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 Church Emerging from Vatican II: A Popular Approach to Contemporary Catholicism

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Skip this one.
Student Friendly
Church Emerging...
An ideal introduction to the theology of the Church
Living Vatican II in the Day to Day

The Church Emerging from Vatican II: A Popular Approach to Contemporary Catholicism
Dennis M. Doyle
Manufacturer: Twenty-Third Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Vatican | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0896225070

Customer Reviews:

Skip this one........2006-01-31

I would not recommend this book to anyone who does not already have a strong catechetical background. There are a lot of basic facts in the book that are in error. I think the material is above what the author can grasp. I would put this on your do not read list until you have a sounder understanding of Vatican II and Lumen Gentuim. I would not recomend this book

Student Friendly.......2004-05-01

Students are challenged by Catholic doctrine presented in very everyday situations. Conservative students are pushed to consider the value of feminist theology and social justice, while liberal students encounter the necessity of authority and revelation. Doyle's even-handed treatment of the theological spectrum makes Church Emerging more than an history book, or dry list of doctrines. Instead the book functions as a bridge between left and right by illustrating that the concerns of both stem from the gospel message. The dusty events and documents of the Second Vatican Council are presented within the context of contemporary issues so the Church Emerging both informs students of past occurences, as it jars them into considering how Catholic teaching might (gasp) apply to their own lives today.

Other features which make this book an excellent choice for the classroom or personal study are the discussion questions and bibliography found at the end of each chapter. I have found students eager to engage in conversation after reflecting upon Doyle's questions. Throughout the fact-packed text main points are highlighted and summarized in tables, lists and charts, making it easier for students to identify the important concepts of each chapter. Furthermore, Doyle begins each chapter by sharing a personal experience or story. This functions not merely as a catchy intro, but students have commented that they feel close to the author and more comfortable with negotiating through the material. In writing Church Emerging from Vatican II, Dr. Doyle has provided a great service for the students, the teachers and the Church.

Church Emerging..........2004-03-02

A lucid and engaging exposition of some of the more salient issues facing the contemporary Roman Catholic Church. An excellent introductory resource for students.

An ideal introduction to the theology of the Church.......2004-02-21

I am astonished at how much basic and important information can be found in this book; and yet it is consistently presented in a very personal, engaging way. Doyle presents sophisticated theological reflection in a form that accurately guages the needs and abilities of undergraduates in the United Staes. The author's personal/confessional commentary makes the vital connection between experience and theology while clearly setting forth the official teachings of the Church. I have used this book for several semesters with great success. My students love it.

Living Vatican II in the Day to Day.......2004-02-21

The author of this book has created a collection of short personal stories that introduce and brilliantly exemplify explanations of the main focal points of two of the key Vatican II documents. In the best Catholic "both-and" tradition Doyle manages to thoroughly present most aspects of the issues associated with the documents, offering his skillful synthesis to the reader to then consider and digest. The book is a wonderful read, ideal for both everday "Catholics in the pews" and undergraduate students who wish to learn more about their great Vatican II heritage. Overall, a masterful work.

Peace Without Hiroshima: Secret Action at the Vatican in the Spring of 1945

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Peace Without Hiroshima: Secret Action at the Vatican in the Spring of 1945
Martin S. Quigley
Manufacturer: Madison Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Japan | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

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Book Description

Quigley was a World War II OSS agent in Ireland and Rome who posed as an American motion picture industry representative. Charged with intelligence-gathering functions, he was also asked by OSS director William J. Donovan to investigate the possibility of the Vatican mediating the surrender of Japan. That request is the basis for this meager treatment of a minor event. The secret action resulted in no more than two unenthusiastic cables from Japan's Vatican ambassador to Tokyo; they were never even acknowledged, let alone answered.

