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.

Average customer rating:

Best So Far!
Fun, mystery, set in early 20th Century Egypt,, about Egyptology
Finally we get some answers as well as some resolutions to issues.
An Enjoyable Read!!
Great book, my favorite so far

He Shall Thunder in the Sky
Elizabeth Peters
Manufacturer: Avon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0380798581
Release Date: 2001-04-03

Amazon.com

He Shall Thunder in the Sky completes an internal quartet (which also includes Seeing a Large Cat, The Ape Who Guards the Balance, and The Falcon at the Portal) within Elizabeth Peters's legendary series starring Amelia Peabody, the intrepid Edwardian Egyptologist, her husband, Emerson, and her extended family. The quartet comprises not only Amelia's diary of those years but also parts of a mysterious "Manuscript H," an omniscient viewpoint that allows a glimpse into the minds of Amelia's son--the dashing and brilliant Ramses--and her ward, Nefret Forth, as they mature into adults with their own secrets and agendas. The Falcon at the Portal left readers hanging impatiently in the enormous rift that book's events gouged between Ramses and Nefret, both madly in love but unrelentingly proud.

The winter of 1914-15 finds the Peabody-Emerson family back in Cairo--now under British martial law, with the Suez Canal under constant threat of attack from the Ottoman Empire. The city's young Englishmen are rushing to enlist, except for Ramses, who is widely scorned for his pacifism. Yet Amelia and Emerson soon find out that Ramses is (literally) playing a mysterious and potentially explosive part in the conflict between Egyptian nationalists and the British authorities, for reasons both political and familial. Nefret, for her part, is still running a health clinic for the city's fallen women and trying to avoid the attentions of Percy, Amelia's odious nephew. In the meantime, the Emersons' excavations at Giza reveal an unexpected treasure so remarkable that the uneasy Amelia immediately senses the fine hand of Sethos, the Master Criminal (who through many previous books has alternately plagued her and protested his boundless affection for her), at work. The climax and denouement are entirely worth the price of admission--tying up a decade's worth of loose strings and explaining some nagging points so subtle that less observant readers might easily have missed them. It's Peters's great gift that in the grand scheme of things, no clues are wasted. Her plotting is wonderfully complex and intriguing, and it fits seamlessly into the detailed historical background she builds so carefully. It may have taken years for her to complete this four-part dance (she promises more Amelia Peabody mysteries in the future), but she's charmed us right out of our dancing slippers along the way. --Barrie Trinkle

Book Description

A terrible conflict looms. A long-simmering love affair is resolved. A dastardly plot twists like a serpent writhing in the desert sun. There is no escaping the onrushing hurricane that now threatens the Emersons and their world -- so Amelia plunges right into it.

Download Description

Trouble is brewing in Egypt at the close of 1914 and no one will escape the fury of the tempest to come. With the world around them at war, Amelia Peabody and her husband Radcliffe Emerson have returned to Cairo for another season of archaeological excavation -- despite the increasing danger of an attack on the Suez Canal and on Egypt itself.A terrible conflict looms. A long-simmering love affair is resolved. A dastardly plot twists like a serpent writhing in the desert sun. There is no escaping the onrushing hurricane that now threatens the Emersons and their world -- so Amelia plunges right into it.

Customer Reviews:

Best So Far!.......2007-05-05

This Amelia Peabody book was the best (and most satisfactory) so far! Usually, I find I get annoyed with the switching of Amelia/Emerson storyline and Ramses/Nefret storyline, however in this book it was a perfect blend.
The relationship between Ramses and Nefret is wonderful, if slightly awkward (which, considering "Falcon at the Portal," is to be expected). Also, this book included many on everyone's favorite (and not so favorite) characters. And of course, Amelia is truly amazing.
For those who were disappointed at "Falcon's" disapppointing end, He Shall Thunder in the Sky is your cure.

Fun, mystery, set in early 20th Century Egypt,, about Egyptology.......2007-03-24

Amelia Peabody Series: NOT set in ancient Egypt. The author holds a PH.D in Egyptianology, and her love of the subject shines through her entire huge series. If you don't want to start at the beginning of this huge series read: 1. Seeing a Large Cat
2.The Ape Who Guards the Balance 3. The Falcon at the Portal 4.He Shall Thunder in the Sky. These four CAN stand alone. They are set in the late 1890's-early 1900's ,exciting reads, about a family of Egyptianologists who are searching for lost tombs at the time when many of them, and other artifacts, were being discovered. Each story is also a mystery, and a good one.

Finally we get some answers as well as some resolutions to issues........2005-09-22

I too am an Amelia Peabody fan. I absolutely love this series, and this book is a great addition to it. In it we finally get some very outstanding questions answered, and we also get some unresolved issues resolved. But the thing that I enjoyed the most about this particular book is that we get a closer look at Emerson! Yes, Amelia and all her troupe are also there, thank heavans, but getting a closer look at Emerson finally is an added bonus. We actually see a little of him as a young man and we get an understanding of how he became the man he did. Reading these books is such a deligbt, and the characters seem like old friends! And there is lots of heart-stopping action to keep you turning the pages. This book is set at the beginning of the First World War, and we also get a bit of an insight of some of the dangerous games carried out on the Egyptian front. I hope that future books will embellish on this a little. I certainly can't wait to read the next book.

