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.

History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)

Average customer rating:

Check and see
Suprise! Suprise!
Prescient St Augustine?
Something of a disappointment
Romulus courts Helen, Paris founds Rome, Moses goes to Troy..

History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)
Anatoly T Fomenko
Manufacturer: Delamere Resources LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Assyria, Babylonia & Sumer | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

Historiography | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Medieval | World | History | Subjects | Books

German | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Russian | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Spanish | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Chinese | Classics | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Mythology & Folklore | Encyclopedias | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Controversial Knowledge | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

History | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Celtic | Earth-Based Religions | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Magic & Wizards | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

History | Fashion | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 2913621066

Product Description

`History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2` is the second volume of the most explosive and astounding tractate on history ever written - however, every theory it contains, no matter how unorthodox, is backed by rock solid scientific data. The book is easy and pleasant to read; it is well-illustrated, contains hundreds of charts, graphs and illustrations, copies of ancient manuscripts, and countless facts attesting to the falsity of the chronology used nowadays. You will be amazed to discover: - That the chronology universally accepted today and taken for granted is simply wrong; - That ALL methods of dating of ancient sources and artefacts known today are erroneous or non-exact; - That there is not a single document that could be reliably dated earlier than the XIth century; The Author refers to the Middle Ages as the Antiquity and proves mutual superimposition of the Second and the Third Roman Empire, both of which become identified as the respective kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Furthermore, he asserts that the famous reform of the Occidental Church in the XI century by Pope Gregory Hildebrand was the reflection of the XII century reforms of Byzantine emperor Andronicus who in his turn identifies with Jesus Christ. The Trojan war counted by Homer happened only as late as of the XIII century A.D. and the great poet actually lived in XIV century A.D. No stone in history of Antiquity is left unturned. Literally. This book is the beginning of a major correction to the chronology we live with.

Customer Reviews:

Check and see.......2007-06-21

I don't care what other people say of this book. Those affirmig it's fake, they hadn't ever read it. Or have some special reasons to do so. "Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see..." This book won't make you feel comfortable. It'll make you feel free. It'll make you feel you're "not the only one" to feel you'd been lied to for centuries.

Suprise! Suprise!.......2007-03-22

Here is a serie of books which turns "the whole world" upside down. I learned a lot of it and I hope that a new book from A.T. Fomenko will follow very quick. A absolute must for everybody who is interested in history or even a little bit from it.

Prescient St Augustine?.......2006-02-05

We can so far divide the New Chronology into the following three parts:

a) The verifiable theory that proves consensual chronology wrong with the aid of astronomy, statistics and mathematics;

b) The new chronology hypothesis based on a new understanding of known historical facts and the most likely logical explanation of the most obvious inconsistencies inherent in the official version of history;

c) The history conjectures, that is experimental historical reconstructions based on assumptions that the authors believe to make sense in the light of their research and linguistic parallels - void of ironclad factual support to date.

Fomenko's theory complies with the most rigid scientific standards as a whole:

It gives a coherent explanation of what we already know.

- It is consistent: independent lines of inquiry all lead to the same conclusion.

- The predictions it makes are confirmed empirically.

Fomenko goes by the following axioms:

- Chronology is the basis of history;

- Human evolution has always been linear, gradual and irreversible;

- The "cyclic" nature of human civilization is a myth, likewise all the gaps, duplicates, "dark ages" and "renaissances" that we know from consensual history;

- The accumulation of geographical knowledge as reflected in cartography is a gradual and irreversible process;

- The chronological distance between a given manuscript and the events described therein is proportional to the amount of distortions it contains;

- There is no "useless" information in authentic ancient sources.

Why the mainstream historians do not shower mathematician Academician Dr.Prof Fomenko with thanks and laurels?

The Russians:

Because Fomenko asserts that there was no such thing as the Tartar and Mongol invasion followed by three centuries of slavery, providing a formidable body of documental evidence to prove his assertion. The so-called "Tartars and Mongols" were the actual ancestors of the modern Russians, living in a bilingual state with Arabic spoken as freely as Russian. The ancient Russian state was governed by a double structure of civil and military authorities. The hordes were actually professional armies with a tradition of lifelong conscription (the recruitment being the so-called "blood tax"). Their "invasions" were punitive operations against the regions that attempted tax evasion. Fomenko proves that Russian history as we know it today is a blatant forgery concocted by a host of German scientists brought to Russia by the usurper dynasty of the Romanovs, whose ascension to the throne was the result of coup d'état, charged with the mission of making their reign look legitimate. Fomenko proves Ivan the Terrible to be a collation of four rulers, no less. They represented the two rival dynasties - the legitimate rulers and the ambitious upstarts. The winner took it all! Over some 30 years of controversy, Russian historians have made a most remarkable transition - they were initially accusing the young mathematician Fomenko of anticommunist dissident activity and attempts to deface the historical legacy of Soviet Russia; nowadays the middle-aged mathematician is accused of adhering to "pro-communist Russian nationalism" and defacing the proud historical legacy of Great Russia.

