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.

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Dirty Christians
Thoughts on Self
Unbelievable
Excellent
A psychological thriller

Glittering Images
Susan Howatch
Manufacturer: Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0394562062
Release Date: 1987-09-12

Book Description

An outstanding storyteller, Susan Howatch has created a novel of spirituality and morality where the loyalties and passions of four people are played out against their dedication to religion and the path of right.
"Passionately eloquent...[A] tale of God, sex, love, self-analysis and forgiveness."
THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER

Customer Reviews:

Dirty Christians.......2006-12-30

I wasn't crazy about the style of this book-page after page of psychoanalytically-influenced dialogue between hyperarticulate and hyperaware characters-but the themes were intriguing. The glittering image of the title refer to the face that each of the characters presents to the world, masking the true insecurities and sins beneath. Howatch does a remarkable job of pulling her characters out from behind these images, then showing them slip back behind them in denial and fear. I also thought the book was an intriguing exploration of sin and lies, and took a realistic, complex approach to human sexuality and behavior (unlike most sanitized "Christian" fiction). I am very interested in the history of the 20th Century church, so I enjoyed peeking behind the curtain at the Anglicans.

Thoughts on Self.......2005-08-21

This book probes into the human mind and soul, always wondering what will happen next. I was hoping for more theological insights. It had more romance, mystery, and just plain novel that I had expected. But an overall thought provoking book on divorce within the church and how one can be redeemed in Christ. Good book for a christian or a non-christian.

Unbelievable.......2005-05-30

It's hard to believe that the same author who wrote "Glittering Images" also wrote "Wheel of Fortune" and "Cashalmara" which I loved. "Glittering Images" is the most boring, stupid book I've read in many a moon. The main character, Charles, has a breakdown early on, and what follows is almost unreadable-- pages and pages of boooooring text. The funny thing is, it's not clear why he had the breakdown-- his problems were serious, but hey-- he was a clergyman, and solving problems should have been withing his ability. He falls in love, at first sight, with one woman, then he has sex in the woods, but practically in public, with another woman he has known one day. Three times in a row !! What a guy!! The archbishop Charles has been sent to investigate wants to jettison his faithful wife because she doesn't make the grade in the bedroom, so he, the wife, with her assistant, have a do-it-yourself divorce, and then he and the assistant "get married", while the wife looks on smiling. I couldn't believe I was wasting my time reading this. But, the book has a totally fatal flaw. It's boring, folks !! Here again, I've made a mistake I've made before---- I bought the whole series before I read "Glittering Images." A waste of time and money.

Excellent .......2005-02-24

Glittering Images is Howatch's first book in the "Church of England" series. It follows the main character, Charles Ashworth, as he sinks into a profound spiritual crisis and slowly emerges while reconciling himself with the familial and societal pressures he faces.

Howatch's biggest strength is her gift for dialoge, which is sharp and witty, and her understanding of Anglican theology and theologians. Her characters undergo religious psychoanalysis, and do so in a way that allows the reader to not only identify with them and their struggles, but also learn from their spiritual achievements, even if the reader is not spiritual themself.

I highly recommend this book, as well as the rest of the series, to anyone seeking an intelligent fiction novel.

A psychological thriller.......2004-08-16

No blood. No gore. It takes a skilled writer in this day and age to write a suspense-filled story and yet dispense with what others consider almost essential elements these days. Much of the story is about what goes on in the mind of the main protagonist. Themes are sex, God, repentance and an Anglo Catholic version of psychoanalysis. Slow reading, but well worth the effort.

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Haunting!
"Blood for blood."
Thomas Beckett as martyr philosopher; Shakespearean genius
Written by a dilettante.
Murder in the Cathedral

Murder in the Cathedral
T. S. Eliot
Manufacturer: Harvest Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0156632772

Book Description

A dramatization in verse of the murder of Thomas Becket at Canterbury. “The theatre as well as the church is enriched by this poetic play of grave beauty and momentous decision” (New York Times). “Within its limits the play is a masterpiece.... Mr. Eliot has written no better poem than this and none which seems simpler” (Mark Van Doren, The Nation).