From Trent to Vatican II: Historical and Theological Investigations

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From Trent to Vatican II: Historical and Theological Investigations

Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0195178076

Book Description

The second Vatican Council was convened by Pope John XXIII between 1962 and 1965. It marked a fundamental shift toward the modern Church and its far-reaching innovations replaced or radically changed many of the practices, rules, and attitudes that had dominated Catholic life and culture since the Council of Trent in the sixteenth century. In this book a distinguished team of historians and theologians offers an impartial investigation of the relationship between Vatican II and Trent by examining such issues as Eucharistic theology, liturgical change, clerical reform, the laity, the role of women, marriage, confession, devotion to Mary, and interfaith understanding. As the first book to present such a comprehensive study of the connection between the two great Councils, this is an invaluable resource for students, theologians, and church historians, as well as for bishops, clergy, and religious educators.

The Power and the Glory: Inside the Dark Heart of Pope John Paul II's Vatican

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An accurate portrayal
Put up your guns, girls: this book is pro-Wojtyla, anti-Vatican
The Author Makes an Excellent Devil's Advocate
Brilliant study of an overrated celebrity
TRUTH CREATES FREEDOM

The Power and the Glory: Inside the Dark Heart of Pope John Paul II's Vatican
David Yallop
Manufacturer: Carroll & Graf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0786719567

Book Description

From the first moment of his papacy Karol Wojtyla sought political influence and a role on the world stage. At the dawn of the twenty-first century, he was a leader to millions of Catholics at a time of tremendous change. Promising a renewed church, he was the first media Pope and travelled around the world to preach his message. It is said that he was central in the fall of Soviet Eastern Europe, in particular his own homeland of Poland. Now, one year after his death, there are already calls for his sainthood.

But is this the whole truth?

David Yallop explores the myths and half truths of John Paul II's long reign and asks some difficult questions ranging from the role of the Vatican in the momentous events in 1989, and the continued mismanagement of Vatican finance which allowed Calvi and others to continue to use the Vatican banks for money laundering to the failure to address the child sexual abuse crisis and the rise of the Opus Dei.

Including explosive revelations from the CIA, the KGB, and the Vatican itself, it is a bold and unflinching look at a man who soon stands to become a saint.

Customer Reviews:

An accurate portrayal.......2007-10-06

It's a very sad day when the Vatican teaches the world more about the ways of the world than about the Faith. That day is here and this book tells a part of the story. Should be required reading for all Catholics.

Put up your guns, girls: this book is pro-Wojtyla, anti-Vatican.......2007-09-02

and so it should please no one.

But first a stylistic note.

The most regrettable loss to our publishing industry in this post-literate age is the almighty, omniscient, self-effacing copy-editor. Without a wise copy-editor much of our 20th century great American novels would not be great (many weren't but seemed so at the time). Even Papa Hemingway blessed his stars for a good copy-editor. It's like our modern super-models blaming their enormous success on their make-up artist, but moreso.

And a good proof-reader. There are several spelling errors and typos and uses of words correctly spelled but incorrect within the context, including a sudden jarring switch to Western Union while discussing Frankel's acquisition of the Western United Insurance Company. Good copy-editors and proof-readers worth their blue pencil catch these things, or once did in the golden past of publishing.

Unfortunately this present work enjoys neither, and grows stylistically tedious.

Much of it reads as if it were copied verbatim from a journalist's notebook, or a student's cribsheet, barren, an avalanche of straight names with little connecting ligature. Often it reads as if edited not by the legendary copy-editor, but an MTV music video editor, blasting through time and space without warning, even within one paragraph, leaving the reader wondering if the writer skipped a page of his crib notes. Readers should not have to work this hard, and the sudden cuts across decades are superfluous, unnecessary and damaging to the flow of the narrative, and pose a further distracting threat to credibility in such an unsourced text.

Other mortal stylistic errors fall from the author's essence as a Britisher. Thus we find modes of speech which are not universal to world-class English, but drawn from a particular level used in London, and thus needlessly incomprehensible.

