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

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)

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

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

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ASIN: 2913621066

Product Description

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

Customer Reviews:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It gives a coherent explanation of what we already know.

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

- The predictions it makes are confirmed empirically.

Fomenko goes by the following axioms:

- Chronology is the basis of history;

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Russians:

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

The Westerners:

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

The Chinese:

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

The Arabs:

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

The Divinity:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Historians are kindly invited to report the bugs.

The Queen of Wolves: The Vampyricon, Book III (Vampyricon)

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A Trilogy for the ages
strong finish

The Queen of Wolves: The Vampyricon, Book III (Vampyricon)
Douglas Clegg
Manufacturer: Ace Hardcover
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Historical | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0441015239

Book Description

After rescuing Pythia, the creature who turned him into a vampire, Aleric follows her back to the land of the Saracens. There, they must raise an army, for Aleric's lost love, Enora, has become the Queen of the Wastelands. Aided by her minions and her legions of wolves, she has begun the quest to call the Dark Madonna from beyond the Veil into the world of man. To stop the end of all, Aleric must become what he was destined to be-the Messiah of the Damned-and lead the undead in a final battle against the Mother of Darkness.

Customer Reviews:

A Trilogy for the ages.......2007-09-09

Clegg has created a classic with this trilogy and this last book is stunning. This author's imagination is on fire and its a real treat to read book after book that is as creative as these are. Mythology, archetypes, grand themes and dark passions... this is Clegg at his best and the genre at its best.

strong finish.......2007-09-04

He is called the "Anointed One", the Maz-Sherah, named so by Merod the Priest of the Blood. He feels no different than any other vampyre as he flees with Pythia, a mortal vampire since she put on the Gorgon Mask, from a land torn apart from feuding vampires who want to take over another vampyre's land and believe they have the right to do so. Although Aleric doesn't trust Pythia, she is carrying his child and so he keeps an eye on her knowing she can turn on him at any second.

The veil between the worlds is thinning, and Medya, The Dark Mother, is trying to return to the realm she was exiled from and lay waste to all that opposed her. On the battlefield where the sorcerers fight the crusaders, Pythia and Aleric raise an army from the dying who choose to accept the Sacred Kiss. Aleric, with another vampire, travels to the city of Myrrad. There the serpent God gives him the weapons needed in the upcoming battle against Medya and the Myrrydanai priests at Taranis-H, also called White Robes. Inside the city are Pythia and his two mortal children. If Aleric loses the war, all he loves will be destroyed.

This is the last book in the Vampyricon Trilogy and it ties up all the loose ends and ensures all the key questions not addressed in the previous two books are answered. Although more action oriented than the first two books (see THE PRIEST OF BLOOD and THE LADY OF SERPENTS) in this fabulous series, the characters are fully developed and readers get a better understanding of what motivates them. Douglas Clegg is equally a good storyteller in the horror realm as he is the fantasy area and readers who like him in one genre will also like him in the others. His world-building is so magical that spellbound readers find themselves transported into the Clegg realm to trek alongside Aleric.

Harriet Klausner

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Battle For Morcia (Knights' Kingdom)
Scholastic
Manufacturer: Scholastic Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Board book

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ASIN: 0439828147

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Help King Jayko and his loyal knights do battle against Lord Vladek and his Rogue Knights in this magnetic adventure book. Includes six magnetic knight play pieces.

The Battle of the Queens (Her the Plantagenet Saga)

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THE POWER BEHIND THE THRONE...
Jean Plaidy Does it again!

The Battle of the Queens (Her the Plantagenet Saga)
Jean Plaidy
Manufacturer: Putnam Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

$Passage to Pontefract (The Plantagenet Saga)$ Passage to Pontefract (The Plantagenet Saga)
Vow on the Heron (Plantagenet Saga)
Heart of the Lion
REVOLT OF THE EAGLETS (The Plantagenet Saga)
Hammer of the Scots (The Plantagenet Saga)

ASIN: 039912604X

Customer Reviews:

THE POWER BEHIND THE THRONE..........2003-02-02

In this, her fifth book in the Plantagenet series, Jean Plaidy, renowned writer of historical fiction also known to her devoted fans as Victoria Holt, tackles the two most powerful women of the early thirteenth century, Isabella of Angouleme, the Dowager Queen of England, and Blanche, the Dowager Queen of France.

