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.

The Book of Irish Families, Great & Small (Third Edition, Expanded)

Average customer rating:

Total Waste Of Money
Irish Family names
Disappointed
Be sure you get the third edition
A solid and accessibly presented genealogical reference

The Book of Irish Families, Great & Small (Third Edition, Expanded)
Michael C. O'Laughlin
Manufacturer: Irish Genealogical Foundation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0940134098

Book Description

The Worlds Largest Collection in Print
New third edition now includes 28 volume index to the Irish Families series
The Best and Final Edition.

Over 45,000 entries total:

700 illustrated coats of arms
Origins & Locations
Includes families settled from Scotland, England, etc...
Ancient Maps and illustrations
All 32 counties of Ireland and Northern Ireland (Ulster).
396 full size pages.

There is no other like this one ! A magnificent world class illustration of Irish Family History, this book is the culmination of 4 decades of research by the I.G.F.. Hundreds of families from each county are given in Part One with family history. Over 45,000 family names are given in specific counties or Poor Law Unions.
This is the new third edition (2003), which includes select family histories. For the first time ever, the index for the first 28 volumes in the Irish Families set is also included. The famous and large families like Murphy, Kelly, Sullivan, O'Brien, Ryan, Kennedy, Walsh, Daugherty and Donahue are of course in this book, as are thousands more, including rarely found families that settled in Ireland from England, Scotland, Wales, and the continent. Among the hundreds of settler names are those of Betagh; Coppinger; Trench; Coplan; Hall; Green; Hunter; McKenzie; Baker; Howell; Bellew and many more.

Families from England
Many English families have settled in Ireland from the 12th century onwards. Often, the native Irish were forced to "translate" their names into English sounding ones. The 50 most numerous names from England in 1853 are given, along with hundreds of family history extracts on specific families like Smith; Jones; Williams and Taylor.

Families from Scotland
Due to the proximity of the north of Ireland and the south of Scotland, migration between the two countries has been constant. A great settlement of Scottish families took place in the 17th century during the plantation of Ulster by the British Crown. Later, some of these 'planter' families came to America, becoming known as the Scotch Irish or Scots Irish. The 50 most numerous names of Scotland are given, along with hundreds of family histories, including families like McDonald; Brown; Thomson and Robertson.

Families from the German Palatinate

Families came to Ireland in the 18th century from the Palatinate of the Rhine. In 1709 some 7,000 arrived in England and many settled in Co. Limerick, Ireland and America. Some of these are families like Bowen, Baker; Delmege and Pyper.

Danish or Viking Families

The Danes (Lochlainders, Ostmen or Vikings), had colonies in Ireland for centuries. Centered in Dublin and Meath (in Fingall), and in Wexford, Waterford, Cork and Limerick, settling primarily in the coastal counties of Ireland from the 8th century on. These Viking families include: Betagh; Coppinger; Palmer; Plunket and Skiddy, among many others given in this work.

Jewish Families in Ireland

Many Russian and Polish Jews settled on the south side of Dublin city from the late 1800's. These included the families of Coplan, Fridberg, Greenberg, Weiner, Maisell and many others given in this work.

Welsh Families in Ireland

Families by the name of "Walsh" (in Irish, Brannagh or Breathnach), meaning a Briton or Welshman, are found early in Cork, Dublin, Kerry, Killarney, Tipperary, Wexford, Waterford and Galway. Some of these families were: Howell, Lawless, Lillis, Lynagh and Rossiter. Many are included in this work

Anglo Norman Families in Ireland

The Anglo Norman invasions of the 12th century brought many new families to Ireland. Some took on Irish names. Anglo Norman families in Ireland include: Barry; Bellew; Bermingham; Burke; Carew and Clare, among hundreds of others given in this book along with family history notes.

Huguenot Families in Ireland

French and Fleming Huguenot families settled in the 17th century in Dublin, Kilkenny, Waterford, Cork, and Lisburn, etc... They were noted for making linen, cloth and lace. Some of these families were those of Barre; Perrin; Hazard; Hassard; Lefanu; Trench and many others as given in this work.

'Irish Families' Contains many family names left out of other popular works, including those of Edward MacLysaght, Patrick Woulfe and John O'Hart. The best single book for finding any Irish family surname, there are more names, arms, and locations here than in any other book . Truly a 'must have' resource for finding numerous and scarce names in Ireland.Format of this Book

Entries on family names are arranged in the following order:

(1) When available, the coat of arms linked to the name appears above the name which is in bold type. All arms shown in this volume were actually used by families in Ireland, acknowledged by recognized authorities.

(2) Beneath the name is the source from which the arms are taken.

(3) Occasionally we list a Gaelic or more ancient form of the name on the next line in regular type. (note we have not punctuated these). We suggest those interested in the gaelic consult Irish Names and Surnames by the Rev. P. Woulfe. The IGF edition of that work contains a new surname index, which proves most helpful to researchers.

