Book Description
Why is it that our current twenty-first century a.d. is so similar to the twenty-first century
B.C.? At a time when religious fanaticism and a clash of civilizations raise the specter of a nuclear Armageddon, many ask: Is history destined to repeat itself? What does the future hold? Will biblical prophecies come true, and if so, when?
Ever since Zecharia Sitchin, in his first trailblazing book The 12th Planet, brought to life the Sumerian civilization and its record of the Annunaki—the extraterrestrials who had come to Earth from their planet Nibiru, fashioned mankind, and gave us civilization and religion—questions have abounded. Are the ancient gods still here, or did they leave? Will they return? What will happen then? Will there be another Deluge or Apocalypse when Nibiru meets Earth? What about “Planet X” and the Mayan 2012? What about Jesus?
In The End of Days, a masterwork that required thirty years of additional research, Sitchin dares to give the answers by presenting compelling new evidence that the Past is the Future—that mankind and its planet Earth are subject to a predetermined cyclical Celestial Time.
Tracing historical events from the messianic fervor and use of nuclear weapons in the twenty-first century
B.C., Sitchin resolves ancient enigmas like the Nazca Lines or the origin and significance of the Cross, the Fishes, and the Chalice, places in context the events of the Last Supper and hidden clues like those in Da Vinci's painting, explains the space-related reasons for the everlasting centrality of Jerusalem, and—following in the footsteps of Sir Isaac Newton—deciphers the Time Code in the books of Daniel and Revelation and of the Day of the Lord and the End of Days prophecies.
In this remarkable and relevant conclusion to his bestselling The Earth Chronicles series, Sitchin shatters perceptions and uses history to reveal what is to come at The End of Days.
Customer Reviews:
Awesome FICTIONAL work........2007-09-26
What a great story! From a purely fictional point of view that is. But please don't take Mr. Sitchin seriously. Yes, he's done a lot of work and he's very passionate and I believe HE believes all that's in his books. But if you want facts, follow the work of true scholars.
There are plenty of reviews on this book and even more opinions I'm sure.
What's more important than a review is a call to reason. People - please... Just because you want or need to believe something is true doesn't mean that it is. When dealing with history and languages, I would highly recommend reviewing the work of true and accomplished scholars. Do this and you will likely get complete (as much as is possible) and the most accurate picture of the past as one can.
His credentials in no way qualify him to make such claims. If nothing else, look at his credentials and ask yourself how is this man qualified to make such claims?
I drive a fancy sports car and can give you the exact specs on the engine and body, from top to bottom. I could WOW the best of them with all the tech talk about the engine, transmission, suspension, etc. I could even carry on a detailed conversation with the mechanic if I had to. But I can tell you with certainty that if I was given a shop full of tools all to myself I couldn't fix my fancy sports car if it broke.
If you take your car into the shop be worked on, do you want the guy who talks like he knows what he's doing working on your car or do you want the guy with all the certificates on the wall that's PROVEN he knows what he's doing working on your car?
This is the case with Mr. Sitchin and his books. He talks a good line but has no credentials to prove he's anything more than just a fanciful talker.
Mr. Sitchin graduated from the University of London, majoring in economic history and he was a journalist and editor in Israel. How does this make him an expert in ancient Hebrew and the old Testament? In Sumerian culture? IMHO, this is a classic case of someone learning enough about an ancient language "to be dangerous". He absolutely sounds like he knows what he's talking about and sadly that fools a whole lot of people.
Like many, I was very taken initially with his ideas. But too much didn't add up. After months of research I was quite disappointed to realize that the basis of at least some of his theories (the ones I researched anyway) were too full of holes to be true.
There is an upside though - this a GREAT fictional story!
Real seekers of truth will check multiple sources and validate claims from many different sources. Do this and in time you will find the truth.
If you are looking to be entertained, look no further.
A LITTLE BIT CONFUSING..........2007-09-13
The book somewhat confused me because of some claims. The author also states that the reader should read his other books to understand this book clearly. Nevertheless, I still admire Zecharia Sitchin for all his efforts.
A Keeper.......2007-09-06
Buying a book is one thng haveing it be worth the storage space another. This is worth the storage space.
Creative .......2007-08-27
Sitchin can spin a tale of fiction that is inspired to say the least. He is universally hated in the astronomical, archaeological, and historical communities for his attempt to pass pseudo science off as fact. If fact is not what you are after, then buy this book and invest in a tinfoil hat.
A little disappointing ****** SPOILER ALERT *******.......2007-08-21
I've read all of Sitchin's books and was always pleased at the conclusion of each one. They were like adventure quests of hidden knowledge with the worst case scenario being a nice scifi story (and what a story!). This one left me wanting. I believe he just wanted to put his two cents in about 2012 even though he doesn't think it will be a date that anything significant happens. I think he's got a better theory floating around in his head but didn't want to share it for whatever reason. The beginning of the book is a bit boring as he has to tell the back story. The middle is more interesting with more detail about the tales of the annunaki and their petty power struggles. The end was a bitter disappointment to me. His theory on the davinci last supper painting, in which he thinks the space between jesus and mary/john is where elijah should be and the missing cup being the grail that elijah took, is just lacking. To me the alternate grail theories make more sense and have better documentation. Obviously this book is a must read if you've read the rest of the series as how can one not read the supposed last one but it doesn't hold up to his prior standard. When does Sitchin think the annunaki will return? Sometime in the age of pisces .... and that only leaves up to anywhere from 100 years from now to about 800 years from now depending on if you are going by the math or by sight.
Average customer rating:
- Calculations are only as good as your numbers
- Pants on fire?
- Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
- Very Interesting
- History as Science Fiction
|
History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
Manufacturer: Mithec
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ASIN: 2913621058 |
Book Description
Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.
Customer Reviews:
Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03
Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.
Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19
Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.
Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09
There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.
For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.
Very Interesting.......2007-03-07
It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.
History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10
Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.
I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.
Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.
Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.
