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.

Little White Lies: A Novel of Love and Good Intentions

Average customer rating:

Reader beware...
Little White lies....
A sweet, funny little book
Underdeveloped
See what might happen if you lie......

Little White Lies: A Novel of Love and Good Intentions
Gemma Townley
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0345467574
Release Date: 2005-03-29

Book Description

WHAT’S ONE LITTLE WHITE LIE?

Okay, so it isn’t that little. It’s kind of a whopper. It’s just that when Natalie Raglan ups and quits her job at a Bath advertising firm, breaks up with her loser-ish boyfriend, and moves–to London! Things don’t quite turn out the way she planned. Having made the brave move to the Big City, the lifelong country mouse finds that living chic is still a long way off. Even Cressida, the girl who used to rent her tiny flat, still gets more phone calls and mail there than Nat does. Come to think of it, Cressida Langdon’s life looks pretty appealing–especially when an invitation to the posh, exclusive Soho House club arrives, addressed to Cressida.

Before she really knows what she’s done, Nat has opened Cressida’s mail . . . and taken up her life. Soon Nat’s dating a gorgeous investment banker named Simon, giving “reiki healing sessions,” wearing wonderful clothes, and partying with the A-list at Soho House. But the best part really is Simon. He’s everything Nat has ever wanted. The problem is he thinks she’s someone else. And as her life and her lies begin to spiral out of control, Nat can’t help but wonder: Will she be exposed as a liar and a fake–or be saved from ruin by simply claiming good intentions. . . .

Download Description

Okay, so it isn’t that little. It’s kind of a whopper. It’s just that when Natalie Raglan ups and quits her job at a Bath advertising firm, breaks up with her loser–ish boyfriend, and moves–to London! Things don’t quite turn out the way she planned. Having made the brave move to the Big City, the lifelong country mouse finds that living chic is still a long way off. Even Cressida, the girl who used to rent her tiny flat, still gets more phone calls and mail there than Nat does. Come to think of it, Cressida Langdon’s life looks pretty appealing–especially when an invitation to the posh, exclusive Soho House club arrives, addressed to Cressida.

Before she really knows what she’s done, Nat has opened Cressida’s mail… and taken up her life. Soon Nat’s dating a gorgeous investment banker named Simon, giving “reiki healing sessions,” wearing wonderful clothes, and partying with the A–list at Soho House. But the best part really is Simon. He’s everything Nat has ever wanted. The problem is he thinks she’s someone else. And as her life and her lies begin to spiral out of control, Nat can’t help but wonder: Will she be exposed as a liar and a fake–or be saved from ruin by simply claiming good intentions.…

Customer Reviews:

Reader beware..........2007-09-23

"Little White Lies" isn't an entire waste of time, but it is very predictable and repetitive. Take the plot of "Working Girl" and throw in a little "While You Were Sleeping" and that'll give you about 80% of the plot. Small town girl moves to the city with big dreams only to be initially disappointed. So, due to a few twists, she finds herself impersonating a more accomplished character. Enter the Perfect Guy and his appealing family, who love the protagonist for just who she is. But will they still love her when her deception is uncovered? That is the dilemma. There are all the standard cliches, including the scene where the protagonist is ready to reveal her lie, only to be interupted by someone who spills the beans for her. The ending is pure cotton candy. In fact, reading "Little White Lies" reminded me of why I often avoid chick lit. There are some good writers in this genre (and Townley is a competant writer, just not original) but the plots are so obvious that reading to the end often feels like a waste of time. I'll give this one points for the following: I learned a few things I didn't know (such as that Stonehenge and Bristol are near Bath) and there are at least two twists I couldn't predict (although they're both minor to the plot.) So... reader beware.

Little White lies...........2007-09-02

Great book!! I couldn't put it down, i think I've read all of Gemma Townley's books now can't wait for the next one to come out!!

A sweet, funny little book.......2007-03-30

I really enjoyed this book, which actually kind of surprised me. I thought it was going to just be a bit of fluff -- some escapist chick lit that I could enjoy dipping into at the end of a long day while lolling in the bathtub.

But then I found myself interested in the main character, Natalie, and the tangled web she wove as she took on another identity. She was, of course, a terrible liar, and a number of very entertaining things happened with the story's being neatly resolved at the end.

