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.

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The Oldest Treatise on Game Theory
A well thought out treatise, all in a little book
The Optimistic Jew
Required reading at many military colleges around the world
Human Nature

The Art of War
Sun Tzu
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ASIN: 0385292163
Release Date: 1983-03-10

Amazon.com

The Art of War is the Swiss army knife of military theory--pop out a different tool for any situation. Folded into this small package are compact views on resourcefulness, momentum, cunning, the profit motive, flexibility, integrity, secrecy, speed, positioning, surprise, deception, manipulation, responsibility, and practicality. Thomas Cleary's translation keeps the package tight, with crisp language and short sections. Commentaries from the Chinese tradition trail Sun-tzu's words, elaborating and picking up on puzzling lines. Take the solitary passage: "Do not eat food for their soldiers." Elsewhere, Sun-tzu has told us to plunder the enemy's stores, but now we're not supposed to eat the food? The Tang dynasty commentator Du Mu solves the puzzle nicely, "If the enemy suddenly abandons their food supplies, they should be tested first before eating, lest they be poisoned." Most passages, however, are the pinnacle of succinct clarity: "Lure them in with the prospect of gain, take them by confusion" or "Invincibility is in oneself, vulnerability is in the opponent." Sun-tzu's maxims are widely applicable beyond the military because they speak directly to the exigencies of survival. Your new tools will serve you well, but don't flaunt them. Remember Sun-tzu's advice: "Though effective, appear to be ineffective." --Brian Bruya

Book Description

If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle....

These are the words of ancient Chinese philosopher Sun Tzu, whose now-classic treatise, The Art of War, was written more than 2,500 years ago. Originally a text for victory on the battlefield, the book has vastly transcended its original purpose.

Here is a seminal work on the philosophy of successful leadership that is as applicable to contemporary business as it is to war. Today many leading American business schools use the text as required reading for aspiring managers, and even Oliver Stone's award-winning film Wall Street cites The Art of War as a guide to those who strive for success.

Now acclaimed novelist James Clavell, for whom Sun Tzu's writing has been an inspiration, gives us a newly edited Art of War. Author of the best-selling Asian saga consisting of Shogun, Tai-Pan, Gai-jin, King Rat, Noble House, and Whirlwind, Clavell first heard about Sun Tzu in Hong Kong in 1977, and since then The Art Of War has been his constant companion--he refers to it frequently in Noble House. He has taken a 1910 translation of the book and clarified it for the contemporary reader. This new edition of The Art Of War is an extraordinary book made even more relevant by an extraordinary editor.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

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Sun Tzu's classic treatise on the art of warfare

Customer Reviews:

The Oldest Treatise on Game Theory.......2007-09-30

There are many translations of this work which has long been in the public domain. This is the popular translation by Lionel Giles made even more popular by the introduction from the best-selling author of Japan epics, James Clavell. It contains Giles' commentary along with the translation. The annotations give historical examples of the strategies in action.

Game theory is calculated strategy. The Art of War by Sun Tzu is probably the oldest and most important book on game theory ever written. It is the culmination of the development of the best warfare tactics prior to the 5th century BC. It is considered the foundation for all military plans and is still used to this day. It is most popular for its ability to win wars without fighting one. Its application has shaped the world as we know it.

The Art of War can be understood as a breakdown of the chaos of warfare into components that can be analyzed and understood. The tactics are mostly about controlled organization, recognizing environments and situations and the correct response to each one. Organization is subject to change in competition. The Art of War is essentially the strategy of responding to changing environments. Response is thus relative to evolving conditions.

1 - "Laying Plans"
The core message of this chapter is to calculate as much as possible before committing yourself. Important themes include discipline, ethics, environmental conditions and assessing the competition. It's about setting up the mission and evaluating the competition.

2 - "Waging War"
The important detail of this chapter is to win as quickly and as economically as possible. Prolonged struggle means wasting resources and undermining confidence. When winning, use the spoils as rewards and capital. It's about making war pay.