The heartbreakingly beautiful and sensual Isabella, a woman with little motherly instincts, had been married to King John of England, the most depraved, dissolute, and evil tyrant ever to rule over England, when she was just a child of twelve. John had been the youngest son of Eleanor of Aquitaine and King Henry II of England. Unfortunately, he did not follow in the footsteps of his father in terms of his ability to govern his widespread kingdom. When John died a mysterious death, both Isabella and England were freed from his tyranny, and his and Isabella's eldest son, though a mere boy of nine at the time, became King Henry III of England. Isabella was now the Dowager Queen of England.

Meanwhile, across the English Channel in France, Blanche, the granddaughter of Eleanor of Aquitaine and King Henry II of England, had married Louis VIII of France. Her grandmother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, had handpicked her for that explicit purpose, as Eleanor had sensed in Blanche one such as she, a person with the wit and drive to be a strong queen. The marriage of Blanche and Louis had been a happy one, until an untimely death took Louis, who had been a well-meaning, though weak, king. Their handsome son, Louis, would become King Louis IX of France at the age of twelve. The beautiful Blanche, a virtuous and regal woman, was now the Dowager Queen of France.

When Isabella and Blanche would meet, it was clear that neither woman had much love for the other. When King John of England died, Isabella remarried Count Hugh of Lusignan, the man to whom she had originally been betrothed a lifetime ago, before King John had abducted her and made her his child bride. The fact that Joanna, her daughter with John, was now betrothed to Hugh did not deter Isabella from her determination to marry her first love. So, in addition to being the Dowager Queen of England, Isabella became a Countess through her marriage to Hugh, who was a vassal of France.

This was an untenable situation for Isabella, who despised Blanche and refused to give her and her son the homage that they were due. Isabella ruled her husband Hugh through her ability to provide many amorous and sensuous delights, causing him to commit many grave errors in judgment that were to cause much disharmony in his life. Isabella was single-minded in her determination to cause Blanche as much trouble as possible. She plotted and intrigued against the French crown and no perfidy was too great, encouraging her son, Henry, to try to regain the lands that his father, King John, had recklessly lost to the French. Blanche, however, was not oblivious to Isabella's hatred of her and, being a clever woman, made the necessary moves to keep her in check. One day, however, Isabella went too far and attempted the ultimate act of treason. It was an act that was to cause the tempestuous Isabella of Angouleme to come to an ignominious end.

This is a well-written and interesting work of historical fiction, revolving around two women who wielded a great deal of influence in early thirteenth century England and France. Replete with historical detail, the author paints a living picture of the political intrigues of the day. Historical figures are made three dimensional, adding a vibrancy to this enjoyable book, which those who love historical fiction of this period should enjoy.

Jean Plaidy Does it again!.......2001-07-27

This is a wonderful book! it is part of the plantagenet series and as the rest is beautifully written and full of historical information. Highly reccomended!

World History Biographies: Eleanor of Aquitaine: The Queen Who Rode Off to Battle (NG World History Biographies)

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World History Biographies: Eleanor of Aquitaine: The Queen Who Rode Off to Battle (NG World History Biographies)
Ann Kramer
Manufacturer: National Geographic Children's Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0792258959
Release Date: 2006-09-12

Book Description

In medieval times, Eleanor of Aquitaine broke the mold for women. This remarkable woman lived life on her own terms, ultimately becoming queen of France and England.

We first encounter the infant Eleanor, born into the ruling family of the Duchy of Aquitaine, in 1122. She grows into a lively and intelligent young girl, and quickly learns the arts of diplomacy and power brokering.

Eleanor marries the young Prince Louis, and becomes Queen of France while still a teenager. She accompanies her husband's ill-fated Second Crusade to win back the Holy Land, but returns demanding a divorce, a bold move for a medieval woman.

Her second marriage, to Henry, Duke of Normandy, leads to Eleanor's coronation as Queen of England in 1154. Contrary to her reign in France, she learns to wield power at the English court, and forges strong alliances to establish a lasting dynasty.

Queen of the Flat-Tops (The U.S.S. Lexington and the Coral Sea Battle)

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Queen of the Flat-Tops (The U.S.S. Lexington and the Coral Sea Battle)
Stanley Johnston
Manufacturer: E.P. Dutton & Co., Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000C9JXE8

Product Description

1ST PARAGRAPH OF THE PREFACE: The Lexington was something more than a ship in the years before the war. When she was lost hundreds of men throughout the services mourned her passing as the would a dear friend. Many of our Navy fliers, and many of our admirals and senior officers recieved their initial training in sea-air operations aboard her.

