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.

That Sweet Enemy: The French and the British from the Sun King to the Present

Average customer rating:

Francophobia does not reflect well on the Anglo-Saxon world.
An esepcially enjoyable reading experience - and quite a fresh perspective for Americans
A good book for serious readers
A Fascinating Review of 300 Years
Quite brilliant

That Sweet Enemy: The French and the British from the Sun King to the Present
Robert Tombs , and Isabelle Tombs
Manufacturer: Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Western | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1400040248
Release Date: 2007-01-16

Book Description

A brilliantly original account—narrated from both sides—of the love-hate relationship between Britain and France that began in the time of Louis XIV and shows no sign of abating.

That Sweet Enemy brings both British wit (Robert Tombs is a British historian) and Gallic panache (Isabelle Tombs is a French historian) to bear on three centuries of the history of Britain and France. The authors take us from Waterloo to Chirac’s slandering of British cooking, charting the cross-channel entanglement and its unparalleled breadth of cultural, economic and political influence. They illuminate the complexity of the relationship—rivalry, enmity, misapprehension and loathing mixed with envy, admiration and genuine affection—and the ways in which it has shaped the modern world, from North America to the Middle East to Southeast Asia, and is still shaping Europe today. They make clear that warfare between the two countries often went hand in hand with hardy, if hidden, strains of anglophilia and francophilia; conversely, though France and Britain were allies for much of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, it has been an alliance almost as uneasy, as competitive and as ambivalent as the previous generations of warfare.

Wonderfully written—acute, witty, consistently surprising—That Sweet Enemy is a triumph: an eye-opener for the experts, and a feast for the general reader.

Customer Reviews:

Francophobia does not reflect well on the Anglo-Saxon world........2007-08-26

This book is another "monument" to the francophobia of the Anglo-Saxon world. It is full of clichés and often it distorts the truth. I will take only three examples :

- 1 - The section on Napoleon is ridiculous. To start off by putting on the same level Napoleon, Stalin and Hitler is just not right.

- 2 - The narration of the start of WWI is not right too. I suggest that Barbara Tuckman's book "The Guns of August", Pulitzer price, is the correct history. It shows how poorly the English were prepared for the war, how they kept retreating and that the French were left alone against the full fury of the German attack. Come on, be fair ! The French won the first World War, not the English.

- 3 - Then what happened in the thirties is not reported fairly. Churchill, in "Gathering Storm" writes : "How the English speaking people through their unwisdom, carelessness and good nature (?) allowed the wicked to rearm". Many others make the same point, for instance, Zara Steiner in her book "The Lights that failed". The result of francophobia was Hitler.

This book was a waste of my time. And I would venture that the English and Anglo-Saxon world are now in permanent relative decline. As the subprime mess is showing, finance has its limits. Nial Ferguson in his book "Colossus" writes about the three Anglo-Saxon deficits : attention deficit disorder, people deficit, money deficit. How true!

In 1945, the Anglo-Saxon world was the victor. But since then, it has lost all its advantage and more.
The defining moment was when Jean Monnet understood that France and Germany should be tied together so tightlty that never a European war could again take place. Monnet succeeded. Since then, continental Europe is an island of prosperity and good life : perfect infrastructures, education for everybody, good health system, high productivity and long holydays. The Anglo-Saxon world is the reverse: the rich live very well but the low and middle classes are being squeezed to complete dispair. Continental Europe shows more balance and less greed.
The rest of the world has progressed a lot. China, Brazil, India, Japan, etc... are great success stories. The problem of the Anglo-Saxon world is that it has not yet realized that the rest of the world has improved so much that it is tired of Anglo-Saxon arrogance.

Today, when America does something right, in six months it has been taken up by the rest of the world . When something right is done in Europe and elsewhere, the Anglo-Saxon world will argue for five years before taking it up... The surest path to mediocrity. Just look at what happen to the Anglo-Saxon automobile industry.

Today Europe is prosperous. America and England still have to spend billions - that they don't have - to rebuild their education system, their health system and their infrastructure. France is not agressive toward England, but France is amazed at the fact that England is still Bush and America's poodle... France and continental Europe want peace and democracy but they understand that it is a process to be negotiated and which requires time and respect. Bombs don't solve problems, diplomacy does. Jean Monnet showed the way. Thanks to his honesty, sincerety, openness and patience, peace was achieved. Read his memoirs...

I am a solid anglophile but this book could make of me an anglophobe. But I shall not condescend to such pettiness. Let us stop this cheap in-fighting. Climate change is the biggest threat that the world ever will meet. We need England to convince America to give up on its selfishness and work with the rest of the world on an equal and generous footing.

An esepcially enjoyable reading experience - and quite a fresh perspective for Americans.......2007-05-22

Yes, I read a lot of books. And I review the books I enjoy (there is no point to reading what one dislikes, is there?). Once in awhile I run across a book I find to be very special and am especially enthusiastic about. This is one of those books.

Robert and Isabelle Tombs are scholars on the history of France and Britain and the combine their wonderfully expansive knowledge of those histories to give us a tour of the social, economic, military, political, and cultural histories of these nations from Louis IV through the first few years of the Twenty-First Century. As an American who grew up while America was always a dominant (if not the dominant) world power, it is particularly interesting to see how the world's major powers interacted and contended when America was largely, as yet, unpopulated by the Europeans.

Even our Revolution, so central to every American's understanding of our nation, takes a minor role in a much larger global struggle for supremacy. Both Britain and France tried to cause the other to stretch their ability to hold their growing Empires together. Each had to make choices on what to hold onto and what had only secondary importance, and what to let go. This happened over and over again. Eventually, their mutual struggles became a mutually cooperative relationship to deal with the rising German (and other) threats.