3 - "Attack by Stratagem"
This chapter is about deployment of the previous two chapters. The central message is to know thyself and know thy enemy. This stage indicates problems such as sieges, bad management and interior anarchy or legal/government interference. Advantages such as good management, exploiting opportunities and attacking tactics are covered. Strength is about cohesiveness and is independent of size.

4 - "Tactical Dispositions"
This one stresses putting yourself in a position where you cannot be defeated and waiting for the opportunity to defeat the enemy. It is about recognizing the breaks and taking them as opposed to creating the breaks.

5 - "Energy"
This part focuses on the power of deception to lull the enemy into a false sense of security and the use of spies to learn the enemy's moves. It also stresses the need to evolve in battle. It's about building up war capability.

6 - "Weak Points and Strong"
This chapter encapsulates all the previous five chapters into an advanced war strategy producing outcomes, calculating and responding to events as they unfold. The strategies are developed here. It is about creating breaks.

7 - "Maneuvering"
This deals with managing units and the internal problems they face on top of how to respond during movement to various circumstances. It is a chapter based on types of situations and responses.

8 - "Variation of tactics"
This section expands on the evolution of tactics and strategies based on situations and responses but concentrates on what causes failure.

9 - "The Army on the March"
This is advanced maneuvering especially across long distances with different terrains and how to deal with encounters. It is about interpretation.

10 - "Terrain"
This describes the various terrains that an army can encounter and when and how to occupy them. It talks about distances, potential dangers and obstructions. Positioning is important.

11 - "The Nine Situations"
This piece explains the condition of each terrain in terms of its tactical advantages and disadvantages and how to deal with both. It is a very intensive chapter because of the number of complex conditions dealt with.

12 - "The Attack by Fire"
Arson in war is probably the single most troubling weapon that an army could have inflicted on the enemy around 500 BC. This chapter is obviously based on the most advanced weapons of the time which have since been developed. It is about using the principle of creating disorder and chaos to win.

13 - "The Use of Spies"
Without spies don't war. War is won based on foreknowledge not by calculation but by direct information about the plans of the other side from spies. Spies are managed in this chapter.

Even though the work is quite short (about 100 pages or less with commentary) it is complex enough to warrant several readings. It is the equivalent to learning how to play advanced chess, a game which compliments this study. There is a lifetime of thought within the pages. Napoleon was said to have used it and lost when he didn't follow it.

The Art of War has become one of the most important self help books of this century popularized in big business as many executives have had recourse to this material because it offers a sound winning strategy. Most readers come away believing that the book's message finds it adaptable to many environments because it is all about adjusting to variations and so can be applied to anything and everything.

The Art of War is not supposed to be an exciting read. It is a strategy book, a step by step guide to how battles are won and why they are lost. It is more to be memorized as a set of responses, including when not to respond, than to be understood. The combinations of the responses are unlimited. There is enough on the plate without asking why. Understanding why would come later and the answers to these questions would come from a very sophisticated understanding of the theory. It is an endeavor that remains open to the reader if they can come to terms first with the information that is here.

Even if the book is not followed up on by subsequent study it can still leave a long lasting impression with its tips on discipline and achieving goals. It is great value for the amount of information contained in such a short burst. It will get you thinking strategically and that is more or less its claim to fame.

A well thought out treatise, all in a little book.......2007-09-12

A very good treatise on the Taoist perspective on war. It carries so many parallels to today's modern combat, and is required reading in Asian businesses and for Asian military officers, especially the Chinese People's Liberation Army. It's a fairly easy read and very good to understand as well. Compare it to the Machiavelli book of the same name and you'd see a stark contrast to it. Recommended for those who want to learn what would be good military strategy and tactics, especially if those support a military with greater autonomy than many countries have now.

The Optimistic Jew.......2007-08-31

B.H. Liddell Hart's favorite military thinker even though he lived 2,000 years earlier. Like Liddell Hart his thought transcends the military sphere and influenced me in my writing of "The Optimistic Jew". Worthwhile reading even today.