(4) The next line, in italics, gives variant spellings of the name as available.

(5) The history associated with the name

The amount of information found will vary with each name. Please consult all possible spellings of the name. More information may appear in other volumes to this Irish Families set. Names not covered here will appear in other volumes of our Irish Families, great & small series. The surname index to this first volume , (and to volumes 2 through 28), is found in part III of this book. The researcher should consult that index as well as the location index found in part II of this book.

The location index (see part II) represents extracts taken from larger, more detailed listings found in the Master Book of Irish Surnames. Space limitations do not allow reprinting all the index listings found in that book. In fact, there are over 50,000 listings from that book which we did not have room for at all! We have included as many surnames as possible to give hope to Irish family researchers. These listings may prove particularly helpful for those with less common names. The student of Irish family names would do well to consult that work independently.

Maps and Illustrations

Province Map

showing Munster; Leinster; Connacht; Meath;

Oriel; Aileach; and Ulster.

Key to Terms

Including useful terms and abbreviations used.

Ancient Map

Showing territorial divisions upon the coming of the Vikings to Ireland. Includes Tirconnell; Tirowen; Uladh; Uriel; Brefney; Hy Fiachrach; Hy Many; West Meath; East Meath; Offelan; Fine Gall; Offaly; Omurethy; Leix; Ormond; Thomond; Desmond; Decies; and Hy Kinshelagh.

13th Century Norman Map

Showing unconquered areas, and areas of Norman Rule & influence.

Administrative Divisions

Listing the major territorial divisions of Ireland, including: The Province; The County; The Barony; The Parish; The Townland; and Poor Law Unions.

Ireland, showing railways map

Showing railway routes in Ireland on the map.

Source List

List of helpful resources.

Key to Poor Law Unions and registrars dist.

A Listing of the Unions along with registrars districts that they contained.

Family Research sources and tips

Tips for the family researcher.

Barony Map

Showing 325 baronies of Ireland on the map by county. The barony was used an a unit in 19th century land valuations.

Ireland Map

Written Chart naming Families settling in Ireland

Showing families from other nations known to have settled in Ireland.

Ireland upon coming of the Vikings.

Showing the divisions of Thomond; Desmond; Decies; Ossory; Hy Kinshelagh; Ormond; Hy Many; Offaly; Leix; Omurethy; Offelan; Fine Gall; Brefney; Hy Fiachrach; Tirconnell; Tirowen; Uladh; and Uriel.

A One of A Kind Resource

This is the number one collection of Irish Families ever to appear in print. This Master volume alone, exceeds any other single book in the field. It is a one of a kind beauty - never equalled. There are more Irish Family names, spellings, locations, arms and sources here than in any other single book ever published.

The Final Word This book contains information on families in all 32 counties of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Later volumes in this series focus on individual counties, and contain additional information, not found in this volume.

New Third Edition. Available only with Thread sewn soft binding. 396 pages. maps, resource list for family research. Family Histories. Additionally includes Master Index to the Irish Families series. Full 8 1/2 x 11 in size.

Customer Reviews:

Total Waste Of Money.......2007-09-08

This book is a huge disappointment. All it lists is surnames and if any a short sentence about the name. For instance Moylan: an old irish family.

Totally a huge waste of money.

Irish Family names.......2007-08-01

A great book giving information on Irish Family names and regions they are found in. A very useful book for those doing Irish family research.

Disappointed.......2007-01-14

This book covers a huge range of Irish names, however only provides minimal information on each and coat of arms for the select few. It provided the same information that is easily found on the web.

Be sure you get the third edition.......2005-04-29

The third edition of this work is definitely the best. It contains the index to the entire 28 volumes in the series, which covers every county in Ireland. The second edition was published earlier, and does not contain the complete index to the series. The third edition has all the family history information from the second edition, PLUS the complete series info. This book contains the largest collection of Irish Family Names, locations and arms ever put to print.

A solid and accessibly presented genealogical reference.......2003-02-14

Now in an expanded and updated third edition, The Book Of Irish Families Great & Small by genealogy expert Michael C. O'Laughlin (Editor of the monthly "Journal of Irish Families) is a solid and accessibly presented genealogical reference based upon ancient and modern manuscripts. Offering 20,000 Irish family names, 700 illustrated coats of arms, ancient maps and illustrations, step-by-step guides for tracing Irish family roots, and so much more, The Book Of Irish Families Great & Small is a first-rate and enthusiastically recommended reference for any dedicated genealogist or aspiring family historian seeking to track down their Irish roots.

