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.

Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege: 1942-1943

Average customer rating:

Engrossing
Glad I Wasn't there
Tasteless pro-German account of the battle
Misfire
The First and Best Fully Dedicated Book About Stalingrad I Have Read

Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege: 1942-1943
Antony Beevor
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0140284583

Amazon.com

Hitler made two fundamental and crippling mistakes during the Second World War: The first was his whimsical belief that the United Kingdom would eventually become his ally, which delayed his decision to launch a major invasion of Britain, whose army was unprepared for the force of blitzkrieg warfare. The second was the ill-conceived Operation Barbarossa--an invasion of Russia that was supposed to take the German army to the gates of Moscow. Antony Beevor's thoughtfully researched compendium recalls this epic struggle for Stalingrad. No one, least of all the Germans, could foretell the deep well of Soviet resolve that would become the foundation of the Red Army; Russia, the Germans believed, would fall as swiftly as France and Poland. The ill-prepared Nazi forces were trapped in a bloody war of attrition against the Russian behemoth, which held them in the pit of Stalingrad for nearly two years. Beevor points out that the Russians were by no means ready for the war either, making their stand even more remarkable; Soviet intelligence spent as much time spying on its own forces--in fear of desertion, treachery, and incompetence--as they did on the Nazis. Due attention is also given to the points of view of the soldiers and generals of both forces, from the sickening battles to life in the gulags.

Many believe Stalingrad to be the turning point of the war. The Nazi war machine proved to be fallible as it spread itself too thin for a cause that was born more from arrogance than practicality. The Germans never recovered, and its weakened defenses were no match for the Allied invasion of 1944. We know little of what took place in Stalingrad or its overall significance, leading Beevor to humbly admit that "[t]he Battle of Stalingrad remains such an ideologically charged and symbolically important subject that the last word will not be heard for many years." This is true. But this gripping account should become the standard work against which all others should measure themselves. --Jeremy Storey

Book Description

This gripping history is the definitive account of the battle that shifted the tide of World War II.

Historians and reviewers worldwide have hailed Antony Beevor's magisterial Stalingrad as the definitive account of World War II's most harrowing battle. In August 1942, Hitler's huge Sixth Army reached the city that bore Stalin's name. In the five month siege that followed, the Russians fought to hold Stalingrad at any cost, then caught their Nazi enemy in an astonishing reversal.

As never before, Stalingrad conveys the experience of soldiers on both sides as they fought in inhuman conditions, and of civilians trapped on an urban battlefield. Antony Beevor has interviewed survivors and discovered completely new material in a wide range of German and Soviet archives, including reports of prisoner interrogations, desertions, and executions. The battle of Stalingrad was the psychological turning point of World War II; as Beevor makes clear, it also changed the face of modern warfare. As a story of cruelty, courage, and human suffering, Stalingrad is unprecedented and unforgettable.
"A fantastic and sobering story . . . fully and authoritatively told." -Richard Bernstein, The New York Times

Customer Reviews:

Engrossing.......2007-08-29

Stalingrad . . .
The greatest battle of World War Two. The very name evokes images of horror, suffering and inhuman endurance that no man who sleeps comfortably in his bed every night could ever imagine.
But imagine it we do, and Anthony Beevor's vivid narrative still haunts my dreams. The first hand accounts of the fighting, of the surviving, both German and Russian, are riveting.
As an anecdotal history of the soldiers who fought and bled, died or survived, often to live through further suffering, this book is a page-turner, though not the kind you would bring to the beach.
For the serious historian, Mr. Beevor's documentation of the Nazi and Communist attitudes regarding the ideological struggle, especially as it relates to their actions at the front, are eye-opening and invaluable.

A great book.

Glad I Wasn't there.......2007-07-22

The value of this book lies in the author's ability to tell the story from the foot soldier's point of view juxtaposed with the near fantasies of the leadership. At the start, Hitler seemed rather lucid, while Stalin was delusional; later it was Hitler who was living in fantasy land , while Stalin seems to have snapped to it. Beevor is a brilliant writer, but it is his access to and use of archival materials, including the reportage of Vasili Grossman, the censored novelist and reporter, that puts us in the battle front and center. Beevor moves well between the command posts of the Axis and Allied camps. We watch as the maddened and possibly lost Stalin slowly comes to grip with the prospect of defeat. His ability to see things realistically is the crucial factor in the Soviet victory. Hitler's bizarre turn away from the truth, the fact that he became a stranger to reality is what defeated the Germans. The rats, the lice, the moment to moment horror of survival and of death is what makes Stalingrad so memorable.

Tasteless pro-German account of the battle.......2007-05-30

Typical Beevor. This book reads more like an excuse to recount tales of Soviet brutality than a serious attempt at a history of the most important battle of the 20th Century and the bloodiest battle ever fought.

Beevor's style and approach to history are truly dishonest. He deflects potential criticism by setting the record straight early in the book: Germany invaded the Soviet Union in 1941 with the intention of killing or enslaving the entire population. He then proceeds to tell the story of Stalingrad mostly in terms of Soviet atrocities and German suffering and heroism -- juicy stuff that gets you published and on the Best Seller list nowadays, but not exactly a sound historical approach. I found myself constantly flipping back to the beginning of the book to make certain that Beevor fully understood what the Soviet-German war was really about. All that is bad enough in itself, but Beevor's accounts of Soviet atrocities are mostly anecdotal in nature, poorly referenced and questionably researched, all of which casts serious doubt as to their truth and accuracy. The accounts of Soviet mistreatment of German prisoners are grossly misleading. The truth is that all of the railroads running into and out of Stalingrad had been destroyed by the Luftwaffe during the battle. The Soviet Union was itself slowly starving, and generally lacked the means to care for 100,000 prisoners at Stalingrad in the middle of winter, when most of them were already close to death as a result of the 3-month seige. Nor does Beevor emphasize the fact that over 3 million Soviet prisoners of war died in German captivity.

Beevor also fails to impress upon the reader the real story of the battle: tremendous self-sacrifice on the part of the Soviet soldiers and civilians and brilliant strategy on the part of Soviet generals Zhukov, Vasilevsky and Koniev. The Soviet counter-offensive in November, 1941 was one of the most stunning reversals of fortune in the history of war but very little credit is given to the Soviets for pulling it off. The impression that one gets from the book is that the Germans lost the battle because of Hitler's meddling and the Soviets did nothing to win it.

In summary, Beevor's book lacks balance, does little in the way of introducing new evidence or insight into the battle, and is poorly documented. No one doubts that the Stalin regime did some terrible things, or that the German soldiers suffered, but to tell the story of the Battle of Stalingrad primarily in those terms is to fail to tell the real story. The best English-language books on the subject are still John Erickson's The Road to Stalingrad and William Craig's Enemy at the Gates.

Misfire.......2007-04-16

Sure Mr Beevor has done lots of research but his book fails in many areas - poor and limited maps, being not clear whether he is referring to Axis or Allied units, very poor character establishment of all leading figures with the exception of a very average attempt at Gen. Paulus, chronologically all over the shop, very limited attention to civilians.
Yes, very interesting but not at all satisfying for either a military historian or anyone interested in the history. Looks like a Grade C attempt at history by an earnest student of popular journalism. I won't bother with "Berlin".

The First and Best Fully Dedicated Book About Stalingrad I Have Read.......2007-03-10

I think that Antony Beevor told the story well and made it coherent - something I just have not found in other descriptions of Stalingrad's tale. The author really helped me to feel the day-to-day and moment-to-moment circumstances of both the Soviets and the Germans from beginning to end. Very few points were glossed over; I craved the details and the author delivered. Finally, I can say I have a comprehensive understanding of Stalingrad from both (or all) sides of the city.