Required reading at many military colleges around the world.......2007-08-21

Written in approximately 470 BC, The Art of War is a Taoist treatise on martial and political philosophy ... one of the most famous ever written, and one of the most often quoted. The fact that it is still popular and well quoted, after more than 2,000 years, should say something about its timeless qualities.

It's composed as a list of terse, keen and ingenious observations, sayings, and maxims ... with various translators over the centuries each adding their own interpretations and commentary. There's something on almost every topic ... from siege planning, use of formations & maneuvering, the virtues of adaptability and cunning, speed, the use of positioning & terrain, disinformation and the use of spies, etc.

The author's advice spans both low level tactics ["do not stop an army on its way home" {Brad: because they'll be more likely to fight to the death} ... "a surrounded army must be given a way out" {Brad: channel their retreat into a killing zone of your own creation}] ... and high level strategic thinking ["a superior militarist foils enemy plots without the need to fight; the next best {strategy} is to ruin their alliances; next {best strategy} after that is to attack their armed forces; worst {strategy} is to beseige their cities"]

It's required reading at many military colleges around the world.

Human Nature.......2007-05-24

The reason this book is a timeless classic is because it analyzes all aspects of war from the standpoint of human nature, and makes a solid case that any endeavor that fails to take into account human nature is doomed to failure. Because the subject is warfare, including its causes, and the analysis is solid, one is left with not only the first order result (how to handle a war situation effectively) but also a life changing understanding of the humbling constraints of human existence and the pragmatics of applied psychology. Anyone who is bored by this book (and this particular one is excellent) is not yet ready to learn basic lessons about human existence. Anyone who is capable of humility will be changed by this book. It should be read by everyone, several times throughout life.

History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)

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

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

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ASIN: 2913621066

Product Description

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

Customer Reviews:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It gives a coherent explanation of what we already know.

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

- The predictions it makes are confirmed empirically.

Fomenko goes by the following axioms:

- Chronology is the basis of history;

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Russians:

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

The Westerners:

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

The Chinese:

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

The Arabs:

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

The Divinity:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Historians are kindly invited to report the bugs.

Sun Tzu's Art of War: The Modern Chinese Interpretation

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Everyone should know about Sun Tzu...
Excellent Interpretation

Sun Tzu's Art of War: The Modern Chinese Interpretation
General Tao Hanzhang , and Tao Hanzhang
Manufacturer: Sterling Innovation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1402745524

Book Description

A classic! Find inspiration in some of history’s great military victories as others have for over 2,400 years. Sun Tzu was the most famous military scientist, and one of the ablest commanders, in ancient China. Asian warlords, and modern leaders as dissimilar as Mao Tse-tung and General Eisenhower, have used his principles to change the shape of the world. Interpreted here by General Tao Hanzhang, one of the architects of the Communist Revolution, Tzu’s advice on timing, maneuvering, flexibility, and knowledge of the enemy’s leaders, strengths, and weaknesses is as powerful today as when it was first issued.

Customer Reviews:

Everyone should know about Sun Tzu..........2003-10-30

I take a star off because, frankly, alot of the geography/history is a bit too arcane for the Western reader.

But it's a great book nonetheless.

Excellent Interpretation.......2000-06-13

This book provides a modern and more digestable reading

The Art of War Plus The Ancient Chinese Revealed (Art of War Plus)

Average customer rating:

the art of war
Inferior but useful.
Poor Translation of Sun Tzu's Classic
It doesn't seem that accurate
Competent at best, inaccurate at worse...

The Art of War Plus The Ancient Chinese Revealed (Art of War Plus)
Sun Tzu
Manufacturer: Clearbridge Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1929194196

Book Description

Improving on all other versions of Sun Tzu's The Art of War, this translation is an award-winning, gift-quality hardcover book priced like a paperback. The left-hand pages contain the original Chinese ideograms individually translated while the facing right-hand page contains the English sentence translation.

Customer Reviews:

the art of war.......2007-09-25

very educational book.its very interesting that many of todays generals still use tactics learned from this translation

Inferior but useful........2006-05-16

Gagliardi's book is useful in that it offers the original chinese text with an attempt to define each ideogram of the text. It's also readable. That's all for it's good points.