Average customer rating:

Coffee Table Book
A must for the Celtophile.
Useful compendium
The Celts is the definitive book on the history of all Celts

The Celts
Otto Hermann Frey
Manufacturer: Rizzoli International Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0847814076
Release Date: 1993-06-15

Book Description

Before its decline in the first century B.C., the Celtic world stretched from the British Isles to the Carpathian Mountains and Asia Minor, and the Celts possessed their own vital and highly original civilization, revealed in the rich profusion of ornamental motifs that decorate Celtic weapons and artefacts. Their traditions live on in customs, names, and crafts, and they contributed greatly to the formation of Europe.

Archaeological excavations have recovered some of the beautiful treasures of the Celts, as well as much evidence of their social and economic life. This revised paperback edition of the landmark volume that accompanied an exhibition at the Palazzo Grassi takes the reader on a voyage through many eras, places, and themes to rediscover the story of a people still in some ways shrouded in mystery. It reveals the aggressive voyages of the Celts to the shores of foreign civilizations, and evidence of their great sophistication-- the Gallic calendar, their advanced agricultural techniques, their craftsmanship and metalwork. Written by scholars in the field, this is the ideal handbook on the Celtic culture.

Customer Reviews:

Coffee Table Book.......2007-02-18

A plethora of information adorned with absolutely gorgeous pictures. The only real downside is the massive size of this tome--it's a bit ungainly to sit & read unless you have a lot of table space. Otherwise, a solid piece of work.

A must for the Celtophile........2005-04-07

Although I would not recommend this book for the beginner it is an excellent and comprehensive work. As it is a compilation of articles by many authors I found some of the chapters uneven in their quality but this is a slight quibble.
The book is lavishly illustrated with quality illustrations and photographs. A good read as well as a good reference book.
Recommended.

Useful compendium.......2001-05-24

This is a very nicely illustrated book, useful for quick reference and short introductory chapters on a wide variety of topics. The book was written to accompany the 'I Celti' exhibit held in Italy in 1990, and presents the work of many European scholars (all in English).

However, this is not really an introductory text. It would be a wonderful companion to a number of syntheses (The Ancient Celts, The European Iron Age, Exploring the World of the Celts, etc.) but the quality and depth of each entry is variable. It is not a book that is conducive to sitting down and reading all the way through, but can be dipped into whenever the need arises.

Still, this one may be worth purchasing for the illustrations alone, as there are many colour pictures throughout.

The Celts is the definitive book on the history of all Celts.......1998-03-24

This is by far the most thorough book on the Celtic people who once inhabited all of Europe. The authors cover their history, art, archaeological digs, clothing, food, migration paths, jewelry, and everything else having to do with the Celtic people. When they discuss the early Celtic religions, they are honest enough to say that very little is actually known. The Celts is a treasure trove of fascinating information. I would highly recommend this book. It is worth every penny!

History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)

Average customer rating:

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

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

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ASIN: 2913621066

Product Description

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

Customer Reviews:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It gives a coherent explanation of what we already know.

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

- The predictions it makes are confirmed empirically.

Fomenko goes by the following axioms:

- Chronology is the basis of history;

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Russians:

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

The Westerners:

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

The Chinese:

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

The Arabs:

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

The Divinity:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Historians are kindly invited to report the bugs.

Lords of Battle: The World of the Celtic Warrior (World of the Warrior)

Average customer rating:

A really, really good read
Unique and worthy of acquisition.

Lords of Battle: The World of the Celtic Warrior (World of the Warrior)
Stephen Allen
Manufacturer: Osprey Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1841769487
Release Date: 2007-03-27

Book Description

To the classical civilizations of Greece and Rome, the Celtic warrior of the late Iron Age was the archetypal barbarian: savage, undisciplined, and bloodthirsty. In a clash of cultures that lasted almost 500 years, the rich and vibrant society in which he lived, fought, and died was virtually destroyed, becoming the stuff of myth and legend.

Covering the period from the first mention of the Celts by ancient Greek writers to the Roman conquest of Britain, this book examines the Celtic warrior, his society and his place within it, and the conflicts that would eventually destroy his world. Beautifully illustrated with many examples of Celtic art and craftsmanship, this book provides a fascinating insight into a culture whose legacy has endured to the present day.

Customer Reviews:

A really, really good read.......2007-10-05

Lords of Battle was a really, really good read. Many books on the Celts are more like references, with many nice pictures, discrete sections etc., books that you tend to dip into, but not read through. With Lords of Battle however, I read it cover to cover, and enjoyed it greatly. The text is great, the images beautiful, and its well turned out. As the title suggests, it is focused on Celtic Warrior, but not exclusively so, there is a lot of accompanying information. If you want to read only one book on the Celts (giving a broader view, linguistics, insular Celts etc), then it should be "The Celtic Empire" by Peter Ellis, but this book makes a good accompaniment, and there were a number of interesting perhaps "new" nuggets of information, that I have not found in other books on the Celts. For example the early retrograde movements of the Danubian Celts into Britain and what is now Belgium, some interesting things on the Celtiberians etc. Its an excellent addition to anyones library on the Celts.