This isn't deep or timeless literature. The character development is somewhat haphazard and the plot will gently test your credulity, but "Little White Lies" is a fun, interesting, entertaining book for the bath, beach, or comfy nook on the sofa.

Underdeveloped.......2007-02-25

The story of this book sounded really promising and funny: Young woman moves to big city, works in retail, gets a bunch of mail addressed to the prior tenant and lies herself into a whole different identity.

Unfortunately the way it was worked out was nothing else but disappointing. Without any warning, or any kind of explanation, the main character moved back to her hometown only to return to the big city and getting back with her ex-boyfriend within a few pages. It would have been nice to get some more insights and just some kind of how did she get there explanation. What ever happened to a gradual story development?

All in a sudden she has her own store and lives happily ever after with the guy who thought she was someone else. How exactly did that happen? I feel I could have written this book better than this author.

I like light and breezy novels, but that doesn't mean that they have to do completely dump and unrealistic.

See what might happen if you lie.............2006-07-19

I really like this book because it was fun to read and I wanted to know what was going to happen to Natalie from her lies. I'm sure everyone has received mail or a phone call from someone who use to live at their current place and who use to have their current phone number.

But we were always the good little girl and never opened the mail or always told the caller that you have the wrong number. With this book we get to see what could happen if you opened someone's mail and looked in on someone else's life.

This book also showed that you can stick to your dreams and achieve them. From other reviews the main character did flip flop with decision making but that was the fun of her character she could never really make up her mind.

The Graffiti Subculture: Youth, Masculinity and Identity in London and New York

Average customer rating:

Review of Graffiti Subculture
First-rate exploration of the world of the graffiti writer
amazing insight
WRITING ON WRITING
Unique and compelling

The Graffiti Subculture: Youth, Masculinity and Identity in London and New York
Nancy Macdonald
Manufacturer: Palgrave Macmillan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0333781910

Book Description

This book is the most extensive contribution to our understanding of the graffiti subculture to date. Using insights from ethnographic research conducted in London and New York, this book explores the varying ways young men use graffiti to construct masculinity, claim power, and establish independence from the institutions which define, and often limit, them as young people. Forging a link between subcultural practice and identity construction, this book will be essential reading for anyone interested in new understandings of youth and their subcultures.

Customer Reviews:

Review of Graffiti Subculture.......2005-04-13

Allow me to be the first voice of dissent--while this is a thoroughly researched ethnography, the analysis was myopic and simply not intensive enough. My primary disapointment in this book was the author's failure to account for graffiti itself--as a language, as text, as communication. So little has been written on this subject, but Mcdonald spends only the smallest amount of time discussing the way that graffiti "performs". Of course, you say, she is a sociologist, and this is a subcultural study. But Mcdonald spends a great deal of this book focusing on masculine/feminine identity and graffiti art as a way to "perform" masculinity or femininity, through exclusion and inclusion. Graffiti is contextualized as an expression of anomie and disenfranchisement, and the illegal nature is brought to the forefront. But this could easily have been a book about gang members in London, as very little in this book would have been different. So much can be written about the way urban youth mediate themselves, and why. This book just does not account for communication and, in focusing on its subjects, neglects the very interfaces and connections that allow them to communicate and differentiate. Finally, the greatest weakness of this book is that it makes NO attempt to historicize graffiti. It's as if graffiti first appeared in the 80's out of a cultural vacuum. Without any sort of historical context, the hobby discussed in this volume means very, very little. Like other dissertations written for public consumption, the book spends a great deal of time recounting the history of 20th century criticism, which will make you tap your foot and roll your eyes if you've heard all of this before. I enjoy the approach--ethnography is a very important methodology, first person narration and personal anecdotes are too often absent from academic work (but becoming more popular in recent years)and the author's insistence that her subjects review and revise her work in the footnotes is very endearing, and perhaps revolutionary. I just wish that this book had actually discussed graffiti--how do we understand subjects without understanding their symbolic order?