The Westerners:

Because Fomenko blows consensual Russian history to smithereens, successfully removing a crucial cornerstone from underneath the otherwise impeccable edifice of World History. Fomenko adds insult to injury, wiping out one by one the Ancient Rome (the foundation of Rome in Italy is dated to the XIV century A. D.), the Ancient Greece and its numerous poleis, which he identifies as the mediaeval crusader settlements on the territory of Greece, and the Ancient Egypt (the pyramids of Giza become dated to the XI-XV century A. D. and identified as the royal cemetery of the Global "Mongolian" Empire, no less). The civilization of the Ancient Egypt is irrefutably dated to the XII-XV century A. D. with the aid of the ancient Egyptian horoscopes cut in stone. He was the first one to decipher and date all such horoscopes, coming up with mediaeval dates in every case. English historians rage at the suggestion that the history of Ancient England was de facto a Byzantine import transplanted to the English soil by the fugitive Byzantine nobility. To reward the English historians who consider themselves the true scribes of World History, the cover of the present book portrays Tintoretto's Jesus Christ crucified on the Big Ben.

The Chinese:

Because Fomenko wipes out the Ancient History of China outright. No such thing. Full point. The compilation of the so-called Ancient Chinese History is reliably datable to the XVII-XVIII century only. It is perfectly recognizable as the Ancient European history, reworked and transcribed in hieroglyphs as yet another historical transplantation, this time performed on the Chinese soil by the loving Jesuit hands. The Chinese are the next in line to go berserk. Chinese history is inevitably bound to get both more ancient and more eventful, proportionally to the growing involvement of China in the world affairs. Chinese historians will keep on finding valid proof of prehistoric Chinese spaceflights until the Politburo orders them to shut up.

The Arabs:

Too bad. Islam with all its key figures is datable to XV-XVI century A. D. Arabic historians may find consolation in the crucial historical role of the Ottoman Empire in the XVI-XVII century. The trouble is that this empire was initially a Christian state, with Hagia Sophia identifiable as Temple of Solomon, according to Fomenko! We can only guess if the acquisition of Alexander the Great (a Macedonian and a Christian) as the founder of the Muslim World Empire will make Fomenko's theories more acceptable to the Arabic mainstream. He certainly does not spare any holy cows at all, claiming The Stone of Qa'Aba in Mecca to contain the lost Arch of the Covenant.

The Divinity:

Despite of reiterated statement that his theory is all about chronology and not Religion, Fomenko stirs up a whole condominium of wasp nests. His collection of anathemas, fatwa, and other condemnations from all parties concerned is already considerable. Little wonder, considering that the history of religions à la Fomenko looks as follows: the pre-Christian period (before the XI century and JC), Bacchic Christianity (XI-XII century, before and after JC), JC Christianity (XII-XVI century) and its subsequent mutations into Orthodox Christianity, the Catholicism, Islam, Buddhism, and so on.

According to Fomenko we know strictly NOTHING about the events that predate the X century A. D.

St Augustin was prescient when he spoke unto us: "be wary of mathematicians, particularly when they speak the truth."

Something of a disappointment.......2005-09-09

After having read the first volume of this expected series of 7 volumes I was triggered by the thesis of these authors that ancient Greek and Roman history did in fact take place in the Middle Ages. So I started studying medieval history of the Middle East - also known as Islamic history - to find out if the opponents of the ancient Greeks and Romans - the Acheamenid Persians, Sassanids, Scythians, Egyptians, etc. - also have their duplicates in medieval history. My search was disappointing: none of the many medieval Islamic dynasties seemed to correspond to the ancient middle eastern rulers.

However, I did find a close correspondence between Herodotus' Persian kings and medieval events:

- the defeat and capture of an Anatolian king - the Lydian Croesus - by the Persian conqueror Cyrus is identical to the defeat and capture of another Anatolian king - sultan Bayezid - by the Asian/Mongol conqueror Tamerlane;
- the Persian conquest of Egypt by the cruel tyrant Cambyses reds almost exactly as the Ottoman conquest of Egypt by Selim the Grim (note the nickname!);
- Darius the Lawgiver of the Persian Empire looks very much alike to Sulayman the Magnificent, the Lawgiver in Islamic history;
- Xerxes, whose main claim to fame is to be defeated by the Greeks at the naval battle of Salamis, looks like Selim II (the Sot) whose main claim to fame is to be defeated by a Spanish-Italian alliance at the naval battle of Lepanto.