I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.
This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.
Book Description
Richard Tarnas's The Passion of the Western Mind—acclaimed by leading voices in philosophy, religion, psychology, and history—sets the stage for this major work, thirty years in the making, that dramatically reframes our understanding of the universe in the light of extraordinary new evidence.
Cosmos and Psyche is the first book by a widely respected scholar to demonstrate the existence of a consistent correspondence between planetary movements and the unfolding drama of human history. A vast and impressive body of evidence illuminates patterns of meaning and precise correlations between the universe and the world of human endeavor. With meticulous detail, Richard Tarnas takes us on a journey that begins with the ancient Greeks and culminates in our own era and its transformative potential, putting into perspective these chaotic, tumultuous times—from the sixties to September 11, 2001—and pointing the way towards the future.
In terms of planetary cycles, our present moment in history is most comparable to the period five hundred years ago—that era of “extraordinary turbulence and creativity,” the High Renaissance. Not since Copernicus conceived the heliocentric theory has the human community faced such a profound realignment of the way we think. Readers of every persuasion will be impressed by the vast canvas here, the wealth of research and analysis, and the profound conclusions that may be drawn—conclusions that reunite religion and science, and restore a transcendent dimension to the universe.
Customer Reviews:
hard to see.......2007-10-03
Poor quality printing. Content material seemed fasinating but I could not read this book. I had trouble reading this print since there was not enough contrast between page and ink.
Sweeping societal/cultural insights by astrological events. And happening now. .......2007-09-28
Insightful and dense read on the significance of astrological events noting the timing of sweeping social and cultural upheaval, revolutions, renaissance and change. And 2007 marks the beginning of another great opportunity to be part of bringing the best of change that can happen to make the world better. A must read for astrologers and those who wish to be inspired to be part of our own renaissance.
on the far side..........2007-07-23
GNPR 69b: The Real Blockbuster Book!
As well as the Harry Potter book is selling, I think the real Blockbuster book of the summer is Paul Tarnas' new book, "Cosmos and Psyche." If you, one of your children, or one or more of your grandchildren has taken a "History of Civilization" course in College in the last fifteen years, chances are the text for the course was Tarnas' remarkable book, "The Passion of the Western Mind." Having taught various such courses over the years, I was bowled over a few years ago when Joe McGrath used the book for a year-long course I took at the U. of Arizona SAGE program. The book does a brilliant job of highlighting how the two streams of modern western civilization, Hebraic religion and Greek rationalism, met, and cross-fertilized each other, and in some real sense gave rise to what has become modern western culture. The book sold more than 300,000 copies, and in an age of abundant new text books, has managed to outsell all its rivals.
All the more stunning is Paul Tarnas' long-awaited new book, "Cosmos and Psyche." It is not merely a follow-up to the previous book, it is the summary of Tarnas' own work over the past thirty years on the interaction between the external world, the cosmos, and the internal world, the psyche. Tarnas accurately describes the aftermath of the Copernican revolution as generating a "disenchantment" of the world, as the world was seen as mechanical instead of animated, impersonal and material, instead of inhabited by some kind of spirit.
Now, as one might expect, Tarnas offers a remedy for overcoming that disenchantment, that distancing of self and world, that the scientific revolution brought about. But prepare yourself for a shock. This scholar, with outstanding credentials and a huge following, claims the way to overcome this breach between self and world, can take place only by rehabilitating the much disgraced science of astrology. Not the newspaper or fortune teller version of astrology, he says, but the real astrology, that which was subscribed to by the likes of Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, Plotinus, Thomas Aquinas, Dante, Kepler, Goethe, Yeats, and Jung. Yes, C.G. Jung, the founder of that "depth psychology" that Tarnas says is the one true royal road into understanding the subconscious.
Tarnas' opening quotation, in the attempt to document his case, comes from Jung: "Our psyche is set up in accord with the structure of the universe, and what happens in the macrocosm likewise happens in the infinitesimal and most objective reaches of the psyche." Tarnas claims the works of Jung alone give us an acceptable alternative to the blunt materialism proclaimed by the likes of the physicist Steven Weinberg: "The more the universe seems comprehensible, the more it also seems pointless." What Jung and the astrological tradition offers is the antithesis to the godless theme of the materialistic evolutionists like Jacques Monod: "Man knows at last that he is alone in the universe's unfeeling immensity, out of which he emerged only by chance."
Unless we return to the wisdom of the astrological tradition, Tarnas claims we risk negating the spiritual dimension of the empirical universe, and thereby lose "any publicly affirmable ground for moral wisdom and restraint." Tarnas again turns to Jung for support: "We have not understood yet that the discovery of the unconscious means an enormous spiritual task, which must be accomplished if we wish to preserve our civilization." No mean task this, but the very preservation of our civilization!
A central tenet of Jung's depth psychology is the experience of synchronicity, those apparently incredibly unlikely simultaneous events, that had less than a one in a million chance of happening at the same time, --like meeting your long-lost lover at the train station, or having your lucky number show up when you really need the money. It is the experience of such synchronicities that turn skeptics into true believers, as happens with physicist Victor Mansfield: "I have encountered too many synchronistic experiences to ignore them. Yet these surprisingly common experiences pose tremendous psychological and philosophical challenges for our worldview. They are especially troubling experiences for me as a physicist trained within the culture of scientific materialism."
Even the committed skeptic would be brought up short by the journal entry of C.G. Jung: "My evenings are taken up very largely with astrology. I make horoscopic calculations in order to find a clue to the core of psychological truth. Some remarkable things have turned up..."
Given this background, Tarnas says he turned to the study of the astrology practiced by the likes of Kepler and Newton, which brought him to this conclusion: "The coincidence between planetary positions and appropriate biographical and psychological phenomena was in general so precise and consistent as to make it altogether impossible for me to regard the intricate patterning as merely the product of chance."