An Enjoyable Read!!.......2005-08-03

This book answered many questions from previous books such as Sethos's idenity and how long will it take for Nefret and Ramses to get together. It was such a relief after the heartwrenching events of The falcon at the Portal. Amelia is as fascinating and hilarious as ever. I am glad that I startes at the begininning of the series because it is wonderful to see all the characters grow. My only worry is that Amelia and Emerson are getting old!!

Great book, my favorite so far.......2005-07-23

If you have been reading this series this is a great read. But do not start with this one, nor try to read this one with out reading "Falcon..." first! I've just started reading the Amelia stories this summer, and have read them in order--if I did not know this was not the last book, it easily could have been. It wrapped up a lot of the loose ends that had been hanging for quite some time. This book is my favorite so far, I cannot imagine any I will like quite as well.

I've been reading some of the other reviews and have noticed many who are "tired" of both Amelia's and Emerson's overbearing ways and of their always being right. Read your history, they are the Personification of British gentry of that era. Read the books a bit closer and you'll see how Ms. Peters has written it with a great deal of humor, they really are quite funny. After reading these books all summer, I find Amelia quite refreshing, and a pretty good roll model for women today, she sure knows how to handle her husband, and she definitely did not need Nanny 911!

Average customer rating:

Oh Sidney, what have you done??
I loved this book!
She is hot on the trail
The Sky is Falling
Banality

The Sky Is Falling
Sidney Sheldon
Manufacturer: Grand Central Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0446610178

Amazon.com

As Dana sets out to investigate the distinguished career of the Winthrop family patriarch, her lover Jeff, a sports anchor at her station, is called away to administer aid and succor to his former wife, a beautiful model who's realized, too little and too late, that she never should have dumped him. And Kemal, the 12-year-old orphan, is being drugged by his baby sitter, who's in cahoots with at least one set of bad guys. Dana hasn't noticed how tractable the temperamental boy has become recently because she's been dressing up like a two-bit Russian tramp to infiltrate a secret weapons base in Siberia... Do you hear the words movie locations? But all's well that ends well, as it usually does for Sheldon's heroines, and in the meantime you've learned where the five-star hotels are and what to order in a famous restaurant in Rome. A slick, commercial, slightly thin tale told by a craftsman of the genre. --Jane Adams

Book Description

Dana Evans, who made her first appearance in Sidney Sheldon's The Best Laid Plans, is aspunky, good-looking, young Washington TV journalist who's recently returned tothe nation's capital from the Balkans, where she adopted a handicapped warorphan who's having trouble adjusting to life in America. But that doesn't keepDana from following a story all over the world, from Washington to Aspen, Nice,Juneau, Dusseldorf, Rome, Brussels, Moscow, and Siberia. Each of these briefvisits is like a postcard--a local landmark or two, an interesting localrestaurant (at least in the European venues), and another piece of the puzzle,which has to do with why every member of a venerable, old Washington dynasty hasdied a violent death in the last year. It seems strange that in a media-savvycity like Washington, no one but Dana has noticed there's a pattern in the rapidextinction of the Winthrops or even whispered the words family vendetta.But that's why pretty, young girl TV reporters were invented, at least bySheldon. As Dana sets out to investigate the distinguished career of the Winthrop familypatriarch, her lover Jeff, a sports anchor at her station, is called away toadminister aid and succor to his former wife, a beautiful model who's realized,too little and too late, that she never should have dumped him. And Kemal, the12-year-old orphan, is being drugged by his baby sitter, who's in cahoots withat least one set of bad guys. Dana hasn't noticed how tractable thetemperamental boy has become recently because she's been dressing up like a two-bit Russian tramp to infiltrate a secret weapons base in Siberia... Do you hearthe words movie locations? But all's well that ends well, as it usuallydoes for Sheldon's heroines, and in the meantime you've learned where the five-star hotels are and what to order in a famous restaurant in Rome. A slick,commercial, slightly thin tale told by a craftsman of the genre. --JaneAdams

Customer Reviews:

Oh Sidney, what have you done??.......2007-05-07

If you picked up "The Sky is Falling" because it was written by the famous Sidney Sheldon, you will be grossly disappointed in what you find between its covers. Like other reviews here it is: flat, tepid, and extremely predictable. It would not be so horrible if it were written by a first-time author but this is S. Sheldon, for Pete's sake, not a newcomer. The sad part about this read is that now I don't want to read another Sheldon book. I do realize that this is not fair to his ability. However, he set this piece of fluff in motion and William Morrow HarperCollins printed it. Where are the good editors when you need them? If an unknown author wrote this book, it would never have found a publisher.

I loved this book!.......2006-11-21

If by "loved" you mean "loathed" and if by "this book" you mean "this piece of garbage." I would say the characterization comes off as flat, but that would be an insult to flat characterization. This book has NO characterization. None. Nada. Zilch. Zero. You don't give one rip about the characters or their lives. Ditto for the tepid plot. Ditto for the awkward, wooden dialogue. Ugh, it makes me hurt just thinking about it. I've read bad books before that nonetheless drew me in, affording the opportunity to at least suspend my disbelief even if the story still stunk in the end. The Sky Is Falling is not one of those novels. Buy this if you're a writer and need a primer on how NOT to craft your fiction. Otherwise, steer clear.

