Book Description
With over one million novels in print, New York Times best-selling author Joel C. Rosenberg has been called "eerily prophetic" and a "modern Nostradamus" for his uncanny ability to write political thrillers that come true. In his first nonfiction book, this evangelical Christian from an Orthodox Jewish heritage takes readers on an unforgettable journey through prophecy and current events into the future of Iraq after Saddam, Russia after Communism, Israel after Arafat, and Christianity after radical Islam. You won't want to miss Joel's exclusive interviews with Israeli, Palestinian, and Russian leaders, and previously classified CIA and White House documents. Similar to the approach Joel takes in his novels, his desire is to draw readers into stories, anecdotes, and predictions in a way that builds confidence that allows Joel to share his faith in Jesus Christ and the reliability of Scripture as a guide to understanding the past and the future. Drawing on his experience in Washington, his own exclusive interviews with world leaders, and his astute political acumen, Joel makes sense of the events surrounding the Middle East. He connects information in a way that will make you understand and really care about the world's most important events and how they impact your life--from gas prices to your bank account.Epicenter is about: Change--big changes, dramatic changes, changes that will transform the world as we know it. Answers--what the changes are underway in the world's most important countries. Insight--readers will understand the trajectory of world events by being taken inside the governments of Iran, Iraq, Russia, China, and more. Accessibility--aimed for a wide audience in both the general and Christian markets. Faith--Joel shares his faith in Jesus Christ and the reliability of Scripture. Epicenter will answer questions like: Will Iraq go from bad to worse? Will Israel and her Arab neighbors find peace, or is another major Middle East war just around the corner? If the new, post-Soviet Russia is our friend, why is the Kremlin creating a new class of thermonuclear weapons and building an alliance with radical Islam?
Customer Reviews:
More than biblical prophecy!!.......2007-10-16
I listened to this book on a whim and I have to tell you that even if you're not the super religious type, you have simply got to pay attention to the many warning signs Mr Rosenberg points out. He is well informed and appears to be well connected. At least read (or listen) to this book and then form your own opinions. Call it what you want ... but a really big confrontation is coming and it's sooner than most of us ever expected. Americans have to wake up and stop foolishly thinking we're safe or untouchable any longer. If 9-11 didn't open your eyes what will it take? A nuclear attack on US soil? Don't be surprised if that happens within the next 5 years.Epicenter: Why the Current Rumblings in the Middle East Will Change Your Future
WOW!! What a book.......2007-10-14
I having been wanting to find someone who could put the current events in the Middle East into a Bibical prespective. Joel Rosenberg nailed it on the head.
A must read for anyone seeking to know the truth in end time bible prophecy.
Epicenter.......2007-10-14
Actually, my husband bought this book and wanted me to inform folks he feels it is one of the best books he's ever read (and he reads a lot!).
A must listen to book.......2007-10-11
A very thought provoking book. Everyone needs to listen to this book or read the printed copy. Our national leaders should read/listen to this book.
Dot Connecting .......2007-10-11
I watched the documentary based on this book. Great production, solid historical facts, and then the conclusion: God will save Israel without the help of the EU, the UN or USA. God will do this miraculously while we stand around and watch in awe.
These are the same folks who brought us "Left Behind", the apocolyptic series based on the book of Revelation. (Remember the "rapture" craze of the 90's?) Same folks, different crisis. Only this one is based on the book of Ezekiel.
Book Description
Wonderful....No book published in recent years has more lasting relevance to our understanding of the Middle East. Los Angeles Times
Customer Reviews:
A Major Source of Historical Perspective.......2007-10-01
I wish to second Robert Steele's 5-star review of "A Peace to End All Peace", which was posted yesterday. I had ample time to read the book thoroughly, not in the stands at my son's Little League game, some years ago. It's worth a careful and thoughtful reading; no other book I know of sets the stage for understanding the Middle East in the 20th C as conprehensively. And after you finish it, I'd recommend "All the Shah's Men" as the key text for understanding America's embroglio with Iran.
Supporting Links and Passing Praise.......2007-09-25
I am forty books behind in actual reading, but I had the pleasure of scanning this book while on the sidelines of my son's football practice, and it is, as so aptly described by the best of the reviews, breathtaking.
The sentence that grabbed me is in the final paragraph, where the author sums up the roots of the Middle Eastern troubles as being directly on the heads of the English in particular, who lied, cheated, and stole without mercy. He says of Loyd George: "His political deviousness and his moral and financial laxness were never forgotten." Would that this were so, for Dick Cheney and George Bush are our Lloyd George.
I have written a full summative review of a book that complement's this author's sensible account, and reading that review before reading this book could be helpful. The other books also support the view that we are our own worst enemy, that there is plenty of money with which to make the world heaven on earth, but rule by secrecy, predatory capitalism, and fascism disguised as democracy has looted the planet and picked the pocket of the individual taxpayer while destroying the middle class. We are repeating history, in part because we have one of the most poorly educated populations with respect to history and global cultures, than ever before. The Director of the Central Intelligence Agency has taken to complaining recently that he cannot find enough qualified recruits in our shallow pool of "worldly" talent.
The Health of Nations: Society and Law beyond the State
The key point of the above book is that the Treaty of Westphalia and the creation of nation-states as soverign entities with unrestricted powers within their own borders--borders created by the English and other invasive colonizing powers with the US the most active in the last 200 years--were huge mistakes. We should instead have at least made Indigenous Peoples co-equal, and understood, and respected, tribal boundaries established over centuries. Ignorance and hubris/arrogance combine with greed at the corporate and dictator levels (see Ambassador Palmer's book on "Breaking the Real Axis of Evil" to understand why our White House loves 42 of the 44 dictators on the planet, and Tim Weiner's "Legacy of Ashies" for why CIA went straight into the business of supporting dictators as proxy bullies). Paul Bremer had it right: the root cause of terrorism is us. See my comment for a note on Chinese Irregular Warfare that just took force off the table as a US option.
See also
The Looming Tower: Al Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 (Vintage)
The Road to 9/11: Wealth, Empire, and the Future of America
9/11 Synthetic Terror: Made in USA, Fourth Edition
Rogue Nation: American Unilateralism and the Failure of Good Intentions
Weapons of Mass Deception: The Uses of Propaganda in Bush's War on Iraq
Vice: Dick Cheney and the Hijacking of the American Presidency
The Soul of Capitalism: Opening Paths to a Moral Economy
Breach of Trust: How Washington Turns Outsiders Into Insiders
On the positive side, but Amazon only allows ten active links, see
Yochai Benkler, Wealth of Networks
Barry Carter, Infinite Wealth
C.K. Prahalad, The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid
J. F. Rischard, HIGH NOON: 20 Global Problems, 20 Years to Solve Them
Robert Steele, The New Craft of Intelligence
Robert Steele, The Smart Nation Act: Public Intelligence in the Public Interest
Thomas Stewart, Wealth of Knowledge
Alvin Toffler, Revolutionary Wealth
E. O. Wilson, The Future of Life
Medaard Gabel, Seven Billion Billionaires (forthcoming)
I hope this contextual connecting of some dots is viewed as helpful. This is not a "pretend" review!