A fact checker would not have hurt, but they too are as rare as hen's teeth in the publishing world nowadays. For instance the author continually refers to religious habits and other clerical garb as "uniforms." THe first time I thought he was making a snide joke, but then he continue dto use this term for religious habits, and the suspicion crept in under the door that he thought they really are called uniforms, just as Reagan called military uniforms costumes. The irony is he was speaking at one point of Mexico, where it is against the law for priests to wear their collar in public passageways, a law more honored in the breach than in the enforcement, as with so many laws, a vestige of the intense persecution there fifty years or more ago.

Another interesting error while still in Mexico, in recounting the Pope's first trip to Mexico the author writes of green and white papal flags lining the streets. The papal flag is yellow and white. Such things might appear small and insignificant details, until you realize this author relies not on stated and verifiable sources for his writing, but upon the sure voice of his own authority, which erodes which each small error.

The British perspective also colors the narrative, which quickly smells of racism, full of stereotypical French, Italians, Mexicans, Native Americans, American Americans, Spanish, Poles and most offendingly Irish. This author would have us believe what occured to Bobby Sands and the Blanket Boys was not serious and their own fault in every way. We never learn of Judge Dropik, the Rev. Ian Paisley and his Orangemen. Instead we read the Catholic Archbishop and other clergy directed terrorist bombings of civilian targets in Northern Ireland.

This is the epitome of the author's insularly Britisher perspective: he is anti-Catholic to the core, and xenophobic to boot.

But he does greatly support Wojtyla, giving possibly the most glowing and expansive if short-handed account of his life. Look again at the title. It does not read the Dark Heart of John Paul II. Yallop portrays that heart in a much brighter light. Rather he entitles his work the Dark Heart of the Vatican.

Another serious stylistic concern is the lack of footnotes and slim endnotes. In fact his few brief endnotes might have been slipped without distraction into the narrative itself.

Perhaps I have grown used to reading theologians like Father Schillebeeckx and Father Boff who conscientiously and completely footnote every phrase, like anxious postgraduate students defending a thesis, providing endnotes as long as the text, and often more enjoyable and informative. Here Yallop provides strong statements in the text but few backing endnotes.

He does provide a rather complete bibliography of sources unrelated to specific statements within the text, and he tries to explain that so many sources were punished and silenced for providing information in his earlier work In God's Name: An Investigation Into the Murder of Pope John Paul I that he dare not mention them now, but that does not leave us any indication at all how Yallop can with confidence report private conversations, for instance, between Villot and Wojtyla. We have only his word for it, and that is the worst of sources, as we cannot tell if his word is good. Pseudo-authority is the fallacious of argumentation, and so his thesis sinks.

ANoter evidence of the amateur is the propensity to quote entire paragraphs and to italicize tyhe entire paragraph and then to mention in parenthesis italicized emphasis added by author. This is professionally or scholastically done to one or two words within a citation, not the entire selection.

He does nevertheless give us a surprisingly favorable view of Wojtyla, jumping on the pre-hagiographic bandwagon also rejoined, for instance, by the GOP's Peggy Noonan. Although he claims here to serve the traditional role in the canonization process, recently done away with by Wojtyla, of "devil's advocate", he does so very weakly, and without resources, and only serves to show Wojtyla as a shining white knight from the north come to rescue our church after what Yallop considers the mafioso murder of the first John Paul for daring to propose to alter the corrupt administration of the Vatican Bank, deeply discussed in his earlier book In God's Name. In fact in many ways this book simply serves as a sequel to his earlier work, both of which were weak trailing shadows of the great Penny Lernoux's In Banks We Trust.

So save your money and buy Lernoux instead. She covers this same material with much greater foundation and sources, and with much more professional and objective style. This present work is surprisingly weak in every way, disappointing and will please no one. It is Lernoux warmed over, a sort of where-are-they-now twenty years later, and most mortal sin of all, poorly written, perhaps purposefully. THere are those who hold to the Dan Rather Syndrome, that DAn from the single bullet theory onwards was always working underground for the GOP, and that he killed the very substantial concerns about W's military career (or lack thereof) by presenting mistyped documents about it, which when indicated as mistyped, easily dismissed the entire issue. Perhaps this writer wishes to dismiss doubts about Wojtyla in the same way, by writing so badly as to associate any objective voice with sloppiness.