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Not nearly as good as The Castle in the Attic
The Best Book
There was a battle?
TOKENS OF APPRECIATION
Teen's review

The Battle for the Castle
Elizabeth Winthrop
Manufacturer: Holiday House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0823410102

Book Description

William returns, through his toy castle, to a medieval land for more adventure.

Customer Reviews:

Not nearly as good as The Castle in the Attic.......2007-03-17

"The Battle for the Castle" is a sequel to the wonderful book "The Castle in the Attic". I was very disappointed in this sequel. The plot is unrealistic in many ways and seemed very contrived. I actually wish I hadn't read the sequel, because it really diminishes and demeans the characters who were so wonderful in the first book. The adult characters whom I had really admired in "The Castle in the Attic" (Mrs. Phillips, Sir Simon, Dick and others) were all made to look like unreliable, hapless idiots... basically so that William would be the hero again and save Sir Simon's land from the new 'great evil' that had arrived, with hardly any help from the adults. And William's friend Jason is made to look like an almost total jerk. Also, the 'great evil' was kind of weird and way too easily vanquished; there was no 'battle', really. Do yourself a favor and skip this one.

The Best Book .......2004-11-12

I think the battle for the castle was a great book I thought it was weird cause I dont know why rats would want to attack a castle and a bunch of people but i thought that Elizabeth Withdrop was a great Author she rights very good books by brianna mayberry.

There was a battle?.......2004-10-25

The Battle for the Castle takes place two years after the much-loved The Castle in the Attic. William Lawrence celebrates his twelveth birthday with his family and his best friend Jason Stubbs Hardy. The two boys are growing up, and one of the rituals of age is to jump a train. Jason, the athletic biker, succeeds, but William does not, and this gnaws at his mind. William receives the magical token featured in the first book from his old nanny, Mrs. Phillips, that can shrink and enlarge living things. He shows Jason, and they decide to shrink themselves for the grandiose castle in the attic, where another completely different world exists, one of knights, squires, and of course, monsters. William meets up with old friends (from The Castle in the Attic) and makes some new ones, the most important being Gudrin, a mystical blonde girl of twelve. The trouble starts when sightings of a ghost ship in the sea and mysterious bones in the river occur. Little did they know that hundreds of rats are on board the ship, and the rats threaten to eat up the entire castle and its inhabitants.

Good plot, but the events in it were a little...dry. Even though this is directed to a younger audience, the rats do not do a whole lot, and I am disappointed that their leader rat (the big one) is very simple minded. Also, where did the rats come from? Any correlation with the rats in William's attic? The rats' end is, I think, unsatisfying... the first half of the book is really good as it builds up the suspense, but by the second half, one would have thought nothing happened. Was there really a battle? I think there could have been a more grandiose battle because the characters basically hid the whole time.

Also, I admire William, Jason, and Gudrin, but sadly, the book does not delve into their characters enough to leave an impression on me. They have so much potential to be really awesome characters.

The Battle for the Castle is probably entertaining for the younger readers... but I (who happens to be a little older)? I want the excitement that makes The Castle in the Attic so good, and The Battle for the Castle simply does not capture the excitement like its predecessor did so well.

TOKENS OF APPRECIATION.......2003-05-13

William (who received THE CASTLE IN THE ATTIC) is now approaching his 12th birthday, but dreading the townkids' dangerous rite of passage called Jumping the Trains. Although skilled in tumbling and gymnastics, he feels outclassed by Jason, his best friend, who is both taller and more athletic (on a bike). He secretly mourns the fact that he is shorter, fearing that his stature will predestin him to failure in the world.

Then William receives a special gift from Mrs. Phillips, his former nanny now living back in England. Although she had promised to destroy the statue of the evil wizard, Alastor, she changed her mind about disposing of the special Token. This coin depicting two-headed Janus possesses dramatic magical powers. Wiilliam confides the secret of his neglected castle in the attic to Jason, who is eager to make the trek through space and time to reach the medieval world, but not without some modern conveniences: two bikes, a flashlite and;
binoculars.