Customer Reviews:

Haunting!.......2007-03-06

My high school put on the play, "Murder in the Cathedral" for their fall drama in 1969. In retrospect, my guess is that few of the players and still fewer of the audience had any real idea as to the momentous events that the play dramatized. Yet, the language has lingered with me from that day to this, now close on forty years later:

"...the stubborn King, and the French King, in ceaseless intrigue, combination...
....meetings unending, and endless, at some place or the other in France...
....you will be left to your own devices, which must be paid for at higher prices...
....It does go against the grain a bit to kill an Archbishop, especially when one has been brought up in a strong Church tradition..."

The play, in fact, dramatized the struggle between Saint Thomas A' Becket and Henry II over the rights of Church and State. Truly, it was a classic confrontation between what ultimately became, under the Tudors, the power of the state relative to the rights of Holy Church. Now, as a high school junior, I had wanted, of course to play Thomas. I wound up as the lowly Second Priest. But, knowing now what I did not know then, I understand that I could not have done the Archbisho's character justice, as I was then a Protestant. In fact, the reasoning of Thomas, particularly with regard to the Temptors, was classic Catholicism.

The play is wonderfully rich in language and meaning. It can be read in one long sitting. And reading it is well worth the time and effort. Pick up this little book, and be richly blessed by the experience.

"Blood for blood.".......2006-08-19

The murder and subsequent martyrdom of Thomas Becket is always a chilling tale and one that poet T.S. Eliot does a masterful job in relating. "Murder in the Cathedral" is a look at Becket's return from France, after his fallout with King Henry II, and his murder by knights of the King. The play may be a difficult read for those unfamiliar with Becket's life, and those unused to Eliot's poetically styled play. Yet it is an intriguing look at one of the church's martyrs, told by a man who came to faith later in his life.

The first act of the play centers around Thomas Becket's return from France. He had fled there for a period of years in an effort to avoid the King, and their 'difference of opinion', to put it simply. Becket was first appointed Chancellor by Henry II, and then made Archbishop. King Henry II hoped that by granting Becket both titles he would have more control over the church; but Becket saw things differently, and roused the king's anger when he excommunicated several bishops. Throughout the first act, Becket is set upon by four temptors who reveal his fate to him, serving as a catalyst for readers to learn some of Becket's background and to know that he wasn't purely without fault.

The second act moves at a much faster pace than the previous, with the king's knights denouncing Thomas and trying to persuade him to reverse his decision. When Becket refuses, the knights return and kill Thomas at the altar of the church, a death that he gladly accepts as a martyr for his Lord. The most intriguing part of the play is when, after the brutal murder is completed, the knights turn to the audience and explain their reasons for killing Becket and why it was the right thing to do in an effort to preserve England. "Murder in the Cathedral" is a play that will make readers want to examine the events surrounding Becket's death, and leave them wondering if all those explanations at the end might be right after all.

Thomas Beckett as martyr philosopher; Shakespearean genius.......2004-10-16

The audiobook version of "Murder in the Cathedral" (with Robert Donat playing Thomas Beckett) is a surprising delight, especially for those who love rich language and philosophical musings.

Centered around the age-old story of how Thomas Beckett, the Archbishop of Canterbury, was murdered by knights for defying the king's authority, the play explores a variety of themes: church vs. state, the quest for power, the pursuit of pleasure, the heroism or vanity of martyrs, and the search for life's meaning in the face of death and the "void".

The performances of the actors in this audiobook are superb, especially that of Robert Donat. Hearing his deep resonating voice, you truly feel the charismatic power of the archbishop and former chancellor to the king.

The performance alternates between straight dialogue, poetry, and the Gregorian style chanting of monks. While the poetry and chanting is tedious in parts, it at least breaks up the dialogue into digestable chunks and moves the plot along.

Readers shouldn't be put off by the medieval theme of this piece. The substance of the play is as modern and relevant as any play you'll find. The plot contains a novel twist as well.

With its many poetic and philosophical flourishes, there's more than a trace of Shakespeare in this work. And here's a little known fact: another T.S. Eliot work, "The Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats", was the inspiration for Cats, the longest running Broadway musical.

So push the rewind for me. Time to visit that bloody cathedral again.

Written by a dilettante........2004-09-29

"Murder in the Cathedral" is more of a coffee house production than a dramatic classical play. Since I do not care for poetry, or Shakespeare, I knew I was jumping headfirst into a dead-end. Still, I did not expect to be bored out of my gored. T. S. Eliot was attempting to use the genre "poetic drama" to his benefit, but instead conjured up an illiterate form of speaking. I disliked the play 'A Man for All Seasons,' (involves the death of Thomas Moore) but at least that play can be coherently understood, and actually teaches something. I do not recommend.

