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

Book Description

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

Customer Reviews:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother

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If you like stereotypes...
A Jewish Mother
Parenthood Pride -- A Mother Must Whimper
Very disappointing...
A Unique Perspective

The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother
James McBride
Manufacturer: Riverhead Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

African-American & Black | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1573225789

Amazon.com

Order this book ... and please don't be put off by its pallid subtitle, A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother, which doesn't begin to do justice to the utterly unique and moving story contained within. The Color of Water tells the remarkable story of Ruth McBride Jordan, the two good men she married, and the 12 good children she raised. Jordan, born Rachel Shilsky, a Polish Jew, immigrated to America soon after birth; as an adult she moved to New York City, leaving her family and faith behind in Virginia. Jordan met and married a black man, making her isolation even more profound. The book is a success story, a testament to one woman's true heart, solid values, and indomitable will. Ruth Jordan battled not only racism but also poverty to raise her children and, despite being sorely tested, never wavered. In telling her story--along with her son's--The Color of Water addresses racial identity with compassion, insight, and realism. It is, in a word, inspiring, and you will finish it with unalloyed admiration for a flawed but remarkable individual. And, perhaps, a little more faith in us all.

Book Description

This is a book that will "make you proud to be a member of the human race," says Mirabella, and countless readers have already discovered its power. Written in remembrance of his Polish-born, Southern-raised Jewish mother-who married a black man and raised twelve children, all of whom completed college-The Color of Water is a classic of the memoir genre, a testament to love, and a truly American story.

Customer Reviews:

If you like stereotypes..........2007-09-27

If you like reinforcing stereotypes, then James McBride's book is for you. Jews have big noses, they only care about money, and of course, his converted mother only finds love through Jesus. But let's move past that. A great mother? Perhaps her children would not have had to eat sugar as a meal or wake up at 3 am (when she came home from work with free food from her employer) to eat-- else they went hungry if she had the number of children that she and her could support. Perhaps living in a house where the dog's feces is kicked under the radiator is not an indication of a strong mother. How about when she pays one fare for the subway and puts herself and the twelve children through on that one fare. These are not virtues. The writing was weak; the message was weaker.

A Jewish Mother.......2007-09-24

Legal History of the Color Line: The Rise And Triumph of the One-drop Rule

A better title for this book would be: A Dark Mulatto's Tribute to His Jewish Mother. The word "black" denies the European Jewish ancestry of the author and his siblings and the word "white" denies his mother's ethnic heritage. Mrs. McBride's Jewish ethnic values were far more important to her children's success than being "white."

Parenthood Pride -- A Mother Must Whimper.......2007-08-13

"Times were different then." Something espoused by the author's mother -- a Polish Jew who grew up in the Jim Crow south before World War II, and then raced away from her self-described purgatory to New York -- where she embraced mixed union, poverty and Jesus Christ.

How people of mixed races could live without constant clamour and request for surrender is not known to the 21st century people -- I grew up with bussing and other issues, but never saw a segregated movie theater, water fountain, or seating area. We really don't know how far we have come. And, we don't know how hard the struggle of others has been.

And, to help us understand that path, we have James McBride's autobiography/biography -- in pica print is his tale and in italic (every other chapter) is his mother's biography written by her son or her autobiography as transcribed from her taped sittings with her son.

Some things which she lived with will astound you -- I refer not to the biracial issues, but to the classic violations of Judeo-Christian ethics by the author's grandfather. As a rabbi and devout conservative Jew, the author's grandfather, we learn, abused his spouse emotionally (if not physically), abused his daughter sexually, and abused the black man in the south for personal financial gain. Interestingly, all had the same achilles heel -- each was a weakened victim. The wife a victim of polio and contract marriage, the daughter a victim of youth, and the black people victims of unadulterated 1930's racism.

Emerging from this broiling escapade by the father came the flight of a young woman to New York (the author's mother) who raised 12 bi-racial children whose faces and hair told most strangers they were anything other than children of a conservative Jew who emigrated from Poland.

In the even-numbered paragraphs (those autobiographical passages of the author), I had laugh-out-loud episodes when he recited events of his naive youth when he asked questions about his race, about his mother's race and more. Like Frank McCourt, he delivers the lines in such accurate manner that you feel as though you are sitting back and watching kids in action doing their thing which we, as adults, can not well remember nor well imitate.

This was solid fun reading based upon an extremely unique factual content.

Very disappointing..........2007-07-18

I was very disappointed with this book, especially given so many positive reviews. Though I certainly admired McBride and his siblings' ability to achieve so much given so little, I was appalled and even morally offended by the sheer stupidity and negligence of his mother as she is described (apparently in her own words) throughout the book.