Sharpe's Company (Richard Sharpe's Adventure Series #13)

Average customer rating:

Another good Sharpe book
A high-water mark in the Rifleman Sharpe series
A Great Series
Hawkeswill kills everything including this book
One of the better Sharpe novels

Sharpe's Company (Richard Sharpe's Adventure Series #13)
Bernard Cornwell
Manufacturer: Signet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0451213424
Release Date: 2004-08-03

Book Description

Looming on the border of Portugal and Spain is the fortress of Badajoz. To lead an assault on its thick, sheer walls and battlements is suicide, yet Richard Sharpe must lead one. Inside the walls are his wife and daughter, and only he can save them. Outside is the misshapen, vengeance-crazed Sergeant Obadiah Haskewill, a man determined to kill Sharpe. Sharpe knows that in the heat of battle only the cold steel of his battered sword and the ruthless bloodlust of a soldier at war will protect him from the danger of both sides. Third in a series taking Sharpe all the way to Waterloo.

"Consistently exciting...these are wonderful novels." (Stephen King)

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To stem the Napoleonic tide, Sharpe must capture a fortress-where his wife and infant daughter are trapped-while protecting himself from a fellow officer determined to destroy him. "The world may have a new literary hero. His name is Richard Sharpe."-Philadelphia Inquirer "A masterful blend of fiction and historical detail."-Newsday

Customer Reviews:

Another good Sharpe book.......2007-07-13

In the early months of 1812, Wellington led his army to French-occupied Spain. Captain Richard Sharpe participates in the storming of the fortresses of Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajoz. The siege of Badajoz is bloody for the British army. They failed twice before and now Wellington wants the fortress at any cost. As Wellington moves on Badajoz, a new Colonel and a new Captain arrive from England and the command of Sharpe's Light Company has been given to this new Captain who bought the promotion. Sergeant Hakeswill, who is ruthless, cruel, indestructible and Sharpe's oldest and toughest enemy also joins the company. Hakeswill could do anything to terrorise everyone in the company, including Sharpe and Harper. Sharpe desperately fights for his company, and for Teresa, the woman he loves and with her is Antonia, their daughter, both blocked in the besieged city of Badajoz.

Again, Mr Cornwell did an excellent job in Sharpe's company. I would highly recommend this book to any Cornwell fan and any history buff.

A high-water mark in the Rifleman Sharpe series.......2007-03-06

Bernard Cornwell's series of Sharpe novels has delighted countless readers over the years. Cornwell is (famously or infamously, depending on your perspective) writing these novels out of historical sequence, so even though while "Sharpe's Company" is in the middle of the Sharpe series chronologically, it is among the earliest books Cornwell wrote about Wellington's favorite rogue. And it is easily among Cornwell's best books ever - thrilling, ghastly, funny, and with perhaps Cornwell's greatest villain, Obadiah Hakeswill.

[Full disclosure - I read "Sharpe's Company" after reading the terribly disappointing "Hannibal Rising," and have Cornwell up on a bit of a pedestal right now. A gushing review follows.]

Like all soldiers from the stews of London, born without name or wealth, Richard Sharpe started life in the British army as a lowly private. While serving with Lord Wellington (then merely Colonel Wellesley), Sharpe had the misfortune of serving under Sergeant Obadiah Hakeswill, a grossly fat and evil man who knows that he cannot die - he even survived a hanging! Taking an instant hatred to Sharpe, Hakeswill has Sharpe flogged in events chronicled in Cornwell's "India Trilogy," a sub-set of the Sharpe novels. Sharpe swears revenge and thinks he has killed Hakeswill off . . . only to have the insane Sergeant return in "Sharpe's Company."

Hakeswill is the kind of man who will trump up flogging charges on a soldier in order extort sexual favors from the soldier's desperate wife . . . and then kill her and frame her husband. Truly evil, Hakeswill's love for rape is only matched by his hatred of Sharpe. So what happens when Hakeswill comes across Sharpe's lover, the gorgeous partisan Teresa? He must have her, both to possess her beauty and to ruin Sharpe.

And also, what is to happen when Sharpe finds himself demoted when a wealthier man buys his Captaincy and Hakeswill is put in charge of the 95th Rifles? A mere Lieutenant, Sharpe still outranks Hakeswill, but just barely. This gives Hakeswill the opportunity to ruin the Rifles, the only other thing Sharpe holds as dear as Teresa.

Things are dire enough for Sharpe, what with the return of the mad, gibbering Sergeant. But he must also contend with Wellington's siege of Badajoz, perhaps the most impregnable French-held fort in all of Spain. Even the redoubtable Major Hogan despairs of British boots ever getting inside that mountain of rock and guns. And yet Sharpe must lead men inside, if not only for his honor and to earn his Captain's bars, but also to save Teresa and his new-born daughter, Antonia, who live inside the fortress.

Cornwell writes a battle scene as well as anyone, and he has never been in finer form than with his description of the horrific siege. Perhaps shockingly for a proud Brit, Cornwell pulls no punches at the terrible crimes committed by the British soldiers once they crack open those walls - the robberty, rape and murder of the innocents is one of the most depressing passages you will ever read.

For high adventure, slightly leavened with comedy, you will not find anything better than "Sharpe's Company." Read these novels in order - don't start with this book, because the characters will make much more sense if you have the entire back-story.

A Great Series.......2006-08-15

This is another entry on the Sharpe series. It is fun, entertaining and very readable. Cornwell's research is as excellent as usual. He takes some licenses for the shake of the story and continuity, but this is OK. Some people are outraged by the portrait of some of the real historical characters, but historical characters are rarely depicted accurately in historical fiction, so I think this can be forgiven. Besides, usually a more serious account of these characters is given at the end of the book on the Historical Note.

Many people insist in compare this series with Patrick O'Brian's Master and Commander. I don't think this is fair for any of the series, they are different entities. What they have in common is that once you start you may get hooked and devour one book after another...

And in the literary world today that is a rare and marvelous thing.

Hawkeswill kills everything including this book.......2006-08-11

I've eagerly poured through this great series, but was sorely disappointed to see a re-appearance of Sgt. Hawkeswill. His presence ads nothing to this book, other than a great unbelievable diversion.

Sharpe mutters about his life-long desire to kill his arch nemesis Sgt. Hawkeswill at least every 200 pages of every book in the series. Then Sharpe, who has not hesitated to kill before, finds Hawkeswill alone in a barn raping his wife, and then decides to let him go?????? This is the same man that murdered 500 innocent people just so he could leave a city, and now he suddenly wants an honorable public death for for his arch enemy??? Cornwell has made Hawkeswill into the ultimate evil nemesis, and he is just too evil and too lucky to be believed. Having Hawkeswill again and again dance around Sharpe and his friend Sgt. Harper makes Sharpe's other exploits all that more unbelievable. How could anyone that is so easily fooled by the insane Hawkeswill accomplish all the heroics described in this and other books? Here is a guy that tracked one enemy through mountains, rivers, etc. for weeks, just for beating him up, but when he finds Hawkeswill raping his wife (for the second time), threating to kill his child, after Hawkeswill has already killed his good friend Cpt. Knowles, and had Sgt. Harper flogged and demoted, he lets Hawkeswill jump out the window without even a chase???? The Sharpe character wanders all over the place from a vile evil killing machine to a goof-balled mush-mellon.

Fortunately, we have not had to contend with Hawkeswill for a long time in the series, and hopefully we will not see him again.

One of the better Sharpe novels.......2006-04-01

"Sharpe's Company" is one of the better books in the Sharpe series with a mostly convincing plot, a geniunely interesting series of complications for our hero Richard Sharpe to deal with (including a demotion, the birth of a daughter and the return of the evil Sgt. Hakeswill) and some really terrific battle scenes.

If you've read any of the Sharpe in India "prequel" novels ("Sharpe's Tiger," "Sharpe's Triumph" and "Sharpe's Fortress"), this is an especially rewarding book because of the return of Sharpe's old nemesis Hakeswill.