The basic thesis remains: That WOjtyla failed to go after the needed reforms, the hard reforms, the reforms that borught about the murder of a Pope, his predecessor, and instead hit the weak and the vulnerable, the academics and those who stood with the poor and the oppressed and the impoverished, instead of the corrupt bankers who oppress them.

Buy Lernoux instead.

The Author Makes an Excellent Devil's Advocate .......2007-08-22

I notice that, in all the reviews of this book preceding this one, it's either been given five stars or one--no in-between opinions, it seems. Then again, I suppose that any biography of a Pope, or any other well-known and controversial religious figure, is bound to elicit responses of this sort. After having read this book, I can easily see why it could be classified as a polemical work with negative criticisms going somewhat to extremes; but then again, it wasn't David Yallop who abolished the position of "Devil's Advocate" in the Roman Catholic Church's process of beatification and elevation to sainthood, it was John Paul II himself. Popular pressure no doubt will influence some later Pope, whether Benedict XVI or a subsequent one, to canonize John Paul II, but it is still necessary to remember that Karol Wojtyla was human and, like the rest of us, a slave to some aspects of his upbringing. The facts that he was guilty of an autocratic management style and was inconsistent in his policies towards repressive governments, depending on their location and the ideologies of the tyrants in power over them, were well known before Yallop articulated them--as was the Church's inexcusable sheltering of Cardinal Law in the wake of the sexual-abuse scandal.

I gave this work four stars rather than five because of a few instances of typographical errors and slapdash copyediting. Without the presence of those, I would have given it five stars. Love the book, hate it, but let it stand as the Devil's Advocate that no one now in the Church will ever permit to question John Paul II's eligibility for sainthood.

Brilliant study of an overrated celebrity.......2007-07-20

In this extraordinary book, investigative journalist David Yallop examines the record of Pope John Paul II.

Yallop details the many scandals of John Paul's rule, especially the cover-up of widespread sexual abuse by paedophile priests across the world, including 1,200 in the USA. In Britain, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor connived at the criminal offence of abusing children by helping priests to evade justice so that they could continue to abuse. He appointed a known paedophile as Chaplain to Gatwick Airport, where he could prey on new arrivals to Britain. Cardinal Basil Hume covered up the widespread sexual abuse at Ampleforth College, a Catholic private school.

Cardinal Ratzinger, John Paul's close colleague, now Pope Benedict, recently reminded every bishop of the penalties that his Church imposes on those who make allegations of sexual abuse to the civil authorities. The Church puts itself above the law to protect itself, not its victims. They tell us all how to lead our lives, on pain of eternal damnation, while they hide abusing priests and attack those who expose the crimes. What hypocrisy!

John Paul said, "The Roman Catholic Church is not a democracy. Dissent from the Magisterium is incompatible with being a Catholic." The Church is an autocracy and loves other autocracies. John Paul granted a `personal prelature' to Opus Dei, making this openly fascist body answerable to no one but himself.

Yallop depicts John Paul's hatred of Liberation Theology and his consistent support for brutal right-wing tyrannies in Latin America. He shows John Paul's links with the CIA: John Paul and CIA head William Casey had both supported Franco in the 1930s war in Spain. As Pope, John Paul beatified 471 Franco supporters, but not one Republican.

Ratzinger volunteered to join the Hitler Youth and served in the Wehrmacht. It is no coincidence that there is a German Pope, when Germany is trying to foist a Bismarckian Constitution on the European Union.

The Roman Catholic Church operated the infamous ratlines for 30,000 Nazi, Italian and Croat war criminals after World War Two, with the connivance of the US and British governments. (No wonder Blair is so keen to join the Church.) In the 1980s, Germany and the Vatican backed the destruction of Yugoslavia, to `free' Catholic Croatia.