Unique and worthy of acquisition........2007-05-17

LORDS OF BATTLE: WORLD OF THE CELTIC WARRIOR covers the period from the first mention of the Celts by ancient Greek writers to the Roman conquest of Britain, blending lovely color illustration throughout with a survey rich in Celtic history. Chapters focus on the military might and sentiment of these early Celts, covering everything from appearance and dress to arms and rebellions. While its narrowed scope will appeal primarily to specialty holdings and libraries strong in early Celtic history, these collections will find the military focus unique and worthy of acquisition.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Sun Dancing: A Vision of Medieval Ireland

Average customer rating:

The Way They Really Were
Is it history or historical fiction?
entertaining and illuminating
Rocks of passion
Very good and informative read

Sun Dancing: A Vision of Medieval Ireland
Geoffrey Moorhouse
Manufacturer: Harcourt Brace & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0151002770

Book Description

Combining narrative re-creations with scholarly reflections, Moorhouse brings to life the monks of the Skellig Islands and the spirituality of medieval Ireland in a “highly original, gracefully written” book (Boston Globe) that is “sure to fascinate lovers of Celtic history” (Boston Herald). A Los Angeles Times Book Prize finalist.

Customer Reviews:

The Way They Really Were.......2005-05-31

This book will capture your interest and will leave you hanging with more questions. If your interest is in the field of archaeology, etc, you will probably want to "pass by, Horseman." However, if you're like me and you just want to know what was happening to the average peasant and believer on the banks of the River of history, then this book is for you. G. Moorehouse, does a smash up job of bringing to life the spirit of the Celtic monks who changed the world. The book is divided into two parts: the first being a "faction", that is a historically accurate fictional account of day to day life in the monastery of Sceilig Michail. In this section, he attempts to penetrate the Celtic mind and I have to give him credit for this. If in any way, he failed, it is only because the truly Celtic Christian mind was lost to us after the Great Schism of 1054 and after their valiant and heroic resistance, Eire finally fell to the Roman church. (We should all mourn what might have been contributed to Byzantium because it is the less for all that!)

The second section deals in the facts, insofar as they are known, and as cold as the stones that pious Celtic hands pressed into service, to build the monasteries of Iona, Lindisfarne, Sceilig Michail. The bibliography alone is worth every penny, the price of the book and I highly recommend it as much for Mr. Moorehouse's attempt to plumb the depths of the celtic Christian heart, as for it's more scholarly attributes.

If you're looking for new age nonsense about "Celtic" spirituality, move on. If you are looking for the Orthodoxy (big O intended) of the Celts, you've come to the right place. Moorehouse skirts the issue, and never directly says it outright, but the message of this book is loud and clear: The origin of Celtic Christianity lies in the East, with Eastern Orthodoxy and not with Roman pontiffs. Nobody, with any knowledge will fail to recognize the obvious: St. John Cassian's prayer and method of use (pre-cursor of the Jesus prayer), the monastic cell rules, the ascetism of St. Anthony and other Desert Fathers.

In the end, what one is left with is this: Iona, Lindisfarne, and Sceilig Michail are not so far away as they may appear in the mist. They may, and must, be re-built each day in our own hearts with a Christianity that is Orthodox and that is lived each day, without fail.

Is it history or historical fiction?.......2003-05-16

As the reviewer from the Atlantic Monthly points out, this book is half history, half historical fiction. This gave me a fundamental problem in getting into the book. The first half is decently written and attempts to get in the heads of various Irish monks in the Middle Ages, the second half provides the facts to back up the conjecture of the first. I preferred the second half, though that may be because I tend to enjoy my history a bit harder than most. I just didn't like the structure of the book. To me, what this book really is is a novella about an Irish Monastery on a rocky island with a novella-sized end note section. To me, the end notes were more relevant. I don't question the scholarliness of the work, just the presentation. Overall, not bad, but if you can get past the strange way it's put together, unlike me, you'll probably enjoy it.

entertaining and illuminating.......2001-12-03

Fun for anyone with even slight interest in history, Christian religion, etc. Part story, part historical text, very clever and interesting. I got bored about halfway through, which is why I didn't give this book a better rating, but I did finish it later and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Rocks of passion.......2000-03-24

If you've ever stood on the rocks of Skellig Michael, or peered at them from safe ground across the tossing waves, you've thought to yourself, "only crazy people and seagulls would live there". You would be wrong - passionate maybe, maybe not crazy. This story of the monks on Skellig Michael, part history, part fiction, speaks of the loneliness and of being alone - which are not the same things - and the astonishing strength that can come from the most unexpected places when one person or a group of people who share a focus come together. Even the early pages that detail the types of ink used in the glorious illuminated manuscripts of Clanmacnoise draw you into this passion and this focus. It's an incredible story of life on a rock in the middle of nowhere that provided a continuous line of education and religion (like it or not) in a time beyond our imagination.