While a great adventure yarn, the book isn't quite perfect. As some previous reviewers have noted, there are a few contrived lapses in the way the characters behave, particularly the failure of the normally aggressive Sharpe to quickly and cleanly end his Hakeswill problem. But, if you've read the Sharpe in India prequels, you're likely to just see this as an ongoing weakness of Sharpe, who tended to do things in India such as force Hakeswill into a snake pit and then walk off without ensuring that the snakes actually finished off Hakeswill. (If I wanted to get all literary, I could possibly account for this by spinning out some psychological theory about Hakeswill's role as a distorted father figure for the orphaned Sharpe, but, hey, this really isn't *that* kind of historical novel ...)

Sharpe's Tiger (Richard Sharpe's Adventure Series #1)

Average customer rating:

Delightful, amid all the luxury and misery of colonial India
A fine book and fun reading...
Cornwells betrayal
Once you start this series you will not want it to end!
Sharp's Tiger--a pussy cat

Sharpe's Tiger (Richard Sharpe's Adventure Series #1)
Bernard Cornwell
Manufacturer: Harper Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0060932309

Book Description

In a battery of events that will make a hero out of an illiterate private, a young Richard Sharpe poses as the enemy to bring down a ruthless Indian dictator backed by fearsome French troops.

The year is 1799, and Richard Sharpe is just beginning his military career. An inexperienced young private in His Majesty's service, Sharpe becomes part of an expedition to India to push the ruthless Tippoo of Mysore from his throne and drive out his French allies. To penetrate the Tippoo's city and make contact with a Scottish spy being held prisoner there, Sharpe has to pose as a deserter. Success will make him a sergeant, but failure will turn him over to the Tippoo's brutal executioners -- or, worse -- his man-eating tigers. Picking his way through an exotic and alien world. Sharpe realizes that one slip will mean disaster. And when the furious British assault on the city finally begins, Sharpe must take up arms against his true comrades to preserve his false identity, risking death at their hands in order to avoid detection and thus to foil the Tippoo's well-set trap.

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In a battery of events that will make a hero out of an illiterate private, a young Richard Sharpe poses as the enemy to bring down a ruthless Indian dictator backed by fearsome French troops.

Customer Reviews:

Delightful, amid all the luxury and misery of colonial India.......2007-09-30

This first series installment introduces us to protagonist Richard Sharpe, an orphan from the gutter whose only shot in life is as a lowly private in the British Army, and whose only real skill is fighting. Sharpe does have related skills and virtues - honesty, wit, courage, initiative and resourcefulness among them - which is why the time spent with him in each book is so enjoyable.

Sharpe reports to the diabolical Sergeant Obadiah Hakeswill, who exists primarily to cheat and scheme money out of his subordinates, and secondarily to torment them for sheer enjoyment. Hakeswill lusts for Sharpe's girlfriend and wants to sell her to a brothel owner, and so trumps up a scheme to have him flogged to death.

But Sharpe is saved when he gets tapped to accompany an officer on a dangerous mission: finding a high-ranking British spy who has reconnoitered the defenses of Seringapatam. This is the stronghold of the fabulously wealthy Tippoo Sultan, the main obstacle to British rule of southern India.

Sharpe and Lt. Bill Lawford, good-hearted but naïve, find themselves swapping roles across class lines as they work their way towards the imprisoned Colonel McCandless, impersonating British deserters. Sharpe has more street smarts and finds himself in the unusual position of giving an officer orders.

All Cornwell's distinctive touches are found here - the luxury and misery of India, the fabulous wealth and huge harems of the powerful, the dreary lives of the British rank-and-file, and the exquisite tortures meted out by cruel rulers, who might have prisoners torn apart by sadistic musclemen or fearsome tigers. Cornwell pays meticulous attention to 19th century siege warfare.

In some ways he is even more compelling a character than Patrick O'Brian's Jack Aubrey: Aubrey, from gentry, has some natural allies, but Sharpe's natural state in life is alone, back to the wall, with no allies but the converts he makes as he serves side by side with them. Sharpe's ingenious but totally plausible improvisations allow him to, whatever the day is, seize it. The Sharpe books are delightful.

A fine book and fun reading..........2007-09-26

I really liked this book as Cornwell seems to present blunt and realistic descriptions of life of the average enlisted man. A really good read. Take this book to the airport and you wont worry how delayed your flight is.

Cornwells betrayal.......2007-07-28

I read all of the original Sharpe series in the eighties and thought that the series had come to it's natural conclusion with Sharpes Waterloo in 1990. I was very suprised to see Sharpes Devil a couple of years later and to my mind this was a book too far in the series. Cornwell was always writing other books at the same time including the excellent Redcoat aas well as the nautical thrillers. When he started the Starbuck chronicles I was delighted and followed Nates adventures in the same manner as I had Sharpe's. Then, after the Sharpe series had been shown on tv Cornwell abandoned "The Starbuck Chronicles" mid-series (after four books)and resurected Sharpe. Not to sound too cynical but the only reason for this betrayal of fans who had bought the new books and were following Starbuck could only have been money...Cornwell betrayed and sacrificed the Starbuck fans for a newer and more lucrutive market...the new Sharpe fans worldwide who came to the books after the tv series. In order to continue to cash in along came all the new books each one inserted in a different period of Sharpe's career. If you have read the original series you won't recognise Sharpe's description in the new books..because it's Sean Bean!...Thanks Bernard, how's the yacht?

Once you start this series you will not want it to end!.......2007-07-18

The character of Richard Sharpe was first introduced to readers in 1981 through the wonderful novel, Sharpe's Eagle. That excellent book recounts the exploits of Sharpe and his squad of "Chosen Men" during the Battle of Talavera in Spain 1809. In the years since, Cornwell has written more than 20 Sharpe novels to great acclaim. With Sharpe's Tiger he has created a worthy place to begin a wonderful journey with Sharpe. This book introduces us to Sharpe at the very beginning of his life in the British Army of the early 1800s. In this book Sharpe is not a brash lieutenant trying to prove that he belongs as a commoner among the aristocratic ranks of British officers. Here he is a simple private trying to survive a sometimes boring, sometimes deadly mission to expand and bring order to Britain's holdings in India while fighting powerful native forces. Unforgettable characters we will see in later books (The evil Obadiah Hakeswill; the honorable Hector McCandless; the naive but brave William Lawford; and of course, Arthur Wellesley, who will become Wellington) are introduced for the first time here as we learn how Sharpe became the man that captured an eagle at Talavera and rose from the ranks to become a famous British officer. Read this book if you like adventurous historical fiction with great characters and interesting settings. I guarantee you will want to read the whole series by the time you finish three chapters.

Sharp's Tiger--a pussy cat.......2007-03-18

I was expecting the literary equivilant of Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series, and was disappointed to learn that it was merely "good trash," O.K. for a vacation read, but just barely. My interest in reading the rest of them evaporated.

1453: THE HOLY WAR FOR CONSTANTINOPLE AND THE CLASH OF ISLAM AND THE WEST

Average customer rating:

Great Read
Pushed my buttons.
Informative
1453........then and now
great read for the casual reader

1453: THE HOLY WAR FOR CONSTANTINOPLE AND THE CLASH OF ISLAM AND THE WEST
Roger Crowley
Manufacturer: Hyperion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1401301916

Book Description

A complete and compelling account of the fall of Constantinople, the siege that gave rise to today's jihad.

When Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Turks in 1453, a remarkable era in world history ended. Constantinople, the "city of the world's desire," was a wealthy, imperial, intimidating, and Christian city, influencing world opinion for a thousand years. The fall of Constantinople marked the end of the Byzantium Empire and the end of the medieval era. Thereafter, two worlds would rise -- that of the West and that of the Middle East.

1453 is brought to life by the stories of its two ambitious battling leaders-Mehmed II, sultan of the Ottoman Empire, and Constantine XI, the 57th emperor of Byzantium. It is a vivid, intense tale of courage and cruelty, of technological ingenuity, of endurance and luck. Impeccably researched and told as a real-life adventure, the book explores the issues that led up to and resulted from the fall of Constantinople in a way that is easily grasped and jumps from the pages into the headlines of world news. 1453 is the story of a moment of change that has new relevance today -- a crucial link in the chain of events that besets the modern world.

