

Customer Reviews:

Maus: Explores the ineffable with creativity and ease.......2007-09-18

The book is adumbrated in the form of a graphic novel, giving a seemingly new perspective on the holocaust. The issue itself is nothing spectactularly new, although it approaches the holocaust in such a way that the most acerbic of events are bearable.
Most simply stated, the visual aid that accompanies the text allows for the reader to fully understand the author's stance, or viewpoint on the touchy issues of the holocaust. One does not need to have any sort of historical acumen, to grasp the concepts and ideas of the story.
The facade, of animals, instead of humans, used by the author also makes the events seem a little less human. However, throughout the novel, the thought doesn't escape your mind, that this was actually happening, to real people.
The reader is also easily captivated by the father-son presentation of the story, as Art (the author), interviews his father. With nothing but acrimony polluting the stories told by his father, a bond is formed between the reader, Art, and his father, as you must approbate anyone who braves these hardships, more specifically, the characters.
Overall, this story makes something new, that has been done so many times. It entertains, as well as informs. However, it isn't something I'd recommend for casual reading, as time must be set aside to truly appreciate the events in this book.

A Compelling Graphic Novel.......2007-09-18

When hearing the words "Graphic Novel" most people do not think of a moving and inspirational story, yet Maus by Art Spiegelman is just that. Firstly I would recommend this novel for its crafty and meaningful graphics. Various groups, such as the Jewish and German, are depicted as numerous animals. In doing so, the author expresses underlying themes, as one judges another's character by how they look, or their origin. Each picture also conveys the deep feeling in each moment. Frighten and sometimes acerbic faces, give the reader acumen on how the characters feel and are reacting. Also, several depictions of maps and drawings, heightening one's understanding of each setting. The second reason I would recommend the novel is because of the compelling story lines it contains. The first is Vladek's poignant account on how he and his wife survived as the Nazis abrogated their rights. From witnessing friends being hanged, to hiding in attics, the reader gains and insight on personal experiences of the Holocaust. The second is of a strained father and son relationship. As the father ages, the interest and reminiscence of a troubled past becomes their last connection. These assiduous characters are connectable for the reader, and acquire my last approbation. Anyone with a stained relationship or even an experience with isolation, can relate to the feelings and manners of the characters. With evocative graphics, gripping story lines, and relatable characters, Maus is a compelling novel which I highly propose.

Approbation for Maus.......2007-09-18

Maus should be greatly encouraged with approbation. The book displays the crude reality of the Holocaust and World War II in a creative, artistic way that makes the book classic and unique. Having Jews displayed as mice and Nazis as cats, Spiegelman uses much acumen in how the book is laid out and the story told. Even without reading, the graphic art adumbrates the story enough to understand.
Artie is a comic book writer who decides to write meaningful stories instead of useless funny ones, and wishes to interview his father about his experiences during the Holocaust. Vladek willingly tells his story to Artie, who seems unchanged by the troubling information his father is offering him. Throughout the story, Vladek becomes almost an anathema to Artie, and Artie finally finds the hate for his father that was always brewing. Although Artie dislikes his father, his father dislikes himself as well. After the war, life was never the same for Vladek. Having never gotten over his wife's death, and feeling antipathy for his new wife, he seemed to abjure all opportunities to enhance his life and adopted a new, somewhat acerbic personality.
Overall, the story told in Maus is an unforgettable one. It brings about several ineffable issues such as the harshness of World War II and how the Nazis arrogated lives with no right to do so. In addition, how these times were difficult even for the high class. The graphic art in the book ties all of the information together and allows a visual interpretation what the book is saying. Although the story is based on World War II and the Holocaust, it is as much about family issues and hidden hate as it is about history. Throughout the whole experience, Artie and Vladek discover where they truly stand with each other and decide that this deleterious relationship is not worth the trouble any longer.

Excellent seller!!.......2007-09-15

Good seller! Highly recommended for all buyers. My item was timely sent and the condition of the item was as described.

DEMEANIG, INSENSITIVE, CRUDE STEREOTYPING, HURTFUL TO "OTHER" HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS.......2007-09-14

This is as bad, as the 1st Maus: Horribly GRAPHIC, EXREMELY CRUDE and INSENSITIVE to the "OTHER" victims of the holocaust. Spiegleman shows absolutely "no" sympathy or sensitivity to the 3 million Polish-Catholics that were killed by the Germans. Adding insult to injury, he portrays the Poles in a very negative and hurtful manner, when in fact the Poles themselves lost everything. Poles, as well as Jews, lost their homes. Poles, as well as Jews, came home to homes that were piles of rubble. There are so many better vechicles out there to teach about this. This is the last one to use, as it seriously offends many innocent students whose parents and grandparents also suffered, died and lost everything in the Forgotten Holocaust. Better books are: Sybille Steinbacher's "Auschwitz. Steinbachers book gets the job done without all the grusome graphics and vulgar demeaning that is in Maus. Richard Lukas' "The Forgoten Holocaust; Poles Under Nazi-Occupation," and "Did The Children Cry: The suffering of Polish & Jewish children in the holocaust." After reading the latter one by Lukas, you'll never go anywhere near a Maus book again! "Did The Children Cry," will be a wake-up call - unless you are inhumane. Lukas, in both book, talks, OBJECTIVLY about "all" who suffered, without the sick graphics and personal attacks that maus has. Michael Marrus' "The Holocaust in History." Marrus, like Steinbacher and Lukas is controlled, scholarly and informative - Spiegleman is not. These 3 books will explain and teach you something, unlike Maus, that only teaches hateful generalizations through stereotyping and is grusomly graphic. Don't be fooled by the hype. Maus gets an F- for humanity. TEACHERS, PLEASE, BE TEACHERS!