First-rate exploration of the world of the graffiti writer.......2004-12-11

I couldn't recommend this book more highly to anybody with a serious interest in the lives and values of graffiti writers. The book is undeniably scholarly in tone, but is written in a clear and lucid manner which makes it accessible to anybody with an interest in the subject. Furthermore, Macdonald's effective discussion of her methodologies and the assumptions underlying her work make the book invaluable for anybody who wishes to look at a variety of subcultures, not just graffiti.

Even if you don't believe the blurb (or this review), believe the pages of glowing appraisals from graffiti writers that fill the back of the book. This is, in itself, a considerable achievment, and testifies to the high regard in which Macdonald's work is held by her subjects. If more writers bothered to check their work with the people they write about, this type of book would be held in higher regard outside the world of academia.

amazing insight.......2001-07-26

I myself have conducted extensive research on the subject and have found Nancy's book to be the most comprehensive study to date on the graffiti subculture. How a researcher can get so close to the essense of a very difficult subculture to penetrate is beyond me. An immensely interesting read, and a resource for study into any youth subcultural activity.

WRITING ON WRITING.......2001-07-25

THOUGHTS:

At last! A sensible rational book on the graffiti sub-culture. This book presents established sociological schools of thought uniquely re-interpreted in a reader-friendly down to earth methodology. Should be compulsary reading for any student of Culture or Sociology, or indeed anyone with an interest in this controversial artform.I think it would be enlightening reading for those who continue to make political mileage about the deviance of graffiti , and force them to examine the roots and different branches of the sub-culture. I only wish I'd owned it at the beginning of my degree course but will be fully utilising it in my last year of essays. It is rare to read a book which balances academic strength with such clarity on the little studied role of female participants of sub-cultures.

Unique and compelling.......2001-07-25

Taking a different approach to the graffiti subject is not something I would usually recommend - most authors that have tried to write about graf and the surrounding culture produce forgettable books often ridiculed by graf writers. And if you don't appeal to the people you're writing about, where's the decency in that? Nancy Macdonald has totally blown any preconceptions you might have about her approach to this subject - she looks at the culture from the perspective of an outsider looking in, but successfully involves the people she is writing about. Genuine quotes from writers (not just any writers, but respected and admired writers) prove that Macdonald carried out the necessary research to write an incredible book on the ideas and psychology behind graffiti. Although the content is generally text, the selection of photos are well chosen and effective at backing up the writing.

To cap off an already-essential book, Macdonald had the courtesy to hand the book back to the writers who contributed and helped. Their comments (in the back of the book) only enforce that this book is accurate and genuine - and for that alone, Macdonald should be applauded.

Book Description

Witty and buoyant comedy of manners is brilliantly plotted from its effervescent first act to its hilarious denouement, and filled with some of literature's most famous epigrams. Widely considered Wilde's most perfect work, the play is reprinted here from an authoritative early British edition. Note to the Dover Edition.

Customer Reviews:

Honestly..........2007-03-24

I still smile when I think about this play. It was my first sampling of Oscar Wilde, and I found it pretty enjoyable. It's also been my only sampling of Oscar Wilde. I've been meaning to get into some more of his work, I really have. It's a tale of mistaken identity, of love, of three volume novels, of "Bunburyists" and of fashion. Everyone claims to be Earnest, but they're all rather trivial about it. It's pretty funny too, with a lot of wit and the like through it.

This particular edition is particularly cheap, and it seems like its worth a look.

Brilliant and Witty.......2006-05-06

I love this play. I love Oscar Wilde. The wit and humor of this play is astounding, and yet at the same time, it is so intelligent. I love it.

Audio CD is abridged on one CD.......2006-04-23

I have not listened to this audio CD version. I purchased it and returned it without listening to it. I opened the case and realized that this is an abridged radio play version on one CD. The play itself is delightful. I don't care for abridged versions of most material, certainly not a play that takes less than 90 minutes in its entirety. I urge Amazon to update the catalog entry to indicate that this is abridged. An unabridged version is available from other vendors. Thank-you.