Not 5 star good........2007-09-08
I have bought this book after looking at all the 5 star reviews on this site and was aghast when I read it through. The book is not terrrible. It provides an extremely elitist interpretation of history which still teaches many things. The author, aside from several exception, illustrates individuals as caricatures. Does not analyze the cultural social and economical structures any more than skin deep and appears to have very limited access to any knowlegde about the Ottoman empire. Many contentious issues are glossed over. I would not have written this review cause as I said the book is not terrible but it certainly does not deserve all the 5 stars that it got. If you have read real history books, just read the first chapter and you will understand exactly what I mean. If you just want to have some hazy idea about the "Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East" than this book is good for you. Note however that you have only that, a hazy idea.
A Little Knowledge is a Dangerous Thing..........2007-09-02
I agree with all the rave reviews--this book is a "must-read" in order to understand what is going on in the world today. The title refers ironically to the justification that World War I was a war to end all war. The peace that followed the First World War, including the carve-up of the former Ottoman Empire by the Allied powers and encouragement of nationalism by Woodrow Wilson, led to disaster. A good companion for Barbara Tuchman's "The March of Folly".
Extraordinary! A monumental book........2007-08-25
This is a well researched, comprehensive narrative on how the middle east was formed, centered on the British side of events, where the most important decisions were taken. Reading these pages, I can only think of the mess that the middle east was in those days, mostly because the major constituents of this region, that is to say Mesopotamia, Arabia and Palestine, had more than one internal player interested in holding part of the dismembered Ottoman Empire, and with the major external players at war trying also to get a piece of the cake and install or retain its influence on this important region, strategically important for its oil resources and geographic location. Added to this scenario was the zionist question, Turkey and its confilcts in central Asia and the internal problems faced by Britain, politically and economically.
Those were very complex times indeed, where the best of British diplomacy was deployed in order to forge peace and stabilize the region according to the situation in those years. Sadly, the settlement of 1922 didn't consider the Kurdish people and the Palestinian Arabs. In spite of all these problems, the book also allowed me to know more about the Arab people and part of its history and religion, its tribes and sects. I cannot say this book is the best in this subject, but certainly a must reading.
Book Description
The best-selling classic of the power of love and forgiveness in a Japanese prisoner of war camp.
Customer Reviews:
This is how Christianity is Supposed to Work.......2007-10-02
My wife and I had watched the movie a couple months ago (be warned: it is incredibly brutal) and been moved by the power of the story. Unfortunately, as it turned out, the book and the move are not the same story. In fact, other than the similarity of the major premise (a British officer in a Japanese POW camp during WW2), they had almost nothing in common.
However. . .
That was only disappointing insomuch as I kept waiting for certain events from the movie to show up. The movie had colored my expectations for the book, which meant I couldn't take the book on its own merits. Which is too bad, because, upon completing the book, I would say it is as powerful as the movie, perhaps even more so. But you have to let the book speak for itself. The story is truly miraculous, as this band of prisoners devolve into a wild bunch of animals at the hands of their captors, only to be transformed by the Spirit of Christ into a true Community of compassion and care. Somehow, in the midst of hell, these men found the power to love each other, to care for each other, to even forgive their Japanese tormentors. When people ask "Does Christianity work?", the story of this book says "absolutely!" And in a day and age of spiteful attacks, divisive language, polarized religions and selfish money-grubbing politicians and religious leaders, there is a real lesson here about what being a True Follower of Christ is all about.
Touching and profound!.......2007-06-10
This is one of the best books I've read so far... Though it may appear repetitive at times (there's really little else the author could write about beside what's happening in the POW camps along the Kwai), the reflection on the human condition and the supreme virtue of self-sacrifice in the footsteps of Jesus Christ is poignantly and profoundly written. With tour de force, the epilogue is a penetrating piece of criticism on the 'civilised' society the author returned to after the war. The reverse culture shock he experienced is a haunting reminder of how that still small voice can be so easily drowned out in the cacophony of modern society.
Inspiring, well told, and true story.......2007-01-10
It's a difficult, but true message. The author takes an unflinching look at the evil that men are capable of through his own personal experience in Japanese prison camps and carries you through the experience on to the brilliant hope on the other side of his own personal pain. The underlying truth you discover is the genuine potential to be found in one man's selfless, sacrificial care for another. It's an excellent read.
Hope Makes The Spirit Unbreakable.......2006-11-17
Formally published as "Miracle on the River Kwai" and renamed to coincide with a new movie. This book was written by Ernest Gordon a Scottish Army officer who served in the South Pacific During the war.
Back Story
During that time the Japanese advanced on Singapore, and Gordon and a few other officers try to escape on a chartered sailboat. After being captured at sea, he was incarcerated and sent to a work camp in Thailand, building the infamous railway of death, where nearly 80,000 prisoners lost their life in a little over a year. This railway and the Chungkai prison camp are the real back story to the Oscar winning film "Bridge On the River Kwai."
What the classic movie doesn't tell you is the horrific condition and constant death that the builders of the bridge met with on a daily basis.
The Book
The story is a recount of Ernest Gordon's experiences at the camp and his witness to that camps transformation from what he called "the worst that man could be" to the "best that man could be."
The book starts with Gordon laying in the hospital at Chungkai, called the "Death House" by the prisoners as there was very few he came back from the hospital. Gordon then flashes back to what led him here, and then continues from that point and tells of the camps transformation. Before Gordon wound up in the hospital the camp was very much "every man for himself" animal instinct and the law of the jungle dictated who lived and who died. During Gordon's stay at the hospital while he was suffering and near death with Beriberi, Tropical Ulcers, Malaria, and Amoebic Dysentery, he propped himself up, void of hope, and penned a last letter to his parents. That was his low point. He was nursed back to health by two other POW's Dinty Moore, and Dusty Miller. Both bartered for food and medicine, cleaned his ulcers, massaged his legs to reverse the atrophy and gave him encouragement to give him the hope he needed to recover. These two men became an inspiration to the rest of the camp, and like Ernest Gordon, many started to emulate their kindness willingness to help others. Dusty Miller a devote Christian also read the bible to Gordon which inspired him. Gordon then started to hold bible studies with other in the camp; they often shared bibles that men had smuggled in. This led to a spiritual revival of the camp, where men helped each other to survive. The camp changed from a group of individuals to a community that served each other with the same love that Christ had shown them in the bible. Many more survived the wrath of the Japanese as a result of the selfless acts of the camp members, in one part of the book one enlisted soldier, admits that he stole a shovel (which he didn't) just to save the lives of his co-prisoners, that soldier was immediately beaten to death, but his sacrifice as well as others, were what changed to mood of the camp.
The Legacy
This spiritual revival, not only led to many surviving the camp, but transcended into their life after the war. Gordon's epilogue was probably the best part of the book where he paints his perspective against the backdrop of the post-war error.