Mussolini's deal with the Papacy is still in force: the Italian state gives half a billion pounds annually to the Church. Yallop shows how John Paul defended the corrupt Vatican Bank, the Mafia's bank, which launders round $50 billion a year. As a member of the Vatican Secretariat said of the absurd `visions of the Virgin Mary' at Medjugorje in Yugoslavia, "Of course it's a fraud but the money is genuine."

What did John Paul achieve? By trying to hide the Church's vice and corruption, he brought it lasting shame. So less than half the world's Catholics even attend Mass and numbers are falling rapidly. 72% of the Spanish people think that the state should stop its £100 million annual handout to the Church. Like other reactionaries, all his scheming resulted only in the failure of his cause.

TRUTH CREATES FREEDOM.......2007-07-14

This book is one of the finest in recent years to excite a discussion on two related areas: A. Who forms the church, and B. What is the role of the Pope and the Holy See in salvation history? The author does not focus on these issues as he shares his well-studied and documented version of recent history. As with any superior writer he invites discussion from readership after finishing the book.

I was pleased as a enquirer while reading the book because it was so focused. Moreso, I was pleased because the style was so engaging. With a certain detachment Yallop presented history and biography as he understood these events and persons. This is what a writer is supposed to do. He makes claims that are different from (the Vatican) spin, explains his position, and provides the documentation and experience which allow him to make his assertions.

To write about John Paul II is no easy task, especially since high emotion surrounds his memory. The author of this tome warns us, however, to look beyond emotion and regard the facts of history. Far from hating the church he writes in a way that we can understand the church more fully in both its human and divine dimensions. He challenges the reader to look at his or her beliefs about the papacy and the Holy See, and to wonder in what ways John Paul became "the Great" when compared with other papal leaders of the past century and a half. With intelligent reflection it is difficult to claim that John Paul was especially great or holy. Compared to Sarto, Ratti, Pacelli or Roncalli, he seems rather ordinary as the one steering the "bark of Peter." His great difference was that he cultivated the media and created local circus. If one believes he was a great leader and reformer of the the Catholic church, ask an ordinary friend about one of his encyclicals. Ask an ordinary Catholic to explain the difference between the Code of Canon Law of 1917 and the revised Code of the 1980s in terms of theology. Ask the youth who so favorably recall this leader because he paid attention to them, to tell of the great things he did for humanity and the Church. Then, compare these answers to the historical findings presented in this trustworthy book. Something is skewed!

My hope is that intelligent and concerned Catholics and others will take time to seriously read this book and discuss its major points. We are only a few years from this papacy, far too few to really be analytical, but we have a guide in this tome as to how to read and review as we seek the truth. After all, we come from a Gospel which claims that "you shall know the Truth; and the Truth will make you free."

The Church in the Making: Lumen Gentium, Christus Dominus, Orientalium Ecclesiarum (Rediscovering Vatican II)

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Good

The Church in the Making: Lumen Gentium, Christus Dominus, Orientalium Ecclesiarum (Rediscovering Vatican II)
Richard R. Gaillardetz
Manufacturer: Paulist Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Vatican | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0809142767

Customer Reviews:

Good.......2007-02-19

Though it was said that book as "used" one, it really looks like brand new one and the price is so cheap. I got it within 3 days of ordering.

Unholy Trinity: The Vatican, The Nazis, and The Swiss Banks

Average customer rating:

The Vatican, the USA and the UK collude with Nazis to fight the Commies
Virgilo Scattolini's lies are back
Informative
Through book about the secret Vatican..
3 1/2 stars...Tells the real story of WW2...

