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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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.

The Companion to the Mystery of Edwin Drood (Dickens Companions, No 2)

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The Companion to the Mystery of Edwin Drood (Dickens Companions, No 2)
Wendy S. Jacobson
Manufacturer: Unwin Hyman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0048000639

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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ASIN: 0851156207

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.

English Cathedral and Monastic Carpentry

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English Cathedral and Monastic Carpentry
Cecil A. Hewett
Manufacturer: Phillimore & Company
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Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0850334179

Book Description

Well over a hundred great churches were built in the cathedral tradition in the Middle Ages. They are our most important group of monuments and embody the finest craftwork of medieval architecture. Structural and decorative innovations were conceived and first executed by carpenters working at the highest architectural level. This knowledge was then dispersed through apprenticeships. Mr. Hewett shows how it developed through a series of typological changes which can be dated reliably by study of the techniques employed.

Cathedral Of The North (Pitt Poetry Series)

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Stunning verse
An Amazing Book
Gorgeous Poetry
Piercing images of family, history and home

Cathedral Of The North (Pitt Poetry Series)
Connie Voisine
Manufacturer: University of Pittsburgh Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

Winner of the 1999 Associated Writing Programs' Award Series in Poetry

Set against a fantastic backdrop of religious imagery, myth and dreams, science fiction, and the stark realities of a northern factory town, Voisine's poems carefully detail the life of a common hero and his family. A young girl comes of age in this town, inventing her own sign language, creating worlds and realities, all the while revealing the intense love she she has for a father who has given his life to his family's survival.

Customer Reviews:

Stunning verse.......2002-10-03

Voisine's book of poems deserves much attention. It is, by my reckoning, among the top twenty collections of American poetry published in the last five years. Though her forms and contents are unlike the following poets, Voisine brings to mind the power and scope of Alan Shapiro, Louise Gluck, and perhaps Edward Hirsch from an earlier era. Everyone should read books like this; failing that, anyone interested in reading or writing poems should pick this one up.

An Amazing Book.......2002-05-26

Cathedral of the North is a stunning book. The imagery is haunting, and the language is precise. I turn to it often. Everyone who cares about poetry should read it.

Gorgeous Poetry.......2001-06-20

I have had the pleasure of studying under Connie Voisine and have found her to be, both in her work and in her life, one of the most insightful people I have ever met. Her poetry grabs the reader with strong images, varied techniques, and a voice that sets her above most poets today. She hasn't received nearly enough credit for such an amazing piece of work. Her art is transcendant and powerful while maintaining a voice that the reader can grab hold of and understand. Whether you're an avid poetry reader or just beginning to start a collection of works, I would highly recommend this book.

Piercing images of family, history and home.......2001-04-04

Voisine has created a moving sequence of poems that draw the reader into her story of family, history and home. Her vivid imagery turned what is the recounting of stories and histories into an experience of the pain and hardship associated with growing up poor in rural America. She brings understanding to the fine line between pride and shame and leaves her readers stuttering with one woman's sense of home. A must read.

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Murder in the Cathedral
T. S. Eliot
Manufacturer: Faber & Faber
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0571063276

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Enjoyable, especially for followers of the series

Murder in a Cathedral
Ruth Dudley Edwards
Manufacturer: Thomas Dunne Books
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Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0312155972

Amazon.com

Baroness Troutbeck--"Jack" to her friends--is the hard-drinking, hard-living lady of "a certain age" who stars in Ruth Dudley Edward's series of comic mysteries. In Murder in a Cathedral, the seventh installment, Jack persuades her impecunious friend Robert Amiss to take a job with her pal Canon Flubert, inadvertently sending him into a firestorm of ecclesiastical scandal: in a church run by gay priests, witches, and New Age enthusiasts, the appointment of a fundamentalist dean is anathema. When the dean turns up dead, everyone's a suspect. Bad enough that Amiss has to cope with the scandal, but soon he also has the Baroness on his hands in a madcap search for the Cathedral killer.

Book Description

For many years Westonbury Cathedral has been dominated by a clique of High Church gays, so when Norman Cooper, an austere, intolerant, happy-clappy evangelist, is appointed dean, there is shock, outrage and fear.

David Elworthy, the gentle and politically innocent new bishop, is distraught at the prospect of warfare between the factions; contentious issues include the camp lady chapel and the gay memorial under construction in the deanery garden.

Desperate for help, Elworthy cries on the shoulder of his old friend, the redoubtable Baroness Troutbeck, who forces her unofficial troubleshooter, Robert Amiss, to move into the bishop's palace.

Amiss, Troutbeck and the cat Plutarch address themselves in their various ways to the bishop's problems, which very soon include a clerical corpse in the cathedral. Is it suicide? Or is it murder? And who is likely to be next?