"We returned to a world divided by hatreds. We thought we had come home to a world at peace; instead we found a world already preparing for the next war. Having had as much reason to hate as anybody, we had overcome hatred."
"We had seen a vision of far horizons and caught a glimpse of the City of God in all its beauty and this vision seemed to be part of a different world."
Summary
Overall the book is very interesting, and is an intriguing story of suffering and hope. Gordon's style is very easy to read, almost like he's sitting next you telling the story. The descriptions of the people and the camp are genuine and I had no problem understanding and even "knowing" many of the characters in the book.
Editorial
It's one thing read about the word of God and the acts of Jesus, it's an entirely different think to witness it first hand as Gordon does and writes about with stunning detail. If found this to be an inspiring story of the grace of God that is given, by giving up selfishness. I have learned a lot about what true Christian's look like after reading this book. If you want my opinion, Christ looked a lot more like Dusty Miller and Ernest Gordon, than the face of modern evangelical minister today.
I'd recommend this book to anyone who wants to see the how God's Grace can transform the most desperate situations
Moving.......2006-10-21
This is a story of ultimate forgiveness told firsthand by Ernest Gordon. The things he and his fellow prisoners of war experienced are near incomprehensible. ...and out of such despair comes the forever life-changing love they experience through Christ, Who is the example they start to follow in showing similar self-sacrificing love and kindness to their neighbors - even to their enemies.
I saw the movie before watching the book which may have been best, as I would've been disappointed had it been the other way around (ie. The book, as many books do, goes into more detail and describes other people encountered by Ernest. For time and format reason, the movie can't cover all of this.)
Also, the book is proof that such a powerful story can be told without foul language (which is present in the movie version).
Average customer rating:
- Calculations are only as good as your numbers
- Pants on fire?
- Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
- Very Interesting
- History as Science Fiction
|
History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
Manufacturer: Mithec
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Similar Items:
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History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)
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History: Fiction or Science? Astronomical methods as applied to chronology. Ptolemy's Almagest. Chronology III
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ASIN: 2913621058 |
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.
Average customer rating:
- The more things change, the more they stay the same. A rehashing of "Pillars two hundred years and one black plague later
- I had some concerns
- Worth it all in its own right
- Not quite up to the level of Pillars
- Sequel to The Pillars of the Earth
|
World Without End
Ken Follett
Manufacturer: Dutton Adult
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Binding: Hardcover
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The Pillars of the Earth
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ASIN: 0525950079
Release Date: 2007-10-09 |
Book Description
Ken Follett has 90 million readers worldwide. The Pillars of the Earth is his bestselling book of all time. Now, eighteen years after the publication of The Pillars of the Earth, Ken Follett has written the most-anticipated sequel of the year, World Without End.
In 1989 Ken Follett astonished the literary world with The Pillars of the Earth, a sweeping epic novel set in twelfth-century England centered on the building of a cathedral and many of the hundreds of lives it affected. Critics were overwhelmed--"it will hold you, fascinate you, surround you" (Chicago Tribune)--and readers everywhere hoped for a sequel.
World Without End takes place in the same town of Kingsbridge, two centuries after the townspeople finished building the exquisite Gothic cathedral that was at the heart of The Pillars of the Earth. The cathedral and the priory are again at the center of a web of love and hate, greed and pride, ambition and revenge, but this sequel stands on its own. This time the men and women of an extraordinary cast of characters find themselves at a crossroad of new ideas--about medicine, commerce, architecture, and justice. In a world where proponents of the old ways fiercely battle those with progressive minds, the intrigue and tension quickly reach a boiling point against the devastating backdrop of the greatest natural disaster ever to strike the human race--the Black Death.
Three years in the writing, and nearly eighteen years since its predecessor, World Without End breathes new life into the epic historical novel and once again shows that Ken Follett is a masterful author writing at the top of his craft.
Questions for Ken Follett
Amazon.com: What a phenomenon The Pillars of the Earth has become. It was a bestseller when it was published in 1989, but it's only gained in popularity since then--it's the kind of book that people are incredibly passionate about. What has it been like to see it grow an audience like that?
Follett: At first I was a little disappointed that Pillars sold not much better than my previous book. Now I think that was because it was a little different and people were not sure how to take it. As the years went by and it became more and more popular, I felt kind of vindicated. And I was very grateful to readers who spread the news by word of mouth.
Amazon.com: Pillars was a departure for you from your very successful modern thrillers, and after writing it you returned to thrillers. Did you think you'd ever come back to the medieval period? What brought you to do so after 18 years?
Follett: The main reason was the way people talk to me about Pillars. Some readers say, "It's the best book I've ever read." Others tell me they have read it two or three times. I got to the point where I really had to find out whether I could do that again.
Amazon.com: In World Without End you return to Kingsbridge, the same town as the previous book, but two centuries later. What has changed in two hundred years?
Follett: In the time of Prior Philip, the monastery was a powerful force for good in medieval society, fostering education and technological advance. Two hundred years later it has become a wealthy and conservative institution that tries to hold back change. This leads to some of the major conflicts in the story.
Amazon.com: World Without End features two strong-willed female characters, Caris and Gwenda. What room to maneuver did a medieval English town provide for a woman of ambition?
Follett: Medieval people paid lip-service to the idea that women were inferior, but in practice women could be merchants, craftspeople, abbesses, and queens. There were restrictions, but strong women often found ways around them.
Amazon.com: When you sit down to imagine yourself into the 14th century, what is the greatest leap of imagination you have to make from our time to theirs? Is there something we can learn from that age that has been lost in our own time?
Follett: It's hard to imagine being so dirty. People bathed very rarely, and they must have smelled pretty bad. And what was kissing like in the time before toothpaste was invented?
Book Description
Ken Follett has 90 million readers worldwide. The Pillars of the Earth is his bestselling book of all time. Now, eighteen years after the publication of The Pillars of the Earth, Ken Follett has written the most anticipated sequel of the year-World Without End.
Unabridged edition read by John Lee
Customer Reviews:
The more things change, the more they stay the same. A rehashing of "Pillars two hundred years and one black plague later .......2007-10-17
Reading "The Pillars of the Earth" was one of the happiest accidents in my reading career. I picked it up on a whim because of the cathedral on the cover and the word "epic" in a review. I had no idea it would turn out to be one of the best books I ever read, not on in terms of plot but completeness and the overall message of world change it puts out. So when I found out about the sequel I was thrilled. I ordered it two years in advance.
But I was disappointed. While "World without End" is compelling stuff with endless twists in it's storyline and characters you grow fond of, this book just doesn't have that epic pizzazz that "Pillars" had in spades. A lot of the events in this book seem to be rehashed from its predecessor and now that the cathedral is built it seems that the major issues facing Kingsbridge (like becoming a town in its own right, having a cathedral at all) are over and done with.
