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.

Cathedral: The Story of Its Construction (Sandpiper)

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Macaulay's books
Another Macaulay Masterpiece
An excellent masterpiece!
spellbinding for children and adults alike
A wonderful introduction to architecture and the Middle Ages

Cathedral: The Story of Its Construction (Sandpiper)
David Macaulay
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin/Walter Lorraine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0395316685

Amazon.com

The Gothic cathedral is one of humanity's greatest masterpieces--an architectural feast that couldn't help but attract the attention of renowned author-illustrator David Macaulay. Once an architectural student at the Rhode Island School of Design, Macaulay glories in the intricacies and beauty of structure, as evidenced in his masterful pen-and-ink drawings in critically acclaimed children's books such as Castle, Pyramid, and Rome Antics. He begins Cathedral in 1252, when the people of a fictitious French town named Chutreaux decide to build a cathedral after their existing church is struck by lightning. We first meet the craftspeople, then examine the tools, study their cathedral plans, and watch the laying of the foundation. Week by week we witness the construction of this glorious temple to God. Macaulay intuitively hones in on the details about which we are the most curious: How were those enormously high ceilings built and decorated? How were those 60-foot-high windows made and installed in the 13th century? And how did people haul those huge, heavy bells up into the skyscraper-high towers? Thanks to Macaulay's thorough, thoughtful tribute to the Gothic cathedral, not a stone, turret, or pane of stained glass is left unexamined or unexplained. (Ages 9 and older) --Gail Hudson

Book Description

Text and detailed drawings follow the planning and construction of a magnificent Gothic cathedral in the imaginary French town of Chutreaux during the thirteenth century.

Customer Reviews:

Macaulay's books.......2007-01-20

This book lives up to my expectations of David Macaulay's books in that it's very well drawn, has an abundant amount of useful information and is presented in a clear, exciting manner!

Another Macaulay Masterpiece.......2006-11-23

Second only to his magnum opus, Castle, this 1981 book continues David Macaulay's tradition of creating intricate (but welcoming and friendly) illustrations as an accompaniment to the telling of his informative tales. Taking its place in a grand series that has included Pyramid, Mill, Castle, Unbuilding, and others, Cathedral details the design and creation of one of the great Gothic churches that came to exist across western Europe during the Age of Faith. The setting here is France during the intellectually-towering High Middle Ages, and in careful steps we come to understand firstly what motivated people to undertake a construction project on such a scale, secondly how the construction was carried out, and finally how a Gothic cathedral, truly a structure that seems to soar untethered to earth, is able to stand so proudly close to a millennium after its dedication. Most marvelously of all, unlike virtually every other Medieval building, the great worship places are still largely in use today, fulfilling their original purposes and continuing on as a tribute to and testimony of the genius of those who erected them. David Macaulay is a master and a treasure, and a book like his teaches without effort. Like all great things, his books are joys to re-visit over the course of a lifetime.

An excellent masterpiece!.......2006-02-01

Words are useless to describe this masterpiece created by David Macaulay.

I have visited France (more specifically Paris, Rheims, Chartres, Chambord, Versailles, Chenonceau) and went on a "cathedral pilgrimage" to see all the greatest French gothic cathedrals.

After picking up this book in my local library, I was spellbound by the beauty of Macaulay's drawings. Macaulay is able to recreate the majesticness and grandeur of the cathedrals and draws you into the cathedral. You can almost hear the cathedral choir singing in the backround and the quite chanting of the people.

Macaulay's drawings are first rate (no wonder this masterpiece won the Caldacot Medal!)

This book should be read by everyone to show what people can achieve through determination and having a united goal.

This just occurred to me.... why do man's most significant and most beautiful works of art and architecture result from their religion?

David Macaulay's book is pure gold! BUY THIS BOOK, YOU WON'T REGRET IT!!!

spellbinding for children and adults alike.......2005-08-12

Like all of Macaulay's architectural books, CATHEDRAL is ripe with vivid illustrations that are both enthralling and educational to behold. The drawings not only illustrate the cathedral's method of construction, but convey the presence and majesty of the space as well. One feels the dizzying height of the tower and the formidable strength of the foundation stones. I was always amazed at the ingenuity of the laborers in completing tasks that I would have otherwise felt impossible to attemp without power tools.

While it is hard to predict whether today's children will find the book as captivating as I did in the pre-internet era, I feel that David Macaulay's books make excellent gifts to children. Not only do they stimulate the imagination, but they educate children on architecture, history and culture, and show that magnificent works can be accomplished through cooperation, creativity, planning and hard work. Not bad for a few bucks! I recommend you splurge on the hardback, because this is a book you'll enjoy literally for decades.

A wonderful introduction to architecture and the Middle Ages.......2004-01-10

Having just finished a great book called "Great Cathedrals", filled with 400 pages of jaw-dropping photographs, I kept wondering how in the world they could have built such marvelous edifices with rudimentary implements over 800 years ago. David Macaulay's "Cathedral" is a book ostensibly written for children but which will fascinate readers of all ages. In scarcely 80 pages, Macaulay takes us back in time to the year 1252 in the fictional French village of Chutreaux where the people decide to build the "longest, widest, highest and most beautiful cathedral in all of France" for the glory of God. Macaulay's text is minimal, but his exquisite black and white line drawings say it all: the step-by-step stages in the building's construction, the craftsmen and the tools they used, and the dedication that kept this project going for 80 years until its completion. We feel a sense of awe at the dedication of the original architects and craftsmen and builders who knew that they would be long dead before the cathedral was finally finished. Macaulay's glossary at the end of the book helps us to understand the major elements of the Gothic cathedral, and his cross-sections and diagrams provide clear illustration of just how the cathedral rose from its foundations. At the end of this volume, we share the awe and pride the townspeople felt at having shared a goal for over 80 years and making it a reality. Macaulay's "Cathedral" is a marvelous creation in more ways than one.