Their return is timely, for Sir Simon's realm is threatened by a floating horror; a skeleton ship inhabited by fierce rats. Accompanied by young Tolliver, who learns to ride a bike, and 12-year-old Gudrin, the boys undertake to rid the land of the nauseating rodent meance. But how much can one trust a fool--a court jester named Deegan? Is it wise of Sir Simon to depart for a tournament despite the ominous warning signs,
leaving the castle in such youthful hands? This sequel is light and fast-paced. One wonders if Winthrop will consider a third one, before the boys are too old for such fantasy games. Even if she does not, heed crypic messages, trust in feminine clairvoyance and don't forget to treasure your old toys!

Teen's review.......2003-02-12

This book was wonderful. In the book William proves that although he may be looked down upon he can still do great things. Also no one believes another character. This book has alot of action but it also sends messages about how the smallest or seemingly unsignifigant people can be great.

The Follies of the King (Plantagenet Saga)

Average customer rating:

THE KING WHO WOULD BE QUEEN...
Whoa, awesome book!
Blew me away!

The Follies of the King (Plantagenet Saga)
Jean Plaidy aka Eleanor Hibbert
Manufacturer: Fawcett
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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Battle of the Queens

ASIN: 0449200434
Release Date: 1983-12-12

Customer Reviews:

THE KING WHO WOULD BE QUEEN..........2003-12-08

Jean Plaidy, noted for her historical fiction, is also known to her legion of fans across the world as Victoria Holt. Ms. Plaidy has written many enjoyable works of historical fiction, and this, her eighth book in her Plantagenet saga is no exception.

Here, Ms. Plaidy tells the story of King Edward II who, as did his ancestor Richard the Lionhearted, preferred the company and affections of men over that of women. Unlike his ancestor, who was married to the complaisant and submissive, Berengaria, who did not make waves about Richard's lack of attention, Edward II had a wife that was secretly infuriated by her husband's predilection for young men. Interestingly enough, nowhere in this work of historical fiction does the author make use of the word homosexual, though that is really the only inference a reader may draw about the romantic proclivities of Edward II.

The book focuses heavily upon the attachment had to Piers Gaveston, a young man, son of a Gascon knight, who had grown up with Edward, and the young and handsome Hugh the Dispenser, the courtier who eventually took Gaveston's place in the king's affections after Gaveston was murdered. The book chronicles the unfortunate relationship that Edward II had with his wife, the beautiful and strong-willed Isabella, daughter to Philip, King of France. Edward II did his duty, however, while Isabella suppressed her hatred and contempt of him, and together they managed to produce an heir, a son who would one day be crowned Edward III under unusual circumstances, as well as three other children.

Edward II, as foolish and weak as his father was wise and strong, allowed Robert the Bruce of Scotland to flourish. Scotland, which had been crushed into submission by Edward I, who had been known as the Hammer of the Scots, now became a force with which to be reckoned under the strong leadership of Robert the Bruce. Meanwhile, England, under the reign of Edward II, became weaker and vulnerable, losing its Scottish castles and strongholds one by one. At the battle of Bannockburn, Edward II would receive a stunning defeat at the hands of Robert the Bruce, losing forever that for which his father, Edward I, had fought so hard.

Eventually, Queen Isabella, who was disgusted by her husband's proclivities and weakness, took a lover, Roger de Mortimer. Together, Isabella and Roger plotted and schemed against Edward II, who was a inept ruler whose kingdom always seemed to be on the cusp of civil war. Their schemes came to fruition when Edward III was crowned King while his father, now a prisoner of Isabella and Roger, still lived. This untenable situation would not last long, as Edward II would meet a most cruel and ignominious death while held captive at Berkeley Castle.

The author brings to life these royal personages, political intrigues, and historical events, weaving them into a well-written tapestry of historical fiction. Set amidst the political turmoil of fourteenth century England, peppered with names of those who would have lasting historical impact, it is an entertaining, as well as informative, treasure trove of historical facts that are melded together into a most enjoyable book.

Whoa, awesome book!.......2000-03-20

This book was an awesome book! It was a little weird at first, but it got a whole lot better each page turned! My favorite character was of Isabella, new Queen of England. She was definitely a cunning character in how she plotted slowly and quietly against her husband, Edward, the weak king. Just like her, I absolutely HATED Gaveston and loved that the barons had the soldiers chop his head off. Ha ha, down with one more cocky weirdo. I loved Warrene too, and I loved how he helped someone else in a situation just like him. Otherwise, this book had a good developing plot, setting the characters up with backrounds and such. But I would recommend it only to people who have patience with books, because at times the description gets pretty boring. Cool!