What I like about this telling is that the authors do not feel the need to side with anyone in particular. They provide quite a number of side articles (in the shaded areas) to flesh out specific points. There are also special sections such as the "interlude" (a couple of pages) on the French and Shakespeare. We also get some wonderfully chosen illustrations. However, what I like most are the chapters where the authors draw their separate conclusions and disagreements on various topics. The provide differing perspectives on the same topics that through the subject into better relief than one side alone. These sections provide for a rich perspective and help make the reading experience seomthing I wanted to savor.

The book has a tremendous amount of information about economic expenditures, the great leaders, the common folks, the literary digs at each nation, the technological leaps, the balancing of the benefits of a strong navy with the amazing costs incurred to build and maintain it. The authors are also quite clear about what was fortune (for good or ill) and what happened that actually looks like good judgment and skillful execution.

For Americans, this is can be a very helpful and educational book. It has been for me and I am grateful to the Tombs for writing it.

A good book for serious readers.......2007-04-16

This is a well-written book about the relationship between Britain and France over the past three centuries or so. It reviews the history, the development of their cultures and identities, and the influence that both have exerted on one and another, and in fact on many aspects of modern society allover the world in areas ranging from politics and economics to art, literature, fashion and cuisine. The authors are a couple, a British husband and professor of history at Cambridge University, and a French wife with a Ph.D. in modern British history. The authors' background, in my view, might help ameliorate some potential biases. The authors have attempted to provide several point and counterpoint discussions to illustrate the difference between the British and the French views.

The book however is a lengthy tome of a little more than 700 pages. Many scholars tend to believe that writing about history usually benefits from looking backward at events after the passions of the day have subsided, and more historical records become available for serious study. Perhaps this book could have presented a more balanced and a somewhat shorter review by omitting Part IV,"Revival" dealing with recent history. In particular, chapter 14, "Ever Closer Disunion", including commentary on ongoing events such as the War against Militant Islamic Terrorism, seems to suffer from the lack of a decent historical distance to allow a dispassionate review; and seems to be somewhat influenced by anti-American propaganda.

The authors seem to consider that the American Independence War, as a part of the British-French continued wars in the 18th century. They further argue, "France's victory in 1783, though it created the United States of America, has bankrupted the French Bourbon monarchy and led to the French revolution. Clearly, France's assistance to the American colonies was not only important but also instrumental for the ultimate victory at Yorktown on October 19, 1781. After the French and Indian war 1754-1763,France attempted to foment rebellion against Britain in the American colonies. In 1775, the French minister of foreign affairs, Comte de Vergennes, dispatched a representative to Philadelphia, who secretly met with five of the leaders of the colonies, one of whom was Benjamin Franklin. These attempts however did not stir up the Americans to take the French bait. However after approximately a year of war between the British and the American Continental armies 1775-1776, and the declaration of Independence, the Continental Congress sent Benjamin Franklin in December 1776 to France to seek assistance. The initial French assistance was relatively small, measured in a way so as to avoid war with Britain. It was only after the Americans prevailed at the battle of Saratoga in October 1777, that the French attitude started changing, and finally agreed to sign a treaty with the colonies in 1778. A more serious assistance was attempted by France afterwards. Also it seems that the French Bourbon monarchy bankruptcy is more related to a spree of spending and borrowing from 1783 to 1787 managed by France's controller general, Charles de Calonne. The spending and borrowing bubble ultimately burst in 1787. The bubble burst was further aggravated by the Assembly of Notables refusal in February 1787 to authorize further taxation to increase revenues, and remedy the incipient Bourbon bankruptcy.

This is a well-written book that I believe the serious readers and aficionados of modern western civilization would find both informative and entertaining.

A Fascinating Review of 300 Years.......2007-02-23

This very long (I guess about 750,000 words of text), informative and frequently amusing narrative and analysis of the clashes and misunderstandings between Britain and France (even when they were on the same side) over the past 300+ years is fascinatng and very well done. I thought I knew the history pretty well, at least from the British side, but this opened my eyes many times.

The strict focus on the two protagonists has produced what to me as an American seems to be an oddly distorted (although not inaccurate) picture of the last 70 years or so, because there is relatively little discussion of the participation of the United States in world events.

I have two complaints about the book. One is that the detailed comparison of the economic position of the two countries in recent times virtually overlooks the stultifying effect on France's employment level and economic activity of its restrictive and "protectionist" trade policy.

The second is that the index is truly dreadful, particularly considering the length of this book. I frequently looked, for example, in the index to see if a particular person was mentioned. When I failed to find that person's name in the index I assumed he/she was not mentioned. But it turned out that the index was incomplete.

Quite brilliant.......2006-05-08

This tome of nearly 700 pages of text about the relations between Britain and `that sweet enemy, France' (a phrase from a sonnet by Sir Philip Sidney) is like a huge pudding stuffed with goodies: I have rarely read a history book whose brilliance is sustained over such an immense time-range - from the reign of Louis XIV to that of Jacques Chirac. The authors - the husband an Englishman, his wife born in France - handle the story with skill, and efficiency, and they frequently employ a joyous felicity of phrase to point up differences and similarities between England and France. There are neat descriptions of personalities - the authors are always forthright in their judgments - and spirited accounts of campaigns. Even someone who, like myself, considered himself quite familiar with the political narrative will come across sections which throw a new light upon it. I learnt much, for example, from the Tombs' description of France's involvement in the American War of Independence, and from their interesting reflections on how the loss of the American colonies, even in the short term, turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Britain. And the wider narrative is frequently interrupted by vignettes of little-known episodes, set in a different type, which further illuminate the themes under discussion.

There is a particularly striking chapter about the differences between the British and French navies during the Second Hundred Years' War: here, as throughout the book, the authors fully acknowledge and make excellent use of the secondary literature they have consulted. (Their list of secondary authorities runs to 28 pages.)