Tales From a Tin Can: The USS Dale from Pearl Harbor to Tokyo Bay

Average customer rating:

Not a bad Navy story
Destroyermen The Few The Proud
Great Book
They were both (Anchors Aweight) good!!!
kudos for a great book

Tales From a Tin Can: The USS Dale from Pearl Harbor to Tokyo Bay
Michael Olson
Manufacturer: Zenith Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 076032770X

Book Description

Looking up from his newspaper from where he sat on the deck of the destroyer USS Dale, Harold Reichert could see the pilot plain as dayâthe leather helmet with chin strap, the goggles, and then the red rising sun painted on the plane’s fuselage. âI saw the torpedo drop and watched as it ran up on the old Utah.â

It was daybreak at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the beginning of the war, and the Dale was there; she would serve until the end, when the atomic bombs were dropped and Japan surrendered. In the words of those who manned her, the Dale’s war comes vividly to life in this first oral history of a combat ship from Pearl Harbor to Tokyo Bay. From carrier raids on Midway, Guadalcanal, and the Solomons to the bombarding of Saipan and Guam in the capture of the Marianas, from the Aleutians in the far north to strikes on Tokyo and Kobe, Tales of a Tin Can recreates the action aboard the Dale, and conveys as never before the true grit of wartime on a destroyer.

Customer Reviews:

Not a bad Navy story.......2007-09-09

As a Navy Vet and one who served for a short time on a tin can I found this book interesting. I enjoyed reading it not only from a veterans perspective but also from a historical viewpoint.

Destroyermen The Few The Proud.......2007-08-28

This is a terrific read and well reflects the lives we endured on the "greyhounds of the sea". The memories of these terrific sailors is exciting and certainly reflects the challenges that they faced again and again. Having rode many of these ships over a 30 year Navy career I would certainLY recommend this to any and all. BRAVO ZULU!!!!!!!!!!!

Great Book.......2007-06-27

If you are a serious student of history, you cannot help but enjoy this book.
All too often when telling the story of WW II, the intimate and personal day to day experiences of the individual soldier or sailor get over looked.
This book tells that story, specifically how individual sailors dealt with the day to day stress of combat operations and the death of friends and shipmates; a great read.

They were both (Anchors Aweight) good!!!.......2007-05-26

Two different books and two different stories. If you liked the fun of the ship and the good times that were there, then you'll want to read them both, Anchors Aweight and Tin Can Tales!!!

kudos for a great book.......2007-05-15

We have totally enjoyed the book. It's written as if the men were talking to you right in the room.

Kilimanjaro Tales: The Saga of A Medical Family in Africa

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Kilimanjaro Tales: The Saga of A Medical Family in Africa
Gwynneth Latham , and Michael Latham
Manufacturer: I. B. Tauris
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1850438811

Book Description

These tales are based mainly on the writings and reminiscences of Gwynneth Latham who joined her husband Donald, a yopung doctor in Tanganyika in the 1920s and 1930s. These memoirs provide a portrait of life in what is now mainland Tanzania, in the early period of that country as a British mandated territory.

Offering an account of medical practice in the most extreme tropical conditions, this is the tale of an English woman who took on the important role of medical assistant to a "bush doctor". Perceptive insights into the connection between traditional medical practice and Western medicine are combined with descriptions of friendships with a wide range of people: colleagues, staff, and locals, settlers and government officials. This is above all, the story of a European family settling in Africa, confronted with new and exciting surroundings and life-changing experiences.

Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began (Maus)

Average customer rating:

Non Fiction
A hauntingly good work.
Astonishing -- a must read
An Incredible Historical Perspective (Part 2)
Spectacular account of the Holocaust

Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began (Maus)
Art Spiegelman
Manufacturer: Pantheon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0679729771
Release Date: 1992-09-01

Book Description

MAUS was the first half of the tale of survival of the author's parents, charting their desperate progress from prewar Poland Auschwitz. Here is the continuation, in which the father survives the camp and is at last reunited with his wife.

Customer Reviews:

Non Fiction.......2007-09-03

Spiegelman continues the story of his father's life, through Auschwitz and afterwards, and his feelings about what has happened to him.

The story is told using animal forms for the people within, different classes of people are represented as different animals. Mice, obviously are used to represent the prisoners.

A hauntingly good work........2007-01-11

Haunting, you'll find certain parts that keep coming back to you. Don't let the artwork fool you, this is no children's book. This work is honest, and perhaps because of it, is very emotionally affecting. I've had to read it more than once to really appreciate it.

Astonishing -- a must read.......2006-10-23

I was compelled to read this after finishing Art Spiegelman's astonishingly brilliant "Maus," a graphic novel retelling his father, Vladek's, experiences as a Jew in Poland during WWII. This sequel picks up right where the first left off, with Vladek's separation from wife, Anja, after arriving at Auschwitz. There Vladek must struggle to survive starvation and disease as well as the guards and the ovens, all while trying to get news of his wife from over in Auschwitz's second camp, Birkenau. His horrific time there is expertly rendered as Spiegelman manages to get across a complex range of emotions through his illustrations and words. Even after Auschwitz is abandoned and the Nazi soldiers go on the run, Vladek must still struggle to survive and make his way to safety. His journey home to his wife (from Auschwitz to an abandoned German landscape, through ruined cities and, finally, back to the now unrecognizable city he once called home) is utterly compelling, unforgettable stuff.

Equally compelling is the story of Vladek in later years that is mixed in with his history in both volumes of "Maus", after he has come to America with Anja, had another son (the first, Richieu, did not survive the war), lost Anja to suicide in 1968, remarried, developed a heart condition and a strained relationship with his surviving son, and begins telling his story to 'Artie', who is interested in adapting his father's tale into a comic book). In the WWII segments Spiegelman captures the horrors that took place during that tragic time, and in these father-son moments he explores how surviving an event like that leaves a mark on you forever, and can even pass on the burden of survivor's guilt to a new generation that wasn't even alive when the atrocities took place. Surprisingly, it is during these deeply personal moments that the "Maus" books really hit home the hardest. Spiegelman does a masterful job getting across the complex personalities of his characters and how the past has left a wide, seemingly impassable gulf between him and his father. Really, it is just a beautiful portrait of their relationship and I cannot recommend it enough. Spiegelman's delicate, earnest elegy to his father -- and to all survivors and victims of the Holocaust alike -- is a true triumph of literature and a heartbreaking look at one of history's greatest tragedies.