Timeless Wit.......2006-01-14

This is an undeniable classic that I've enjoyed seeing over the years in both theatrical and film productions. Upon reading the work, I find that it doesn't suffer in the reading as well. Wilde is likely the most witty person to have ever lived. He claimed he was at least. His works, of course, reflect that genius. In particular, "The Importance of Being Ernest" does. If you're going to experience only one of Wilde's plays, this is the one. The plot is delightfully silly and turns on itself several times. And the word-play is hilarious, and still fresh after more than a century. I'm pretty sure that this play will never grow old.

amazing play.......2005-08-05

Oscar Wilde never fails to intrest me. This is his most acclaimed and recognized work. The plot was everyday and trite, but with meticulous details Wilde was able to overplay the happily ever after concept-of-a-plot. I'd definitely read this again. If I could only pick one play to read by Wilde, this one would be it.

The English National Character: The History of an Idea from Edmund Burke to Tony Blair

Average customer rating:

The English National Character: The History of an Idea from Edmund Burke to Tony Blair
Peter Mandler
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0300120524

Book Description

What kind of people are “the English”? What characteristic traits and behavior (if any) distinguish them from other people? This highly original and wide-ranging book traces the surprisingly varied history of ideas among the English about their own “national character” over the past two centuries.
Two hundred years ago, the very idea of a national character was novel and not very respectable. Today, it is again difficult for the many who think of themselves as unique individuals to imagine a “national character” that binds the English together in a national unit. But in between, as Britain became a democracy, “national character” became part of the national common sense, reflected in depictions of "John Bull" and his twentieth-century successor, the "Little Man," and in a set of stereotypes about English traits, follies, and foibles. Not at all shy to talk about themselves, the English have produced a vast outpouring of material on what it means to be English—material on which this book draws: lectures, sermons, political speeches, journalism, popular and scholarly books, poems and novels and films, satires and cartoons and caricatures, as well as up-to-the-minute social science and public opinion research.
In this comprehensive and lucidly argued book, a leading historian of modern Britain challenges long-held assumptions and familiar stereotypes and proposes an entirely new perspective on what it means to think of oneself as being English.

The Making of the Modern Self: Identity and Culture in Eighteenth-Century England

Average customer rating:

The Making of the Modern Self: Identity and Culture in Eighteenth-Century England
Dror Wahrman
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Social History | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

History, 17th & 18th Century | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Metaphysics | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Nonfiction | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0300121393

Book Description

Toward the end of the eighteenth century, a radical change occurred in notions of self and personal identity. This was a sudden transformation, says Dror Wahrman, and nothing short of a revolution in the understanding of selfhood and of identity categories including race, gender, and class. In this pathbreaking book, he offers a fundamentally new interpretation of this critical turning point in Western history.
Wahrman demonstrates this transformation with a fascinating variety of cultural evidence from eighteenth-century England, from theater to beekeeping, fashion to philosophy, art to travel and translations of the classics. He discusses notions of self in the earlier 1700s—what he terms the ancien regime of identity—that seem bizarre, even incomprehensible, to present-day readers. He then examines how this peculiar world came to an abrupt end, and the far-reaching consequences of that change. This unrecognized cultural revolution, the author argues, set the scene for the array of new departures that signaled the onset of Western modernity.

Imagining New England: Explorations of Regional Identity from the Pilgrims to the Mid-Twentieth Century

Average customer rating:

Imagining New England a Masterful Historical Exploration
Superb overview of the "idea" of New England

Imagining New England: Explorations of Regional Identity from the Pilgrims to the Mid-Twentieth Century
Joseph A. Conforti
Manufacturer: The University of North Carolina Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books

Social History | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Nonfiction | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0807849375
Release Date: 2000-12-08

Book Description

Say "New England" and you likely conjure up an image in the mind of your listener: the snowy woods or stone wall of a Robert Frost poem, perhaps, or that quintessential icon of the region--the idyllic white village. Such images remind us that, as Joseph Conforti notes, a region is not just a territory on the ground. It is also a place in the imagination.

This ambitious work investigates New England as a cultural invention, tracing the region's changing identity across more than three centuries. Incorporating insights from history, literature, art, material culture, and geography, it shows how succeeding generations of New Englanders created and broadcast a powerful collective identity for their region through narratives about its past. Whether these stories were told in the writings of Frost or Harriet Beecher Stowe, enacted in historical pageants or at colonial revival museums, or conveyed in the pages of a geography textbook or Yankee magazine, New Englanders used them to sustain their identity, revising them as needed to respond to the shifting regional landscape.

