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.

A History of the Crusades Vol. I: The First Crusade and the Foundations of the Kingdom of Jerusalem

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The very best on the subject
Very Excellent Point of Departure of a Misunderstood Time
History at its finest
On The Crusades, The Best Is Still Good Enough
A great example of why people dislike history

A History of the Crusades Vol. I: The First Crusade and the Foundations of the Kingdom of Jerusalem
Steven Runciman
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 052134770X

Book Description

Sir Steven Runciman’s three volume A History of the Crusades, one of the great classics of English historical writing, is now being reissued. This volume deals completely with the First Crusade and the foundation of the kingdom of Jerusalem. As Runciman says in his preface: ‘Whether we regard the Crusades as the most tremendous and most romantic of Christian adventures, or as the last of the barbarian invasions, they form a central fact in medieval history. Before their inception the centre of our civilization was placed in Byzantium and in the lands of the Arab caliphate. Before they faded out the hegemony in civilization had passed to western Europe. Out of this transference modern history was born.’

Customer Reviews:

The very best on the subject.......2006-08-14

Runciman was a genius. A brilliant writer in English, whose grand ambitions never lead him astray from the most meticulous separation of fact from speculation, he was also an extraordinary polyglot. He read not only the Latin, Old French and Greek among the contemporary accounts of the Crusades, but the Arabic, Syriac, Persian, Hebrew, Gergian, Ethiopic, Slavonic, Norse and Mongolian as well, not to mention modern secondary works in many more languages still. (My man had a BIG BRAIN.) If he shows any favoritism at all among the warring factions of the Crusades, then it is towards the Byzantine Greeks, although what looks like favoritism to me may only be due to my own ignorance. Even if I'm right about his favoring the Greeks, Runciman is still by far the most impartial historian of the Crusades known to me. He's certainly the only one who took the trouble and had the talent to read all the sources in the original. (Most people who've read widely in more than one language can probably appreciate how much tends to be lost in translation, not to mention how much is never translated at all.) As if his reading weren't enough, he often walked through the cities and over the battlefields which he describes in his works, in order to discover things which no one had yet written.

Runciman makes sweeping judgements and expresses strong opinions, although these are often decently hidden between the lines of his polite Cambridge prose. But all of his judgements and opinions have the support of the most solid scholarship.

I recommend the three-volume 'History of the Crusades'. The book 'The First Crusade' is an abridgement of the first volume, without footnotes or appendices or bibliography. In addition to the the three-volume history, I also have a copy of the abridgement 'The First Crusade', but it's the illustrated hardcover edition, ISBN 0521232554. I got it just for the pictures, many in color. The three volumes of the 'History of the Crusades' have a few black-and-white illustrations, and the paperback edition of 'The First Crusade' has no illustrations.

Very Excellent Point of Departure of a Misunderstood Time.......2005-09-01

Runciman's "A History of the Crusades" might very well seem daunting at first glance. Three volumes devoted to a well known but little understood series of events spanning several hundred years may seem like it will take a lot of note taking just to get through. Rest Assured this is certainly not the case. Keeping the narrative lively and and maintaing a fast pace these books read very quickly. Keeping in Mind that the period covered in these volumes stretches over about 500 years three volumes of medium size still is just a scratch on the surface of the Crusades. Following the copious footnotes the reader will easily understand that there is plenty of more material that could be explored if desired.

All that being said this set provides a very succinct account of the Crusades and also answers the question of "what caused the Crusades. Runciman's answers to this question are Sundry but they are all worth exploring. Using the first 100 pages or so the author explores the Muslims and The Byzantines in their geographical and theological conflicts. The author does a good job to paint the Muslims not as "bad guys" but in fact very humane in some instances. But the situation ultimately sees the Muslim empires reaching their zenith by the middle of the 10th century and Byzantium though still temporally strong, is the weaker player in the East. In the west by this time Muslim conquest of the Iberian Peninsula has caused great concern and it isnt long before French Knights are pouring over the pyrnees to fight back. Here, Europeans get their first taste of "holy war". As fervent as the fighters are over religious matters far more realistic matters like the need for new lands for the nobility as generations of nobles have carved ancestral estates. Primogeniture is coming into play and overall the desire for more land may be equal to the true desire to ransom captive holy cities. When Urban II calls for crusade in Le Puy he is astounded at the enthusiasm of his audience. Not long thereafter (1097) Peter the Hermit humbly leads the first "crusade" which is ultimately a failure.

The history goes on and on but never loses its intensity with the taking of Antioch as the high point of the work. It is an amazing desctiption of the tension between the franks and normans that is frought with near defeats. This is the first of a fantastic set of books that I recomend to all interested individuals but is probably best suited to post high-schoolers. I further recommend background on Muslim history, Byzantium and Western Middle Ages history as it is also valuable to getting the most out of this book. If interested in any particular portion of the history the author gives great acedemic footnotes that can lead the reader further in their quest for understanding.

- Ted Murena

History at its finest.......2005-07-29

Steven Runciman's three-volume history of the Crusades (originally published in the early 1950s) is widely recognized as one of the greatest works of history written in the English language in the twentieth century. As such, it is indispensable reading for any serious student of the crusading period or the Middle Ages in general, as well as those with a broad interest in military history or the Middle East.

The remarkable thing about Runciman's work is that it is just as satisfying to the lay reader as it is to the scholar. Casual readers could be frightened by the prospect of reading a three volume history and instead turn to one of the "introductions" available on the subject by Jonathan Riley-Smith, Hans Eberhard Meyer or Thomas Madden. Believe me, you'll find reading Runciman much easier and more enjoyable than those books, which may be more concise but are also excruciatingly dull.

In the introduction to Volume I Runciman clearly lays out his intentions: "I believe that the supreme duty of the historian is to write history, that is to say, to attempt to record in one sweeping sequence the great events and movements that have swayed the destinies of man." Runciman is true to his goal. Modern scholars may disagree with some of his assertions, but no one can argue that he fell short in writing a captivating history of a crucial epoch in world civilization.