Murder in the Cathedral.......2004-05-11

The play is about Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury and is not worth reading if you like a literal story, where what you read is what you get and reading between the lines is unnecessary. That is what I liked about this play. It allows you to interpret the dialogue so that you develop your own understanding behind the plot.
Thomas Becket lived in the 12th century and rose to power because of his friend King Henry. Becket at first had been a Chancellor in Henrys court and had then been given the title of Archbishop. Henry wanted him to have both the titles whereas Becket refused because he felt he could not perform both jobs to the same expectations. This was because Henry had radical views about the separation of the church and the state and Becket did not agree with these views because he did not believe he could serve two very opposite masters. The result was an argument between the two.
Literally, Henry and Becket are in a skirmish during the play, but the actual conflict is between Becket and his conscience. The play goes deep into Christianity and the Catholic faith, which I found to be enjoyable. Just as Christ had tempters, so does Becket. They offer him power and material wealth, when all they want in return is for Becket to alter and transform his principles.
I liked how you saw main characters in this play, such as the Chorus, progress from fearing the unknown to joyfully accepting God. While the play has Christian connotations within, it stresses primarily on universal human values such as humility and devotion.
The entire play is written in verse and Eliot managed to capture such complex themes and dialogue in such concise yet poetic words.

Places of Worship (Architecture 3s) Sir Christopher Wren, Joze Plecnik, Tadao Ando

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Places of Worship (Architecture 3s) Sir Christopher Wren, Joze Plecnik, Tadao Ando
Vaughan Hart
Manufacturer: Phaidon Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0714838772

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Pillars of The Earth by Ken Follett
Ken Follett
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: B000NOCPI8

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a lot of good hype, book doesn't deliver
Anglophilic ailurophiles rejoice!
Surman opens our heart not only for cats

Cathedral Cats
Richard Surman
Manufacturer: HarperCollins Publishers Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0007182805

Book Description

This appealing little book forms a group portrait of some of the most privileged cats in Britain. Their homes could not be more ancient or splendid. They are admired by thousands of tourists. They have the run of roofs and vaults, nooks and crannies, cloisters and choirs. Photographer Richard Surman has traveled to dozens of Britain’s great churches and cathedrals to record these ecclesiastical felines, and each photo is accompanied by a pen portrait of the cat and its particular eccentricities. There is Biggles, for example, feline tyrant of Westminster Abbey, who was issued an official warning by the police after mauling a constable’s trousers! Such is the stuff of this irresistible book.

Customer Reviews:

a lot of good hype, book doesn't deliver.......2007-07-14

For starters, if you are accustomed to the type of beautiful photography that one sees in Hans Sylvester's work, this book is going to be a disappointment, because the shots aren't all particularly stunning. the balance between the background and the cat is often but not consistently achieved. The captioning is sort of confusing and off, requiring yyuo to read the text to figure out what the author was referring to in the caption. His sense of humour, too, as far as the captioning goes isn't completely explained by the text so you're left wondering which blanks you were supposed to fill in to get to that conclusion so the caption makes sense. It might just be that you'll appreciate it more if you've got a British sense of humour, since other people clearly enjoyed the book much more than I did. On a couple of pages the cats are even labeled incorrectly as the same cat cannot logically-speaking be completely ginger-colored and then completely black on the same side. Possibly it was ginger-colored on one side and black on the other and the photograph was reversed in the printing and editing. A proofreader or editor clearly missed something.

The background on the cathedrals is okay, but not extensive, sort of like having a 30 second tour of Britain's cathedrals. If you like that stuff, this is for you. If you want more detail, don't go for this book. Not all of the stories are given enough detail to be satisfying. In a few cases about two sentences are devoted to a cat, which makes it just a teaser, but doesn't flesh out the cat's quirks or cuteness. I could just be the wrong kind of person for this sort of book, but I didn't like how little story there was to the cats and how little there was to the cathedrals, neither are addressed all that well. The book is a bit of a wash on both topics.

Me, I'd be happier to sell you my copy, recoup my money for the book, and get some other cat book.
To boot, my cat didn't approve of it either.