After the Napoleonic Wars Britain and France were never again at war with each other, and since the Entente Cordiale of 1904 they have technically been allies. But that does not mean that there have not been tensions and suspicions between the two countries throughout all these years, even during the First and Second World Wars, and of course during the inter-war period also. The authors are interesting on Appeasement. Most historians say that the French could not stop Hitler marching into the Rhineland or the Sudetenland because the British would not have supported them. The authors say that for various reasons the French governments, like the British, would not have wanted to risk a conflict anyway and were glad later to blame their non-intervention on the lack of British support.

After the Second World War Britain and France took such different attitudes towards `ever closer union' in Europe that there really has been very little cordiality between them. The parts of the book dealing with the issue of Europe bring out very well the very different visions of the two countries in an account that shows clearly how British policy handed the leadership of Western Europe to France for more than half a century, but which has broken down in today's enlarged European Union. Besides, the book argues, that leadership was exercised in a way which, after early economic successes, eventually brought stagnation to France.

The political chapters are interspersed with sparkling chapters on culture and society: how each nation saw and often stereotyped the other; how each alternatively (or simultaneously) mocked and copied, despised and envied, hated and admired the other, but could never be indifferent. Travel, manners in general and table manners in particular, sport, fashions in clothes, attitudes to the theatre, the views the two countries had about each other's women, philosophical traditions - these are some of the subjects that are treated with wit and learning.

Not the least among the charms of this book are the debates between husband and wife which end each of the four parts into which the volume is divided. It is perhaps a bit of a knockabout, in which both rally fairly uncompromisingly to the defence of their native countries; but the summing up of the `British' and `French' points of view is very well done and thought-provoking.

This must already be the most authoritative and enjoyable treatment of the period under review; but I hope that the success of this book will encourage the authors to produce a prequel, from the Norman Conquest to the 17th century, or at least from the 16th to the 17th century: the Tudor-Valois period is, in my opinion, the defining period during which the most essential differences between England and France took shape, and I would love to see the authors tackle it with the same verve which has made this book such a remarkable achievement.

Average customer rating:

a disturbing tale
Gatsby, Schmatsby
5 Suns for Sun King
DAVID IGNATIUS HAS MATURED!
Gatsby Redux for the 1990s

The Sun King
David Ignatius
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0679448616
Release Date: 1999-08-24

Book Description

Washington Post columnist David Ignatius is one of the most highly regarded writers in the capital, an influential journalist and acclaimed novelist with a keen eye for the subtleties of power and politics. In The Sun King, Ignatius has written a love story for our time, a spellbinding portrait of the collision of ambition and sexual desire.

Sandy Galvin is a billionaire with a rare talent for taking risks and making people happy. Galvin arrives in a Washington suffering under a cloud of righteous misery and   proceeds to turn the place upside down. He buys the city's most powerful newspaper, The Washington Sun and Tribune, and wields it like a sword, but in his path stands his old Harvard flame, Candace Ridgway, a beautiful and icy journalist known to her colleagues as the Mistress of Fact. Their fateful encounter, tangled in the mysteries of their past, is narrated by David Cantor, an acid-tongued reporter and Jerry Springer devotee who is drawn inexorably into the Sun King's orbit and is transformed by this unpredictable man.

In this wise and poignant novel, love is the final frontier for a generation of baby boomers at midlife--still young enough to reach for their dreams but old enough to glimpse the prospect of loss. The Sun King can light up a room, but can he melt the worldly bonds that constrain the Mistress of Fact? In The Sun King, David Ignatius proves with perceptive wit and haunting power that the phrase "Washington love story" isn't an oxymoron.

Download Description

Sandy Galvin is The Sun King, a multimillionaire tycoon with a talent for living large and making those around him happy. Galvin earned his fortune in the commodities market, but he wants other things now, most notably ownership of Washington's most powerful newspaper and the love of his old Harvard flame, Candace Ridgway, a beautiful and icy journalist known to her colleagues as The Mistress of Fact.

The story of their romance is told by David Cantor, a jaded reporter who is drawn into The Sun King's orbit and deeply affected by this unpredictable man.

In this wise and poignant novel, love is the final frontier for a generation of Baby Boomers at midlife, still young enough to aspire to greatness yet old enough to know that it may not come. For a moment, all too brief, The Sun King shines.

Customer Reviews:

a disturbing tale.......2000-07-29

A tale of a tycoon who comes to town to challenge the powers that be and ends up facing his own challenge with the woman he loves.

Sandy Galvin is the Sun King, a billionaire with a talent for taking risks. Galvin arrives in Washington and proceeds to turn the Capital up side down. He buys the city's most powerful newspaper and wields it like a knife. In his way stands his old Harvard flame, Candice Ridgeway a beautiful and icy journalist known around town as the Mistress of Fact. Their encounter is tangled in the mysteries of their past and narrated by David Cantor, who is an acid-tongued reporter, a big Jerry Springer fan, and is drawn into Galvin's life to be transformed by this unpredictable man. Love is the final frontier for a generation of baby boomers, still young enough to reach for their dreams, but old enough to see the prospect of loss. Galvin can light up a room but can he melt the heart or Candice Ridgeway.

This is a disturbing tale of ambition and sexual desire. I consider it of mature theme.

Gatsby, Schmatsby.......2000-05-30

This is a dorky book but fun. Ignatius is such a wimp, sniveling along, brown-nosing our intelligence with less than an elementary school belief system with his white knight profiling and self-feigned cluelessness. He comes up with some sweet words once in a while which chuckle up just fine. Ignatius is a zen storyteller, performing one of those acts of `chop wood, become enlightened, chop wood. This book reads fun, yes I had to repeat myself. One has a good time enjoying the story and hoping to all ends of realty that Ignatius doesn't believe half the stuff he's writing.

