Ghosts of Spain: Travels Through Spain and Its Secret Past

Book Description

The appearance, more than sixty years after the Spanish Civil War ended, of mass graves containing victims of Francisco Franco’s death squads finally broke what Spaniards call “the pact of forgetting”—the unwritten understanding that their recent, painful past was best left unexplored. At this charged moment, Giles Tremlett embarked on a journey around the country and through its history to discover why some of Europe’s most voluble people have kept silent so long.

Ghosts of Spain is the fascinating result of that journey. In elegant and passionate prose, Tremlett unveils the tinderbox of disagreements that mark the country today. Delving into such emotional questions as who caused the Civil War, why Basque terrorists kill, why Catalans hate Madrid, and whether the Islamist bombers who killed 190 people in 2004 dreamed of a return to Spain’s Moorish past, Tremlett finds the ghosts of the past everywhere. At the same time, he offers trenchant observations on more quotidian aspects of Spanish life today: the reasons, for example, Spaniards dislike authority figures, but are cowed by a doctor’s white coat, and how women have embraced feminism without men noticing.

Drawing on the author’s twenty years of experience living in Spain, Ghosts of Spain is a revelatory book about one of Europe’s most exciting countries.

Customer Reviews:

An outsider's insight.......2007-05-28

A British journalist who has lived 20 years in Spain, married and raising his 2 children in Madrid, the author investigates, reveals and muses upon Spanish culture, history and the forces of the "two Spains" as they come together, or rub against each other, in forming the modern Spanish world. A fascinating look at Spain, its subcultures from the Basques to the Catalans to flamenco to the Galicians, to drug culture to tourism and the very difficult and delicate process of choosing to forget the differences of the Spanish Civil War and Franco's regime in order to move forward in a country that was once the most powerful on earth.
I like Spain and its history. This is one of the very best insights into modern Spain. Highly recommended.

A Pale Secret.......2007-05-22

A liberal British newspaper reporter's hit and miss attempt at a book explaining Spain (his nearly adopted country) to us outsiders. Some hits (like how modern Spain handles the dark legacy of Franco) are offset by a number of misses.

Historical facts, or guesses as to historical facts, get thrown in as space fillers; events that catch Mr. Tremlett's fancy are highlighted, whether reflective of the whole Spanish society or not; the level of writing is often barely above that of a talented reporter on deadline. The final meandering chapter entitled "Moderns and Ruins", especially, cries out for editing.

Great book about a fascinating country.......2007-05-19

This is a great journalistic account of the social and political changes that have transformed Spain up to the present day. Tremlett discusses the country's past and present in fairly equal measure. He begins by looking at the legacies of the Spanish Civil War, discussing how only in the past decade has the full scale of the atrocities that took place come to light. He discusses how Spaniards whose relatives were killed by the Francoists have pushed in recent years for their relatives to be given decent burials. He also writes an interesting chapter on Franco's overall legacy, arguing that after his death and the country's transition to democracy he has been largely purged from public discourse. Despite this collective amnesia that he identifies, Tremlett points out that the same left-right cleavage that drove the war still lurks below the surface of Spanish society. The book also contains chapters on the Basque, Catalan, and Galician regions. Tremlett provides very insightful analysis of the origins of and main forces behind Basque and Catalan nationalism, while his chapter on Galicia details that region's emergence as a conduit for Columbian cocaine. One of my favorite chapters looked at gender relations in Spain, in which Tremlett provides some very amusing anecdotes that reveal contrasts between Spain and his native Britain. This chapter also discusses Tremlett's quest to understand the paradox of how a country can be so awash in brothels (which, he reports, 1/4 of Spanish men visited) yet relatively conservative in terms of the sexual mores of its people.

Other subjects covered here include Spain's emergence as a global tourism magnet (and the corruption that has often emerged alongside it) and the 2004 Madrid train bombing, which indirectly led to the defeat of the ruling party in the elections several days later. This was an interesting chapter, in which Tramlett looked at the ways in which the main parties tried to capitalize on this tragedy for political gain. Overall, I found Tremlett to be a very keen analyst of social and political relations, and there weren't really any weak chapters. For instance, I considered skipping a chapter on flamenco music, not being particularly interested in the musical form itself, but the chapter ended up including a fascinating discussion of the social history of Spain's gypsies.

Overall, I would heartily recommend this book to anybody interested in Spanish history, culture, and/or politics. I would NOT recommend it to those expecting more of a travel guide type of book; although Tremlett does visit and write evocatively about numerous regions, such descriptions are not the main substance of this book. If I had to make one minor criticism, it is that the chapters themselves were often not tightly organized. For example, the chapter on the Basques jumps from past to present and does not really follow any sort of structure. This wasn't really a problem for me, because Tremlett writes well and never bored me, but it might be a problem to some. Another minor complaint is that the book doesn't include a map, which might have been useful for readers like me who aren't intimately familiar with Spain's geography. Overall, though, I think that this is social and political journalism at its finest, and anybody wishing to learn more about this fascinating country could do worse than to start here!

Spain's a Fun Country to Visit.......2007-04-29

The first time tht I went to Spain the country was still under Franco. When getting off the plane, every arriving passenger was photographed. This set a tone that made you never forget where you were. Now going to Spain is like going to any other country. There is no problem going from one city to another. The people are friendly to Americans. The food, trains, hotels, highways are all good.

This book looks underneath these obvious outward trappings to the held over anguish from the Franco time. He also looks further backwards to the regional conflicts with Basque seperatists, and more recently to the Islamist bombers who killed 190 people using bomb attacks in 2004.

Spain remains a little bit different than the rest of Western Europe. Mr. Tremlett has lived in Spain for twenty years and has done an excellent job of bringing together the history and the current situation to explain the current country that is Spain.