I think we the readers are so overwhelmed with empathy and admiration for 12 children rising out of poverty despite obstacles of racism, poor education, no support from extended family, etc., that we forget to ask the obvious question: why would any person raise 12 children in poverty in the first place?? How is this a good decision? A mother has no job and no discernable skills, and is married to what seems like a great man - wouldn't she think after the 4th kid that "maybe I should make sure I can provide for my first 4 children before I have a 5th..or a 12th?"! To me, this is morally reprehensible! And if that's not enough, the book is littered with negligent decision making while raising her 12 kids. For example, when she drives a car without a license, she seriously risks jail time (and bankrupcy/legal problems if she hits something/someone). What would happen to her kids then? I guarantee if this same woman with no license and 12 children ran into your car, you'd be thinking much different thoughts, the nicest being "what a complete moron"! She obviously must have been a good, strong, moral woman, but she was also lucky. For every 12 child family success story, there are probably 100 other abject failures.

If I went into the woods with no water and no food and no sense of direction, and I made it out alive after 10 days of on-the-verge-of-death adventure, you might be inspired by the luck/perseverence/moral fortitude...or you might just think "why did that moron go into the woods with no water, food, or sense of direction"? That's the way I felt about this book.

A Unique Perspective.......2007-07-14

I loved this man's view of his mother and her passions and struggles. He saw her imperfections but chose to focus elsewhere. In a world where so many are looking to blame others for their stations or place in this world, this son took the good that his mother offered and channeled it. I have always believed that one can either focus on the empty cup and rationalize why the cup cannot be filled, or go into the world and seek the fullness lacking. I love that God is the color of water since that is what I have always believed. My God is so colorless and my love of mankind is also based on a true belief that we're to focus outside ourselves and the world will be a better place. Naive one might say?? I say that it is only the truly brave that reach and expect the world to be a better place.

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"Don't worry. It's pretty safe inside Leeandra."
excellent!!
Marvelous!
pendragon
GET THEM ALL

Black Water (Pendragon, Book 5)
D.J. MacHale
Manufacturer: Aladdin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0689869118

Book Description

Breaking the rules

Just when fifteen-year-old Bobby Pendragon thinks he understands his purpose as a Traveler -- to protect the territories of Halla from the evil Saint Dane -- he is faced with an impossible choice. The inhabitants of Eelong are in danger of being wiped out by a mysterious plague. The only way Bobby can stop it is to bring the antidote from another territory. Since moving items between territories is forbidden by the Traveler rules, if Bobby chooses to save Eelong he could endanger himself, his friends, and the future of every other being in Halla.

Customer Reviews:

"Don't worry. It's pretty safe inside Leeandra.".......2007-06-06

I need to buy this book, if only because I'm mentioned on 76 pages of it, mostly in phrasings that Freud would have a field day with.

Thank you, Amazon, for the Search Inside! feature.

excellent!!.......2007-03-02

My son got me hooked on these books. We recently moved to India and I was dying for something to read. His friends introduced this series to him and after watching him chose to read these books over video and computer games, as well as TV, I knew I had to give it a shot. I was impressed. It constantly keeps a good flow of movement and action. Like my son, I had a hard time putting this down. We have always been Harry Potter fans, and I dare say I think this series is even better.

Marvelous!.......2007-01-29

This book is really imaginative and fun to read. I think this book delves more into the nature of the Travelers. It just makes you want to come back for more!

pendragon.......2006-10-11

Bobby Pendragon traveled to another territories. He went to find to see what Saint Dane is doing. Mark and Courtney found out what was happening to Eelong. Then they traveled to Coral to get the cure. Bobby finds the new traveler of Eelong. During the time Bobby found out that Gunny was there with the human gars at Black Water, he helped to get the gars safe to the rest of the gars at Black Water.

The Eelong traveler helps Bobby defeat Saint Dane. The book is okay, but from inside-people I heard that the other books are better. There were other books that I liked better. The other book I liked better is Small Steps (creator of HOLES). This is my first time reading the series, so I don't know everything that happens before Black Water.

GET THEM ALL.......2006-07-31

I gave the books I bought to my godson - He LOVES this series - he and his friends are constantly rereading the books I bought him all 7 books and he went thru them in less then a week - anything that gets kids reading I think is GREAT

Black Identities: West Indian Immigrant Dreams and American Realities (Russell Sage Foundation Books at Harvard University Press)

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Black Identities: West Indian Immigrant Dreams and American Realities (Russell Sage Foundation Books at Harvard University Press)
Mary C. Waters
Manufacturer: Harvard University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Emigration & Immigration | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0674007247

Amazon.com

New York City, the melting pot of the United States, contains the nation's largest West Indian immigrant population. Since the immigration explosion of 1965, the Afro-Caribbean influx has impacted the social dynamic of the United States and its native-born African Americans, often with volatile results. Black Identities, an important sociological work by Mary C. Waters, explores the question, "How similar or different is it to be a black immigrant or descendent of immigrants in Brooklyn in the late twentieth century from what it was like to be an Irish, Italian, or Jewish immigrant in the earlier part of the century?" Waters interviews blacks from Jamaica, Guyana, Trinidad, and other islands and deconstructs the mutual myths, truths, allegiances, and distrusts between these communities and whites (as well as African Americans with deeper family roots in the U.S.). Among the stereotypes Waters addresses, the most dangerous one is the perceived superiority of Afro-Caribbeans to African Americans. She deflates this and other myths with a combination of sharp scholarship and dead-on analysis. --Eugene Holley Jr.