Anyway the basic plot follows the formula from "Pillars." We start out with a piece of a mystery that gradually revels clues to us as we read on. In this case, four children, two sons of an impoverished knight, (Ralph and Merthin) one wealthy daughter of a prosperous wool merchant (Caris) and a dirt poor urchin girl who steals so her family can live (Gwenda), witness a man attacked in the woods because of a letter he is carrying. This experience binds the children for life-along with that of the attacked knight (Thomas) who becomes a monk so he is beyond the reach of whoever tried to kill him.
Of course we don't know what's in the letter, just that it has something to do with the death of King Edward II (the gay one who was disposed by his Queen and her lover so her son could rule) and if it's found heads will (literally) role.
But this mystery is secondary, almost a non-presence in the book compared to the drama of Jack's father's death in "Pillars." Also our main characters are like paler versions of the characters we loved and hated in "Pillars." Merthin is Jack, the fantastic, romantic builder with an almost supernatural ability with stone, Ralph is William, the corrupt knight with no moral center, Caris is Aliena, strong and with more business sense and determination than any women of the time, and Gwenda-well she's an entirely new character but she features so little it doesn't even matter.
My point is this-there isn't a whole that's original in this book. The romance is nowhere near as spellbinding as the tortured and blinding love the perfect Jack and Aliena from "Pillars" had. In fact, its two hundred years later and no Kingsbridge is one of the largest cities in England instead of a struggling town, but everything seems the same. The same conflicts happen again and again, the same character struggles. The only real difference is the emergence of the Black Death some lesbianism and a well described and probably realistic battle of the priory against the town (which frankly made me sad because Prior Phillip from "Pillars" would be so sad at how the monastery developed.)
I'm not saying this is a bad book, its even compelling at times. But compared to "Pillars" it is a poor imitation of an almost perfect historical fiction novel. Who knows, maybe if you read this before Pillars (they aren't reliant on each other enough that order matters) it would seem like a better book then it is. But really, I expected more. I would put this on par with Follett's other two historical novels, "A Place Called Freedom" and "A Dangerous Fortune" but it's not in the same class as "The Pillars of the Earth."
Of course not very many books are. Maybe one in a million.
So the real test, would I read this again. Sure. It was good after all-but it didn't live up to expectations created by "Pillars."
Four stars.
I had some concerns.......2007-10-16
I am happy to report that my concerns were unfounded. The book is long, but it has a lot going on and is not at all bloated. There are several stories being told, but they all interweave and the elimination of one would be a loss. Although it is set in the same location and refers back to some of the original characters, reading or remembering "Pillars" is not required. I enjoy learning about the construction and medical theories of the day and wish this aspect had been further expanded, but if a reader does not, there is not so much of it that it would be detrimental. Also, if you missed reading Tino Georgiou's masterpiece--The Fates, go and read it. While I'm near the end, I'm reading it at a rapid pace because it's so addictive. There is something about his books that bring you in and get you hooked. I'm loving this one and with only 40 pages to go until the end.
Worth it all in its own right.......2007-10-15
Sometimes, using the word sequel is a bad idea. The first few chapters of this book, it was difficult for me to find its own voice. I kept trying to remember the characters and events of "Pillars of the Earth', and only proceeded to make myself crazy.
Totally forget "Pillars"! This book is wonderful all on its own. The only similarity between this and the other cathedral book is that both are set in Knightsbridge.
The characters are just as well drawn, the history of the period is just as intriguing, and the secret that runs through the book is tantilizing. It was all I could do to not read the last page!
Not quite up to the level of Pillars.......2007-10-14
As most people know, World Without End is a sequel to Pillars of the Earth. I read Pillars about 16 years ago, and was mesmerized by it, and it's been one of my all time favorite books ever since. When I heard there was to be a sequel I pre-ordered it right away.
I'm sure other Pillars... fans will want to know: is it as good as the original? In my opinion...almost, but not quite.
The author does manage to bring 14th century Knightsbridge as much to life as he did the 12th century Knightsbridge of Pillars. It's a couple of centuries older, bigger, more crowded, and more cumbersome; the priory is no longer run by visionaries like Prior Phillip, but by conservative, small minded men. The great cathedral is showing some cracks (literally and figuratively). There are conflicts between the merchants of the town and the monks, and there's also a new element - a convent of nuns that is wealthier and better managed than the monastery.
I guess that the more complex (even muddled) society of the 14th century is one reason why World Without End a bit less enjoyable than Pillars. The characters are in a lot more shades of grey. The building of a bridge and the repairing and renovation of the cathedral are less awe-inspiring perhaps than the building of a cathedral from the ground up. So you feel that the characters are a bit less small, a bit less challenged.
One factor that had the possibility of challenging this society in a huge way was the plague (the Black Death), but I felt that the plague part of the book was a bit rushed through, or dealt with a bit lightly. (I got the feeling that the author cared a lot more about describing the bridge construction than the parts about the plague, which may account for that feeling of uneven weightedness.) It didn't seem that earth shaking in the course of events somehow - though it does show how the plague pushed some people up the ranks of society far quicker than would have been expected, often undeservedly.
Ultimately this book pales a bit in comparison to Pillars of the Earth because it lacks the larger than life characters that dominated that book - Jack, Aliena, and in particular Prior Phillip. (There's a paler version of Jack, a different-but-equal, sort of, version of Aliena, a very similar version of William...and no equivalent really to Phillip.) The characters in World Without End are appealing, but not unforgettable.
That being said, it is still an excellent book, and I hope Mr. Follett decides to write more historical fiction.
Sequel to The Pillars of the Earth.......2007-10-11
Ken Follett was only twenty-seven when he wrote Eye of the Needle, the award-winning novel which became an international bestseller and a distinguished film. Before that, he had been a newspaper reporter and a publishing executive after studying philosophy at University College, London. He has since written ten equally successful novels and the non-fiction bestseller, On Wings of Eagles. Ken Follett lives with his family in London and Stevenage.
This book is the sequel to The Pillars of the Earth, abook written 18 years ago, in 1989 and a book that was one of my favourites of all time, along with Sarum by Edward Rutherford. 18 years is a long time to wait for a sequel to any book but it is well over a thousand pages and as I have read The Pillars of the Earth several times since it was published, my recollections of it are still good.
World without end begins its story in 1327 and follows the lives of four children, who slip away from the cathedral city of Kingsbridge. The children are not only from different backgrounds but their personalities could not be more different either. After leaving the city together they see two men brutally killed in the forest. Little do they know it but the killings they have witnessed will affect them all through their lives.
Between them they will witness and suffer everything that the world can throw at them and their ups and downs within the historical changes that take placethroughout their lives, makes for fascinating reading.
Ken Follett is a master of this type of historical fiction and I am amazed that he has not written this book before now, but also grateful that he has now, finally published what I am sure will be a best seller for years to come. Books of this stature do not come along very often.
Book Description
A remarkable and unprecedented examination of how the Book of Revelations has been used and abused from Roman times to the present day.
The mysterious author of the Book of Revelations (or the Apocalypse, as the last book of the New Testament is also known) never considered that his sermon on the impending end times would last beyond his own life. In fact, he predicted the destruction of the earth would be witnessed by his contemporaries. Yet Revelation not only outlived its creator, this vivid and violent revenge fantasy has played a significant role in the march of Western Civilization.