The Real Spain.......2007-04-15

Giles Tremlett has written a highly readable, incisive portrait of Spain today--its problems and its pleasures. His presentation of the manner in which Spain has chosen to deal with the aftermath of Francisco Franco's death is particularly well written and revealing. He examines how the decades of dictatorship and brutal repression have been swept under the rug of collective consciousness by Spaniards choosing not to confront it or attempt to reconcile themselves with this difficult episode in their nation's history. The author's years of closely observing Spain, and reporting on its politics and culture for Britain's most respected newspaper, The Guardian, have given him a wonderful sense of both the large picture and the quotidian details, which do so much to bring this book to life.
Anyone wanting a sense of what today's Spain is all about will find it in these pages.

Killer Elite: The Inside Story of America's Most Secret Special Operations Team

Average customer rating:

infsoldier0441
Not worth the effort
Good stuff about S.F
Inside story
Fairly Interesting

Killer Elite: The Inside Story of America's Most Secret Special Operations Team
Michael Smith
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0312362722
Release Date: 2007-03-06

Book Description

A top-secret U.S. Army Special Operations unit has been running covert missions all over the world, from leading death squads to the hideout of drug baron Pablo Escobar to assassinating key al Qaeda members, including Iraqi leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, and, in one of their greatest missions, capturing Saddam Hussein. 'The Activity," as it became known to insiders, has achieved near-mythical status, even among the world's Special Operations elite. Now journalist Michael Smith gets inside this clandestine military team to expose their explosive history and secrets.

The Activity’s story begins with the abortive attempt to rescue the American hostages from Iran in 1980. One of the main reasons Operation Eagle Claw failed was a chronic lack of intel on the ground, so in January 1981, U.S. military chiefs set up the “Intelligence Support Activity,” a cover name for a secret army surveillance team that could operate undercover anywhere in the world. Hidden from the politicians and the government bean counters, it would carry out deniable operations preparing the way for Delta and SEAL Team Six.

Michael Smith has spoken to many former members of the Activity, and we follow them on operations from the war on the drug barons that led Colombian "death squads" to the hideouts of Pablo Escobar and his men. We learn of more recent missions, including snatching war criminals from their safe houses in the Balkans (at one time disguising themselves as French soldiers to lull a Serb warlord into a false sense of security), and operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Horn of Africa. Killer Elite reveals the incredible truth behind the world's most secret Special Operations organization, a unit that is at the forefront of the War on Terror.

Customer Reviews:

infsoldier0441.......2007-08-29

I found this book to be a great read. To me this book went into great detail about the "behind the scenes" aspects. From reading many other books related to the Global War Terrorism, mainly dealing with the special forces aspect, I was able to "tie all of their stories together". This book fills in many blanks in military operations in the Tier 1 arena, as well as exposing you to a small group of absolute professionals. This book also holds nothing back in revealing how unglamorous and non-Hollywood Special Forces and the military in general are. I highly recomend this book to anyone interested in this little known area of the Department of Defense.

Not worth the effort.......2007-08-21

I tend to be someone who likes to utilize my time effectively. Even when reading for entertainment, as was the case when I bought this book. Unfortunately, it was more a lesson in the inner political battle that ensued about Special Operation Forces and their leaders. I more than once got a taste of Smith's views on the Iraq war, especially when he talks about why we went into Iraq, which had absolutely noting to do with the topic of the book. You can probably guess he painted a picture of, "there was no good reason to go into Iraq." Same liberal nonsense the media pushes on us everyday.

The only reason he is getting two stars and not one is for the few interesting pages that actually talk about operations. Otherwise a complete waste of time.

Good stuff about S.F.......2007-08-19

This is a book well worth reading if the subject of today's Special Forces and selectively targeting badguy's interests you. Much of what the highly secretive 'Army of Northern Virginia' has been doing for the past 3 decades is revealed here. If you are someone interested in the above subject. I would also recommend: The Phoenix and the Birds of Prey, The Hunt for The Engineer and the book: Striking back.

Inside story.......2007-07-24

I was enlightened and enjoyed the book. Easy reading but somewhat disturbing to find that our countries political and military leadership cannot mak timely decisions that are able to insure national security.

Fairly Interesting.......2007-07-16

This book on the ISA had some new info, but mostly material I have read in other places. A pretty good book overall. I found some chronological mistakes, but I find more and more that this is commonplace in these kinds of books that must expound on historical events; so much for the editor doing his job. I liked it and would recommend it to others who want to know how the U S Govt is handling the more touchy military ops. These (ISA) are the guys you never read or hear about unless someone writes about them. This is the book for that.

Average customer rating:

A Book You Just Can Put Down
Slow start
Disappointment
Buried secrets
My Father's Secret War: A Memoir

MY FATHER'S SECRET WAR: A MEMOIR
Lucinda Franks
Manufacturer: Miramax
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 140135226X

Book Description

In this moving and compelling memoir about parent and child, father and daughter, Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Lucinda Franks discovers that the remote, nearly impassive man she grew up with had in fact been a daring spy behind enemy lines in World War II. Sworn to secrecy, he began revealing details of his wartime activities only in the last years of his life as he became afflicted with Alzheimer's. His exploits revealed a man of remarkable bravado -- posing as a Nazi guard, slipping behind enemy lines to blow up ammunition dumps, and being flown to one of the first concentration camps liberated by the Allies to report on the atrocities found there.

My Father's Secret War is an intimate account of Franks coming to know her own father after years of estrangement. Looking back at letters he had written her mother in the early days of WWII, Franks glimpses a loving man full of warmth. But after the grimmest assignments of the war his tone shifts, settling into an all-too-familiar distance. Franks learns about him -- beyond the alcoholism and adultery -- and comes to know the man he once was.

Her story is haunting, and beautifully told, even as the tragedy becomes clear: Franks finally comes to know her father, but only as he is slipping further into his illness. Lucinda Franks understands her father as the disease claims him. My Father's Secret War is a triumph of love over secrets, and a tribute to the power of the connection of family.

Customer Reviews:

A Book You Just Can Put Down.......2007-10-04

After all the hype and with the authors oh-so-impressive cred, one expects a book that you just can't put down. She delivers a nice, warm story, but by all means, you CAN put it down.