On the following points, I regard this work as inferior:
1. The language is designed to appeal to a certain readership, the businessman.
2. The author knows neither chinese, nor does he seem to be well-versed in ancient chinese culture and history, and this adversely affects the self-proclaimed "accuracy" of the translation.
3. Ancient commentaries are omitted.
4. He fails to identify the "popular translation" which contains the errors he describes. I'm unable to find those particular errors where he says in any of the other translations I have.

This is the second worst translation I have.

I have 17 editions of the Art of War and 13 different translations, including two in spanish, one in italian, and one in German. For truly scholarly english translations, I would recommend Roger T. Ames, or Ralph D. Sawyer's. They offer historical background on Ancient China and many other details...AND they know chinese.

For a more strategic treatment, I would recommend Samuel Griffith's work which contains a foreward by B.H. Liddel-Hart, and also a comparison to Mao Tse-Tungs work on Strategy.

If you are still antsy to purchase Gagliardi's "work," bear in mind: It's written to sell, not to educate. And from here on out, I find that I can NEVER trust a book review from Midwest Book Review. (Another glowing review can be found on the back of the book itself.)

Poor Translation of Sun Tzu's Classic.......2005-05-30

This is an interpretive book, written and presented by Gary Gagliardi, loosely based on Sun Tzu's classic material.

Mr. Gagliardi attempts to apply the lessons of Sun Tzu's The Art of War to business practice and corporate thought, based on his understanding of the work, as well as his background in sales, marketing and management theory.

The book contains what the author asserts is the most accurate translation of Sun Tzu's work ever attempted. This description of the text is highly debateable, based on the merits of the text itself. Mr. Gagliardi achieved his translation using an internet encarta program, in which you can do a simplified character search in Chinese, and see some of the interpretive meanings of each pictogram. Based on Mr. Gagliardi's word choices, the author appears to have selectively chosen what he believes to be the correct English terms, and these results are often wrong. Since he has no formal training or background in reading / translating Chinese, this comes as no suprise.

This is certainly not a definitive work.

It doesn't seem that accurate.......2005-04-22

I've just bought the book swayed by the award for translation. So what do I think?

Well they don't translate the same character by the same word. For example in the first chapter they translate gai (plan) as 'philosophy', when later on the same page they translate tao as 'philosophy', a translation i would dispute to begin with. Further down the page, I would prefer to translate the line saying that one's followers must not fear danger and dishonesty, as saying they must not fear their leader's betrayal and dishonesty.

In section 5 of chapter 1 the words characters meaning 'temple' are given in the chinese side of the page and not mentioned at all in the translation. In fact the whole of section 5 seems innacurate.

Ok I might well be wrong, I'm no scholar of Chinese, but is the author? Has he convinced people because it reads well (which it does) and because he insists on the accuracy of his version?

On the other hand, it is clear that a translation with chinese text with character translation is better than no chinese text at all. Sun Tzu is notoriously hard to translate, or to read in chinese for that matter.

While I can't recommend the text, and feel a bit 'done in' as it were, still the best thing for someone with no Chinese is to read lots of different English versions, and then look at a chinese version as supplied here and work it out yourself. This is a perfectly adequate version to start with.

Competent at best, inaccurate at worse..........2004-11-28

Whoever this Gary Gagliardi is, his mastery of the Chinese language leaves much to be desired; looking at his credentials, it sounds suspiciously as if he missed out mentioning one thing...hmmm, does he *know* Chinese? For one thing, translating the beautifully laconic ancient Chinese into brash staccato lines of poetry simply does not work; worse is his frequent mistranslations -- the character "ye" is often translated as "also", when it simply means "period" in an age where punctuation wasn't invented yet and ideogram characters are still used for sentence closure. Sun-Tzu here comes across as a livid boy scout master trying to rigorously hammer platitudes into our minds. There is this sneaking feeling that much of these "translations" are done using a computer software. Try Ames for a more accurate version. I'm very hard pushed to recommend this edition.

