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 Spanish Civil War: Revised Edition (Modern Library Paperbacks)

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An easy to understand narrative of the Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War: Revised Edition (Modern Library Paperbacks)
SPANISH CIVIL WAR PRIMER
The Definitive Account of the Spanish Civil War.
This be the one

The Spanish Civil War: Revised Edition (Modern Library Paperbacks)
Hugh Thomas
Manufacturer: Modern Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0375755152
Release Date: 2001-12-04

Book Description

A masterpiece of the historian’s art, Hugh Thomas’s The Spanish Civil War remains the best, most engrossing narrative of one of the most emblematic and misunderstood wars of the twentieth century. Revised and updated with significant new material, including new revelations about atrocities perpetrated against civilians by both sides in this epic conflict, this "definitive work on the subject" (Richard Bernstein, The New York Times) has been given a fresh face forty years after its initial publication in 1961. In brilliant, moving detail, Thomas analyzes a devastating conflict in which the hopes, dreams, and dogmas of a century exploded onto the battlefield. Like no other account, The Spanish Civil War dramatically reassembles the events that led a European nation, in a continent on the brink of world war, to divide against itself, bringing into play the machinations of Franco and Hitler, the bloodshed of Guernica, and the deeply inspiring heroics of those who rallied to the side of democracy. Communists, anarchists, monarchists, fascists, socialists, democrats -- the various forces of the Spanish Civil War composed a fabric of the twentieth century itself, and Thomas masterfully weaves the diffuse and fascinating threads of the war together in a manner that has established the book as a genuine classic of modern history.

Customer Reviews:

An easy to understand narrative of the Spanish Civil War.......2007-06-21

Hugh Thomas account of the Spanish Civil War is the most thorough version of the events written to date. His writing style makes the reader believe the entire account could be fiction. It is very easy to read and you hardly feel like you are reading history at all. The Spanish Civil War is one of the most devastating conflicts of the 20th century. It is the precursor to World War II and showcased as well as trained some of Germany, Italy and Russia's top talent. The sheer devastation of tactics involved bullied a civilian population and decimated a country. The rise of Francisco Franco and his victory over the communists was made possible by fascist intervention. The democracies of the world worked hard to try and effect a peace but they were unsuccessful against the determination of the fascists and the communists to prolong the conflict. This is a complicated conflict to understand but Hugh Thomas tries to simplify it as much as he can. This is the best start to understanding the Spanish Civil War and for those who want to understand how World War II began.

The Spanish Civil War: Revised Edition (Modern Library Paperbacks).......2006-11-10

Hugh Thomas combines sound judgment with extensive research. The result is a history that tells you what you want to know and what you need to know.

SPANISH CIVIL WAR PRIMER.......2006-06-20

As the 70th Anniversary of the beginning of the Spanish Civil War is approaching this writer is reviewing some important works that militants should read in order to draw the lessons of the defeat of the Spanish revolution. The writer has been interested, as a pro-Republican partisan, in the Spanish Civil War since he was a teenager. What initially perked my interest, and remains of interest, is the passionate struggle of the Spanish working class to create its own political organization of society, its leadership of the struggle against Spanish fascism and the romance surrounding the entry of the International Brigades, particularly the American Abraham Lincoln Battalion of the 15th Brigade, into the struggle.

Underlying my interests has always been a nagging question of how that struggle could have been won by the working class. The Spanish proletariat certainly was capable of both heroic action and the ability to create organizations that reflected its own class interests i.e. the worker militias and factory committees. Of all modern working class revolutions after the Russian revolution Spain showed the most promise of success. Bolshevik leader Leon Trotsky noted that the political class-consciousness of the Spanish proletariat was higher than that of the Russian proletariat in 1917. Yet it failed in Spain. Mr. Thomas' history of the period, if only indirectly, gives some answers to the reasons for that failure.