So what conclusions does Tarnas reach? "Together with many colleagues and students, I have now steadily pursued this research for three decades. What I have found far surpassed my expectations. I have become convinced that there does in fact exist a highly significant--indeed a pervasive--correspondence between planetary movements and human affairs, and that the modern assumption to the contrary has been erroneous."
Personally, I am left speechless. When I picked up this book, the last thing I expected was an ardent defense of astrology, however far removed from the newspaper horoscopes, and however authoritatively documented with quotations from Plato and Aristotle, Plotinus and Aquinas, Galileo and Kepler. So I pose this question to you: are you open-minded enough to want to read the "evidence" that Tarnas offers, or do you dismiss such reflections as simply beyond the pale of the possible? Would you regard as credible someone who told you your birth chart could predict the climactic events of your life, or that planetary conjunctions decisively influence your most important decisions?
As I always say, tell me what your first principles are, and I will tell you what your most logical conclusions should be. My mind is simply boggled by the fact that a scholar of Tarnas' eminence should propose astrology as a legitimate science, or that he should conclude this remarkable book with a chapter entitled: "Observations on Future Planetary Alignments." I take this to be one of the most paradigm-breaking books I have ever read, for I take the basic thesis to be completely nuts. And yet, that a scholar of this eminence would appear to be so completely convinced....
Where do these concepts come from?.......2007-05-21
For an astrologer, a new book on mundane astrology is already an event. The use of planetary cycles in mundane astrology is traditional, the astrologers of the past used especially the Jupiter Saturn cycle and the zodiacal sites of their conjunction.
On the other hand, the use of planetary cycles of transsaturnian planets has been extensively used and developed since 1970 by the french astrologer André Barbault, who reintroduced also the astrology of Morin de Villefranche in France (published by AFA) . Certainly, Richard Tarnas has written a best seller with the passion of the Western mind: he published also an interesting booklet on Uranus.
Unfortunately, this document doesn't hit again the target. Good references to the work of Barbault are lacking, altough Barbault developed the theory of planetary cycles in a deeper and more convincing way. Did Richard Tarnas really ignore this work? Does Richard Tarnas has a real good understanding of mundane Astrology? Not sure... Furthermore, the number of pages could be reduced by half. There are too many repetitions in the book, they hamper a good undertanding of the key concepts. Written for non astrologers, Richard could now extend his study and deliver a real and usable book of mundane astrology for propfessionals...
Wordmongering.......2007-05-15
After carefully reading about the first hundred pages of Cosmos and Psyche, I concluded that an in-depth reading wouldn't repay the time invested, and began to skim. There are several reasons for this.
One reason is that Richard Tarnas is a wordmonger, in several senses. First, he uses words impressionistically, so that many of his sentences do not yield a precise meaning even when closely analyzed. Second, he is extremely fond of stringing together clause after clause. An example (p. 77): "The range of correspondences between planetary positions and human existence is just too vast and multidimensional -- too manifestly ordered by structures of meaning, too suggestive of creative intelligence, too vividly informed by aesthetic patterning, too metaphorically multivalent, too experientially complex and nuanced, and too responsive to human participatory inflection -- to be explained by straightforward material factors alone." Others may consider such prose "lucid", but I don't.
However, if I had felt that Tarnas had something important to say, I would have plowed through his vast tome. And so we come to the main reason that I largely gave up on the book: his attempt to rehabilitate astrology for the modern mind is preposterous. Of course, given his vague writing style, it isn't clear exactly what he is claiming, and he hedges his bets with numerous qualifying phrases. He admits that astrology cannot be used to predict specific, concrete events; instead, one has to interpret history in terms of archetypes. And don't forget that archetypes can manifest themselves in numerous ways (p. 132): "Many diverse factors appear to play determining roles in shaping how an archetypal complex is concretely embodied: cultural, historical, ancestral, familial, circumstantial. To these must be added such factors as individual choice and degree of self-awareness, as well as, perhaps, karma, grace, chance, and other unmeasurables." In short, anything can happen.
In the end, Tarnas's correlation of historical events with astrological archetypes is purely semantic, and therefore highly subjective. Although Tarnas claims that an archetypal interpretation can provide a "wealth of insight" (p. 168) or help historical events become "intelligible" (p. 169), any attempt to impose an archetypal pattern on historical data will in fact narrow, not broaden, one's receptivity to different interpretations. And is it really to be believed that researchers could never understand a grouping of historical events and the connections between them without having an archetypal pattern to work from? How could knowing a single astronomical datum (e.g., Uranus and Pluto are aligned) make the connections more intelligible?
There are some reviewers who believe that, decades from now, Tarnas's book will be heralded as a watershed in human thought. I believe that his book is representative of the superstitious thinking that still lingers on. Is Tarnas really any different from those who pore over the quatrains of Nostradamus or delve into Bible prophecy?
Postscript
In the early part of the twentieth century, a Russian by the name of Alexander Chizhevsky worked up an elaborate theory on the causation of many human phenomena, including wars, revolutions, epidemics of disease, and so on. He amassed an enormous corpus of material in support of his theory that solar activity is the primary influence, and attempted to show correlation with the eleven-year solar cycle. I have a copy of one of his books (in Russian), and it is replete with tables of historical events, charts of epidemics, etc. Thus Chizhevsky and Tarnas have put forward incompatible theories, while each claims to have persuasive evidence. I wasn't persuaded by either one.
Book Description
A remarkable and unprecedented examination of how the Book of Revelations has been used and abused from Roman times to the present day.
The mysterious author of the Book of Revelations (or the Apocalypse, as the last book of the New Testament is also known) never considered that his sermon on the impending end times would last beyond his own life. In fact, he predicted the destruction of the earth would be witnessed by his contemporaries. Yet Revelation not only outlived its creator, this vivid and violent revenge fantasy has played a significant role in the march of Western Civilization.
