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.

Brotherhood of Heroes: The Marines at Peleliu, 1944 -- The Bloodiest Battle of the Pacific War

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Brotherhood of Heroes: The Marines at Peleliu, 1944--The Bloodiest Battle of the Pacific War
Marine Heroism World War Two
Magnificent
An island awash in blood.
With The Old Breed

Brotherhood of Heroes: The Marines at Peleliu, 1944 -- The Bloodiest Battle of the Pacific War
Bill Sloan
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0743260090

Download Description

"A Band of Brothers for the Pacific, this is the gut-wrenching but ultimately triumphant story of the Marines' most ferocious -- yet largely forgotten -- battle of World War II. Between September 15 and October 15, 1944, the First Marine Division suffered more than 6,500 casualties fighting on a hellish little coral island in the Pacific. Peleliu was the scene of one of the most savage no-quarter struggles of modern times, one that has been all but forgotten -- until now. Drawing on extensive interviews with Marine veterans, Bill Sloan follows a small group of young Americans through this incredibly vicious campaign and rescues their heroism on Peleliu from obscurity. Misled by faulty intelligence, the 9,000 Marine infantrymen who landed on Peleliu's beaches under withering enemy fire found themselves facing 11,000 Japanese embedded in an intricate network of caves and underground fortifications unrivaled in the history of warfare. At the heart of the Japanese defensive system was a maze of sheer cliffs and deep ravines known collectively as the Umurbrogol plateau. Endless strings of ridges bristled with concealed artillery, mortars, machine guns, and riflemen, making every inch of contested ground a potential death trap for Marines. Making matters worse, Japanese soldiers had been told by their commanders that they were to hold Peleliu at any cost in a suicidal defense of the island. Sloan's gripping narrative seamlessly weaves together the experiences of the men who were there, producing a vivid and unflinching tableau of the twenty-four-hour-a-day nightmare of Peleliu -- a melee of nonstop infantry attacks, ferocious hand-to-hand fighting, night assaults, and exhausting forced marches in temperatures that topped 115 degrees. With casualties in some infantry units averaging more than sixty percent, Peleliu ranks with the bloodiest battles in the Corps' history. Exemplifying these staggering losses was K Company, Third Battalion, Fifth Marine Regiment (K/3/5), on whose gallant officers and enlisted men the narrative focuses from the initial assault on the beaches to the horrific struggle for the Umurbrogol's crags and crevices. Surprisingly, Peleliu received little public notice back in the States even as it was being fought and was virtually forgotten after the war, despite elements of controversy that are still debated by military strategists today. The invasion was ordered by Army General Douglas MacArthur to protect his flank as he launched his campaign to recapture the Philippines. But many experts believed then -- and still maintain today -- that the bloodshed at Peleliu was needless and that the island could have been safely bypassed. In Brotherhood of Heroes, readers witness the brutal spectacle of Peleliu close-up through the eyes of the Marines who fought there. Their story will stand with Ghost Soldiers and Flags of Our Fathers as a modern classic in military history and a riveting read. "

Customer Reviews:

Brotherhood of Heroes: The Marines at Peleliu, 1944--The Bloodiest Battle of the Pacific War.......2007-09-01

As a former Marine and Pacific theatre enthusiast, I highly recommend this book as an eye-opener to all. The details and background on the people involved as well as the events are presented in a way that tells a story for many to hear. It tugs at the heart and shows what a nasty business war is indeed. Motivated me as a Marine and made me feel for the men and the sacrifices they made. Proud to be among the ranks of the elite, hard charging, devil dogs! Semper Fi!

Marine Heroism World War Two.......2007-03-12

Truly an amazing book detailing this essentially useless battle that in the end accomplished nothing from the overall strategic background of the Pacific campaign during World War 2. For anyone interested in studying this campaign this is a esential book to add to your library. A definite keeper a 5 star rating, in fact I would suggest a 10 star. Anyone buying and reading this WILL not be disappointed.

Magnificent.......2007-02-07

This excellent book follows the 1st Marine Division through this unimaginably brutal battle, giving a superb overall picture while not loosing the men themselves. The author primarily tells the story through the eyes of a handful of individual Marines. These are representatives from each of the three infantry regiments that did the majority of the fighting.

I only have two complaints about the book. First, I felt that the author emphasized Company K, Third Battalion, 5th Marines (K/3/5) so much that the 1st and 7th Marines, the 7th in particular, were somewhat neglected. I would have preferred a longer book that would have treated at least one company each of the 1st and 7th as much as K/3/5 was covered.

The second issue is that the book only focuses on the Marine actions on Peleliu in any detail. To be fair, the title of the book clearly states that the Marines are the topic, but I feel the actions of the Army's 81st Infantry Division merit the same level of detail, especially given that they experienced about 3,800 casualties themselves during this battle.