5 Suns for Sun King.......2000-05-05

David Ignatius is a man of wit, sensitivity, and excellent fancy. He did a great job of creating an update of a Great-Gatsby like novel, with some well drawn wit and sarcasm to boot. But the book stands on it's own as a fantastic and sensitive tale of romance and power. What a tremendous love story!

And yes, I did have considerable sympathy for Carl Sandburg Galvin, his Gatsby character. Candace Ridgway is cold ambition in the flesh, a Randian heroine carried to her logical conclusion. A (more) pathetic Hedda Gabbler. Facts are her pistols, and her aim is deadly and true.

This is one to cry over, ladies (and gentlemen.)

DAVID IGNATIUS HAS MATURED!.......2000-02-14

FINISHED THIS BOOK IN ONE DAY. SUCH A CHANGE FROM HIS OTHER NOVELS, WHICH I FOUND TO BE MUNDANE AND IMMATURE. ALSO WATCHED HIS VIDEO ON INTERNET REGARDING THIS NOVEL AND SENT AN E-MAIL TO HIM APPLAUDING THIS BOOK. I AM PLEASED THAT HE HAS MOVED AWAY FROM THE SPY STUFF, EVEN IF IT IS JUST THIS ONE BOOK.

Gatsby Redux for the 1990s.......2000-02-07

Since I've always admired Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby," I found "The Sun King" a startling, inventive recreation of Fitzgerald's romantic tale, updated for the 1990s. At first, I was wary--so many scenes and so much of the language seemed to come right out of "Gatsby"! Then I was intrigued by the changes in circumstances necessary to update the novel from the 1920s to the 1990s. What were the circumstances under which the two lovers met and parted? What kept them apart? How would the vastly different roles of men and women in the 1990s change their romance? What was the source of Sandy Galvin's corruption? All these questions (and many others) found more than satisfactory answers in Ignatius's novel. A new Gatsby? You bet! And it is a fascinating look at life inside the Beltway in the 1990s!

Love and Louis XIV: The Women in the Life of the Sun King

Average customer rating:

Lusty Louis and His Lady Loves
Louis XIV: the man known as the Sun King
Second fiddle to the previous "The Journey, Marie Antoinette."
Interesting History
The Domestic Life of the Sun King

Love and Louis XIV: The Women in the Life of the Sun King
Antonia Fraser
Manufacturer: Nan A. Talese
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Historical | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Women | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0385509847
Release Date: 2006-10-24

Book Description

The self-proclaimed Sun King, Louis XIV ruled over the most glorious and extravagant court in seventeenth-century Europe. Now, Antonia Fraser goes behind the well-known tales of Louis’s accomplishments and follies, exploring in riveting detail his intimate relationships with women.

The king’s mother, Anne of Austria, had been in a childless marriage for twenty-two years before she gave birth to Louis XIV. A devout Catholic, she instilled in her son a strong sense of piety and fought successfully for his right to absolute power. In 1660, Louis married his first cousin, Marie-Thérèse, in a political arrangement. While unfailingly kind to the official "Queen of Versailles," Louis sought others to satisfy his romantic and sexual desires. After a flirtation with his sister-in-law, his first important mistress was Louise de La Vallière, who bore him several children before being replaced by the tempestuous and brilliant Athénaïs, marquise de Montespan. Later, when Athénaïs’s reputation was tarnished, the king continued to support her publicly until Athénaïs left court for a life of repentance. Meanwhile her children’s governess, the intelligent and seemingly puritanical Françoise de Maintenon, had already won the king’s affections; in a relationship in complete contrast to his physical obsession with Athénaïs, Louis XIV lived happily with Madame de Maintenon for the rest of his life, very probably marrying her in secret. When his grandson’s child bride, the enchanting Adelaide of Savoy, came to Versaille she lightened the king’s last years—until tragedy struck.

With consummate skill, Antonia Fraser weaves insights into the nature of women’s religious lives—as well as such practical matters as contraception—into her magnificent, sweeping portrait of the king, his court, and his ladies.

Customer Reviews:

Lusty Louis and His Lady Loves.......2007-10-07

Love and Louis XIV is a superbly researched book about the many loves of Louis XIV, perhaps the most interesting monarch to have ever lived, and certainly to have ever ruled la belle France.

WHO IS THIS BOOK FOR? Readers who would like to learn more about Louis XIV's love life and the psychology behind what made him so randy! This is the perfect book for readers who find themselves asking these questions: Did Louis XIV marry? Did he love his wife? If so, why did he have so many mistresses? Why did he sometimes appear so cold, so cruel to those nearest to him? What happened to the young Louis that made him unable to remain interested/faithful to one woman?

****Note, if you are looking for a comprehensive biography about the Sun King, one that covers his life, not just his love life, I would highly recommend LOUIS XIV by Olivier Bernier (an expert on French culture and history)****

Antonia Fraser is a supremely talented author, deftly weaving pertinent facts, interesting tidbits, and riveting story-telling. Her books are my beach-reads. Forget chick-lit, murder mysteries, or romance novels, there's more romance and intrigue in one of Antonia Fraser's books and what makes it more thrilling to read is that it all really happened!

Louis XIV: the man known as the Sun King.......2007-03-16

Louis XIV, styled the Sun King, was the King of France for 72 years (1643 to 1715). At the time of his birth, his mother (Queen Anne) was almost 37, and was childless after 22 years of marriage (to King Louis XIII).

It is no wonder, then, that Louis was styled 'Dieudonne' or 'Deodatus' ('Godgiven'). It is perhaps also unsurprising that Louis's bond with his mother was so strong.

The reign of Louis XIV has been written about by many: there were many achievements during his long reign (including the construction of Versailles, reforms of taxation and administration, and patronage of the arts).

Antonia Fraser has focussed on his relationships with women. From his strong loving relationship with his mother, his kind but formal relationship with his wife Marie-Therese, his multiple and very different mistresses, as well as with the women of his extended family, we obtain a more complete picture of Louis XIV man and king.