Ever since Revelation was first preached as the revealed word of Jesus Christ, it has haunted and inspired hearers and readers alike. The mark of the beast, the antichrist, 666, the whore of Babylon, Armageddon, and the four horsemen of the apocalypse are just a few of the images, phrases and codes that have burned their way into the fabric of our culture. The questions raised go straight to the heart of the human fear of death and obsession with the afterlife. Will we, individually or collectively, ride off to glory or will we drown in hellfire for all eternity? As those who best manipulate this dark vision learned, what side we fall on is often a matter of life or death. Honed into a weapon in the ongoing culture wars between states, religions, and citizenry, Revelation has significantly altered the march of history.
Customer Reviews:
mediocre read............2007-09-29
Firstly, it must be taken into account that the author is not a noted scholar in this field and, in addition, is rather dismissive in his writings - using words to describe the Book of Revelation like "spooky" and "freaky". I found it difficult to take in a lot of the info, because the book reads more as an exaggerated diatribe against Christianity rather than a genuine scholarly study of the Book of Revelation and its impact on history, making it seem like Kirsch has other intentions in mind, and therefore loses a lot of its credibility.
Hostile to Christianity generally, not just Revelation.......2007-09-19
I picked up this book because I'm a left-leaning, non-Left Behind reading Christian who has always had grave doubts about whether Revelation truly belongs in the Bible. I wanted to read a book exploring the writing of Revelation, how it finally was accepted into the Biblical canon, and how it has been used/misused over the years. But I am a Christian, and it just became virtually impossible to read this book after plowing through the potshots at Christianity generally. For example, Kirsch repeatedly refers to Jesus as just another apocalyptic prophet who got it wrong about when the end of the world would be.
Most amazingly, Kirsch claims early Christians weren't really persecuted all that badly by the Romans. On page 86 of the hardcover version, he quotes Pliny the Younger, who was charged with rooting out Christians, as saying he would absolve persons of being Christians if they would just make an offering to the emperor, make an invocation to the pagan gods, and curse Christ. He also would remind persons who admitted being Christians that they faced death unless they recanted, and then order the execution if they didn't recant. Kirsch then compares this to asking American schoolchildren to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. What??? The Pledge does not require treating the President as a deity, or cursing Christ, nor are people threatened with execution for not taking the Pledge. This is just such a laughable argument that I found it impossible to take anything else Kirsch had to say afterwards seriously.
Bottom line is, if you're a Christian who wants a serious, well-reasoned discussion of Revelation, look elsewhere. If you're not, well, you may like it...just don't assume all Christians look at Revelation the same way.
Reductionism versus literalism.......2007-09-11
While adequate in delineating the literalist abuses of the Book of Revelation historically, the author is incapable of transcending his own reductionist view of the book as a psychotic revenge fantasy. Kirsch lacks an appreciation of metaphor and story, and is especially devoid of a sense of irony, and hence his appraisals never rise above the hatred he sees in the text. In approaching a difficult work, he took the easy way out. He provides no nuanced or alternative readings. Instead of uncovering the deeper meanings, instead of removing the filters of troublesome readings, instead of laying bare ancient understandings of ultimate reality, he covers and smothers Revelation in his own layers of vituperativeness. When reductionism meets literalism, the strategy would seem to be annihilation.
If you are looking for a mature reading that navigates the ambiguities of the religious and secular, you will not find it here. While able to disentangle the current political abuses of Revelation, the author is unable to get beyond meaninglessness to meaning. I yearned on every page for an approach through the creative imagination which would yield an unmediated encounter with the spirit of life. You would not know from Kirsch's book that the Book of Revelation informs our vision of a democratically-inclusive world and, when read with just a little sensitivity, that it is a life-giving and life-affirming work at the same time that it is a profound critique of the kind of institutionalized power that subjugates. Would that Kirsch had enlisted Revelation in the movement to freedom against the very historical domination systems that subverted it.
Amazing Look At A Text That Continues To Influence Society.......2007-09-09
Jonathan Kirsch tackles a subject that fascinates and terrifies most people: the end of the World. More specifically, Kirsch's work focuses on the Christian New Testament Book of Revelation. What is it about this text that fascinates readers to such an extent? Is this ancient text still relevant in our modern world? Kirsh takes on this difficult-to-answer questions in his book, The History of the End of the World.
I am a huge fan of Jonathan Kirsch. I find his non-fiction biblical theories to be well-researched and his books written in an engaging style that the reader can easily access. In this work, Kirsch takes a hard look at the way the Book of Revelation has influenced history and continues to impact the modern age, as well. Touching on relations between countries, the events of 9/11, and how church dogma was influenced by the one body of text that narrowly made it into the cannon, Kirsch explores all the fact and the lore surrounding the New Testament's most controversial text.
The world is going to end NOW! Oops, I meant NOW! Wrong again! This time I really got it: NOW!! Awe, shoot........2007-06-05
I find it amazing that since the intertestamental period, apocalyptic doomsday prophets have been declaring the imminent end of the world, it never happens, and yet people continue to listen to the Hal Lindseys and Tim LaHayes of the world. This book brilliantly tells the history fo Revelation and the ways people have used it throughout history to try to scare the world into some system of belief or action, and I realized just how ridiculous the whole enterprise is. As a former evangelical, it makes me ashamed that I used to buy into all the Left Behind stuff, but scholars like Kirsch have helped me see things more rationally.
Book Description
Political disintegration is a persistent feature of world history. The Collapse of Complex Societies, though written by an archaeologist, will therefore strike a chord throughout the social sciences. Any explanation of societal collapse carries lessons not just for the study of ancient societies, but for the members of all such societies in both the present and future. Dr. Tainter describes nearly two dozen cases of collapse and reviews more than 2000 years of explanations. He then develops a new and far-reaching theory that accounts for collapse among diverse kinds of societies, evaluating his model and clarifying the processes of disintegration by detailed studies of the Roman, Mayan and Chacoan collapses.