Book Description

The story of West Indian immigrants to the United States is considered a great success. Many of these adoptive citizens have prospered, including General Colin Powell. But Mary Waters tells a very different story about immigrants from the West Indies, especially their children.

She finds that when the immigrants first arrive, their knowledge of English, their skills and contacts, their self-respect, and their optimistic assessment of American race relations facilitate their integration into the American economic structure. Over time, however, the realities of American race relations begin to swamp their positive cultural values. Persistent, blatant racial discrimination soon undermines the openness to whites the immigrants have when they first arrive. Discrimination in housing channels them into neighborhoods with inadequate city services and high crime rates. Inferior public schools undermine their hopes for their children's future. Low wages and poor working conditions are no longer attractive for their children, who use American and not Caribbean standards to measure success.

Ultimately, the values that gained these first-generation immigrants initial success--a willingness to work hard, a lack of attention to racism, a desire for education, an incentive to save--are undermined by the realities of life in the United States. In many families, the hard-won relative success of the parents is followed by the downward slide of their children. Contrary to long-held beliefs, Waters finds, those who resist Americanization are most likely to succeed economically, especially in the second generation.

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Reviews by Nan Kilar and Bobby Miller

3rd Times A Charm for Merci Rayborn

So-So

Disappointed In This One

One of the best writers in the genre

BLACK WATER: A MERCI RAYBORN NOVEL
T. Jefferson Parker
Manufacturer: Hyperion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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BLUE HOUR, THE

Red Light

WHERE SERPENTS LIE

Cold Pursuit

Pacific Beat

ASIN: 0786890169

Amazon.com

Then the deputy, who's lost his memory and maybe his mind as a result of his injury, goes missing from his hospital room, intent on tracking down the real killers and managing to stay a step ahead of Merci. Soon, they both begin to realize that Gwen Wildcraft wasn't killed because she got in the way of an attempted hit on her husband--it was the other way around. Parker, whose skills at characterization are as well honed as his expert pacing and intricate plotting, has penned another standout that will keep readers guessing and gasping until the last dramatic page. --Jane Adams

Book Description

Merci Rayborn, T. Jefferson Parker's stubborn, principled Orange Countydetective, is almost alone in believing that deputy Archie Wildcraft didn't killhis beautiful young wife and then turn his service weapon on himself. Theevidence against Wildcraft--now hospitalized with a bullet lodged in hishead--seems overwhelming. But Merci, who's still unpopular for exposing an oldpolice scandal that caused the death of one cop and the ruination of others(The Blue Hour), isresisting pressure from her boss and a headline-hunting D.A. to arrest Wildcraftand charge him with murder.Then the deputy, who's lost his memory and maybe his mind as a result of hisinjury, goes missing from his hospital room, intent on tracking down the realkillers and managing to stay a step ahead of Merci. Soon, they both begin torealize that Gwen Wildcraft wasn't killed because she got in the way of anattempted hit on her husband--it was the other way around. Parker, whose skillsat characterization are as well honed as his expert pacing and intricateplotting, has penned another standout that will keep readers guessing andgasping until the last dramatic page. --Jane Adams

Customer Reviews:

Reviews by Nan Kilar and Bobby Miller.......2006-05-19

Archie and Gwen Wildcraft have just returned home after celebrating her twenty-sixth birthday. He's a county Sheriff's deputy; she's an artist and musician. They made big bucks on a stock deal and live well...seemingly beyond their means. Archie hears a noise during the night and goes to check it out. The next thing he knows, he's waking up in the hospital, his wife is dead, and he's the prime suspect for her murder. Sergeant Merci Rayborn thinks Archie might be innocent; her partner isn't so sure. Then Archie disappears. Why was Gwen murdered? Will the real killers be found?

This is the first book by this author that I've read. A good portion of the story deals with Merci and her demons from a previous story. It's an OK story, but nothing great. Perhaps if I had read this author's books in order, I'd have a better opinion of this particular book.