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Architecture, mathematics, aesthetics
Non nobis, Domine, non nobis, sed nomini tuo da gloriam
The contextual foundations of Gothic Architecture

The Gothic Cathedral
Otto Georg Von Simson
Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0691018677

Book Description

"The Gothic Cathedral is the most stimulating and comprehensive work on the subject to date. . . . If the cathedrals are to be understood, Mr. von Simson rightly declares, they must be seen not in the light of twentieth-century esthetic observation, but of twelfth-century religious experience, through which the supernatural permeated every aspect of human existence. . . . The resulting interpretation of the monuments is a critical tour de force." --Allan Temko, The New York Times Book Review "Not since Mont-St.-Michel and Chartres has so poetic and so evocative a study of the Gothic movement been published. . . . The Gothic Cathedral is based on a wide factual as well as intuitive knowledge, transformed by the author's illuminating style into a text both formidable and pleasurable."--The Virginia Quarterly Review

Customer Reviews:

Architecture, mathematics, aesthetics.......2007-01-28

An interesting theme is the connection with mathematics. "With few exceptions, the Gothic builders have been tight-lipped about the symbolic significance of their projects, but they are unanimous in paying tribute to geometry as the basis of their art. ... With but a single basic dimension given, the Gothic architect developed all other magnitudes of his ground plan and elevation by strictly geometrical means, using as modules certain regular polygons, above all the square. ... Proportions thus obtained the master considers to be 'according to true measure'. ... Why this extraordinary submission, so alien to our own notions concerning the nature of art and of the freedom of artistic creation, to the laws of geometry? ... The Gothic artist would have overthrown the rule of geometry, had he considered it, as most modern artists would, a fetter. It is clear, on the other hand, that he did not use his geometrical canons for purely aesthetic reasons either, since he applied them where they are invisible to the observer. ... In the first book of his treatise De musica, St. Augustine defines music as the 'science of good modulation'. ... The science of good modulation is concerned with the relating of several musical units according to a module, a measure, in such a way that the relation can be expressed in simple arithmetical ratios. The most admirable ratio, according to Augustine, is that of equality or symmetry, the ratio 1:1, since here the union or consonance between the two parts is most intimate. Next in rank are the ratios 1:2, 2:3, 3:4 ... Augustine uses architecture, as he does music, to show that number, as apparent in the simpler proportions that are based on the 'perfect' ratios, is the source of all aesthetic perfection. ... For him, music and architecture are sisters, since both are children of number; they have equal dignity, inasmuch as architecture mirrors eternal harmony, as music echoes it. ... The Cathedral of Sens is the first Gothic cathedral. ... [T]he ground plan of Sens being designed ad quadratum, the square bays of the nave are twice as wide as those of the side aisles; owing to the tripartite elevation, it was possible to give the same proportion to the relative heights of nave and aisles. The elevation of the nave to the springing of the vaults, moreover, is subdivided, at the level of the arcade imposts, into two equal parts: the octave ratio of 1:2 permeates the entire edifice. ... Fortunately, at least one literary document survives that explains the use of geometry in Gothic architecture: the minutes of the architectural conferences held during 1391 and the following years in Milan. ... The question debated at Milan is not whether the cathedral is to be built according to a geometrical formula, but merely whether the figure to be used is to be the square ... or the equilateral triangle. ... The minutes of one particularly stormy session relate an angry dispute between the French expert, Jean Mignot, and the Italians. Overruled by them on a technical issue, Mignot remarks bitterly that his opponents have set aside the rules of geometry by alleging science to be one thing and art another. Art, however, he concludes, is nothing without science, 'ars sine scientia nihil est'. ... This argument was considered unassailable even by Mignot's opponents. They hasten to affirm that they are in complete agreement as regards this theoretical point and have nothing but contempt for an architect who presumes to ignore the dictates of geometry."

Non nobis, Domine, non nobis, sed nomini tuo da gloriam.......2005-09-13

There aren't many books available looking at the phenomenon or idea of the Gothic Cathedral as a whole, and few of those are generally accessible reading. There are countless books on particular cathedrals and churches - Notre Dame, Salisbury Cathedral, Chartes, the Abbey of St. Denis. There are other books that look at particular aspects of the architecture or function; particular books on flying buttresses, stained-glass windows, and such are also numerous.

This third edition of Otto von Simon's book (originally published in 1956, updated in 1962 and again in 1987) looks at the Gothic Cathedral as a whole from many different standpoints - architecture, artistic value, spiritual value, economic value and influence, functional and practical concerns. 'The cathedral,' Simson wrote in his first preface, 'was designed as an image, and was meant to be understood as one.' Simson is direct in his admiration of Gothic style, calling Gothic architecture 'perhaps the most creative achievement in the history of Western architecture'. It is indeed hard to find rivals to this claim.