She is hot on the trail.......2006-01-24

We first meet Dana Evans, the feisty TV Anchorwoman in Sidney Sheldon's "The Best Laid Plan". In that book, Dana is on the trail of the President of the United States who might be guilty of murder. In "The Sky is Falling", Dana is racing the globe to find out who wiped out the entire Winthrop family. The digger she deeps, the more she is determined to prove that the fairy tale Winthrops were the target of a conspiracy.

As with any Sidney Sheldon book, you get a lovely young women who is ready to take on the world. Most of his story lines are so unbelievable that you want to say "yeah right,,," but that is the reason I buy his books. They are fast reads and no matter how many people are out to get the heroine, she is always one step ahead. Reading his books are akin to seeing an action suspense movie where almost 99% of the time you know the good guys will win.

The Sky is Falling.......2005-07-19

It is a suspense thriller. Very nicely written. It is very engrossing, once i started reading felt like finishing the book at once. Very very nice thriller.

Banality.......2005-07-01

I rented the CD book from the library. I do not write long reviews but instead like to point out the major flaws or good points.

The storyline is OK. However the sheer banality of the diaglogue is almost staggering. The average emotional and mental IQ of the characters is extremely low. These people are not interesting!!!!!!!!

Average customer rating:

Good tale set in the world of U.S. government/Indian relations
It isn't Tony Hillerman, but still quite interesting
Excellent series
Another great read
Amazingly consistent with Iroquois politics/culture

Sky Woman Falling
Kirk Mitchell
Manufacturer: Berkley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0425198677

Book Description

On the New York reservation of the Oneida, FBI Special Agent Anna Turnipseed and Bureau of Indian Affairs Investigator Emmett Parker find the broken body of a community elder who seems to have fallen out of the sky--much like the woman in the Oneida creation myth. But it's a land dispute that's taken her life--and threatening to ground Turnipseed and Parker in facts far stranger than fiction.

Customer Reviews:

Good tale set in the world of U.S. government/Indian relations.......2007-07-19

In not a huge fan of "Indian country" mysteries (as another Amazon reviewer described the genre), but I enjoyed "Sky Woman Falling" well enough. You get a somewhat unusual mystery scenario and learn, quite painlessly, about the many issues facing modern American Indian tribes in the United States. Interestingly, you don't just learn about how the U.S. government relates to Indians these days, but how various Indian tribes feel about and relate to each other. And, so you don't feel totally at sea if you're new to this genre, you also get that great old mystery/thriller staple: friction between federal and local law enforcement. Like a thunderstorm during the climactic showdown, that particular staple never gets old.

It isn't Tony Hillerman, but still quite interesting.......2007-03-18

Not bad, I figured it out before the end, not a new or surprising plot. However, the aboriginal American detectives are nicely drawn and interesting and I wouldn't mind reading more mysteries with them as the protagonists.

Excellent series.......2006-09-16

I enjoy this series quite a bit because of the Indian lore--not overdone, but insights into the culture, bits about what is happening with reservations/culture. This particular mystery was outstanding in plot and the method of killing off characters. The suspence factor was also quite good. I'd like to see more character development between the two main characters. There's a bit of a sense of holding off on growing their relationship--and that relationship, along with the emotional growth of the two individually play a big part in why I like these books. Without it, they will become just another mystery so I really hope that future books bring and keep these personality aspects to the forefront.

Another great read.......2006-05-16

If you're a fan of Indian Country whodunits, Kirk Mitchell is tops. I could go on, but I'd just be repeating myself. This is a terrific read.

Amazingly consistent with Iroquois politics/culture.......2004-01-17

Sky Woman Falling ranks with Tony Hillerman's best books in its stunningly accurate portrayal of contemporary Iroquois society. He takes a very complex situation, the gambling crisis which has ripped apart the Iroquois, and written a novel which describes not only the internal tensions but the tragic results stemming from this latest assault upon the Six Nations. His command of Haudenosaunee cosmology, spirituality and symbolism is truly unique for a non-Native novelist. There is nothing patronizing is this book. The principals in Sky Woman Falling are Native investigators as are the culprits. He correctly portrays the Native gambling advocates as complex humans seduced, and then corrupted, by casino gambling. Mitchell obviously used a lot of shoe leather travelling around central New York; his descriptions of the land and people are without parallel. The story takes place among the Oneidas but could have just as easily described events among the Seneca, Onondaga or Mohawk. As a Mohawk writer I applaud this book and strongly urge anyone who has an interest in the Iroquois to read it and pass it along to your friends. It would make a great film.
Doug George-Kanentiio
Akwesasane Mohawk residing on Oneida Territory

Blood Is the Sky: An Alex McKnight Mystery (Alex McKnight Novels)

Average customer rating:

First and not the last
The best McKnight adventure since Cold Day in Paradise
Where's the story?
Good stuff; I'm a fan
Boring

Blood Is the Sky: An Alex McKnight Mystery (Alex McKnight Novels)
Steve Hamilton
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0312991509
Release Date: 2004-06-01

Amazon.com

One of the most promising secondary figures in Steve Hamilton's series about reluctant northern Michigan PI Alex McKnight has always been his teetotaling Ojibwa Indian pal, Vinnie LeBlanc. But Vinnie remained mostly to himself through the first four McKnight adventures. Blood Is the Sky finally lets him loose, and it's both a pleasure and painful to see what results.