Ever since Revelation was first preached as the revealed word of Jesus Christ, it has haunted and inspired hearers and readers alike. The mark of the beast, the antichrist, 666, the whore of Babylon, Armageddon, and the four horsemen of the apocalypse are just a few of the images, phrases and codes that have burned their way into the fabric of our culture. The questions raised go straight to the heart of the human fear of death and obsession with the afterlife. Will we, individually or collectively, ride off to glory or will we drown in hellfire for all eternity? As those who best manipulate this dark vision learned, what side we fall on is often a matter of life or death. Honed into a weapon in the ongoing culture wars between states, religions, and citizenry, Revelation has significantly altered the march of history.
Customer Reviews:
mediocre read............2007-09-29
Firstly, it must be taken into account that the author is not a noted scholar in this field and, in addition, is rather dismissive in his writings - using words to describe the Book of Revelation like "spooky" and "freaky". I found it difficult to take in a lot of the info, because the book reads more as an exaggerated diatribe against Christianity rather than a genuine scholarly study of the Book of Revelation and its impact on history, making it seem like Kirsch has other intentions in mind, and therefore loses a lot of its credibility.
Hostile to Christianity generally, not just Revelation.......2007-09-19
I picked up this book because I'm a left-leaning, non-Left Behind reading Christian who has always had grave doubts about whether Revelation truly belongs in the Bible. I wanted to read a book exploring the writing of Revelation, how it finally was accepted into the Biblical canon, and how it has been used/misused over the years. But I am a Christian, and it just became virtually impossible to read this book after plowing through the potshots at Christianity generally. For example, Kirsch repeatedly refers to Jesus as just another apocalyptic prophet who got it wrong about when the end of the world would be.
Most amazingly, Kirsch claims early Christians weren't really persecuted all that badly by the Romans. On page 86 of the hardcover version, he quotes Pliny the Younger, who was charged with rooting out Christians, as saying he would absolve persons of being Christians if they would just make an offering to the emperor, make an invocation to the pagan gods, and curse Christ. He also would remind persons who admitted being Christians that they faced death unless they recanted, and then order the execution if they didn't recant. Kirsch then compares this to asking American schoolchildren to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. What??? The Pledge does not require treating the President as a deity, or cursing Christ, nor are people threatened with execution for not taking the Pledge. This is just such a laughable argument that I found it impossible to take anything else Kirsch had to say afterwards seriously.
Bottom line is, if you're a Christian who wants a serious, well-reasoned discussion of Revelation, look elsewhere. If you're not, well, you may like it...just don't assume all Christians look at Revelation the same way.
Reductionism versus literalism.......2007-09-11
While adequate in delineating the literalist abuses of the Book of Revelation historically, the author is incapable of transcending his own reductionist view of the book as a psychotic revenge fantasy. Kirsch lacks an appreciation of metaphor and story, and is especially devoid of a sense of irony, and hence his appraisals never rise above the hatred he sees in the text. In approaching a difficult work, he took the easy way out. He provides no nuanced or alternative readings. Instead of uncovering the deeper meanings, instead of removing the filters of troublesome readings, instead of laying bare ancient understandings of ultimate reality, he covers and smothers Revelation in his own layers of vituperativeness. When reductionism meets literalism, the strategy would seem to be annihilation.
If you are looking for a mature reading that navigates the ambiguities of the religious and secular, you will not find it here. While able to disentangle the current political abuses of Revelation, the author is unable to get beyond meaninglessness to meaning. I yearned on every page for an approach through the creative imagination which would yield an unmediated encounter with the spirit of life. You would not know from Kirsch's book that the Book of Revelation informs our vision of a democratically-inclusive world and, when read with just a little sensitivity, that it is a life-giving and life-affirming work at the same time that it is a profound critique of the kind of institutionalized power that subjugates. Would that Kirsch had enlisted Revelation in the movement to freedom against the very historical domination systems that subverted it.
Amazing Look At A Text That Continues To Influence Society.......2007-09-09
Jonathan Kirsch tackles a subject that fascinates and terrifies most people: the end of the World. More specifically, Kirsch's work focuses on the Christian New Testament Book of Revelation. What is it about this text that fascinates readers to such an extent? Is this ancient text still relevant in our modern world? Kirsh takes on this difficult-to-answer questions in his book, The History of the End of the World.
I am a huge fan of Jonathan Kirsch. I find his non-fiction biblical theories to be well-researched and his books written in an engaging style that the reader can easily access. In this work, Kirsch takes a hard look at the way the Book of Revelation has influenced history and continues to impact the modern age, as well. Touching on relations between countries, the events of 9/11, and how church dogma was influenced by the one body of text that narrowly made it into the cannon, Kirsch explores all the fact and the lore surrounding the New Testament's most controversial text.
The world is going to end NOW! Oops, I meant NOW! Wrong again! This time I really got it: NOW!! Awe, shoot........2007-06-05
I find it amazing that since the intertestamental period, apocalyptic doomsday prophets have been declaring the imminent end of the world, it never happens, and yet people continue to listen to the Hal Lindseys and Tim LaHayes of the world. This book brilliantly tells the history fo Revelation and the ways people have used it throughout history to try to scare the world into some system of belief or action, and I realized just how ridiculous the whole enterprise is. As a former evangelical, it makes me ashamed that I used to buy into all the Left Behind stuff, but scholars like Kirsch have helped me see things more rationally.
Book Description
The Story of the World CD audiobook is a collaboration between Jim Weiss, whose voice is "liquid gold" (CNN TV), and Susan Wise Bauer, whose writing has been described as "timeless and intelligent" (Publishers Weekly). These spirited readings of the last volume in Bauer's history series bring to life the stories and records of human history from ancient times to the present.
Written in an engaging, straightforward manner, this volume of the popular Story of the World series weaves world history into a storybook format. The fourth volume covers the major historical events of the last 150 years, from the American Civil War to the presidency of Nelson Mandela.
This audio CD edition may be used along with the print books, as a supplement to a traditional history curriculum, or independently. 11 audio CDs.
Customer Reviews:
great!.......2007-06-29
We are a homeschooling family. I Love this whole series! I have all of them on CD which is great because we take them in the van with us. You can listen to them over and over and really remember it that way. They are Told kind of like a story so it holds your interest. I have 5 kiddos and I find they all enjoy and learn from these. I am learning alot too :)
Book Description
Customer Reviews:
The Contented Dog.......2007-08-05
Fukuyama's style in discussing the history of man is captured by the following paragraph extracted from his book:
"An American politician could harbor ambitions to be a Caesar or a Napoleon, but the system would allow him or her to be no more than a Jimmy Carter or a Ronald Reagan - hemmed in by powerful institutional constraints and political forces on all sides, and forced to realize their ambitions by being the people's "servant" rather than their master."