3rd Times A Charm for Merci Rayborn.......2006-04-04

Merci Rayborn returns in Black Water for her third go aroung as Parker's lead detective. If you haven't read Blue Hour and Red Light, you might be a little confused, as this woman comes in with ALOT of baggage. While I didn't really care for her in Blue and I couldn't stand her in Red she actually grew on me in this final(?) book that features her. The plot is pretty good and it mirrors circumstances that she dealt with in Red Light so she doesn't want to make the same mistakes again. Overall the story worked for me, but it does get slow from time to time and I have to agree with the others about Tim, the kid, being a little too smart and really annoying but atleast she wasn't looking in the damn backseat every other sentence. I'm loooking foward to reading Cold Pursuit next.

So-So.......2005-07-31

Merci Rayborn is a tough-as-nails female cop with a small son, a suspicious partner and half the department against her because she blew the whistle on some dirty cops a long time ago. Who cares you ask? Exactly. This is my first Merci novel, and while I liked parts of this book other parts I could care less. Namely, Merci's office politics, and the shunning by other officers- boring. Her stay-at-home-mom-dad. Likewise boring. The alcoholic neighbor who manages to provide most of the major evidence? A little too good to be true.

Archie? While a good character he lost me about 2/3rd's of the way through the book. Come on, we invested a lot of time in Arch. And this is how you end it? Wings? Silly. And Gwen? Ohhh...Kay...... I agree with other reviewers about the child character. A little overdone.

3 stars. I found Black Water to be an unsatisfying and somewhat depressing read. No good resolution for anyone, and a lackluster cast of characters. I might pick up another if I can find it used but this book left me with a flat feeling.

Disappointed In This One.......2004-10-30

Orange County Sheriff Deputy Archie Wildcraft hears a disturbance in his home in the middle of the night. He investigates and is shot in the head. He survives, but his young wife is killed. This book had a promising beginning, but the plot was transparent and the pace dragged considerably at times. I did like the character, Archie, but the detective investigating the case, Merci Rayborn, was mostly just annoying. Frequent references to Merci's mysterious past were intriguing at first, then tedious. I am a big fan of T. Jefferson Parker's and can usually count on a good tale from him, but I felt let down by this one.

One of the best writers in the genre.......2004-03-05

One of the best writers of the genre is the 2002 Edgar Award winning author, T. Jefferson Parker. He is capable of, not only writing a superior mystery ,but of writing it in style. His books delve deep into the psyche of the main protagonists. SILENT JOE, his Edgar winning stand alone is quite typical of this. The characters are unforgettable and alone can make it a worthwhile read. Detective Merci Rayborn is also a character well examined in his work. In Parker's hands she becomes a living breathing creation.
Merci Rayborn is assigned to look into the death of a young woman. The dead woman was the wife of Deputy Archie Wildcraft, a young talented cop. Archie was also shot and suffers from a bullet wound in the head. Prosecutors are pointing the finger at Archie in that the gun was found in his hand. They think it was a shooting death and suicide attempt. Merci, however, feels Archie is innocent and wants to prove it. Her investigation, once again, puts her reputation at stake. However, Merci follows her personal conviction and attempts to discover the true killer.
T. Jefferson Parker's strength as a writer is on full display in this, his latest novel. Merci is tough and an individualist. The plot is compelling enough to keep the pages turning. However, it definitely went on a bit too long. By the end, Merci and the reader have had enough. A bit of a tighter plot would suit Parker's books quite well. However, he is and should be listed among the best there is writing today.

Water Sleeps: A Novel of the Black Company (Chronicles of The Black Company)

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Not Free SF Reader
An improvement over the last 2 titles...
Home, Home on the Plain
Great Gritty Real Read
Much better...

Water Sleeps: A Novel of the Black Company (Chronicles of The Black Company)
Glen Cook
Manufacturer: Tor Fantasy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0812555341

Book Description

Regrouping in Taglios, the surviving members of the Black Company are determined to free their fellow warriors held in stasis beneath the glittering plain. Journey there under terrible conditions, they arrive just in time for a magical conflagration in which the bones of the world will be revealed, the history of the Company unveiled, and new world gained and lost....all at a terrible price.

Customer Reviews:

Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-03

Another of the weaker Black Company novels, as the Company is still in a bad place. If you had not made it this far in the series, you could be excused. If you are enjoying it, you will still like this book, and it does get better later. Perhaps for completists, but I still liked it, and if it was possible would give it a 3.25.

An improvement over the last 2 titles..........2006-08-23

This novel is a vast improvement over the last two titles; I found Bleak Seasons very convoluted with Murgen's temporal ambling and She is the Darkness to be an notable improvement. This novel is certainly a good story, though there are a number of issues which could be brought up.

Notable that there is no military organization called the black company in this novel, rather there are a few survivors of the last few years acting as a sort of insurgency/conspiratorial group.