I should have expected Fomenko et al. to arrive at similar conclusions, however, they claim that the Persian kings are the alter egos of the Angevin kings of Sicily whose biographies do not contain the exploits of the Persian kings.

The similiarities I indicate lead to the conclusion that Herodotus must have written his Histories at the close of the 16th century. But this is extremely late, given that Herodotus is "the Father of History", so therefore all other "ancient" histories must have been fabricated even later. Yet, the founders of modern chronology - Scaliger and Petavius - laid their foundations also at the close of the 16th century and had the full corpus of ancient histories already at their disposal.

It seems to me that Fomenko has to address these inconsistencies, maybe in the forthcoming 5 volumes?

Another critique of their book is that the correspondencies between different rulers are often based on a superficial comparison of the biographies; upon a more thorough comparison many details appear that do not correspond at all.

Finally, the authors rely heavily on the works of Gregorovius (1821-1891!!) - his medieval histories of Rome and Athens - as the source of medieval history; these works are - at least in the West - hoplessly outdated and have been superceded by more up-to-date works (for instance, Julius Norwich's trilogy on Byzantine history is not even cited).

Romulus courts Helen, Paris founds Rome, Moses goes to Troy.........2005-07-30

If you agree with Fomenko that Roman chronology is basically the foundation of the entire edifice of global chronology; you would also certainly agree that despite its numerous gaps and inconsistencies, Roman history is the best-documented field of ancient history, and thus a reference scale. But how well is the actual date of the Eternal City's foundation known?

Firstly, Rome is supposed to have been founded by the Trojans who had to flee after the fall of Troy. Some claim Rome to have been founded by Aeneas and Ulysses shortly after Troy had fallen; others are of the opinion that there was an entire dynasty that ruled for 500 years between the fall of Troy and the foundation of Rome.

Well, that's just an innocent 500 years long misunderstanding compared with what heretic Fomenko says, asserts, proves in his second volume: Second Roman Empire, Third Roman Empire, Biblical Kingdom of Israel, Biblical Kingdom of Judah, Holy Roman Empire are stories about basically same events, written from different points of view at different times. The underlying events have actually taken place during xii-xv cy. These histories have been written and perfected by multitude of highly talented humanist and clerical writers of xiii-xvi cy disguised as "ancients" with glorious names like Homer, Pluto, Thucydides etc..Chronology 2.0 beta..

Historians are kindly invited to report the bugs.

Average customer rating:

I loved this book!
"Soap Fire" is a more accurate title...
Great Book
Absorbing Novel
One of the best I have ever read.

Ironfire: An Epic Novel of Love and War
David Ball
Manufacturer: Delta
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0385338066
Release Date: 2005-04-26

Book Description

From the acclaimed author of Empires of Sand comes a mesmerizing new adventure that Jean Auel cites as “crowded with events that both forecast and mirror the conflicts of today.” Sweeping from the drawing rooms of Paris to the palace of Suleiman the Magnificent to the dark hold of a slave ship racing across the sea, here is a dazzling story of love and valor, innocence and identity, an epic novel of the clash of civilizations on a barren island where the future was forged.

The Mediterranean, the sixteenth century: Lying squarely in the midst of the vital sea lanes between the Christian West and the Ottoman Empire in the East, and ruled by the ancient Order of the Knights of St. John, Malta will become the stage upon which the fate of the world turns. For one of its sons, the hand of violence strikes swiftly, when young Nicolo Borg is seized by Barbary slavers and launched on a remarkable journey to the court of the supreme ruler of the Muslim world. Renamed Asha, plotting his escape even as he swears allegiance to the god of his masters and is schooled in the arts of culture and war, the innocent boy will be transformed into one of the Sultan’s deadliest commanders.

For Nico’s beloved sister, Maria, his loss fires her hatred for the knights who did nothing to save him and her dreams of escape from her stifling home. As the headstrong girl grows into a fierce beauty, she will capture the attention of one man in particular, Christien de Vries, a surgeon-knight torn between duty and desire, caught up in Malta’s frantic preparations against the coming Ottoman storm. Around Nico and Maria are men and women who will share their destinies: Dragut Raïs, a brilliant corsair, arch-rival of the knights…Giulio Salvago, a priest in full flight from his carnal nature…Alisa, a young beauty hidden away in a harem…Jean de La Valette, the master knight who is Malta’s only hope for survival.