Customer Reviews:
Utterly brilliant work of genius, joins Allott's Health of Nations.......2007-08-09
This is an utterly brilliant stunning work of genius. It begins with a comprehensive review of what appears to be every work in English relative to the topic being considered. The author has done a phenomenal job of both dissecting and then discussed the varied authors contributing to each of the following lists explanations for prior collapse of civilizations (from page 42):
1) Depletion or cessation of a vital resource
2) The establishment of a new resource base
3) The occurrence of some insurmountable catatrosphe
4) Insufficient response to circumstance
5) Other complex societies
6) Intruders
7) Class conflict, societal contradictions, elite mismanagement or misbehavior
8) Social dysfunction
9) Mystical factors
10) Chance concatenation of events
11) Economic factors
This book is exceptionally well organized, well presented, and well spoken. The complex discussion is delivered in easy to read and absorb constructs. After a review and elegant dismissal of all of the prevailing theories, the author leads us into his approach by positing the collapse of civiliazations as resulting from the collapse of the larger systemic process for processing information to effect the increasingly complicated system of systems. In the author's words, at some point the cost of micro-managing a complex system is so high, and yields such poor returns on investment, that the natural and beneficial response of the whole is to collapse into more readily sustainable and resilience smaller parts.
I am reminded of Charles Perrow's Normal Accidents: Living with High-Risk Technologies, in which he discusses how simple systems have single points of failure easy to diagnose and correct; sophisticated systems have multiple points of failure that interact in largely unforeseen ways and are very difficult to diagnose and correct; and the finally, Earth and Humanity, a system of systems so complex that "Intelligent Design" is failing us, and a natural Darwinian selection is kicking in.
For America to have 27 robust secessionist movements and a plethora of "Home Rule" regimes springing up local levels, while the Bush-Cheney regime runs the nation into bankruptcy with their elective war in Iraq that has cost half a trillion dollars that could have been better used to restore our failing infrastructure and our failed schools, tells us all we need to know: the federal government has collapsed, and the Republic as a whole is next absent draconian public engagement and mandated electoral reform prior to 2008.
The author concludes that "complexity is a problem-solving strategy" and that when it fails to solve the high-level threats or challenges, then the society collapses so that smaller and more resilient parts might be more innovative and adaptive, and hence survive better without the burden of inept "guidance" from above.
In the context of this book, the 27 secessionist movements in America are clearly what the author calls "resistance" to the now unaffordable higher costs and lower results of the federal mismanagement of the nation, best depicted by the grotesquely inept and even inhuman lack of effectiveness with respect to New Orleans and the Katrina hurricane.
There are gems throughout the work, which joins that of Philip Allott, also of Cambridge, who in his The Health of Nations: Society and Law beyond the State suggested that the Treaty of Westphalia was a huge mistake, and we should have elevated and recognized peoples instead of sovereign states, as the latter have been too easily corrupted into aided the global elite to loot every commonwealth. A few that I noted:
Military expenditures and arms races suck the health out of nations. See my review of The Domestic Bases of Grand Strategy (Cornell Studies in Security Affairs), a book in which one author discusses the consequences of allowing the military to dominate what passes for strategy in the budget, while the politicians pander to domestic interests bereft of any grasp of international reality, and the intellectuals posit solutions that have no political, military, or overall holistic integration of all the sources of national power over time and space. The books on War Is a Racket: The Anti-War Classic by America's Most Decorated General, Two Other Anti=Interventionist Tracts, and Photographs from the Horror of It and The Folly of War: American Foreign Policy, 1898-2005 are mounting in influence today.
The author notes that the physics of time and space make an extended dominance of distant cultures and places impossible when relying solely on the force of arms. I am of course reminding of Jonathan Schell's The Unconquerable World: Power, Nonviolence, and the Will of the People as well as Derek Leebaert's The Fifty-Year Wound: How America's Cold War Victory Has Shaped Our World.
The author notes that no strategy can be considered viable that steals from the future to support the present. This observation is in perfect harmony will all that has been done by Herman Daly in Ecological Economics: Principles And Applications and Paul Hawkins in Blessed Unrest: How the Largest Movement in the World Came into Being and Why No One Saw It Coming, among other works.
Collapse is cultural, systemic, a collapse of process, not of any discrete event, institution, or location. The information processing becomes impossible for a complex system that does not adapt from an industrial-era model of command and control to an information era model of distributed localized resilience. I think of The Sorrows of Empire: Militarism, Secrecy, and the End of the Republic (The American Empire Project) and The The Global Class War: How America's Bipartisan Elite Lost Our Future - and What It Will Take to Win It Back on the one hand, and the varied books on the "wealth of knowledge," wealth of networks.
Although others including myself in my US Institute of Peace paper on virtual diplomacy have expressed concern over the growing gap between people with power and people with knowledge, this author has provided us with what may well be the most erudite focused diagnosis of the coming collapse of the West, a lumbering industrial era mammoth whose small elite brain cannot compete with the sleeker Third World "tigers" that are using leap-ahead technologies to avoid our legacy of ashes.
In my view, the West can be saved only if America achieves electoral reform and restores the constitution, with a draconian reduction of federalism and the federal budget, while restoring to the states all of the powers not explicitly assigned to the three branches. Open Carry, Open Spectrum, all of the "opens" must prevail against the rule of secrecy and the use of scarcity to impoverish rather than enrich what should be "seven billion billionaires (forthcoming from Medard Gabel)."
This is a righteous book. I have loaded two images from my own earlier work (at my web site under the photo in Early Papers) and am now working on War and Peace in the Digital Era. This book here is Ref A.
The Collapse of Complex Societies (New Studies in Archaeology).......2007-05-21
This is the worst book I have ever purchased on Amazon. The title is intriguing but the substance is shallow. The writing style is absolutely abysmal and it is worth noting that the editing is credited in the introduction to the author's wife, hardly unbiased. This is probably one of those required texts that accompanies some arcane college course for burned out seniors in the social sciences. Since Mom and Dad are paying the bills, the final is multiple choice, a guaranteed B or A-. It is a slick production designed and promoted by confused academics.