It takes place 14 years after the previous novel, and the only characters with any development time previously are goblin/one-eye, soulcatcher (who has not resembled the character depicted in The Black Company at all in the last few novels), the local nobles, and a couple of cameos. I think that inevitably, by devolving to other narrators and removing central characters from his story, cook is losing the character of the black company stories as compared to the initial trilogy.

Cook appears to have simply ignored the elephant in the living room, which is that Soulcatcher's true name is known (both by Lady and by being derivable from the Annals from the time in the north, croaker would have known this, he knew what names the dominator tried to use on the Lady, and was present when she was named IIRC) and there is really no excuse for her not having been shut down quickly upon becoming not dead. As I noted above, Soulcatcher is quite a different persona from the character in the first black company novel, who was very quiet, focused and enigmatic, never raising her voice or losing her cool. That worked well with her apparently non-telepathic character insights, but this current soulcatcher is a raving loony.

I did find sleepy's ongoing rambles about her god and all the obligatory phrases annoying, especially as she tried to reconcile later events in her monotheological framework. Pointless and annoying. Tobo was annoying in general (maybe an accurate description of a 14-year old).

The ideas revealed about the glittering plain shown in this book are really interesting. I think he pulled off resolving some major plot threads very well, there was plenty of potential to screw up and he avoided those pitfalls.

One question that comes to mind - why did soulcatcher leave the standard with murgen at the end of She is the Darkness? This was a valuable artifact she could have used to escape the plain in a less threatened fashion.

All in all this is a good book, though unlike Dread Empire, where he kept Ragnarson as the central persona in his story throughout despite a large number of everyone else dying at one time or another, here he has removed his main characters and you really end up with a story that feels quite different.

Home, Home on the Plain.......2006-07-31

Once again we get a switch in annalists - of necessity since Soulcatcher dropped most of the main characters (other than Goblin and One-Eye) into a stasis trap in the depths of the Fortress With No Name. It is Sleepy this time, who got some slight mention in She Is The Darkness, mostly because she was masquerading as a he. Sleepy, along with Murgen's wife Sahra are hard at work getting even with Soulcatcher, Mogaba, and the usual select crew of bad guys. When they aren't pulling someone's chain they are trying to find a way to re-enter the Glittering Plain and release Murgen and all the other Black Company regulars.

The story takes place almost entirely in Taglios, which is now the center of Soulcatcher's 'protectorate.' I'm not sure why the witch chose that title, since the only thing she ever protects is herself. And she is more than content to spend the lives of innocent citizenry if she feels the least bit threatened. Sahra and Sleepy and the remaining fragments of the Black Company have gone into hiding with the help of the Nyueng Bao. They wage a war of irritation with the Protector and the Radisha. They spy, paint slogans on walls, and even resort to kidnapping in order to keep everyone off balance while they engage in a desperate search for a key to the Glittering Plain and some knowledge on how to rescue the captives.

Murgen, the only one of the captives still conscious is still around as a disembodied source of intelligence and advice, and Tobo, Murgen and Sahra's son also plays an important part as he begins to display significant skills as a sorceror. This is a tale told in small, detailed steps, both by Sleepy and by Cook himself as he gives us frequent updates looking over the shoulders of the villains. What with Murgen's ghostly presence and Sahra's day job as a housecleaner in the palace it's no wonder that Mogaba finally remarks that keeping a secret is hardly worth the effort.

Glen Cook always manages to have things work out differently from the reader's expectations and Water Sleeps is no exception. This includes the discovery that there is a fourth volume in this trilogy, which has already covered a lot of ground. But there always seems to be more to find out, and one more volume to read.

Great Gritty Real Read.......2005-08-12

Glenn Cook captures the life and times of a mercenary bad with gritty realism.

I higly recommend the Black Company series.

Much better..........2005-07-07

than some of the other more recent books. Solid and a nice return to form.

Black Water: The Book of Fantastic Literature

Average customer rating:

Best of its kind, with one annoying flaw
Bring back this astounding anthology.

Black Water: The Book of Fantastic Literature
Alberto Manguel
Manufacturer: Three Rivers Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Anthologies | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0517552698
Release Date: 1984-12-13

Customer Reviews:

Best of its kind, with one annoying flaw.......2002-11-18

Alberto Manguel - anthologist extraordinaire - put together this definitive collection of fabulist fiction almost twenty years ago, and it's yet to be surpassed. It covers an immense range of themes and an eclectic international mix of writers. Moreover, it's one of the few anthologies in which almost every story appeals. What appeals less, however, is Manguel's immensely irritating habit of revealing key elements of most of the stories in his pithy introductions. Such editorial spoiling is always annoying, but it's especially frustrating when applied to 'fantastic' fiction because so much of its effect depends on mystery, surprise endings, and the wonderful disorientation of not knowing precisely what is going on. Here, story after story is derailed by Manguel telling us up front that it's a 'time travel story' or a 'ghost story', or how it ends, or that it achieves its effect in a particular way. My recommendation is that you read the introductions only after you've read each story - and do read them, because apart from spoilers, they quite often reveal savvy observations, unusual connections, and interesting biographical notes. Dates of composition for each story (where known) would have been a helpful addition. You can in some cases deduce these from the copyright acknowledgements at the front of the book, but not always. Manguel's preface to the volume is illuminating: it strikes just the right balance between personal memoir, academic apparatus and useful information.