As the mighty Ottoman fleet bears down on the tiny island, as Nico Borg makes his way back to his homeland at the helm of a warship, Ironfire moves inexorably to a shattering climax where all will face ultimate justice in the murderous cauldron of siege warfare. Brilliantly capturing the crosscurrents of a storied age, Ironfire is historical fiction in the grand tradition, a stirring realization of a pivotal moment in time that irrevocably shaped the world we inhabit today.

From the Hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews:

I loved this book!.......2007-06-18

In the very best tradition of historical fiction, this book hooked me with the first page. David Ball is a truly a gifted writer, and does a wonderful job of making that period of history come alive. I'm looking forward to reading Empires of Sand, his first novel.

"Soap Fire" is a more accurate title..........2007-01-19

*** SPOILERS AHEAD !!! ***

Iron Fire aspires to be a historical novel. Though well-written and occasionally fascinating, Ball's epic has serious flaws as both history and fiction. It is a tough slog that could have used a bit more editing, or better yet, a different authorial perspective.

In terms of history, Ball's failing is what might be termed "Restonitis" after the alleged non-fiction author who has written junky pop fiction about the Crusades, the Inquisition, and the 11th Century. The symptoms of this disease are 1) the certainty that no sane or decent person in past ages ever espoused Christianity as a belief. Therefore every devout Christian in this book is inevitably a fanatic, hypocrite, fool, or scoundrel. Any and all sympathetic characters are always non-religious types or members of some other belief system. Symptom # 2 of Restonitis is an assumption that Islamic civilization in the past is in every way superior to Christianity, more tolerant, sophisticated, peaceable, moral, and advanced. Therefore the Muslims here are both more civilized in general, and also their religion apparently has none of the deficiencies of Christianity, so every religious Muslim in this book is really smart, noble, and decent.

To anyone who's studied history on a reasonably objective, both symptoms of Restonitis are laughable and naive misstatements of fact. This puerile bias is particularly silly in Ball's book as the Siege of Malta is literally incomprehensible if we assume the Knights were all vile and brutal hypocrites whose Christianity was irrelevant or deeply flawed. The Knights as a group endured a lot and suffered much, and the citizens of Malta suffered by their side. If the Knights and civilians did not really believe in their faith, they would have surrendered or collapsed under siege. The victory they achieved is due in large part to the strength of their religious conviction, and to doubt this from a cynical modern authorial perspective greatly reduces one's ability to write convincingly of the era.

So on the historical level, we have a cartoon, with even such notable Christian leaders as De Valette being portrayed as a harsh mean-spirited martinet, and every Muslim in sight having a halo over his saintly head. The local parish priest is an evil rapist, the Bishop is indifferent to the plight of his flock, the rank and file Knight abuses commoners, drinks, gambles, and whores, etc. This is an idiotic picture of an era, and more importantly does not do much to explain the causes, conduct, or outcome of the central plot element here, the Siege of Malta.

On the level of fiction, Ball fares a bit better as he is not a bad writer and tells a good tale. However, he has an unerring perspective to seize on what is dull and trite and so slights more interesting and unique topics. Thus we see a lot of wretched boring peasant life in Birgu, and clichéd heartwarming Yenta-like shtetl domesticity with a colony of secret Jews who are of course all lovely, caring, and wonderful (as they are not Christians, you see). The Knights are generally ignored, and the Siege itself is only about a quarter of the book. We see a little bit of life in the Sultan's court which is unique and interesting, but then we are back to Birgu for more adventures of our impoverished, abused Orphan Annie substitute, Maria.

Maria's misadventures are another problem. Her brother is kidnapped, her mean drunkard father beats and mistreats her, her mother is indifferent to her and then calls her a whore. She is raped by an evil priest, ignored by the Bishop and civil authorities, and then sees her adopted Jewish family tortured and beaten by evil Christians. (Hm, do I even need to add the work "evil" there?) Then finally she falls in love with a noble Knight of St John (who being a good man of course ignores his Christian faith and his sacred vows and has sex with her outside of marriage). Then of course there is her unrequited love admirer Jacopo, and finally the return of her long lost brother on the other side of the Muslim siege forces...

Anyway, besides the fact that so much misadventure strains credulity, Maria is also virtuous, perky, smart, optimistic, beautiful etc. She is therefore an utterly boring character who makes Dickens heroes seem like deep and complex personalities. The other main characters are somewhat better, but between the cartoonishly evil Christians and the Pollyannaesque heroine, much of Ball's narrative is unconvincing and tedious to read. Another main problem is Asha's love for Alisa, which is told (not shown) to us as being a major motive for his behavior and driving force of his life. Frankly, the little we see of his love suggests puppy love, and the burning urge for revenge that develops from Asha's loss is hard to believe.