Unholy Trinity: The Vatican, The Nazis, and The Swiss Banks
Mark Aarons , and John Loftus
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
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Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 031218199X

Book Description

Written in rivetings fashion by the coauthors of The Secret War Against the Jews, Unholy Trinity tells one of the darkest tales of World War II. After the war had ended, fearing a surge of Soviet growth, the Papacy entered into an espionage alliance with British and American intelligence agents. Subsuming justice to the nascent Cold War ideology, these three powers ferreted Nazi criminals out of Europe so that they could be used in the supposedly greater fight against Communism. The Vatica's Nazi smuggling network was penetrated by Prince Anton Turkul, the great Soviet double agent who turned the operations into a sting for his masters in the Kremlin. Unholy Trinity exposes Turkul's "Red Nazi" operation for the first time and shows how Kim Philby, the infamous British-Soviet double agent, and his network were nearly sacrificed to preserve Turkul's Vatican operation.

Exploring the Vatican's role in aiding Nazi criminals to escape punishment for their crimes, this book, originally published in 1991, first revealed the Vatican--Swiss bank connection to Nazi gold and documented the hidden links to Western investors in Nazi Germany. Since 1991, major revelations about the role of Swiss banks have confirmed Unholy Trinity's expose of the flight of the Nazi's stolen treasures; the new introduction and new final chapters, written by Aarons and Loftus for this edition, bring the book completely up to date and show how the media have missed the vital Vatican connection in the Swiss-bank story. Among other things, the authors demonstrage that U.S. and British code-breakers were fully aware of the Holocaust as early as 1941 but lied to the Western press; that the code-breakers bugged the Swiss banks and then buried secrets of Nazi gold transfers to protect U.S. intelligence chief Allen Dulles; and that the Australian, Brisih, and Canadian governments are still waging a campaign to keep their citizens ignorant about the Nazi war criminals living among them.

Covers all these topics and more, Unholy Trinity is the definitive history of a series of profoundly disturbing cover-ups involing the Holy See, Allen Dulles, the Swiss banks, and the remnants of the Third Reich.

Customer Reviews:

The Vatican, the USA and the UK collude with Nazis to fight the Commies.......2007-08-10

There are already several excellent reviews of Unholy Trinity on Amazon, so I will try to bring up some additional points about the book and its authors.

The original title of this book is "Ratlines". Ratlines, a nautical term, is used in this context to describe the method by which Nazi war criminals escaped from Germany and Austria to a first point of safety (usually Italy) and thence to points beyond in Europe, North America, Australasia, and especially to South America. These escapes were facilitated by the Allied powers, but would not have been possible without the help of the Vatican.

This newer edition is titled "Unholy Trinity", and features the portraits of Pope Pius XII, Hitler and Stalin on the cover. The subtitle is "The Vatican, the Nazis, and the Swiss banks". Then why is Stalin on the cover? Also, when describing the ratlines, one cannot omit the USA and Britain. Unholy Pentagon? I think the newer title was invented by the publishers who thought that it was catchier than the original, but "Ratlines" remains a much better way to encapsulate the book. That said, the most intriguing character of the book is a Russian spy, Prince Anton Vasilevich Turkul, described by the authors as "arguably the greatest professional spy of the twentieth century".

I found the central chapters of this book heavy going due to the complicated nature of the narrative, the great number of Central European characters with similar looking names, and the alphabet soup of acronyms for what must be dozens of organizations. The book could have benefited from a cast of characters and an acronym guide. I recommend that readers make their own list of acronyms as they read, because most of them are not indexed.

Co-author John Loftus is a self-proclaimed Irish Catholic. I have heard him describe himself as such several times on Dave Emory's 'For the Record' radio programs. I mention this because one of the detractors of Unholy Trinity labelled the book anti-Catholic propaganda. The authors are not anti-Catholic, rather they are anti-Vatican. By the same token, I might criticize the government of the USA, but that doesn't mean that I am anti-American. I sensed that the authors were very disappointed and perhaps surprised by the unethical actions on the part of the Vatican elite. I suspect that as a Catholic himself, Mr. Loftus expected more from the Catholic church hierarchy than non-Catholics might expect.