Bring back this astounding anthology........2001-02-05

I have a very old, bent copy of this incredible anthology that's falling apart because I've read it through six times. What's so great about it is that editor Alberto Manguel understands that the term, "fantastic," does not preclude the sublime. Entries here range from slow creepers like Julio Cortazar's unsettling "House Taken Over" and Horacio Quiroga's "The Feather Pillow," to more classically fantastic fare such as Poe's "The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar" and Ray Bradbury's "The Playground." What's more, Manguel does not limit his sources to North and South American fiction. The multinational anthology includes entries from France, Germany, Italy, Denmark and Japan. The more than 70 entries are also a great sampling of over a century of world literature. A comparable sequel, "Blackwater 2," followed, but it's this one that will leave you chilled, stunned and pensive after every selection.

Brown Water, Black Berets: Coastal and Riverine Warfare in Vietnam (Bluejacket Paperback Series)

Average customer rating:

Excellent Introduction to the Brown Water Navy in Vietnam
Wonderful introduction to an obscure subject
Fine military history...
Great, factual account of the "River Rats"!
A must read for ALL Sailors and Naval/Warfare Historians

Brown Water, Black Berets: Coastal and Riverine Warfare in Vietnam (Bluejacket Paperback Series)
Thomas J. Cutler
Manufacturer: US Naval Institute Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1557501963

Book Description

The men of the U.S. Navy's brown-water force played a vital but often overlooked role in the Vietnam War. Known for their black berets and limitless courage, they maneuvered their aging, makeshift craft along shallow coastal waters and twisting inland waterways to search out the enemy. In this moving tribute to their contributions and sacrifices, Tom Cutler records their dramatic story as only a participant could. His own Vietnam experience enables him to add a striking human dimension to the account. The terror of firefights along the jungle-lined rivers, the rigors of camp life, and the sudden perils of guerrilla warfare are conveyed with authenticity. At the same time, the author's training as a historian allows him to objectively describe the scope of the navy's operations and evaluate their effectiveness.

Winner of the Navy League's Alfred Thayer Mahan Award for Literary Achievement in 1988 when the book was first published, Cutler is credited with having written the definitive history of the brown-water sailors, an effort that has helped readers better understand the nature of U.S. involvement in the war.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Introduction to the Brown Water Navy in Vietnam.......2004-10-02