He describes his concept of the "last man" with this paragraph:
"Nietzsche's last man was, in essence, the victorious slave. He agreed fully with Hegel that Christianity was a slave ideology, and that democracy represented a secular form of Christianity.
In the ultimate society, he uses the analogy of a dog to describe his last man's outlook,
"A dog is content to sleep in the sun all day provided he is fed, because he is not dissatisfied by what he is. He does not worry that other dogs are doing better than him, or that his career as a dog has stagnated, or that dogs are being oppressed in distant parts of the world. If man reaches a society in which he has succeeded in abolishing injustice, his life will come to resemble that of the dog."
As is clear from the above, the book is well written and full of thoughtful insights.
Fascinating, thought--provoking, but out of date.......2007-07-23
In this fascinating and highly thought-provoking book, American philosopher Francis Fukuyama argues that the war at the beginning of human history was a battle for prestige or recognition. And, history has unfolded as a search to find a balance between the drives for victory of one over another to gain that recognition. In the eighteenth century, history effectively began to end as people embraced the liberal democratic/capitalist system that granted mutual recognition.
Now, history is not over for those outside this system, and nations can return to history if they move away from the liberal democratic/capitalist system. Along the way, the author unfolds his argument for the drive for recognition as the engine of human history, explains how we got to where we are, and what the future may eventually bring for the human race. The author makes his argument in a clear, compelling manner that puts great force behind his argument.
I do, though, have several complains against this book. First of all, I have the 1992 edition, and some of what I have to say may not apply to later editions. But, as the West now stands in a crisis situation in world history, it is easy to see that some of what has happened in the last 15 years was not anticipated by Mr. Fukuyama.
Chapter 7 of this book is entitled, No Barbarians At The Gates. Well, in point of fact, the West faces two sets of Barbarians at the gates. The first set of barbarians are in fact within the gates, and is the newly militant Liberalism with its drive to extinguish freedom (think of Dr. Heidi Cullen's desire to remove American Meteorological Society accreditation to any meteorologist who expresses skepticism towards man-made global warming) in its drive for radical equality. This is in fact the "excess of isothymia" that the author mentioned was possible in chapter 29, but he did not expect it to be coupled with an external threat.
Second of all, on page 45, Dr. Fukuyama states that Islam poses "a grave threat to liberal practices," but then immediately moves away from the threat of Islam, as if wishing it out of existence. In point of fact, with the West's inability and even downright refusal to maintain its borders, the "post-historic" world has been invaded by people from the "historic" world, and militant Islam is now working with some success to undermine the liberal democratic system from within the very heart of the "post-historic" world.
Therefore, while I do think that this book is quite correct in its view of the drive for recognition and the victory of the liberal democratic/capitalistic system, I do think that it does not do a good job of anticipating what would (and did!) come next. The "post-historic" world has proved itself unable (at least so far) to protect itself against the "historic" world, and it is uncertain that it will be philosophically able to protect itself without a turn to towards the "megalothymia" that the good doctor so fears.
So, overall, I would highly recommend this book as a fascinating philosophical look at the modern world, but I would not say that it goes so far as to explain where we are now and where we are truly heading. I give this book a somewhat guarded recommendation.
To ignore the post-modern does not lead to history.......2007-06-25
A mythic history book that has fed reams upon reams of debate, but seventeen years later it sure has aged. First let's be clear. It is not a philosophy book since it essentially repeats and confronts what others have written and it stops with Kojeve who is at least kind of old. Not one of the post modern philosophers or historians are quoted or alluded to. This leads me to my second remark. How can we dare discuss modern history and ignore the post modern school which is, true, essentially European, what's more French? Of course, the disadvantage with these historians is that most of them are still alive and kicking and they do not like people making them say things what they do not think. In other words they can rebut. Which means the book is not a history book in any way entering the scientific and academic debates of the last fifty years. Then, this being said, we can examine the content of the book. The main idea is that history is following some trajectory that leads it to some kind of a destination, understood as an end, a final point. History contains a pattern and it is not pure whimsical caprice. Right. Easy to see. Now to believe democracy is spreading in the world. We can even agree with that. But it is not democracy that is the pattern or the trajectory. It is the march of humanity towards full freedom. It had to free itself from purely animal life and nature that made the human species quite fragile and weak at first. It had to develop its surviving strategies by using what biology had given to it: a brain, the possibility to speak vowels and consonants and articulate them, the possibility to stand up, the possibility to grasp objects in a more effective way due to its thumb opposed to the fingers, etc. And the first task was to take care of their young who were premature and had to be looked after for several years before they could be really autonomous, and yet too small to live autonomously for several more years (sexually autonomous at the age of eleven of twelve, maybe earlier in those distant millennia). This determined the first division of labor, those who could look after the young, and particularly feed them, and the others. And language was invented and along with it the power to conceptualize, etc. And that's exactly what Kant forgot, what Marx neglected, what Kojeve ignored and what Fukuyama overlooks. Then he lives on a mythic first man that never existed, he thinks along the line of the primeval battle without any specification: in what state was humanity before the battle? If this battle established the masters and the slaves, they must have been free before. And they would have accepted to be enslaved all over the world? Of course not. Slavery was marginal and even inexistent in many civilizations, or it had very elaborate justifications like the caste system in the Hinduistic tradition, and that is not primeval. It is not because slavery was the norm in ancient Egypt, in Persia, in Israel (except for Jews or Israelis), in Greece and in Rome that it was true all over the world. It was marginal in the Celtic and Germanic tribes. Then this myth of the first man borrowed from Hegel is redoubled with the other myth of the last man borrowed from Nietzsche. And there Fukuyama derails. The future of the liberal democratic world is peaceful, without any classes, without any conflicts, without any struggle, with full satisfaction of human needs, etc. In other words a life without work, without ambition, without any effort to do better today than yesterday. Just sit back and enjoy. In other words the Elois of H.G. Wells but without the Morlocks. In other words a liberal world that he constantly identifies to capitalism but with no competition any more. He just forgets that competition is the basic principle of the market economy. In other words he is irrelevant due to this contradiction. But there is still worse. He speaks a lot of the inequality of human beings, but in vague terms. Human equality is only "born - and not created - equal in rights", but that is the French Revolution, but he seems to believe it is the same thing as the Declaration of Independence that says "created equal", period. Then when he speaks of the liberal revolution that the spirit of 1776 represents for him, he seems to forget that this Declaration of Independence and then the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the states statutes refused these rights to women, men under a certain age which was very advanced at the time, to Indians who do not pay taxes, to Blacks and other slaves who are not free, and to all the whites who do not earn property and/or do not pay taxes. And each extension of the beneficiaries of the Bill of Rights will be a battle, even a bloody battle at times, like the Civil Ward and its 600,000 casualties, and the Indian wars that will not lead to any extension. By neglecting all that he does not see that the motor of history, as he says, is the contradictions in our various human societies and that a contradiction is always solved to be replaced by another and contradictions will be eternal. And Fukuyama does not see the world is changing so fast that we cannot say what it will be in fifty years, and he ignores the fact that we are not in the post-industrial economy anymore but we have entered the knowledge economy phase: what are the contradictions of this world, the competitions of this economy? Fukuyama repeats Kojeve and Hegel and Nietzsche but does not answer these questions.
Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris Dauphine & University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne
Finally - Hegel can now be understood!.......2007-06-12
I normally dont get down with political philosophy books, but this one really explores some serious ideas while putting them in the context of history. Fukuyama bases almost all of his ideology off of Hegel and Kojeve, a modern Hegel scholar from Czech Republic. I love history yet have found Hegel incomprehensible and too dense to even consider buying one of his tomes - for people who are interested in history or the idea of dialectics, read this book. Fukuyama explains Hegel while placing him in the context of liberal democratic government - Fukuyama follows Kojeve's assertion that this is the end of history because there are no serious competitors to liberal democracy. The fall of communism and the subsequent unveiling of information on the corruption and violence that those regimes inflicted on their own people has led to a more or less universal acceptance of democracy as the preferred form of government. Fukuyama and Kojeve believe that democracy best satisfies man's "desire for recognition" - which leads to man's stupid ideas - mainly war, envy, etc. These aggressive tendencies of man are what cause history and the end of history has been brought about by the acceptance of the governmental form (liberal democracy) which best allows all men the opportunity for recognition. Seriously, this is an insightful, true book full of great intellectual ideas.
A brief summary to a modern philosophical gem:.......2007-06-12
Fukuyama spends most of the book exploring the seminal underpinnings of Universal History as it relates to early Christianity and ultimately the great German Idealist, Hegel: Fukuyama expresses his assiduous thesis with mostly Hegel as his overarching linchpin and with Alexander Kojeve serving as an elegant, clear sighted interpreter.
As an evolutionary catalyst threading throughout human history, Fukuyama examines the details of the ever-insistent human trait of "Thymos," a driving human impulse for recognition: "the primary motor driving history." Fukuyama carefully threads the social implications and political impact of "Thymos" throughout history and its tenuous development through various less than savory political forms (Authoritarianism, Communism, Fascism) until it arrives at its most counter-balanced form under the current rising epoch of Liberal Democracy.
For Fukuyama, the natural culmination of human political and social society ends triumphantly with Liberal Democracy. It is with Liberal Democracy that mankind's needs and wants are most thoroughly satisfied: The balanced state of "Isothymia." It is with Liberal Democracy that the passionate drive for recognition of "Thymos" (and it's most severe condition: "megalothymia.") is most innocuous.
However, as the culmination of human history, modern Liberal Democracy is not without its incipient flaws (the constant tug of war between Liberty versus Equality) or its potential for crippling problems arising from an unchecked "megalothymia:" Equations that Fukuyama explores with iconoclastic precision with the ever powerful and frightening Friedrich Nietzsche as his intellectual blunt instrument.
With Nietzsche as his ruthless gadfly, Fukuyama arrives at the danger of the Last Man: "We risk becoming secure and self-absorbed last men, devoid of thymotic striving for higher goals...Men would face the constant danger of degenerating from citizens to mere bourgeois." The problem of the Last Man highlights and outlines current social disintegration in our very own society. (Some brief examples: The poor voter participation, the apathy of our citizens to engage in worthy causes, our lack of community spirit, etc.) If the sickness of the Last Man is left to fester, if it is not addressed, modern Liberal Democracies would "grow into a morass of selfish hedonism and community would ultimately dissolve."
This book is a fantastic piece of work. I had great fun reading this book and I am sure that I will re-read it again.
Book Description
Why did Rome fall? Vicious barbarian invasions during the fifth century resulted in the cataclysmic end of the world's most powerful civilization, and a 'dark age' for its conquered peoples. Or did it? The dominant view of this period today is that the 'fall of Rome' was a largely peaceful transition to Germanic rule, and the start of a positive cultural transformation. Bryan Ward-Perkins encourages every reader to think again by reclaiming the drama and violence of the last days of the Roman world, and reminding us of the very real horrors of barbarian occupation. Attacking new sources with relish and making use of a range of contemporary archaeological evidence, he looks at both the wider explanations for the disintegration of the Roman world and also the consequences for the lives of everyday Romans, in a world of economic collapse, marauding barbarians, and the rise of a new religious orthodoxy. He also looks at how and why successive generations have understood this period differently, and why the story is still so significant today.
Customer Reviews:
Decline and Fall.......2007-10-01
I thought this was a good little book that presents archaeological evidence for the old fashion "decline and fall of western civilization" viewpoint. He makes the interesting observation that the decline did not occur uniformly over the whole empire, and in the east, it did not really occur at all. It also seems from his evidence that the loss of technology in the west happened over 50-100 years, which depending on how you look at it, is or is not a collapse. I would recommend this book, and a more critical reading of books focusing on the whole empire(in most cases the more literary eastern empire).
One Man's Civilisation Is Another Man's Third Reich.......2007-08-16
Professor Ward-Perkins has done an interesting, if short, book on a majestic theme - the fall of one of history's greatest empires, and its aftermath.
His main concern is to debunk a notion, apparently fashionable among historians, which I'm not sure many other people ever shared - the idea that the Fall of Rome wasn't such a big deal. Apparently, there is an historical school which regards the whole business as a mostly peaceful transition from the tail end of the Ancient World into the beginning of Medieval Europe. He collects an impressive pile of evidence that it was far from peaceful, and was indeed pretty catastrophic for many of those who had to live through it. Roman civilisation did not die of natural causes. It was killed, and mainly by the military force of the Barbarians.
Well, so far, so good. I doubt if the inhabitants of Italy, Gaul and Spain, who spent most of the years from 405 to 420 having one set of barbarians after another marching and counter-marching all over their homelands, would have any trouble agreeing with Ward-Perkins. Over the next couple of centuries many others would have cause to feel the same way. Nor was this temporary. For several centuries more, comforts that the Romans took for granted would become available only to a tiny few, and sometimes not at all. Pottery making virtually died out in Britain until about 700, tiled roofs, previously common, were little-known in the Middle Ages, and even coinage gave way to barter over wide areas. In short, standards of living, as usually measured, took a prolonged nosedive.
And yet - -. This is all very well, but if the Empire's fall was such a terrible loss to those who lived in it, how come it was never restored? The Chinese Empire "fell" lots of times, but was always rebuilt. When Rome fell, it stayed fallen, and its people seem to have soon become reconciled to doing without it.
Nor can the Barbarians be held solely responsible for what happened. In Asia Minor, which was virtually untouched by barbarian invasion, Colin McEvedy's "New Penguin Atlas of Medieval History" shows four cities - Ephesus, Miletus, Sardis, Smyrna - of between 15,000 and 50,000 people in AD 528. On the map for AD737, not one of them remains. Here at least, the Barbarians were not to blame for the decline, and other factors need to be considered.