I have read, enjoyed and learned from Antonia Fraser's non fiction since 1974. This book does not disappoint. By illustrating Louis XIV's awareness of the conflict between church doctrine, and adultery, Ms Fraser gives us another dimension of insight into this successful monarch's long reign.

Highly recommended to those interested in the life and times of Louis XIV.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

Second fiddle to the previous "The Journey, Marie Antoinette.".......2007-01-20

It is not that the book is a bit dull. Louis XIV was dull, well dull compared to those who came before and those came after. Beautifully written, excruiciating research, lovely to read. However, while I found the previous book by the author, The Journey: Marie Antoinette, compelling and a struggle to set aside to complete nominal life perserving tasks (eating, drinking)this book presented a society that was living under a cloche or bell jar, stifled and well, dull, even the sex seemed not worthwhile and, yes, pretty dull. Perhaps it was that way. Nonetheless, the author was able to keep the massive cast of characters in a presentation so that the order within a the reader's grasp.

Interesting History.......2007-01-09

Not a bad read, although all of the facts make it seem overly long, and the similarity of some of the names can be confusing - not the author's fault. Antonia Fraser tells a very detailed story about the Sun King, and the ladies he was involved with.

The Domestic Life of the Sun King.......2007-01-03

"Love" as presumed by casual browsers of the title, and "Love" as meant by the author may differ. The book covers his friendships, flirtations, infatuations, in-law relations, marriage and (perhaps) pseudo marriage and his views of the female obligation to sacrifice for international diplomacy. By the standards of his cousin, Charles II of England, Louis XIV was the much more responsible adulterer.

Fraser demonsrates how Louis' early bond with a loving mother- an exception for a time characterized by royal nurseries-was replicated in his intimate relationships with women. There is an interesting symmetry that you come to understand as the story evolves.

The best part is the end when Fraser gives analysis of Louis and his attitude towards women and his basic generousity.

My only criticism is that the genealogical chart is difficult to read. A different lay out would have helped.

This book doesn't try cover the weighty historic issues which are well documented in many other sources. This book brings something new to the table. Like all Fraser books, it is very well researched and readably presented.

Jesus, King Arthur, and the Journey of the Grail: The Secrets of the Sun Kings

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Enjoyable read with fun research

Jesus, King Arthur, and the Journey of the Grail: The Secrets of the Sun Kings
Maurice Cotterell
Manufacturer: Bear & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1591430534
Release Date: 2006-04-29

Book Description

Reveals how the super-science of the sun and the higher orders of spirituality are concealed and contained in the Holy Grail

â€¢ Connects the discovery of 4,000-year-old Celtic mummies in China with the transmission of this ancient knowledge

â€¢ Documents the truth of the Holy Grailâ€™s connection with King Arthur and Joseph of Arimathea

â€¢ Confirms the pedigree of the Grail using secret information from the Mayan Pyramid of Inscriptions in Mexico and the Gateway of the Sun in Peru

Using the same knowledge that enabled him to break the codes of the Mayas, Peruvians, Egyptians, and Chinese, Maurice Cotterell now follows the migration of the Celts 4,000 years ago from Asia, across Europe, to Ireland. His account of this epic journey together with his knowledge of the secret codes of the Celts help him to identify and locate the Holy Grail, the actual cup used by Christ and his disciples at the Last Supper.

The author explains the true story of the Grail: how it contains the secret super-science of the sun and the higher orders of spirituality; how it was carried to England by Joseph of Arimathea; how in A.D. 453 it was found by King Arthur, who engraved it with the same esoteric information found on the Pyramid of Inscriptions in Palenque, Mexico, and the Gateway of the Sun at Tiahuanaco in ancient Peru. His discoveries reveal that the Grail does actually radiate light, in accordance with the Arthurian legends, proving that the so-called legends are actually based on fact. The author goes on to show how the holy cup was passed for safekeeping to the monks of Lindisfarne, who copied the secrets of the Grail into the Lindisfarne Gospels and the Book of Kells. Fleeing from Viking raids, the monks carried their treasures to Ireland, explaining how the cup found its way to the Dublin Museum--where it rests today.

Customer Reviews:

Enjoyable read with fun research.......2006-08-29

This book was an enjoyable read. Like many coast to coast authors his research is great and very interesting, but ... The conclusions he comes up with I do not share with him. He relies too much on a set of numbers and that could be found on any evidence if looked hard enough for. Overall a fun and interesting book, but still doesnt prove his claims to my satisfaction. File this book under specualtion.

Average customer rating:

My Favorite Book, Perfection!
A truly enjoyable book--
Elegantly Entertaining
Witty and personable, good introduction to the subject.
The Sun King

The Sun King
Nancy Mitford
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0140239677

Customer Reviews:

My Favorite Book, Perfection!.......2006-10-27

This book is an absolutely amazing piece of work. I was introduced to it while looking for audiobooks on ITunes. The audiobook was so enjoyable that I felt compelled to purchase the actual book to read along with it.

Mitford makes each of the historical figures come alive, and makes an opulent and enclosed society accessible to readers of any age. The work is gossipy enough to be interesting, but not to such a degree as to detract from the historical accuracy. I would recommend "The Sun King" to anyone who wishes to learn more about the age of France's greatest king and the people that surrounded him.

The only drawback is that for one to fully appreciate the book, they should have a very basic knowledge of French and European history (at least as far as names and dates are concerned). Having long been interested in history, I did not find this a problem, but I can see how one who was not familiar may find themselves in unfamiliar territory. Otherwise, this book is about as close to perfection as I've seen.