Soldiers of the Dragon: Chinese Armies 1500 BC-AD 1840 (General Military)

Average customer rating:

Leaves a lot to be desired
ANOTHER GREAT REPRINT FROM OSPREY BOOKS

Soldiers of the Dragon: Chinese Armies 1500 BC-AD 1840 (General Military)
C.J. Peers
Manufacturer: Osprey Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1846030986
Release Date: 2006-06-27

Book Description

The turbulent history of China has seen many dynastic struggles over the centuries, ever since the semi-nomadic tribes of ancient China were unified under the first emperor, Cheng. From the Great Wall to the terracotta army at Xian, monuments to China's many wars, and the men who fought them, litter the landscape. This book tells the incredible story of China's armies form the first documented civilization over 3,000 years ago to the outbreak of the first Opium War with Britain in the middle of the 19th century. Written by an acknowledged expert on Chinese armies, this volume offers details of their colourful uniforms and fascinating weaponry with colour and black and white photographs, artwork, maps and diagrams.

Customer Reviews:

Leaves a lot to be desired.......2007-07-01

I am writing a military novel that is set in the Qing period and bought this book in order to get a clear visual grasp of Qing miltary garb, weapons, and tactics, including the endemic terms used to denominate such things. Much to my disappointment, these expectations turned out to be rather high. There are a few pictures, but no terms given for the objects described therein, and a minimum of historical context. There is a grand total of one sentence describing Qing troop formations. The Qing banner armies were arguably the most colorful, most visually striking armies ever to take to the field, with their tall banners and heavy damask battle gowns, yet the author conveys no description of these things. Rebel Han armies of the period, such as the White Lotus Society, are known to have used astonishing martial arts techniques during this period, yet there is no description of this. There is not even a single mention of the famous Shaolin monks who clashed with the Qing at this time. In the end, I was able to take away only two valuable tidbits that I hadn't already gleaned from other Chinese history books.

The book is really more of a sumary of the main military events of each dynastic period, listing names and dates, and outlining things in a very broad and circumspect way. It may have considerable value as a crib sheet or a quick reference for lay readers who just want to get a general idea of Chinese history, but it does not achieve what it purports to do.

ANOTHER GREAT REPRINT FROM OSPREY BOOKS.......2006-09-02

This recent book from Osprey publishing is another in the series of previously published material from softcover now being re-released in hardcover.

This wonderful hardcover book is comprised of the following previously individual books:

Men At Arms 218: Ancient Chinese Armies 1500-200 BC
Men At Arms 284: Imperial Chinese Armies (1) 200 BC-AD 589
Men At Arms 295: Imperial Chinese Armies (2) 590 - 1260 AD
Men At Arms 251: Medieval Chinese Armies 1260 - 1520 AD
Men At Arms 307: Late Imperial Armies 1520 - 1840 AD

This listing above is the exact table of contents for this magnificient book, all being written by C. J. Peers, an author who "studied Oriental history at Cambridge University and is now an acknowledged expert on ancient Chinese armies". While reading another reviewer's opinion that some of Mr. Peers' books are suitable for the lay reader and not the academic may be true, this particular book is more than adequate for someone such as myself not well versed in Chinese military subjects. And for me that is part of its value, it gives me more than I will ever need to know concering this subject. One book does it!

As with every recent oversized book from Osprey, included as standard are maps, illustrations, pictures, paintings, and a very good chronology; and for a book of only 248 pages, it is a real treat for any reader's eye and mind.

As I've stated before when reviewing both THE NORMANS AND THE VIKINGS from Osprey, someone at that publishing house is very wise; wise in reissuing previously published softcover material into a more durable hardcover edition.

If a reader has any interest in the subjects covered by these reprints, be it B-17s, U-Boats, Normans, Vikings, and now, Chinese armies, no better books at an afforable price exist. Anywhere. At any price!

Recommended.

Semper Fi.

The Chinese Army Today: Tradition and Transformation for the 21st Century (Asian Security Studies S.)