Customer Reviews:

Great Read.......2007-09-22

Just an excellent book. The author writing style really helps you imagine in your minds eye the scenes he's describing.

Pushed my buttons........2007-08-22

I'll give this book 3 stars out of charity, and because it may succeed as a work of popular history; indeed, most readers will be satisfied with it.

I can't write an exhaustive review, because I quit reading at p.32,when Crowley says that "the Ottomans ruled their subjects with a light hand. . . . No attempts were made to convert Christians . . ." etc. Ask anyone who's lived under Ottoman rule,if you can still find one of these venerable folk, or talk to their descendants. You'll get a different picture of the situation. Crowley himself describes some of the horrors of the siege, inflicted by these "tolerant" Muslims.

It is true that some Ottoman officials developed a liberal laissez-faire attitude toward the Christians--either out of Levantine indolence or practical intelligence: why harass honest and industrious people? Plus, they pay taxes through the nose. And even Sultan Mehmed II was lenient towards the Christians once he had established his rule. Still, the many horrors remain.

If I'd been at home while reading this book, I would have thrown it across the room. As it was, I was in the car and merely commented on the nonsense to my companions.

Gentle reader, if you really want to learn about the Fall of Constaninople, read Runciman, or Sir Edwin Pears, if you can find his book. Also, the translations of the chronicles of the time.

Informative.......2007-08-13

A more technical treatment of the subject than Sir Steven Runciman's The Fall of Constantinople 1453 (Canto), but I have to admit that I prefer the style of Sir Runciman. What Sir Runciman neglected in detail, Mr. Crowley has provided. But, at the same time, there were points where Mr. Crowley seemed overly concerned with parallels to today (implied somewhat in the subtitle). Despite that minor criticism it is likely the very thing other readers will enjoy about the book. Mr. Crowley also recently did a fine article in Military History magazine concerning the fall of Constantinople and I would recommend that as well for thorough technical detail. This is a thorough and enjoyable work and an important contribution to understanding the last days of Constaniople.

1453........then and now.......2007-07-31

The name Constantinople has always conjured up vague images for me - mystery, grandeur, historical wonder. However, 1453 has expanded my understanding of the city as well as the role it played in world history. Crowley covers the siege and attack of Constantinople by the Turks in 1543. The invasion has truly changed the geopolitical landscape of Europe and Asia since that time. This was truly a Holy War - a fight both between Islam and Christianity, as well as a fight within factions of Christianity. It also highlights the great differences between the understandings of the human condition between these world religions. Neither is innocent and neither is patently evil, but they are very different. Crowley speaks about these differences and the background issues in light of the battle, placing them all in an easily accessible light.

After reading 1453, I find myself realizing that the battles of 1453 have similarities to the battles of the 21st century. The cultural battles are still very similar. The geopolitical issues are still in flux. This view helped make the book even more meaningful today.

great read for the casual reader.......2007-05-15

this book really does a good job of telling the story and focusing both upon the personalities involved and the way that life was for the people in constantinople at the time. it has the right level of depth for someone who's interested in history but is not a specialist.

Average customer rating:

Solid history with storytelling flair
Amazing for any history buff and more
A sublime account of the demise of the "Greek emperor" and the fall of his city
strongly recommended
Probably very good

The Fall of Constantinople 1453 (Canto)
Steven Runciman
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0521398320

Book Description

This classic account shows how the fall of Constantinople in May 1453, after a siege of several weeks, came as a bitter shock to Western Christendom. The city’s plight had been neglected, and negligible help was sent in this crisis. To the Turks, victory not only brought a new imperial capital, but guaranteed that their empire would last. To the Greeks, the conquest meant the end of the civilisation of Byzantium, and led to the exodus of scholars stimulating the tremendous expansion of Greek studies in the European Renaissance.

Customer Reviews:

Solid history with storytelling flair.......2007-07-24

Sir Steven Runciman had an unique talent for conveying historical information with a flair. He did not convey history as a collection of unrelated facts to dates but instead provided all the color and nuances behind those facts and dates which gave them life. Only a few historians write in a way that transports the reader to the subject time, place, and people the way Sir Runciman has in this little volume.

The book is organized by describing the background and focusing on the last Emperor and Sultan Mehmet II as the key individuals in that background. It continues with a description of the weaknesses that prevented the west from providing efficacious help to Constantinople. Attention then turns to the siege and fall followed by an overview of the exodus of learned Byzantines to the west which helped to spark the renaissance.

A map of Constantinople and a pictorial depiction of the disposition of troops during the siege provides some detail for context. I would have liked more maps of the other geographical areas mentioned to provide the greater world context and that is my single critical point on this volume.

That so much information could be conveyed in so few pages with such brilliant flair is testament to his reputation. This is still the definitive work on the last years of Constantinople and the final fall of the Byzantine empire. It is a must have for ancient history libraries and a must read for historians wishing to communicate historical lessons in writing.

Amazing for any history buff and more.......2007-05-08

Runciman is academic yet lively, a rare combination that makes for a serious historical book that reads like a page-turning thriller/drama. Of course he is helped by the facts themselves. The story of the fall of Constantinople is one of those events in history that sounds like it was made up, because it is so picturesque. There are brooding Sultans, brothers strangling each other in competing for the throne, siege warfare, religious upheaval, dramatic sea battles, betrayal, the almost improbably anachronistic use of cannons and more.

The only fault I could find in the book is that sometimes he repeats himself in mentioning the same event in 2 chapters, each time in relation to a slightly different aspect of the story. But this he only does 5-6 times, everything else is great. He successfully builds up tension and is great at communicating the pathos of the events. The fall was seen as the end of a great civilisation stretching back thousands of years to ancient Rome. Reading the book you really feel the momentous nature of the events.

Runciman doesn't seem to like Mehmet II (the conquerer). I don't know enough of the history to tell if it's bias or whether he really was unusually cruel and despotic. I'm inclined toward the latter, for the facts speak for themselves. If other rulers of his day were similar (which they were!) this doesn't make him any more sympathetic.

This is a true classic of history. It's a real shame how unaware modern people are of Byzantium because our society is much more indebted to that civilisation than we think. This book is a sorely needed patch in this gap of knowledge.

A sublime account of the demise of the "Greek emperor" and the fall of his city.......2006-08-02

Exceedingly well written and utterly fascinating, Sir James Stevenson Runciman's classic account of the siege and fall of Constantinople manages to be thoroughly academically sound and highly entertaining at the same time. Steven Runciman doesn't just deliver the dry facts, which would be alright, no, he tells the story, which is much better. And he does it without forefeiting historical accuracy, and, blessedly, without drawing any politically motivated parallels to "modern" conflicts, be they religious, or political, or both.
This is one of the finest historical accounts I have ever read, and I recommend it 100%. It may be over 40 years old, but it is still unrivalled, the single greatest work on the subject in the English language.

strongly recommended.......2006-02-20

I strongly suggest to buy and read this book to all people interested in history in general.

I am a fan of history books, and I provilege high readable, well documented and general-picture-introducing books. This book satisfies all these criteria: it gives a full explanation of the context before and after the Empire's collapse, it is enjoyable to read, and it is well-grounded on the reports by witnesses from both parties (turks and christians).

This is my first book by Runciman, and I bet will not be the last.

Probably very good.......2006-02-02

I have not yet received this book from Amazon, so it is a little difficult to say what it is like. But I am sure it will be at least very good. Runciman is an excellent author.