Slow start.......2007-09-10

As I read the other reviews, I realized they are all true. In many ways this is a poignant and touching story. But Franks takes so long describing their disfunctional family and getting to the interesting part -- her father's war experiences and the process of finding the information -- that I almost put it down without finishing it. I'm glad I stayed with it, as Lucinda finally gets to the real story and redeems herself. (I didn't like her at all at the beginning of the story but I forgave her for her honesty at the end.)

Disappointment.......2007-06-16

You asked me for comments. Perhaps I was expecting more focus on the father. If one enjoys home videos of other families, this book might be of interest.

Buried secrets.......2007-06-13

I almost wish Lucinda Franks chose not to write this book.It was fairly obvious from the start that her father didn't want to remember his role in war..at one point she even asks him if he was a nazi sympathizer.definitely not.My goodness Ms. Frank,leave the poor old guy alone.The book tells a lot about her father and a lot about his daughter.When one of his old buddies phones her and said her dad needs living expenses, some extra cash, she responds that she and her husband have to maintain 3 houses, she can't send dad a few extra dollars..she visits , sees a pile of rancid leftovers in the refrigerator and proceeds to reheat the freshest one for her dad's meal..Golly Lucinda, buy and roast a chicken, peel a few potatoes, buy some canned vegetables.. how hard can that be? Poor dad wears K-mart clothes, so order something for him from Lands'End, you don't even have to go to a store. Again, this is a book that didn't need to be written.

My Father's Secret War: A Memoir.......2007-05-30

I found this book to be very well-written, powerful and thought provoking. I can't even imagine what I would have done or felt in the authors situation. Reading this book made me re-evaluate some of my thoghts, feeling and actions as my mother was dying of cancer. The historical aspect of this book alone makes it worth reading, but if you are dealing or have dealt with someone afflicted with cancer or alzhiemers, this book can make you both laugh and cry.

Chief of Station, Congo: Fighting the Cold War in a Hot Zone

Average customer rating:

CoS Congo
Exciting times
Charts his many encounters and is a top pick
-
History Lessons

Chief of Station, Congo: Fighting the Cold War in a Hot Zone
Larry Devlin
Manufacturer: PublicAffairs
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1586484052

Book Description

A master spy's memoir of playing the game in the most strategically influential country in 1960s Africa.

Larry Devlin arrived as the new chief of station for the CIA in the Congo five days after the country had declared its independence, the army had mutinied, and governmental authority had collapsed. As he crossed the Congo River in an almost empty ferry boat, all he could see were lines of people trying to travel the other way--out of the Congo. Within his first two weeks he found himself on the wrong end of a revolver as militiamen played Russian-roulette, Congo style, with him.

During his first year, the charismatic and reckless political leader, Patrice Lumumba, was murdered and Devlin was widely thought to have been entrusted with (he was) and to have carried out (he didn't) the assassination. Then he saved the life of Joseph Desire Mobutu, who carried out the military coup that presaged his own rise to political power. Devlin found himself at the heart of Africa, fighting for the future of perhaps the most strategically influential country on the continent, its borders shared with eight other nations. He met every significant political figure, from presidents to mercenaries, as he took the Cold War to one of the world's hottest zones. This is a classic political memoir from a master spy who lived in wildly dramatic times.

Customer Reviews:

CoS Congo.......2007-08-09

An excellent biography, discusses what happened during the Cold War in the Congo from his point of view. I found it an enjoyable read.

Exciting times.......2007-07-05

A good book giving an overall flavor of the Congo in the early 60's. It would be nice if Devlin had filled in more details however perhaps this is proscribed in his publishing agreement (I presume that he had to run this through the CIA before publishing it). You do get an idea of just what a CIA COS does to try to guide events to follow US policy. He's rather blase about the physical risks of operating in an unstable environment although maybe this is because he survived to tell the tale. I don't think that I would have my family at my side in such an environment.

Charts his many encounters and is a top pick.......2007-06-17

Author Larry Devlin arrived as the new chief of station for the CIA in the Congo five days after the country declared its independence, the army mutinied, and the government had collapsed: as he entered the country, streams of residents were fleeing. During his first year he was accused of murdering a charismatic political leader, saved the life of the man who carried out the military coup, and found himself confronting unheard-of challenges in Africa. CHIEF OF STATION, CONGO charts his many encounters and is a top pick especially recommended for college-level and military holdings strong in African culture and history.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

-.......2007-06-12

A little too general, very maddening that he left out so many details. But a necessary read for those interested in the Congo in the 60's

History Lessons.......2007-06-07

This book rewards its readers with good deal of information on a variety of subjects. It undoubtedly provides a very accurate account of the struggle of the former Belgium Congo to become a variable nation state. In the course of doing this, its author provides a plausible description of the chaotic condition of an imploding nation state and its leading political players of the period, including the controversial Patrice Lumumba and the man who turned out to be his chief rival Sese Seko Mobutu. Finally the book opens a window on how the U.S -Soviet Union Clod War rivalry played out in an newly independent African state like the Congo.

On a rather different level, Larry Devlin provides a good explanation of what a pro-active CIA Station Chief (COS) of 1960 did to earn his keep. One can carry away a good deal of information about good `tradecraft', the use of non-official cover (NOC) agents, and the vital need for a close relationship between the COS and the U.S. Ambassador. For a long period Devlin was not only COS Kinshasa (Leopoldville), but also the only CIA representative in the Congo. As a result, he discloses quite a bit about the art and craft of recruiting and maintaining `agents' in the field. Although virtually all memoirs written by former intelligence folks tend to be somewhat self-serving, from this book it is clear that Devlin really was good at his job and did his best to protect the national security interests of U.S. and equally important to help the Congolese build a viable and independent nation state. That in the end the Congo continues to be a near failed state was due to factors well beyond Devlin's control.

