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.

Conquests and Cultures: An International History

Average customer rating:

Big-picture history
several topics in one book
Conquests and Cultures
Stings have no venom.
Brilliant, Succinct, Germane!

Conquests and Cultures: An International History
Thomas Sowell
Manufacturer: Basic Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Early Civilization | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Civilization & Culture | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books

Emigration & Immigration | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0465013996

Amazon.com

Another tour de force by one of America's leading public intellectuals. Conquests and Cultures continues in the tradition of Sowell's superb books, Race and Culture and Migrations and Cultures. The series attempts to understand the meaning of cultural differences, including how these differences have influenced the economic and social fates of civilizations, nations, and ethnic groups. This particular installment focuses on how military conquest both destroys culture and spreads it by examining the histories of the English, the Africans, the Slavs, and the indigenous people of the New World. Sowell rejects the cultural relativism that is currently so fashionable in the universities and forthrightly believes that some cultures--understood as "the working machinery of everyday life"--are clearly superior to others. He marshals a massive amount of scholarly material to support his ideas, and capably turns this mountain of data into straightforward prose. --John J.Miller

Book Description

Sowell, in Conquests and Cultures, helps explain the role of cultural evolution and warfare in shaping the destinies of the world's civilizations.

Customer Reviews:

Big-picture history.......2007-01-17

CaC is a series of case-studies looking at the interplay between (as the title indicates) conquest and cultural evolution. I enjoy "big-picture" history but, because the author tries to cover so many examples, the analysis seems to be just a touch shallow. Of course, CaC was probably intended as an overview to demonstrate a larger dynamic.

The most interesting section is the discussion of African slavery. I hadn't realized what a relatively small part the European powers played in the over-all slave-trade. I thought the treatment was fair--neither Euro-bashing nor revisionist.

The other topics were a little more familiar and not quite as interesting. (As I mentioned, the treatment not especially thorough. I flipped through a few parts.) Overall, CaC is pretty good--not great--but worth the time to read for the novice or amateur historian (especially if you're not familiar with the "Annales" school of history to which Sowell is obviously indebted).

several topics in one book.......2006-12-07

This book has several threads that interact.
One is that the geography of a country has a strong effect on its history. The western hemisphere did not have beasts of burden until Europeans arrived and therefore stayed in a primitive culture. England had iron ore near coal and both near the seacoast which provided cheap transportation.
Another thread is that some cultures learn from contact with other cultures and some do not. Scotland was invaded by England and when the English left Scotland outclassed the English in engineering and medicine even thought they were behind in the beginning. Earlier the Romans invaded England and improved conditions. When the Romans left the English retrograded for centuries.
Another thread is that human nature is the same all over the earth. All nations have dominated other nations and mistreated them.

Conquests and Cultures.......2006-03-18

This book demonstrates quite clearly the growth and economic betterment of the people in underdeveloped countries through assistance from the Western Hemisphere world. The legacies of education, nutrition and economic growth and exchange of cultural knowledge brought about even by conquering armies is quite a surprise.
I especially liked the contrast between the desperate situation of the Irish during the various famines and wars with the English as compared to the relative security of the black population in the Southern United States during the periodof slavery.
The book makes a strong statement for the value of sharing technologies and opportunities between and amongst countries for their own betterment rather than merely rapiing the land of the conquered to satisfy the conquerer.

Stings have no venom........2004-04-08

Despite their best efforts, those who reviewed this book negatively or dismissed it as "been there, done that" expose that either their own preconceived notions ran afoul with Sowell's book. Or, their sacred cows were stripped down to expose the cheap hamburger of ideas.
As usual Sowell writes another well-crafted, researched, and documented book. He makes NO conclusions but rather, lets his reader form their own conclusions.
As evidenced by the fact that none of the so called "Politically Incorrect" panel shows NEVER invited Sowell on because no one on the left can counter Sowell's ease of analysis and myth-shattering and that includes lofty lefties like Hitchens, Chomsky, Schlesinger, and Cockburn...so goes the list of those who rail at the idea of a free-thinking minority having the audacity to stray from the Liberal Plantation (Not that Sowell was ever on the plantation in the first place).

A good measured read with plenty to challenge the reader (who doesn't wear idealogical blinders). A good book to add to your library.