In total, we have bits and pieces of an interesting book here. The naval warfare, the conflict between cultures and religions, the Knights of St John, and the Siege itself are all fascinating. However, the soap opera aspects of the plot, the dull heroine, and the overly modernistic secular interpretation of events stands in the way of the good stuff, and ultimately Ball spends a lot of time on the less interesting aspects of his story. We have all read the oppressed peasant girl meets dreamy nobleman plotline far too many times before, and to have yet another iteration of this old saw at the expense of more unique and fascinating development is a great loss. We see the glimpses of a great story in the background, but annoying Maria and her latest ordeal keep getting in the way.

Finally, as mentioned above, the politically correct vilification of Christianity and the idealized treatment of Islam suggest a reverse form of colonial cringe, where we in the West feel all guilty and ashamed that we sucked so much in the past. While we as a culture should take care not to be chauvinistic, Ball's work goes too far in the opposite direction. This makes his book feel like a puppet show, and ultimately suggests that he was unable or unwilling to do serious research into the realities of the era about which he writes.

Great Book.......2006-11-28

A little slow to develop, but unstoppable once it got going. There's some fantastic detail and it's very historically accurate. I'd recommend it to anyone.

Absorbing Novel.......2006-10-11

An important novel, mainly because most Americans know nothing of this pivotal struggle - The Great Seige of Malta, 1565. The History Channel regularly ignores it when covering the Ottoman Empire, the life of Sulieman, or the Knights Hospitaliers. A major motion picture about the Great Seige was scrapped in 2003, probably due to tensions with the West and Islam. David Ball is masterful in depicting the battle scenes, and is very faithful to the historical unfolding of the event, as chronicled by an eyewitness historian named Balbi. It's truly unbelievable to those who haven't read this account.Forts St. Elmo and St. Angelo still stand today and you can tour them while vacationing in Malta. There's also a museum at the Grand Master's Palace in Valletta with thousands of artifacts from the Great Seige on display. The characters in the story are developed nicely and there are some surprises. Lots of twists and turns and well-paced. Hard to put down this book. It all leads up to the inevitable climax, which gets very intense.

One of the best I have ever read........2006-08-17

I read David Ball's Empires of Sand when I was traveling through the Andes mountains in Peru. And now I had the chance to travel through Turkey, so I stopped at the local bookstore and picked up a copy of Ironfire.

This is truely one of the best novels I have ever read. Please, don't read anymore reviews or summaries of this book. Let the story unfold around you clearly and do not bring any preconceptions about what to expect.

If you love reading about real humans, then read this book. Real people are not evil or good, deceitful or arrogant, brave or cowardly. Real humans are a complicated mix between many things. That is what this story is about and I guarantee that it will bring tears to your eyes several times, both joyful and sad tears. And sometimes emotions will rise within your throat just from the sheer weight of it all.

Average customer rating:

Vulchers Desire Dead Meat
Another Bodice Ripper
Bloody Good
Blood and Guts
Novelist and filmmaker Tim Willocks presents the first book of the Tannhauser Trilogy

The Religion: A Novel
Tim Willocks
Manufacturer: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Action & Adventure | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0374248656
Release Date: 2007-05-15

Book Description

This is what we dream of: to be so swept away, so poleaxed by a book that the breath is sucked right out of us. Brace yourselves.

May 1565. Suleiman the Magnificent, emperor of the Ottomans, has declared a jihad against the Knights of Saint John the Baptist. The largest armada of all time approaches the knights’ Christian stronghold on the island of Malta. The Turks know the knights as the “Hounds of Hell.” The knights call themselves “The Religion.”

In Messina, Sicily, a French countess, Carla La Penautier, seeks passage to Malta in a quest to find the son taken from her at his birth twelve years ago. The only man with the expertise and daring to help her is a Rabelaisian soldier of fortune, arms dealer, former janissary, and strapping Saxon adventurer by the name of Mattias Tannhauser. He agrees to accompany the lady to Malta, where, amid the most spectacular siege in military history, they must try to find the boy—whose name they do not know and whose face they have never seen—and pluck him from the jaws of Holy War.