The problem then as now of course is that a really good CIA operative like Devlin and a really poor operatives are treated pretty much the same way by CIA. The system is really designed to homogenize everyone into the same bland blend. Also it is clear that CIA of 2007 would never allow a COS the kind of freedom of action that Devlin had in 1960.

Anyone with an interest in Africa or the CIA or both ought to find this well written and informative book fascinating.

Average customer rating:

Gabriel Allon the Great...........
Gabriel cover blown, marriage to Chiara, and Head of Israeli Special Ops
Silva's Best Yet
GREAT BOOK
Another Great Gabriel Allon book by Daniel Silva

The Secret Servant (Gabriel Allon)
Daniel Silva
Manufacturer: Putnam Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0399154221
Release Date: 2007-07-24

Book Description

In Amsterdam, a terrorism analyst named Ephraim Rosner lies dead, brutally murdered by a Muslim immigrant. The Amsterdam police believe the killer is a deranged extremist, but others know better. Just twenty-four hours before, Rosner had requested an urgent meeting with Israeli intelligence. Now it is Gabriel Allon's job to find out what Rosner knew, and when he does, it confirms his worst fears: a major terrorist operation is in the works. But not even Allon could have predicted what it is.

In London, a young woman vanishes. She is the daughter of the American ambassador-and goddaughter of the president of the United States-and the kidnappers' demands are at once horrifically clear and clearly impossible to meet. With time running out, Allon has no choice but to plunge into a desperate search, both for the woman and for those responsible, but the truth, when he finds it, is not what he expects. In fact, it is one that will shake him-and many others-to the core.

Intense and provocative, filled with breathtaking double and triple turns of plot, The Secret Servant is not only a fast-paced international thriller but an exploration of some of the most daunting questions of our time.

Customer Reviews:

Gabriel Allon the Great..................2007-10-03

Daniel Silva has created an excellent addition to the Gabriel Allon series that is perhaps the best yet. Get ready for fast paced, edgy, current, and sometimes nail biting entertainment as Gabriel is assigned his latest case. He is dispatched to Holland to investigate the death of an Israeli "asset." From there Gabriel is once again embroiled in a situation that goes from troubling to terrifying within days. One of the things about this series that make it so good is that it is so disturbingly real. You know that you could pick up the newspaper any day and read about a similar incident taking place somewhere in the world. Readers who have followed the series, can especially enjoy the recurring well done secondary characters that appear in this novel. It's the whole package though that makes this series so entertaining; a brave, mysterious, sexy spy and all the contacts that he has come to work with and care for and finally the current day events that make us believe it is all true.

Gabriel cover blown, marriage to Chiara, and Head of Israeli Special Ops.......2007-10-01

The story starts with Solomon Rosner working as professor of sociology at the University of Amsterdam, the Rosner Center for European Security Studies. Rosner was acting as both director and solo scholar and published a book called "The Islamic Conquest of the West". In the book, the Islamic plan was colonization of the Netherlands into a majority Muslim state. Rosner urge government to take immediate and drastic action to preserve Dutch society. The press media all agreed that the situation required tolerance and dialogue and not hateful rhetoric like Rosner's. Rosner responds that response was needed not capitulation. The Jihads became enraged over the book, stating, "Rosner the Jew must be dealt with harshly." Enroute to meeting, Rosner was shot by an assassin and beheaded as Iman ritual required and no one intervened.

Rosner was Ari Shamron's agent and his death was personal. Ari told Gabriel that Uzi would not be assigned to the job and that he would. Ari wants Gabriel to take the head of Israeli intelligence operations: "Does Shamron have a successor in mind?" "He wants the Office to be run by someone other than a soldier." Gabriel tells Uzi, "I'm an assassin, Uzi, and they don't make assassins the director". Navot chastises Gabriel, "Is this your plan? To leave the fighting to others? ... Fortress Israel is cracking under the strain of this war with out end...Its in our DNA because of the Holocaust...They delude themselves into thing that the Jewish National home is not in Palestine but in America." "You are not an art restorer. You are a secret servant of the State of Israel, and you have no right to leave the fighting to others."

Shamron tells Gabriel that Argentia is a hot bed for Hezbollah activity and that Amsterdam is becoming a Muslim city. "The young me were unemployed and angry, and they were being fed a stead diet of hate by their imams, most of whom were imported and funded by our friends in Saudi Arabia." "We also want to know whether any of our more determined enemies were using Amsterdam as a base of operations for major attacks against Israeli targets in Europe." Shamron tells Gabriel, "Rosner was my creation." "There was no shortage of people in Amsterdam who wanted Solomon dead. They finally found their man in Muhammad Hamza." Video connected Hamza to Rosner death as he voiced that "he killed his Jew". Gabriel wants to know is assignment, "We want the names of all those golden sources, but we also want to make sure there's nothing that might link him to us." "If it ever came out that he was our paid mouthpiece, the Jewish community in Holland might find itself at risk."

"British governments both Labour and Tory had thrown open their doors to the world's most harden holy warriors. Cast out by countries such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordon, and Syria, they had come to London, where they were free to publish, preach, organize, conspire, and raise money." "The primary incubator of violent ideology." "British security and intelligence services, confronted by a gathering storm, had responded by choosing a path of accommodation rather than resistance." The failure of the policy of appeasement had been held up for the world to see when three explosives tore up the London in 2005 and fifty-two people killed. 16,000 terrorist residing in Britain and 3,000 trained in al-Qaeda camps.

Gabriel and Lavon break into Egyptian native, Samir al-Masri's apartment and Gabriel sees pictures of Samir, "in Trafalgar Square and Samir with a member of the Queen's life Guard outside Buckingham palace; Samir ridin the Millennium Wheel and Samir outside the Houses of Parliament." "The last photograph, Samir posingwith four friends inform the American Embassy in Grosvenor Square caused Gabriel's heart to skip a beat." Gabriel later tells British intelligence, "I think an al-Qaeda cell from Amsterdam might have entered Britain in the last forty eight hours with the intention of carrying out an attack." Graham Seymour was not convinced: no surveillance, no emails, and no voice mails; and Gabriel points out the pictures prove the group was on a surveillance mission four months prior. Graham does believe the group fits the profile of a major attack. Gabriel tells Seymour, "The action cell members train and prepare in a place where we can't monitor them, then come ashore at the last minute, so we have no time to find them and disrupt their plans. Obviously, it would take complex planning and a skilled mastermind to pull it off." Gabriel wants Seymour to raise the overall threat level. Seymour does not respond, saying, "We don't like to move the needle on the threat meter each time we get nervous."