Anglophilic ailurophiles rejoice!.......2005-12-04

I bought this book for a friend who wasn't able to go cathedral hopping with me last summer in Great Britain and Ireland. When I returned home, I tried to explain to her that cathedral cats are more purposeful than our 'ordinary' lap cats--they have serious matters to contemplate such as fifteenth century pulpitums and the cathedral gardener's pet snake. I gave her this book to prove my point.

The writing style is heavily British tongue-in-cheek, which keeps the book from mawkishness. Here is an example concerning Olsen, a Siamese chocolate point newcomer at Chester Cathedral: "After introducing himself around the cathedral close, getting locked in the free-standing 1970s bell tower, and having had his application for the position of food taster in the retreat house kitchen turned down, Olsen was tempted to dismiss the religious life."

You may be wondering why a Siamese chocolate point would be named 'Olsen.' It is because of the cathedral's history: "Olsen and Hansen [an oriental red] are not the first Danes to make their presence felt in Chester. Vikings from Denmark and Norway swept through large areas of England in the ninth and tenth centuries..."

So this book feeds you a bit of English history through the eyes of its cathedral cats. The photographs are also a mix of cat and cathedral, mostly in color.

"Cathedral Cats" is definitely for ailurophiles only, especially if they also happen to be anglophiles.

Surman opens our heart not only for cats.......2005-06-30

The British journalist Richard Surman has worked 27 years long as a professional photographer world-wide for advertising clients and airlines - now he retreated to Spain with his South American wife to rest - however he is still nostalgic remembering back to his ancient Old England lifestyle-roots, its old-venerable church walls, canons, organists - and their cats. So he not only lists some of the most beautiful cathedrals in the U.K., but also adds the life-history of the cats living there beneath people working behind old church-walls. "Cats don't belong to people, they belong to places ..." once Wright Morris said - Richard Surman now delivers the photographies desrcibing this axiom. For example the story of the cat TOMKINS, who is designated after a composer: when cats-"owner" Peter Nardone, organist and Director of Music at Chelmsford Cathedral begins to mistreat the organ practising J.S. Bach, "Tomkins makes his way hastily upstairs to the guest bedroom, clambers onto the bed and sticks his head under a pillow." But Tomkins on the other hand takes pains to be helpful: "He always calls when the newspapers come through the letter box - though this may have more to do with his habit of sleeping on the doormat than a deliberate policy of helpfulness." A second example for the authors humoristic writing-style: Olsen, the cat of the Bishop of Chester, the Rt Rev. Dr Peter Foster, and his Danish wife Elizabeth, - Olsen "was tempted to dismiss the religious life. He turned instead to the lure of nights in the city,..." ignored "warnings about 'drunks, vagabonds, ladies of the night and the worst elements of society". Olson every night "found the ideal surroundings for his inscrutable and laid-back style": the nearby Alexander's Jazz Theatre. Richard Surman opens our heart not only for cats, but also for the cosy country and church-lives - not poisened by big-urban-areas hectic, brings us near to a perception of a world, in which the time seems to stopp. This tiny book inexpensive and affectionately replaces an England vacation, if the purse is empty...

The Fly in the Cathedral: How a Group of Cambridge Scientists Won the International Race to Split the Atom

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nothing special
Splitting the Atom
Peering Into Atom
very engaging story
A tour of atomic physics in the 1920's

The Fly in the Cathedral: How a Group of Cambridge Scientists Won the International Race to Split the Atom
Brian Cathcart
Manufacturer: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0374157162
Release Date: 2005-01-05

Amazon.com

If you want to understand how something works, you can dismantle it and study its pieces. But what if the thing you're curious about is too small to see, even with the most powerful microscope? Brian Cathcart's The Fly in the Cathedral tells the intriguing story of how scientists were able to take atoms apart to reveal the secrets of their structures. To keep the story gripping, Cathcart focuses on a time (1932, the annus mirabilis of British physics), a place (Cambridge's Cavendish Laboratory), and a few main characters (Ernest Rutherford, the "father of nuclear physics," and his protégés, John Cockcroft and Ernest Walton).