The Gothic Cathedral, according to Simson, is the earthly representation of supernatural reality. It is a physical manifestation of the theological ideas and aspirations of the Middle Ages. However, Gothic has become a bit too commonplace in some respects - being at the centre of many European and North American cities and towns, it also suffers from being seen as a relic more appropriately the object of archaeological examination than current appreciation.

Simson highlights many of the aspects of Gothic architecture, including the use of light in new, unparalleled ways, and the relationship between structure and appearance. Stained glass windows, according to Simson, 'are structurally and aesthetically not openings in the wall to admit light, but transparent walls.' Gothic also took advantage of advances in design and building materials to emphasise verticality beyond what earlier architectural forms could do. This together with the sense of geometric precision and orderliness made the Gothic church a reflection of heaven. Simson develops Augustine's idea of architecture and music as enjoyments of transcendence, 'since both are children of number; they have equal dignity, inasmuch as architecture mirrors eternal harmony, as music echoes it.'

In addition to talking about the aesthetic principles of Gothic style, Simson develops the political and social history out of which it emerged. He gives an extended biography of Abbot Suger of St. Denis, in most regards the father of the Gothic style. Simson shows the competing ideas political and religious in the world, as well as the different influences and forces at work on Suger. 'Suger undertook the rebuilding of his church in order to implement his master plan in the sphere of politics. His vision as a stateman imposed itself upon the architectural project; he conceived it as the monumental expression of that vision.' This place was to be thought of in the same regard as Jerusalem, Constantinople and Rome. However, this political vision was far from the only image for Suger, for such an image most likely would not have endured. Simson explores the various aesthetical and practical influences upon Suger, what prompted him to make the decisions he did, and what came to be the birthplace of Gothic churches.

Simson explores other structures as well - most notably, he concentrates on the cathedral of Chartes as one of the principle examples of high Gothic style. This discussion not only examines the building and design aspects, but also the economic aspects of the community of Chartes and surrounding areas and how this impacted the building of the great cathedral, and vice versa. Of Chartes, Simson says we may 'well define it as a "model" of the cosmos as the Middle Ages perceived it. But this "model" was ontologically transparent. It reflected an ultimate reality.'

The book contains 52 black-and-white plates with pictures and graphics, and 8 text figures as line-art drawings. It has sections of addenda and a postscript of revisions of earlier editions. There is a very extensive bibliography for further research, and a reasonable index. The book itself is footnoted throughout, many of the footnotes being rather substantial. This is not a 'popular' book, and is written in an academic style. However, the content is so intriguing that that is a minor consideration. My one wish for the text would be that there were colour pictures or plates included with the text.

This is a very interesting and worthwhile text, good for anyone interested in the history of architecture, Gothic design, cathedrals and worship spaces, and the intersection of faith and the physical world.

The contextual foundations of Gothic Architecture.......2000-03-13

As an art historian, museum curator, and traveler to France I found this book very useful. Most books on Gothic Architecture look at style as though it exists for its own sake. Simson places the beginnings of Gothic Architecture into the intellectual and historical context that gave this archetectual style its birth. The two sections that I most enjoyed were the theology of light that Suger was trying to express through architecture and the historical/political life of Suger. Both of these elements had a profound effect on the developement and impact of the Abby Church of St. Denis. This book represents architectural history as it should be written. Simson's approach is only possible because of his ability to draw upon a broad and deep educational framework. Reading this book caused me to lament the shallowness of much of what passes for scholarly training and writing in our time. You don' t have to be an architectural historian to enjoy this book. But you should be passionate about ideas. Simson shows us how ideas have consequences. This is one of the best books I have ever read.

Cathedrals and Castles: Building in the Middle Ages

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A very enjoyable read

Cathedrals and Castles: Building in the Middle Ages
Alain Erlande-Brandenburg
Manufacturer: Harry N. Abrams
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0810928124

Customer Reviews:

A very enjoyable read.......2000-05-15

I recommend this book to anyone interested in the middle ages and/or architecture, it provides the reader with good background information on the construction process and its history. Numerous first hand accounts are presented, along with a great number of color illustrations to guide the reader and liven the work up, usually a couple per page. It also includes a long reference section in the back of different primary documents for further study. The only downside is that it is only an introductory guide, so it does not delve too specifically into the construction process. It does, however, provide a great backdrop for further learning, and was very entertaining the whole way through.

Dynamic Splendor: The Wall Mosaics in the Cathedral of Eufrasius at Porec

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Dynamic Splendor: The Wall Mosaics in the Cathedral of Eufrasius at Porec
Ann Terry , and Henry Maguire
Manufacturer: Pennsylvania State University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0271028734

Book Description

Dynamic Splendor introduces a cycle of sixth-century mosaics little known to scholars, though they are comparable in quality and interest to famed mosaics in Italy and elsewhere. Ann Terry and Henry Maguire provide the first comprehensive account of the history and meaning of the mosaics along with the first high-quality photographic documentation of the ensemble.

It has only recently been possible to study the mosaics at Pore? closely, due to favorable conditions in Croatian Istria, where the mosaics reside, and to the discovery of the original restoration documents in Vienna and Trieste. Terry and Maguire have tracked the condition and restoration of these works, distinguishing between the original mosaics and later contributions. Beyond creating an important archival source, the authors consider the making of the mosaics, their thematic structure, their relationship to the cathedral complex, and their connection to the patron, Bishop Eufrasius, while drawing parallels with other renowned works.