Gabriel discovers an important clue from Samir's yellow legal pad, the location of the attack. From a pencil rub Gabriel sees a pattern of criss-crossing lines and recognizes the layout to be Hyde park. Seymour tells Gabriel, "You want me to sound the alarm at Gosvenor Square because of some lines on a legal pad?" "I'm not going to do that. There's not enough evidence to support making a call like that."

The current American Ambassador to Court of St. James was Robert Carlyle Halton. Elizabeth Halton, Robert's daughter had become the terrorist target. Gabriel is unable to stop the abduction of Elizabeth Halton, but manages to kill a few terrorist and seriously injure another. The Sword of Allah group takes order from Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Samir is part of the Sword of Allah group. The plot to kidnap Elizabeth Halton originated in Egypt under the direction of Zawahiri. Adrian Carter meets with Gabriel as they watch the terrorist hostage exchange video. Sheikh Tayyib wants to exchange Elizabeth for his brother Sheikh Addullah Abdul-Razzaq. Carter tells Gabriel, "Why is it that we've spent upward of fifty billion dollars propping up that regime, but you found out about the Sword connection before we did?" The central answer is that Israeli intelligence is better. Carter is against the exchange, "If Sheikh Abdullah Abdul Razzaq is allowed to return to Egypt, the Mubarak government will find itself in a very precarious state. For all its problems, Eqypt is still the most important country in the Arab world. If Egypt goes Islamic it will have a disastrous ripple effect across the region - disastrous for my country and yours." The terrorist want the fall of the Mubarak regime and replace it with an Islamic republic and use Egypt as a base of operation to wage a war against Israeli and the west. All under the umbrella of Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama right hand man.

Gabriel knows he must find the Spinx, Yusef Ramadan and he will find Elizabeth.

Silva's Best Yet.......2007-09-25

Once again, a seemingly benign case leads Gabriel Allon, Israeli spy, into a complex plot. This time Islamic extremists capture the American ambassador to England's daughter. Allon is requested to assist in the recover operation. This novel is Silva's best yet. A real page turner. I won't spoil the plot but I am already looking forward to Silva's next. I am afraid he will somehow change the character since it is time for Allon to move up the ranks within his organization to director. Enjoy

GREAT BOOK.......2007-09-24

This was the first book by Daniel Silva that I have read. I liked it so much that I ordered all of the rest of his books as soon as I finished it. My wife is now reading it and she can not lay it down.

Another Great Gabriel Allon book by Daniel Silva .......2007-09-22

"The Secret Servant" is another great book in the Gabriel Allon series by Daniel Silva. The story is fiction but it certainly makes one think about the world today. Silva does not write "politically correct" fiction - he has the courage to tell it as it is and I thank him for that.

I like how Silva weaves characters from previous stories into this book. The only thing wrong is that I have finished reading "The Secret Servant" and now have to patiently wait until Mr. Silva writes and publishes the next book in this interesting series.

This book is an excellent read. Thank you, Daniel Silva!

Charlie Wilson's War: The Extraordinary Story of How the Wildest Man in Congress and a Rogue CIA Agent Changed the History of Our Times

Average customer rating:

four and 1/2 stars.
Great
Hard to read
Caution: Children at play
lonnie

Charlie Wilson's War: The Extraordinary Story of How the Wildest Man in Congress and a Rogue CIA Agent Changed the History of Our Times
George Crile
Manufacturer: Grove Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Afghanistan | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

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Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001
Sleeping with the Devil: How Washington Sold Our Soul for Saudi Crude
Imperial Hubris: Why the West Is Losing the War on Terror
See No Evil: The True Story of a Ground Soldier in the CIA's War on Terrorism
First In: An Insider's Account of How the CIA Spearheaded the War on Terror in Afghanistan

ASIN: 0802141242

Book Description

Charlie Wilson's War was a publishing sensation and a New York Times, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times bestseller. In the early 1980s, a Houston socialite turned the attention of maverick Texas congressman Charlie Wilson to the ragged band of Afghan "freedom fighters" who continued, despite overwhelming odds, to fight the Soviet invaders. Wilson, who sat on the all-powerful House Appropriations Committee, managed to procure hundreds of millions of dollars to support the mujahideen. The arms were secretly procured and distributed with the help of an out-of-favor CIA operative, Gust Avrokotos, whose working-class Greek-American background made him an anomaly among the Ivy League world of American spies. Avrakotos handpicked a staff of CIA outcasts to run his operation and, with their help, continually stretched the Agency's rules to the breaking point. Moving from the back rooms of the Capitol, to secret chambers at Langley, to arms-dealers' conventions, to the Khyber Pass, this book presents an astonishing chapter of our recent past, and the key to understanding what helped trigger the sudden collapse of the Soviet Union and ultimately led to the emergence of a brand-new foe in the form of radical Islam.

Customer Reviews:

four and 1/2 stars........2007-10-01

steve coll's excellent book "ghost wars" whet my reading appetite for more on the soviet war in afghanistan. since that military action, with the unanticipated consequences it spawned for the united states, was such a catalyst for the 9/11 attacks, it seems essential for an american to get a grip on what took place there. "charlie wilson's war" is a thrilling account of that international drama. though much of the book deals with funding america's covert involvement through congressional appropriation subcommittees, and with CIA office politics, the narrative is interesting page for page throughout this long work. not once did i find it a chore to continue, or feel an urge to skip past anything. george crile brings the colorful personalities of those involved to vivid life through his clear prose. he actually makes appropriation subcommitees, and their methods of work, interesting. and his portraits of afghanistan and pakistan, and their respective political environments and key political players, is brilliantly executed. the story is told completely from the american perspective, true. you will have to seek elsewhere for a more balanced view (by this i mean one that takes into account the soviet soldiers side of things). but this book being what it is, is a fascinating read, and one you can learn much from.