A couple of points on Runciman's style and conclusions bear mentioning. First, he places strong emphasis on the importance of individuals and their ability to sway the course of great events. (This is also a main reason why his work is so much more interesting than other books on the subject.) In his narrative of the First Crusade no figures loom larger than the papal legate Adhemar, Bishop of Le Puy, and the crusading prince from Italian Normandy, Bohemond.

Runciman suggests that Adhemar was the Crusade's indispensable man. The only individual with the talent, will and integrity to manage the polyglot crusading armies to fulfill the desires of Pope Urban II: cooperation with Byzantium and its emperor Alexius Comnenus and adherence to the fundamentally spiritual and penitential mission of retaking Jerusalem from the Moslems. His death from typhoid after the siege of Antioch in 1098 is described as a critical turning point in the history of the Crusades as it deprived the movement of the one individual with the authority to unite and control the warrior princes that swept into the Levant on their ostensibly holy mission. To make matters worse, Adhemar's replacement as papal legate - Daimbert of Pisa - proved to be just as ambitious, self-interested and manipulative as the competing princes, a fact that did much to promote the infighting and land-grabbing that led to the competing Christian states in Outremer.

Bohemond - arguably the greatest crusading general ever, not just of the First Crusades but the entire crusading period out to the thirteenth century - is portrayed by Runciman as something of an antagonist to Adhemar and the whole noble cause of the crusade as preached by Urban at the Council of Clermont and beyond. He is written as the embodiment of the rapacious westerner seeking a rich principality in the East under the cloak of Christian piety.

Second, from the perspective of military history, Runciman argues that the issues of logistics and sea control were critical to the success of the whole campaign. Time and again the crusading armies were nearly destroyed not by marauding bands of Turks or Arabs (although they did pose a threat) but rather by a lack of water and food or from sheer exhaustion during the 1,300 km march across Anatolia to the Holy Lands. On several occasions the crusaders were saved by the timely arrival of a Genoese or Venetian fleet bearing desperately needed supplies - including basic items such as nails and hammers to build the siege engines so critical in taking Jerusalem - and the challenge of capturing and maintaining control of a safe harbor on the Levantine coast as an entrepot for the Christian vessels. (For more on the military aspects of the First Crusade, John France's "Victory in the East" is fantastic.)

In closing, if you're looking to read only one book on the Crusades, Runicman's magisterial history should be your choice. Don't let the size of the work intimidate you. It is history at its finest and the extra time (and money) it will take to read his three volumes will be well worth it.

On The Crusades, The Best Is Still Good Enough.......2005-05-15

Sir Steven Runciman's monumental study has held its appeal for over 50 years. These books have two main merits beyond the author's literary gifts. As a Byzantinist, he situates the Crusades in both European and Middle Eastern contexts, giving due attention to Muslim Arabs and Turks, Greeks, Armenians and other Eastern Christians, and he uses Eastern sources quite well. Most other histories simply treat the crusading era as an episode in Europe's development. Runciman's richly rewarding narrative combines storytelling with analysis of historical controversies. It is not a complete tale of all medieval Crusades, since he omits wars against Muslim Spain, Eastern Slavs, Christian heretics, and crusading episodes after the fall of Acre in 1291. But this "limited" focus on the eastern Mediterranean makes the work tighter and more coherent; later historians like J. Riley-Smith and K. Setton retain much of Runciman's analytical framework. Volumes 2 and 3 on the Kingdoms of Jerusalem and Acre are also superb, but they seem less novel after the unprecedented events of the First Crusade. The most intriguing alternatives on the Crusades present non-Christian views, e.g. A. Maalouf, "The Crusades Through Arab Eyes" and F. Gabrieli, "Arab Historians of the Crusades." A. Oz, "Crusade" is heartrending fiction about First Crusaders' zest for massacring Jews en route to the Holy Land.

A great example of why people dislike history.......2005-03-14

I purchased these books laregely based on the recommendations here at Amazon. However, I was extremely dissappointed in them. I stopped reading after book one. Perhaps my problem was in my expectations. I was looking for an excellent narrative on the crusades. These read more like a reference/text book.

The pages are THICK with information. However, the failure of the author is that he just doesn't "tell" the story. In a single page he can introduce 5 locations and 10 people, 8 of whom are dead before the page is finished. If you are looking for detailed information on the crusades, I can only assume that it is likely in these tomes. If you are looking for the story of the crusades, you won't find it here.

The Great Man: Sir Robert Walpole: Scoundrel, Genius and Britain's First Prime Minister

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The Great Man: Sir Robert Walpole: Scoundrel, Genius and Britain's First Prime Minister
Edward Pearce
Manufacturer: Random House UK
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0224071815
Release Date: 2007-02-27

Book Description

All politics, of a kind we can recognize, began with Robert Walpole. Edward Pearce brings him vividly to life in this biography of Britain’s first and longest serving Prime Minister.

Jamaican Volunteers in the First World War: Race, Masculinity and the Development of National Consciousness

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Jamaican Volunteers in the First World War: Race, Masculinity and the Development of National Consciousness
Richard Smith
Manufacturer: Manchester University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0719069858
Release Date: 2005-02-10

Book Description

This groundbreaking study explores the dynamics of race and masculinity to provide fresh historical insight into the First World War and its imperial dimensions, by examining the experiences of Jamaicans who served in British regiments. Despite their exclusion from the battlefield, the author shows that the experience of war was invaluable in allowing veterans to appropriate codes of heroism, sacrifice and citizenship in order to wage their own battles for independence on their return home, culminating in the nationalist upsurge of the late 1930s.

Balfour and Foreign Policy: The International Thought of a Conservative Statesman

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Balfour and Foreign Policy: The International Thought of a Conservative Statesman
Jason Tomes
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0521581184

Book Description

Arthur James Balfour was British prime minister (1902-5) and foreign secretary (1916-19), a conservative and an intellectual. This is the first analysis of his thinking on a full range of international issues, such as British imperialism, Great Power relations in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, central Asia and the Far East, the First World War, the Russian revolution, Zionism, the League of Nations and, above all, the Anglo-American relationship. Balfour emerges with a distinctively conservative approach to foreign affairs that demonstrates a continuity of belief from his philosophical writings to his political practice.