Customer Reviews:

Enjoyable, especially for followers of the series.......1997-06-15

Robert Amiss only lives up to his surname when he heeds the advice of his friend Baroness Jack Troutbeck. After all the misadventures that Jack gets him into he wonders why he still listens to her. This time around, she persuades (perhaps bullies is a more apt description) a near broke Robert to accept a job accompanying her when she visits Westonbury Cathedral. He should have known that the easiest job in the world would turn int o the job from hell if Jack is involved. ..... It seems that the locale, the Westonbury Cathedral, is imbued with a massive controversy that threatens to rip the Church of England in half with its worst feud since Henry's days. The new dean is an American fundamentalist who wants to end all the new age gurus that have entered the church. His ideas split the church into two factions who turn violent and deadly, including killing the new dean. Robert and Jack find themselves flooded with numerous suspects as they try to uncover the identity of the killer. However, in Robert's mind, it is Jack's friendship with everyone in the universe and her opinion on everything under the universe that is driving him away from the church. ..... The Robert Amiss tales are superb satires that laugh at every potential politically correct thing imaginable. However, it must be understood that MURDER IN A CATHEDRAL is not for everyone. Some readers will laugh at the antics of Jack, while others will feel that she is an abrasive SOB. The who-done-it is fun, but whether the reader enjoys Jack's pontificating on everything right and wrong with the C O E (the Church of England not the Corps of Engineers) depends on whether they love a British satire that overwhelms the mystery. ......Harriet Klausner

Cathedrals of Kudzu: A Personal Landscape of the South

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Southern Superstar!
Nostalgia at its Best
Y'alternative Reading

Cathedrals of Kudzu: A Personal Landscape of the South
Hal Crowther
Manufacturer: Louisiana State University Press
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Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0807127884

Book Description

Foreword by Fred Hobson and illustrations by Steven Cragg. Hal Crowther prides himself on being one of the last generalists in a professon of specialists. His eloquent essays on culture, history, politics, religion, arts, and literature have established him as one of the most influential Southern journalists of his generation. Cathedrals of Kudzu represents his ambition to "cover" the South-"its writers, politicians, geniuses, saints, villains, and eccentric folkways-with the same wide-angle lens H. L. Mencken used to capture all of America in the 1920s. To cover it, in other words, from a judicious distance, but with the ironical bite of his own not inconsiderable prejudices. "Like Mencken," reads Crowther's citation for the 1992 H. L. Mencken Writing Award, "Hal Crowther has the narrowed pupil of a sharpshooter, the hairy ear of a heavy artilleryman, and the ballistic rifling of an implacable anathematist."

In these superb essays, most of them first published in The Oxford American, he sorts out a whole warehouse of Southern idiosyncrasy and iconography, including the Southern belle, Faulkner, James Dickey, Stonewall Jackson, Cormac McCarthy, Walker Percy, Erskine Caldwell, guns, dogs, fathers, trees, George Wallace, Elvis, Doc Watson, the decline of poetry, and the return of chain gangs. Unlike Mencken, who was incorrigibly cynical about his subjects, Crowther is capable of affectionate, even sentimental, concessions-even to some of the most dubious players who cross his stage.

These are very personal essays, though they include a wealth of reporting and research. They're conversations with the reader, who is invited to bring his or her experience and prejudice to the topic at hand. There's no quarter given, but no ideological orthodoxies to reassure one faction or alienate another. Crowther is an intellectual free agent. In his essays, the book page and the editorial page find common ground.

Taken as a whole, Hal Crowther's pieces offer a portrait of the modern South with a rich backdrop of its history and its classic literature. More personally, they present a vivid intellectual self-portrait of the man Kirkpatrick Sale has called "the best essayist working in journalism today."

Customer Reviews:

Southern Superstar!.......2006-11-06

A WONDERFUL read! Great for any Southern culture enthusiast! Good source for other Southern books as many refernces are made in the text. Excellent!!!

Nostalgia at its Best.......2001-04-29

I was born, raised and educated through college in Alabama, and I was riveted by Hal Crowther's account of life and culture in the South. I couldn't put it down; my husband kept asking why I was laughing out loud. It covers the gamut of everything Southern--from race relations to dogs to barbeque to Elvis. Crowther is a sympathetic writer, but pulls no punches and is not (in my view) the least bit revisionist about the South's mottled history. You'll enjoy the book more if you've paid homage at the altar of Southern literature--Eudora Welty, William Faulkner, Walker Percy. I would recommend it especially to any Southern ex-pats. Fire up your grill, make some iced tea (or pour yourself a bourbon if you're so inclined), put an Elvis CD on the stereo, and kick back.

Y'alternative Reading.......2000-09-15

This book is really worth your time. Hal Crowther is funny and serious and highly original, even with the South's easy targets, like Elvis or the Southern Belle. Even when Hal Crowther is highly critical, he really gets at the essence of why regionalism is relevant, especially when he's writing about about literature and religion.

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