Vinnie's younger, ex-con brother, Tom, has disappeared. In violation of his parole, Tom had guided a small contingent of moose hunters into the pacific forests of Ontario, but none of them had returned home on schedule. To assuage Vinnie's worries, McKnight agrees to drive with him into Canada and look for the men. No luck; the owners of a money-losing lakeside lodge where those sportsmen had stayed say they departed days ago. So where did they go? Who were the two other, unidentified guys who came looking for them in advance of McKnight and his friend? And why was the hunters' vehicle abandoned, with their wallets inside, near an Indian reservation? Looking for answers, the detective and Vinnie set off into the woods, where hungry bears are by no means the most dangerous creatures they'll have to face.

Despite its Deliverance-like moments, and an explosively violent conclusion that's not sufficiently foreshadowed, Blood Is the Sky is really a gracefully composed study of character, as focused on Vinnie's strengths and failings as Hamilton's previous novel, North of Nowhere, was on the backstory of another series regular, bar owner Jackie Connery. Yet McKnight shines here, too, his self-effacing humor keeping readers amused, when they aren't amazed--again--by the lengths to which this supposedly lonerish sleuth will go to help a friend in trouble. --J. Kingston Pierce

Book Description

Winning the Edgar Award for A Cold Day in Paradise, Steve Hamilton introduced one of the most compelling characters in modern fiction: Alex McKnight, a gritty ex-Detroit cop who can't say no to a friend in need-no matter the cost. Now McKnight finds himself in the forests of northern Ontario, a land of savage beauty and sudden danger, where some secrets just won't stay buried.Alex McKnight isn't a man with many friends, but the few he has know they're never alone in a fix. So when Vinnie LeBlanc asks for his help in taking a trip deep into Canada in search of his missing brother, the Ojibwa Indian knows he can count on Alex. Tom LeBlanc had taken a job as hunting guide for a rough crew of Detroit "businessmen." The group was due back days ago, yet there's been no sign of them, and there's mounting evidence of something odd about their disappearing act. The trackless forests of northern Ontario keep many secrets, but none more shocking than the one that Alex is about to uncover. And the more closely Alex looks for answers, the more the questions become: where are the hunters...and who is the prey?

Customer Reviews:

First and not the last.......2006-10-01

My wife kept raving on how good the books were. She was up to four read and kept talking about them. I finished another novel and decided it was time. What a interesting story. Especially living in Michigan all my life I found so much research had been done on all of Michigan and Canada also. We in Michigan always have a close relationship with Canada. Many of us have one side of the family from Canada as the auto industry had once brought them here. The book certainly was interesting and the plot gave you great cause to wonder almost to the last pages. I would recommend it highly.

The best McKnight adventure since Cold Day in Paradise.......2006-05-24

In this Alex McKnight mystery, Hamilton pairs Alex and Vinnie LeBlanc to search for Vinnie's missing brother in the forests of Northern Ontario. Tom, Vinnie's brother, led a hunting expedition for four Detroit businessmen and then disappeared. Together Alex and Vinnie must find out what happened to him and why. This is Hamilton's best McKnight adventure since A Cold Day in Paradise. Alex's dogged nature shines through, as he remains fiercely loyal to Vinnie and is willing to sacrifice everything for the truth. Get ready for a great outdoors expedition in Canada. Hamilton is an excellent writer, and there's nothing better than reading an Alex McKnight mystery. It is my favorite mystery series.

Where's the story?.......2006-04-17

This is my first reading of Hamilton. He writes well, offering strong descriptions and throwing in some fun Native American lore for legitimacy. His writing style is fairly sparse, favoring lots of short declaratory sentences--James Lee Burke he ain't--but that style of writing is often popular with the mainstream public.

I was less impressed with his protagonist, Alex McKnight, who, in this novel at least, is a reactionary far more than an instigator. It often takes his sidekick, Vinnie, to get things happening. He is definitely not a series character I would remember or long to read more of.

And then there is the mystery, which goes like this: mystery->280 pages having little to do with the mystery->resolution. And when the mystery is part of the story, convenience plays a big part. Don't read this novel thinking you have any chance of figuring a piece out, because I don't think the author knew how he would resolve it until page 280 or so. Mysteries don't have to reveal themselves to you but they owe you enough tantalization that you feel close to some part of it. No so, here.

I would like to read more Hamilton, but if I am to believe the jacket blurbs by several prominent authors, this is his best. Other reviewers here at Amazon, however, suggest Hamilton has done better work, so maybe I'll try one more.

Good stuff; I'm a fan.......2005-03-10

You would think the "buddy" books have all been done. The African American buddy - Hawk; the gay buddy - Milo; the reclusive, traumatized buddy - Joe Pike; the gorgeous woman buddy - Angie. This is my first introduction to the Native American buddy, Vinnie LeBlanc or in PC terms, the Ojibwa buddy.