Other than these two problems, this book is an magnificent account of the battle and will move the reader to tears to think of what our nation's brave Marines went through.

An island awash in blood........2007-01-03

An excellent view of the 30 continuous days of hell. I say 30 continuous days because for many there was almost no let up the entire time from the continual dangers of murderous crossfire, roving nighttime ambushes and concealed heavy artillery and an interlocked,network of snipers and machine gunners, who would make simply looking over a rock a death sentence, and often did. It would be for many their first experience with the cave like fortifications that would await Marines on Iwo and Okinawa. It was a 110 degree bloodbath that even had the added difficulty of no fresh water in the opening stages of the invasion as the potable water to the island was shipped there in improperly cleaned former gasoline drums. It also begins with the Marines miserable and crab infested existence and training on the island of Pavuvu, itself a roadless swamp. This experience helped forge them into cohesion that would see many not make it off their next stop. Casualties from many frontline regiments would see 150%.

The author draws on Eugene Sledge's excellent first hand account of this battle frequently, and uses interviews with Marines of K/3/5 mainly, Marines under the command of both Col. Chesty Puller and his stubborn, reckless, and unyieldingly inflexible commander General Rupertus, both of whom are described, especially Rupertus, of having a reckless disregard for the enormous casualties being suffered in this regiment and other frontline outfits. Rupertus was strongly suggested by fellow Marine commanders to take his Marines off the line with fresh Army Div's awaiting but he wouldnt budge. His superior, Gen. Geiger, waffled and was faced the task of relieving him or countermanding his decision to keep Army units offshore on ships, both which would have caused shock waves in Washington. Gen. Rupertus wanted this "quickie" (as he initially referred to it as a 3 or 4 day battle before it would be won) to be a completely Marine Corps affair. It would take the actions of the new overall commander of "Operation Stalemate" to relieve both Generals of the decision to remove the Marines from the line and make it himself, as Rear Admiral George H. Fort would do after a quick inspection of the 1st Div. CP. Geiger was quoted as saying "I'm glad that's over". Rupertus said very little, and was in ill health anyway, dying 6 months later from a heart attack.

What took 30 days for these Marines to kill 10,000 well concealed and armed Japanese it would take 6 weeks for relieving Army troops to mop up the remaining 1,000 Japanese. On an average it has been determined that it took 1,589 rounds of some type from U.S. guns to kill every Japanese who would die on the island.

Like many retelling's of stories such as this one, Sloan tells a riveting story of bravery, hardship, and death that forges the title of his work We learn about the many in these Marine Corps regiments, from simple enlisted to junior officers, and we see many of them die before the books conlusion, such was the nature of this bloody struggle. Many of these talented officers were deeply respected for their leadership and bravery by these enlisted men, and many would be killed. Spreading this info. of their loss had a noticable effect on the enlisted men, one of combined sadness and shock at such terrible news, men stretched to their breaking point already, and led many to fatalism they would survive it another day. (Some, like Sledge, were incredible rarities of this battle, he being one of a tiny few who escaped the continual combat with barely a combat wound to show for it)

With The Old Breed.......2006-11-04

Out of the many authors who write about WWII, Bill Sloan is one of my favorites. "Brotherhood of Heroes" is yet another book by Mr. Sloan that I just couldn't put down, thanks in part to another book I had read previously: "With the Old Breed at Peleliu and Okinawa" by Eugene Sledge. "With the Old Breed" is probably one of the best WWII memoirs ever written, from either theater, and it was that book that led me to seek out more material on the battle for Peleliu, a God-forsaken piece of rock in the middle of the Pacific ocean that was the site of what many of the Marines considered to be the worst battle of the entire war. Yet this battle has been largely ignored by history, in part because it was of dubious importance to the overall strategy in the Pacific (Gen. MacArthur insisted the attack on Peleliu was necessary to support his invasion of the Philippines, a claim that was proved to be untrue in hindsight). "Brotherhood of Heroes" brings this battle back to the forefront in the pantheon of battles from the Pacific theater of WWII. The sights, smells, sounds, and emotions experienced by the Marines on Peleliu are all brought vividly to life in this book; while people like myself who have never experienced warfare cannot pretend to truly understand what those brave men went through, this book does an excellent job of giving us an idea of what that hell on earth was like. This was the first time that the Marines experienced a "defense in depth" when fighting the Japanese; the Japanese made them fight for every inch of ground through overlapping defensive positions that would exact a ghastly toll on the men involved. If not for the lessons learned on Peleliu, the battles for Iwo Jima and Okinawa would have been much more costly to the Americans; while Peleliu took a terribly bloody toll on the Marines who fought there, it ultimately saved more lives down the road through the lessons learned. While we today look back and marvel at the sacrifices made by the young men of the Greatest Generation for their country, those Marines will tell you that they fought not only for their country, but, more importantly, they fought for their brothers in the Corps who were doing the same thing for them. Those men would rather have died than let their buddies down, men who they considered to be closer than blood relatives yet who were complete strangers just two or three years prior; these are the bonds forged by war, something that this book highlights in spectacular fashion.