An Incredible Historical Perspective (Part 2).......2006-10-11

This conclusion of Maus 1 is the conclusion of Holocaust survivor Vladek Spiegelman's story and of the father-son relationship explored throughout the work.

This book tells the story of Vladek's time in Aushwitz, the liberation of the camps and the rebuilding of a new life. There is a lot more in Maus 2 about the relationships and mental trauma of a Holocaust survivor. It's really very moving.

Maus 2 is the second testament to Speigelman's brilliance as a story-teller and artist, Maus 1 being the first. His understanding of the depth of history and how it effects our lives is impressive.

Spectacular account of the Holocaust.......2005-07-09

I first read Maus II when I was in fourth or fifth grade, but, of course, I didn't really grasp the true horror of it all at the time. I decided to buy a copy a couple of months ago and see if it lived up to my memory, and I was not disappointed. Now that I'm nine or ten years older and more attuned to the world and its history, it's that much more poignant. The insanity of the time period is hard to comprehend, but even in a cartoon, Spiegelman is able to give us some small idea of the reality.

I definitely recommend this book to everyone. Even if (like me) you're not a fan of graphic novels, this is still worth the read.

The Golden Age of the Sith (Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi)

Average customer rating:

Predictable and boring
Highly Recommended!
* barf *
A great place to start
not very good

The Golden Age of the Sith (Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi)
Kevin J. Anderson , and Jr., Dario Carrasco
Manufacturer: Dark Horse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1569712298

Book Description

Marka Ragnos ruled the galaxy with an iron fist. He was the Dark Lord of the Sith -- the most powerful of the most powerful. But now he is dead. And two innocent hyperspace explorers, Gav and Jori Daragon, may follow suit if they get caught between the factions fighting to fill the Dark Lord void.

Customer Reviews:

Predictable and boring.......2006-11-10

Welcome to what is at this writing still the earliest chapter in the history of the Star Wars universe, a tale set 5000 years before the adventures of the film series.

CAVEAT ONE
Before you consider buying this, be aware that this volume is but one half of the story and that the conclusion is available in The Fall of the Sith Empire. This review covers both volumes.

CAVEAT TWO
If you're a pathological Star Wars collector, you'll buy this book regardless of its contents. If you're a Star Wars fan who wants to catch up on your history, save your money and read a summary of the events at Wookieepedia. If you're a discerning comics fan, then you must have found your way here by mistake. If so, don't stop. Keep moving. Everyone else, step right this way.

Despite a title that suggests something we never see, namely the glory days of the Sith Empire, author Kevin J Anderson came up with a promising premise. At opposite ends of the universe, the Sith Empire and the fledgling Republic seek to chart new futures, the Republic to end years of civil war and forge a new era of political and economic stability and growth, the Sith to revitalize their moribund Empire by throwing off their isolation and launching a new era of growth through conquest. In between are the innocents through which we view these events, a scholarly Jedi called to arms and a pair of young space navigators, brother and sister who through their explorations inadvertently open the hyperspace route across which the Sith reach to shake the foundations of the newly emergent Republic.

With a setting so far back in the past, Anderson has a wonderful opportunity to develop a good part of the Star Wars backstory. We find, for example, that the Sith were a separate species living on their own world in a relatively undeveloped culture that was then hijacked by a group of exiled Jedi who enslaved the Sith and built a new culture based on veneration of the Dark Force. Over the years these Jedi interbred with the Sith and a number of them left to conquer nearby worlds and create a system-wide Empire ruled by an all-powerful Dark Lord. The Jedi themselves are scholar-warriors closely aligned with political forces preserving civilization, pretty much the same as we have always known them, with one discernable difference - they don't carry lightsabers. And neither do the Sith.

They carry swords instead; swords made of steel. They also wear sandals, toga-like garments, and capes. They fly in spaceships that have sails, and the slavers have spaceships with oars. The Sith world of Korriban looks like it was cribbed from photos of Abu Simbel, with towering Pharaonic deities ensconced on thrones overlooking wide valleys and surrounded by sphinx-like guardians. In fact much of the costume and character design, from the scarab-like symbol of the Sith ruler to the elongated chins and goatees of the Sith, evokes Egypt in very obvious ways.

The artwork, provided across both volumes by Filipino Dario Carrasco, Jr., is not terribly remarkable. It's at best serviceable, in a style reminiscent of John Buscema, one of the iron men of the comic book industry who must have drawn tens of thousands of pages for Marvel for three decades beginning in the 60's. Carrasco, Jr.'s work benefits from a change in inkers and colorist in The Fall of the Sith Empire, where the lines become a little cleaner and the colors a bit more vibrant, but still it's not work that will ever be remembered or about which anyone has ever written more than a few sentences.

The same pedestrian touch is obvious in the writing. Kevin J Anderson wrote a few Star Wars novels in the 1990's and several of those books can regularly be found in "Worst SW Novels" lists. In this particular series Anderson has no protagonist, so he needs to develop his supporting players in order to give us more than just plot. Instead we get characters that are little more than props and literary devices. The Jedi scholar is the narrative frame, the brother-sister navigators the point-of-view characters and the vector of conflict, the Republic Queen and the Sith Lord wrestling opponents wearing good-guy / bad-guy personas. No one has any particular motivation except to get us to the next scene. There's nothing suspenseful or funny or touching or wondrous; it's storytelling about as developed and predictable as painting by numbers.

And with so many other comic books out there to read, you can surely find something more engaging, more worth you time and your money than this underdeveloped Star Wars adventure.

Happy hunting.

Highly Recommended!.......2006-01-23

This interesting book is the fourth book in the Knights of the Old Republic series. The series is a collection of graphic novels that takes the reader to the Old Republic, thousands of years before the events of The Phantom Menace.