Very good and informative read.......1999-10-26

This book's best quality is that it lacks the pretension of Cahill's "How the Irish Saved Civilization." We see the Irish monks' lives at close range, in much detail and with sympathy. The monks are not portrayed as kooks but as devotees of Christ who expected His return at any minute.

Average customer rating:

Mostly an archeological textbook
Good photos bur disappointing contents
Stop Right Here!
A Very Interesting Book, Serving to Build a Good Foundational Knowledge of Our Celtic Heritage.
Wonderful, and ground-breaking

The Ancient Celts
Barry Cunliffe
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0140254226
Release Date: 2000-02-28

Amazon.com

Each generation, the British scholar Jacquetta Hawkes has observed, chooses the archaeology that best suits its current ideology. For a century beginning in the late 1800s, archaeologists depicted the Celts as an inordinately brave and poetic tribal people who battled their way across the Eurasian world without being unduly aggressive--in the manner, that is, of good colonialists. Today some archaeologists are more inclined to consider the Celts as a people who kept ethnic unity alive across a huge span of territory and time, a view that may offer comfort in a time when, as Oxford University professor Barry Cunliffe writes, "ethnic divisions are becoming a painful and disturbing reality." Cunliffe himself takes the view that the Celts were at once alike and diverse, which led to the formation of many different Celtic cultures from the Black Sea to Ireland. This heavily illustrated, well-written book tells their story well, from the beginnings of Celtic culture in the distant Indo-European past to the height of Celtic power in the third century A.D.

Book Description

Fierce warriors and skilled craftsmen, the Celts were famous throughout the Ancient Mediterranean World. They were the archetypal barbarians from the north and were feared by both Greeks and Romans. Napoleon III spent much time and money searching for the ancestral Gauls, and the concept of the Celt has been used many times by the nations fringing the Atlantic in their search for identity. In this new fascinating volume Barry Cunliffe explores the true nature of the Celtic identity and presents the first thorough and up-to-date account of a people whose origins still provoke heated-debate. Examining the archaeological reality of the Iron Age inhabitants of barbarian Europe, he traces the emergence of chiefdoms, patterns of expansion and migration, and the development of a mature urbanized society, thus assessing the disparity between the traditional vision of the Celts and the archaeological evidence. Through his consideration of cultural diversity, social and religious systems, art, language, law, and oral traditions, Cunliffe is able to draw a distinction between societies which conform to an ethnic `Celtic' model and those subjected to `Celtization', and tease out a fascinating new picture of the identity of the Celts.

Customer Reviews:

Mostly an archeological textbook.......2007-02-25

Although this book has a lot of interesting information and photos, it it so tediously written and so focused on specific archeological finds that it was very disappointing overall. There was very little "overview information" about the Celtic lifestyle. If you want a lot of archeological detail this book is for you. But if you are looking for a more general book with information about the Celtic lifestle you will never make it through this textbook-like work.

Good photos bur disappointing contents.......2006-02-24

The pictures are beautiful, showing many unusual pieces, but the content is often only school-book level, with little in-depth analysis or contextualizing. I found myself wishing for more information, and a deeper, more serious treatment of the cullture, the beliefs, and the everyday life of the people.

Stop Right Here!.......2005-12-13

If you are wondering what to read about the Celts, with little previous exposure to the subject, then you only need to know one thing: "The Ancient Celts" by Barry Cunliffe. In fact, forget about this review and just buy it now, it is that good. I am not joking! Go. Now. Why are you still reading???

Since you persist, you will find "The Ancient Celts" to be a thorough going introduction to most aspects of Celtic research and history. Cunliffe gives a broad overview of previous Celtic study, the sources and the different influences and prejudices that have wormed their way into the sources and works through history. This provides an excellent back-drop to Cunliffe's own book, and puts it into an historical context of scholarship.

For the Celts themselves, the book presents broad overviews of different aspects of Celtic society, culture, art and so on. This is necessarily brief and focuses on those Celtic peoples who are amply attested to. For those others who dwelt more on the fringes of Celtic territory, Cunliffe is rightly more cautious in the few conclusions he draws. Despite this, the treatment is reasonably detailed and will certainly give you enough to go further should you wish to do so.

This might sound a bit puerile, but another bonus for me was the ample supply of photos, pictures and diagrams that helped put a more visual facet on the text. One might think that this is a pretty banal comment, but I found it a real boon to be able to see the artifacts that Cunliffe refered to, and appreciate them for myself. The Celtic art was a classic example of this.

For those with little geographical knowledge of Europe, I have only one quibble about the book: the paucity of maps. Cunliffe uses a few geographical features, like rivers, which are less than famous. A map or two would have been fantastic for placing events in their proper location. This is just a small point which does nothing to detract from the book in its entirety.