Heroes of Battle (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying, Rules Supplement)

Average customer rating:

I've Been Waiting for this Book My Entire Roleplaying Career
Take the war to D&D
The outcome of the battle rests on your players' shoulders
A creative and insightful resource for D&D
Useful

Heroes of Battle (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying, Rules Supplement)
David Noonan , Will McDermott , and Stephen Schubert
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 078693686X
Release Date: 2005-05-19

Book Description

The essential handbook integrating war and battlefield action into D&D® play. Heroes of Battle™ provides everything one needs to know to play a battle-oriented D&D campaign. Players can build military characters with new feats, spells, uses for traditional spells, and prestige classes. Information is given on tools specific to the battlefield, including siege engines, weapons, magic items, steeds, and other exotic mounts. Battlefield terrain aspects are discussed with plenty of illustrative maps and new rules. Specific types of battlefield encounters are discussed in detail, and the book provides specific detail on designing battlefields.

Customer Reviews:

I've Been Waiting for this Book My Entire Roleplaying Career.......2007-05-09

I didn't know it. I've substitute improvisation, miniatures rules, everything in its place. I didn't know this gap existed in my gaming repertoire before this book showed up on my doorstep. It was only when I opened it and skimmed the table of contents for concepts that I suddenly realized that this was it. The book I was waiting for. I almost didn't want to read it. I have no particular history with David Noonan, Will McDermott or Stephen Schubert. Maybe I've read books by them before, but they've never appeared on my radar. Wizards can put out some uneven stuff, so I wasn't sure if I even dared read it. I mean, here's a book I didn't even know I waited for and when it shows up, Bruce Cordell had nothing to do with it.

I skimmed it once very quickly. I'm a bad speed reader, but I can get the general gist of a book fast. What I found prodded me to go onward, so I started snatching at random bits that seemed to solve long standing problems in my games. I read more carefully now, probing, sussing out potential problems, trying not to get my hopes up.

So what was the answer? Did I like it? Well, to know that you'll have to skip to the end. I'm not sacrificing my own sense of drama for someone I haven't even met.

You know, even though this is a review, that last line begs for an emoticon.

Ah, well, you'll just have to take my sly humor as read and push on. You really have no choice. Go ahead. Keep reading. I dare you.
So the book starts with your standard chapter one fare. This is a book about adventures on a battlefield. What does that mean? Well, you know. Adventures. On a battlefield. We're in chapter one, so we'll go slow, but try to keep up. (My sarcasm).

So we talk about pacing, planning a campaign, general advice. Nothing here is earthshattering. Most of it is guidance in subjects like how to handle downtime in the middle of Agincourt. How militaries are organized. What a Frenchman originally meant when he called someone a "lieutenant."

From there, we move on to chapter two, and the book begins to pick up. Here they teach you how to design a battlefield (they start with remedial studies) then move on to flow charts. Now the flowchart idea for an adventure isn't exactly earthshattering, but just glancing at their two example flowcharts is enough to set straight any confusion you have about what a battle might look like from the POV of a few confused characters. Personally, this was the single biggest advantage of the book for me. Suddenly I can see clearly why so many of my past battlefields lacked luster.

The chapter doesn't end there, however. Next it teaches you how to build the enemy army in 60 minutes. Then it talks about encounter maps. Then it introduces the concept of victory points and explains how to use them to influence the battle.

Basically, you predetermine the battle outcome. This is what will happen if the PC were never even there. Then you base a best and worse case scenario on how much you think the PCs can matter in the battle. Then you use their victory points the PC's earn on the field to determine where in that specturm of possible outcomes the battle eventually falls. It's simple and its elegant and there's nothing about the system that is tied to the D&D rules. That's the biggest beauty of the book. So much of it could be used with any game system.

Next we have chapter three. Here we explore specific battlefield encounters with examples. Then we have specific example units. Then we discuss experience. So this chapter is only useful to you if you play D&D, but honestly, you got almost everything you needed in chapter two. We're into bonus material now, and we're only up to page 62.

The next chapter is a mix of D&D specific info. You could adapt some of it to other games of course. It has rules like how to handle siege engines and aerial bombardment and arrow volleys. We also deal with morale checks and commander ratings and radii, but after that we're into non game-specific materials again.