Peace to End All Peace: The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East

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A Major Source of Historical Perspective
Supporting Links and Passing Praise
Not 5 star good.
A Little Knowledge is a Dangerous Thing...
Extraordinary! A monumental book.

Peace to End All Peace: The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East
David Fromkin
Manufacturer: Quill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0380713004

Book Description

Wonderful....No book published in recent years has more lasting relevance to our understanding of the Middle East. Los Angeles Times

Customer Reviews:

A Major Source of Historical Perspective.......2007-10-01

I wish to second Robert Steele's 5-star review of "A Peace to End All Peace", which was posted yesterday. I had ample time to read the book thoroughly, not in the stands at my son's Little League game, some years ago. It's worth a careful and thoughtful reading; no other book I know of sets the stage for understanding the Middle East in the 20th C as conprehensively. And after you finish it, I'd recommend "All the Shah's Men" as the key text for understanding America's embroglio with Iran.

Supporting Links and Passing Praise.......2007-09-25

I am forty books behind in actual reading, but I had the pleasure of scanning this book while on the sidelines of my son's football practice, and it is, as so aptly described by the best of the reviews, breathtaking.

The sentence that grabbed me is in the final paragraph, where the author sums up the roots of the Middle Eastern troubles as being directly on the heads of the English in particular, who lied, cheated, and stole without mercy. He says of Loyd George: "His political deviousness and his moral and financial laxness were never forgotten." Would that this were so, for Dick Cheney and George Bush are our Lloyd George.

I have written a full summative review of a book that complement's this author's sensible account, and reading that review before reading this book could be helpful. The other books also support the view that we are our own worst enemy, that there is plenty of money with which to make the world heaven on earth, but rule by secrecy, predatory capitalism, and fascism disguised as democracy has looted the planet and picked the pocket of the individual taxpayer while destroying the middle class. We are repeating history, in part because we have one of the most poorly educated populations with respect to history and global cultures, than ever before. The Director of the Central Intelligence Agency has taken to complaining recently that he cannot find enough qualified recruits in our shallow pool of "worldly" talent.

The Health of Nations: Society and Law beyond the State

The key point of the above book is that the Treaty of Westphalia and the creation of nation-states as soverign entities with unrestricted powers within their own borders--borders created by the English and other invasive colonizing powers with the US the most active in the last 200 years--were huge mistakes. We should instead have at least made Indigenous Peoples co-equal, and understood, and respected, tribal boundaries established over centuries. Ignorance and hubris/arrogance combine with greed at the corporate and dictator levels (see Ambassador Palmer's book on "Breaking the Real Axis of Evil" to understand why our White House loves 42 of the 44 dictators on the planet, and Tim Weiner's "Legacy of Ashies" for why CIA went straight into the business of supporting dictators as proxy bullies). Paul Bremer had it right: the root cause of terrorism is us. See my comment for a note on Chinese Irregular Warfare that just took force off the table as a US option.

See also
The Looming Tower: Al Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 (Vintage)
The Road to 9/11: Wealth, Empire, and the Future of America
9/11 Synthetic Terror: Made in USA, Fourth Edition
Rogue Nation: American Unilateralism and the Failure of Good Intentions
Weapons of Mass Deception: The Uses of Propaganda in Bush's War on Iraq
Vice: Dick Cheney and the Hijacking of the American Presidency
The Soul of Capitalism: Opening Paths to a Moral Economy
Breach of Trust: How Washington Turns Outsiders Into Insiders

On the positive side, but Amazon only allows ten active links, see
Yochai Benkler, Wealth of Networks
Barry Carter, Infinite Wealth
C.K. Prahalad, The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid
J. F. Rischard, HIGH NOON: 20 Global Problems, 20 Years to Solve Them
Robert Steele, The New Craft of Intelligence
Robert Steele, The Smart Nation Act: Public Intelligence in the Public Interest
Thomas Stewart, Wealth of Knowledge
Alvin Toffler, Revolutionary Wealth
E. O. Wilson, The Future of Life
Medaard Gabel, Seven Billion Billionaires (forthcoming)

I hope this contextual connecting of some dots is viewed as helpful. This is not a "pretend" review!

Not 5 star good........2007-09-08

I have bought this book after looking at all the 5 star reviews on this site and was aghast when I read it through. The book is not terrrible. It provides an extremely elitist interpretation of history which still teaches many things. The author, aside from several exception, illustrates individuals as caricatures. Does not analyze the cultural social and economical structures any more than skin deep and appears to have very limited access to any knowlegde about the Ottoman empire. Many contentious issues are glossed over. I would not have written this review cause as I said the book is not terrible but it certainly does not deserve all the 5 stars that it got. If you have read real history books, just read the first chapter and you will understand exactly what I mean. If you just want to have some hazy idea about the "Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East" than this book is good for you. Note however that you have only that, a hazy idea.

A Little Knowledge is a Dangerous Thing..........2007-09-02

I agree with all the rave reviews--this book is a "must-read" in order to understand what is going on in the world today. The title refers ironically to the justification that World War I was a war to end all war. The peace that followed the First World War, including the carve-up of the former Ottoman Empire by the Allied powers and encouragement of nationalism by Woodrow Wilson, led to disaster. A good companion for Barbara Tuchman's "The March of Folly".

Extraordinary! A monumental book........2007-08-25

This is a well researched, comprehensive narrative on how the middle east was formed, centered on the British side of events, where the most important decisions were taken. Reading these pages, I can only think of the mess that the middle east was in those days, mostly because the major constituents of this region, that is to say Mesopotamia, Arabia and Palestine, had more than one internal player interested in holding part of the dismembered Ottoman Empire, and with the major external players at war trying also to get a piece of the cake and install or retain its influence on this important region, strategically important for its oil resources and geographic location. Added to this scenario was the zionist question, Turkey and its confilcts in central Asia and the internal problems faced by Britain, politically and economically.