While there are other authors out there, I would agree that Cunliffe has achieved possibly the best introduction available on the Celts. If you have not already got it ordered, I suggest you do so now. It is a great book and you won't regret the purchase.

A Very Interesting Book, Serving to Build a Good Foundational Knowledge of Our Celtic Heritage........2005-11-27

For anyone wanting an understanding of the Celtic people, Cunliffe's "The Ancient Celts" is an excellent introduction, as well as a fine review for those with a foundation in Celtic history. Cunliffe gives us a picture of the Ancient Celts from 1300 BC forward. The Celts had a most fascinating and expansive culture, dominating much of Europe up until the time of the Roman conquests. Following the Roman conquests of Europe and the Celtic lands, Celtic society faced the onslaught of Christianity which crushed some of the Celtic culture and absorbed other parts thereof. Still the spirit of the Celts survives even today... for those that know where to seek it.

As a student of Celtic Theology, I found Cunliffe's chapter on `Religious Systems' to be most interesting, but as Irish scholar Proinsias MacCana has described it Celtic religious beliefs are a "fertile chaos". There is a wide array of material reflecting the beliefs of the Celts, all of which offers us insight into their spirit and none of which fully explains it. Still, Cunliffe has done an admirable job in his explanation thereof in "The Ancient Celts".

Caesar (in "Commentaries on the Gallic War") writes that the Celts were extremely superstitious. This may be the case, but I feel that what Caesar calls superstition is nothing more than the `faith of the Celts'. One never sees superstition in one's own religion, only in the belief and practices of others.

Within the Celtic society religion was mediated by the Druids. These were the Celtic priests, but much more than mere teachers of religion, the Druids were the keepers of knowledge of the Celtic people. Also within this religious class were the `Faithi' or the seers ~ those who were inspired by the Gods to understand the `otherworld'.

Today the Celtic religious festivals survive in the forms of Samain (Halloween), Imbolc, and Lugnasad to name but a few. These and other rites were officiated at by the Druids.

I believe that the `path of the Druid' and an oneness with nature is an essential element for those who would learn the way of the Celts.

Although we tend to think of the Celtics as being centralized in the British Isles, it is important to note that the Celts established settlements across Europe into even Western Asia. Furthermore, it must not be forgotten that the Celts served to slow and curtail the expansion of Rome.
Cunliffe's "The Ancient Celts" reveals the Celtic people to be of a poetic / warrior society which contributed greatly to the development of the soul of the European nations of today. Even today in television advertisement (for travel to Ireland) we see Ireland being described as a land of warrior-poets.

In a warrior society the way of the warrior contributes to the development of religion and religion contributes to the morality of the warrior. This combination of warrior ethos and religious faith make for greater equality within the society itself.

Cunliffe states: "Women clearly occupied a more significant position in Celtic society than they did in the Greco-Roman world..." Women in the Celtic Society have had a good deal of input into the development and working of that society, and this shapes the society in ways that are simply not present in a purely male-dominated society (i.e. Arab-Muslim society).
It is also interesting to note that although Celtic society may have been overshadowed by both the Romans and later by the Christian Church there is still a strong Celtic influence in modern society.

Overall, I found Cunliffe's "The Ancient Celts" to be a very interesting book, serving to build a good foundational knowledge of our Celtic heritage.

Wonderful, and ground-breaking.......2005-11-15

Wonderful book, Cunliffe is a well-known scholar who's an expert on celtic archeology, and has been in numerous television shows and documentaries. Wonderful author, well written, and indepth. He shows you the archeology, and what it could've meant, but leaving enough room for you to draw your own conclusions. I loved the chapter "Religious Systems" as it's very informative, and solid in the archeological record. Love it, love it, love it. I fully intend to re-read it next year to see if I re-learn what I've learned. There's just so much information in this book, that it warrants another read!

Bard: The Odyssey of the Irish (Celtic World of Morgan Llywelyn)

Average customer rating:

Where's the research? Not Llywelyn's best.
A fine job of evoking the past
A likeable fantasy
Beautiful well told story
A retelling worth reading

Bard: The Odyssey of the Irish (Celtic World of Morgan Llywelyn)
Morgan Llywelyn
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0812585151

Book Description

This is the tale of the coming of the Irish to Ireland, and of the men and women who made that emerald isle their own.

Customer Reviews:

Where's the research? Not Llywelyn's best........2006-04-22

Irish Celtic history is heavily saturated in myth and romanticism. I was an avid fan of Morgan Llywelyn in high school, and joyfully devoured her mythological and historical novels. I remember her as being relatively well-researched, balancing fancy and fact to craft enjoyable bits of literary escapism. I picked up Bard, the first of her novels I've read in years, and was sorely disappointed. I expected more of the decent scholarship, dynamic myth, and engaging plots I remembered from my earlier reads. Instead, Bard delivered a cast of weak and predictable characters, a dragging storyline that takes far too long to deliver, and a surprising distortion of familiar Celtic icons.