The Siege of Vienna: The Last Great Trial Between Cross & Crescent

Average customer rating:

Exceedingly Tedious
Meticulous and Tedious
A very readable and informative history of an important event in the struggles between Islam and the West
A superbly presented and accurately detailed account

The Siege of Vienna: The Last Great Trial Between Cross & Crescent
John Stoye
Manufacturer: Pegasus Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Austria | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1933648147

Book Description

"John Stoye is the master of every aspect of his subject."- Daily Telegraph

"A fine historical work. . . . Well worth reading."-Otto von Habsburg, The Catholic Herald

"Worthy of the pen of a Herodotus. . . . It is a measure of the fascination of Mr. Stoye's subject that one should think of comparing his treatment of it with the work of the greatest historians."- The Times Literary Supplement

The siege of Vienna in 1683 was one of the turning points in European history. It was the last serious threat to Western Christendom and so great was its impact that countries normally jealous and hostile sank their differences to throw back the armies of Islam and their savage Tartar allies.

The consequences of defeat were momentous: The Ottomans lost half of their European territories and began the long decline that led to the final collapse of their empire, and the Habsburgs turned their attention from France and the Rhine frontier to the rich pickings of the Balkans. That hot September day in 1683 witnessed the last great trial of strength between cross and crescent-and opened an epoch in European history that lasted until the cataclysm of the First World War.

Customer Reviews:

Exceedingly Tedious.......2007-09-25

If you're a generalist, or looking for a book that will help you to appreciate what the defenders of Vienna felt, thought, or endured, this book is not for you. Though undeniably informative, the great bulk of this work is devoted to extremely detailed descriptions of the dozens of political negotiations and troop conscriptions carried on by Hapsburg envoys and the political chess game between the Empire's foes and its myriad lukewarm allies. This is a valuable source for further research, and a great neutral description of the political climate and negotiations that led to Vienna's redemption, but of the siege itself, it will provide you with little insight as to what it was like to be in Vienna in 1683, and will not impart any of the stories, legends, or heroic deeds of the City's defenders - to which the author occasionally and tantalizingly alludes.

Meticulous and Tedious.......2007-07-29

The failure of the Turkish army to take Vienna in 1683 marks the beginning of the long decline of the Ottoman state but it was a close-run affair. Kara Mustafa's janissaries laid siege to the Austrian imperial capital while allied horsemen ravaged the surrounding countryside. Leopold III and his court had fled leaving the rescue of Vienna to Charles, Duke of Lorraine and John Sobieski of Poland. Had Mustafa been a little less reckless in failing to fortify his positions the outcome of the battle (and the history of Europe) might have been different.

Stoye has done an excellent job in painstakingly recounting each detail of the negotiations among the Christian princes and charting the march of the various armies. Where his sources have been unclear or lacking he is honest in not speculating too freely. However, if any battle cried out for a historian with a sense of colour and drama this was it. Massacres of prisoners, hand-to-hand fighting in trenches and tunnels, banners with crosses and crescents waving over blood-drenched salients, wild Tartars from the steppes duelling with hussars clad in armour and angel wings, vizirs strangled with bow-strings: the siege of Vienna had all this and more but Stoye is the not the man who can breathe life into such a story. Nor are the maps and illustrations much help.

This book is a noble effort and will certainly serve readers interested in the minutiae of central-European politics but the siege still awaits a better story-teller.

A very readable and informative history of an important event in the struggles between Islam and the West.......2007-03-19

What an interesting book! The present War on Terror does have certain overtones of the past struggles between Christianity and Islam. The Jihadists refer to the Western nations as Crusaders and while most in the West make a distinction between Islam per se and the Jihadists, they are not blind to the fact that the Jihadists (or Islamofacists or whatever you want to call them) are almost completely Muslim.

And certainly, the Christianity of Europe is nominal at best and is not a motivating factor in the West's approach to the current situation. There are other more overriding interests. If one went on Sunday to the Cathedrals and traditional Christian denominations and conscripted the congregants into an army, it would consist mostly of older women and some children. And it would be small.

It was not always so. This book recounts the time in the late seventeenth century (mostly in 1683 to be precise) when the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire (and ruler of the Muslim world) and his Grand Vizir took a hundred thousand men (or more) into and through the Hungarian territories into Austria on a quest for new lands to tax (more than for converts) and after conquering lesser cities on the way, laid siege to Vienna.

Europe was very much different than the Europe of the past two centuries. There were nations, but not so much nation states as the two great kingdoms of France ruled by Louis XIV and the Habsburg Holy Roman Empire ruled out of Austria and Spain. Both also had relationship with ancillary and related smaller states and territories. The complex web of treaties were often, but not always, related to whether the ruler and the population were primarily Roman Catholic or Protestant.

This was not the first time that the Ottomans came out of Turkey to attack Vienna. In 1529 they came and laid siege to the city until disease forced them back. In 1683, they came and were making progress in undermining the walls of the city until the King of Poland, Jon Sobieski and came from the north and drove the Turks out. This led to a more extended war with the Ottomans that lasted until 1699 and captured Hungary for the Habsburgs.

John Toye has written a very concise telling of the second siege. There are nine chapters in just fewer than two hundred pages. The first chapter provides the origins of the Ottoman attack. Understanding the court politics and the names and titles of all the players is probably the most difficult part of the book. However, once the reader has that under control, all goes smoothly. The author provides a helpful list of key names and titles on pages x and xi. There are also some maps up front and provided within the text as needed.

The second chapter informs the reader about the situation in Austria and Vienna. We learn about the court of Leopold his character, talents, his key advisors, and I. The third chapter gives us a broader picture of the Habsburg Empire and its competitive relations with France and what its true condition was late in the seventeenth century.

The fourth chapter tells us about the move of the Ottomans through Hungary and how Vienna began its preparations. This involved getting some people out (including Leopold I) and other people in. It also involved getting as many supplies as possible (such as money, wood and food). In chapter five we get the description of how the siege began and what the techniques were for the attackers and the defenders.

Chapter six takes us outside of Vienna and what was going on between the city and its allies as well as the maneuvering of the Ottoman camps. In chapter seven the author gives us the movements of Sobieski and the others who would come to the aid of the beleaguered city.

All of this is prelude to the climax of the book in chapter eight when the armies come out of the north and sweep the Ottomans off the walls of Vienna and into a panicked rout. The last chapter ties up what happened in Europe after the battle. Like most victories, it leads to claims by many as the reason for the success. Offenses are taken at real, perceived, or manufactured slights, advantage is taken by those still strong over those weakened by the struggle (read Louis XIV trying to take advantage of the limited resources of the Hapsburgs now fighting in Hungary).

This was a very important event in the history of Europe, of the relations between the West and Islam (at the time the Ottomans were essentially synonymous with the faith - the Sultan held the key to the Kabah and flew what was believed to be Mohammed's banner). It is an event that everyone should understand better. The troubles didn't begin on 9/11 nor were the Crusades of the eleventh century the only armed struggle before that event. It is a long and rather aggressive history, from both sides.

While some claim history to be bunk, it is critical to learn the true history of what has happened in the past and how it has flowed into and created the world we inherited.

A superbly presented and accurately detailed account .......2007-01-06

The siege by the Islamic Turks of the Christian city of Vienna in 1683 was a watershed incident in European history. Had the Turks been successful, there well might have been no Christian Europe to dominate the world stage for the next 500 years. Facing that magnitude of threat, European powers that were normally jealous and hostile to one another suppressed their mutual antagonisms to defeat the armies of Islam and their brutal Tartar Allies. The Ottoman empire lost control of half of their European territories which led to the long, slow, decline and inevitable collapse, even as the Hapbsburgs were able to parley the Viennese victory into control of the Balkans and expand their influence into France and the Rhine country. An enthusiastic recommendation for inclusion into both academic and community library World History collections, "The Siege of Vienna: The Last Great Trial Between Cross & Crescent" by John Stoye (Fellow in Modern History, Magdalen College, Oxford, England) is a superbly presented and accurately detailed account of this pivotal incident between the forces of a militant Islam and the armies of a European Christendom.