When I say indirectly I mean just that. Mr. Thomas's history is strong on the main events, actions and points of the struggle. Militants, unfamiliar with the events of the Spanish Civil War can profitably use this history as a basic reader. However, if a militant is seeking to draw the lessons of the Spanish Civil War this book is not an adequate source and he or she must look elsewhere. Furthermore, Mr. Thomas makes no pretense to offer such a perspective and this writer would argue that he was hostile to any perspective but the view of high European, especially British, governmental politics. Fair enough. There is still plenty of basic information to be gleaned from this work.

The Spanish Civil War of 1936-1939 has been the subject of innumerable works from every possible political and military perspective possible. A fair number of such treatises, especially from those responsible for the military and political policies on the Republican side, are merely alibis for the disastrous policies that led to defeat. Mr. Thomas' work analyzes those policies. Unfortunately, he is not sensitive to the base of society that actually fought, endured or fled the war. What Mr. Thomas does find is the furious nature of the struggle in Spanish society between the old agrarian- based economy and the newer capitalist- based economy; the religious tensions caused by the breakup of the old agrarian society and the tensions between believers and church-burners; the struggle between centralizers and federalists which formed the core of the unresolved national questions, especially in Catalonia; the intense political struggles within the broad sections that supported both left and right, especially the role of the Stalinist police apparatus; the international ideological political factors that played a role, if not as erroneously assumed the decisive factor; and, finally, the burning personal antagonisms that in a civil war pit brother against brother, family against family, town against town, etc.. With the caveat mentioned above-read on.

The Definitive Account of the Spanish Civil War........2006-05-25

If all that you know about the Spanish Civil War comes from the works of Papa Hemingway or Pablo Picasso, this well researched history is for you. Thomas' work is well researched and librally cited throughout. He reviewed the surviving documents for both sides and interviewed many of the surviving players including Germans and Russians involved in a War which was a training ground for the European Dictatorships in preparing for World War II.

Thomas lays out the causes of the war in part one. He gives us a breif history of the various parties of the Left and Right and their grievances which lead to the revolt against the Spanish Republic and Franco's Right Wing Dictatorship which ruled Spain until the 1970's.

His review of the campaigns and international intrigue make for a good review of the events for non Spaniards who may not be familiar with this bloody period of European History where tanks, terror bombing, and blitzkreig were used for the first time.

His discussion of European diplomacy in the book shows all the major players including the Germans and the Russians looking for a way to leave Spain without losing face and without triggering another World War before anyone was ready. In the end World War 2 nearly started a few years early and would probably been a two front war at once.

He looks without judgement at the atrochities committed by both sides Republican and Nationalists which were horrendous enough to make their Nazi and Stalinist Soviet advisors cringe.

A very Good History of the Period Leading to World War 2.

This be the one.......2005-12-01

Detailed and objective this is the touchstone of anyone who is serious about studying the Spanish Civil War. It has all the grit, politics and dark savagery of the conflict that was the precursor to WW II

Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion Edition 1. 3-Volume Set (Scribner Library of Daily Life)

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Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion Edition 1. 3-Volume Set (Scribner Library of Daily Life)

Manufacturer: Charles Scribner's Sons
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Textile & Costume | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0684313944

Book Description

From diapers to Dior, saris to serapes, the world of clothing is nearly as vast and as ancient as the human race. Tracing the stylistic and functional threads that unite clothing across time and cul-tures -- as well as delving into the divergent styles and significance of apparel -- this A to Z encyclopedia is the essential resource for exploring the relationship between culture and couture.

This broad-based set surveys clothing, body adornment, and examines the origins of clothing, the development of fabrics and technologies, and the social meanings of dress. It also presents information on representative costumes from a wide variety of historical eras, which are frequently the topic of student research. Topics range from the bustle, sari, and toga to Polyester and body piercing. The short entries explain the history of garments (necktie, codpiece, cocktail dress, bathing suit, burqua, Nehru jacket), techniques and manufactures (batik, dry cleaning, zipper, stone washing), body adornment (makeup, mask, tattoo, wig), and important persons and institutions (Coco Chanel, Edith Head, Yves Saint-Laurent, Fashion Institute of Technology). The longer essays provide cultural context: class, gender, sumptuary laws, costume design for stage and screen, advertising; fashion careers; ecclesiastical dress; military uniforms; etc.