Rutherford and his team knew that the long-accepted atomic model was held together by nothing more than trumped-up math and hope. They hoped to find out what held oppositely charged protons and electrons together, and what strange particles shared the nucleus with protons. In a series of remarkable experiments done on homemade apparatus, these Cambridge scientists moved atomic science to within an inch of its ultimate goal. Finally, Cockcroft and Walton--competing furiously with their American and German peers--put together the machine that would forever change history by splitting an atom. The Fly in the Cathedral combines all the right elements for a great science history: historical context, gritty detail, wrenching failure, and of course, glorious victory. Although the miracles that occurred at Cambridge in 1932 were to result in the fearful, looming threat of atomic warfare, Cathcart allows readers to find unfiltered joy in the accomplishments of a few brilliant, ingenious scientists. --Therese Littleton

Book Description

"Cathcart tells this exhilarating story with both verve and precision" --The Sunday Telegraph

Re-creating the frustrations, excitements, and obsessions of 1932, the "miracle year" of British physics, Brian Cathcart reveals in rich detail the astonishing story behind the splitting of the atom. The most celebrated scientific experiment of its time, it would lead to one of mankind's most devastating inventions--the atomic bomb.

All matter is made mostly of empty space. Each of the billions of atoms that comprise it is hollow, its true mass concentrated in a tiny nucleus that, if the atom were a cathedral, would be no bigger than a fly. Discovering its existence three quarters of a century ago was Lord Rutherford's greatest scientific achievement, but even he caught only a glimpse. Almost at the point of despair, John Cockcroft and Ernest Walton, two young researchers in a grubby basement room at the famous Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge, grappled with the challenge. Racing against their American and German counterparts-a colorful cast of Nobel Prize winners--they would change everything. With paper-and-pencil calculations, a handmade apparatus, the odd lump of plasticine, and some revolutionary physics, Cockroft and Walton raised the curtain on the atomic age.

The Fly in the Cathedral is a riveting and erudite narrative inspired by the dreams that lead the last true gentlemen scientists to the very essence of the universe: the heart of matter.

Customer Reviews:

nothing special.......2007-05-15

Noticing that I make an occasional foray into popular science writing, a physicist friend of mine thrust this book on me, claiming I wouldn't be able to put it down.

Not the case. Although for him the book was supremely interesting and matchlessly well-wrought, I found it a passable but unexceptional bit of science narrative.

The subject matter concerns the efforts and discoveries of a pioneering group of atomic physicists working at Cambridge in the 1920's.

Although certainly not technical, the material, I feel, requires a fairly solid grounding in elementary physics and chemistry to follow the "action," not to mention appreciate the magnitude of the breakthroughs the author recounts.

The author assures us he has taken pains to insure this is not the case, but I differ.

Splitting the Atom.......2007-03-16

In my school days, I had come across the names of Rutherford, J.J.Thomson and Chadwick but not the two protagonists of this book - John Cockcroft and Ernest Walton. Cockcroft and Walton were the first physicists who successfully 'split' or disintegrated the nucleus.

What is interesting about this book is that it manages to provide us with a feel of the excitement and challenges experienced by physicists at the Cavendish Lab during the 1920s-1930s. Most general history of physics tend to focus on ideas and theories but not the nitty gritty aspects of building apparatus and conducting experiments. Instead of taking the former route, this book emphasizes on the importance of empirical physics and its interactions with theoretical physics. At the center of this story is how Cockcroft and Walton raced to build a particle accelerator that is used to bombard the Nucleas.

But machines are not the central element of the book. The author devotes a great deal of space to building a human aspect of the story. Aside from Cockcroft and Walton, we are are fed with vignettes of Rutherford (who provided crucial leadership at Cavendish) as well as others like Chadwick, Gamow, and the Bohr brothers.

A particularly interesting aspect of the book is the competition between the different groups of scientists in different countries (UK, USA, France) working on the same problem. This is more intense given the winner-take-all nature of breakthrough discoveries in term of academic (and public) fame.

This book should be of great interest to readers who enjoy reading about the general history of physics. Lack of knowledge or memory of physics would not be an obstacle to the enjoyment of this very readable book. Highly recommended.

Peering Into Atom.......2007-01-14

Thumbs up for Brian Cathcart. Well done. What a good find and thank you University of Chicago Bookstore!

Though it would greatly help to grasp the significance of the events described in the book if the reader had a scientific background, it is a great read regardless. Even more remarkable is the fact that the author does not claim any formal technical training or background. It took me one weekend to go cover to cover.