Sharpe's Siege (Richard Sharpe's Adventure Series #18)

Average customer rating:

"Siege" offers plenty of thrills for the intrepid Sharpe and Riflemen
One of the better in the series
A Great Series
Sharpe's adventures are wonderful
One of the best, if not THE best

Sharpe's Siege (Richard Sharpe's Adventure Series #18)
Bernard Cornwell
Manufacturer: Penguin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0140294376
Release Date: 2001-10-01

Customer Reviews:

"Siege" offers plenty of thrills for the intrepid Sharpe and Riflemen.......2007-06-12

Bernard Cornwell's "Sharpe's Siege" is a delightful entertainment, full of thrills, derring-do, deceit, betrayal, heroism, and loss. Not for nothing does the Rifleman Sharpe series occupy an honored place in many high-brow libraries despite its undeniable middle-brow appeal.

Far from Serious Literature, "Sharpe's Siege" is nevertheless serious. Nobody does their research better than Cornwell, who has recreated the battles of the Napoleonic era with incredible details. Whether it's the intricate workings of a British rifle, the chaotic life onboard ship at sea, or describing the sights and smells of the French countryside, Cornwell places the reader at the heart of the action with aplomb. While terse, Cornwell's style is as evocative as it is efficient.

And efficiency is required with this tale. Sharpe gets tossed into a mysterious plot of espionage and counter-espionage as Wellington goes mind-to-mind with Napoleon and his spymaster, Ducos. Unfortunately for Sharpe, his friend, the intelligence master Major Hogan, is gibbering with fever. That means that Sharpe is at the mercy of buffoons and traitors as he leads the Rifles on a desperate joint Army-Navy mission to take a French fort. Thanks to the intense inter-service rivalry, for Sharpe the British navy is just as dangerous as the French.

And to top it off, Sharpe's lovely new bride Jane may have caught the same fever that has reduced Hogan to a wasted shell. Sharpe, who has known loss before, spends much of the novel torn in anguish as his mission keeps him from his wife's side.

Given the title, it should come as no spoiler that Sharpe finds himself defending a fort against terrible odds. Somehow Cornwell can write scenes like the storming of Badajoz or Sharpe's desperate use of rockets in "Sharpe's Enemy," and yet keep topping himself. The climactic battles in "Siege" are tremendous, even if they are not quite my favorite of all his battles. Sharpe must use ingenuity, bravery, and sheer audacity to keep his outnumbered force intact and alive.

Why only four stars? Maybe it's because this is the eighteenth Sharpe novel I've read and Sharpe and Harper are starting to seem a bit immortal to me. I still love 'em, praise be, but they are both starting to move into James Bond territory - has anyone ever figured out how many bullets have been fired at 007 without effect? Sharpe and Harper carry scars, to be sure, but I almost prefer the parts of the battle scenes that feature other characters - at least there is some uncertainty there.

But I quibble - "Sharpe's Siege" is a wonderful addition to the Sharpe series.

One of the better in the series.......2007-03-24

"Sharpe's Siege" is one of the better entries in this series of novels. Although it's not directly based on an actual battle (which I tend to regard as a disadvantage in the occasional Sharpe novel that isn't solidly based on a specific battle), it still does an excellent job of capturing the feel of this type of a Napoleonic fight. And, unlike so many of the more formulaic entries in this series, "Siege" doesn't get bogged down in some unlikely sideplot involving a damsel in distress. Also, while the story does have a bit of a cloak-and-dagger element to it, this book doesn't go overboard on the 19th-century poor man's James Bond plotting in the way that "Sharpe's Prey" or "Sharpe's Sword" did.

A Great Series.......2006-08-15

Sharpe's adventures are wonderful.......2005-05-13

Bernard Cornwell is one of those rare writers of historical fiction who manages to make the fiction compelling without making the history anything less than accurate. His tales of Richard Sharpe in the Napoleonic War, especially, are a joy for both the continuing adventures of the dynamic scarred rifleman and the rich historical detail that Cornwell gives to his characters. In this installment of Sharpe's adventures, he has to defend a fortress on the coast of France both against an approaching army and treachery from his own side. He is also haunted by fears for the health of his new bride, Jane. As ever, the battle scenes and personal relationships in this story are superb. An excellently told tale of adventure.

One of the best, if not THE best.......2003-02-05

When a quick raid on a French fort falls victim to cowardice and miscommunication it is up to Richard Sharp and his men to dig in and defend themselves. Can Sharp get his men out alive with nothing but their guns and an American privateer who may or may not be a friend? Lots of action and good battle scenes an excellent Cornwell book.

This particular edition of the Sharp's series is one of my particular favorites. My favorite character Patrick Harper has a notable part to play(b y which I mean the part played by his seven barreled navy gun). If you are one of those people that likes to start a series from the middle and work your way back this is an excellent book to start with

Average customer rating:

A truly thorough work on siege warfare

Beautifully illustrated but...

A Beautiful Book

Ancient and Medieval Siege Weapons: A Fully Illustrated Guide to Siege Weapons and Tactics
Konstantin Nossov
Manufacturer: The Lyons Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books
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Medieval Siege Weapons (1): Western Europe AD 585-1385 (New Vanguard)

Fighting Techniques of the Medieval World: Equipment, Combat Skills and Tactics

Fighting Techniques of the Ancient World (3000 B.C. to 500 A.D.): Equipment, Combat Skills, and Tactics

Medieval Siege Weapons (2): "Byzantium, the Islamic World & India AD 476-1526" (New Vanguard)

The Art of the Catapult: Build Greek Ballistae, Roman Onagers, English Trebuchets, and More Ancient Artillery

ASIN: 1592287107

Customer Reviews:

A truly thorough work on siege warfare.......2007-06-29

I really love this book. It is very detailed, and you get the impression Nossov knows everything there is to know about the subject of ancient and medieval siege warfare. He is also very clear about his sources, and doesn't throw in his own theories without telling you explicitly. It is a scientific work written by a scientist. If you, like me, enjoy the tales of great medieval wars, this book is excellent background matrial.

Beautifully illustrated but..........2007-05-15

When a friend told me about this book and it's beautiful illustrations, I was so excited I practically rushed out to buy it. It was unfortunately, not available at the local bookstore at the time so I ordered it on Amazon.

It is certainly a very well written book and the many illustrations help a great deal in explaining and demystifying many of the more complicated details of siege mechanisms. However, as seems to be fairly common in scholarly works on catapults and siege weaponry is the total absence of anything beyond the limited boundaries of the Greco-roman, medieval European and middle-eastern world. There is only passing mention of the early eastern levered catapults, and none at all of catapults from the other world civilisations which employed and developed catapults, or that there exists records in other cultures of catapults that pre-date the 399 B.C. catapults of Syracuse.

This book, while richly illustrated and extremely well researched, is only narrowly focused on one aspect of the development of siege warfare, somewhat not in agreement with the comprehensive nature suggestive nature of the book title.

A Beautiful Book.......2006-01-16

Sub-Title: A Fully Illustrated Guide to Siege Weapons and Tactics ==This is a beautifully illustrated book on the seige weapons used by most of the major armies from Ancient Egypt through the mid 1400's. It is surprisingly detailed. It is based, in the early days at least, on drawings carved into rock. These have been re-sketched so that the points he is trying to make. In the more recent times, printed materias were used and these make pictures that are (somewhat) more clear. Finally an artist Vladimir Golubev (I presume) made a series of absolutely beautiful color drawings to illustrate various siege engines.

The written part was done by Dr. Nossov and originally published in Russian. It is clearly a work of schlorship that may become the standard by which others are compared in future years. Certainly I have never seen a more complete or better written description of these engines.

April 1865: The Month That Saved America (P.S.)

Average customer rating:

What about rethinking U.S. Grant
Courage and Contingency
To quote John Wilkes Booth: "The country is not--April 1865 what it was."
Exuberant History
Far from "amazing" and "incredible".