My next comment may not mean much to readers who are unfamiliar with the concept of the Nazi capital flight network, as detailed in Paul Manning's "Martin Bormann: Nazi in Exile". Please refer to that landmark book, reviewed on Amazon, and available as a free download if you look for it. Paul Manning's thesis was that Martin Bormann survived WWII, moved to South America via the ratlines, and exercised control over the Nazi flight capital, i.e., Nazi war loot, that was later used to create the "great economic miracle" that was the West German economy of 1948-51. My biggest disappointment with "Unholy Trinity" was the short shrift given to Paul Manning's thesis. They mention it briefly, but in such a way that I'm not convinced they fully appreciated it, even though it coincides with and complements their arguments.

Despite those few misgivings and difficulties with the book, I recommend it highly and rate it five stars.

Virgilo Scattolini's lies are back.......2006-06-11

About ten years ago, I tried to read this trash-book.This book is so absurd as UFO fables or eugenicists books and such as these things.
The core's source of this bad book are the lies told by an italian called Virgilo Scattolini, about sixty years ago.This italian was payed US$500 , each month between 1939 and 1947, by Uncle Sam government.At that times, US$500 were similar to US$15,000 today.Even with so many money, Virgilo Scattolini was nothing more than a crook and buffoon.After many years loosing money, with a buffoon, USA's government decided to dismiss Scattolini.This same buffoon, Virgilo Scattolini, looking as ever, for money, selled the same lies to italians communist who published the same lies.They became a best-seller until USA's government recognized that Scattolini, was nothing more than a buffoon.USA's only recognized that Scattolini was a buffoon, when he became to lie about the USA's ambassador.
This book is so bad and absurd, that I advise you that this is an useless book.
Were the gods astronauts?Was any Pope a nazist or eugenicist?
NO and NO!

Informative.......2005-09-07

OK, this book is very informative. Very very interesting. Use this book along with your studies on the Nazi relation to the Vatican. Ratlines, intelligence, etc....very interesting book indeed. You'll have to read to see. I also suggest you read Two Babylons and Mystery Babylon Religion. Could this be conspiracy theory? Hum. Good question, you read and decide. I believe most of it is not!

Through book about the secret Vatican.........2004-06-10

Mark Aarons and John Loftus wrote a comprehensive, if a bit dry book on the secret activities of the Vatican, the Allies, and the GRU(Soviet Military Intelligence) during World War 2, and its aftermath. Basically, the Vatican and the West played Germany and Russia against each other in some instinces, while fighting Nazism in others. The Vatican, especially, helped many Nazi collabarators escape Central and Eastern Europe as detailed in the book. This book shows how many people in the intelligence community did despicable things because they feared the Communists. Despite the anonymous one star reviews for this book, Aarons and Loftus tell the truth as evidenced from numerous documents that were inadvertiatly declassified. Thanks to them, justice will finally come to some.

3 1/2 stars...Tells the real story of WW2..........2004-06-08

Aarons and Loftus did a lot of research for the controversial, but true "Unholy Trinity". It is a bit too dry, which is why I can only give it 3.5 stars(I rounded up). The authors show us that the Vatican helped thousands of Fascist collabarators because they thought they were choosing the "lesser evil". As the authors show, everyone in the West was in on it, and we all(perhaps rightfully) feared Communist Russia. The Russians though, infilterated these "ratlines" so many of these "fascists" were actually Reds. Fascinating study of the darker side of the end of World War II. The thought of so many Croatian butchers escaping justice is chilling.

The General Councils: A History of the Twenty-One Church Councils from Nicaea to Vatican II

Average customer rating:

Another View of the Church
"I Will Build My Church"

The General Councils: A History of the Twenty-One Church Councils from Nicaea to Vatican II
Christopher M. Bellitto
Manufacturer: Paulist Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Vatican | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

History | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0809140195

Book Description

Tracing the story of the Catholic Church's 21 general councils is one of the best ways to learn about the 2,000-year course of Christianity, affirms church historian Christopher Bellitto. In this book, sister volume to his acclaimed Renewing Christianity, he offers readers a succinct history of the 21 general councils, beginning with the First Council of Nicaea in the year 325 and ending with the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s.