This book takes a step back, another thousand years before the time of Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma. When Gav and Jori Daragon's parents are killed in a war, they are now free to roam the galaxy and discover interstellar routes. However, when they blunder onto the hidden empire of the Sith, they unleash a set of circumstances that will lead to either the return of the Sith empire, or its destruction.

My twelve-year-old son is a big Star Wars fan, and he picked up this series so that he could keep on learning about the Star Wars universe. Overall, we found this to be a pretty darn good book. I thought that the illustration work was very good, dark and yet realistic, and found the story to be gripping. We both enjoyed the action and the many different creatures and races that are the hallmark of Star Wars.

Yep, we both enjoyed this book, and highly recommend it to you. We highly recommend the entire Tales of the Jedi series!

* barf *.......2005-07-03

I actually checked this out from my local library, so I can't ask for my money back.

Maybe I can sue the publisher for the time I wasted reading this.

...

A great place to start.......2005-05-19

After reading most of the reviews here I was rather skeptical about purchasing this series. I was fortunate enough to find the comic books and have not read the TPB version of this series. This comic pleasantly surprised me. I've read some really awful stuff by Dark Horse "Infinity's End" for example, but this is not like that in any way. In the context of the grand Star Wars universe this fits in very nicely and addresses many things not mentioned anywhere else such as: who were the Sith, pre-lightsaber era, discovery of hyperspace routes and a bit more. The Jedi are portrayed much as they were in The Phantom Menace as ambassadors and peacemakers not as "wimpy whiners" as was mentioned in another review. The artwork is easy to quibble about and the starships look like something an Ewok would have designed, but it was nice to see Korriban, and get the back-story on Naga Sadow, and to see a developing Coruscant. All in all a very good read worthy of purchase.

not very good.......2005-05-18

i read all the tales of the jedi comics lately and the best thing you can say about this one is at least it's not as bad as fall of the sith empire. poorly done

The Children's Homer: The Adventures of Odysseus and the Tale of Troy

Average customer rating:

Wonderfully retold story of Odysseus
Homer for Children Today!
The Children's Homer
A classic brought to life even for children
Most influential book of my childhood

The Children's Homer: The Adventures of Odysseus and the Tale of Troy
Padraic Colum
Manufacturer: Aladdin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0689868839

Book Description

Travel back to a mythical time when Achilles, aided by the gods, waged war against the Trojans. And join Odysseus on his journey through murky waters, facing obstacles like the terrifying Scylla and whirring Charybdis, the beautiful enchantress Circe, and the land of the raging Cyclôpes. Using narrative threads from The Iliad and The Odyssey, Padraic Colum weaves a stunning adventure with all the drama and power that Homer intended.

Customer Reviews:

Wonderfully retold story of Odysseus.......2007-05-10

I read this book to my 7 year old, homeschooled daughter. Her children's choir is singing the story of Odysseus and this book brought the songs to life for her. She never wanted me to put it down. The language is sophisticated but she could follow the story and was entranced by it.

Homer for Children Today!.......2007-03-27

Ho hum--I will never get my 5th grader to read this tome--however moving the story line and imagery. It is too thick to easily add to a history block of Ancient Civilizations around the world. The language is too dated. The narrations dwarfs the action. The standard, for good youth literature today, requires writers to SHOW the meaning and NOT TELL IT.
Thankfully, author Geraldine McCaughrean wrote a wonderfully telling of GILGAMESH, so I turned around and ordered her retelling of Homer's THE ILLIAD and THE ODYSSEY which is titled, ODYSSEUS.

Does anyone want my copy of Padric's version. The cover art is great.

The Children's Homer.......2007-03-22

As a homeschooled child, I read this book when I was eight and thoroughly enjoyed it; now, at fifteen, I have just finished reading the original Iliad and Odyssey for the second time. Reading them made me realize how much The Children's Homer helped me, both in exposing me to the epics and giving me a basic overview of the story. My only complaint was that it lacked the strength and beauty of the original, but that is understandable.
I would also recommend The Greek Way (Edith Hamilton) as an excellent look into ancient Greek philosophy and philosophers. I read this in the same course as The Children's Homer and it has become my favorite history book-children will enjoy it, but parents had best let them read it to themselves; it is unfair for parents to monopolize children's books.
Marion Doak, student

A classic brought to life even for children.......2007-02-27

Three cheers: for Padraic Colum, who was a natural storyteller and interpreter of the ancient myths; for Dover Publications, who offers this reprint and other classics dirt cheap (Dover editions are generally five bucks or less); and for the parent who loves these stories and can read them intelligently to young children.

Parents: there are many, many things in these kinds of stories that will not be self-evident to children if they are not explained: language, relationships, cause and effect, the Greek pantheon, etc. You must, as appropriate, stop and talk things over with your child. It will be a better reading experience for the both of you, and it will do wonders for your child.

My son, knowing that Odysseus was finally going to confront the wooers of this wife Penelope, was besides himself with excitement as the tension mounted. He did not mind at all the side diversions into other stories--by this time he understands that the ancient Greeks told stories within stories within stories (they didn't have TV! or the Internet!). His patience paid off, and Colum's description of the final scene was most satisfying. This, together with Colum's telling of the legend of the Golden Fleece, Jason, and the Argonauts (available in another Dover edition--see my Amazon review), are highly recommended as a superb introduction to these classic tales.

Most influential book of my childhood.......2007-01-29

As a kid, I loved this book.

As a young adult, I've gone to college and become a Classics major. Now I'm reading the Aeneid in Latin, and I've really begun to appreciate what a wonderful book this is!

I have no way of judging this book's suitability for "kids in general." For me, though, this book instilled a love of mythology and history that has stayed with me through my life so far. I strongly suggest it!