The Religion is the first book of the Tannhauser Trilogy, and from the first page of this epic account of the last great medieval conflict between East and West, it is clear we are in the hands of a master. Not since James Clavell has a novelist so powerfully and assuredly plunged readers headlong into another world and time. Anne Rice transformed the vampire novel. Stephen King reinvented horror. Now, in a spectacular tale of heroism, tragedy, and passion, Tim Willocks revivifies historical fiction.

Customer Reviews:

Vulchers Desire Dead Meat.......2007-09-26

The author delivers what he feels the target audience would want, just as the owner of a strip-joint would do; and a couple of the sex scenes are consistent with the nature of the material one might find in a strip-joint setting. The average quality of the overall literary corpus has just dropped a notch.

Another Bodice Ripper.......2007-09-17

Why are people writing such long winded, positive reviews for this book? It's just another Bodice Ripper, and not a very good one at that. By page 75 there'd already been 4 detailed descriptions of obscene (and violent) sex and I enjoy a good Bodice Ripper as much as the other guy, but this was over done and poorly written. Very Bad book. Don't waste your time!

Bloody Good.......2007-09-11

In this book Willocks spins a bloody metaphore with the best of them. I cared about the characters and got a sense of history. Good love stories too.

Blood and Guts.......2007-09-09

This book is not deep in any sense of the word, except in blood and guts. It is a page-turner with a great sense of the historical times. The protaganist is a little too much of a macho hero for many folks but the yarn really moves along. I am looking forward to the next two volumes in the series.

Novelist and filmmaker Tim Willocks presents the first book of the Tannhauser Trilogy.......2007-09-03

Novelist and filmmaker Tim Willocks presents the first book of the Tannhauser Trilogy, The Religion, an unabridged audiobook historical novel set in 1565, amid the Holy War. Suleiman the Magnificent, emperor of the Ottomans, has declared jihad against the Knights of Saint John the Baptist, who call themselves "The Religion". Amid this clash of civilizations, French countess Carla la Penautier seeks passage to Malta to find her son, taken at birth twelve years ago. Saxon adventurer, arms dealer, and soldier of fortune Mattias Tannhauser agrees to aid her on her search - together they must find a boy whose face they have never seen, and rescue him from the raging Holy War. Evocatively narrated by Earphone award-winning speaker Simon Vance, The Religion is an epic to keep the listener at the edge of his or her seat to the very end. 21 CDs, 25.5 hours.

The shield and the sword;: The Knights of St. John, Jerusalem, Rhodes, and Malta

Average customer rating:

The shield and the sword;: The Knights of St. John, Jerusalem, Rhodes, and Malta
Ernle Dusgate Selby Bradford
Manufacturer: Dutton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Heraldry | Genealogy | Reference | Subjects | Books

Average customer rating:

Knights of Malta Has Plenty of Detail
The Knights of Malta
defenders of the faith, and all that
Thorough, Scholarly, and Historical if Tough to Read
Timely and on the eve of the 900th anniversary of the Order

The Knights of Malta
H. J. A. Sire
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

Malta | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Social History | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Arts & Photography | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Religion & Spirituality | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0300068859

Book Description

In this handsome book, H.J.A. Sire provides the first complete history of the Order of St. John, also called the Knights of Malta, from its military and political role during the Crusades to the modernized Catholic institution that it is today. Generously illustrated, the book contains numerous examples of the Order`s enormous art and architectural legacy over nine centuries.

Customer Reviews:

Knights of Malta Has Plenty of Detail.......2006-07-07

If you are interested in an indepth history of this ancient religious order and its impact on Europe and the Catholic Church then this book is a good bet for you. Sire provides tons of historical data and you can tell that this text was very well researched. Having said that, Knights of Malta was a somewhat difficult read for me. The author assumes the reader has some fluency in Latin and in French as there are no translations of certain passages of text. Likewise the writing style is more reminiscent of a college text book. I can't fault Sire in providing so much historical detail but in so doing, the overall feel of this book is very dry.

The Knights of Malta.......2002-11-25

In 1096, when the first Crusaders arrived in Jerusalem, they discovered the Hospital of St. John, which healed the wounds of the heroic knights. It would be this encounter that led the hospitallers to rally around their leader Brother Gerard de Saxo and created the Order of St. John. The knights returned to Europe, but they never forgot the kindness of the hospital that healed their wounded. After the first Crusade, the Order grew in importance and received many appreciative donations that helped solidify the future for the Order. The activities of the Order of St. John throughout its history assumed the role as the defenders of Christianity. The Order gained importance and power because the knights of the order fought bravely against the vigorous Islamic world. The knights defended the Holy Land for a long time, but were finally expelled at their last stronghold at Acre in 1291. The Order of St. John moved to Cyprus for fifteen years, then Rhodes, and lastly Malta.