Customer Reviews:

Imagining New England a Masterful Historical Exploration .......2005-06-13

Imagine New England and one thinks of rocky beaches, bucolic towns, grassroots democracy, intelectual, and progressive ideals. Imagine New England and one wants to be taken back to a purer, simpler, and more ideal time; a better life of white houses and steeple churches where one is apart of the history of who are and want to be as Americans and patriots.

In "Imagining New England," Joseph Conforti deconstructs the creation of the regional identify of New England in exquisite historical detail. In a blend of history and sociology, Professor Conforti searches for the "real" New England. The New England he had heard of but not seen or experienced as child growing up in the most un-New England of New England of cities, Fall River.

This book is a substantial contribution to American history. New England, the cultural invention, the concept, represents the best we want to be as Americans. It is a concept the country and the region itself continually reach for as an anchor to our roots despite the fact that the region itself long ago left it behind. Joseph Conforti captures the essence of this complex identity, both real and manufactured.

Superb overview of the "idea" of New England.......2003-09-23

This is an exceptionally well researched and beautifully written book which, for me, opened up all kinds of new ideas about the nature of "region" and "place" in general, and New England in particular. I was fascinated from the earliest section describing how the "second generation" in New England inherited the region from their parents and tried to "reinvent" the place for their own purposes, all the way to the wonderful discussion of Frost and the evolution of Yankee magazine. Conforti develops the theory that the locus of New England moved from Boston, with a brief recapture by Plymouth, on to Connecticut and now to northern New England. (Anybody see the Boston Globe magazine last week about "Magnetic North"? It fits perfectly into Conforti's theme.) What happened to Lawrence and Fall River and the immigrant population; you'll have to read to find out. If you love New England, this book is highly readable, profound, and worth the price!

Montmorency On The Rocks: Doctor, Aristocrat, Murderer? (Montmorency)

Average customer rating:

Not only good, but educational
Montmorency on the rocks
An Engaging Mystery
Thrilling Victorian Mystery
Full of life and the plot was suspensful

Montmorency On The Rocks: Doctor, Aristocrat, Murderer? (Montmorency)
Eleanor Updale
Manufacturer: Scholastic Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Suspense | Literature & Fiction | Teens | Subjects | Books

General | Literature & Fiction | Teens | Subjects | Books

Mysteries | Teens | Subjects | Books

Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

Mysteries | Teens | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0439606772

Amazon.com

Montmorency on the Rocks, the second volume of Eleanor Updale's popular Victorian spy drama, finds our title hero in a much darker place than the London sewers where his alter ego Scarper used to dwell. It has been five years since Montmorency teamed up with gentleman spy George Fox-Selwyn. They enjoyed much success infiltrating the Ottoman underworld, until Montmorency acquired a treacherous taste for opium. Now addicted, he has come dangerously close to revealing his criminal past to Fox-Selwyn while under the influence. Meanwhile, the British government has called the duo home to discover the identity of a bomber who is targeting London's landmarks. Frustrated Fox-Selwyn decides to bring Montmorency to the one person who knows the former thief better than anyone: Dr. Robert Farcett. But Farcett, who saved Montmorency before, has recently lost his nerve in the operating arena. However, in teaming up with the undercover agents, Dr. Farcett comes across a community that is losing youngsters at an appalling rate, and discovers something that just might give him reason to practice again. All of these threads come together in a brilliant climax that will leave exhilarated readers with a surprising question on the very last page.

Montmorency on the Rocks can stand on its own, but no teen reader should be denied the thrilling experience of getting to know the Victorian thief-turned-gentleman from the beginning. Adolescent Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes fans are sure to enjoy this intriguing "extreme makeover" of the traditional British mystery. (Ages 10-15) --Jennifer Hubert

Book Description

Five years after giving up his life of crime in the London sewers, Montmorency is back. But his evil alter ego, Scarper, has returned too, pulling him back into a dark world of crime.Montmorency's old friend and fellow government agent, Lord George Fox-Selwyn, fights to rescue him from disaster. The two men are needed now more than ever, as a rash of bombings threaten to destroy England's rail lines. And only Montmorency's intimate knowledge of the London underworld can save the city...