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A real pleasure

Outstanding book

Grand undertaking

A New Perspective on Gothic Cathedrals

Great for both new and experienced enthusiasts

The Gothic Enterprise: A Guide to Understanding the Medieval Cathedral
Robert A. Scott
Manufacturer: University of California Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Construction of Gothic Cathedrals: A Study of Medieval Vault Erection

The Gothic Cathedral: The Architecture of the Great Church 1130-1530

The Gothic Cathedral

Early Medieval Architecture (Oxford History of Art)

Medieval Architecture (Oxford History of Art)

ASIN: 0520231775

Book Description

The great Gothic cathedrals of Europe are among the most astonishing achievements of Western culture. Evoking feelings of awe and humility, they make us want to understand what inspired the people who had the audacity to build them. This engrossing book surveys an era that has fired the historical imagination for centuries. In it Robert A. Scott explores why medieval people built Gothic cathedrals, how they built them, what conception of the divine lay behind their creation, and how religious and secular leaders used cathedrals for social and political purposes. As a traveler's companion or a rich source of knowledge for the armchair enthusiast, The Gothic Enterprise helps us understand how ordinary people managed such tremendous feats of physical and creative energy at a time when technology was rudimentary, famine and disease were rampant, the climate was often harsh, and communal life was unstable and incessantly violent.
While most books about Gothic cathedrals focus on a particular building or on the cathedrals of a specific region, The Gothic Enterprise considers the idea of the cathedral as a humanly created space. Scott discusses why an impoverished people would commit so many social and personal resources to building something so physically stupendous and what this says about their ideas of the sacred, especially the vital role they ascribed to the divine as a protector against the dangers of everyday life.
Scott's narrative offers a wealth of fascinating details concerning daily life during medieval times. The author describes the difficulties master-builders faced in scheduling construction that wouldn't be completed during their own lifetimes, how they managed without adequate numeric systems or paper on which to make detailed drawings, and how climate, natural disasters, wars, variations in the hours of daylight throughout the year, and the celebration of holy days affected the pace and timing of work. Scott also explains such things as the role of relics, the quarrying and transporting of stone, and the incessant conflict cathedral-building projects caused within their communities. Finally, by drawing comparisons between Gothic cathedrals and other monumental building projects, such as Stonehenge, Scott expands our understanding of the human impulses that shape our landscape.

Customer Reviews:

A real pleasure.......2006-09-01

Well written and wonderfully informed, this well designed book presents a comprehensive review of the appearance and use of the great cathedrals and abbey churches built across the middle ages in France and England. It also includes a wonderfully precise presentation of the social, economic, and political order of the time, and it discusses how the great buildings were built and what is known of their builders. Overall, it is the best general introduction I know of, easily accessible to non experts and a wonderful review for the better informed.

Outstanding book.......2006-01-30

The people who reviewed this book before me did a great job of describing this wonderful book, so I'm not going to repeat their observations. However, one aspect of the work I personally appreciated was the way Scott examined the cathedrals as architectural responses to the cultural context. His analysis is clear and straightforward. Excellent book!

Grand undertaking.......2005-09-24

Author Robert Scott had much the same the experience at Salisbury Cathedral as I had - a sense of awe and wonder, and a desire to learn more about it, not just as a place, or as an architectural wonder, or as a place of worship, or as a cultural icon. Scott wanted to get at the heart of the idea of the Gothic enterprise as a whole - a trained sociologist, Scott knew that the bigger picture is sometimes lost by too narrow a focus on particular details to the exclusion of others. The sociology background also gave Scott a sense of wanting to understand the hearts and minds of the people involved.

While the principal focus of Scott's travels started with Salisbury Cathedral (in full, the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Salisbury), Scott draws examples from the breadth of the Gothic cathedrals, churches and other buildings. There are literally thousands of such dotted across the European and European-influenced landscapes. Each building has its own unique characteristics, but they share a common spirit.

Church building in particular was 'big business' in Christendom for a long time. Scott quotes estimates of that there are nearly 19,000 ecclesiastical buildings in England and Wales, nearly half of which date to the medieval period. The first Gothic church was the Abbey Church of St. Denis, just north of Paris, built under the direction of the 'founding father' of Gothic style, Abbot Suger.

Scott's first major section looks at how cathedrals were built, in terms of materials, architectural design, settings, and workforce. With regard to the workforce, the numbers were large and the division of labour highly specialised. In the records of the construction of Westminster Abbey, there were fifteen different categories of workers listed in 1253. Workers were often local, but supplemented by those who traveled, particularly if special skills were needed. Construction was often suspended in winter months, not just because of the cold, but because the number of daylight hours greatly diminished (in England, there can be fewer than 8 hours of daylight in the winter months).

Scott's second major section explores the history involved. The Gothic enterprise grew up out of the feudal system as it was trying to define itself in a sea of shifting political structures. It is no mistake that the Gothic ideal was born in an Abbey rather than a Cathedral; bishops had become increasingly involved in secular and political matters, while the monasteries remained closer to the common people and closer to the spiritual ideals of the church. 'Monasticism was a continuous effort to surmount sense perception and intellectual understanding to achieve knowledge of God, to experience communion with God, and by so doing to reveal the divine mystery and achieve special favour in the eyes of God.' Still, the particular abbey of Gothic's foundation, the Abbey of St. Denis, had a particular attachment to the French monarchs, and for a time the Abbey enjoyed a supreme reputation, 'from 1124 onward the Abbey Church of St. Denis became the religious and, in an important sense, the political capital of France.' From this place, the influence of Gothic style spread through the Paris region, then outward into France and beyond.