High Stakes, No Prisoners : A Winner's Tale of Greed and Glory in the Internet Wars

Average customer rating:

Very informative
This guy has *issues*
Straight shooter who did it right
Sometimes interesting narrative, but flawed analysis
An Authentic Silicon Valley Story

High Stakes, No Prisoners : A Winner's Tale of Greed and Glory in the Internet Wars
Charles Ferguson , and Charles H. Ferguson
Manufacturer: Crown Business
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0812931432
Release Date: 1999-10-13

Amazon.com

If you've ever gone out to lunch with a coworker and suddenly found yourself witness to a savage stream of unflattering assessments of bosses, wicked gossip, and the-emperor-has-no-clothes analysis of your industry, you'll know what it's like to read High Stakes, No Prisoners. Ferguson, an MIT Ph.D., started up a company called Vermeer Technologies in 1994, a rough time for startups in Silicon Valley. The country was coming out of a recession, the stock market was stagnant, and the Internet wasn't yet taken seriously by those with money to invest. Vermeer had a software program called FrontPage that only someone who understood the coming power of the Net could appreciate. Even in Silicon Valley, few were so prescient.

Most of High Stakes is the story of Vermeer, from its startup to its sale to Microsoft. (Now bundled with Microsoft Office, FrontPage is used by more than 3 million people worldwide.) Along the way, Ferguson met the players in the Valley and formed strong opinions of them. He describes Netscape CEO Jim Barksdale as an egomaniac and technological dolt in way, way over his head. Oracle founder Larry Ellison is "severely warped." One of his best lines sums up Silicon Valley as a place where "one finds little evidence that the meek shall inherit the earth."

But this isn't just the technological equivalent of WWF trash-talking. Ferguson is very tough on himself, too, and details his own shortcomings as a person and a businessman. Mostly, it's a gloves-off account of how things really get done in high technology today, as refreshingly honest and acerbic an account as you'll ever read. --Lou Schuler

Book Description

High Stakes, No Prisoners is a sharp, brilliant insider's account of the way Silicon Valley really works: the sharks, powerful incumbents, and old-boy networks who play hardball all the time and the geniuses who make the products that have changed the world.

Charles Ferguson started Vermeer Technologies and turned his very cool, very big idea into FrontPage, the first software product for creating and managing a website. A mere twenty months after starting the company, he sold it to Microsoft for $133 million, making a fortune for himself and his associates. FrontPage now has millions of users and is bundled with Microsoft Office. But getting there wasn't always fun.

High Stakes, No Prisoners is the book about the Valley and reflects Ferguson's unique experience not only as a successful entrepreneur but also as a policy analyst, computer industry consultant, and academic.

Reveals A Great Internet Success Story

High Stakes, No Prisoners is a highly personal account of what it really takes to win as a high-technology startup, especially in the Internet industry, where any speed below warp nine doesn't get you to takeoff. From securing venture capital to getting both the strategy and the technology right, from dealing with Microsoft's power to working with some of the quirkiest, smartest people on the planet, it's all here. The Valley story has never been told with this much depth and honesty.

Reports from the Trenches of the Internet Wars Vermeer was right in the middle of the battle between Microsoft and Netscape. Both companies wanted to either acquire Vermeer or kill it.

Skewers the Sacred Cows of the Valley

Yes, Microsoft declared war on Netscape, but the latter's demise was caused as much by itself as by Microsoft. Ferguson, for example, sees Jim Barksdale, the former CEO of Netscape, as arrogant, ignorant about technology, distracted by politics and glamour, and running a company in partnership with a twenty-three-year-old who'd never held a serious job before." Here's Netscape as it has never before been revealed.

Explains the Real Problem with Microsoft Microsoft's business model is unquestionably one of the great creations of American business. But its power has become so great, its behavior so unrestrained, and its abuses so dangerous that intelligent action has to be taken. Ferguson's analysis of what must be done is a major contribution to one of the most important public-policy questions of our time.

Silicon Valley is the crown jewel of the American economy and a critical driver of American technology. It's electric, addictive, vulgar, full of brilliance, brutally fair and brutally unfair, fiercely competitive, often dishonest, tremendously exciting, and utterly unique. With High Stakes, No Prisoners, the real story has finally been told--with frankness, insight, and great wit.

Customer Reviews:

Very informative.......2005-01-11

OK, If I could I'd give it 4.5 stars or so -- there are flaws. But basically, the book has a lot of great info, especially for geeks who work in the software business. There are very few books on the business side of things.

The author is incredibly blunt. Perhaps a bit nasty. But it is clear that he had to do it so that he didn't get fleeced. Also, it is great to see someone with a backbone.

The step-by-step evolution of stuff is great. You really get a feel for what happened, when it happened.

I'd say it is required reading for geeks.

This guy has *issues*.......2004-12-14

Yes, Charles is brilliant, arrogant and is lightening-fast in seeing the failings of others and himself and is willing to take ownership of them (rectifying the situation and doing something about it is another story completely...). However, he also has a massive inferiority-complex when up against anyone with more brains, more money, more privilege or more power than himself hence his complete disdain for anything Microsoft-related (never mind that it was the hand that fed him and he continues to bite it). He also fails to see that you can attract a lot more bees with honey instead of vinegar. It's not a coincidence that everyone from Vermeer, except Charles eventually landed a job at Microsoft, I suspect Gates was smart enough to see just how insanely jealous Charles must be of him. As for his acidic portrayal of many of the players in the book, I'm fairly sure Charles really reserves his most toxic rage and disdain for those persons who display A)either negative qualities he has and sees a lot of himself in and wished he did not have (i.e career opportunism, uppity-ness) or B)positive qualities he wished he had but is too nasty to ever take time out to acquire and attract (i.e Gates with his greater reserves of intelligence, power and wealth). Gates also has a quality and understanding that Charles doesn't: that life isn't just about accumulating stuff, but about the quality and integrity of the relationships around you. Gates is no innocent either but at least I've never heard any stories about him running around on his wife and kids and the people he surrounds himself with have been with him for years. Charles, on the other hand goes through people like toilet paper, he even admits that he's so impossible that people either dislike him right away or shortly thereafter - as exemplified in this book.
I've actually dated him and yes, his character does come out in his writing very strongly. So yes, he is a real jerk, and can be an even larger jerk especially when you've outsmarted him in any slight way. That being said, he also has a very warm, human, giving and honest side which for some unknown reason he hoards jealously (and glimpses of it come out here and there in the book), which is why in the book he skewers just about everyone and their dog. It's really too bad - with a talent and intelligence like that, he could have gotten a lot more for Vermeer, a lot more for himself and he'd be a happier human being instead of a 50-ish, balding, lonely, bitter software millionaire in a Mazda Miata.
A+ = for writing, use of wit and humour as well as quality
A = for relevancy of content
B = for character portrayal
C = for overall importance in the grand scheme of things