In an interesting plot twist, the 2004 Presidential Election has brought a little known arena of the Vietnam War to light. Because Senator John F. Kerry, the Democratic nominee, made his valorous service in Vietnam a central component of his primary run and the centerpiece of his nomination speech at the Democratic Convention, a group of fellow veterans has challenged his version of events that occurred in Vietnam and ran a series of commercials attacking his credibility and calling him to account for the accusations that the young lieutenant had directed at his fellow veterans after coming home. The angry rhetoric that these two groups of veterans have exchanged has been the impetus for the press to write and speak about warfare on the coffee-brown waters of Mekong Delta back in 1968. Unfortunately, it seems like many members of the press haven't done their homework and thus the stories lack the valuable background and contextual information that would have made them more accurate.
"Brown Water, Black Berets" (which is still available) is one of the few books that have been written about the fresh water and coastal navy in Vietnam and I wish it were in wider circulation. It mainly covers the southernmost part of Vietnam, which the military cut into four tactical zones, so the bottom of the country was IV Corps. If we look at a map of Vietnam, we can see that there is a wide river, the Mekong, which empties into a vast delta, just south of Saigon. Because the Mekong ran right into the heartland of South Vietnam, it became a conduit for the North Vietnamese to smuggle arms and supplies into the south in order to equip their allies, the Vietcong guerillas. To interdict these vital supplies, the United States Navy and the Vietnamese Navy had to equip a force of boats that was small enough to navigate the rivers and yet strong enough to fight off attacks from well armed guerillas. Additionally, the Vietcong brought supplies down the coast using sampans and other small boats, requiring offshore Navy and Coast Guard patrols to chase and intercept them.
To fight this new type of war, the United States Navy created a new force of light including the little "Skimmer" a tiny "Boston whaler" used for offshore use, equipped with an outboard engine, the PBR (Patrol Boat River) which was a purpose built 31 ft. long, fiberglass hulled, diesel engined boat with a jet drive (it was made by Jacuzzi - a name familiar to many suburban homeowners) which enabled it able to turn on a dime. Then, there was the Louisiana built "Swift Boat" or in the Navy parlance, the Patrol Craft, Fast (PCF). The now famous Swift was built on the hull of a transport boat that ran crews on and off the oil drilling platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. These Swifts were a bit larger craft, fifty feet long, with an aluminum hull, powered by twin diesels, with screws, not the jet drive of the PBR. The boats were fast - about 28 knots - and powerfully armed with a pair of twin .50 caliber machine guns mounted over the pilothouse, with another mount on the fantail, this one an over/under arrangement of a single .50 over a 81mm mortar. Despite their weight and the firepower that allowed them to put a great deal of lead on target, the Swift Boats had a shallow 3 ½ foot draft, making it possible to get up small rivers and canals.
In addition to these craft, the Navy had larger boats designed to transport ships upriver and even constructed "Monitors" which were powerfully armed with a 40mm cannon in a rotating turret, hence the name. All these craft were necessary because in the vast delta, there were few roads and the waterways were the easiest way to get around for friend and foe alike. The men of the United States and Vietnamese navies used all of these craft to interdict the enemy's supplies and to transport ground troops and Navy Seals up river. Confronting the small boats of the Vietnamese was a perilous activity because in South Vietnam, every sampan could carry innocent peasants or a Vietcong guerilla with the machine gun or grenade. Additionally, the enemy would lie in wait along the canals, ready to seize the opportunity to ambush the patrol boats with heavy machine guns, mortars and small arms fire.
As the war went on, the Navy came up with some innovative programs in order to take the fight to the enemy, so about the time John Kerry volunteered for them, the Swift Boats and PBR began to operate more aggressively, operating in small flotillas to provide cover to each other. So, up until the later years of the Nixon administration when the United States Navy began winding down its operations, the men of the "Brown Water Navy" performed a difficult task and by all accounts, did it well. As a result, a large percentage of Navy losses in Vietnam - extremely light for offshore sailors - were on the small boats of the inland navy.
"Brown Water, Black Berets" is an award-winning book that interweaves personal stories of heroic fresh water sailors with the "big picture" of the strategic decisions. It also includes information about the design and deployment of the boats. The author, Thomas Cutler, was a veteran of the "Brown Water Navy" and his service in the last year of the war gives him the authority and experience to tell his fellow veteran's story well. Solidly written and well researched, this book will please anyone interested in military history, the Vietnam War or someone who is just curious about the type of boats Senator John F. Kerry commanded as a young lieutenant some thirty-five years ago.

Wonderful introduction to an obscure subject.......2004-09-12

This is a great introduction to the US Navy's river war in Vietnam. Well written, informative, excellently researched, and very fair, it really is a must have for Vietnam history buffs. Plenty of black & white photos. I wish the Cutler had included more maps to go along with the firefights he describes so well, but this is about my only complaint.

Fine military history..........2001-10-09

An excellent and highly informative narrative of the nearly unknown world of the United States Navy's small craft fleet in Vietnam. A fine reminder to the sailors of today that individual heroism in a war fought with the machine gun and not missles is part of the recent naval tradition. If anyone can say they followed the path of John Paul Jones and went into harm's way, these sailors can, and LCDR Cutler has told their story well.

Great, factual account of the "River Rats"!.......1999-02-24

I was in the Naval Advisory Group at the same time as LCDR Cutler and I know where he's coming from. He did a great job of research. I'm really surprised at the volume of good factual info he managed to scrape up! BRAVO ZULU from an ex advisor at Rach Soi, Qui Nhon and Cam Ranh Bay.

A must read for ALL Sailors and Naval/Warfare Historians.......1998-01-11

As a modern day "River Rat," I started reading this book, while waiting to kick off that little invasion down in Panama, affectionately known as "Operation Just Cause" in Dec 1989, and managed to finish reading it in between "Brown Water & coastal Patrols." It's hard to put down once you start reading, and CDR Cutler does this small, sub-community of Navy Special Warfare Sailors justice (pretty unique thing to do for an officer). It's the roots & history of the U.S.N.'s "Brown Water Navy", the combat tactics and actions that are still in use to this date. I highly recommend this literature work to any person(s) that's interested in the Navy, and the and the personnel that forged the Brown Water Navy's history in the volatile rivers, canals and coast line of Viet Nam. A true reflection of courage, human spirit and dedication in the most adverse conditions. PBR= Proud, Brave & Reliable! Keep the Faith

Black Water (Contemporary Fiction, Plume)

Average customer rating:

Joyce Carol Oates is at it again
Surprised
Suffocation by Manipulated Narrative Structure
Someone's little girl
A True Look at Politicians

Black Water (Contemporary Fiction, Plume)
Joyce Carol Oates
Manufacturer: Plume
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0452269865

Book Description

Based on National Book Award-winner Joyce Carol Oates' novella about the Chappaquiddick scandal, this tragic and beautiful new opera enthralls as a handsome Senator used power to enchant, seduce and carelessly destroy.