Those were very complex times indeed, where the best of British diplomacy was deployed in order to forge peace and stabilize the region according to the situation in those years. Sadly, the settlement of 1922 didn't consider the Kurdish people and the Palestinian Arabs. In spite of all these problems, the book also allowed me to know more about the Arab people and part of its history and religion, its tribes and sects. I cannot say this book is the best in this subject, but certainly a must reading.

A Prince of Our Disorder: The Life of T. E. Lawrence

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An unavoidable piece of work on Lawrence's life
Wonderfully thorough Research
Almost as eloquent as Lawrence himself
We Will Never See Its Like Again
Fresh, engaging view

A Prince of Our Disorder: The Life of T. E. Lawrence
John E. Mack
Manufacturer: Harvard University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0674704940

Book Description

When this Pulitzer Prize-winning biography first appeared in 1976, it rescued T. E. Lawrence from the mythologizing that had seemed to be his fate. In it, John Mack humanely and objectively explores the relationship between Lawrence's inner life and his historically significant actions. Extensive interviews, far-flung correspondence, access to War Office dispatches and unpublished letters provide the basis for Mack's sensitive investigation of the psychiatric dimensions of Lawrence's personality. In addition, Mack examines the pertinent history, politics, and sociology of the time in order to weigh the real forces with which Lawrence contended and which impinged upon him.

Customer Reviews:

An unavoidable piece of work on Lawrence's life.......2006-12-23

While searching for literature on the man in the movie `Lawrence of Arabia', otherwise unknown to me other than knowing him as the brother of D.H. Lawrence, I stumbled across this most authoritative biography on the man who David Lean so magnificently portrayed in his film. He is one of the men who could be placed in par with other great leaders of Britain during the early part of the 20th century.

While Lawrence's autobiography, `Seven Pillars of Wisdom' gives gory picture of his life in the desert and his adventurous war campaigns, Mack's book gives more insight into the man's psyche just as Judith Brown did on Gandhi in her book `Gandhi - A Prisoner of hope'. His many questionable traits (exhibitionism, homosexual tendancies, overemphasis of his achievements) are wonderfully analyzed with information gleaned from tons of historical materials. While the west looked at him as a great war commander (though some question his contributions during the great desert wars), the east, even the people who worked with him, do not consider him as a man who helped Arabs gain their freedom from Turks other than agreeing to the fact that he helped king Faisel in wars.

Lawrence's genius is considered twined with his behavioral disorder, a not so common association among people who have schizophrenic symptoms except may be for rare cases of autistic geniuses like Peter Guthrie (not the Scottish mathematician but a not so well-known artist). There have been debates during his later years as whether Lawrence was in fact an autistic. At any rate, as reflected in one of his most famous quotes, he was a `dangerous' daydreamer who dreamt with open eyes and made things happen unlike night dreamers who dream in their dusty recesses of their minds only to wake up in the morning to see they are vain.

T.E. Lawrence's life and his untimely death (by motorbike accident) left us with lot of questions as who was he and what was he doing in the middle east and what made him to completely depart from the politics of middle east and lead a secluded life of 23 years in the Royal Air Force (not forgetting his contributions to the invention of new types of speed boats). His appearances in Arab's traditional attire in Versailles during 1919 Paris Peace Conference with the King Faisel and with other western dignitaries draw a stark similarity with Gandhi's appearance in loin cloth and shawl during the Round Table Conference at London. Though Faisal trusted him as his benevolent, he did not entrust Lawrence completely as he always thought him as a British spy.

I would suggest anyone who is inquisitive of T.E. Lawrence, also see David Lean's much acclaimed epic motion picture `Lawrence of Arabia'. If the movie `Lawrence of Arabia' captivated me, Mack's biography enthralled me with its abundance of well researched information. As with any other great men, Lawrence's life also is worth researching into. And these biographers are the ones who make legends live and help sustain the new generations' interest on these great people. A great biographical work!

Mere coincidence or not, John E. Mack died of a car accident in New York in 2004.

Wonderfully thorough Research.......2005-01-05

I have now read several books both on T.E. Lawrence, the Middle East, World War I and English governmental history. This is by far the best biography on T.E. Lawrence and the situation in the Middle East that I have read. John Mack did an outstanding job of researching Lawrence for this book. One of the most interesting sections of the book was reading the endnotes. They provide even more information about Mack's research as well as to clarify some previous misstatements about Lawrence.

Although Lawrence suffered greatly from depression and other disorders he was a truly great man. That he was able to be an outstanding friend to so many people while enduring personal suffering is amazing. John Mack portrays Lawrence in an honest light which actually makes Lawrence and his achievements all the more spectacular because of his personal struggles.

John Mack's biography shows us that great people are not perfect nor does their greatness make them happy. He also shows that people who, if truth were know, live outside of societies norms can do world changing things and be loved by society. Lawrence seemed to have been very accepting of all people, other than himself.

To call Lawrence's life tragic in some way diminishes his accomplishments. Was Lawrence a great man because of his problems or in spite of his problems? I think that Lawrence was capable of being a legend because of his problems. The psychological struggles he endured were who he was. Society is so quick to discount a person because of psychological problems, whether they are great people or not. If society were honest with itself, it would realize that everyone has some problem or other. Some, as Lawrence was, are open (relatively) and honest about their problems while most choose to act as if they don't exist.

Winston Churchill, a contemporary of Lawrence's, also suffered greatly from depression and probably some other things as well. Churchill was also hero and a legend and was largely responsible for keeping the world free from Nazi Germany when few noticed the threat or appropriately dealt with it.

It appears to me, that the greater the leader and the more astounding his or her abilities, the more "different" they are from what society believes is normal. A good thought to ponder.

John Mack does an excellent job of providing a well-documented biography of T.E. Lawrence as well as an outline of his psychological makeup. Mack does not claim to understand Lawrence or to explain every behavior. I had expected to read more of a detailed psychological report and was, at first, a bit disappointed. However, the longer I read the more apparent it was that Mack was portraying Lawrence's personality through an accurate telling of his story rather than trying to lecture on "who Lawrence really was" and "why he did everything he did". John Mack also did not fall into the overly Freudian theory that Lawrence did everything because of sex. Sex obviously played a role in his psychology but did not appear to be the overriding theme.