The chapter introduces a way to abstract strategic advantages to help determine who has the upper hand on the battlefield in the big view. We get into specific victory point allotments , how many points to assign to cutting a supply line, for instance. Then we wrap up with a method of handling battlefield recognition such as promotion and medals.
Chapter five deals with the military character. Now, if you've read any of my reviews, you probably know I'm going to be upset by all the prestige classes. You're right. WotC is out of control. We need to have an intervention.

The rest of the chapter is various D&D specific rules. We treat with skill applications and new feats. The best section of this chapter are the teamwork rules. In too many games, you send your characters to some sort of training an unless you want to force the players to multiclass into a level of fighter, assuming they have the xp. You really gain nothing from the experience. I've always hated that. The teamwork rules, however, fix that. These are specific tasks and abilities that require no allocation of precious character advancement resources like feats or skills. Do you want the benefits of training as heavy cavalry? Well assuming your team leader meets his prerequisites (some handle animal, some more ride, mounted combat and trample) and the team members all meet their minimum requirements as well (A single rank in ride), the characters need only train together for a time. After that, they can act as a unit and gain benefits such as stopping opponents from avoiding your overruns. One of the nice bits in here is that each teamwork benefit has a list of tips at the end. These alert the DM to potential rules he might want to brush up on or things he might want to consider. Some of it is obvious, but it's nice nevertheless.

Next we have the obligatory chapter on magic, which was fine (spell glut is almost as bad as prestige class glut, though). The book then wraps up with sample armies, sample soldiers and battlefield steeds.

You skipped to the end, didn't you? Well that's all right. I loved this book. At least a third of it is useful in any campaign and much of the rest can be converted with a little work. This book might not have as big an impact on your campaigns. Maybe you've been doing fantastic battlefield adventures for years. But if you haven't, this book can help remake your game. I'd recommend it for anyone whose game, even now, has the dark and fervent whisperings of war.

Now go back and read the rest of this review.

Take the war to D&D.......2006-03-31

It's a fine complement. There is a lot of rules you can take out of military context and use it in a regular D&D game, for example arrow volley... never again understimate the goblin archer team.
The Feats sección is commited to the main theme but I don't see it like a fault. The prestige classes are enjoyable.
A good work.

The outcome of the battle rests on your players' shoulders.......2006-03-16

This book has been vital to my weekly D&D game. The book rises and falls on the idea of epic clashes between giant armies that your players influence. The Victory Point system is increadible, it has really helped my players to get into the game. It lets even low level charactes feel that they are vital. It is easy for the players to fall out of the spotlight in a giant army, this book makes that a thing of the past.

The prestige classes don't over run the book and that is a rarity in some of these supplements...a welcome rarity.

A surprising aspect of the book is the appendix which gives you monster stats for monsters of different ranks. (Orc general, drow priestess)

This book is almost as important as the Player's Handbook if you are running a war themed campaign.

A creative and insightful resource for D&D.......2006-02-27

I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks there's nothing more epic and exciting in a RPG than war. Well this book does a pretty good job of laying the groundwork for a campaign based around battles. It's not all straightforward battlefield stuff either, a lot has to do with different tactics during war.
Things like cutting the enemy's supply lines, battlefield espionage, siege weapons, arrow volleys, etc. It also has what is definitely the best and simplest system for battlefield morale that I've seen (and it's compatable with the D&D miniatures rules) and explains how Leadership and one's rank in the military play into things.
Most of the feats and prestige classes are boring (though the combat medic is excellent) and some of the spells are very interesting. Overall it is an excellent resource.
The only reason I am giving it 4 stars is that it's all very situational, and in a standard campaign none of this will get used. For a campaign that involves medieval warfare and big battles, it earns its pricetag, which I can say for less and less of WoTC's product line of late.

Useful.......2005-11-02

Generally speaking, I dislike books that have adventure ideas and other DM material. Usually I am just looking for the 'meat' as in new monsters, spells, feats, etc...This book was an exception. I wanted to take the campaign in a little bit different direction than the norm, and thought a battlefield oriented game might be novel. This book has quiet a bit of ideas for adventures and scenarios related to large scale warfare. I found the sample ideas to be both creative and interesting. I would definately recommend the book if you are going to run that type of game. If you don't plan on running that type of game this book will have much less value to you.