Basically the scientific research in the glorious Cavendish Labs during 20s and early 30s is described, work which led to the complete understanding of the classic picture of the atom. It was a time when British science was at its peak. Incredible amount of detail of the personal lives of the scientists and their apparatus, construction and engineering methods, the social and moral norms that guided the group and society at the time have been presented. The research is impeccable.

Reader gets a chance to peer over the shoulders of the scientists, one can almost hear the pumps rattling, corona crackling and scintillation counters glowing in the poorly lit labs. Engineering detail is superb.

This was also the time of international brotherhood in physics. They were one big family, ignorant of politics and other boundries. An innocence lost with the WWII.

Some of the personalities lived on till 80s. What an adventure! Starting in strictly Victorian era settings, discovering electron and other subatomic particles and then they got to witness the comupter and information age.

very engaging story.......2007-01-06

I enjoyed this book very much and finished it in two days (it's quite rare for me to do this as I'm not a fast reader). I felt as though I was watching over the shoulders of Cockcroft and Walton as they built the first accelerator while working at the Cavendish under Rutherford. I think that Brian Cathcart is an excellent author and I hope that he decides to write a few more books about the history of science. This is definitely one of my favorites in this category. I think modern day experimental physicists must look at this period in the development of their subject with longing. Cockcroft and Walton built their own accelerator on a minimal budget. Nowadays it takes billions of dollars and the cooperation of hundreds of people and organizations from many countries to build a new accelerator. All that a current physicist can hope for is his/her slice of time to run some experiments.

A tour of atomic physics in the 1920's.......2006-01-01

The universe is full of empty space. By that I don't mean intergalactic space, but space all around us. Most of everything is simply empty, even so-called solids. The scale of the emptiness within atoms has been likened to a fly within (the space of) a cathedral, and hence the title of the book.

After the title, there follows a well-written detective story of which we know the answer. The reader knows the answer, because it is written on the jacket, and, yes, EVERYBODY knows the answer as we have come across the topic before. The story is well told, nevertheless. There is a web of personalities involved, with many interconnectins between the multinational characters. From the people, two distinct points emerge.

Firstly, there is the public reaction of what had been achieved in the Cavendish laboratory in Cambridge in the 1920's and early 1930's. The subject matter captured the public imagination, although much of the initial coverage was sensationalist. This was not helped because the one `tame journalist' was not available when the story broke. Headlines about `splitting the atom' were run, and although the author veers away from such terms (as in effect, this had been achieved as early as 1909), the book itself has `won the race to split the atom' as part of its sub-title!

Secondly, it very discovery of splitting the nucleus was a very chancy event. The Cavendish laboratory between the wars was not what we would recognise now as `a research establishment'. Everything stopped for tea at 16:00, and there was no work done with equiptment after 18:00. How and why didn't the Americans (with their four centres of research) achieve the desired result first? Many people (if not all concerned) believed that much larger voltages of electricity were required to accelerate particles to `crash' into the nucleus.

The final breakthrough was achieved by accident, with a variety of equiptment built up over a number of years, and the operators had to perform gymnastic contortions to avoid electrocution. The equiptment was truly worthy of William Heath Robinson.

Brian Cathcard manages to weave an intriguing story, covering a time of intense activity in the nacient science of particle physics. Like many stories of its kind, it raises plenty of questions. It is hard to look at the events of over 70 years ago without realising what has come out of this research. To his credit, the author does not dwell unduly on this. He does quite rightly mention that a number of the people involved did play a part in the development of the atomic bomb.

My most endearing memory is of those engaged in research at the Cavendish. I can picture them at work in my mind's eye. A volume that achieves that deserves high praise.

Peter Morgan, Bath, UK (morganp@supanet.com)

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.