Great.......2007-09-08

One of the most intriguing stories of American foreign policy making. This book was recommended to me by a staffer for a military oriented Congressional committee. He was quite emphatic in stressing that this book, better than any other, offers a great perspective on the influence Congress can have on foreign and war policy. I don't know how representative it is of the day to day activities of members of Congress, but it certainly shows how a dedicated member of Congress CAN get seriously involved in an issue.

Charlie Wilson is one of the most interesting politicians to have walked on the stage in the past 50 years. Part JFK, Nixon, LBJ, and Clinton - both good and bad parts - Wilson was a smart and dedicated defender of CIA efforts to support the mujaheden in Afghanistan against the Soviet Union. More than any supposed hardline conservative, including President Reagan, Wilson, a socially liberal Democrat from Texas, was the most agressive elected official to back the CIA in its anti-Soviet effort in Afghanistan. Wilson was also wildly able to get in the worst kinds of trouble: womanizing, drunk driving, and questionable uses of public money. I guess it goes to show that people are incredibly complex and contain a much more dynamic mix of good and bad within them. Kind of like the Incredible Hulk, but with less green.

Hard to read.......2007-08-29

Content was OK, I'm sure acurate, but about 210 pages into this 500+ page book I had to give in - I just couldn't make myself want to read it. I am only 31, so I do not know of Charlie Wilson, or the political temperature in the 80s, but this book was recommended to me so I tried, but couldn't make myself do it.

Caution: Children at play.......2007-07-28

It's impossible to know how much, if any, of "Charlie Wilson's War" is believable. After all, George Crile is a producer for "60 Minutes," which is notorious for hyping and faking stories. But, for purposes of a review, let us assume all of it is.

First, there is the adventure story: Charlie Wilson, affable and handsome, goes to Congress from the Big Thicket of Texas. He's a scandalous rogue, the kind who sometimes can carve out a political career in the rural South.

Then there is the fashion story. Rich oil men and women from Houston have soirees where they exchange rightwing political stories. The protagonist is Joanne Herring.

Finally, the spy story. The CIA blunders about the world, trying to "contain" or destroy communism. The key figure here is Gust Avrokotos, like Wilson something of a rogue.

Crile certainly tells a stem-winding story. By complicated pathways, Herring and Wilson become obsessed with the heroic struggle of the Afghans against the Russians. Avrokotos is roped in because he wants to kill commies. We are, apparently, supposed to look favorably on these people.

And to believe that their plots to supply advanced weapons and training to the mujahedeen brought down the USSR.

Well, that is certainly nonsense. The USSR fell of its own weight. Rightwing fantasies that it was brought down by Reagan's firmness or -- in this version -- the obsession of a Texas Democrat, are just that -- fantasies.

It's a great yarn and ought to be an object lesson in what happens when rich, ignorant people -- or, in the CIA's case, ignorant not-so-rich people -- are able to meddle in serious matters they do not understand.

In an epilogue entitled "Unintended Consequences," Crile, who boosted these nutcases with publicity for years, draws some -- though not enough -- rueful conclusions about the long-term inadvisability of giving powerful weapons to people who hate you and have a cultural habit of murder. Well, duh. Anyone who knew he history of Islam -- that would not include Wilson, Herring, Avrokotos or Crile -- could have predicted the outcome.

lonnie.......2007-06-27

THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST SRORIES I'VE READ IN YEARS--AND IT'S TRUE! IF IT WERE FICTION IT WOULD BE TOO UNREAL TO EVER GET PUBLISHED. WHAT A GREAT CAST OF CHARACHTERS AND CRILE HELPS US UNDERSTAND THE REAL PRICE OF UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES THAT WE ARE SEEING RIGHT NOW. READ THIS BOOK!!!!THEN PASS IT ON TO EVERYONE YOU CAN. I SURE HAVE. LONNIE

Average customer rating:

Double Agents
Worst W.E.B. Griffin book yet...
Horrendous. Simply horrendous.
Popcorn while waiting for the plane
A great read & a great gift.

The Double Agents
W.E.B. Griffin , and William E. Butterworth IV
Manufacturer: Putnam Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Saboteurs (Men at War)
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Strike Force: A Novel

ASIN: 0399154205
Release Date: 2007-06-26

Book Description

W. E. B. Griffin's iconoclastic OSS heroes face a historic challenge in the brand-new volume of the New York Times-bestselling series.

Critics and fans alike welcomed the return of the Men at War series with The Saboteurs. Now Canidy, Fulmar, and colleagues in the Office of Strategic Services face an even greater task-to convince Hitler and the Axis powers that the invasion of the European continent will take place anywhere but on the beaches of Nazi-occupied France. "Wild Bill" Donovan's men have several tactics in mind, but some of the people they must use are not the most reliable-are, in fact, most likely spying for both sides-so the deceptions require layer upon layer of intrigue, and all it will take is one slip to send the whole thing tumbling down like a house of cards. Are the OSS agents up to it? They certainly think so. And then the body is found floating off the coast of Spain. . . .

Filled to the brim with action and character, The Double Agents is irresistible storytelling from a military master.

Customer Reviews:

Double Agents.......2007-10-01

First W.E.B. Griffin book that I haven't thoroughly enjoyed. Something missing as compared with his other books. Half the book was a rehash of the "Man Who Never Was" book written 40 years ago, about a great deceiption to help convince the Nazis that the Allies weren't going to land on Sicily after pushing the Germans out of North Africa. The rest of the book lacked the usual flow and seemed very disjointed. First Time Ever I'd have to give a W.E.B. Griffin book a do not bother to read recommendation.