"I'm Staying with My Boys..." The Heroic Life of Sgt. John Basilone, USMC

Average customer rating:

A MUST READ ! ! !
It sounds so prophetic
A must read
Excellent
An Extraordinary Biography and Full Frontal View of War

"I'm Staying with My Boys..." The Heroic Life of Sgt. John Basilone, USMC
jim Proser , and Jerry Cutter
Manufacturer: Lightbearer Communications Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0975546104

Product Description

I'M STAYING WITH MY BOYS... is a first-hand look inside the life of one of the greatest heroes of the greatest generation. Sgt. John Basilone was lauded by General Douglas MacArthur as ...A ONE MAN ARMY and awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic defense of a vital airfield early in World War 2. It was the turning point of the war and Basilones foxhole was the site of the turning point in that battle. Distinctive among military biographies, the story is narrated by Sgt. Basilone himself allowing readers to experience the development of Johnny Basilone, the aimless youth, into Gunnery Sergeant MANILA JOHN Basilone, the clear-eyed warrior, undefeated light-heavyweight boxer and nationally revered war hero. This publication is the only family-authorized biography. The story is woven with surprising personal details such as Sgt. Basilones uncanny premonitions. Three times he confided to his family unlikely visions of his future. All three times the visions came to pass - including the final one that foretold his death. In spite of his final revelation, and true to his unwavering dedication to his men, he returned to battle and was killed on the beach at Iwo Jima - an emotional true story

Customer Reviews:

A MUST READ ! ! !.......2005-09-15

My friend loaned me this book to read and I must say that it gave me a new found appreciation of what those men and women did for us in WWII. This book was very easy to read, and should be included in the curriculum of every Recent American History course taught in High School or College. I HIGHLY recommend picking up a copy of this book. I have already purchased a copy for myself after reading my friends copy.

It sounds so prophetic.......2005-01-26

He knew he was going to die, and he just kept on fighting. He never abandoned his marines and thats just what he should have done. Its how the writer makes this so real that is so inspiring, not that his deeds werent great, but there have probably been thousands who have done just what he did, they just werent famous. But overall this is a good book. I like how it takes us to a time when being "patriotic" didnt get us arrested or sued.

A must read.......2005-01-06

Wonderfully moving and well written insight into a true American hero. It is a must read for all patriotic Americans and almost a responsiblity for us all to be aware of one of the US Marine's best.

Excellent.......2004-10-25

If you are interested in a personal story of WWII, then this is an excellent book. Rather than getting into the details of the conflicts this book focuses on the personal story of John Basilone - one of the handful of true American Heroes from WWII.

Written in the first person with an ample dose of personal details from his family, this book truly brings Manilla John back to life for many. I've been studying WWII for only 10 years and have read my share of the technical assessments of the important battles in WWII. This book stands out in my mind because it puts the reader in touch with the qualities of America's best young men and women of the 1940's; selflessness, courage, a supreme sense of duty, and in Basilon's case, a supreme sense of destiny.

Highly recommended for anyone with a passing interest in WWII, or for anyone who wants to learn about what made America's young people "tick" 60 years ago.

An Extraordinary Biography and Full Frontal View of War.......2004-08-28

Author and Film Producer Jim Prosser has created a richly detailed, raptly written, devastatingly powerful book about the life of American War hero John Basilone. This book is especially pungent at this time in history because it revives a lost tradition of the country's view of maritime heroism. Since the atrocities of the Vietnam mistake to the present harrowing details of a similar (or worse) war in Iraq the concept of war is now very much in a negative light. Even the words 'war hero' seem an oxymoron, so strident are the feelings about America's latest aggressions. But to appreciate this fine book requires a return to the mindset of the US during World War II when not only was Europe under the vile threat of Hitler and Mussolini, but the Japanese warriors were annihilating China, Korea, and ultimately the Philippines in the mission to own the Pacific Ocean. And even in those early years the threat seemed frightening but distant until the Japanese successfully decimate the US Pacific Fleet on December 7, 1941. That incident unified the country, creating a fighting force and support system at home that eventually resulted in the defeat of the massive evil outside the borders of the USA.

Given that atmosphere of over a half century ago, author Proser has created one of the most convincing portraits of a military hero in literature. And the intensively researched and detailed approach results in a biography that fully restores the ambience of WW II. John Basilone was a nice Italian boy form Raritan, New Jersey, a lad who quit school to follow his recurring visions. He caddied for Japanese businessmen at a country club, seeing in his prophetic mind that at some day he would be at war with Japan. After trying multiple jobs he finally enlists in the Army, makes the best of boot camp by gambling and boxing, and is shipped to the Philippines where he spent time waiting, boxing (becoming a champion nicknamed Manila John), running a little bar with his Island sweetheart, and finally returning home. Frustrated once again with the boredom of work and the embarrassment of not having finished his education, Basilone finally returns to the military by signing on with the USMC, trains hard at Quantico, Cuba, and other US training camp swamps, and finally is shipped to Guadalcanal where his brilliance and dedication to his commanding officer ("Chesty" Puller) through one of the most devastating battles in the Pacific arena earned him not only the respect of his men, but also the Medal of Honor - the highest commendation offered by his country. Returning home form this mission he ride the waves of adulation form the American people, hobnobs with movies stars, sells War Bonds, and falls in love, only to be shipped out once again to the Pacific where he is killed in action in the battle for Iwo Jima.