Norwich Cathedral Close : The Evolution of the English Cathedral Landscape (Studies in the History of Medieval Religion) (Studies in the History of Medieval ... in the History of Medieval Religion)

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Norwich Cathedral Close : The Evolution of the English Cathedral Landscape (Studies in the History of Medieval Religion) (Studies in the History of Medieval ... in the History of Medieval Religion)
Roberta Gilchrist
Manufacturer: Boydell Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1843831732

Product Description

This comprehensive study outlines the development of Norwich cathedral close from its foundation in 1096 up to c. 1700. Multi-disciplinary evidence is combined to reconstruct the landscape and buildings of the close, and transformations in their use and meaning over time. In contrast with previous approaches to cathedrals, the emphasis is placed here on the layout of the monastery, and the ways in which buildings and spaces were used and perceived by different social groups, including members of the cathedral community, their servants and visitors to the precinct. Patterns observed at Norwich are placed in comparative context with other cathedral-priories and appropriate urban and rural sites, to draw out the development of the English cathedral landscape over six centuries. This long-term perspective encourages a more holistic approach to historical archaeology, uniting evidence from across the traditional medieval: post-medieval divide. In contrast with all other categories of medieval monastery, cathedral-priories weathered the Reformation, and offer unique potential to study continuity and change through the eruptions of the Reformation and beyond. This innovative study both outlines the development of the cathedral landscape, and uses Norwich in a contextual study of changing sacred and social space in a single institution.

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Absolute Truths
the best view we can get of absolute truths
Absolutely satisfying
Beautiful and deeply moving
Very Satisfying Conclusion To 6 Book Series

Absolute Truths
Susan Howatch
Manufacturer: Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0679412069
Release Date: 1995-01-15

Book Description

"A SKILLFUL BLEND OF CHARACTER, PHILOSOPHY AND
NARRATIVE. . .Formidable personalities embroil themselves in ruthless power struggles that would make a corporate raider blush."
--The Washington Post Book World
It is 1965, and Charles Ashworth has attained the plum position of bishop of Starbridge, an honor that keeps him in a heady whirl of activity that would exhaust the most seasoned corporate executive. With the invaluable support of his minions and his attractive, unsinkable wife, Ashworth stands against the amorality and decadence of the age--"Anti-Sex Ashworth." He slays his opponents by being a tough, efficient, confident churchman, the torments of his past long since dead and buried.
And then the unexpected, the unthinkable, strikes.
Suddenly Ashworth finds himself staring into the chasm of all the lies hes been telling himself for years: about his marriage, his children, even his views on the Church. And as he suspects his old nemesis and dean, Neville Aysgarth, of drinking too much, of financial chicanery, of--God forbid--having an affair, Ashworth discovers to his horror that he is tempted to commit the very acts that he has so publicly
denounced. . . .
"ENTHRALLING. . .Rich, dense, almost indecently entertaining."
--San Jose Mercury News
"POWERFUL. . .MIRACULOUS."
--Booklist (starred review)
SELECTED BY THE BOOK-OF-THE-MONTH CLUB

From the Paperback edition.

Customer Reviews:

Absolute Truths.......2006-02-25

Interesting last novel in the Starbridge series by Susan Howatch. Would recommend it to anyone but particuarly to those who have read the previous five novels in series. Helps if you are an Anglican,Episcopalian or Roman Catholic. Starbridge series is both emotional and theological. Starbridge series is set in mid-twentieth century in southern England when theology was going thru some changes and allowing some more High Church thinking into general circulation, but with many battles on the subject. The series had mostly to do with Anglican clergy attempting to work out some theological/emotional conflicts.
Linda Sheean

the best view we can get of absolute truths.......2004-05-22

I listened to what I wanted from a work called "Absolute Truths"-I who am desperately conservative in Christianity and most things. After Charles Ashworth's triumph in "Glittering Images," and his overall positive portrayal in the books between that and this, I didn't want to find out that the truth I thought he had found, and that Howatch suggested he had found, was a lie, another of the tragic misconceptions that Howatch regularly and regretfully demolishes in her characters ("Anti-Sex Ashworth" toppled by doubt and lust stronger than his convictions-what a depressing concept).

It wasn't. But in the interim between "Glittering Images" and "Absolute Truths," Ashworth's grip on the truth had shifted until he had become a false man holding a true thing, or, to put it another way, Ashworth had grown as much as he could during "Glittering Images," but he still had far to grow, and "Absolute Truths" pushed him farther.