Straight shooter who did it right.......2002-11-16

Charles Ferguson, an MIT PhD, was the founding CEO of Vermeer Technologies, a company that developed one of the first web design tools. Vermeer sold the company to Microsoft for a boatload of money and lived to tell the tale. It's a fasinating story of what its really like on the inside of a high-tech startup replete with politics, hard-ball negotiations and strange bedfellows. Ferguson may be arrogant, but he's smart and tells it like it is. Anyone thinking of building a startup should read this book.

Sometimes interesting narrative, but flawed analysis.......2001-09-24

Charles Ferguson is smart. Charles Ferguson knows he's smart. But Charles Ferguson thinks he's smarter and more important than he really is, and this makes this otherwise interesting book sometimes painful to read.

The chapters covering the formation through eventual acquisition of Vermeer Technologies are an interesting education in the ways of VCs and hi-tech startups in the mid 90's. However, the last three chapters of the book are pretty worthless. These contain Ferguson's analysis of the industry and predictions for the future, and suffer because of Ferguson's worldview that he and Vermeer were far more important to the industry than they actually were. Ferguson lacks an understanding of large IT operations, and it's unfortunately evident in these chapters.

Ferguson's pronounced hostility towards certain actors in his book - including former subordinates - also makes for uncomfortable reading. Some things should simply be kept private.

Buy the book if you want to learn about VCs and hi-tech startups early in the Internet era, and don't mind wading through Ferguson's ego eruptions. Otherwise, skip it.

An Authentic Silicon Valley Story.......2001-07-25

Mr. Ferguson's book is the only narration I have so far encountered (including Mr. Michael Lewis' THE NEW NEW THING, Mr. Po Bronson's THE NUDIST ON THE LATE SHIFT, and Mr. Randall E. Stross' EBOYS) that may actually represent what goes on in the entrepreneur world, and it does so in a straightforward tone with a whole lot of humor- and some cynicism- thrown in, making the book an enjoyable read.

What's amazing about this book is its age: although the book is from 1999, much of what Mr. Ferguson concludes about where the industry is headed has come true or is slowly being recognized by the mainstream line of thought (this is quite an accomplishment in case you do not understand the rarity of such occurrences). Mr. Ferguson actually understands the technology and business underlining his startup as well, and he isn't afraid to admit when his comprehension falls short. Ask any engineer- this personality attribute in leaders of the entrepreneur world is becoming increasingly uncommon, unfortunately.

If you're looking for a book that is written by someone who has been there and has also stood the test of time in terms of holding its conclusions intact, this is it for the late 90s era. If you're looking for a book by an outsider who doesn't seem to understand what's really going on and that romanticizes Silicon Valley or Route 128, look for something else. I especially recommend this book to anyone who is frustrated with the herd mentality in the tech world and would like to read something that has a refreshing independence to its views.

Book Description

The Sith Empire has rallied its forces for an all-out battle for control of the galaxy. Its goal: Crush the Republic. And with so many Sith Masters among them, the goal is not unachievable. As Naga Sadow readies his fleet to attack, one lone person threatens to undermine the entire campaign -- Jori Daragon. She isn`t a Jedi. She`s an explorer, a mapper of hyperspace who stumbled on the plans of the Sith. And she just may be the savior of the Republic.

Customer Reviews:

Predictable and boring.......2006-11-10

Welcome to what is at this writing still the earliest chapter in the history of the Star Wars universe, a tale set 5000 years before the adventures of the film series.

CAVEAT ONE
Before you consider buying this, be aware that this volume is but one half of the story and that the first half is available in The Golden Age of the Sith. This review covers both volumes.

CAVEAT TWO
If you're a pathological Star Wars collector, you'll buy this book regardless of its contents. If you're a Star Wars fan who wants to catch up on your history, save your money and read a summary of the events at Wookieepedia. If you're a discerning comics fan, then you must have found your way here by mistake. If so, don't stop. Keep moving. Everyone else, step right this way.

Despite a title that suggests something we never see, namely the glory days of the Sith Empire, author Kevin J Anderson came up with a promising premise. At opposite ends of the universe, the Sith Empire and the fledgling Republic seek to chart new futures, the Republic to end years of civil war and forge a new era of political and economic stability and growth, the Sith to revitalize their moribund Empire by throwing off their isolation and launching a new era of growth through conquest. In between are the innocents through which we view these events, a scholarly Jedi called to arms and a pair of young space navigators, brother and sister who through their explorations inadvertently open the hyperspace route across which the Sith reach to shake the foundations of the newly emergent Republic.

With a setting so far back in the past, Anderson has a wonderful opportunity to develop a good part of the Star Wars backstory. We find, for example, that the Sith were a separate species living on their own world in a relatively undeveloped culture that was then hijacked by a group of exiled Jedi who enslaved the Sith and built a new culture based on veneration of the Dark Force. Over the years these Jedi interbred with the Sith and a number of them left to conquer nearby worlds and create a system-wide Empire ruled by an all-powerful Dark Lord. The Jedi themselves are scholar-warriors closely aligned with political forces preserving civilization, pretty much the same as we have always known them, with one discernable difference - they don't carry lightsabers. And neither do the Sith.