April 1865: The Month That Saved America (P.S.)
Jay Winik
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

ASIN: 0060899689
Release Date: 2006-08-15

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

There are a few books that belong on the shelf of every Civil War buff: James M. McPherson's Battle Cry of Freedom, one of the better Abraham Lincoln biographies, something on Robert E. Lee, perhaps Shelby Foote's massive trilogy The Civil War. Add Jay Winik's wonderful April 1865 to the list. This is one of those rare, shining books that takes a new look at an old subject and changes the way we think about it. Winik shows that there was nothing inevitable about the end of the Civil War, from the fall of Richmond to the surrender at Appomattox to the murder of Lincoln. It all happened so quickly, in what "proved to be perhaps the most moving and decisive month not simply of the Civil War, but indeed, quite likely, in the life of the United States."

Things might have been rather different, too. "What emerges from the panorama of April 1865 is that the whole of our national history could have been altered but for a few decisions, a quirk of fate, a sudden shift in luck." When Lee abandoned Richmond, for instance, his soldiers rendezvoused at a nearby town called Amelia Court House. There, the general expected to find boxcars full of food for his hungry troops. But "a mere administrative mix-up" left his army empty-handed and may have limited Lee's options in the days to come. Or what if Lee had decided not to surrender at all, but to turn his resourceful army into an outfit of guerrilla fighters who would harass federal officials? National reconciliation might have become impossible as the whole South turned into a region plagued with violence and terrorism. For the Union, "there would be no real rest, no real respite, no true amity, nor, for that matter, any real sense of victory--only an amorphous state of neither war nor peace, raging like a low-level fever." One of Lee's officers actually proposed this scenario to his commander in those final hours; America is fortunate Lee didn't choose this path.

Winik is an exceptionally good storyteller. April 1865 is full of memorable images and you-are-there writing. Readers will come away with a new appreciation for that momentous month and a sharpened understanding of why and how the Civil War was fought. Let it be said plainly: April 1865 is a magnificent work, surely the best book on the Civil War to be published in some time. --John J. Miller

Book Description

One month in 1865 witnessed the frenzied fall of Richmond, a daring last-ditch Southern plan for guerrilla warfare, Lee's harrowing retreat, and then, Appomattox. It saw Lincoln's assassination just five days later and a near-successful plot to decapitate the Union government, followed by chaos and coup fears in the North, collapsed negotiations and continued bloodshed in the South, and finally, the start of national reconciliation.

In the end, April 1865 emerged as not just the tale of the war's denouement, but the story of the making of our nation.

Jay Winik offers a brilliant new look at the Civil War's final days that will forever change the way we see the war's end and the nation's new beginning. Uniquely set within the larger sweep of history and filled with rich profiles of outsize figures, fresh iconoclastic scholarship, and a gripping narrative, this is a masterful account of the thirty most pivotal days in the life of the United States.

Customer Reviews:

What about rethinking U.S. Grant.......2007-08-26

The Book was great, except for the matter of fact way of treating Grant. Winik has given me a new perspective on the Cival War. I did not know that this country was largely about words, but little substance. Jefferson's writings were carried out by Abraham Lincoln. What I discovered in Winik's book was that this country was not defined. That is a big thing in itself. Abraham Lincoln simply applied Jefferson's writings far beyond Jefferson did. I remember an old axiom that states "standing for something is only worthwhile when it costs you something to stand for it". I guess Abraham Lincoln was the only President of the U.S. willing to pay the price. This Winik says in his great book, in a more graceful way. I'm sending this book to my son-in-law. Winik's book is a graet read and a knew depth in the Cival War.

Courage and Contingency.......2007-07-13

As the Civil War reached its denouement in April 1865, we tend to think that the victory of the North was already a foregone conclusion. In truth, it is clear that no one yet knew how the war would end. April 1865, by Jay Winik, tells the story of this last month of the war, and how the events that occurred would shape the destiny of the nation. It is a tale of contingency--if one event had gone differently, or one leader had made the other decision, our country might not be what it is today. In Winik's own words, "The ultimate fate of nations is often measured and swayed not by large events, but by tiny ones, small, symbolic gestures that shape men's passions...and quell or inflame lingering hostilities for years to come" (182). In order to demonstrate this, Winik first and foremost deals with the events of this final month, describing their historical background and stressing their importance. Winik also creates vivid vignettes of the men in whose hands lay the power to make or break our foundering country during those uncertain days. And finally, perhaps most importantly, Winik demonstrates that out of the ashes of war, the fragmented group of states was reborn as a nation.
Edward Ayers, in his book In the Presence of Mine Enemies also discussed contingency. But while Ayers was concerned only with the events of the Civil War, and how with small changes they could have been radically different, Winik focuses on the decisions of the great men who drive the cogwheels of history. It is on their shoulders that the monumental decisions of this last month rested, and it is with them that the fate of the nation hung in the balance.
One prominent issue that Winik discusses is whether even after the fall of Richmond and the ragged deterioration of the Confederate armies and their supply lines--would the Confederacy fight on? The Confederate fighters could have split up and taken to the hills, becoming partisans for their cause and engaging in guerilla warfare, prolonging the war indefinitely (146). Jefferson Davis himself supported this plan (299), and it was the worst fear of Lincoln and Grant (66). But it was General Robert E. Lee, with considerable strength of character, who decided against prolonging the conflict, and to the considerable dismay of his superiors, Lee stoically surrendered to Grant at Appomattox (166-169). The fate of the war was in the hands of Lee, and it was Lee who realized that while one must be strong in war, it is necessary to be equally strong in peace. Lee accepted defeat with fortitude, urging his people to become good citizens once again and avoid further bloodshed. Lee spearheaded the Confederate effort to procure peace with the same fervor as which he had prosecuted the war effort (311-316).
Winik also discusses the Northern side of the problem. How should the Union treat the defeated Confederacy? Would there be vindictive retribution, a bloodbath including public hangings of war criminals and the imposition of martial law? Winik shows that it was in the hands of the Union generals as much as it was dependent on government legislation. If Ulysses Grant gave Lee generous terms of peace upon Lee's surrender, further conflict could be avoided. And stirringly, Grant rose to the occasion. Grant, the hardened and often dispassionate veteran of battle saw Lee's surrender as having far-reaching consequences upon the future of the nation. Grant extended the olive branch to Lee, paving the road to reconciliation. As Winik writes so movingly, "Grant himself, spoke simply but clearly: the North may defeat the Confederate armies, it may strip away their guns and remove their cannons, but, if Grant was going to have anything to do with it, it would not also destroy their dignity" (182).
The meeting between Confederate general Joseph Johnston and Union general William T. Sherman took place in the same spirit of appeasement, bolstered by the events at Appomattox. Johnston amicably agreed to Sherman's generous terms, even though both men knew that they were acting against the wishes of their respective governments (318). What can explain how the enmity between all of these hardened fighters simply melted away? Perhaps these generals and their soldiers saw much farther than the politicians because they were out in the field. They had fought with each other in struggles bitter and destructive, they hated each other with a passion, but they also gained respect for one another. Not only did they understand that the war was too devastating to be continued, but they began to realize that the similarities that bound them together were greater than the differences that had split them asunder.
Abraham Lincoln saw further than perhaps any other man of the time, and this is why Winik stresses that he was the keystone that the entire conclusion of the war effort rested upon. Lincoln was probably the only man with the tenacity and conviction to stick to his principles through four hard years of unmitigated bloodshed and unrelenting criticism on all fronts. Lincoln persevered because he was the ultimate champion of the concept of union, stubborn in his belief that the states must be reunited in order to be re-forged as a nation. So on the one hand, Lincoln prosecuted the war with an iron fist, battering the South and burning their cities to the ground, and quelling dissent in the North with the suspension of habeas corpus (246-247). But by the same token, only Lincoln understood that after the cessation of hostilities, the South had to be let off easy, for real reconstruction could only be accomplished through reconciliation. The former Confederates had to be allowed to ease their way back into their own lives and rebuild their broken homesteads without feeling that they were under the control of an autocratic sovereign authority (251). Therefore, it is all the more crushing when we consider Lincoln's assassination; for the bullet that shot him dead also killed his plans for peace. His successor, Andrew Johnson, was rash and vindictive, determined to punish the South for its crime of rebellion (273). Winik asks: would it all come undone? Lincoln was dead, and a palpable feeling of dread and uncertainty hung in the air. Perhaps John Wilkes Booth was part of larger conspiracy to decapitate the Union government. Perhaps the Confederate government itself was the incendiary force behind Booth's deed (259-260). The outcome of April 1865 was far from certain, and this is what Winik is trying to show: one man or one event might have changed everything. Indeed, in the case of Lincoln it is very possible that our nation would be different today if he had presided over the difficult task of Reconstruction.
Lastly, Winik discusses a fundamental change that the Civil War brought to our country. Before the war, even before secession, the United States "were" only a collection of states bound together under the auspices of a rather weak federal government. No one was sure if secession was unconstitutional--Winik demonstrates that many had tried it, but none had succeeded (pardon the pun) before the South did so prior to the Civil War. But the outcome of the war answered the question of secession forever. The United States is a nation, not merely a collection of states (378-380). The long years of brutal conflict brought the people on both sides to the conclusion that the United States was now one unified nation, never again to be sundered by any division among its inhabitants. In the irony of all ironies, Winik shows that by the end of the war, even slavery was no longer an issue. By 1865, the Confederate legislatures had already decided to enlist former slaves in the army to bolster their thinning ranks, and as a reward their freedom would be ensured upon the conclusion of their duties (51-62). With the slaves free on both sides, what was the Confederacy still fighting for? Winik says, "In the end, what the Confederacy cherished most was its independence...as April 1865 approached, the two sides...were closer on the issue of slavery than perhaps they had ever been since the founding of the republic, and yet it no longer mattered" (62). But when the healing process finally began, it was implicitly understood that slavery was dead, and that the country could begin a more vibrant existence as a nation.
April 1865 is not only well-researched and informative, but Winik's narrative is unusually eloquent and poetic. Most surprising for a historical work is that it is also a gripping tale, the suspense being so palpable that I was actually on the edge of my seat. Additionally, it discusses issues of the Civil War that are often not comprehensively dealt with in other books. Furthermore, not only is April 1865 a fine example of historical analysis, but it is also a biographical work of the highest standard. With the touch of a master storyteller, Winik expertly portrays the complex, often conflicted, and yet utterly brilliant lives of the most important characters of the drama; from Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis to Nathaniel Bedford Forrest and John Wilkes Booth. Winik's work is truly a masterpiece, one that will change our perceptions of the final days of the Civil War and help us to better appreciate even the seemingly small actions of the larger-than-life actors who stepped forward in a time of need and shouldered the burden of destiny.