That Alex McKnight still is haunted by his memories of the Detroit Polce Department is natural. Most of us who served in Vietnam by example, still have distancing moments 30 years later. And Hamilton's description of the woods in the UP and north into Canada are worth the effort. He creates as few others do (James Dickey comes to mind) virtually another character in the person of the forest. Powerful. Very powerful.

Additionally, I for one enjoyed 'not knowing' the why of the book, the crime that brings all the protagonists and antagonists together. We learn the 'what' early enough. The 'why' is not revealed until 7/8ths of the book is done. Nice twist.

Some reviewers have pointed out that this is not the strongest Alex McKnight novel, and I look forward to the earlier ones. "Blood is the Sky" is a 2003 novel and I realize now that there is some history to the reluctant investigator that I want to follow up on.

What I found disconcerting is there are too many unexplained references to a past I am unfamiliar with. While many authors find a character that grows as they do, Angie and Patrick, Elvis and Joe and the others, the successful ones seem to have subsequent novels that stand alone although they are part of a set. I didn't get that feeling with this one. I felt on occasion that Hamilton was giving us unrelated facts but not explaining their significance. Just an observation.

Additionally, I had an English Professor in College that used to say that Shakespeare would bring all of his characters on stage in Act Five, and then kill them all. (Caeser; MacBeth; Hamlet; Lear.) Shakespeare could pull it off. In the hands of the less gifted (which is all of us), it can become grisly and perhaps senseless. I think the 'movie' criticism used is gratuitous. There is an element of that here.

Nonetheless, I will read more of Steve Hamilton and Alex McKnight. It's a good read. 4 stars. Larry Scantlebury

Boring.......2005-02-08

Despite significant effort on my part I could not finish this novel - it was just too boring. Chapter after chapter went by and nothing caught the attention of my imagination. Flat characters, tedious scene descriptions, flaccid style -- I can't imagine how Hamilton has earned a reputation as a good writer. There are too many excellent mysteries on the market to waste time with this mediocrity. I give it an F.

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Pleasue and Pain
Not the best book ever
Pain. There is no more lively sensation than that of pain;
THRILLING...
No Wimps allowed in Reality, Florida.

Red Sky at Night
James Hall
Manufacturer: Delacorte Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0385316380
Release Date: 1997-06-09

Book Description

It was truly a crime against innocents.  Eleven dolphins, part of an experiment in healing, are found slaughtered in their saltwater tanks.  When Thorn investigates, he triggers a vicious attack that leaves him paralyzed from the waist down, plagued by unrelenting pain.  Now Thorn, a Florida renegade who has lived a life of fierce freedom, is starting over in a wheelchair, bitter enough to drive his lover away, desperate enough to seek miracles on the fringes of medical science--where his childhood friend, now a doctor, is doing
cutting-edge research in a quest for the ultimate painkiller.

Bean Wilson was once destined for greatness.  Then came the war in Vietnam, a debilitating injury, and a simmering rage.  Now Bean is running a pain-relief clinic in Key West, assisted by a beautiful six-foot-tall island girl named Pepper Tremaine, who chews hot chilies like gum and carries a scalpel in her blouse.  Under the guise of a respectable research facility, Bean and Pepper are using human beings as lab rats, then feeding the bodies of their failures to the shark-churned sea.  Within hours of entering the clinic, Thorn can sense the danger.  But when he begins to make the bizarre connection between eleven dead dolphins and Bean's clinic, the stakes are raised.  Because Dr. Bean Wilson, a man who knows exactly how an amputated limb can scream with real, unbearable agony, may be on the brink of the most dangerous discovery of all: a cure for human pain.  And in a climax that explodes with the kind of secrets that can turn friends into enemies and lovers into strangers, Red Sky At Night races toward a harrowing showdown between Thorn, imprisoned in a wheelchair, and a mad, ruthless doctor who will stop at nothing to cure his own twisted pain.

A full-throttle thriller of unparalleled suspense, Red Sky At Night is also a powerful human drama.  For here are the hurts that afflict the body, mind, and spirit.  And here is the wounded love between old friends and rivals: the twisted love between the beautiful, rough-hewn Pepper Tremaine and the doctor she worships, and, ultimately, the love risked between Thorn, caught in his bitterness and his rage, and a good woman willing to stay with him to the end.

Customer Reviews:

Pleasue and Pain.......2006-02-24

Although NOT for the faint of heart or squeamish this incredibly powerful and visceral thriller cements James W.Hall's place as one of the absolute best writers around. His ability to create incredibly complex characters and so throughly convey the trials they have to endure give so much emotional depth to his novels that simply classifying them as thrillers or mysteries does not do him justice. Combine this with his gift of being able to transport the reader to the point of actually feeling as if you are there in the Florida Keys and you have the makings of a great novel. My only warning would be don't start this book if you have other plans (you'll postpone them!) or want a good nights sleep. This book will stay with you long after you have finished the last page-enjoy!

Not the best book ever .......2004-12-09

I read maybe 8 mysteries within the course of a year(not counting the works of Lawrence Block). If a book ever gets to point where I can tell what is going to happen next the author is not doing the best job possible.

And the ending was a little weak as well

That's not to say that I didn't like the setup or the characters, some of whom were absolutely hilarious, especially Pepper and her odd fascination with...well peppers.

I made the same mistake I always make I read a book in a series out of order. Have to go back and read the entire series now.