Book Description

The Library of Alexandria was one of the greatest cultural adornments of the late ancient world, containing thousands of scrolls of Greek, Hebrew and Mesopotamian literature and art and artifacts of ancient Egypt. This book demonstrates that Alexandria became--through the contemporary reputation of its library--a point of confluence for Greek, Roman, Jewish and Syrian culture that drew scholars and statesmen from throughout the ancient world. It also explores the histories of Alexander the Great and of Alexandria itself, the greatest city of the ancient world. This new paperback edition offers general readers an accessible introduction to the history of this magnificent yet still mysterious institution from the time of its foundation up to its tragic destruction.

Customer Reviews:

Multiple Musings on the Library of Alexandria.......2006-07-09

This is a highly interesting book, collecting together a good assortment of different articles that (more or less) focus on the great Library of Alexandria. The articles are quite varied in approach: one is an imaginative tour of the city verging on the whimsical, another a dry detailed account of archaeological finds. One is an intriguing down-to-earth social history of scholar and student culture of the time, while another is a far-ranging exploration of the mystical beliefs and practices of the Neo-Platonists. This variety keeps the book fresh as one is reading it, and approaching the subject from multiple disciplinary angles in this manner keeps the presentation from becoming simplistic or one-dimensional. All of the articles are learned and scholarly in a good way, written so as to be accessible to the reasonably well-educated non-specialist (like me).

My one nitpick of this book would be that many of the articles seem only tangentially related to the Library of Alexandria itself. In fact, of the ten articles in the book (counting the Intro), only two seem really focused on the actual Library per se: the editor's introduction and article #3 (Barnes' "Cloistered Bookworms"). The others, while interesting in their own right and not utterly irrelevant to the title, seem to veer off more and more, until by the final article we are way off (a fun, nitpicky analysis of Eco's novel " Name of the Rose" in the light of what medieval libraries were really like). It is as if the editor was straining to get enough material to put together a book. Surely there is more to say about the actual library itself?--There's a whole book out there just on the Library's bibliographer, after all ("Kallimachos: The Alexandrian Library and the Origins of Bibliography" by Rudolf Blum).

Still, this is a fine book that I'd recommend to anyone interested in the Library of Alexandria (both in and of itself and phenomena tangential to it); as an utter layperson in this field I enjoyed it a lot, but my guess is that even the Classical expert will find something here worthwhile.

In case you're wondering, here are the articles:
"Introduction: Alexandria in History and Myth" by Roy MacLeod
1. "Before Alexandria: Libraries in the Ancient Near East" by D.T. Potts
2. "Alexandria: The Umbilicus of the Ancient World" by Wendy Brazil
3. "Cloistered Bookworms in the Chicken-Coop of the Muses: The Ancient Library of Alexandria" by Robert Barnes
4. "Aristotle's Works: The Possible Origins of the Alexandria Collection" by R.G. Tanner
5. "Doctors in the Library: The Strange Tale of Apollonius the Bookworm and Other Stories" by John Vallance
6. "The Theatre of Paphos and the Theatre of Alexandria: Some First Thoughts" by J.R. Green
7. "Scholars and Students in the Roman East" by Samuel N.C. Lieu
8. "The Neoplatonists and the Mystery Schools of the Mediterranean" by Patricia Cannon Johnson
9. "Alexandria and its Medieval Legacy: The Book, the Monk and the Rose" by J.O. Ward

The Court and Household of Eleanor of Castile in 1290: An Edition of British Library, Additional Manuscript 35294 With Introduction and Notes, 37 (Studies ... Institute of Mediaeval Studies), 37.)

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The Court and Household of Eleanor of Castile in 1290: An Edition of British Library, Additional Manuscript 35294 With Introduction and Notes, 37 (Studies ... Institute of Mediaeval Studies), 37.)