In the third section, Scott highlights some of the classic details of what the Gothic look entails. There is a geometric symmetry involved, which, 'when followed consistently, gives Gothic cathedrals their characteristic organic unity.' There is a logic and harmony built into the design. High vaulted ceilings, flying buttresses, pointed arches are other features. However, the key element in Gothic design is light, and it is in aid of this aspect that the other elements are enlisted. Gothic cathedrals in comparison with the dimly lit Romanesque predecessors are flooded with light. Be it clear or stained glass, the incorporation of windows and lighting techniques hitherto not done makes the Gothic space a brighter surrounding. Heaven would be a place of light, and the Gothic cathedral is intended as a foretaste of the heavenly banquet.

The fourth section explores the religious experience in Gothic structures, and how liturgies and worship are carried out, how they serve as temples of the imagination in addition to being the centre of worship, and how they become a repository of history. Part of this history was the incorporation of the memory and power of the dead into the fabric of the cathedrals - many became pilgrimage sites or burial sites; royal and other notable society figures also became part of the structures of cathedrals and churches. According to Scott, the cathedrals provided the saints with a focal point of veneration, and the saints in return provided a steady income (from the pilgrims) for the buildings to be completed.

The final section looks at the community that surrounded the Gothic enterprise, be they parish churches, abbey churches or cathedrals. Scott explores the living standards of the time, the stratification and specialisation of people in the different roles in society, and the questions not only of how the communities built the churches, but how the churches and cathedrals in turn built the communities. 'We might ...imagine that the long time required to build Gothic cathedrals added to the depth of the collective identity they engendered.' Indeed, in some regards, the building of a cathedral was never supposed to be completed. Spanning generations (sometimes, as in the case of Canterbury Cathedral, nearly 400 years) such enterprises defined the community in ways that no building project in modern times could approach.

Scott ends with a small essay regarding Stonehenge, not too far from Salisbury Cathedral, showing some similarities and differences in the way people built and found identity then.

Scott quotes Samuel Johnson as declaring Salisbury Cathedral 'the last perfection in architecture'; however, it is clear that there is much perfection to go around when it comes to all things Gothic. Scott's passion for the material and love of discovery is apparent on every page. A good writer, he serves as teacher, tour guide, and co-discoverer of ideas with the reader. This is a wonderful book.

A New Perspective on Gothic Cathedrals.......2004-01-15

I would highly recommend Robert A. Scott's new book, The Gothic Enterprise. Although many books have been published on the topic of Gothic Cathedrals, Scott has approached his subject with a new perspective. He asks the reader to think as much about the "why" of cathedral building as the "how." The reader will still find lots of information about the practical aspects of cathedral building, most helpfully enhanced by a discussion of the social, political, economic, and even climatological factors that complicated such long and challenging construction projects. But above and beyond this, Scott is interested in the people who conceived, designed, and built these great churches. What motivated them? How did hundreds of people with varying and often conflicting interests work collectively over long periods of time? What did an individual or a community expect in return for their contribution to such a bold undertaking?

Scott answers these questions and more. In turn he challenges the reader to see the cathedral in a new light, not only as an example of great architecture, but as tangible evidence of the commitment, creativity, hope, and faith of the people who, against great odds, undertook such a bold and difficult enterprise.

Having visited dozens of cathedrals, I think Scott is right on target. A cathedral is more than an amalgamation of stone, timber, and glass. If we look closely, we can still see traces of the contributors: in a mason's mark, the carved face of an 800 year-old effigy, a bishop's ring, or an irreverent carving high in the rooftops. It is the collective presence of these long-dead individuals, as much as the grandeur of the architecture that makes a cathedral so memorable, so tangibly the result of a collective human enterprise.

Scott's book is beautifully packaged with many photos and charming illustrations. It would be a handy guide for a traveler visiting cathedrals or a great read for an armchair traveler. I suspect the reader of The Gothic Enterprise will never see a cathedral in quite the same way again.

Great for both new and experienced enthusiasts.......2004-01-07

This book is both a wondrous introduction to Gothic Cathedrals for those who are newly curious about them and a concise but thorough resource for those who have long admired and read about the Gothic Cathedral. The author often takes a personal approach in his narrative, which seems quite appropriate given the personal impression these buildings were designed to make (and have made on most who will read this book). The book is both well-researched and easy to read, a difficult achievement. Its description of the elements of Gothic architecture, for example, is one of the most complete and clear treatments I have read.

The broad perspective taken (historical, intellectual, religious, architectural, sociological) helps bring together into one coherent whole the many different faces of the cathedral. Even those who may know the historical and intellectual origins of the cathedral will learn much about its other aspects here. For example, some of the details on construction techniques and parts of the discussion of "sacred spaces" within the cathedral were new even to someone who has read many books on the subject.

Medieval intellectual history and its relationship to the cathedrals is explored, and the coexistence of the potentially conflicting reason and faith in a single building is explained. Some discussion of how the cathedrals and their attached schools gave rise to the medieval (and hence the modern) university would have been helpful.

Overall, though, the book provides an excellent introduction to the topic and a comprehensive explanation of the "why" and "how" of Gothic Cathedrals (in addition to the more mundane, but still important, "who", "when", and "where").