Worst W.E.B. Griffin book yet..........2007-09-29

Never have so many pages told so little story. Perhaps the worst part of the book is the incessant back stories that fill page after page. I realize there are people who will pick up the sixth book in a series without reading the previous five but seriously every time a reoccurring character comes into play we're treated to pages of 'what has gone before' and if that character thinks of another player in the story we get THEIR back story too. Even a CAR got more than a page of back story. I found it to be mildly insulting. I will give Griffin points at least for not pulling complete chapters out of previous novels to flesh out this book; something he's done too often in the past.
The story is slow paced. In some places PAINFULLY slow paced. The entire Whitbey House arc of the story with actor/soldiers David Niven, Peter Ustinov and author Ian Fleming which takes up approx. half of the novel could have been trimmed down to a couple chapters without losing anything important.
I was disappointed, once again, to see the issue of the German submarine pens has yet to be resolved and only received a brief mention in this novel. We've been waiting for several books for this to finally happen and I now wonder if it ever will.
Alcohol, another of Griffin's favorite plot devices, once again plays a major part of the story. I'm honestly amazed we were able to win the war as apparently the majority of our military leadership was as drunk as they could get as often as they could lay hands on a bottle.
All in all this was a very disappointing read and makes me wonder if future novels from Griffin and his son will be worth bothering with which truly saddens me as I've been a long time reader of his work.

Horrendous. Simply horrendous. .......2007-09-17

Wow.

I almost NEVER throw in the towel when reading a book, no matter how bad. Hey if I start, I want to see it through to the end.

But about 2/3 the way through the story was still struggling to find it's feet enough to actually get started. In the last 1/3 of the book there was simply no way the story could kick off, become engaging, and wrap up nicely. So I threw in the towel.

The dialogue is especially bad - long long drawn out conversations that are stiff beyond belief, sharing very little information with ther reader. You know within a few sentences what the next 15-20 pages are going to ramble about.

The book has the vibe of a term paper written by an uninspired high school student who has 2000 words to write, and only 500 on paper. Just because they stretch those 500 words to 2000 doesn't make for quality content.

This is an absolutely worthless book, that has tricked us into thinking it was written by a famous author, rather than a famous author's son. This is not meant to be rude or hateful - this is simply a realistic assessment.

Popcorn while waiting for the plane.......2007-09-13

What with shoe searches and all, we have to get to the airport earlier and earlier and now we can't even smuggle a couple little bottles in our carry-ons or a knife to cut some fruit. Oh well, kill some waiting time reading the Griffins. No pretense to great literature here and the historical spatterings have descended into trivia. This tale of the second man who never was is a fanciful concoction unworthy of the dry martinis stirred up in it. Maybe we need nore old-fashioned Eastwood style in your face Kelley's Heroes if the Griffs are going to do comedy. This was a bit too close to Marx Bros seltzer epics. Then it was topped off with a screen romance amnesiac "Oh, that's who I am! Oh I must have been bombed by the blitz or blitzed by the bomb." Oh well, we all know what to expect, once we expected better stuff, but this really is pop history and patch work at that. It will pass the time.

A great read & a great gift........2007-09-03

It is wonderful that WEB Griffin is still adept at telling excellent stories, and throwing in a good bit of history on the side. The able assist from family member William Butterworth is seamless and doesn't take anything away from Mr. Griffin's mastery and passion for his subjects.

Secret Weapon (Star Wars: Last of the Jedi, Book 7)

Average customer rating:

rudy against the empire
hey jude great job!
Five Stars
Cliff Hangers as usual, mild spoilers possible
Best of the best!!

Secret Weapon (Star Wars: Last of the Jedi, Book 7)
Jude Watson
Manufacturer: Scholastic Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0439681405

Customer Reviews:

rudy against the empire.......2007-09-30

i know myself that i'm almost finished w/ the novel but haven't read it through... but it's very good, i can't wait what will happen to ferus olin and see ben kenobi along w/ him. i love the front and back cover of the book
over in Coruscant. I will hoping to read all through 10 novels of TLOTJ series.

hey jude great job!.......2007-08-14

i disagree with that other reviewer who said timothy zahn is the best with jude watson.i hate the timothy zahn books.and that was when us star wars fans were starving for something new to read about star wars and heir to the empire came out,i bought it like many others wanting something new to read.and i was greatly dissapointed and his 2nd and 3rd book of that trilogy didnt get any better so i stopped buying his books.i guess i been spoiled by the star wars books i read growing up by writers like the great brian daley may he rest in peace,and the great alan dean foster.and i have been dissapointed by most of the new books and the different new authors to star wars books that have come out.finally a writer that is worthy of star wars has come along.a great writer and im happy that jude gets to write more books for star wars.i also enjoyed jude's first book star wars journal princess leia's diary of episode 4.captive to evil.

Five Stars.......2007-08-07

Ferus is still working as a double agent struggling the thin line of going along with Palpatine to keep from being killed and trying to he's position to help out his resistance friends. This becomes very difficult in this book when the Empire wants Ferus to return to his homeplanet as a poster boy for former resistance leader turned Empire. The Empire taking control of the factories which looks as if their helping the planet by providing jobs. This naturally will make it appear to the resistance that Ferus is completely with the Empire. Naturally the Empire's plans are not that nice with Vader on his tail Ferus finds it even more difficult to contact his friends to convince them their still on his side and attempting to undo the Empire's plan without Vader or the Empire finding out. The way this turns out was surprises as was then when Palpatine has yet another offer for Ferus. With Palpatine...its so hard to say no.

Cliff Hangers as usual, mild spoilers possible.......2007-06-14

One always questions the validity and entertainment value in a spin-off of a spin-off series, but The Last of the Jedi is shaping up to be exciting. Ferus Olin's in full blown double agent mode and that's got him and his friends worried. Friendship and loyalty are certainly tested when it comes down to the question of "who do you serve?" or "How much hurt can one inflict while doing something necessary?"