Manufacturer: Pontifical Inst of Medieval
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Dictionary of Bibliographic Abbreviations Found in the Scholarship of Classical Studies and Related Disciplines: Revised and Expanded Edition

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Dictionary of Bibliographic Abbreviations Found in the Scholarship of Classical Studies and Related Disciplines: Revised and Expanded Edition
Jean Susorney Wellington
Manufacturer: Praeger Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0313321418

Book Description

Trying to identify abbreviated titles of journals and standard bibliographic works is a major difficulty facing researchers and librarians in the field of Classical Studies. This revised edition has been greatly expanded, with nearly twice the abbreviations (17,000) and bibliographic entries (12,400) as the first edition. Also, the Greek and Cyrillic abbreviations have increased by seven and four fold respectively. Abbreviations for internet sites are now included, as are those for associations in the broad area of Classical Studies. There are also more entries for Eastern European and regional archaeological publications. This revised volume is divided into two parts. Part One consists of an alphabetical listing of bibliographic abbreviations found in the scholarship of classical studies and related disciplines. Meanwhile, Part Two is an alphabetically arranged bibliographic descriptions for the works published in classical studies and related disciplines. Special efforts were made to increase the coverage in peripheral areas, making this new edition a useful reference tool for scholars in all subjects of study in the ancient and medieval world.

World War II: Biographies Edition 1. (World War II Reference Library)

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World War II: Biographies Edition 1. (World War II Reference Library)
Kelly King Howes , and Christine Slovey
Manufacturer: U·X·L
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0787638951

Book Description

Introduce your students to 31 noteworthy people who were involved in or affected by World War II. Part of the U·X·L® World War II Reference Library, World War II: Biographies offers informative essays ranging from 1,200 to 2,400 words. They cover political and military leaders, such as Stalin and Roosevelt, Eisenhower and Rommel, as well as people like Ernie Pyle (American journalist) and Franz Jagerstatter (German Catholic conscientious objector). It also includes approximately 65 photographs and illustrations, sidebars, glossary, timeline, sources for further study, and name and subject indexes.

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Excellent brief biography

James Polk and The Expansionist Impulse (Library of American Biography Series) (3rd Edition) (Library of American Biography)
Sam W. Haynes
Manufacturer: Longman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Zachary Taylor: Soldier, Planter, Statesman of the Old Southwest (Southern Biography)

John Tyler: Champion of the Old South (Signature Series)

Millard Fillmore: Biography of a President (Signature Series)

Old Tippecanoe: William Henry Harrison and His Time (Signature Series)

President James Buchanan: A Biography

ASIN: 0321370740

Book Description

This biography explores the controversies, triumphs, and failures of the presidency of James K. Polk. Sam W. Haynes places Polk's expansionist agenda in both political and social contexts and examines the nature and origins of the expansionist impulse. Paperback, brief, and inexpensive, each of the titles in the Library of American Biography series focuses on a figure whose actions and ideas significantly influenced the course of American History and national life. In addition, each biography relates the life of its subject to the broader themes and developments of the times. This text incorporates the latest scholarship and draws upon the longer, far more extensive studies of Polk’s life and times, but makes the story accessible to students in both survey and upper division courses in American history.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent brief biography.......2006-03-31

Between the end of Andrew Jackson's presidency in 1837 and the beginning of Abraham Lincoln's in 1861 there was a 24 year period of presidential mediocrity. Eight presidents served during this era, four of them for less than a single term, forming a roster of forgettable names: Martin Van Buren, William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, Zachary Taylor, Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce and James Buchanan. Only one man in this era of mediocrity stands out at all: James Polk.

What makes Polk stand out from these others is that he actually accomplished something noteworthy. During his presidency, the U.S. warred with Mexico. This war was significant not only because it marked the first time the U.S. fought a war in foreign territory, but more importantly, it resulted in the U.S. acquiring a vast amount of land, including California and New Mexico (it also forced Mexico to recognize that Texas was now part of its northern neighbor). In addition, Polk was able to more peacefully obtain what would become Oregon and Washington from England.