Brilliant, Succinct, Germane!.......2003-12-28

It's always delightful to read cogent, well-thought-out and carefully written books. This is no exception, as Dr. Sowell continues to apply a broad education and extensive experience to derive insights that, once made, are startlingly clear and obvious.

Unlike several of the prior reviewers, who seem to feel that their unworkable personal ideology or limited ability to think actually have relevance in a review, I read this book to gain information and insights supported by impeccable research from an intelligent source. It may offend those with little or no education or experience, because it does not run along the same track as their favorite hobby horse(s), but then, reality and truth rarely do. (i.e., if you don't like accurate statistics, nor agree with a sequenced and relevant protrayal of factual information, don't read this book. It might upset any sense of "oughta be this way", or "I wanna believe X -- in contrast to actual events").

Dr. Sowell's insistence on his statements having a factual basis and extensive examples to support his conclusions can be daunting, nonetheless, as with any exercise (mental or physical, for that matter), the more effort you put into something, the greater the result.

Customer Reviews:

badly concatenated dead white male bashing.......2003-07-10

That a historical perspective of some of the great culural injustices in humanity should be written by a Muslim is welcome and even vital. Hassan makes a good attempt to educate the reader about the African slave trade, the destruction of the Arab Moor civilization and the decimation and subjugation of the indigenous peoples of America, marginzlized events in the history of human suffering and tragedy that needed a clearer voice. However, the lesson quickly descends into a far-left, anti-Caucasian diatribe akin to dead white male bashing. Thinly veiled behind a racism toward Europeans and a hatred for all things Eurocentric, Hassan proceeds to heap copious amounts of blame on European and European-derived societies attacking them for 1000 years of cultural destruction and forced servitude on the people that they conquered. In one memorably bad passage, Hassan suggests that the modern North American penal system is a direct ancestor of the brutal subjugation of Indigenous peoples and African slaves, while maintaining that a North American of European descent living in wretched poverty can nonetheless feel intrinsically self-satisfied that "one of his own" is the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. After attempting to ignore the blatant extremism, the arguments themselves are built on shaky ground and lack connectivity to one another making for a sloppy, uneven read.

Powers of numbers.......2003-03-19

In the Western Hemisphere, the Christian year 1492 is the beginning of history. Ottawa author Marwan Hassan contends, however, that Columbus' voyage is but incidental to that celebrated date. The year is also that of the Reconquista - the expulsion or forced conversion of the last of the Arab residents of al Andulus, the southern part of the Iberian peninsula. Europe's occupation of Arab Spain is the pivotal event in the march of European capitalism - a march still under way in this era of "globalisation." Columbus' journey was the first step in the assault on resources outside Europe. From these events the power of the state extended through the process of categorizing both domestic and foreign populations through various forms of
census-taking - what is known today as "demography."

In this invigorating and challenging study, Hassan explains how capitalism's growth was furthered by population counts. It goes well beyond simple enumeration. Counting becomes classification, with various parts of society being administratively differentiated. The counters become the definers, enhancing the "us" and "them" separation of people. The process began in Reconquista Spain with the former Arab inhabitants becoming known as "Moors," a contrived term. By creating an image of inferiority, nascent European imperialism was free to absorb Arab science, mathematics, technology and trade and finance skills without qualm. Hassan argues that Columbus' voyage could never have been achieved without the navigational prowess adapted from "Moorish" peoples around the Mediterranean. Even so mundane an item as paper contributed to the growth of Euprope's expansion. The Moors were the makers and purveyors of cheap, quality paper for accounts and records, vital to administration, both domestic and imperial.

Hassan demonstrates how language becomes a tool of demography. Numbers don't stand alone, but must be analysed and interpreted. The power of words extends further with simple record keeping than all fiction's self-assertion. India's abundant population was ruled by a much smaller British community, he reminds us. The sceptre of that rule wasn't military, but language. Europe's exploitation of African slaves, so essential to rapid settlement of the Western Hemisphere, was mandated by defining both the Africans and the peoples indigenous to the New World as "barbarian" or "tribal" This definition validated the use of available resources and began the process of labour alienation.

Even the arts are addressed within this framework. Not only is art "by" someone, implying individuation instead of community, but it has "value." Comparison of "value," with hierarchical rankings logically follows. Art's "marketability" becomes the standard. "Kitsch" is the utilitarian art form appropriate to capitalism, with its "inability to appease the appetite." Consumption, therefore, is a never-ending spiral.