A truly enjoyable book--.......2006-07-20

Ok, I will freely admit that this may not be considered by some to be a scholarly historical assessment. I have been interested in the reign of Louis XIV since childhood when my mother purchased for me a coffee table book of photographs of Versailles. I wondered what could possibly have taken place at such a monstrous and wonderful palace. Since then I have read at least a dozen books on the period which tend to focus on the development and impact of absolutism in 17th century Europe. But this little book is a gem because of its author. Nancy Mitford was the daughter of an English Baron and spent her life as both an academic and a socialite. Her telling of the lives that swirled around Versailles palace is authenticated by the impression one gets that she would have been completely at ease in that setting. This book was written in 1966, just 7 years before her death. Her style sounds more like gossip than history, but is generally regarded as very well-researched. I warn you that if you read this book or one of her other historical biographies, you are in danger of becoming hooked on Mitford and will probably seek out some of her other well-loved books. This was a very enjoyable book and I find myself going back to certain chapters from time to time. One of the most memorable portions is the end where she describes a ghoulish sacrilege; the looting and desecration of the tombs during the revolution. As any good book will, it fascinated me and left me wanting to know more.

Elegantly Entertaining.......2004-10-25

Nancy Mitford is best known as an author of witty, elegant novels like The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate. In the 1950s and 1960s she also produced a number of historical works, of which The Sun King is one of the best.

The Sun King is a personal biography of Louis XIV. It does not deal in great detail with the political, military, or economic issues of Louis XIV's reign but primarily focuses on his personal life and that of his family. Louis married his double first cousin Marie Therese of Spain (she being his genetic sister for all intents and purposes, the reader is amazed that his family turned out as strong and healthy as they did). He also had three major mistresses and a string of casual acquaintanceships which produced a number of illegitimate children. His numerous relations also produced a quantity of children and had many extramarital relationships.

A major part of the book deals with the construction of Versailles. Indeed the book seems almost to be a biography of the chateau. The profuse illustrations, including many photographs of the chateau and its grounds, add immeasurably to the pleasure of reading this work.

But the most compelling reason for reading The Sun King is to enjoy Mitford's elegant, witty, prose style, which is as much in evidence here as in her novels.

Witty and personable, good introduction to the subject........2002-06-04

Here's "Lifestyles of the Obscenely Wealthy and Powerful"! I admit I'd never read much about this period of history (I'm fond of joking that my in-depth knowledge of politics and history more or less ends with Elizabeth I's death), but the bit I read at the bookstore made this book irresistible. I passed up an Alison Weir for this, but I don't regret the choice at all. It is both charming and knowledgable, with a witty, personable, almost gossipy tone.

There's a lot of information here, packaged with lots of pictures and glossy pages. It is a lovely book to look at purely on an aesthetic level. But do take the time to actually read it! Though sparse in areas, it is a rich look at the life of Louis, and at the lifestyle of a courtier of his day. The creation of Versailles is gone into in much detail, as are sexual politics and wartime attitudes. Mostly this focuses on Louis' personal life and that of his court and how Versailles came about, so there isn't much here about actual wars or about international politics. But what there is is just stupendous. I'd call this a must-have for a beginner in French history. I'm very glad I got it.

The Sun King.......2001-08-20

Nancy Mitford came to me by way of this book and, ignorant of the incredible talents that lie with her, her sisters and the aristocratic family into which she was born. Since then, I have devoured Nancy's fiction, her personal history and I have much more to learn. However, it is her talents as a biographer and historian, perhaps best exemplified with this book, that I believe she achieves the realization of her greatest gift; that is to send life into the dead hand of history. In "The Sun King" history comes alive as I have truly never experienced. Here is a book that takes heretofore one dimensional characters and fills their frames with humanity, giving them dimemsionality, life. She uncovers the perspective that sheds light on each characters good and bad side, turning Louis XIV, Monsieur, The King's wives, his children, in fact the whole of the court at Versailles into a vision in one's head that makes it easy to understand why the Ancien Regime in France can still provide relevance to a contemporary world that approximates it so little. Relevance and topic interest, to be sure, is the most amazing feat for a historian to achieve. Nancy Mitford with "The Sun King" stands among rarified company in such an achievement.

The Sun King's Garden: Louis XIV, Andre le Notre and the Creation of the Gardens of Versailles

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LOUIS' EDEN

The Sun King's Garden: Louis XIV, Andre le Notre and the Creation of the Gardens of Versailles
Ian Thompson
Manufacturer: Bloomsbury USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1582346313
Release Date: 2006-10-31

Book Description

Warmonger, womanizer, and autocrat, Louis XIV may also have been history’s most fanatical gardener. At Versailles, twelve miles outside Paris, France’s self-styled “Sun King” created not only Europe’s most lavish palace, but, beginning in 1661, the most extensive gardens the Western world has ever seen. Assisting Louis in this enterprise was the low-born gardener André Le Nôtre, whose character and temperament were as different from those of his sovereign as it is possible to conceive. Where Louis was ruthless and relentlessly driven, Le Nôtre was down to earth, witty and amiable – and also phenomenally talented. While Louis could strike fear into the highest in the land with just a look, Le Nôtre enjoyed the king’s trust and friendship for more than 40 years. In this lavishly illustrated book, Ian Thompson tells more comprehensively than ever before the intertwined stories of an extraordinary garden and an extraordinary friendship.

Customer Reviews:

LOUIS' EDEN.......2006-11-08

Louis XIV was fortunite in his association with the great Le Notre or I should say he was lucky to have the power of the devine right monarch, so he could steal him from Fouquet and Vieux le Vicomte to work on his Vallala, Versailles. Louis was king incarnate, he was the state, period, the epitome, the very definition of the devine, absolute monarch, and he knew exactly what he wanted and with the genius of Le Notre he created a garden that was and to this day still is the envey of the world. This book does a fine job of capturing Le Notre's gardens at Versailles at their best. The text is enlightening and the images are well conceived. If you have any interest in Versailles or French Formal Gradens, the I highly recommend this book.