The acquisition of Mexican land was controversial during the war and even remains the source of argument today. Long before the controversies of weapons of mass destruction, there were the debatable origins of the Mexican War; Polk was determined to acquire land and set up things to force a conflict. Besides the somewhat dubious origins of the war, the result for the U.S. was also filled with negatives; the new territories would exacerbate North-South conflicts (particularly about slavery) and - though temporarily alleviated by the Compromise of 1850, would eventually lead to the Civil War.

Sam Haynes has written an excellent if brief biography of Polk. In just over 200 pages, he reviews Polk's entire life, focusing on his one term as president. Haynes remains reasonably objective, with as much praise for Polk's better qualities as criticism for his deficiencies. If you are interested in Polk or this era of American History, this is a good introduction.

Andrew Carnegie and the Rise of Big Business (Library of American Biography Series) (3rd Edition) (Library of American Biography)

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BORING
Worst Book Ever
boring book
Bad Book
Worst required reading...

Andrew Carnegie and the Rise of Big Business (Library of American Biography Series) (3rd Edition) (Library of American Biography)
Harold C. Livesay
Manufacturer: Longman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0321432878

Book Description

In this biography, author and scholar Harold C. Livesay examines the life and legacy of Andrew Carnegie, one of the greatest captains of industry and philanthropists in the history of the United States.

Paperback, brief, and inexpensive, each of the titles in the Library of American Biography Series focuses on a figure whose actions and ideas significantly influenced the course of American history and national life. In addition, each biography relates the life of its subject to the broader themes and developments of the times.

This best-selling biography offers students a lively and compelling portrait of one of the twentieth century's greatest businessmen, while providing an avenue for exploring industrialism, capitalism, and the foundations of big business.

Andrew Carnegie, The Gilded Age, Industrialism, Capitalism, American Steel, Carnegie Steel Company, Pennsylvania Railroad, Pittsburgh,

Readers interested in Andrew Carnegie and American Industrialism.

Customer Reviews:

BORING.......2004-10-18

I too had to read this horrible waste of a tree for my history class - i thought it was and intresting story the whole rags to riches thing but i never finished a single chapter because i didnt have the will power to push through the dryness of this book, most often i even fell asleep. livesay may have acuratley described the rise of andrew carnegie but this book is crap - only a true history nut would find any enjoyment in the book, and thats pushing it

Worst Book Ever.......2004-09-21

"Andrew Carnegie: and the Rise of Big Business" was the worst book I have ever read. I went into reading it with an open mind, and after the first chapter I wanted to pull my hair out it was so boring.
First off, the book took place in a time period where I wasn't even born. My parents weren't even born yet. It has to do with a subject that I don't even know about.
Second, the author dragged on and on about numbers and business partners and business investments. He was using words that were not in my vocabulary.
Finally, the plot and main ideas of the book were so slow. They jumped around and I didn't know what business we were talking about, or which business partner was involved. They talked about money and finances.

boring book.......2004-09-21

Andrew Carnegie was such a boring book, especially if you hate history. I couldn't get interested in it. It went too much in depth with numbers and statistics. Those things took away from what,I think, the author was trying to get the readers to understand.
Every time I read it I would lose interest right away!! One paragraph and I was gone. I would even fall asleep when reading it!!! I had to re-read sections multiple times because I couldn't even tell you what I was reading. It went in one ear and out the other. I had to make sure I understood it though because I had to write a 5 page paper on it for my history class.

Bad Book.......2004-09-21

I was required to read this book for my history class. It was probably the most boring book that I have ever read. Every time I started to read it I would fall asleep. I tried to read a chapter each day, but I ended up reading a page or two then passing out. The book goes too far into specifics and numbers in certain areas of his life which takes away from the story. This made the book almost unbearable to read. If you are having trouble sleeping at night then you should go out and buy this book, but if you are looking for a good read, think again.