Almost as eloquent as Lawrence himself.......2004-08-19

Dr. John Mack's study of Lawrence is one of the most absorbing reads I've ever enjoyed in my lifetime. As Irving Howe wrote, "What finally draws one to Lawrence, making him not merely an exceptional figure, but a representative man of our century, is his courage and vulnerability in bearing the burden of consciousness." The impact that the trial by fire in Arabia appears to have had on his post-war life is shocking, and teaches us once again not to envy our great heroes. Lawrence wrote of General Allenby that great men cannot be judged by ordinary standards, anymore than the sharpness of the bow of an ocean liner can be judged by the sharpness of a razor. After reading "A Prince of Our Disorder," I recognize now that Lawrence was probably thinking of himself while writing those kind words about his former master, asking that he not be be judged by his hidden afflictions, torments, and self-doubts, all the while laying out those same imperfections for all the world to read. Lawrence warned us,"The documents are liars ... No man ever yet tried to write down the entire truth of any action in which he has been engaged." No man is truly capable of understanding his own subconscious motivations, but I doubt that anyone has ever struggled harder than Lawrence to achieve self-understanding. We will have to try to read between the lines, learn what we can, and apply that knowledge to enrich our own poor lives.

So sad for all of us that our leaders are not of the same introspective type. Dr. Mack comments in his introduction that "The destructive leader, and the eagerness of a large segment of the population to identify with him, comprise one of the central threats -- if not the greatest threat -- that faces human society. There is perhaps an increasing unwillingness to entrust our well-being and our lives to individuals and characters we do not understand and whose ultimate purposes we are ignorant of." Let's hope so.

Jeremy Wilson's massive biography "Lawrence of Arabia" may better satisfy military readers interested in extensive contemporary document citations, and includes much more detail on Lawrence's Cairo years. Wilson also has a better set of photographs. The 1922 Oxford full text of "Seven Pillars of Wisdom," edited by Jeremy and Nicole Wilson and available from Castle Hill Press in the UK, is most highly recommended to all who find "T.E.L." fascinating.

We Will Never See Its Like Again.......2004-01-10

For years, I have studied the life and works of T. E. Lawrence. My research has lead me across the pages of hundreds of books including his own Seven Pillars of Wisdom, but the best biography and analysis of Lawrence I have yet encountered is A Prince of Our Disorder.

Dr. Mack's thorough examination and explanation of the effect of Lawrence's childhood on his adult life and mentality is brilliant. Instead of merely stating his opinions, he touches on those of other biographers as well and then proceeds to state how and why he feels they are accurate or inaccurate, providing quotes from military reports, other Lawrence books, interviews with Lawrence's relatives and friends, and Seven Pillars of Wisdom.

If you read A Prince of Our Disorder, I can almost 100% gaurantee that you will have a better understanding of Lawrence's personal role in the Hejaz Campaign and the lasting effects of his experiences in Arabia on him physically and psychologically. Thankfully, it is beautifully written, and not at all confusing.

From the moment Mack "introduces" you to Lawrence you will have a desire to learn more about him, and as Mack walks you through his troubled life, you will feel pity and awe for this untouchable man.

I think that A Prince of Our Disorder clarifies the line between the legend of the indestructable, hero-Lawrence and the lost, soul-searching man Lawrence really was.

Fresh, engaging view.......2003-10-01

I've been studying the life of Lawrence nearly all of my own 50 years, since I was thirteen. I've read and reread all I could find about him, especially his own Seven Pillars of Wisdom. How refreshing it was to read Professor Mack's excellent book which covers so much more than I'd ever found before and with surprisingly brilliant insight. A fresh look at this enigmatic figure with modern eyes and a richer understanding. A great read.

The First Coming: How the Kingdom of God Became Christianity

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Not Sufficient Cause
The Kingdom of God and the Reigning Lord and Christ
Who was Jesus, really?
Ideas not novel but presented well

The First Coming: How the Kingdom of God Became Christianity
Thomas Sheehan
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0394755316
Release Date: 1988-09-12

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Not Sufficient Cause.......2007-08-16

Sheehan begins with a brief survey of the history of the search for the historical Jesus. Those readers who have read this kind of material before may want to skim through this part taking note that Sheehan believes that in the post-Bultmann era, it is possible to extract historical facts from the New Testament rather than try to demythologize everything. Thus Sheehan can attempt a "psychobiography" by interpreting texts which he thinks have a historical basis.

A brief survey of messianism follows. Again those readers who have read on this subject may want to skim through. The pre-Exilic Prophets had no clear doctrine of an end time. In the post-Exilic era, deprived of Davidic leaders (according to Sheehan) and Prophets, Israel turned to the Law. Then there was the Oral Law. By the time of Jesus, Judaism was divided over which Law(s) was(were) to be observed.

For Sheehan the encounter between Jesus and John is not one of an omniscient God who "submitted" to John's teachings in order to set an example for others on how to act. Rather it was a spiritual awakening for Jesus. It was not enough to be circumcised into the Covenant of Abraham; the heart had to change.

From John to Jesus the message changed from one of imminent judgment upon Israel to Jesus' message of the joy of the imminent liberation of God. God was a loving Abba who was already arriving among his people because the kingdom of God had begun. "It was a new order of things in which God threw in his lot irrevocably with human beings and chose relatedness to them as the only definition of himself." Ethically this meant that acts of justice and charity usher in of the kingdom of God.

Sheehan loses track of his time here. How can the Kingdom of God be present and need ushering in? (page 62) But Sheehan recognizes this on page 63 with the eschatological future-present. "The uniqueness of Jesus' message lay in his conviction that in some way the future kingdom had already dawned and that the celebration could begin." (page 65) Some way? Who can not pin this down? Sheehan or Jesus?

The two most key points to Sheehan's book are why was Jesus executed and what to make of the proclamation of his resurrection. These explain the difference between the message of Jesus and the birth of a religion in his name. Sheehan does an admirable job in regard to the latter: Belief in a resurrection, per se, did not mean a forgiveness of sins during the time of Jesus. Ancient records tell of others who were resurrected. Jesus did die on the cross, but the resurrection develops when Peter had a vision in which he saw Jesus taken into an eschatological future.