Blew me away!.......1999-07-18

This book was just fabulous. Henry II, the effeminate and unworthy ruler of England, is bested by his high-spirited and beautiful wife Isabella of France. Jean Plaidy is the best!

Average customer rating:

life and love during wartime in malta
Humor in wartime.
The madness of love amidst the madness of war.
Authentic and absorbing
marvelous!!!

The JUKEBOX QUEEN OF MALTA: A Novel
Nicholas Rinaldi
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0684856123

Amazon.com

In the annals of great literature, Malta's one potential claim to fame is that it might have been the location of Calypso's island in The Odyssey; apart from that, this tiny, windswept island midway between Italy and Libya makes itself scarce on the fictional front. But Nicholas Rinaldi brings it front and center in his remarkable second novel, The Jukebox Queen of Malta, and if his descriptions of the place leave you cold, his characters won't. Set during the early years of World War II, the story begins with the arrival of American soldier Rocco Raven, late of Brooklyn, during an air raid. While running from an attacking Messerschmitt, Raven is rescued by Jack Fingerly, a shadowy character who may--or may not--be an Army intelligence officer. To Rocco, a car mechanic in civilian life with a taste for Melville, Nietzsche, and Edgar Allan Poe, nothing about Malta makes sense--except his feelings for Melita Azzard, the eponymous heroine whom he meets during one of the incessant bombings that punctuate life on the island:

There was a freedom to the way she moved, a confidence and self-assurance. She paused to look up as yet another Stuka swept by, this one trailing a plume of black smoke from its fuselage. Then she looked back, over her shoulder, and saw him coming along half a block behind her.

Though the romance between Rocco and Melita is at the heart of the novel, Rinaldi has more than wartime love on his mind. His island is a marvelous place populated by unhappy pilots who get promoted every time they're shot down; repairmen who have turned jukeboxes into a wartime industry; old men who dream of a "Greater Malta" composed of an annexed Italy ("Sicily we don't want, it's too full of thugs and mafiosi. Rome we give to the pope, but the rest of Italy is ours"); and ordinary people who carry on their quotidian lives in the midst of not-so-quotidian carnage. There's a dreamy, disturbing quality to this novel, as though Catch-22 and Alice in Wonderland met and married. Rocco blames it on the island: "Malta was doing this--everything shifting, turning, uncertain"; the reader, however, knows better. This jewel of a novel owes everything to Nicholas Rinaldi's tilted imagination and considerable prose talents. --Alix Wilber

Book Description

From the heralded author of Bridge Fall Down comes this magical, mesmerizing love story in the tradition of Catch-22 and Corelli's Mandolin.

The year is 1942 and Rocco Raven, intrepid auto mechanic from Brooklyn, arrives in Malta as the wireless operator for a small American liaison team. Rocco knows nothing of the Mediterranean island's rich history -- its Neolithic caves, Copper Age temples, and fortresses built by the Knights of St. John. He knows only that the Germans and Italians are battering the place with bombs night and day, and as he stumbles onto the tarmac in the thick of an air raid, he sees little more than smoke and magnesium glare -- and heaps of rubble.

But nothing is as it seems on Malta. Rocco's barracks are a brothel; his commanding officer is an unparalleled genius who turns the war's misfortunes into personal profit; and the Maltese people, astonishingly, live as though there is no war -- dancing, drinking, laughing, loving. When, within days of his arrival, Rocco's barracks are bombed, he wanders deliriously through the devastated streets of Valletta until he sees an apparition -- a beautiful, ethereal woman. She is Melita, who spends her days delivering the jukeboxes her cousin builds out of shards of glass and twisted metal left in the wake of the bombings. Their connection is passionate and instantaneous, and they embark upon a tumultuous love affair despite the ruin around them. It seems Rocco has found a reason to live, a reason to fight. But the passing months of starvation, the deaths of friends and comrades, and the endless shower of bombs threaten to undo him. Rocco will do anything to escape the horror -- including jeopardize his love for Melita, and his very life.

The Jukebox Queen of Malta is an exquisite and enchanting novel, an account of love and war set on an island perilously balanced between what is real and what is not, with characters who test -- and testify to -- the resiliency of the human spirit. Music and bombs, romance and war, the jukebox and the gun exist in arresting counterpoint in this profound and deeply moving exploration of the redemptive powers of love.