They carry swords instead; swords made of steel. They also wear sandals, toga-like garments, and capes. They fly in spaceships that have sails, and the slavers have spaceships with oars. The Sith world of Korriban looks like it was cribbed from photos of Abu Simbel, with towering Pharaonic deities ensconced on thrones overlooking wide valleys and surrounded by sphinx-like guardians. In fact much of the costume and character design, from the scarab-like symbol of the Sith ruler to the elongated chins and goatees of the Sith, evokes Egypt in very obvious ways.

The artwork, provided across both volumes by Filipino Dario Carrasco, Jr., is not terribly remarkable. It's at best serviceable, in a style reminiscent of John Buscema, one of the iron men of the comic book industry who must have drawn tens of thousands of pages for Marvel for three decades beginning in the 60's. Carrasco, Jr.'s work benefits from a change in inkers and colorist in The Fall of the Sith Empire, where the lines become a little cleaner and the colors a bit more vibrant, but still it's not work that will ever be remembered or about which anyone has ever written more than a few sentences.

The same pedestrian touch is obvious in the writing. Kevin J Anderson wrote a few Star Wars novels in the 1990's and several of those books can regularly be found in "Worst SW Novels" lists. In this particular series Anderson has no protagonist, so he needs to develop his supporting players in order to give us more than just plot. Instead we get characters that are little more than props and literary devices. The Jedi scholar is the narrative frame, the brother-sister navigators the point-of-view characters and the vector of conflict, the Republic Queen and the Sith Lord wrestling opponents wearing good-guy / bad-guy personas. No one has any particular motivation except to get us to the next scene. There's nothing suspenseful or funny or touching or wondrous; it's storytelling about as developed and predictable as painting by numbers.

And with so many other comic books out there to read, you can surely find something more engaging, more worth you time and your money than this underdeveloped Star Wars adventure.

Happy hunting.

Absolutely TERRIBLE.......2006-08-03

As I stated in a previous Star Wars book review (`Yoda: Dark Rendezvous'), gems in the literary SW Universe are scarce, sparse, few, and far in-between - this graphic novel is no exception to that rule. In a nutshell, `The Fall of the Sith Empire' sucks. Hard. For some reason, the whole prehistoric, almost Egyptianesque, civilization of an ancient Republic and advanced technology (e.g. flying starships) just didn't mesh together in my opinion. I'm not saying the suspension of disbelief in such a setting is a futile effort for a reader, but the task becomes a lot harder to envision with the uninspired art and simpleton dialogue showcased throughout this graphic novel. Aside from all of that, the story is just, well, boring: twin hyperspace explorers cruise the galaxy, one of them gets kidnapped by a Sith, the Sith lord uses the other twin to infiltrate the Republic, and then the Jedi help defend the Republic against the Sith Empire. Same ole, same ole.

The pencils by Dario Carrasco are absolutely terrible, even for 1997, which is no excuse because there was some good art in `97. The mediocre artwork is one of the biggest blunders of this book (other than the writing). The characters in `The Fall' could have looked a lot better in the hands of another more capable artist. Carrasco's Naga Sadow looks like a tall, baldheaded, humanoid-simian that drank too much pink lemonade (in reference to the reddish-pink hue of Sadow's skin). I thought the Sith - the ancient Sith nonetheless - were supposed to be the ruthless, evil servants of the dark side? Dario Carrasco's rendition of Naga Sadow portrays a silly and cowardly villain who lacks any true substance. The flagships and starship fleets are appallingly dreadful: some of them look like giant flying insects, while the plain nature of others will make you sarcastically wonder, "Well, there was no reason for any detail now was there?"

The other major problem with `The Fall of the Sith Empire' is a problem that plagues much of the SW Universe, and that problem is insipid and unimaginative stories. Keeping in mind that, as far as the SW Universe is concerned, it's pretty much all been done before and the fact that there's very little left to explore in Lucas' cash cow franchise, every now and then someone can find a nugget of creativity to weave a story of some imaginative proportions in Star Wars Land. There were no nuggets for this team of creators, and besides, it's 2006 and we all know that SW is no longer just a movie, but a way for Lucas to make more and more money. The artwork sucks; the characters are bland; the story is literally the SAME OLD story told in Star Wars (Republic vs. Sith Empire) whether ancient or contemporary; and the dialogue of the story is paper-thin.

Imagine what characters like Empress Teta, Memit Nadill, or Naga Sadow would've looked like in the hands of Frank Quiteley, Sean Chen, Sam Keith, or Ladronn. I don't know if the alien Jedi Odan-Urr is a retarded excuse of a character period, or if he's that way in the incapable hands of Carassco. Either way, Odan-Urr looks like the world's first bucktoothed alien with a huge overbite...and no lower jaw. He's absolutely the worst, dumbest, and goofiest-looking Jedi I've ever seen. And Odan-Urr's master Ooroo (gotta love those SW names) is a Jedi Master that's a talking brain in a crystalline vat of fluid...???

Besides the pencil work and inks, the colors were putrid - they're basically off-color pastels. Think children's plastic Easter eggs pastels...or thrown-up taffies of different colors. Yeah. That coupled with the boring artwork makes for a simply illustrious visual joyride...

The entire story feels rushed in a sense, perhaps not in the original issue-by-issue format; but read in the linear context of a graphic novel with no ads to interrupt the adventure, the plot sometimes moves at a needless breakneck speed. Panels make enormous leaps in elapsed time from panel-to-panel, adding to the rushed sense one gets while reading `The Fall'. Not to mention, the bland characterizations and tired seen-it-before plot along with the rushed story double the hurried effect.