If you are going to read Bradford's The Great Siege: Malta 1565, I would highly recommend that you read something on the Knights of Malta and their origins (this book would be a good choice). I give the book four stars because I really enjoyed reading Attard's Knights of Malta than this particular book. Perhaps, it was the trendy front over, the fewer pages, the comfortable feeling folding the pages or his better storytelling of the Great Siege in my opinion.

defenders of the faith, and all that.......2002-01-24

Well, this work is certainly comprehensive, not to say exhaustive, so I give it three stars in deference to that. However, this is a recent piece of history writing, and it really doesn't show. Like the many 19th century histories you can find at your local library, Sire's book is conspicuously lacking in distance from the subject. He frequently displays a partisanship (I think) unsuitable for a historian, lacing his writing with condemnation of the "dishonorable" actions of the French knights and the paints a winning portrait of the SPanish. (I am particularly thinking of the section on Juan de Homedes, 1550's.) He presents his arguement as a 'debunking' of de Homedes' bad press, but never really addresses the issue. In short, I think the author is more interested in dreaming of the days of chivalry than seriously re-examining the controvertial role of the Knights.

Thorough, Scholarly, and Historical if Tough to Read.......1999-10-09

An excellent scholarly account of the Knights of St. John, Rhodes, and Malta. Very well researched, and I found the writing interesting and exciting, although others may find it tough to slog through. Absolutely the definitive work on the order.

Timely and on the eve of the 900th anniversary of the Order.......1998-10-09

Sire has done a wonderful job of capturing the deep history and tradition of the Order of St John and its shaping the history of Europe and defending the Faith. I was particularly pleased that Sire had researched the book in the Library of the Grand Priory of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem in London - the old Priory of Clerkenwell. The Most Venerable Order in the British Realm and its parent the Sovereign Order of St John, of Rhodes, and of Malta are truly the inheritors of the deep and rich tradition of the Order of St John as it has come down to us through the nine millennia of western history. I was also pleased that the author devoted an entire closing section to the future of the Sovereign Order and its plans to re-establish its presence on the island of Malta at Fort St Angelo. In fact the Order has now done just that and I think Sire deserves congrtulations on researching not only the Order's history but shall I say the present and future of the Order - into the next century and into the final century of its first millennia. With the granting of observer status to the UN in 1994, the Sovereign Order of St John has deepened its roots in the life and history of the world that will continue for another 900 years.

The Order of St John, in all four of its allied manifestations (The Sovereign Military and Hospitaller Order; The Most Venerable Order; the Johaniterorden, and in the Order in the Netherlands)has a tremendous charitable benefit to the world, in its hospital works, its ambulance work through the St John Ambulance Brigade in 44 countries, its first aid training and its nursing and health care work in communities around the globe is a wonderful example of humanitarian service. The author captures this richness and I can only hope he'll produce more material on the Order of St John and its impending 900th anniversary in 1999.

Average customer rating:

Best history book I've ever read. Period.

Comprehensive history

The Shield and the Sword (Classic Military History)
Ernle Bradford
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Asia | History | Subjects | Books
Malta | Europe | History | Subjects | Books
General | Military | History | Subjects | Books
General | World War II | Military | History | Subjects | Books
General | Church History | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Church Institutions & Organizations | Ministry & Church Leadership | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Monasticism | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

SWORD AND THE SCIMITAR: The Saga of the Crusades (Pen & Sword Military Classics)

Thermopylae: The Battle for the West

ASIN: 0141391103

Book Description

The order of the Knights Hospitaller of St. John of Jerusalem is the most long-lived of the great military orders of knighthood. Originating in a hospice on the road to Jerusalem and officially founded in 1099 during the First Crusade, the Knights of St. John continued to grow in wealth, power, and territory long after they were run out of Jerusalem by victorious Muslim forces. In The Shield and the Sword, Ernle Bradford displays his talents as a master storyteller and great scholar of the Mediterranean, charting the intriguing history of the Knights-from their origins in the Holy Land to their subsequent relocations to Rhodes, the island of Malta, and eventually England.