Customer Reviews:

Not only good, but educational.......2007-07-03

This 2nd book to the Montmorency Series, caught me in its enthralling tale. i had completely fallen in love with the first, and so took up the second like a dieing man. not only was it a good read, but it taught you something as well. the addiction Montmorency suffered was a pinpoint in the story, causing you to think. i thought this book was best for teens like me. with all of the addictions and other things crawling about in this world, it is hard to completely avoid them all. most books i find dont focus in on this horror, leaving it to the parents and teachers to go on about. yet often young adults really do learn best from the novels we read. to see Montmorency go through this torture, and yet eventually have victory over it, brings hope into our lives. for those who have already surcomed to these things, they know what he is going through, while others who feel that temptation, and yet have resisted, can resist even harder. if you are a normal average teen, then you feel those things pulling you too. this story is not only well written, a good thriller, and an enjoying read, but it teaches you the importance of friends in getting over addictions. read it and Enjoy!

Montmorency on the rocks.......2007-01-11

I thorougly enjoyed this book, its characters and its historical background. Although it's written for young adults and I am 76, the plot kept me fascinated throughout the book.

An Engaging Mystery.......2006-08-22

The search for something as engaging and magical as Harry Potter is a tough one. However, I found the characters of Montmorency, Fox-Selwyn, and Dr. Farcett wonderfully human with both unsavory pasts and compassionate hearts. And the thickly interwoven mysteries compelled me to read late into the night.

I picked up this trilogy at its midpoint reading the second in the series first (Montmorency on the Rocks). Nevertheless, Eleanor Updale manages to catch up the reader quite quickly on the who's who and sketches the important events which lead up to the current plot. For a yonger reader (I'm not sure I shall admit to being a 20-something reading this book for fun:), I would suggest starting with the first in the series to make the chronology easier to understand.

For those children who gobble up Sherlock Holmes, Montmorency will quench their thirst. A very high recommendation.

Thrilling Victorian Mystery.......2006-03-03

This is the sequel to "Montmorency: Thief, Liar, Gentleman", which I found necessary to read before I started on this one. Actually, I listened to it on tape and it was excellent. I never would have picked up either volume because the covers did not appeal to me, but as you read the story it becomes clear what is trying to be conveyed. This volume picks up 5 years after the first one ends and it is assumed that Montmorency and his partner Fox-Selwyn have spent it working undercover for the Home Secretary. However, somewhere towards the end of that time Montmorency has picked up the bad habit of using some Turkish drug and is quite addicted. When they return to London, Fox-Selwyn has worked out a scheme of whisking Montmorency away to the Scottish country and having another one of his friends, Doctor Farcett, come along to cure Montmorency of his habit. This would be the same Doctor Farcett that had used Montmorency as a medical speciman during the years when he was in prison. Following some initial awkwardness, the three become inseparable and begin working on a couple of capers. One involves the death of dozens of babies being born on the remote island of Tarimond in the northern Scottish isles, and the other involves two bombings in London. Many characters from the first book are reintroduced and the twists and turns in the plot leave the reader wanting more. And there is room for a third volume. An excellent purchase for those wanting a good mystery.

Full of life and the plot was suspensful.......2005-09-18

In the sequel to the first book Montmorency, Montmorency now works with Sir Fox-de-Sewlyn as spies for England. Unfortunately, Montmorency must battle his addiction to a foreign drug and meet the man who saved his life in the first book: Doctor Farcett. In getting the doctor and fellow spy to meet, de-Sewlyn arranges for the three of them separately to go to his brother's estate in Scotland where the doctor eventually helps Montmorency get off his addiction, and then he and Montmorency must help a servants' village escape a massive death of dead babies.

Overall this book was written well, the characters were full of life and the plot was suspensful. I felt that while I was reading it, I was actually in the story. The characters were not bland but were vivid and full of life. The book contains intellegent language but not too hard for any one. I recommend this book to people who wish to read a historical fiction or are interested in spies.