Literally, writer Kevin Anderson's writing is on par with George Lucas' screenwriting abilities. The characters are dense, flat, and uninspired. One of the things Mr. Anderson should've learned from the first SW movies is that having twins in a space opera sounds good, but making the idea 100% is another thing. You have Luke and Leia; Jacen and Jaina; and in this story, Gav and Jori (what "incredible" names) - the whole twin thing in Star Wars really needs to stop. As I said before, the dialogue in this novel is just atrocious. Lines like, "I am ruler of the Sith Empire and no one can stop me," make Naga Sadow sound like a complete wiener and a villain one sees on childish cartoons: not a Dark Lord of the Sith.

I don't know if anyone agrees with me out there, but there are certain things about the SW-EU (Expanded Universe) that shouldn't have been created, like `Jedi battle meditation': that's stupid and to save it from complete ridicule, sounds a lot dumber than what it is. I like the part in the graphic novel where one of the soldiers fighting for Empress Teta tells Odan-Urr, who's on the sideline doing battle meditation at the moment, to stop sitting around and get out there and fight with the rest of them. I agree.

All in all, I think `The Fall of the Sith Empire' was a good idea that just wasn't executed correctly. No wonder `The Fall of the Sith Empire' is out of print: it needs to stay that way.

O.K. visuals, story a little lacking.......2005-08-23

This TBP is the second in the Tales of the Jedi story, if you are going chronologically in star wars time. It takes place a 1,000 years before the original Tales of the Jedi, and takes place a week or so after "Golden Age of the Sith". Out of the "TOTJ" series, it is one of the worst, but still better than most of the TBP's out there. I reccommend it for people trying to complete their TOTJ collection, not for a stand-alone read.

pitifully bad.......2005-05-18

don't waste your time. i just read through all the tales of the jedi books and this one is by far the worst, and is horribly bad. i know you might get it because you, like i did, want to read them all...but trust me you'll only be wasting time and money on this one it's that bad.

Great Read!.......2003-10-14

I do not agree with any of the negative past reviews given here. I thought Fall of the Sith Empire was a fitting conclusion to the setup in The Golden Age of the Sith. The information within and its events lead up to other comic and Star Wars storylines. It is told more like a story passed down for generations, a feeling I think the author wanted. In actuallity it is a story told from the events known to a young jedi who is now a master. He is later seen, much older, in the Dark lords of the Sith series (the story of Exar Kun).So there is not great detail in points that do not need more info. You are getting the basic story as to what happened and why, and that is great. No one else has tried to tackle this era in the Star Wars history. Also, i think the art work is justified in its rought style. The setting is in the SW past, and the story is not overly detailed; these characteristics lead to a rough look that was very satisfying. It would not be perfect like the Star Wars present and future time periods. People are entitled to their opinions, but I think some missed the point when actually figuring out why elements of the comic where done in certain ways.

The Archer's Tale (The Grail Quest, Book 1)

Average customer rating:

Historical Fiction at its Finest!
Thomas of Hookton has a Hook
Excellent History and Action together
Wonderfully entertaining!
Engrossing, entertaining tale, the first in a trilogy

The Archer's Tale (The Grail Quest, Book 1)
Bernard Cornwell
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0060935766
Release Date: 2005-11-08

Book Description

A brutal raid on the quiet coastal English village of Hookton in 1342 leaves but one survivor: a young archer named Thomas. On this terrible dawn, his purpose becomes clear -- to recover a stolen sacred relic and pursue to the ends of the earth the murderous black-clad knight bearing a blue-and-yellow standard, a journey that leads him to the courageous rescue of a beautiful French woman, and sets him on his ultimate quest: the search for the Holy Grail.

Customer Reviews:

Historical Fiction at its Finest!.......2007-08-31

The history is accurate, the characters are engaging, and the story lines are superb - everything you want from historial fiction. Read just one Bernard Cornwell book and you'll be hooked for a very long time. Trust me - read "The Archer's Tale" and you'll find it quite impossible not to finish the series.

Thomas of Hookton has a Hook.......2007-08-12

Right from the first chapter you know this is another Bernard Cornwell hit. The tone is set with a daring raid, a quick set up of "good guys" and "bad guys" and a unique spin on the Hundred Year War. Bernard Cornwell manages to blend his awesome command of history with a snappy driving plot and typical Cornwell larger-than-life-yet human characters. Cornwell brings to a boil and we never quite get down to a low simmer -- which is a good thing. Grand adventure, hip characters and a thriller-like pace make for a great read and another Cornwell triumph. Perhaps I didn't quite enjoy this at the level I did his "Saxon Chronicals" or the "Arthur" trilogy, but it's immensely wonderful for all of that.

Excellent History and Action together.......2007-07-10

Cornwell is always an entertaining read and The Archer's Tale holds true to form. Excellent character development makes the reader feel like they are part of the story. Definitely recommend the book to readers who enjoy action based historial fiction.

Wonderfully entertaining!.......2007-07-07

This is the kind of historical fiction that can sustain itself over a series of books. That is good as this is the first of three (The Grail Quest). What I enjoyed in this book was the knowledge that Cornwell uses to establish the context of the story. His knowledge of the national movements, motivation of various leaders, the technology that is crucial to each side, is simply superb. In this book, the main character is likeable enough that anyone would want to know what happens next. His motivations never get muddled or are neglected.

One strength of Cornwell's writing is that his characters are true to the time. Their worldview is captured in what they do, how they think, where they go, and what they believe. This is not one of those Historical novels set in the 13th or 14th centuries populated by 21st century characters. Thank-you Mr. Cornwell.

Finally- Cornwell's books creates an urge in me to go to the UK, France, and see the land for myself. It is that good.

I look forward to the next volume in the series.

Engrossing, entertaining tale, the first in a trilogy.......2007-06-24

THE ARCHER'S TALE was my introduction to Bernard Cornwell. While I favor historical fiction, I never thought I would be intrigued by novels about distant wars or battles. Was I wrong! The story draws you in straight in the beginning and leaves you wanting more.

I defer to nessiemonster's (see An excellent adventure, June 23, 2003) description of the story and comments on the accuracy of the history. It's a very well-written review.

Don't miss VAGABOND and HERETIC, the second and third in the trilogy, respectively.

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