Bard describes an Iberian origin of the Celts as one of many groups of invaders in Erin's long history. She depicts the Tuatha de Danan and the Fir Bolg as two other such cultures, mortal beings who eventually grew into the larger-than-life myths of today. While I liked this historical rooting of the tale, one of my biggest problems with this book was her depiction of the Tuatha de Danan, whom Llywelyn depicts as New Age-y, hippie-fied mystics. Rather than being a fresh and exotic interpretation of the traditional myth, this choice instead seemed discordantly modernized, unrealistic, and self-serving. The segments of the book devoted to their characters could have been eliminated entirely, and it would have made little impact (save to salvage somewhat the stunted flow of the story). References to the "Earth Mother" are historically innacurate and frustrating to any Celtophile, especially given the wealth of colorful deities known to have been worshiped by the Celtic peoples. I found myself rolling my eyes more than once at some of these passages.

Amergin, the bard of the title, is an introspective and potentially fascinating character, but he simply isn't given enough life in these pages. This is due in part to the lack of depth given to the supporting characters. Llywelyn relies too strongly on telling us what characters think and feel, rather than letting the reader see actions and interpret their dialog. Characters often act in contradictory ways, which comes across more as the result of poor planning on the writer's part than any kind of personal conflict. My opinion is that the book really should have been started right about where it ended (with the tribe's arrival in Ireland), and indeed Bard has one of the most unsatisfying endings of any book I have every read; it seems as though Llewellyn floundered a bit and simply gave up.

Readers interested in literary treatments of Irish Celtic mythology or history should turn to Llywelyn's other (excellent and very fun!) novels; Lion of Ireland, Finn McCool, Red Branch, or her more modern Irish historical fiction (e.g. 1972).

~Jacquelyn Gill

A fine job of evoking the past.......2006-01-06

It's hard to truly say what happened back in the swirly mists of time, especially going as far back as when the mythical Milesians arrived, accompanied by the legendary bard, Amergin. However, this book does a fine job of evoking that past as it might have been. I read Llywelyn many years ago, before I had even begun reading Celtic history, and I was surprised by the wealth of authentic detail as found in this book. One item that particularly sticks out in my mind is the description of the burial of Mil. Llywelyn used such precise detail, even down to the couch he lay on, that I could remember seeing a pictures and drawings of just such a burial, all the way down to its intricate wheels. So, relax and enjoy this book, confident that the author put as much true history into her tale as possible, yet creates an astounding epic.

A likeable fantasy.......2005-02-17

I've been fond of this author's work for many years now, despite the heavy reliance on archeology that is often, by now, rather outdated. To read Llewelyn's work is to be transported into the world she creates, and to be surrounded by some very real and interesting characters.

The sons of Mil act very much like a real family would, loving eachother and yet competing much of the time. Everyone has flaws, and the most distatesful character (Colptha, the druid)still has some decent traits, or things that one might respect about him.

I will warn that if you MUST have a perfect, or at least solidly resolved, ending that you should leave this book alone. I thought, however, that the hanging ending was highly appropriate, given that the main character Amergin spends much of his time attempting to resolve a saga which he could not finish, since it is the story of his people, who continued to live.

There were a few problems with Bard. I am a serious student of Celtic mythology, and as such, I had a bit of a problem with the way the Tuatha are described in this book. They are, for lack of a better term, megalithic hippies. The fondest wish of the lightest of neopagans is realised within these pages. Since archeology can only give hints as to the character of a people who left no written clues, I will leave that at the wayside. The myths that we do have featuring the Tuatha, however, do not paint a picture of enlightened pacifists. The Morrigan, Diancecht, or anyone else with a violent nature or sad story are largely left out of it to paint this picture of unlikely love and harmony. I found this love-and-light group too jarring a counterpoint to the colorful and well realised Milesians, and it is this trait that ensured four stars were not forthcoming from me. (Although I'd give three and a half if it were possible.)

If you like a good historical seeming fantasy with subtle magic and a decent plot, by all means, pick up this book. If Robert Graves is your enemy, and continuous talk about a nebulous mother earth goddess (that the Celts did NOT worship) will irritate you too much, then don't.

Beautiful well told story.......2005-02-07

As one with distant Celtic heritage, that did not grow up with any of the wonderful stories that Llewelyn tells, I am grateful for for insights into the make up of my families psychology. Bard, Red Branch, Lion Of Ireland ect. Help me to both understand where we get some of our predelictions and temperments. So blah, blah, blah, to reviewers who want to show thier scholarly prowess by proving her inacurate.They are stories based on myths and legends, that are most likely based on some exagerated truth. I loved this story.