The amazing (that is, ONE of the amazing) aspect of this book is that Proser has elected to write it in the first person of John Basilone. Everything is told as Basilone perceives it, lives, feels, and survives it. Rarely has a story been written with such clarity and perception: we truly feel that Basilone has written his memoirs. The language of the period is exactly right, the descriptions of the various battles and conditions of being a soldier under tremendously adverse conditions are vivid, and the soldiers' mentality of being in the thick of war are written with such bulls-eye focus that no matter what the reader's opinion of War might be, this book makes it all understandable form the point of view of the soldiers who fought. Some of the battle passages are tough to read: "On October 23, a light tank and infantry attack across the mouth of the Matanikau ran right into the teeth of Vandegrift's defenses. It was chewed up in short order with over 600 Japs killed, many of them trapped in a jungle clearing where US tanks just drove over them instead of wasting ammunition. They ground the poor bastards up like sausage under the tank treads until the entire clearing was covered in gore and left to rot in the sun." And a soldier's impressions: "We all heard a lot about the bravery of the Japanese soldier before we got on the island. They were supposed to be the most fearless warriors ever to fight. But I kept thinking what kind of bravery it was that sent them, one after the other, right into the same guns that mowed down dozens before them. I don't know if that was bravery. I don't know what it was. Either they were crazy or they just didn't care. So I didn't care either. They weren't even men anymore. They were dumb animals who wanted me dead and had killed all my friends."

Proser very cleverly weaves snippets of Iwo Jima from the opening of the book to its finish, which in an act of brilliance makes the whole story more pungent in retrospect. There is little doubt the Sgt. John Basilone was an extraordinary soldier and military hero along with the thousands of others who lost their lives in the incomprehensibly vast WW II. I think this is a very important book that everyone should read, and I say that as a pacifist, as a Vietnam Veteran convinced that war on any level is simply not an option. This book is vastly important, well written, and contains a story and moment of history we all should face and incorporate. And perhaps then we can all better empathize with soldiers form throughout history to the very present. Recommended without reservation!

Captain Underpants and the Big, Bad Battle of the Bionic Booger Boy, Part 2: The Revenge of the Ridiculous Robo-Boogers (The Seventh Epic Novel) (Captain Underpants)

Average customer rating:

Tra-la-laaa!
fantastic read
Neat , Nasty & Naughty
under wear man
Cool

Captain Underpants and the Big, Bad Battle of the Bionic Booger Boy, Part 2: The Revenge of the Ridiculous Robo-Boogers (The Seventh Epic Novel) (Captain Underpants)
Dav Pilkey
Manufacturer: Scholastic Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0439376122
Release Date: 2003-09-30

Amazon.com

Clearly one epic novel could never contain the hugely disgusting tale of the Bionic Booger Boy; it makes perfect sense that his story would spill out into Dav Pilkey's seventh epic novel in the Captain Underpants series, Captain Underpants and the Big, Bad Battle of the Bionic Booger Boy Part 2: The Revenge of the Ridiculous Robo-Boogers.

It all started in the sixth epic novel when Melvin Sneedly, a nerd, invented a "combine-o-thingy" that morphed Melvin, a robot, and (accidentally) mucus from his sneeze and created the monstrous Bionic Booger Boy. Unfortunately, in the chaos that ensues, the school principal Mr. Krupp's brain switches to Melvin's body and vice versa (making for a very unhappy school secretary). The diabolical Melvin becomes power-hungry when he realizes that he might be able to keep Mr. Krupp's Captain Underpants superpowers for himself! Can George and Harold stop Melvin from tyrannizing the school--and the world--in his new guise as principal and superhero?

Pilkey's heavily illustrated books with comic-book inserts, "flip-o-rama" animation, and loads of gross-out humor are guaranteed to delight elementary-school boys. (Ages 8 and older) --Karin Snelson

Book Description

Just when they thought they were out, it pulls them back in! Our heroes beat the Bionic Booger Boy, but they forgot about those rascally Robo-Boogers. Join George, Harold, Mr. Krupp, Melvin Sneedly, and Sulu the Bionic Hamster on an adventure that will take them into the deepest regions of outer space and back through time to the mysterious and uncharted world of the day before yesterday! It's a monster-mashin', robo-wranglin', time-travelin', brain-switchin', nose-pickin' good time!

Customer Reviews:

Tra-la-laaa! .......2007-09-23

I have two boys, 6 & 7 who have loved the cottony-captain for two years now. Both have been reading CU on their own since 1st grade. We have them all in their goopy, gross gloriousness. They're always good to go back to EXCEPT they are poorly bound(I mean the paperback ones) and fall apart and ours are all taped together. Boo for the binding, yahoo for the silly content that keeps two wild things still enough to read.

fantastic read.......2007-05-09

This series of books are a fantastic read. They keep my 7 and 5 year olds very amused and I get a laugh out of them as well. I would highly recommend them.