Pain. There is no more lively sensation than that of pain;.......2002-09-10

Pain. There is no more lively sensation than that of pain; its impressions are certain and dependable. Marquis de Sade (1740-1814)

What a riveting book! This is my first James W. Hall novel and it I loved it. His strong, bold, vivid characters, often border on the audacious and bizarre. In "Red Sky at Night" Hall pulls you into worlds of paralysis, paraplegics and pain. And as Marquis de Sade said "there is no more lively sensation than that of pain". The Key West setting combined with the madness, murders, mayhem and macabre characters, makes this book a top ratebeach read. Strongly Recommended

THRILLING..........2001-11-18

This book is one of the most exciting I've ever read. As an aficionado of mystery (Ruth Rendell is another of my favorites), I give this book a five star rating. In terms of twists and turns it's right up there with Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris and Mercy by David L. Lindsay. It also has a deeply Floridian atmosphere and a few moments of black humor, a la the late lamented John D. McDonald. Don't make any immediate plans if you get ahold of this book; you won't want to put it down. A word of warning to the faint of heart: this is a medical thriller and has a few very dark moments. But the ending crackles and is MOST satisfying. Kudos to James W. Hall; keep them coming!

No Wimps allowed in Reality, Florida........2001-02-25

"Red Sky At Night" will take you all the way down before letting you have another breath of air. This story is hard to understand if your life has been easy and candy-coated, but should resonate with all those (painful) real world experiences. Consistent and evenly paced, "Red Sky at Night" goes way beyond what others portray. Just be carefull!

The Dreadful Lemon Sky (Travis McGee Mysteries)

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Trav the Avenger
Lucky 13th for Travis
A great introduction to the legendary Travis McGee series.

The Dreadful Lemon Sky (Travis McGee Mysteries)
John D. Macdonald
Manufacturer: Fawcett
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0449224791
Release Date: 1996-04-20

Book Description

Hero of THE DREADFUL LEMON SKY is Travis McGee, a man of universal interest and independent means who lives on an old houseboat he won in a poker game. One evening a young woman shows up with a suitcase full of cash. McGee agrees to be bagman.

She tells him what to do if she doesn't return. When she doesn't, McGee is left alone to deal with an intrigue that involves drugs, fear, passion, and death.

Customer Reviews:

Trav the Avenger.......2003-11-24

Travis McGee is visited late one night by a girl he knew years ago. She appears concerned for here safety, not allowing McGee to turn any lights on and continually checking over her shoulder as if someone might be following her. It turns out she is carrying a large sum of money that she asks McGee to hide for her. She adds to the intrigue by instructing him that should anything happen to her, he was to get in touch with her sister and give the money to her.

Inevitably she is killed a week later prompting McGee to take The Busted Flush and his neighbour and regular party fiend, Meyer south to Bayside to try to find out what happened to her.

What he and Meyer stumble into is an amateur marijuana smuggling racket that is starting to get out of hand. While McGee is stirring the hornets nest bodies begin to pile up at an alarming rate. He plays the avenging white knight to perfection here without becoming overly sentimental or judgemental; he simply does what he has to do, taking his bruises in the process.

The inclusion of his fellow Lauderdale resident and party buddy on this particular caper adds a nice balance to Travis' usual introspection. They each bounce their deep philosophies off the other keeping both each other and us amused. A fast moving Travis McGee is a good Travis McGee and this one certainly zips by with alacrity.

Lucky 13th for Travis.......2002-08-08

"Dreadful Lemon Sky," MacDonald's 13th in the Travis McGee series, is vintage McGee. I would put it right up there with the best of them, "Green Ripper" and "Bright Orange Shroud." It boggles my mind that MacDonald could write the abominable loser "Turquoise Lament" in 1973, and turn around and write this sparkling gem in 1974.

Carrie, a blast from the past, pays McGee a surprise visit aboard the Busted Flush with a suitcase full of suspicious money. She asks him to keep it safe for her, keep a $10,000 "fee," and if she does not return for it in two weeks, send it to her sister. Two weeks later and no Carrie; McGee goes out to earn his fee. Carrie has died in a car "accident." McGee mounts his white horse and vows vengeance for the lady. He finds drugs, danger, more action than even he bargained for, and meets a load of fascinating (if not righteous) characters. He discovers an all too happy singles only apartment complex apparently fueled by marijuana and presided over by a Big Daddy who is the benevolent landlord. A mysterious newly widowed Cindy Birdsong plays his Bond girl role, if somewhat diffidently. The locale is all Florida, purely Florida.

"Dreadful Lemon Sky" is superbly plotted with a surprising number of twists and turns for a MacDonald book. The character vignettes are sharp and right on the money. This is a Travis McGee not to be missed.

A great introduction to the legendary Travis McGee series........1999-09-06

This happened to be the first novel of the Travis McGee series I read, back in the 80's, and I was instantly hooked. I grew up in Florida, and McDonald, as every reader familiar with Florida notices, knew the state intimately and paints that strange place with a master's touch. Travis McGee is probably the most perfectly realized character in series fiction, but what really grabbed me about this novel was the ultra-frightening villain. In fact, I think McDonald's greatest talent was the invention and development of his horrifying bad guys.