To me Sheehan is seeking to justify, but not explaining, why Jesus was executed. Jesus got onto the wrong side of the Pharisees and Sadducees who sent Jesus to Pilate. Why would Pilate care? Sheehan had already noted that unlike John the Baptist, the message of Jesus did not attack the government. Also Sheehan had noted that the popularity of Jesus was waning. The Pharisees, Sadducees, and Pilate could just as easily patted Jesus on the head and sent him on his way.

Sheehan has an interesting book, but I do not think it shows sufficient cause.

The Kingdom of God and the Reigning Lord and Christ.......2006-03-27

"This doctrine of the Kingdom of Heaven, which was the main teaching of Jesus, and which plays so small a part in the Christian creeds, is certainly one of the most revolutionary doctrines that ever stirred and changed human thought."
H. G. Wells

Thy Kingdom Comes:
Leo Tolstoy came to the conclusion that, "The sole meaning of life is to serve humanity by contributing to the establishment of the kingdom of God, which can only be done by the recognition and profession of the truth by every man."
The Kingdom of Heaven (or the Kingdom of God, Hebrew; malkhut hashamayim, Greek; basileia tou theou) is a key concept in both Judaism and Christianity. It refers to the reign or sovereignty of God over all things, as opposed to the reign of earthly or satanic powers. (Wikipedia)
At the time of Jesus, the Essenes, who did not participate in Temple worship in Jerusalem, but exceeded other Jews in the pursuit of virtue, believed they were living on the edge of time, preparing for the coming of the Kingdom of God.
"The kingdom of God is never something that we bring into being, but something that we are receiving. ...The challenge is to know what time it is: what the kingdom is, how it comes, and where we should find it right now," writes Michael S. Horton, in Christianity Today, Jan. 06. He quotes the Epistle to Diognetus, a second century letter which offered a self-portrait of the early Christian community, "For Christians are distinguished from the rest of men neither by country nor by language nor by customs. ... They pass their days on earth, but they have their citizenship in heaven."

God's Kingdom & Christianity:
Thomas Sheehan, professor of philosophy, Loyola University, Chicago, utilized postmodern reconstruction tools to shape a post-liberal interpretation of Jesus mission and teachings, with a fresh understanding of the function of the Kingdom in shaping Christianity. He argues that his bold and persuasive theory rescues the person and message of Jesus from the absurdities of contemporary fundamentalism, recovering the social and ethical meaning of the 'Kingdom of God,' as intended by Jesus. In defending his case, the author guides the reader through the Jesus Seminar style of postmodern scholarship on NT Scripture. Analyzing the historical narratives on Jesus and his teachings, amidst a milieu of messianic expectations among the Jews of his time, Sheehan concludes that the probable core of Jesus teachings was; 'a message of God's real presence among humanity, with biblical implications for social justice and personal ethics.

From Jesus to Christ:
Jesus of Nazareth, according to Sheehan, a Loyola theologian, preached the end of organized religion and the real presence of the living God among mankind.
Sheehan argues that Jesus thought of himself not as God but as God's eschatological prophet proclaiming the arrival of God's kingdom, that the resurrection of Jesus had nothing to his coming back to life. The affirmation that Jesus was divine, he proposes, first arose among his followers long after his death, same conclusion which Dr. Paula Fredriksen arrived at in her book, 'From Jesus to Christ', Yale, 1988. Sheehan then, pursues as well the development of Christology within first-century Christianity, given that due to Christian persecution, theological issues were not discussed by the Church until Nicea, in 325 and Christological doctrine was not settled, even after Chalcedon in 451.

Book Contents:
Introduction: How Christianity Came into Crisis
* Liberal Protestantism and the Jesus of History (1800-1900)
* Rudolf Bultmann and the Christ of Faith (1920-1950)
* The New Quest for the Historical Jesus (1950 to Today)
- One: How Jesus Lived and Died
The End of the World, The Making of a Prophet,
The Kingdom of God, God's Word at Work, Rejection and Death
- Two: How Jesus was Raised from the Dead
* Simon's Experience
The Myth of Easter , The Birth of Christianity ,
An Early Formula of Faith, The Denial of Jesus
* The Empty Tomb
Easter According to Mark, An Earlier Legend, What Really Happened, An Apocalyptic Messenger, The Meaning of Easter
- Three: How Jesus Became God
The Apocalyptic Judge, The Reigning Lord and Christ,
The Divine Son of God
* Conclusion: Recovering the Kingdom
* Appendix: Notes on Rabbinical Literature
* Selected Bibliography

Who was Jesus, really?.......2005-08-02

A very interesting thesis: Jesus was not "God Junior", sent to tell the world to prepare for Armageddon and His eventual return on a celestial throne. Instead, Jesus was an enlightened man who said "The kingdom of God is at hand (meaning right here right now) for anyone who behaves with mercy and justice". Furthermore, that Jesus proposed the end of temple- and heaven-oriented religious practice, to be replaced with a change in the of hearts of men.

The previous reviewer thought the idea was not so very new, but to me it's novel to the point of being revolutionary.

Sheehan's second point is that Jesus' followers fundamentally misunderstood him, directing their fervor onto the man rather than on his message. This led to the development of Christianity and Christian mythology (miracles, Easter resurrection, messiah-hood, the expectation of a Second Coming, etc). Christian history subsequent to the death of Jesus is much better documented than Jesus' actual life and sayings, and Sheehan does a good job summarizing it all.

Be forewarned: this book is a tough read. It requires two bookmarks, because Sheehan has extensive notes at the back, which must be read in parallel with the main text. Plus, he uses very heavy, academic vocabulary. Here are some of the words I had to look up: casuistry, epigones, exegesis, hermeneutic, hypostasis, kerygma, ontological, otiose, parousia, prescind, prolepsis, reify, soteriological, teleology, tutelary, valence. Not your daily-conversation type language, unless you're a biblical scholar. The book is crammed with references and footnotes to other scholarly works (and to the Bible itself of course). Sheehan places himself in the camp that says all that is, is known only as interpretation. So it's a bit ironic that his interpretations need so much academic backup. In any event, his guesses are plausible, and can't be refuted from Scripture, so right away you have to think he's more right than, for example, Tim LaHaye!