Worst required reading..........2004-09-21

I was required to read Andrew Carnegie and the Rise of Big Business for my history class. Not only did were we requiered to read this dry biography, but we then had to write a 5-7 page paper on what we thought the themes of the book were. However, the book is so bogged down with numbers and informatin about how he did EVERYTHING in excessive detail, that it is hard to focus on the reading yet alone find the themes within it.
I have no doubt that Andrew Carnegie was a great man and accomplished some great feats, but who cares EXACTLY how he did it and what the exact numbers were? I think the book would have been a much better read if Harold Livesay, the author, had simlpy told the story of Carnegies life. All the statistics were overkill.
In addition to continually beating an already dead horse, Livesay went into more depth than neccessary with the details of how Andrew did things. A simple explanation of a series of events would have been sufficiant. I think more people would be able to read and even enjoy Andrew Carnegie's life story had the author left out all the fluff.

Menace in Europe: Why the Continent's Crisis Is America's, Too: Library Edition

Average customer rating:

great
Brilliant social and historical analysis
DEMOCRACY HAS LOST ITS SOUL
Horribly Biased
Good read

Menace in Europe: Why the Continent's Crisis Is America's, Too: Library Edition
Claire Berlinski
Manufacturer: Blackstone Audiobooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: MP3 CD

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ASIN: 078617420X

Product Description

We think of Europe as the charming continent of windmills and gondolas. But lately, Europe has become the continent of endless strikes and demonstrations, bombs on the trains and subways, radical Islamic cells in every city, and ghettos so hopeless and violent even the police wont enter them. This isnt the Europe we thought we knew.

Tracing the ancient conflicts and newly erupting crises across the continent, journalist Claire Berlinski reveals why Islamic radicalism and terrorist indoctrination flourish as Europe fails to assimilate millions of Muslim immigrants; how long-repressed destructive instincts are suddenly reemerging; how the death of religious faith has created a hopeless, morally unmoored Europe that clings to dangerous ideologies; why the notion of a united Europe is a fantasy, and what it all means for the United States.

Customer Reviews:

great.......2007-09-27

This is a good book for anyone interested in the immigrant experiences and more importantly why they differ. She uses anecdotal writing which to my mind makes it more entetaining.

Brilliant social and historical analysis.......2007-07-30

Menace in Europe provides brilliant insights into the current social crisis in Europe. Exploring topics such as immigration and nationalism, it provides American readers with pointed, thoughtful and well-documented observations about the social and political climate in Europe. We should all be concerned about the destructive forces ripping apart the European continent. As a footnote, the chapter on the German rock band Rammstein is absolutely brilliant as it depicts the underground rise of nationalism in a nation that has tried to stamp out Aryan tendencies. This book is highly, highly recommended.

DEMOCRACY HAS LOST ITS SOUL .......2007-06-15

"That roots must be defended in the full knowledge that `those who subscribe to Islam are aliens, regardless of their clothes, their professions or their places of residence'. They sense Western weakness and expect that if Islam supplies the only old religious tradition left standing fifty years hence, it may attract mass conversions. That would indeed be the end of the West, its final surrender to the spirit masterfully depicted by Jean Raspail in the preface to the 1985 French edition of his Camp of Saints: "The West has no soul left. At every level - nations, race, cultures as well as individuals, - it is always the soul that wins the decisive battles." "...monstrous cancer implanted in the Western conscience." `Its roots are in the loss of faith and in the arrogant doctrine - rampant in the `the West' for three centuries now - that man can solve the dilemma of his existence by his unaided intellect alone. If that loss is not reversed the game is over anyway, proving yet again that where God retreats, Allah advances." (Srdja Trifkovic, The Islamic Conquest of Britain)

Horribly Biased.......2007-06-12

It seems that when Ms. Berlinksi decided to write this book, her goal was to try and equate the mistakes of europes past (recent and not so recent) to the blunders of the Bush administration. This book is a book for republicans, thinly veiled in "facts". It does present a few good points, but on the whole if it were any more biased it might as well have been called "Dubyas guide to the rest of the world". Not worth the money.

Good read .......2007-05-13

Finally, a simple but profound and right on analysis of the European psyche vis-vis the United States, written by an American who has lived most of her adult life in Europe. Excellent!!!

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