To quote John Wilkes Booth: "The country is not--April 1865 what it was.".......2007-05-31

A glance at the title of Jay Winik's book would suggest that it might be a day-by-day chronology of what was happening during the fateful month that saw the end of the Civil War. But in "April 1865: The Month That Save America" Winik focuses specifically on a series of pivotal decisions that set the stage for reconciliation instead of retribution after the Civil War. Winik's ultimate context is hinted at in his prelude, "A Nation Delayed," that looks at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello as a metaphor for how the United States lacked a national identity prior to the Civil War and focuses on how sundry rebellions and attempts at nullification proved the Southern Confederacy was just the last (and bloodiest) in a long series of attempts to resist being a real nation. But that is exactly what Winik finds at the end of this volume.

"April 1865" is divided into four parts. Part I, March 1865 looks at "The Dilemma" that faced Abraham Lincoln in terms of creating a common country once the war is over. Winik covers the range of Lincoln's thoughts before the fateful meeting on the "River Queen" where he told Generals Ulysses S. Grant and William T. Sherman the sort of peace he envisioned. Part II, April I, 1865 looks at "The Fall" of Richmond and the "Decision" that faced Robert E. Lee between surrendering and turning the Army of Northern Virginia into guerillas. The importance of Lee's decision is balanced by the terms Grant proposed at Appomattox, which embodied Lincoln's hopes. However, Lincoln's assassinations begins "The Unraveling" of this promising start, and Part 3, April 16, 1865 looks at the assassination and its aftermath as essentially the 19th century equivalent of September 11th. Just as Part 2 ends with Lee's surrender, Part 3 culminates in the surrender of Joseph Johnston's army to Sherman. In contrasting what happened when Lee met with Grant versus the meetings between Johnston and Sherman, Winik shows how things had changed but remained the same.

Part 4, Late Spring, 1865, focuses on what Winik labels as "Reconciliation," although the term clearly does not fit everything that was happening. Winik is loath to go beyond the month that gives his book his title, but Lincoln's burial and the Grand Review of the Armies of the Republic both happened the following month, as did the capture of Jefferson Davis. This brings me to one significant thread that Winik neglects completing, because having set up the idea that Andrew Johnson wanted to hang Davis, Lee, and every other leader of the rebellion as traitors, Winik never gets around to what stopped the new President and the rest of the Federal government from doing just that. The capture of Davis is utterly devoid of the dignity that permeated Lee's surrender at Appomattox, in large part because it takes place after Lincoln's assassination. Hanging Jeff Davis from a sour apple tree seems inevitable, but that is not what happens to the former president of the Confederacy and what stayed the hand of Johnson and others who howled for blood should have been laid out to complete the circle, especially since that would be Lincoln's final victory.

With his Epilogue, "To Make a Nation," Winik continues to look at what was happening in the country in late spring 1865, touching on the future of the reunified nation, but focusing on how the nation have irrevocable changed because of what happened in April 1865. In focusing on a pivotal series of decisions, Winik makes the case for his thesis, usually by postulating in some detail what would have resulted from the grim alternative. His biographical sketches of the major players focus on those elements that not only explain how they came to a particular time and place, but also why each did what he did, for better or worse. Winik also fleshes out the significant shift as the "United States" went from plural to singular in popular usage, because ultimately what matters here is what differences these differences made, which includes tantalizing glimpses of what might have been, for better or for worse. The Civil War has been called our American "Iliad," and in this book Winik reminds us that the analogy is apt, not just because of the bloody carnage, but because what happened between Lee and Grant at Appomattox is akin to what transpired between Achilles and Priam in their fateful meeting. But by underscoring a series of key decisions Winik ensures his readers will always remember these specific instantiations of what Lincoln called "the angels of our better nature."

Exuberant History.......2007-05-18

Any student of the Civil War will enjoy this lively, well written book. The author's thesis is that reunification after Appomattox was anything but inevitable. He makes a persuasive case for a long-lasting guerrilla war but for the magnanimity of Lincoln, Grant, Sherman, Lee and Johnston. He is certainly correct that reconciliation of the North and South was a rare exception to the typical chaos and retribution after a civil war or revolution.

Winik's passion and enthusiasm are contagious. He is particularly effective in bringing home the brutality of war, the realities of life for the common soldier and conditions in the war-ravaged South. I have several nits about the book (e.g., repetition, some shallow characterizations and his idolatry of Lee), but none of them should discourage anyone from reading it.

Far from "amazing" and "incredible"........2007-05-14

Being required to read this book for school is the only reason I would have ever picked up this book. However, after the first 50 pages, I have decided to spare my brain from this utter nonsense.

Winik spends far too long on unnecessary subjects such as the various meats and other foods served at Lincoln's inauguration. While the narrative on Monticello may be interesting to some, it served no purpose to why April 1865 was the month that saved America.

Instead of trying to show readers that he is, in fact, an excellent writer who has done far too much research and therefore tries to shove every single fact he found into a 388 page book, Winik should focus on his thesis and not on his arrogant attitude and increasing sense of drama.

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