Before this book, one would have to read many volumes to get such a complete picture of the Gothic Cathedral. This book is appropriate for anyone with an interest in the subject. It is the book that I'm sure many Gothic Cathedral enthusiasts wish they had written.

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Good historical overview; short on technical detail

Cathedral, Forge and Waterwheel: Technology and Invention in the Middle Ages

From Roman Stagnation to Renaissance Dynamism

A very generic reading

Capable Synthesis of Recent Scholarship (circa mid 1990's)

Cathedral, Forge and Waterwheel: Technology and Invention in the Middle Ages
Joseph Gies , and Frances Gies
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Life in a Medieval Village

Life in a Medieval City

Medieval Technology and Social Change

The Knight in History

Life in a Medieval Castle

ASIN: 0060925817

Amazon.com

Historians, write Frances and Joseph Gies, have long tended to view the Middle Ages as a period of intellectual and scientific stagnation, a long era of backwardness, ignorance, and inertia. Many scholars of the Renaissance era, however, thought otherwise; the mathematician Jerome Cardan, for one, held that three medieval inventions--the magnetic compass, the printing press, and gunpowder--were of such significance that "the whole of antiquity has nothing equal to show."

In their lively history of medieval technology, the Gies team writes of such advances as the heavy plow, the Gothic flying buttress, linen undergarments, water pumps, and the lateen sail. During the medieval millennium, they suggest, a great technological and social revolution occurred "with the disappearance of mass slavery, the shift to water- and wind-power, the introduction of the open-field system of agriculture, and the importation, adaptation, or invention of an array of devices, from the wheelbarrow to double-entry bookkeeping." Many of those inventions or adaptations, brought into Europe from China and the Middle East, have scarcely been improved on today.

The medieval technological revolution, the authors conclude, came at a cost: much of Europe was deforested to make room for cropland and to fire kilns and furnaces, and mechanization made obsolete many handicraft skills. Yet, they add, the workers and inventors of the Middle Ages "all transformed the world, on balance very much to the world's advantage." --Gregory McNamee

Book Description

An illuminating look at the monumental inventions of the Middle Ages, by the authors of Life in a Medieval Castle.

Customer Reviews:

Good historical overview; short on technical detail.......2007-04-11

As other reviewers mentioned, Franes Gies is also an author of this book.

The historical material is very interesting, and succeeds in the authors' aim to inform the layperson about recent (i.e. the last 30-50 years) developments in the history of medieval technology. According to the bookjacket's inside flap, they aim to dispel two "time-honored myths": that European civilization stagnated during the middle ages, and that later European technological and political ascendency was solely due to European ingenuity. In reality, technological and scientific advances took place in Europe throughout the middle ages, building gradually toward the achievements of the renaissance. These advances were due to a combination of European inventiveness with borrowing and inspiration from China, India and the Islamic world.

This book disappointed me because I was unable to understand many of the vague descriptions of the technology. Too often the authors either expect the reader to have background knowledge of the mechanisms and procedures that they describe; or else they only intend to impart a vague understanding of the way the mechanisms operated. I would expect that most readers of this book are interested in the details of the medieval technology. In addition, in a book that covers so many kinds of technology, such as architecture, shipping, textile manufacture, weaponry, etc., the authors ought to know that no reader will be familiar with every single kind of technology described.

Illustrations can help a reader to understand the textual descriptions, but hardly any of the illustrations are technical drawings. They are mostly reproductions of artworks or photographs of objects. These are labeled only by captioning, not by labeling parts of the objects depicted.

For example, a reproduction of a manuscript drawing/diagram of the water system of Canterbury, is printed upside-down, which makes the caption completely inaccurate. (Perhaps this has been corrected since the 1994 hardback edition.) In addition this illustration is reproduced too small for most of the labeling in the original to be legible.

A glossary and timelines could also have been helpful for readers.

The book is structured in chronological order, with each chapter covering several centuries. Each chapter is divided into sections about different kinds of technology. The sections are not listed in the table of contents, so if you are interested in a particular kind of technology, you must resort to skimming the chapters and the index.

If you like historical trivia, you will love this book. It is full of little nuggets, such as the origin of the word "coach" and the pros and cons of different kinds of waterwheels.

I enjoyed reading most of this book, but I was frustrated by its shortcomings. You will probably feel the same way if you want to understand the exact workings of the technology described.

Cathedral, Forge and Waterwheel: Technology and Invention in the Middle Ages.......2007-01-10

Very interesting piece of history for technology specialists.

From Roman Stagnation to Renaissance Dynamism.......2006-03-27

This book by the husband and wife team of Joseph and Frances Gies is a labor of love, and it shows. It provides an overview of the history of technology from pre-classical times to the Renaissance. It is a secondary source textbook, which guides the reader to whatever primary source material may interest him. I can keep this text on my shelf at home, and if I wish to seek out some more detailed account of a contentious point by historians such as Edward Gibbon, Henri Pirenne, Lynn White, or Joseph Needham, the Gies' book will direct me to these more extensive works at my public library.