Preteen, teen, and young adult book reviews and recommendations

Average customer rating:

short attention span theatre
A Wonderful Adventure
Great (!!!!) Book

Tom Jones (Modern Library Classics)
Henry Fielding
Manufacturer: Modern Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0812966074
Release Date: 2002-09-10

Book Description

Tom, a foundling, is discovered one evening by the benevolent Squire Allworthy and his sister Bridget and brought up as a son in their household; when his sexual escapades and general misbehavior lead them to banish him, he sets out in search of both his fortune and his true identity. Amorous, high-spirited, and filled with what Fielding called “the glorious lust of doing good,” but with a tendency toward dissolution, Tom Jones is one of the first characters in English fiction whose human virtues and vices are realistically depicted. This edition is set from the text of the Wesleyan Edition of the Works of Henry Fielding.

Customer Reviews:

short attention span theatre.......2007-07-25

I remember really liking "Joseph Andrews", another famous novel by this author.I remember it being funny. I just couldn't get into this one. It takes a while to get going. The basic plot is that Tom is a foundling, in love with a wealthier girl, but Tom is forced to leave his home. After many complications, including Tom's somewhat "innocent" infidelities, you can guess what happens. It's sort of a male version of a Jane Austen novel, with more travel involved, and more comedy. Maybe my attention span is shrinking.

A Wonderful Adventure.......2007-06-14

This novel is worth it for the following lines spoken by Parson Thwackum:

"When I mention religion," said the parson, "I mean the Christian religion; and not only the Christian religion, but the Protestant religion; and not only the Protestant religion, but the Church of England. And when I mention honour, I mean that mode of divine grace which is not only consistent with but dependent upon this religion, and is consistent and dependent upon no other" (p. 105).

Very amusing, but think of the centuries when men like that had supreme political power--then to laugh, to doubt meant to be burned alive. Michael Servetus (1511-1553) was burned alive by John Calvin for doubting the Holy Trinity and preaching Unitarianism. Giordano Bruno (1548-1600) was burned for similar heresies.

There is no end to the evil that men like Parson Thwackum would do if they had power. We must stand forever on guard against such views of religion.

Great (!!!!) Book.......2005-06-27

This is a great read, though not one for the feint of heart (or the feint of attention span). The plot is slow to get moving, and there are long detours that a pragmatic reader might find frustrating. But, once the plot gets going, it is truly a masterpiece. My first time through Tom Jones, I stayed up all night to read the last couple hundred pages, because I literally couldn't put it down.

Average customer rating:

A Great and Twisting Odyssey
Read it as Boylan, not Borrowed Bronte
great beginning, but fell short at end.
Enjoyable historical mystery novel
Emma Brown

Emma Brown: A Novel
Clare Boylan
Manufacturer: Viking Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Suspense | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0670032972
Release Date: 2004-04-12

Book Description

Charlotte BrontÃ«Â's death in 1855 deprived the world of what might have been her masterpiece. The twenty unfinished manuscript pages that are the nucleus of Emma Brown signaled her most compelling work since Jane EyreÂ—the story of a young girl, Matilda, brought by her father to a small school in provincial Victorian England. The school, Fuschia Lodge, is foundering, so its headmistress is delighted to welcome a new pupilÂ—especially one so elaborately dressed, with an apparently rich father who is Â“quite the gentleman.Â” But when MatildaÂ's tuition goes unpaid and it comes time to make arrangements for the Christmas holidays, she is shocked to find that the identity of the father, Conway FitzgibbonÂ—like the address he left behindÂ—does not exist.

So who is the mysterious Matilda? She herself will not say, and it falls to a local gentleman, Mr. Ellin, and a childless widow, Isabel Chalfont, to unravel the truth. From the drawing rooms of English country society to the grimy backstreets of LondonÂ's seamiest reaches, from the dandified members of the cityÂ's elite clubs to the blowsy ranks of its brothels, Emma Brown follows the searchÂ—first for MatildaÂ's true identity and then for the girl herself.

With all the wit and pathos of the novelÂ's originator, Clare BoylanÂ's accomplished pen has seamlessly developed BrontÃ«Â's sketch of a girl without a past into a stunning portrait of a Victorian society with a shameful secret at its heart.

Customer Reviews:

A Great and Twisting Odyssey.......2007-08-17

I love the Victorian era and this book provides a wonderful glimpse into its underside. The intricate plot keeps both readers and main characters discovering and learning.

Highly Recommended.