At times, Ward-Perkins himself gives significant hints at this. He quotes ancient sources to the effect that, during Alaric's siege of Rome in 408/9, "almost all the slaves that were in Rome poured out of the city to join the Barbarians". And nine years earlier, when the rebel general Tribigild marched across Asia Minor, then a peaceful and prosperous region, his force was soon swelled by "such a mass of slaves and outcasts that the whole of Asia was in great danger, while Lydia was in utter confusion, with almost everyone fleeing to the coast and sailing across to the islands or elsewhere with their whole families". Clearly not all the Empire's subjects loved it.
But perhaps the most revealing incident is from 393, when "the Roman aristocrat Symmachus brought a group of Saxon prisoners to Rome, intending them to slaughter each other in gladiatorial games in honour of his son. However, before they were publicly exhibited twenty-nine of them committed suicide by the only means available to them - by strangling each other with their bare hands! For us, their terrible death represents a courageous act of defiance, but Symmachus viewed their suicide as the action of "a group of men viler than Spartacus", which had been sent to test him. With the self-satisfaction of which only Roman aristocrats were capable, he compared his own philosophical response to the event to the calm of Socrates when faced with adversity."
If Symmachus was at all representative of its ruling class, one can easily get an inkling of why the Empire failed, and see why not only the Barbarians, but many of its own less privileged subjects, might not have been sorry to see it go. One man's civilisation can all too easily be another man's "Third Reich", and one may suspect that many were ready enough to try and get along without the Roman State, even if it did mean having to make their own pottery.
Probably not the Best Book on This Topic to Start With.......2007-07-15
First let me disclose that I know very little about this topic; that's why I picked up the book. If, like me, you are looking for a good introduction to the topic, this is not the best book to start with. The author is writing for an informed audience.
That said, I did learn a lot by reading it. I was amazed to learn how much archeologist can determine with little more than old pottery, coins and graffitti. I was surprised to learn that the empire was far more complex and fragmented than I had previously believed. I also got a good picture of how little we know about the Roman Empire, how many questions there still are, and how much debate continues. It seems the question, "Did Rome FALL?" is still unanswered.
Ultimately, I learned that "The Fall of the Roman Empire" has become one of the great myths of the modern era. We interpret and teach it in the way that best reinforces our own values.
The Roman empire wasn't "transformed"; it fell, hard.......2007-07-04
I was surprised to read in the introduction to this book that it is currently somewhat fashionable to believe that the end of the western Roman empire was a gentle transition to a new form of government, without too much disruption. The main point of this book is that this is utter B.S. (and also that the proponents of this view have ulterior political motives). The author's arguments are convincing and are based on extensive archaeological evidence. Apparently when the Roman empire fell, the economy collapsed to levels not seen since long before the Roman empire, and took many centuries to recover. Items such as coins, roof tiles, and good quality pottery virtually disappear from the archaeological record. Entire industries were forgotten in some places, and literacy plunged to the point where most people of status could not even sign their own name. It is also likely that there was a massive depopulation, although this is harder to prove conclusively.
For someone who is concerned for the future of our present civilization, this book gives a vivid account of some of what can go wrong, and especially the vulnerabilities resulting from economic specialization. It is an unusually quick read for a history book, although I might have liked a more detailed analysis of how things fell apart and how they later recovered (to the extent that this is possible given the limited evidence). The book assumes some knowledge of the history of this period; if you don't know say the difference between a Visigoth and an Ostrogoth, you might not understand some parts (although these are not the most important parts). The chronology at the end gives a super-crash course. If you want more background, I recommend the book by Peter Heather.
clear explanation of why western roman empire went down!.......2007-05-13
there are many theories why that mighty Roman empire went down.
but after i read this book,now i have clear idea.the author explains what happened during fall of empire by both archaelogical and historical documents.also this book said when middle ages begins, everything about
what civilisation offer to people was virtually gone! after i read this book,i have fear in my mind what if this modern civilisation collapse,like the Roman empire 1600years ago...
Product Description
It's the end of the world as we know it. Someday soon, you might wake up to the call to prayer of a muezzin. Europeans already do. Liberals tell us that "diversity is our strength"--while Talibanic enforcers cruise Greenwich Village burning books and barber shops, while the Supreme Court decides that sharia law doesn't violate the "separation of church and state," and the Hollywood Left decides to give up on gay rights in favor of the much safer charms of polygamy. If you think this can't happen, you haven't been paying attention, as the hilarious and provocative columnist Mark Steyn shows to devastating effect in this, his first book on American and global politics.
Customer Reviews:
Unfortunately True.......2007-10-14
Every single American should read this book! He explains exactly how the Muslims are conquering the world. More wives = more babies = more Muslims = more terrorism. This is a religion that should nor even exist in the 21st century. They are commanded to murder everyone that refuses to convert to Islam. Most Americans do not understand that the greatest threat to the future of the world (especially America) is the Muslim religion.
America Alone.......2007-10-11
Every person in the USA should read this book. Today in the Dallas Morning news(10/10/07)there is an editorial by Anne Applebaum verifing one of the facts stated it this book. Ms. Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who is under death threat because of her comments about the mistreatment of women in the Dutch Muslin community had to move to the US because the Dutch say it is too expensive to protect her and she will not shut up. No free speech for her. Mohammed Bouyeri murdered the Dutch writer, Theo Van Gohg, because he made a film about the oppression of Muslim women.
Funny, but also an important message........2007-10-11
While I cannot say that anybody reading this should have more kids just out of the guilt this book might give you, it is an important message about the sad effects of low birthrates. Mark Steyn has a quick wit and funny tone that is clearly not politically correct (good for him). Anybody who enjoys a good laugh or is concerned about terrorism should read this.
A Must-Read!.......2007-10-10
This book was every bit as good as I had heard. I've always enjoyed Mark Steyn, but hadn't gotten a chance to read this yet because I had a stack of books in front of it. That's my loss, because this was one of the most profound and eye-opening books I've ever read. To be honest, I pay pretty close attention to this conflict we find ourselves in, so most of the individual facts in this book weren't exactly foreign to me. But Steyn pulls all this together and presents it in such a concise, clear and entertaining way that I was able to put the pieces together in a way I hadn't even imagined. His demographic data alone is shocking, and should make every person in Europe and Canada sit up and take serious note - I'll be paying very close attention to what happens over the next few years "across the pond", as they say, for how goes Europe, so will eventually go America. I plan to buy several more copies of this book and hand them out to friends and family. I highly suggest it.
Excelent book. Really crunches the numbers like no other book........2007-10-05
This book really lays out the problems with hard numbers and facts in a way I have never seen and is easy to understand. I recomend this book to anyone who is worried about the muslim issue. People in Europe better read it asap!
Books:
- Explaining Hitler: The Search for the Origins of His Evil
- Facing The Lion: Memoirs of a Young Girl in Nazi Europe
- God Save the Sweet Potato Queens
- Hatred's Kingdom: How Saudi Arabia Supports the New Global Terrorism
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Books Index
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The Copper Scroll
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Joel C. Rosenberg CD Collection: The Last Jihad, The Last Days, and The Ezekiel Option