Interesting topic and fascinating approach. I would deduct half a star if I could, because I think his story could have been told a lot more simply.

Ideas not novel but presented well.......2003-03-08

There has always been speculation on how an obscure Jewish sage who lived 2,000 years ago became the object of a religion that has changed mankind more than any social movement in history. Even more interesting is how little we actually know for sure - his parentage, city of birth, actual teaching or why he was killed. Without any external historical references, we are left with only the New Testament, a series of writings composed from 40-65 years after Jesus's death, none by eye witnesses.

Sheehan has attempted to explain how a Jewish peasant evolved into God within a century. He starts, like many Bibical critics, noting the discrepancy between date of composition and order of presentation in the New Testament. Paul's letters came first, then Mark, Matthew, Luke/Acts and finally John. One can easily trace the growth in stature following this line of evidence.

Paul knew nothing of the physical man. He never believed in a physical resurrection, preaching that some raised did not have a physical body like us but a spiritual one. No mention of God's son or being a God.

Mark (next) starts with the adult man. Luke and Matthew, written some 80 years after his birth contained the Nativity and early life. John, completed toward the end of the century opens with the stirring "In the Beginning was the Word". We are at the beginning of the Universe and there is Jesus and God as one.

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Jack Dunphy is a CIA agent operating in London, and when someone he's had under surveillance is murdered in a savage, seemingly ritualized killing, the Agency "disappears" him from Her Majesty's territory and assigns him to a headquarters job that's the equivalent of walking a Staten Island beat. Bored into somnolence shuffling files requested by the public under the Freedom of Information Act, Dunphy suspects that his bosses are trying to get him to quit, so he uses his top secret clearance to find out why. In the process, he uncovers evidence that points to a centuries-old conspiracy whose purpose has been aided and abetted by the CIA since its beginning. When his colleague and roommate is brutally murdered in what was either a warning to him or a case of mistaken identity, Dunphy decamps for the continent; with Clementine, his English girlfriend, he tracks a secret society to its Swiss headquarters and pulls off a daring raid that nets him evidence of the Agency's long-standing role in an effort to change the course of history. While it has millennial overtones, this fast-paced and provocative thriller has no Y2K "sell by" date; what it does have is an intriguing explanation for contemporary mysteries like Roswell, UFOs, crop circles, and other paranormal happenings. Jack Dunphy is an enterprising and charming spy with a solid future as a series hero. Fans of Ian Fleming will find him a likely successor to James Bond, and doubtless Hollywood will as well. --Jane Adams

Book Description

As a CIA agent "without official cover" in London, Jack Dunphy sets up commercial fronts and banking facilities abroad for unsavory clients with money too hot to handle--a lucrative business that allows him to spy under a false identity. But after someone he has under surveillance is brutally slaughtered, Dunphy is immediately ordered back to the U.S. "Don't bother packing, and don't go to your flat. . . . Just take the first flight out."

On his return to Langley, Dunphy is relentlessly interrogated and dumped into a tedious desk job that seems calculated to make him quit. Determined to learn why, he uses all his CIA tradecraft on the agency that has turned against him. Gaining access to the murdered man's classified file, Dunphy discovers a cryptic list of names, including reference to the 143rd Surgical Airwing, a military unit that officially doesn't exist. Tracking down a former member of that covert unit, he hears the shocking pieces of an extraordinary story that seem too wild to be true--providing damning evidence of a vast conspiracy deeply entrenched within the CIA.

But searching for the truth proves a deadly enterprise when someone close to him is killed. Fearing he is next, Dunphy runs for his very life, from Langley to Paris, Prague to London. With no one else to trust, he turns to Clementine, the girlfriend he was forced to abandon when he fled England.

Pursued by CIA agents out for blood and a ruthless former client out for vengeance, following a twisted trail of lies and denial, Dunphy uncovers the existence of a clandestine fraternity whose origins are ancient . . . and connections are global. Embroiled in a plot far more elaborate than they ever could have imagined, with players too powerful and consequences too deadly, Dunphy and Clementine must unlock the secret of the Society's dark mission--before it consumes them in its ferocious rush toward destiny.

In a gripping novel that combines brilliantly imagined characters with the machinations behind this century's greatest unexplained mysteries, Jim Hougan has created a stunning international thriller of psychology and intrigue, espionage and prophecy, hairbreadth escapes and endless suspense.

Customer Reviews:

A wild and breakneck paced thriller.......2006-09-27

First off this book is not a "poor man's DaVinci Code" as it was originally published in 2000 prior to the DaVinci Code. Granted it has been re-issued to catch in on the religious conspiracy craze under the title the Magdalene Cipher but that is where the resemblance ends.

This novel is much more in the spy/suspense genre and the focus is around CIA operative Jack Dunphy who has found himself dumped into the position of editing Freedom of Information Act files after his previous assignment had gone astray through no fault of his own. Being both bored and curious, Jack decides to initiate a little research through his new position about what went wrong with his previous assignment. What he discovers soon puts Jack and his lady friend Clementine in great jeopardy.

Hougan's fast-pace thriller soon encompasses a centuries old plot conceived by a secret society that explains the Roswell UFO's, crop circles and a black Madonna. The novel picks up incredible momentum as it goes along and although some of the plot devices almost defy belief Hougan's research and intimate knowledge of spy lore and trade craft manage to keep the story acceptable. One of the strengths of Hougan/Case's novels are his lead characters who react to the circumstances in which they find themselves in manner that is very human and realistic. Hougan's heroes are no James Bond types-sometimes they succeed in spite of themselves which adds realism to his novels and this one is no exception. If you like very fast paced spy novels with multiple twists and turns than you will enjoy Kingdom Come. (3.5 stars)

Republished as "The Magdalene Cipher.".......2006-04-05

In the wake of "The DaVinci Code's" success, many earlier conspiracy novels are being republished. "Kingdom Come" is a case in point. In it's current incarnation, it's been retitled "The Magdalene Cipher" to cash in on the craze spawned by Dan Brown's work.