James Conroyd Martin, Author of PUSH NOT THE RIVER
Push Not the River

Read it as Boylan, not Borrowed Bronte.......2006-11-01

I like the novels of Clare Boylan ("Holy Pictures"--her first novel was a bit overstuffed and almost crazed in its scope, but it was memorable and a page-turner nontheless.) In "Emma Brown," Boylan takes 20 sparse pages of notes from Bronte for a novel that was fated never to be written and she fleshes it out. It doesn't read at all like Bronte; the crisp prose is missing and this is definitely in Boylan's more ornate voice.

Emma Brown is about a girl with a mysterious past and it takes us through the seamiest parts of London. This departure from Bronte's usual venues of rural town life are excused by letters written at the end of Bronte's life where she has clearly expanded her horizons beyond Haworth as a celebrated writer. Emma is a bit like all Bronte's characters, alone in the world, with powerful figures in the background and always searching for true love and a way to maintain integrity in the face of severe trials and temptations.

As a gothic novel, this has a lot of merit and is a very fine novel. What is really uncanny, however, is that the beginning of the novel is almost a copy of "The Little Princess" by Frances Hodgson Burnett. The treatment of the show pupil at a ladies' seminary and the soon-to-be-destitute heiress's ornate wardrobe is amazingly similar, and her treatment by the tough-minded headmistress and proprietress of the seminary is right out of that famous children's classic.

I didn't find the Bronte voice, as some have, in this book except right at the beginning (possible the 20 pages Bronte actually did write0 but it doesn't matter. As a novel set in Victorian days, it's wonderful enough and despite some melodrama, well-written.

great beginning, but fell short at end........2006-08-15

I was very intrigued with the idea of this book and the task that Ms. Boylan was undertaking. And I have to say she started off beautifully. She is obviously familiar with Bronte's style and rythm. However, the final few chapters diverge slightly, almost as if Ms. Boylan is tired of writing as Bronte and decides she wants to give the book a 20th or 21st century feel. The style changes, the scenarios and the way the characters interact with each other is suddenly different. She also wraps up the ending a little too neatly. All that was missing was a big fat bow on it.
Overall, the book was an enjoyable read, but by the end, I could only roll my eyes at how neatly all the characters were tied to each other.

Enjoyable historical mystery novel.......2006-06-27

In EMMA BROWN, author Clare Boylan takes two chapters of an unfinished novel left behind by Charlotte Bronte and turns them into a complete novel. In doing so, she incorporates other pieces of Bronte's writing, including a short story published by her husband after her. The result, while perhaps not what Bronte herself intended (we'll never know), is a rich, multi-layered novel that makes for an engaging read.

The novel's title character, Emma Brown, is introduced early in Bronte's opening chapters as Matilda Fitzgibbon, a young girl of about 13. Her background lies in shadow, although it soon becomes clear that she is not who she was pretending to be at the small, exclusive school for girls where she was residing. However, something about Matilda (later Emma) intrigues a local gentleman, William Ellin, who agrees to help her discover her way. He enlists the assistance of his friend and local widow, Isabella Chalfont (who also serves as the book's narrator).

In an effort to draw Emma out, Mrs. Chalfont shares her own experience as a young girl; later, the reader gets a glimpse into Mr. Ellin's past as well. Then, as Emma's own history unfolds, we begin to learn that these three stories are surprisingly connected. Boylan's plot definitely becomes a bit TOO coincidental at this point, but by then, I was so engrossed in the lives of these three characters that I didn't mind. Although I can't vouch for whether this book will please fans of Charlotte Bronte, I do think that most fans of historical fiction would enjoy it, and thus I would not hesitate to recommend it.

Emma Brown.......2006-04-24

Clare has created a polished work from scanty beginnings. It is not, despite the blurbs, Bronte's voice -- it is certainly a modern work -- but it is a stimulating read nonetheless. The characters are well-developed and sympathetic, and drew me in to the mystery. The plot is well-timed, adding in new facets just as they are needed.

Clare focuses on the social ills of the era as well. It is, for the most part, effective. The reader is given to understand that Charlotte was interested in these issues as well. I am not a Bronte scholar, so they are the most marked difference that I noticed between this and one of Charlotte's other works. She does go a little over the top in some areas and loses the depth of feeling thereby.

Overall, this is a well polished book. A compelling read.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books