Neat , Nasty & Naughty.......2006-03-11

Yes, it took something totally "disgusting" to get my seven year old hooked on reading......but hey, I am not complaining. He is now carrying a book wherever he goes....who would have thought? When someone can get a kid to pick up a book and take along instead of the game boy.....well....just amazing!

They are very cute and not nearly as nasty as the titles imply!

under wear man.......2005-12-20

This book was cool because if you had a guy in town that flew in his under pants that would be awsome. And how cool would that be if you a giant robot whit bogers all over so now you now ho cool this book is.

Cool.......2005-10-19

I thought this was a good boook, but I don't like the flip-O-ramas. The bad spelling and grammer makes it relly funny! I say you should buy it.

Flags of Our Fathers: Heroes of Iwo Jima (Youth Edition)

Average customer rating:

Down to earth truth behind the Second World war> Sacrifice,and enduring American spirit
World War II
Captivating and Honest Truths About Leadership and Devotion To Brothers Lost in War
A great book to read by Trevor Williams
Wrong book

Flags of Our Fathers: Heroes of Iwo Jima (Youth Edition)
James Bradley , and Ron Powers
Manufacturer: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0385729324
Release Date: 2001-05-08

Amazon.com

In the winter of 1945, on the tiny island of Iwo Jima, a ferocious, epic battle was fought, resulting in the loss of more than 48,000 lives and producing what was to become one of the most recognizable symbols of World War II: a photograph of six soldiers raising an American flag on the peak of Mount Suribachi. One of the six, Navy corpsman John Bradley, came away from this historical moment with a deep and mysterious silence about his role in the flag raising. Even his wife heard him speak of it only once in their 47-year marriage. After Bradley's death, his son James began to piece together the facts of his father's heroism, as well as that of the other five men, all of whom became reluctant heroes because of their presence during that fateful instant when the shutter clicked and created a wartime icon.

Based on James Bradley's Flags of Our Fathers for adults, this abridged version for younger readers retains the somewhat terse drama, intense heartbreak, and bittersweet triumph of the original narrative. Through his research on the event and the soldiers (three of the men were killed in combat within days of the flag raising), Bradley explores the dubious nature of heroism and the devastating effects of war. (Ages 14 and older) --Emilie Coulter

Book Description

Now abridged for young people, Flags of Our Fathers is the unforgettable chronicle of perhaps the most famous moment in American military history: the raising of the U. S. flag at Iwo Jima. Here is the true story behind the immortal photograph that has come to symbolize the courage and indomitable will of America.

In February 1945, American Marines plunged into the surf at Iwo Jima–and into history. The son of one of the flag raisers has written a powerful account of six very different men who came together in the heroic battle for the Pacific’s most crucial island.

Customer Reviews:

Down to earth truth behind the Second World war> Sacrifice,and enduring American spirit.......2007-06-28

Who were these brave young men that fought for their country, nation, and civil liberty? Freedom, fought and paid for by the lives of American youth, veterans of our country's legacy. We didn't back down when the odds were to great; we had fear it would decimate of what we loved, our liveliehood, ideals, and what we stood for. Heroes that proved essential to the wellbeing and life of America. Find out who were the six that raised the steel pole to enstill hope for marines upon that desolate island of Iwo Jima.

World War II.......2007-04-25

A great story about a horrific, but successful battle. Written by the son of one of the flag raisers, it gives a realistic view of the horrors endured, and the magnificent bravery of our boys who went forth in droves to give of themselves, that the rest of us might live in freedom.

Captivating and Honest Truths About Leadership and Devotion To Brothers Lost in War.......2007-04-04

I was given this book by one of my patients and I simply could not put it down. I read it cover to cover in about a day and half. The descpriptions of the War and the men who fought in the battle raged on Iwo Jima were brought alive in this story. It is incredible to think so many people were deceived by the efforts and the spin tallied by the United States during World War 2. Yes, the spin was in the name of a good cause, but it is unfortunate it took so long to tell the real truths about the men who lost their lives and the bloody sacrifices made in the name of freedom in this country. I would strongly recommend this book for anyone who wants to read and better understand what really happened on Iwo Jima and the aftershocks that rippled through our Country for years following this war.

Dr. Warren Bruhl

A great book to read by Trevor Williams.......2007-04-02

This book is a salute to all the men of WWII and especially to those that served in Iwo Jima. It is an awesome book, one of the best books that I have ever read. I couldn't put it down.
James Bradley, the "Author", started to investigate his father Jack's service record, after his death. He never spoke of his time in service and especially what happened on the peak of Mount Suribachi. His father was one of the original 6 people in the famous photo from WWII taken during the flag raising in one of the bloodiest battles in history. The book was very descriptive and graphic, I could picture the battle in my mind.