Average customer rating:

Journeyman work by the master
Sun Dog
Mr. King "blurs the line" and suspends disbelief so smoothly
Brilliant Work by a Genius
A wonderful, Thoughtful piece of Fiction

The Sun Dog: Four Past Midnight
Stephen King , and Tim Sample
Manufacturer: Highbridge Audio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

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ASIN: 0453007570

Book Description

In The Sun Dog, the concluding novella in Stephen King's best-selling Four Past Midnight, the source of terror is a simple Polaroid camera owned by a 15-year-old boy in the small town of Castle Rock, Maine. No matter where Kevin Delevan aims the camera, it produces a photograph of an enormous, ugly, vicious looking dog. In each successive picture, the menacing creature draws nearer to the flat surface of the Polaroid film as if it intends to break through. When old Pop Merrill, the town's sharpest trader, gets wind of this phenomenon, he envisions a way to profit from it--but the Sun Dog, a beast that shouldn't exist at all, turns out to be a very dangerous investment.

Customer Reviews:

Journeyman work by the master.......2003-06-19

This review refers mostly to the unabridged cassette version.

Typical Stephen King story. Starts out great and is fun getting there but far to often the ending (just like this story) is unsatisfying. The story involves a young teen who get a polaroid camera that does far more than take regular snap shots. Not really unique story telling but there are a number of interesting characters in the story. In particular Pop Merrill. A character so intricately drawn, that it is hard to tell if he is a good guy or a bad guy.

Overall I liked this story but I don't feel Mr. King put his all in this story. First off there is darn near a metaphor on every single page. I can't begin to count the number of times a sentence went something like " . . . it was like . . ." Another problem with the story is that it contained a number of flash forwards that went nowhere. One character has a flash forward but dies before the previously mentioned flash forward can come to pass. And the ending . . . Well, I won't ruin anything, but if you are familiar with these type of stories, you will not be surprised.

A hesitant recommendation, perhaps a library book more than a book store purchase. The audio cassette version read by Tim Sample is superbly done. He is able to carry off all the voices and his Pop Merrill is so nicely done, at times it seems it was a different reader.

Sun Dog.......2002-04-04

I absolutely loved this book! The Sun Dog had me on the edge of my seat, biting my fingernails and scared to pick up an instamatic camera ever again! It was one of King's best. At the end of the book, however, there's a mention of a sequel - and I've been waiting for that for some time - I hope it happens....

Mr. King "blurs the line" and suspends disbelief so smoothly.......1999-10-23

"Chilling" is the best description for this trip into the imagination of Stephen King and his characters. You hate 'em, you love 'em and you feel the beads of sweat on their foreheads.... This was a grimy read, and I was amazed at my discomfort and growing anxiety as the plot developed and then exploded... What a trip!!! Highly recommend it.

Brilliant Work by a Genius.......1999-09-24

Absoulutly brilliant and touching. I love Stephen King

A wonderful, Thoughtful piece of Fiction.......1999-09-24

The Sun Dog was frightening as much as it was touching. Stephen King is America's greatest living writer. I loved it.

The Sun Kings: The Unexpected Tragedy of Richard Carrington and the Tale of How Modern Astronomy Began

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A Superb History of Observational Solar Astrophysics
A Great Historical Education
Brilliant Book
Best Solar Book ever

The Sun Kings: The Unexpected Tragedy of Richard Carrington and the Tale of How Modern Astronomy Began
Stuart Clark
Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0691126607

Book Description

In September of 1859, the entire Earth was engulfed in a gigantic cloud of seething gas, and a blood-red aurora erupted across the planet from the poles to the tropics. Around the world, telegraph systems crashed, machines burst into flames, and electric shocks rendered operators unconscious. Compasses and other sensitive instruments reeled as if struck by a massive magnetic fist. For the first time, people began to suspect that the Earth was not isolated from the rest of the universe. However, nobody knew what could have released such strange forces upon the Earth--nobody, that is, except the amateur English astronomer Richard Carrington.

In this riveting account, Stuart Clark tells for the first time the full story behind Carrington's observations of a mysterious explosion on the surface of the Sun and how his brilliant insight--that the Sun's magnetism directly influences the Earth--helped to usher in the modern era of astronomy. Clark vividly brings to life the scientists who roundly rejected the significance of Carrington's discovery of solar flares, as well as those who took up his struggle to prove the notion that the Earth could be touched by influences from space. Clark also reveals new details about the sordid scandal that destroyed Carrington's reputation and led him from the highest echelons of science to the very lowest reaches of love, villainy, and revenge.

The Sun Kings transports us back to Victorian England, into the very heart of the great nineteenth-century scientific controversy about the Sun's hidden influence over our planet.

Customer Reviews:

A Superb History of Observational Solar Astrophysics.......2007-08-03

Although this excellent book's subtitle mentions "modern astronomy", the book is really about the sun and how certain key individuals, the "sun kings", have made important discoveries towards our better understanding of some aspects of our nearest star and how the earth can be directly affected. In particular, the role that sunspots and solar flares play in producing auroras and magnetic storms on earth is historically explored. The author weaves his remarkable tale from the mid-nineteenth to the early twenty first century. Everything is brought together in the last couple of chapters in which our current understanding of solar astrophysics is presented. Also discussed is modern research on the observed relationship between the number of sunspots and the earth's climate - another possible contributing factor to climate change. The writing style is clear, very engaging and quite friendly; this book is very difficult to put down, in part because the author skillfully includes details of individuals' personal lives intermingled with the science that they were pursuing. The book can be enjoyed by everyone since the author was very careful in avoiding scientific jargon and in meticulously explaining scientific matters. I definitely look forward to reading more of this author's books.

A Great Historical Education.......2007-08-01

This book is real history. It is well written, covers the important points of the history being written about, and is very informative. Clark has written a history of the discovery of the nature of the sun, and of how its magnetic field effects the earth. Clark does a very thorough job describing the lead researchers and how they operated. The basic science is discussed very clearly. I learned a lot.