"Kingdom Come" is an espionage-cum-secret society novel that combines fast action with unraveling a conspiracy. Its plot includes almost everything but the kitchen sink--Roswell, UFOs, cattle mutilations, visions of Mary, government cover-ups, ancient cabals, and Merovingian history. The story follows, Jack Dunphy, a CIA operative who is pulled out of his cover when the subject of a wiretap is murdered in a distinctively ritualistic way. Brought back to Washington, DC, Dunphy is assigned to a low level desk job where his career will likely wither away. His decision to investigate what really happened and why he's been sidelined leads to consequences he doesn't expect. Soon he and his British girlfriend are on the trail of a conspiracy whose origins lie buried in history.

Overall, this was a quick read, and I found it a lot of fun. Those who are looking for a book that focuses on Mary Magdalene, Merovingian history, and religious mysteries are liable to be disappointed. "Kingdom Come" is a spy thriller in which the actual reason for the conspiracy is less important than the conspiracy's role as a plot device. Given the unexpected twists and occasional flashes of humor, I got the feeling that Hougan didn't take himself or his conspiracy too seriously. Whatever the name this book is published under, it's a relatively intelligent thriller.

Excellent conspiracy thriller.......2005-02-10

Jack Dunphy gets thrown out from the CIA after a professor he's watching gets killed. He wants to know why and starts his own investigation. What he finds is a global conspiracy which ties in with every strange event that ever took place. Every step he takes reveals a new secret being tied in to this conspiracy. Great action, characters and overall writting.

Hougan gives us a thriller!.......2004-10-08

Disenfranchised, as it were, from the "Agency," Jack Dunphy has been reassigned to a desk closet, so to speak. His superiors are more than a little concerned over a case that's been bungled while in London (a "number" he's supposedly had underwraps, surveillance-wise, is dead!). Dissatisfied and just more than a little suspicious that his "handlers" are trying to ease him completely out of the picture, Jack begins his own investigation....and from there "Kingdom Come" comes alive. Well, to a point.

Granted, author Jim Hougan is compared (whether it's a complement or not remains to be seen) to Robert Ludlum, Ian Fleming, and Dan Brown, among others. Certainly, Hougan has chosen the "spy thriller" genre and probably there's not an overabundance of new and brilliant and readable ideas there. Still, Hougan gives it a try and does well, everything taken into consideration.

Agent Dunphy has to fight the demons in the closet, so to speak, and he has a partner in Clementine and together they go after the conspirators in the usual do-or-die scenario. Still, Clementine is a nice additive and complements Dunphy admirably.

Still: it's spy-thriller-fiction. That said, Hougan has every right to go for it, literarily. "Kingdom Come" is a very readable thriller, and like Ludlum, Fleming, and Brown, those universal conspiracy cases can only go so far, and like these two, he has to stretch occasionally. Again, it's fiction. It's not a Dan Rather expose or a Bill O'Reilly revelation-it's fiction. And worth the effort. A pleasant read. (Billyjhobbs@tyler.net)

Poorer Man's DaVinci Code.......2004-03-12

Whether writting under his psuedonym John Case with his wife, or going solo, Jim Hougan has a definite gift for creating likeable characters who get caught up in the unexpected while carrying out seemingly dronelike yet out of the ordinary jobs. Hougan's main man in "Kingdom Come", Jack Dunphy has been relegated to glorified information gopher at Langley after having been pulled off an undercover assignment in London after the death of an Oxford Professor of Jungian psychology whom he had under surveillance. Dunphy's annoyance at being yanked from his cozy nest with British sweetie Clementine enhanced by the frustratingly endless grunt work of public information gathering lead him to buck the system and uncover the relevance of the professor's death. What he discovers is a Gordian knot of intrigue that eventually threatens his life and the lives of anyone with whom he comes into contact.

As Dunphy plows through clues that take him all over Europe, the reader breathlessly turns page after page, liking Dunphy and his cohorts immediately. The facts that he uncovers make for fascinating reading---puzzlers will enjoy being thrown information seemingly straight out of left field. Unfortunately, as the story leads into its ultimate denouement, it becomes choppy, the ending sequences beginning at the estate within the Swiss National Park and the ending voyage at sea seem rushed and not fully thought out, as if the author had run out of steam and simply wanted to finish the story under 400 pages. The last paragraph leads the reader to believe some sort of transference has taken place, but obviously this is certainly not developed and there seems no hint of a part two where the reader can stretch his imagination further.

Kingdom Come utilizes themes that have become familiar territory after the publication of the very popular "DaVinci Code". But in as much as that novel also rushes the reader in and out of intriguing snippets of history replete with secret societies, it does come to a fairly complete, if not predictable, conclusion--not so with "Kingdom Come"---the protoganists accomplish their missions, but the ending seems to grasp at something not quite touched upon in the main body of the work. I would have liked to have read more information regarding the gentleman introduced at the tail end of the novel, perhaps even a concurrent historical story running parallel to the actual action tale. Perhaps then, I would have felt that the ending had some meaning in terms of this gentleman's characterization and overall fit into the overall scheme of things. The focus should have been on him and not the Pound/Dulles affair showcased by the author. As with the "John Case" selections, Hougan again seems to fall into the trap of simply using his book to over-instruct his readers on trivia that while fun has little to do with the overall outcome of the story. Providing a reading guide at the back of the book would definitely be a plus for those readers who want more information and do wish to read further.

Nevertheless Hougan presents a great page-turner for at least 7/8's of the book's journey and I will recommend it with some reluctance to anyone who likes a quick read with some fun historical mysteries thrown in.

John Smibert: Colonial America`s First Portrait Painter (A Barra Foundation Book)

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John Smibert: Colonial America`s First Portrait Painter (A Barra Foundation Book)
Richard H. Saunders
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0300042582

Book Description

John Smibert (1688-1751) was the first portrait painter of distinction to attempt to carve out an existence in colonial America. This abundantly illustrated book by Richard Saunders is both a catalogue raisonn of Smibert`s work and a discussion of his life and career. .

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