Wrong book.......2007-03-09

It was not the book I thought was ordered. It was a student version which I didn't want. It is a good book otherwise, was delivered on time with no issues

History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)

Average customer rating:

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.

Marines in the Garden of Eden: The Battle for An Nasiriyah

Average customer rating:

amazing detail
Thought provoking material
Well written combat narrative with a personal touch.
"Marines in the Garden of Eden" is a must read
Poor Writing Obscures Marines Accomplishments

Marines in the Garden of Eden: The Battle for An Nasiriyah
Richard S. Lowry
Manufacturer: Berkley Hardcover
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Iraq | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0425209881

Book Description

The true story of the bloodiest battle in the campaign to oust Saddam Hussein.

It began on March 23, 2003, a clear, sunny Sunday morning in the city of An Nasiriyah, Iraq, where members of the 507th Maintenance Company were stationed during Operation Enduring Freedom. The enemy ambushed the 507th at first light, killing and wounding twenty-one soldiers and taking six prisoners, including the now-famous Private Jessica Lynch. When night fell, 18 marines had given their lives in what would become the battle for An Nasiriyah.

For the next week, An Nasiriyah was rocked with gun and mortar fire, as the marines of Task Force Tarawa fought to wrest control of the city from Saddam's fanatical followers.

This the story of the battle for "The Nas," as seen through the eyes of the Marines, soldiers, and newsmen who made it through those terrible seven days, and would never forget what they experienced, what they learned-or those they lost in the name of freedom.

Customer Reviews:

amazing detail.......2007-06-27

an amazing book. very good read. only complaint is that at this level of detail and intimacy, it is hard to keep track of who is who. author literaly has the minute to minute movements of like 10 different battle groups dialed in and well narrated. all the same... it is a great military NF history read.

Thought provoking material.......2007-01-24

This is a book that shows the acts of heroism of our young men and women that serve our country and look at their military service as helping others. It gives a true feeling of brotherhood between our military armed forces. "Marines in the Garden of Eden: The Battle for An Nasiriyah" brings to question of how ill prepared we truly were in going into Iraq and how our young men and women had to overcome obstacles that were unnecessary. I read this book with pride in our young people but saddness that as a Nation we sent them into battle when it appears that with all the high technology available, we left them hanging out there. I read these accounts of the Battle with great interest as three of my sons are serving in the Marine Corps and I knew several who were mentioned in the book. It is quite clear that the author was giving the true accounts of what happened and was not looking through tinted glasses that showed a bias one way or another.

Well written combat narrative with a personal touch........2006-11-23

Richard Lowry's book is a very well researched and well written combat narrative about the battle for An Nasiriyah. He follows several company, battalion, and regimental size units from their deployment in theater through the battle, describing in gripping detail not only the courage and dedication of those involved, but also the chaos, confusion, and "fog of war" that is part of any battle in any age. Lowry spends equal time covering the good and the bad that was the battle, from well-executed movements to friendly fire incidents, combat deaths to humanitarian assistance, treating each with the same level of attention to detail. I particularly like the way Lowry catches the human side of the Marines involved by noting particular quotes or actions in the heat of combat that makes the Marines come alive and puts a human face on the struggle.
Through the highs and lows, the average grunt Marine shines through, and learning about the "ordinary" heroism that carried the day makes this book one of the better combat narratives I have read.

"Marines in the Garden of Eden" is a must read.......2006-11-12

Mr. Lowry's care and consideration for the Marines he depicts is exemplary. His research and attention to detail gives credence and depth to the story of An Nasiriyah. "Marines in the Garden of Eden" is a must read. I couldn't wait to experience the story as it began to unfold.

Robert Elliot
Associate Producer
"Still There"
[...]

Poor Writing Obscures Marines Accomplishments.......2006-11-05

This is poorly written, with excessive use of adverbs and adjectives intended to portray gallant troops versus evil foes. A straight telling of the story would have been interesting, but the continued effort to bias the reader in such a childish manner caused me to give up after about twenty pages. Of course we are on the side of the troops, but let the events speak for themselves.

Ranger's Apprentice: The Battle for Skandia (Ranger's Apprentice, Book 4)

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Ranger's Apprentice: The Battle for Skandia (Ranger's Apprentice, Book 4)
John Flanagan
Manufacturer: Philomel
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0399244573
Release Date: 2008-03-18

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A Great Start...at least it would have been
i have to agree with okayplaya (canada)
Okayplaya knows nothing!!!!
Good Art, No Story
Best comic ever?

Battle Chasers: A Gathering of Heroes
Joe Madureira , and Munier Sharrieff
Manufacturer: Wildstorm
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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