Thus Howatch, as in the rest of this Starbridge series, follows a plot sequence of strength debilitating into weakness, then supernaturally resolved into strength (or truth to lies to truth, or any number of other ways may describe this spiritual falling and rising pattern). We cannot however assume that the characters will live happily ever after, that their lives are "solved," or even that the weakness resolved in the novel will never return in later years. Howatch's cruces do not involve perfect or perfectible people, but perfect moments of grace that make the rest of lives better or in some way bearable. In a sort of backhanded optimism, Ashworth writes in the midst of his revelations, "Dimly I realised that this state of companionable hell could be classified as a form of survival." At the end of "Absolute Truths," Howatch permits Ashworth an idyllically happy old age and a platform for reminiscence, a sort of sop to him and to her for six dramatically painful novels in the series, but we must not forget that after "Glittering Images" Ashworth needed "Absolute Truths" to correct him further. After receiving revelation that revolutionised his life, he needed more revelation. As such, these novels are some of the most true-to-life of any fiction I've read portraying the Christian way of living. They give hope, not for all things to turn out alright, but for all things to "intermingle," as Ashworth insists, for good-and for there to be moments, rising above the doubt and pain, in which we may see God and absolute truths as clearly as our eyes can function. We may live a long time, decades, in the strength vouchsafed by these moments. Then we may need another, as Ashworth did.

Absolutely satisfying.......2001-12-08

Although this is the last book in the Starbridge series it is actually set in time before its immediate prequel, Mystical Paths. Howatch obviously had good reasons for doing this; no other book could have rounded up the series so perfectly, and certainly it was a delight to return to Chares Ashworh as narrator, who began the whole series. This time Charles is at the evening of his life. He has been the Bishop of Salisbury for some years.. Some of those nearest and dearest to him have passed away and he has to come to terms not only with the sense of loss, doubt and lack of direction, but also with his wayward Dean, Neville Ayesgarth, who still insists on going off on a tangent in affairs of the Cathedral. As in Scandalous Risks, scandal seems only around the corner and Charles has to develop very strong spiritual muscles in order to bring matters to an outcome worthy of a Christian.
I must not forget to mention that in this novel Starbridge Cathedral itself - in the other books merely a background stat - becomes a major character, and a star player during the Grande Finale The climax of this book is not only deeply moving, it is also absolutely perfect. As is the entire series.

Beautiful and deeply moving.......2001-03-25

Knowing that those likely to read this review may well already share my love for the series as a whole, I shall begin by saying that Susan's gift for characterisation, with a great honesty and much room for grace to do its work, is always superb, and here at a new peak. My general approach to her main figures in the series is to see Jonathan Darrow as someone I'd love to hear preach but might be nervous to meet (even if he tends to compress 40 years worth of direction into a week's retreat) - Neville Aysgarth as someone I'd like to shake by the shoulders - Nicholas Darrow as one I'd closet with a library of the first fifteen centuries of Christian thought before he'd be allowed out - and Charles Ashworth as the ultimate Christian intellectual with whom I'd love to share weekly four-hour lunches with the best claret on the table. In this volume, Charles is once again the key character, and the reader finds, as he himself gradually learns, that the old glittering image is still much alive and as troublesome as ever.

Watching this character struggle with bereavement and grief of all varieties, and finally face the long-hidden "demons" which lurked in shadows to affect his relationship with his children and with his old nemesis Aysgarth, is incredibly moving and insightful. Dramatic though the plot becomes, it is a marvellous work wherein a seasoned bishop comes to new self-knowledge, humility, compassion ... and, while I'll not give the ending away, ultimately a specific setting of happiness which some readers will have thought he should have snatched 30 years before.

Very Satisfying Conclusion To 6 Book Series.......2001-01-22

When we started out in Book #1, the narrator, Charles Ashworth, was still fairly young. In this novel, he is again the narrator but he is elderly and the bishop of Starbridge. Being this age, he can wind up everyone's story. There is his whole generation of people and their families in the Anglican Church plus his childrens' generation of people. Of all the books, I'd say this one you better read as #6 and not out of order. There are simply too many stories which are wrapped up here that won't have the same impact on you if you haven't read books 1-5. This novel has its share of worldly problems with: gay priests (2), the ghost of Jardine appearing in the cathederal, an exorcism of the cathedral, a possible embezzlement by Dean Aysgarth from cathedral funds, a suicide, death of a spouse and finding another spouse. It also has combined therapeutic-spiritual sessions again with Jon Darrow as spiritual director for both Ashworth and Aysgarth. Once I started any of the 6 books, I couldn't stop reading till the end and this one was no exception.

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