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The Chinese Army Today: Tradition and Transformation for the 21st Century (Asian Security Studies S.)
Dennis J. Blasko
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0415770033

Book Description

The Chinese Army Today is a unique and comprehensive study of all elements of Chinese military modernization, focusing on its ground forces to a degree not found in any other contemporary works.
In 1999, the military modernization program of the Chinese People's Liberation Army that had been underway for 20 years increased in intensity and achieved a focus not seen in the previous two decades. Based primarily on Chinese sources, this book details the changes implemented since 1999 and puts them in the context of the many traditions that still remain.
Written by a retired professional military officer who has served in China, this book presents the reader with the key developments since 1999. Its discussion on training and doctrine provides a level of detail not found in other works, but is essential to understanding the progress made in China's military modernization and the obstacles yet to be overcome. The author uses first-hand observation of the Chinese military and three decades of military experience to weave many disparate threads from official Chinese statements, documents, and media reports into an integrated whole.
This text defines exactly what forces make up the People's Liberation Army and examines in detail ground force organization and structure, personnel policies, doctrine and training, new equipment entering the force, and missions routinely undertaken in support of society.
This is an essential book for all students and scholars of China and Asia, political science and international relations and of contemporary military affairs and strategic studies.

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The Chinese Steam Navy 1862-1945
Richard N. J. Wright
Manufacturer: Chatham Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Battle Line: The United States Navy, 1919-1939

ASIN: 1861761449

The Art of War: (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition) (Penguin Classics Deluxe Editio)

Average customer rating:

A few grains of truth in a lot of chaff
The Art of War
Best if read by Chinese generals

The Art of War: (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition) (Penguin Classics Deluxe Editio)
Sun-tzu
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0140439196
Release Date: 2003-08-26

Book Description

For more than two thousand years, Sun-tzu's The Art of War has provided leaders with essential advice on battlefield tactics and management strategies. An elemental part of Chinese culture, it has also become a touchstone for the Western struggle for survival and success, whether in battle, in business, or in relationships. Now, in this crisp, accessible new translation, eminent scholar John Minford brings this seminal work to life for today's readers. Capturing the literary quality of the work, Minford presents the core text in two formats: first, the unadorned ancient words of wisdom ascribed to Sun-tzu; then, the same text with extensive running commentary from the canon of traditional Chinese commentators. A lively, learned introduction and other valuable apparatus round out this authoritative volume.

Customer Reviews:

A few grains of truth in a lot of chaff.......2005-08-02

If you are going to buy a copy You can not go wrng with "Penguin Clasics".

Today many of Sun Tzu quotas are floating around mixed with Shakespeare and the Bible. And as with many of the quote they are out of context and misleading. The quoter usually thinks repeating the word is some sort of magic.

It is easy with hindsight and a closer look at the future to dismiss Sun Tzu as his practical tactical knowledge is of a time and place long gone. He spends a lot of time on the use of weapons and information gathering techniques of the time. This can be interesting in a historical context; other wise it is quite amusing.

Oh yes those grains of truth I mentioned, well they may sound like clichés but they are still viable. "Know your enemy and know yourself". Others are just practical sense and statistical outcomes that you learn in any military training. I could go through the list, but again that is why you buy the book.

Now just as you decide that the book is outdated for any practical purposes today we have artillery and now stealth and precision, the reminder that "no two wars are alike" and "it is flexibility that makes a difference" is being shown today to still be true. Even in today's wars there is a need for good intelligence and deception. We put a lot of time and energy into Psy-Ops. Sun Tzu shows the advantage in specialized units and crack troops.

I have spent several years in the military and in business and can say this book is a nice addition to history, otherwise of very little value to today's world for war.

As a Project Manager I can tell you that this book has little value to today's business. Projects are about efficiency, cooperation, and ROI not war.