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cook has a ghost writer? or did his son do this?
Gah! What Happened?
Funny and Good
Great series, but this is the worst book in it
Angry Lead Reader

Angry Lead Skies (Garrett P.I.)
Glen Cook
Manufacturer: Roc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0451458753
Release Date: 2002-04-02

Book Description

Private Investigator Garrett has agreed to play bodyguard for a kid who is being threatened by creatures that defy description. But before Garrett can make heads or tails of the story, the kid is abducted-and the chase begins.

"Cook brings a dose of gritty realism to fantasy." (Library Journal)

Download Description

Private investigator Garrett has agreed to play bodyguard for a kid who is being threatened by creatures that defy description. But before Garrett can make heads or tails of the story, the kid is abducted and the chase begins...

Customer Reviews:

cook has a ghost writer? or did his son do this?.......2006-04-11

all the 3star and less reviews are fairly accurate.. this book just cant be written by glen cook. there are way too many inconsistencies in character and fact from prior books. all the other books in this series i just couldnt put down. this? im having a hard time getting through a chapter at a time. i wouldve guessed this to be cook's first stab at writing had i not known better. suffer through it if you really like the series, but dont waste your money on it new. i wouldnt pay more than a buck for this one... pew!

Gah! What Happened?.......2005-11-15

This is the 10th in Cook's Garrett series ("Sweet Silver Blues," "Bitter Gold Hearts," "Cold Copper Tears," "Old Tin Sorrows," "Dread Brass Shadows," "Red Iron Nights," "Deadly Quicksilver Lies," "Petty Pewter Gods," "Faded Steel Heat," "Angry Lead Skies," and "Whispering Nickel Idols"). I don't know who really wrote this, but Glen Cook should track him down and take him to court. Well, perhaps I exaggerate. However, from all the gaffs in this book, it looks like Cook didn't bother to review his notes from the rest of the series before he wrote this one. Here are some of the problems that leapt out at me:

- First of all, where did Garrett's love interest, Katie, come from? Usually, he finds these women as part of his cases (either the principal or a player). In this case, we start out the book with her already there. She has no background and plays no part in the book. He doesn't even mention Tinnie (whom he had gotten back together with at the end of the previous book -- a couple of weeks in Garrett time) until half way through the book.

- Second, Playmate is way out of character. In all the other books, he's a simple, honest person. In this one, he's essentially a walking Dead Man or a more honest Morley Dotes: a sophisticated, educated, smooth talking, cynical person. Plus, Cook specifically notes that he's NOT really 9 feet tall. Yet, in all the other books, he IS 9 feet tall. A couple of books ago, Cook graphically portrayed him in a situation at Morley's restaurant as being bent over to fit inside. My guess is Cook needed some way to work a specific type of character in as a principal and a 9 foot tall, simple guy wouldn't work. So, he just changed him.

- Similarly, Singe has miraculously graduated from a smart, though barely articulate, rat woman into practically an Einstein.

- Ditto for the Rose triplets. Specifically, Doris and Marsha. In all previous books those two grolls were dumb as stumps. Even more importantly, only Dojango spoke "English" (that was why he was around -- to translate). Doris and Marsha ONLY and SPECIFICALLY spoke grollish.

- And, finally, near the end, Cook mentions that the Tates have DWARF blood somewhere back in their line. That's not correct. Again, specifically, in all previous books he's mentioned that they have ELF blood in them.

Then, there are the "logic" errors (I know, it's fantasy, but still...). For instance, in one case Cook has Doris hold Garrett up to a fourth floor window. AFAIK, that should be at least 40 feet up. Yet, Doris and Marsha are 20 feet tall. Even with very long arms, they couldn't reach above 30 feet. Then there's the fact that the "Visitors" are described as ugly, yet everyone thinks they might be elves. In all of these books, elves are alway extremely handsome/beautiful: it's an elvish characteristic. There's no way anyone should consider these "Visitors" to be related to elves.

Another BIG problem is the problem itself. It might be a spoiler, but since it's implied in the official write-ups and becomes obvious at the very start of the book, I'll bring it up: there are space aliens in this book. I'm sorry, but aliens just have no place in a fantasy/detective novel. It's just silly. Even worse, Garrett plays the two-backed beast with them. Repeatedly. Often. Ugh.

And finally, Cook seems to have lost the detective part of his fantasy/detective mixture the Garrett books are supposed to be. Outside of some minor leg-work during the first half of the book, there's no real mystery and no detectiving. In fact, the last half of the book doesn't really do anything at all. It's just Garrett doing his alien experments, setting up some personal stuff, getting back at Morley, and the aliens finalizing things. That's it. All done. What a waste.

If you're still reading this, by now, you'll probably guess I'm not happy with what Cook's done to the series with this book (and I LOVE this series -- it took me years to find all the books again to re-read them). So, I have to give this book a sadly well-deserved 1 star out of 5. If you've been following this series since the beginning, the book will give you nothing but grief. If you've never read a Garrett book before, you might get a few giggles out of it, but you won't have any of the history (even though Cook's "modified" it) to understand what's going on. There's really no reason for anyone to read it.

Funny and Good.......2002-08-05

Just read Angry Lead Skies and thought it was funny and interesting couldn't put it down , was very easy reading . I wish Cook would more of these books Garrett and Co. step in it every time and have to do back flips to get out .