He provides a world view of capitalism rarely encountered. Rigorous scholarship and deep analysis produce stimulating questions for your reflection. ...

Average customer rating:
Conquests and Cultures; an International History
Thomas Sowell
Manufacturer: Basic Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000LZLI8W

Book Description

In 1876 Sioux and Cheyenne warriors annihilated Custer’s Seventh Cavalry on the Little Bighorn. Three years later and half a world away, a British force was wiped out by Zulu warriors at Isandhlwana in South Africa. In both cases the total defeat of regular army troops by forces regarded as undisciplined barbarian tribesmen stunned an imperial nation.

The similarities between the two frontier encounters have long been noted, but James O. Gump is the first to scrutinize them in a comparative context. “This study issues a challenge to American exceptionalism,” he writes. Viewing both episodes as part of a global pattern of intensified conflict in the latter 1800s resulting from Western domination over a vast portion of the globe, he persuasively traces the comparisons in their origins and aftermath.

Customer Reviews:

So boring my pillow needs a pillow.......2007-03-20

I absolutely love history and foreign relations, but this book is written in the most boring style possible. Horrible, I wouldn't recommend it. He has some great points, but you are better off reading the book reviews to get his argument.

A major contribution to field of comparative history.......1999-05-25

Please disregard the 2 of 5 rating from the sleep deprived person from North Carolina. This 5 out of 5 work of comparative history will keep you turning the pages. It may actually disturb your sleep with its effective demolition of the historiography of American exceptionalism when it comes to imperialism towards indigenous peoples.

More importantly, this is NOT a narrative about the Sioux or the Zulu as "victims." Although many scholars have noted the impact of Western imperial expansion on indigenous peoples throughout the world, it is only recently that historians have begun to employ the ill-defined and problematic methodology of comparative history to understand the similarities and differences of these diverse colonial encounters.

Gump's book integrates two major themes. One theme is that indigenous societies and cultures are dynamic. This means that they are characterized by intentional action and change. Whether the forces of change are internal or external, indigenous societies are not static.

The second theme is that societies and cultures are components of particular times and actual places. There is a dynamic interrelationship between attitudes, values, beliefs, behaviors and the specific circumstances of historic events. Examining two of these 19th century interrelationships provides us with an understanding of the dynamism of indigenous peoples' cultural adaptation and resilience. The Sioux and the Zulu were as involved in the historical process of change over time as any other people. In spite of their economic and cultural marginalization, adjusting to these circumstances did not necessarily diminish their cultural values.

For a good introduction to the comparative frontier history of the United States and South Africa see Leonard Thompson and Howard Lamar's chapter, "Comparative Frontier History" in their book, The Frontier in History: North America and South Africa Compared, (Yale University Press, 1981), 3-13.

For a comparative study in race relations consult George M. Frederickson's book, White Supremacy: A Comparative Study in American and South African History,(Oxford University Press, 1981).

A compairson of 2 native cultures fighting for a way of life.......1999-03-12

I was put to sleep three times by this book. Those poor natives. They just can't get no justice. This book does provide a new look at what an injustice western civilation has done to native people.

The Dust Rose Like Smoke: The Subjugation of the Zulu and Sioux. (book reviews): An article from: The Geographical Review

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The Dust Rose Like Smoke: The Subjugation of the Zulu and Sioux. (book reviews): An article from: The Geographical Review
David J. Wishart
Manufacturer: American Geographical Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B00097UHLQ
Release Date: 2005-07-28

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Geographical Review, published by American Geographical Society on January 1, 1997. The length of the article is 697 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The Dust Rose Like Smoke: The Subjugation of the Zulu and Sioux. (book reviews)
Author: David J. Wishart
Publication: The Geographical Review (Refereed)
Date: January 1, 1997
Publisher: American Geographical Society
Volume: v87 Issue: n1 Page: p128(2)

Article Type: Book Review

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The Dust Rose Like Smoke : The Subjugation of the Zulu and the Sioux

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The Dust Rose Like Smoke : The Subjugation of the Zulu and the Sioux
James O. Gump
Manufacturer: Univ of Nebraska Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OM0WMK

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