I was led to this book by the argument over whether there ever was a "fall of Rome" of the sort described by Gibbon. Rodney Stark, for example, denies it in his "The Victory of Reason." Bryan Ward-Perkins, on the other hand, insists there really was a catastrophic collapse in the levels of population, literacy, and economic activity in the 5th Century Western Roman Empire. I am convinced by Ward-Perkin's evidence, yet I must agree with Stark that the Frankish "dark ages" were far more productive of inventions than was the entire world of classical civilization from 500BC to 500AD. The Franks invented (or at least perfected) the horse collar, the wheeled moldboard plow, three-field crop rotation, the stirrup, and the water wheel. The only original thing the Romans invented was concrete.

The Gies' provided me with a way of putting these seemingly paradoxical facts into a consistent whole. The structures of high culture which would support populous urban centers and a literate Senatorial Roman class disappeared after the 5th Century. But the abolition of slavery and the efforts among lower class farmers to survive the chaos of the 6th and 7th Centuries motivated them to produce an astonishing amount of technological inventions. The Romans had no need for waterwheels, for example, since they had an almost limitless supply of slaves. The 6th Century Franks had to be more clever than that.

This may explain the inventiveness of the Franks compared to the Romans. But what about the Muslims? The Muslims served more as transmitters of technology from East to West than as innovators in their own right. Why did they fall so far behind the West after their brilliant start during the 8th to 10th Centuries?

I am grateful to the Gies' for showing me the continuities of technological development through the entire Middle Ages from the fall of Rome to the Renaissance. This has enriched my understanding of the discontinuities emphasized by Gibbon and Ward-Perkins. But much more needs to be done to explain the modern dominance of the West among world cultures. (Non-Western cultures have participated in this dominance only to the extent that they have successfully "Westernized.") Rodney Stark tried to explain this dominance of the West by reference to the alleged virtues of the Christian religion. I argued in my review of his book that his effort failed. But one needs a book like the "Cathedral, Forge, and Waterwheel" to even address these issues. That is why I am grateful to the Gies' for having created their book.

A very generic reading.......2005-01-25

This book is filled with interesting facts. If you are looking a very shallow introduction to medieval technology, this book can help you as a way to read a more advance study.

As allways, the Gies present a very organized book, dividing the inventions and technology according to the low or high middle ages, and making subdivisions for a better understanding of the different technologies (in clothing, in traveling, in science, in sailing, etc.)

All that being said, the book is a little boring at times. Some of the inventions are shown in drawings, but this is not the case in most examples, and to imagine the machine by description only turns the book into a complicated reading, a reading that bores you from time to time.

Capable Synthesis of Recent Scholarship (circa mid 1990's).......2004-11-24

Correction to the Amazon listing: this book is authored by Frances and Joseph Gies, not just Joseph. It says so on the cover of the book.

Husband and wife team of (amateur?) scholars, synthesize recent scholarship (from mid 60's on) on the middle ages for your reading pleasure.

As the title hints at and the subtitle: Technology and Invention in the Middle Ages, spells out, the focus is the manner in which technology and invention transformed society in the area soon to be known as "the West".

The broadest service this book provides is to cue the reader in to the massive scholarship on the subject that exists outside the English speaking world of academia. The French in particular have made many developments in this field of study, but their work seems to be only occasionally translated.

The Gies' are careful footnoters and their method is fairly rigorous. Because they rely on the scholarship that is anywhere from 10 to 200 years old, there are bound to be statements that are inaccurate. This does not effect the merit of the book.

This book provides and excellent introduction to the scholarship on the history of the middle ages, specficically as it relates to technology. However, the bibliography points the interested reader to a fuller picture of the available scholarship, and therfore Cathedral, Forge and Waterwheel, is useful in that sense as well.

Probably not for strictly "general" readers, nor for scholars/academics, this book is best for the motivated lay reader.

Cathedral of the Black Madonna: The Druids and the Mysteries of Chartres

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Jean Markale is Brilliant
A stunning labyrinth of discovery

Cathedral of the Black Madonna: The Druids and the Mysteries of Chartres
Jean Markale
Manufacturer: Inner Traditions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1594770204
Release Date: 2004-10-27

Book Description

Explores the connection between ancient druidic worship of a virgin at Chartres and the veneration of the Black Madonna

• Examines the Virgin Mary’s origins in the pagan worship of the Mother Goddess

• Identifies Mary with the dominant solar goddess of matriarchal societies

The great cathedral of Chartres is renowned the world over as a masterpiece of High Gothic architecture and for its remarkable stained glass, considered alchemical glass, and its mystical labyrinth. But the sacred foundations of this sanctuary go back to a time long before Christianity when this site was a clearing where druids worshiped a Virgo Paritura: a virgin about to give birth. This ancient meeting place, where all the druids in Gaul gathered once a year, now houses the magnificent Chartres cathedral dedicated both to the Virgin Mary, Mother of God, and to one of the most venerated Black Madonnas in Europe: Our Lady of the Pillar. Coincidence? Hardly, says Jean Markale, whose exhaustive examination of the site traces Chartres’ roots back to prehistoric times and the appeal of the Black Madonna back to the ancient widespread worship of Mother Goddesses such as Cybele and Isis.

Markale contends that the mother and child depicted by the Black Madonna are descended from the image worshipped by the druids of the Virgin forever giving birth. This image is not merely a representation of maternal love--albeit of a spiritual nature. It is a theological notion of great refinement: the Virgin gives birth ceaselessly to a world, a God, and a humanity in perpetual becoming.