Great series, but this is the worst book in it.......2002-07-25

For whatever reason, Cook takes the series in a new direction, with the addition of aliens to the cast. Unfortunately, it doesn't blend well with his universe, though some of the aspects of the integration are quite funny. Also, the heavily convuluted subplots and large cast of characters made it rather confusing, especially towards the end. All of the other books in the series are great, though.

Angry Lead Reader.......2002-06-18

With out even reading the back cover the minute I saw the New Garrett Mystery I bought it. I am sorry I did. If my dog had not grabbed it I would have returned it. If you have read the other books in Glen Cooks Garrett series how can you help but be upset by this pale immitation. Gone is the marvolous pacing and quick wit. It has been replaced with bad jokes and worse style. It is ham handed and lacks the subtle sense of irony and twisted sense of humor that I have come to enjoy in a Garrett Mystery. Before I buy the next book in this series I intend to check it out of the library and see if I wish to waste my money on him again.

Five Complete Travis McGee Novels: A Tan and Sandy Silence / The Dreadful Lemon Sky / The Empty Copper Sea / The Green Ripper / Free Fall in Crimson

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Five Complete Travis McGee Novels: A Tan and Sandy Silence / The Dreadful Lemon Sky / The Empty Copper Sea / The Green Ripper / Free Fall in Crimson
John D. Macdonald
Manufacturer: Random House Value Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

ASIN: 0517476711
Release Date: 1988-12-28

Average customer rating:

Don't even bother
Definitely a great weekend or rainy day read!
America's Favorite weatherman pens first novel...
I Loved It!
Predictable but relaxing reading

Murder under Blue Skies
Willard Scott , and Bill Crider
Manufacturer: Dutton Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Murder in the Mist (Stanley Waters Mysteries)

ASIN: 0525943242

Book Description

A beloved fixture on NBC TV's "Today" show since 1980, Willard Scott is welcomed into millions of homes every week as he broadcasts from around the country. Now, with this wonderfully charming new series of cozy mysteries, Scott's fans will share a new set of adventures. Featuring retired weatherman Stanley Waters, Murder Under Blue Skies provides one surprise after another for Stanley, who thinks that opening his own bed-and-breakfast in Virginia, called Blue Skies, is the perfect change after two decades on the nation's top morning show. But when a guest drops dead at Blue Skies' grand opening, Stanley and his three adorable cats find themselves smack dab in the middle of a murder investigation. Suddenly real life is much more exciting than television - and certainly more dangerous. *Willard Scott appears twice a week on NBC-TV's "Today" and co-hosts the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Washington, D.C. *This mystery includes all the elements of cozy suspense: a delightful bed-and-breakfast setting, humor, and charming, well-drawn characters. *Book includes fascinating weather lore every five chapters. *Another book in this series is already signed up.

Customer Reviews:

Don't even bother .......2006-06-24

I picked this book up because I thought it might be a light book written by the Today show's beloved weatherman. Was I ever wrong! It was boring. The only reason why I finsihed it was I had nothing else to read. Don't even waste your time with this one.

Definitely a great weekend or rainy day read!.......2000-12-27

You can definitely tell that the protagonist (Stanley Waters) was modeled after Willard Scott, but in this his first book (in collaboration with Bill Crider), I think Mr. Scott has a hit. From the opening page where the victim falls face first into a bowl of salsa dip, through the rest of the book in fictional Higgins, Virginia, it is definitely a trip worth making. The characters, despite all their faults and complexities, are fun to follow. This is an excellent first book, and is great if you are looking for a quick, fun read.

America's Favorite weatherman pens first novel..........1999-04-28

To be honest I read this book because I enjoy Willard Scott on NBC's Today's Show and other endeavors. I found the book entertaining and tried to figure out "who done it." It also caught my attention because I too would like to own a B&B somewhere. Perhaps not in Virginia but in upstate New York. All that on the side "Murder Under Blue Skies," was a good read but not what I would call a page turner until near the end when the killer was about to be caught. This was the first Stanley Waters mystery. "Murder in the Midst" which follows is next on my to read list.

I Loved It!.......1999-04-18

I am thankful for books like this one. I quickly tire of all the sex and violence our society is saturated with daily. It was refreshing to me to read "Murder Under Blue Skies" because I didn't have to worry about vulgar language, gratuitous sex, or unnecessary violence. I enjoyed the easy and relaxing read! Way to go Mr. Scott!!!!!! I look forward to "Murder in the Mist".

Predictable but relaxing reading.......1999-01-20

"Murder Under Blue Skies" caught my eye at the grocery store one night...mainly because it stated Willard Scott was the author. As I began reading it that night, it became obvious that Mr. Scott definitely was the model for the main character! Although the story was predictable (and for once I guessed the murderer!), I did find it relaxing reading, as it had a "homey" feel to it. My main complaint with the book, though, was its tendency to incorporate long sentences. I counted one with 80 words...I believe a little editing should have taken place there!

In summary, I plan to pick up a copy of Mr. Scott's next mystery as I enjoy the laid-back style. However, for those who like a lot of action and excessive four-letter verbage, I would recommend that you stick with other authors!

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