Customer Reviews:

life and love during wartime in malta.......2003-04-19

life and love during wartime in malta set during the germain bombardments of the island country. a good read

Humor in wartime........2002-06-21

This was a light-hearted humorous story about Malta during the Second World War. Nicholas Rinaldi successfully moved the reader through a number of quirky characters whose motivations were shaped by the uncertainty of the war. There was an addicted gambler, a clumsy pilot and of course Melita the heroine - a spontaneous beautiful Maltese who captured Rocco Raven's heart - the stranded American soldier whose devotion to duty became an obstacle to his relationship with the heroine.
The book is funny and it brought out the chaos and the craziness of war amidst the resilience and the resourcefulness of the Maltese, the expatriate business people and the military personnel that defended the island.
The writer gave the reader an excellent description of nightlife in Malta, which was incomplete without good food and various American wartime music. And one got an overview aerial combat in Rinaldi's depiction of warplanes that constantly pounded the island with bombs.
The writer, I believe, tried too hard to mimic Catch-22 by the late Joseph Heller, who incidentally wrote praises that the publisher placed on the jacket of the hardcover. While I would put Catch-22 and Rinaldi's book in same class, I would place The Jukebox Queen of Malta a couple of rungs below Heller's masterpiece.

The madness of love amidst the madness of war........2002-02-04

Melita Azzard is a forthright Maltese girl who delivers and services jukeboxes. Her resourceful cousin Zammit collects the makings of these jukeboxes from the rubble of bombed out buildings in 1942 Mslta and transforms them into objects of beauty and artistry.

That is what Nicholas Rinaldi has done with this novel. It is a beautiful tapestry constructed from the fragments and debris left over by engagements of war and love.

Rocco Raven, a young, impressionable Brooklynite inserted into the chaos of Malta during an air raid in 1942 feels as if he has fallen through the looking glass instead. He cannot find his superior officer, instead falling under the influence of a very shady captain in the American Army intelligence corps. They, along with one other intelligence officer, constitute the total American presence on Malta. The other main military presence is that of a contingent of British pilots trapped in a very Catch 22-esque sort of duty—each time one of them gets shot down and survives-he gets promoted. Rocco sees-and falls for—Melita, and is swept into the chaos of life on Malta during the war helping out with the jukebox business when not trying to do his intelligence work and/or trying not to get sucked into the various shady deals his superior officer is embroiled in.

Rinaldi does a masterful job of truly developing the characters, the scene, the sense of unreality that was wartime Malta. The love story is genuine and moving. The wartime shenanigans of Rocco’s superior are just zany and dangerous enough to capture our imaginations. And the chaos, tragedy and farce that is modern warfare is in full evidence throughout the novel.

This is a truly great book. Read it.

Authentic and absorbing.......2002-01-01

The atmosphere created by Nicholas Rinaldi in this novel is authentic: this was Malta in WWII, when there was constant bombing, little food and a common desperation that led to individual acts of heroism, ingenuity, folly. Having lived in Malta for 27 years, the scenes, characters and dilemmas created by Rinaldi reawakened in me a kind of nostalgia; reminded me of the steadfast, ingenious Maltese: their seige mentality, pious irreverence and black humour. The writing is crisp, immediate and evocative, with passing references to literary and historical stuff, emotional and psychological stuff and religious and philosophical stuff: but it is never heavy, overbearing or dry. This is an engaging novel that entertains while it makes the reader wonder (because it is obvious the history on which it is based is real) how the human spirit experiences, endures and lives to overcome. There are insurmountable obstacles facing the characters in this books. There are classical juxtapositions of characters and scenes. There are locations that suddenly take on personalities of their own, taking charge and dominating the story. That's Malta for you: its history, presence, size and improbabilities arrest the heart. In this case, it made an author stay and write on. I found it hard to put down, and will find it hard to forget.

marvelous!!!.......2001-08-11

I thoroughly enjoyed this story...a wonderful blend of drama, tragedy, romance and humor...the kind of story I love. Sometimes I didn't know whether to laugh or cry! The love story between Rocco and Melita was "real" - based on war-time passion and uncertainty - a reaching out for love and hope in the midst of devastation and sorrow. My heart went out to them. The wonderfully colorful characters were interesting and fun...the main and sub-plots were intriguing and kept me page-turning late into the night. I was sorry to have it end.

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