Customer Reviews:

Jean Markale is Brilliant.......2005-10-27

I love this man and wish more of his books were translated into English. His insight is phenonemal as well as his research. A must read 'before' your trip to Chartres. It arrived after I returned last year, but encouraged me to go again this year.

A stunning labyrinth of discovery.......2005-05-07

Jean Markale's books are an amazing journey of discovery through philosophy, gnosis, and the wonderful world of esoterica. He is a mystic and a scholar, he is a teacher and a guide. Markale will never force his conclusions upon you, rather he leads you to them and makes you think and feel for yourself. There is no dogma in his work, only wisdom. While he researches with the thorough tenacity of the most intrepid academic, he is never pendantic or stodgy in his conclusions.

There are layers of fascinating historical information within, the kind of detail that isn't found in a library, but that comes from Markale's lifelong love of his French homeland and the folklore and cultures that he was raised in. This is wisdom firsthand. It is experiential and real.

If you have an interest in ancient cultures, goddess worship, the sacred nature of the cathedrals and those who built them, and the path of Gnosis, there is much to love in this book. But don't expect a linear, typical journey. Markale is a genius, and he would never do anything that obvious.

Read it, put it away and read it a few months later. You will see something within it that you did not see before.

The Age of the Cathedrals: Art and Society, 980-1420

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The Terror and the Beauty

The Age of the Cathedrals: Art and Society, 980-1420
Georges Duby
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0226167704

Book Description

Recognizing that a work of art is the product of a particular time and place as much as it is the creation of an individual, Duby provides a sweeping survey of the changing mentalities of the Middle Ages as reflected in the art and architecture of the period.

"If Age of the Cathedrals has a fault, it is that Professor Duby knows too much, has too many new ideas and takes such a delight in setting them out. . . insights whiz to and fro like meteorites."—John Russell, New York Times Book Review

Customer Reviews:

The Terror and the Beauty.......2005-04-02

Now, don't get me wrong, this book is a very serious scholarly work packed with facts and dates, notes and references. However, according to the author -renowned French historian and member of the Académie Française Georges Duby, who died in 1996- History should be considered, and worked as, a literary genre. And hence his care with vocabulary and narration, his pains to characterize the frame of mind of those who populated the age he was a specialist in: the European Middle Ages. This book is maybe his most significant contribution to understanding the artistic heritage of those years, and he certainly succeeds with it in making us grasp some of the feelings and visions of the world that are behind some of the most striking monuments ever made by men: the gothic cathedrals.

Duby's aim is, as usual, to explain through carefully crafted narration how the society that erected such awe-inspiring monuments behaved and tried to understand itself; how cathedrals are a product of it, and also which were the powers that guided that society. But although some representatives of those powers (church and monarchy) may have been wholly convinced that Cathedrals where ultimately monuments to their glory, Duby shows us throughout the pages of this wonderful book how the architects and the workers, the masons, the servants, the monks, but also the priests and nobles, artists and scholars, contributed with their work and their blood, to make cathedrals maybe the most astounding homage to the power of Life, with its terror and its beauty.

Terror is what you will find at the very beginning of the book(in the year 1000 approx.): the terror of living in the wild forested land that then was Western Europe, trying to scratch a living out of the unyielding land, trying to survive and understand the scourge of terrible plagues or murderous invasions that decimated the few and scattered settlings. The amazing pungency of this beginning totally catches us (who probably expected an arid compilation of dates and battles) unawares and takes us from the basest level of medieval society (especially that of France) up through different layers to the powers that governed lives and souls and who decided where and when one of these fabulous temples should be erected.

Even if you are not a catholic or Christian, even if you are an atheist, when you walk into one of these striking temples you can't help but notice -at ground level, near your feet- how there are numerous tombs of kings, priests, powerful people, that will make you think about the unavoidable mystery and darkness of death; how higher up there are paintings and works of art depicting good and evil, the fights and the fears, the knowledge and redemption to be sought and found throughout life; and when you raise your eyes to the stained-glass windows and the soaring spires....the wonder and the bliss, the whole power of Life.

So, if you are considering a visit to one of these greatest of human works of art, the gothic cathedrals of Western Europe, this is the book to read, or even take with you. But even if this is not the case, I recommend you to read it. You will see a whole society creating, with their work and effort, with their minds and hearts, with their very blood, one of the greatest, best homages to Life: to the sheer awe and terror of it, and the sheer wonder and beauty of it.

(In memory of Bob Zeidler. To the friend I would have liked to have, who died on April 2 2005)

Brotherhood of Canons Serving God (A English Secular Cathedrals in the Later Middle Ages (Studies in the History of Medieval Religion)

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Brotherhood of Canons Serving God (A English Secular Cathedrals in the Later Middle Ages (Studies in the History of Medieval Religion)
David Lepine
Manufacturer: Boydell Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Book Description

This study focuses on the canons of the nine secular cathedrals in England in the later middle ages, who were amongst the most able and successful clerics of their age. After considering the functions of the cathedrals which provided them with a comfortable income and considerable status, Dr Lepine turns to the canons themselves, tracing their origins and analysing their careers. He examines the canons' residence at their cathedrals, establishing how many were resident in the close and how much time they spent there. The study concludes by presenting two case studies to show the vigour and diversity of capitular life in the later middle ages: Salisbury between 1398 and 1458 (its so-called golden age) and Lichfield from 1490 to 1540, on the eve of the Reformation. Dr DAVID LEPINEteaches history at Dartford Grammar School.

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