This book is highly recommended for anyone even remotely interested in history.

Brilliant Book.......2007-05-17

I read this book after hearing Seth Shostak's great interview with Stuart Clark on the SETI podcast. It is a fabulous tale of astronomy in Victorian times, complete with tragic motifs and quirky insights into what amateur astronomers and gentleman scientists thought about the Sun in those times. Great book.

Best Solar Book ever.......2007-05-12

I have been an amatuer Solar observer for twenty years and own an extensive library of volumes dedicated to Solar Physics and the history of Solar observation."The Sun Kings:The Unexpected Tragedy of Richard Carrington and the Tale of How modern Astronomy began" by Stuart Clark is one of the best that I have ever read.I was amazed that on allmost every page was a jewel of history that that I was previously unaware of.Mr Clark's writing was easy to follow and a joy to read.I highly recomend this book to anyone interested in the history of Solar observation.

The Uncrowned King (The Sun Sword, Book 2)

Average customer rating:

Good on it's own, bad as "Volume 2"
Good story, But the writing...
Let's shed the spotlight on the Empire for a bit...
Does anybody ever die???
Developing the series beautifully.

The Uncrowned King (The Sun Sword, Book 2)
Michelle West
Manufacturer: DAW
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0886778018

Customer Reviews:

Good on it's own, bad as "Volume 2".......2007-06-14

I loved the first book in this series, and got this book to read more about the main character, Diora, and her mysterious, wonderful, terrifying world.
Instead I got your basic sword-and-sorcery in a totally different world. Yeah, it's the same planet but the difference is as extreme as Afghanistan and Los Angeles.
If you read this book without expectations of the first, it's not a bad book at all. The character of Jewel is fun. Valedan is not explored as deeply or as well as he should be, and I wish there had been more and simpler background on the Kings.
A great deal is left to supposition and imagination. It reads like volume 2, but not of this series. Events and backgrounds are hinted at and it really seems like there MUST have been a book or a chapter missing. That's pretty annoying.

Good story, But the writing..........2004-12-06

I consider myself a person who is usually up to the challenge of a difficult read. But difficult just for the sake of being difficult...
Maybe it's the authors writing style, but this book is bogged down with details and an extremely slow narrative. All the action is killed my the passive voice. What makes me not like this series so far (I've read up to book 2) is the way the author takes very simple things and somehoe finds a way to present them in a twisted convuluted fashion. I mean, I understand if a situation is complex...it should be written so. But two characters having a mundane conversation should not sound like a passage from the bible.
Exmple:
"She opened the door, feinting as she stepped out"
Turns into

"She heard him say something, brushed his words away with the heavy wave of a hand, took a step toward the doors and teetered there, on the edge of night.
And fell in"
- Michelle West, The Uncrowned King

You don't really figure out that the character feinted until a few paragraphs later in the story. I'm not saying the author should have wrote in the way I wrote it above, but you get the idea. Almost everything is written like this, especially in Book 2! It is so annoying!
I personally do not want to read poetry when I am supposed to be reading prose.

*note, Book 2 is a little more interesting and I really want to find out what happens in the story, becuase it is a good plot, but the writing is killing me.

Let's shed the spotlight on the Empire for a bit..........2004-08-25

Mmmm... Valedan. At least, those were my thoughts when I first began reading this novel. I read the first 90 pages the same night after I finished "The Uncrowned King", so the characters were heavy in my mind. I was by now accustomed to the ways of the South and the new cast, and being a long-term Devon ATerafin fanatic from the Sacred Hunt series *and* a Valedan fan, I found this book quite enjoyable. As always, West had to put a spin on things. New trials, new triumphs. The focus on this book is Valedan proving himself capable of taking the position of Tyr'agar by competing in the most difficult and challenging games in the Northern Empire. As always, I enjoyed West's new characters. They added a new shade, a new perspective onto the story, as to dive deeper into the history and tragedies of the Dominion as well as the triumphs and tragedies of the North. Mysterious characters, such as Kiriel, go into further development and change as well as the story progresses.

Now, a warning to all readers- the characters from the Southern Dominion are, for the most part, forgotten throughout this story, as it occurs within the confines of the Northen Empire. But fear not, they will get their turn in the spotlight as well.

As typical with Michelle West, you have to wait until the last few hundred page sof the novel for the most delicious moments, but it's well worth the read, especially if you're a Valedan or Jewel fan!

Does anybody ever die???.......2004-06-22

.... this book seemed to repeat the first 25 pages over and over and over again. Someone tries to kill someone. Some magical hero stops them. over and over. Bad guys always lose, good guys always win. Assassination attempt after assasination attempt is NARROWLY avoided, due to the last-minute revelation of one of the characters. I becomes quite annoying. How can the book contain any drama if you know the bad guys are always weaker than the "good guys?" I skimmed through half of the book.

In any case, I have already purchased the entire series, on the merits of the first book ... so hopefully it will get better. Although,r eally, I doubt it. This author seems to have a tendency to repeat herself, and to make the good guys invincible.

Developing the series beautifully........2004-02-23

First and foremost, if you haven't read the first book in this series, go read it before you touch this. Though the author tries valiantly to make it friendly to someone coming into the series with this book, it's almost impossible to fully understand this one without having read its prequel.

I must say that I was a little disappointed with the scope of this installment; where the first one shifted between the two countries, this focuses almost entirely on the northern Empire, specifically Averalaan.

The action in this book moves significantly faster than that of the first, and not at the cost of character development, either. Many characters who were mentioned in the first book come back in force and help flesh out the story wonderfully.

My only real gripe is that I wish the author had included a pronounciation guide with her little glossary as Janny Wurts has done. Many of the names seem Spanish in origin, but there are a few which simply stump me.

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