Jude Watson's got a nice narrative style and a good sense for where to stick in humor. I can't wait until the next one comes out. (Yes, I'm an adult; yes, I know this is a kid's book; yes, this book is totally worth the $6.00)

Best of the best!!.......2007-04-03

I've been a reader from day one and by far this is the most intense part of the series. I loved that there was a list of characters. I almost forgot some of the ones from the beginning and it was good to get familiar with them again. As I was reading, I felt the momentum of the story pick up towards the middle and then it just sky rocketed!! So much so, I left imprints of my fingers on the front and back cover! I don't want to give any of the storyline away but, I'll just say that I had to read some parts over again because of their emotional intensity and depth (I know, I know....I take these stories too seriously) It's such a great story. You'll definitely love it.

Without saying too much here's a little outline....

Ferus is still with the Empire working as a double agent. He gets sent on a mission back to his homeworld of Bellassa to "help" settle any resistance from the people. He is seen by his people as a traitor but his closest friends of course know the truth. Vader keeps Ferus out of "the know" and it's hard for him to find out the real reasons for the Empire's stay on his home planet. As soon as Ferus gets close to the truth, Vader tears into his soul with hatred from the dark side. In the end, Ferus's will to go on is waning and he finds an offer from Emperor Palpatine extremely appealing.

Ok, now go and buy the book! :)

Average customer rating:

Weakest Boyd I've read
he's my favorite contempo writer
A real page turner
a surprisingly good read
well written spy book

Restless: A Novel
William Boyd
Manufacturer: Bloomsbury USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1596912367
Release Date: 2006-10-03

Book Description

It is Paris, 1939. Twenty-eight year old Eva Delectorskaya is at the funeral of her beloved younger brother. Standing among her family and friends she notices a stranger. Lucas Romer is a patrician looking Englishman with a secretive air and a persuasive manner. He also has a mysterious connection to Kolia, Eva's murdered brother. Romer recruits Eva and soon she is traveling to Scotland to be trained as a spy and work for his underground network. After a successful covert operation in Belgium, she is sent to New York City, where she is involved in manipulating the press in order to shift American public sentiment toward getting involved in WWII.
Three decades on and Eva has buried her dangerous history. She is now Sally Gilmartin, a respectable English widow, living in a picturesque Cotswold village. No one, not even her daughter Ruth, knows her real identity. But once a spy, always a spy. Sally has far too many secrets, and she has no one to trust. Before it is too late, she must confront the demons of her past. This time though she can't do it alone, she needs Ruth's help. Restless is a thrilling espionage novel set during the Second World War and a haunting portrait of a female spy. Full of tension and drama, emotion and history, this is storytelling at its finest.

Customer Reviews:

Weakest Boyd I've read.......2007-09-21

This is a well enough written book, as one would expect from William Boyd. That said, its the weakest Boyd I've ever read. This time his portrayal of real life characters in interesting times and extraordinary circumstances falls flat. I found it very hard to care even a bit for the daughter's story. I found it only a little harder to care for the mother's pretty-girl-turned-murderous-spy plot. Even the wartime situations the mother is involved in and that lead up to the climax of the novel are very far from enthralling. Its almost as if this is a novel without protagonists, since the protagnists themselves and the plot around them is so uninteresting. Emphasizing all this are the surrounding characters (ie the Iranian english student, the estranged german father of Jochen, his brother and Ilse) who not only add nothing to the plot but provide no really interesting subplots of their own (actually, to the contrary).

Boyd can be wonderful. But for wonderful Boyd please go for "An Ice Cream War".

he's my favorite contempo writer.......2007-09-18

i have read all of william boyd's novels, his short stories, screenplays and most of his essays--he's far and away my favorite contemporary novelist.

"Restless" is brilliant; it's right up there with his best novels, "The New
Confessions," "Brazzaville Beach," and "Any Human Heart."

the only ones that don't come up to scratch are "The Blue Afternoon" and
"Armadillo."

if you like Ishiguro, Amis, McEwan, or the divine David Mitchell, you will LOVE Boyd's stuff.

just get it!

A real page turner.......2007-09-15

Ruth is a single mother who teaches English as a second language in Oxford, England. One day her mother hands her the first installment in her autobiography, and Ruth discovers that everything she thought she knew about her mother's background is a lie, and that her mother was actually a secret agent by the name of Eva, who worked for the British immediately prior to and during WW2.

From here, the book alternates between Ruth's life in the present day and her mother's story during the war. Like Ruth, I found myself caught up in the spy saga and hungry to see how it developed. William Boyd has done a great job of creating a plausible and intriguing storyline for Eva - more John le Carre than James Bond. While he captures the isolation of Eva's world and the mundane elements of her job, the story also builds with genuine tension and pace. Ruth's life, on the other hand, is more prosaic, but as she gets caught up in her mother's story, she loses her jaded view of the world and starts to see potential intrigue in the people and events around her.

This is an easy book to read and I enjoyed it very much. The details about Eva's training and life as a spy felt real and fascinating to me. The twists and turns in her story kept me hooked without feeling contrived or false. As I read the book I could feel it building towards some kind of climax but I had absolutely no idea where it would go. The mother's and daughter's stories eventually intersect in a way that I found very satisfying. I thought it was a great read from start to finish.

a surprisingly good read.......2007-09-13

I haven't read anything by William Boyd in quite a few years and can't recall which of his earlier books I did, in fact, read but I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was wondering if any of his earlier books go into similar territory.
I thought the technique of shifting back and forth between Eva's wartime adventures and the current period (though the whole book is evidently a flashback to the 70's)when she reveals her exciting past to her daughter was very well done and made this a compelling read. In some respects, this book reminded me of several of Alan Furst's or Ward Just's novels. Well researched and with a real element of suspense.

well written spy book.......2007-09-05

First book of this author which I have read. Believable for the most part with a twist at the end, a bit too convenient to my taste. I will read others by the author.

History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Average customer rating:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers
Pants on fire?
Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
Very Interesting
History as Science Fiction

History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
Manufacturer: Mithec
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Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 2913621058

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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