A retelling worth reading.......2004-09-23

This is what a novel based on Celtic legends should look like. Llywelyn certainly knows how to write, but where she goes above and beyond the call of duty is her willingness to extensively research scholarly and oftentimes dry sources. Likely, she heard the legends of Ireland's past growing up, yet she nevertheless presents extensive bibliographies at the end of her novels. Bard is no exception. While artistic license is taken in order to draw the modern reader into the tale, it is clear that Llywelyn knows what she is doing, breathing new life into the people of Ireland's mythological tradition while remaining faithful to the source.

However, I did find difficulty with references to "the Mother" regarding the earth, given that Llywelyn cited Robert Graves' silly The White Goddess as a source, but it is a mistake easily overlooked. Also, the end of the novel seemed slightly forced, as if Llywelyn was stretching to connect the De Danaan natives to the Milesian conquerors.

Regardless of its slight flaws, Bard is an excellent read filled with compelling characters, comfortable prose, and an exciting retelling of the events of The Book of Invasions.

Saxons, Vikings, and Celts: The Genetic Roots of Britain and Ireland

Average customer rating:

Genes and history
important but disappointing
Sykes Latest Hit
More history than DNA
The Key: Oisin = R1b, Sigurd = R1a, Eshu = E3b, ...

Saxons, Vikings, and Celts: The Genetic Roots of Britain and Ireland
Bryan Sykes
Manufacturer: Tantor Media
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: 1400103355

Book Description

WASPs finally get their due in this stimulating history by one of the world's leading geneticists."Saxons, Vikings, and Celts" is the most illuminating book yet to be written about the genetic history of Britain and Ireland..

Customer Reviews:

Genes and history.......2007-10-16

Last summer I read Sykes' The Seven Daughters of Eve, very much liked his insights into mitochondrial DNA research, but was turned off by his fictionalized Eves. In Saxons, Vikings, and Celts, his detective story is on much firmer footing as he sets out to validate historical events with DNA evidence. As a Scot, I had mixed feelings to find so many of the myths about Celts and Picts somewhat debunked.

important but disappointing.......2007-09-03

In many ways this is a very important book, as it does away with the old Anglo-Saxon myth. But it's also quite disappointing. Having read an artilcle summarizing Sykes' discoveries before I lay my hands on a copy of 'Saxons...' I was already familiar with its main conclusion - most British have very ancient origins preceding Vikings, Saxons, and Romans and perhaps to some extent this was the source of my disappointment. But mostly it comes from my too high expectations. In short, I hoped for a solid work with plenty of data, information and analyses of the genetic roots of Britain and Ireland. But the hard data filled only a few pages and the rest was a waffle, inflating the book to over 300 pages where 10 sentences would suffice.
If somebody wants to read page after page on how Sykes and his team struggled to collect the blood samples then it's a book for them. However, if you want to know the genetic background of peoples who settled in the Isles in more detail, then perhaps wait for a more informative book.

Sykes Latest Hit.......2007-08-16

Brian Sykes does it again with this most interesting book about origins of the people of the British Isles. He makes technical information understandable for the average reader.

More history than DNA.......2007-08-13

I got this book because Oppenheimer's Origin of the British is out of print and not available until 2008. This Sykes book is excellent history, but not as much about the DNA story as I expected. But it is a good read. What is surprising and intersting is that Oppenheimer and Sykes, both Oxford scholars, do not acknowdege each other existance. Does anyone know why?

The Key: Oisin = R1b, Sigurd = R1a, Eshu = E3b, ..........2007-08-09

The apparent result of Sykes' study is that the underlying genetics of the Isles is Celtic through all of the regions: England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. This may not make Sykes popular with some people. The old stereotypes do not hold up.

In this work, Sykes continues to use the names for the founders of the haplogroups that he created in "The Seven Daughters of Eve" but he does not list all of the standard equivalents. You cannot tell the players without a scorecard. However, I have found the answer on the web. For yDNA: R1b, Oisin; R1a, Sigurd; I, Wodan; E3b, Eshu; J, Re. For mDNA: J, Jasmine; T, Tara; H, Helena; K, Katrina; U, Ursala; V, Velda; X, Xenia.

The Isles were the subject of waves of invasion from Romans, Saxons, Vikings, and Normans among others. One of the results of Sykes work is that two of the best known invaders left very little genetic trace. Sykes could find virtually no evidence of Roman DNA. Where was Titus Pullo? The Normans also left very little genetic evidence. It came as no surprise to me that my own Eshu or E3b yDNA was not significant, comprising a scattered percent or two. My E3b haplogroup is found mostly in the region of the warm and sunny Mediterranean, not the wet and cold Isles.

Art of the Celts: From 700 BC to the Celtic revival (World of Art)

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Art of the Celts: From 700 BC to the Celtic revival (World of Art)
Lloyd Laing , and Jennifer Laing
Manufacturer: Thames & Hudson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0500202567

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