The Art of War.......2005-03-18

There are two ways that you can read this book. The first way is that of a war manual, which Sun Tzu ment for it to be. This kind is esential to any general. In fact, warfare is guided by this book and has been for thousands of years. It talks about planing, attacking, defending, terrain, attacking by fire and spying and much more. You can also read it as a guide to life (though I recomend the Bible for this.) In this type of reading, the passage that stood out to me is, "Ultimate exellence lies not in winning every battle, but in defeating the enemy without ever fighting." This confused me with what President Bush is doing, because he could have setled the problem with Iraq diplomaticly. But instead, he went to war with them for no good reason. I'm sorry but sometimes I get off track, but there is a connection isnt there? There is a commentaried version in the back of the book and a brief history of Sun Tzu and ancient China in the front. It is written in a poetry like form. It is the only translation I"ve read but overall, it is very good.

Best if read by Chinese generals.......2005-02-13

If a classic is a book that everyone wants to have read but no one wants to read, then what do you call a book that everyone wants to quote but no one notices is not really relevant to much of anything? Sorry for the downer of an intro, but after hearing about Sun-tzu's The Art of War for so long, I didn't find the end product to be very enlightening. Sure, it was rather fun to read through, and the commentary told me a bit about ancient history in China, but ultimately it wasn't really a very life-changing read. A lot of it is repetitive. A lot is obvious: "Attack where he is unprepared; Appear where you are unexpected." And a lot is strange, like the six types of terrain: Accessible, Entangling, Deadlock, Enclosed, Precipitous, Distant. Geographers would point out that after reading the explanations, the grouping is very odd indeed. These descriptions do not exactly partition the landscape. And in case there's not enough confusion, the next chapter covers nine types of ground.

I don't mean to be too sarcastic. This should be an interesting book for anyone with an interest in ancient warfare or in Chinese history. As a strategy manual, it condenses a lot of useful hints in one place so the general is less tempted to forget important points. But this has been quoted from at length, and often appears to be some sort of ultimate guide to survival in modern times, in business for example. I think Michael Douglass's character in Wall Street was supposed to read it, though I barely remember that movie so I can't confirm this. The thing is it's really not like that. Much of the writing is irrelevant unless you happen to be in command of an ancient army (it doesn't have to be Chinese, though it would help). I suppose if I was transported back in time and found myself commanding the army of Wu against the army of Yue and could only have two books with me, this would be one (the other being a good Chinese dictionary).

In this version of the text, Sun-tzu's original text is presented first, and then is repeated verbatim with extensive commentary from historical writers, some contemporary with master Sun, and others in much more recent times. Unless you plan to study it carefully first and then read it a second time with notes, this means a hundred pages are extraneous. On the other hand, these commentaries are quite interesting, and can fill in a lot of the historical detail that is missing from master Sun's Spartan text. This, to me anyway, was more interesting material. Those kingdoms of that era were certainly living in interesting times. I don't know how many stories are real and how many are folklore, but they certainly are fun to read about. So buy and read the Art of War, but please do so for the right reason. I think anyone who claims this as his or her guidebook for life is just doing some historical and literary name-dropping. This is a book best appreciated on its own terms.

Late Imperial Chinese Armies 1520-1840 (Men-at-Arms)

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A brief history of Imperial China during the 1520-1840s

Late Imperial Chinese Armies 1520-1840 (Men-at-Arms)
C.J. Peers
Manufacturer: Osprey Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1855326558
Release Date: 1997-10-15

Book Description

By the end of the 18th century – following an era which had seen the world increasingly divided into colonial powers and their victims – the Ch'ing dynasty of the Manchus, who had overthrown the native Ming in the 1640s, ruled over the largest and most populous empire in the world, with territories that had doubled in size in the previous few decades. Chris Peers’ engaging study of the late imperial Chinese armies from 1520 to 1840 is supported by a wealth of illustrations and photographs, including eight attractive full page colour plates by Christa Hook.

Customer Reviews:

A brief history of Imperial China during the 1520-1840s.......1999-03-17

This is a fairly expensive book for 48 pages but it does a credible job of describing the era in Imperial China between 1520 and 1840. There are eight different paintings of various chinese troops in different armor and many black and white pictures throughout the book showing weapons and statues of the period.

Various essays in the book also describe the armies of the time, some of the weapons and the setting to each era. In all it does a credible overview of the era and is a very good primer for readers interested in the era.

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