The topic, properly treated and written about more scientifically and less quasi scholarly, has possibilities. Although the archeological evidence is limited but steadily accumulating, the subject matter has great speculative potential. Our own society, thought by many to be deteriorating under the undo burden of religious superstition similarly parallels many of the cited civilizations in this book and as such makes the study relevant. But this point is by no means an endorsement of this book.
If you are looking for substance on this topic, either write your own book or look elsewhere.
I felt overly generous giving this product one star; it deserves some symbol representing a "black hole."
Measured & Insightful .......2007-05-16
In depth and measured review of this important topic. The author takes away the sensationalism that normally surrounds this topic and replaces it with measured scholarship combined with interesting insights from the perspective of a archaeologist. Numerous historical cases are examined.
Carl.......2007-02-07
Academically exhausting book to read.
Thouroughly researched and annotated.
Valid concepts/ideas, with detailed supporting material, a lot of it.
Teaches a generalized way to analyze the future of complex societies.
Thoughtful and succinct.......2007-01-04
Tainter skewers most castrophe theorists, then provides his own ideas, with supportive evidence from three different cultures. The fact that this book is still in print nearly 20 years after publication should serve as evidence of its worth. Pleasantly free of jargon, well-balanced, and hewing to a scientific, quantifiable perspective whenever possible, it is well worth your exploration.
Book Description
Zecharia Sitchin’s autobiographical recounting of a half century of investigative expeditions to unravel the enigmas of ancient civilizations and their gods
• Includes vivid accounts of explorations in Greece, Thera, Crete, Egypt, the Sinai, Israel, Jordan, and Mesoamerica
• Reveals behind-the-scenes findings in museums and archaeological sites
• Contains 60 color and 159 black-and-white images from the author’s personal archive, including previously unpublished photographic evidence of UFOs in biblical times
For the first time, Zecharia Sitchin, author of the bestselling The Earth Chronicles series, reveals the foundational research and adventurous expeditions that resulted in the concrete evidence for his conclusions that ancient myths were recollections of factual events, that the gods of ancient peoples were visitors to Earth from another planet, and that we are not alone in our own solar system. In the course of his investigations Sitchin also became convinced of the veracity of the Bible.
Sitchin’s expeditions take readers from the Yucatan peninsula to the isle of Crete to ancient Egypt and the lands of the Bible as he explores the links between the Old World and the New World. His adventurous exploits reveal archaeological cover-ups concerning Olmec origins in Mexico and ancient UFO artifacts in Turkey. Other quests send him through the holy sites of Jerusalem, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon in search of evidence of extraterrestrial gods in the artifacts and murals of these ancient civilizations. The Earth Chronicles Expeditions is a masterful historical and archaeological adventure into the origins of mankind and a “must” guidebook for all who wish to visit the numerous sites and museums covered in this book.
Customer Reviews:
On Changing Lives.......2005-12-16
I discovered Zacharia Sitchen many years ago, and have been an avid follower ever since. When it came time for me to make my own journey into research and exploration, it was because authors like Sitchen had such a powerful impact on me, and on my beliefs;as on many others around the world. Delving into areas where science and the Bible run parallel,it boggles the mind. I highly recommend this, and all of Sitchen's books.
Sitchin takes us on a personal tour of the past.......2005-05-07
If you aren't familiar with the controversial theories of Zecharia Sitchin, I would recommend that you acquaint yourself with some or all of his previously published work, known collectively as the Earth Chronicles, before embarking on this personal tour of many of the ancient sites that inform his work. This is not to say that you have to be a fan of Sitchin - or even agree with his ideas - in order to appreciate The Earth Chronicles Expeditions: Journeys to the Mythical Past, however, for it is a unique travel guide featuring a large number of breathtaking images of some of the world's most ancient, venerated, and thought-provoking monuments and artifacts - you will find no less than 158 black-and-white images as well as 60 beautiful, full-color photographs in these pages. The magnificence of the images is without question; Sitchin's theories about the origin and meaning of the sites and materials, however, are not. I am not going to debate the merits of Sitchin's theories in this review. Having read most of Sitchin's published works, I personally find his account of earth's past fascinating, reasonably logical, and even plausible - certainly his ideas are worthy of thought and debate, although I would not go so far as to call myself a true believer (although I probably would qualify as a fan).
This particular book is primarily aimed at Sitchin's true believers and biggest fans, which makes the narrative somewhat problematic for those unfamiliar with Sitchin's work. Having argued the merits of his radical ideas in previous books, he tends to treat his theories as facts here - and, while some of the discoveries he made on the research tours discussed here shaped his original thinking, on occasion he seemed to go looking for things that would support conclusions he had already drawn. My main point about the text, though, is this: in this particular book, Sitchin makes statements that would seem incredulous to the uninitiated: to put it all in a hopelessly oversimplified nutshell, Sitchin believes that inhabitants of a "twelfth planet" in our solar system first arrived here on earth millennia ago, basically created human life via genetic engineering, and influenced the whole of human history in the form of gods. Nine previous books explain his theories and detail the evidence that led him to make his dramatic conclusions; this book covers his research tours and breathes new life into ancient sites - it does not attempt to rehash the complicated arguments Sitchin has already documented elsewhere.