Customer Reviews:

Joyce Carol Oates is at it again.......2007-06-04

I am a fan of Joyce Carol Oates and believe that even her worst work is better than most. She is a prolific writer and this "practice" is evident in all she does. No one can touch her ability to tell a good story. Black Water is just that- a good story. Not her best but very good. The focus on a girl's loyalty to an image is what propels the reader to keep going. This idealism, if understood by the reader, makes this an entertaining read. However, as with some of her writing, she repeats pharses or events for effect and in this book it comes through as being boring and kind of annoying. SUPER summer read.

Surprised.......2005-10-11

This book surprised me on several fronts. A book club choice I'd not heard of, I looked forward to it because I'd never read Oates (caveat: I'm not much into fiction), though I certainly am aware of her reputation. The subject was absolutely a surprise, especially given the publication date and an author of repute. I remember the event well and would sooner expect to see a story like this headlined in the rags next to the checkout counter at the supermarket.

Frankly I don't see the worth of it. It's a short read and easy enough, but I am seeing very little depth in it. The senator is a shadowy character seen only through the eyes of the girl, the girl's most important quality seemingly her sexual proclivities. We learn very little else about her in the book, even though it's written from her perspective. She had her (most recent? longest? most fulfilling?) sexual relationship with G----, as he is identified in the book. What, they think we might know him? Better than we know who The Senator is? Most of the book takes place in the car, in the water, the girl dies over and over and over again.

Not for me, however, soon or definitively enough.

Oates gives me more credit than I deserve. More, she, and the publisher of this little tome, think me more curious about such things than I am.

I've read several novels lately - McEwan's The Atonement, Puzo's The Family come to mind - and have been reconsidering my position. This one has reminded me why so much fiction leaves me so cold.

Suffocation by Manipulated Narrative Structure.......2005-04-13

"Black Water" is one of Joyce Carol Oates' masterpieces. Being predisposed to lean toward her short fiction, I was surprised to find myself so in love with this book.

To answer a few questions, yes it does bring to mind a certain senator who is a member of "America's Royal Family." And yes, it does completely abandon the traditional guidelines for storytelling.

Howecer, only a truly magnificent writer can take these rules and throw them out the window with such skill. This novel begins with its central character drowning in a car accident. In fact, every single chapter details the exact same event. Oates' tale is like a memory. We are looking at the same thing over and over until we finally understand its origin.

This is not the only truly amazing thing about "Black Water." Oates makes us drown too. This is something that is said all too often about way too many writers; however, in this case, it would be true. It brings to mind earlier work. I find myself reminiscing over the way I felt for Connie when I first read "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" I am excited to see how fast she will make my heart beat in the future.

Someone's little girl.......2005-02-27

Joyce Carol Oates has produced a relatively tasteful rendition of a tragedy filling U.S. headlines. She uses her imagination and writerly skills to reconstruct what could have happened. The story is told from the point of view of the young woman, victim, who catches the attention of the charismatic liberal political figure at a holiday party. Tellingly, the political figure and the accident victim share the same Irish-American identity. The young woman in Oates's story has an expectation the political figure will return to the scene of the accident and save her.

A True Look at Politicians.......2004-05-14

People say this novel is about Ted and Mary Jo which is correct to a degree. However, it is also about the extraordinary efforts elected representitives will go to save their own hides when things go badly for them both privately and publicly. We saw that in 1969 and are seeing that now in regard to Iraq. Joyce Carol Oates is not only a great writer but also a woman who has enormous prescience and perception of the troubled world we live in.

Turkish Waters & Cyprus Pilot: A Yachtsman's Guide to the Mediterranean and Black Sea Coasts of Turkey with the Island of Cyprus

Average customer rating:

Absolute necessity for Turkish boaters

Turkish Waters & Cyprus Pilot: A Yachtsman's Guide to the Mediterranean and Black Sea Coasts of Turkey with the Island of Cyprus
Rod Heikell
Manufacturer: Imray Laurie Norie & Wilson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Boating | Water Sports | Sports | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0852888414

Customer Reviews:

Absolute necessity for Turkish boaters.......2007-01-10

The Heikell series is the bible of boaters in the Mediterranean. This particular book covers Turkey and Cyprus, but others cover other parts of the Mediterranean. Heikell gives you all the information you need if you are boating in the Turkey/Cyprus area, from general boating and safely tips to specific descriptions of ports and anchorages (including such information as how to contact, number of visitor berths, amenities) and descriptions of places to see near various ports and harbors. It's the only source for much of this valuable information. It's a pricey book but worth it.

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