Customer Reviews:

Best history book I've ever read. Period. .......2006-11-11

This book takes the cake as a history book. It's almost like your reading a novel, but then you flip the pages and see the back cover where it says "history" and you curse, just a little, because you normally have sworn off history after high school but just can't find yourself able to throw the book down. Bradford's enthusiasim for the history part isn't lost though; oh no, by far it's transformed into an endearing and worthwhile tale of the Knights of St. John. His prose is so gentle yet sweeping that he easily delves into and out of side-descriptions and filler information, in fact a lot better than most modern novels do. He gets you to feel the Aegean sun that battered the backs of these superb soldiers and first rate monks when they were at Rhodes, and I can tell you that from word one to word end "The Shield and the Sword" is the book to read for history, whether you like the Crusades, adventure, war-stuff, or heck, you just want a good read. I'd personally recommend it for anyone- the stuffy nosed scholar or the curious child, the wondering joe off the street or the guy who sits at his computer screen reading this review (yes you, oh great and enlightened one!). So yeah, five stars, it's excellent.

Comprehensive history.......2003-06-30

From its birth in the first Crusade, through the possession of the isle of Rhodes to its lost of the island against the forces of Suleiman the Magnificent, to making a home on Malta; the great siege of Malta by Suleiman again, Mr Bradford is able to make well researched material interesting. After Malta, the Knights were on top, how they dropped to the bottom as they lost Malta to Napoleon, were they are now in the world as a humanitarian organization.
If you have any interest in this subject, this is a good book. It could have used a few more maps (I read the 1973 hard back version), and three times it seemed the author was taking sides with the Knights on some minor old debate. His book "The Great Siege; Malta 1565" is an excellent book.

A History Of The Knights Of Malta Or The Order Of St. John Of Jerusalem

Average customer rating:

A History Of The Knights Of Malta Or The Order Of St. John Of Jerusalem
Whitworth Porter
Manufacturer: Kessinger Publishing, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 1428649301

Average customer rating:

The Knights Hospitaller - Chivalry at its Best

The Knights Hospitaller
Helen Nicholson
Manufacturer: Boydell & Brewer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

Malta | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Medieval | World | History | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

History | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Religion & Spirituality | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1843830388

Book Description

This short study of the history of the Order of St John of Jerusalem, Rhodes and Malta, also known as the Knights Hospitaller, is intended as an introduction to the Order for academics working in other fields, as well as the interested general reader. Beginning with a consideration of the origins of the Order as a hospice for pilgrims in Jerusalem in the eleventh century, it traces the Hospitaller's development into a military order during the first part of the twelfth century, and its military activities on the frontiers of Christendom in the eastern Mediterranean, Spain and eastern Europe during the middle ages and into early modern period: its role in crusades and in wars against non-Christians on land and at sea, as well as its role in building and maintaining fortresses. It also considers the Order's activities away from the frontiers of Christendom: its economic activities and its relations with patrons and rulers throughout Europe, as well as its hospitaller work and its religious life. The focus of the study is on the medieval period down to the loss of Rhodes in 1522, but the final chapters of the book consider the Order's history on Malta from the sixteenth to the end of the eighteenth century, and from the loss of Malta in 1798 to the present day. HELEN NICHOLSON is Senior Lecturer in History, Cardiff University.

Customer Reviews:

The Knights Hospitaller - Chivalry at its Best.......2005-01-23

Nicholson, Helen. The Knights Hospitaller. (Woodbridge, UK: The Boydell Press, 2001).

Helen Nicholson is one of the leading scholars of medieval military religious orders. Her books are well known for providing new theories and insight into the history of the military orders, and The Knights Hospitaller is no exception. Though the nature of Dr. Nicholson's work is academic, and one that no scholar of the military orders should be without, her writing is uncluttered by jargon and un-translated items, making it accessible to all.

The Knights Hospitaller covers the history of the Order from its inception to the loss of Malta in 1798 and beyond to the standing of the Order in the present day. Dr. Nicholson does not look at this history in isolation, but rather sets the context for the Order's working by detailing pertinent events and mindsets over the course of the five hundred years of history the book covers. However, in doing so, the work raises some questions that are not answered by Dr. Nicholson. For instance, in discussing the Order's misty founding, Dr. Nicholson dismisses the claim made by William of Tyre that the Order was originally dedicated to St. John the Almoner, without really saying why or drawing any conclusions as to why William would have made this up. Though Dr. Nicholson seems to favor an Amalfian origin to the Order, there is no reason given not to believe that the Order was, at some point in its early days, dedicated to St. John the Almoner.

Despite a few missing answers, which may have been beyond the scope of the work, The Knights Hospitaller is an excellent introduction for anyone curious in learning more about medieval military orders. Dr. Nicholson has once again provided a book that is well worth the time taken to read it.

Review by Jennifer Regan and Dr. Carl Edwin Lindgren

The Knights Templar and Knights of Malta

Average customer rating:

The Knights Templar and Knights of Malta
J. S. M. Ward
Manufacturer: Kessinger Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 1425306071

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books