Sitchin is an accomplished scholar who has studied ancient history and archaeology all across the globe; he has an almost unparalleled grasp of ancient languages, especially that of the Sumerians and other early cultures of the Middle East; and he is also an accomplished Biblical scholar. Through his study of diverse artifacts and writings, he believes that the ancient tales of the gods, as well as the events recorded in the Hebrew Bible, were all true - that the gods and goddesses of ancient history were real. The Earth Chronicles Expeditions is the equivalent of a virtual tour for his fans, taking them to some of the most significant sites all across the globe, from the Holy Land to Troy to Mesoamerica. Here, he describes what it is like to walk among ancient ruins, view fascinating artifacts thousands of years old, experience the history of long-dead peoples through fantastic murals that survive to this day, and marvel at the poignant power of religious sites such as the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
A lot of the narrative describes the problems Sitchin faced in making these research tours possible. Political and religious conflicts in the Near East made travel arrangements to such places as Syria, Egypt, and Israel over the last few decades tricky at best, and the artifacts he most wished to see were not always available for public viewing - at least not without a little finagling on Sitchin's part, although his efforts were not always successful in getting him the access he wanted. The whole work is a little self-indulgent in places, and Sitchin sometimes sees things that I do not, but The Earth Chronicles Expeditions makes for a fascinating and visually incredible excursion through time for those interested in Sitchin's theories. This, unlike the author's previous books, is very much a personal account, and as such it features some information and ideas that Sitchin has been pondering for years but felt himself unable to include in his more scholarly works. That makes this a must-read for Earth Chronicles fans.
Somewhere in middle lies the truth........2005-02-11
Fascinating book. I don't see ancient aliens the way Sitchin sees them. Not after reading the Ark of Millions of Years. They weren't merely explorers looking for a primitive race to feed them grapes all day. They had a mission. They came from somewhere, and they survived the flood of Noah by being off-world when it occurred. Then they returned and kept up their work, only with a much more resistant and noble race of man.
Read The Ark of Millions of Years to get the middle road story. The whole story.
The most worthwhile travel journal to share.......2004-12-06
I have had the honor and privilege of visiting Mayan sites with Mr. Sitchin and reading "The Earth Chronicles Expeditions" made me wish that I could have journeyed with him and his intrepid band of "fans" on all of them. This book is the next best thing and I treasure it and thank Mr. Sitchin for writing it. I, too, am an author and though, like Mr. Sitchin, I've devoted my life to my work and believe in its value with all my heart and soul, his work is far more important in the scheme of things than almost any books ever written. You cannot consider yourself an educated person without reading all of the books by Zecharia Sitchin and this is a great first book to read. Then try either "The 12th Planet" or "Genisis Revisited" and I know you'll be as eager to read all of them as I was. There is nothing like his work in all of the millions of books that have ever been published. I envy those reading and being astounded by his meticulously researched books for the first time. Enjoy!
New Fine Addition To Sitchin's collection.......2004-11-01
Like the twelve planet and when time began this one book is a beatifull addition to Sitchin's work.
There is still one book which Sitchin has failed to write and I hope he will do it soon before he gets too old.
The whole logic and moral behind Sitchin's work is "Are we Catchin up with the Past?"
In this he does a marvelous job in showing us how wrong all our history is and how it is comming ti temrs with the reality. From the visitation of Extraterrestrial beings so called gods by the ancients to the creationg of Homo Sapiens modern humans and the
technological advances.
But Sitchin ought to write one last book which uses all this past knowledge to Project a more probable Future for mankind. This way he will come around full circle and showed once and for all how Humans are cathhing up.
For example Humans were not given Technology such as agriculture until after the catastophic deludge. In a a way we are a point in which a new catastrophic event will occured whether it is a natural or man made the arrow of events certanly points in that direction.
So should we conclude that the increase of UFO sightings and manipulation of humans is indeed a preparation for the upcomming events and since as you all know OIL is problem is becoming apparent, New sources of energy will be shown or have been shown which will be used by the remants after the catastrophe?
Just as agriculture gave mankind a boost after the waters receded so will a new source of energy capable of taking man to the outter planets and the galaxy come true?
Will the ancient gods return one more time AS SAVIOURS to be worshiped in the Temples of the Future again?
Sitchin before is too late show us your fans what the future holds for "To understand the future we must understand the past"
Book Description
In Byzantium two overlapping systems of dress existed: a semiotic one whereby dress was a code for rank and wealth; and a fashion system where dress was based on the desire to look a certain way. Courtiers participated in a semiotic system of dress, but fashion crept into their prescribed outfits; the nobility chose their clothing based primarily on individual taste, but status was encoded within their fashions. This book elucidates secular dress from the eighth to the twelfth centuries through an examination of painted representations, helping the reader to envision an entire society of dressed citizens.
Book Description
Presents conclusive evidence that ancient Egypt was originally the remnant of an earlier, highly sophisticated civilization
• Supports earlier speculations based on myth and esoteric sources with scientific proof from the fields of genetics, engineering, and geology
• Provides further proof of the connection between the Mayans and ancient Egyptians
• Links the mystery of Cro-Magnon man to the rise and fall of this ancient civilization
In the late nineteenth century, French explorer Augustus Le Plongeon, after years of research in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, concluded that the Mayan and Egyptian civilizations were related--as remnants of a once greater and highly sophisticated culture. The discoveries of modern researchers over the last two decades now support this once derided speculation with evidence revealing that the Sphinx is thousands of years older than Egyptologists have claimed, that the pyramids were not tombs but geomechanical power plants, and that the megaliths of the Nabta Playa reveal complex astronomical star maps that existed 4,000 years before conventional historians deemed such knowledge possible.
Much of the past support for prehistoric civilization has relied on esoteric traditions and mythic narrative. Using hard scientific evidence from the fields of archaeology, genetics, engineering, and geology, as well as sacred and religious texts, Malkowski shows that these mythic narratives are based on actual events and that a highly sophisticated civilization did once exist prior to those of Egypt and Sumer. Tying its cataclysmic fall to the mysterious disappearance of Cro-Magnon culture,
Before the Pharaohs offers a compelling new view of humanity’s past.
Customer Reviews:
Before the Pharaohs: Egypt's Mysterious Prehistory.......2007-09-28
Flawed premise followed by equally flawed argumentation can lead you to any conclusion you wish to find. This book is no different from the multitude of books out there trying to capitalize on the basic ignorance people have of the wealth of information we really do possess about the history of pre-Dynastic Egypt.
There's no mysterious connection between the Maya and they Egyptians...their pyramids are separated not only by thousands of miles of ocean, but by thousands of YEARS in time! The Sphinx at Giza has been proven beyond any reasonable doubt to be Fourth Dynasty in its origin... and not the fanciful product of some mysterious "Lost Civilization" for which not a stitch of evidence exists anywhere in the world. The "older sphinx" debate died when unbiased geologists (Reader, Solenhofen, Harrell, etc) looked at the site and easily explained the erosion patterns they saw within the timeframe required.
This book relies upon defunct theories from the 19th century as its theoretical foundation, and then proceeds to lead the (hopefully ignorant) reader down the rabbit hole to a place that has nothing whatsoever to do with real Egyptology, Egypt, or human history.
This book, by its very nature, is not worth the money or time to read it.
Good Book.......2007-08-13
Arrived quickly and fed into a research project that I am conducting. Excellent questions and surprisingly a lot of sound answers. Good reading if you question the status quo of things.
Interesting.......2007-07-12
The book is well written and very thought provoking. Seems well balanced considering the non-orthodox conclusions made by the author. If you have an interest, like I do, in speculative prehistory, a la Graham Handcock, then you will enjoy this book. I like that the author, unlike some, does not sweepingly dismiss conventional science and orthodox views and therefore does not come off as a fringe lunatic.
Fascinating read!.......2007-05-12
I had just come back from a trip to Egypt when I ordered this book. This book is for those genuinely interested in delving into the roots of an ancient civilisation. Its not a novel - so please don't insult the author by judging it as "slow" as has been stated in another review. Its an oustandingly well-researched, fascinating and thought-provoking study for those who have so often wondered about the origins and amazing feats of engineering of the ancient Egyptians. Malkowski is a meticulous writer who takes enormous trouble to try to clarify the origins our human history and the links between ancient civilisations and gives us the chance to make up our own minds. He forces nothing upon the reader - but dangles fascinating and seductive pieces of information which will leave you wishing for more.
interesting but slow.......2007-01-09
this book has an incredible amount of fascinating information, but it is not organized well. The writing does not grab your attention, but rather, you have to force yourself to find the interesting material. It can get a bit "Von Daniken" at times-- especially the chapter about the pyramid being a power plant, but overall it is a good, solid, informative book that challenges the typical archeological canon we are all handed. If you are willing to wade through it, you will find info that is worth while.
Book Description
"It is a bold adventurer who proposes to survey the history of Western civilization in a mere 500 pages. Osborne offers himself this challenge and meets it brilliantly. An admirable achievement."-
The Independent on Sunday
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Civilization is an immensely important book and an exhilarating read. It deserves the widest audience."-
The Literary Review
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"Osborne's book is a blessing. The year's first necessary book is with us."-
Daily Telegraph
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Ever since the attacks of September 11, Western leaders have described a world -engaged in "a fight for civilization." But what do we mean by civilization? We -believe in a Western tradition of openness and freedom that has produced a fulfilling -existence for many millions of people and a culture of enormous depth and creative power. But the history of our civilization is also filled with unspeakable brutality-for every Leonardo there is a Mussolini, for every Beethoven symphony a concentration camp, for every Chrysler Building a My Lai massacre.
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An ambitious historical assessment of the Western world-tying together the -histories of empires, art, philosophy, science, and politics-
Civilization reexamines and confronts us with all of our glories and catastrophes. At such a dangerous time in the world's history, this brilliant book is required reading.
Customer Reviews:
An anthropological etymology.......2007-03-23
Osborne's book opens with a nineteen-page "Prologue", which is a helpful summary of his thesis that contributes useful coherence to the remaining 473 pages of historical narrative. The book also has a bibliography for further reading and an index.
In his "Prologue" the author notes that the events of 9/11 and their aftermath have brought the vague idea of Western civilization, a reflection of who we are and what we value, into the foreground, as what we are defending in the war on terror.
But he adds that civilization is not merely a set of virtuous concepts; it is also the effects that these concepts have generated in history, and he therefore offers a historical approach to understanding the meaning of civilization.
From the time of the ancient Greeks civilization has been opposed to the barbarianism of other societies. Western historians have typically attempted to trace a thread of European civilization from ancient Greece, through Rome, the Renaissance, the Reformation, the Enlightenment, and into the nineteenth-century society of the British Empire. And this thread was spun with optimism and the idea of progress.
But the needless and futile carnage of World War I changed the idea of European civilization to one that carries pessimism and the negation of the idea of progress. Freud said of the First World War "It is not that we sank so low, but that we never came so high as we thought." Thus barbarism is not others, but rather is in each man with his base and brutal instincts that can never be expunged, so every man is both civilized and barbarian. Osborne sees this pessimism as a throwback to St. Augustine, who wrote: "Take away the barriers created by laws, men's brazen capacity to do harm, their urge to self-indulgence, would rage to the full."
Osborne's thesis is not a new historical interpretation. For example in his book Rococo to Revolution: Major Trends in Eighteenth-Century Painting (World of Art) (1969), Michael Levey of King's College, Cambridge University, wrote that that the eighteenth century - from Watteau to Goya - saw a violent collision of opposing forces, which was at base a clash between the conscious and the unconscious mind - a very Freudian approach. And he notes that after the fall of the Bastille, optimism and belief in nature as a guide were shot to pieces by the fusillades that followed and that continued to Waterloo.
Nonetheless I enjoy reading a history with a thesis more than reading a chronology of tedious details.
Thomas J. Hickey
Which way from here?.......2007-03-23
On my car radio I heard Osborne being interviewed about this book and was induced to order it. Not being a history buff -- except for dabbling in specific topics like the Iberian Peninsula in the Middle Ages and events like the battle at Agincourt (click on "See all my reviews") -- his book sounded like a good comprehensive survey. When it arrived I was encouraged by his Prologue wherein he sets his task as examining what western civilization means, not just in theory but in practice, by tr
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