Bellitto organizes the councils into four parts: the councils of the early church, of the Middle Ages, of the Reformation and of modern times (Vatican I and II). And he introduces readers to the historical contexts, major tasks, achievements and failures of the councils and their impact on their times.

Timely and informational, The General Councils is ideal for undergraduates and general readers.

Highlights:
--Ideal companion volume for Renewing Christianity ("Brilliant."--Library Journal).
--Written in accessible, non-technical language.
--A fast-paced read.

Customer Reviews:

Another View of the Church.......2007-04-10

This short, well organized, clearly written, book opens a window on the church well worth looking into. It goes some way into correcting fundamentalist views of the Church as a monolithic organization run by a dictatorial head. It also sheds light on the way the Church addressed, or didn't address, problems that confronted it thru the ages. It is the kind of book worthy of small group study.

"I Will Build My Church".......2003-04-03

This summary of the 21 general councils recognized by the Roman Catholic Church demonstrates the value, and some of the limitations, of an historical overview. By focusing on the basic facts and immediate contexts of the councils, Christopher Bellitto enables the reader to discern the broad patterns that are intrinsic to conciliar history. Because the time period in review is virtually two millennia, however, some detail is necessarily sacrificed (though greater attention is paid to the more recent convocations -- Trent, Vatican I and II).

From this book one learns that general councils are called irregularly to address pressing doctrinal controversies and disciplinary problems, that the authority of the Pope in relation to the councils has long been an issue, and that, perhaps most interestingly, conciliar decrees often have a prophetic function. Time and again, sometimes after a series of only partial successes, the councils have prepared the Church to survive and even thrive in a new historical epoch.

Readers wanting more detailed discussions of the personalities, politics, and theological infighting of the councils will need to pursue further study. Nevertheless, as an introduction to this very public part of the Church's history, and as a preamble to understanding contemporary ecclesiastical developments, The General Councils is a good place to start.

Vatican Council II: Constitutions, Decrees, Declarations (Vatican Council II) (Vatican Council II)

Average customer rating:

The Documents of Vatican II - essential reading
An important reference book for Catholics
Every Catholic should read this for himself!

Vatican Council II: Constitutions, Decrees, Declarations (Vatican Council II) (Vatican Council II)

Manufacturer: Costello Pub Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Vatican | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0918344379

Customer Reviews:

The Documents of Vatican II - essential reading.......2007-02-26

Along the lines of another reviewer, I wonder how many who talk of the "spirit of Vatican II" have actually read the "documents of Vatican II." Read these documents, so "we won't get fooled again"!

An important reference book for Catholics.......2000-05-22

This is an easy to understand translation of the documents of the Second Vatican Council. Flannary's translation is quite good compared with other translations of the documents. These documents are a good place to start if someone is trying to understand what the Catholic Church is about and what its proper role in the world is.

Every Catholic should read this for himself!.......2000-04-05

Vatican II has gotten a bad rap. "The spirit of Vatican II" has been used as an excuse for liturgical abuses, offenses against canon law, etc. Yet Vatican II is being misquoted, misinterpreted! Every faithful Catholic owes it to himself to know, first hand, what the council REALLY brought forth. This book will inspire you, impress you, and teach you.

Average customer rating:

A biased book that confuses all the issues
A TRIBUTE .....
Not an accurate representation
the Devil's book
Book for Curious Young Adults and for Reflective Old Timers

101 Questions and Answers on Vatican II
Maureen Sullivan
Manufacturer: Paulist Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Vatican | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0809141337

Book Description

Pope John XXIII called Vatican II a new Pentecost in the church's life. While the great meetings of 1962-1965 opened the church's windows to let the stale air out and the fresh winds in, the years since have been decades of contradictory movements: tradition and progress, conservation and innovation, reform and renewal, status quo and change.

Vatican II has become so much of a battleground that some who lived through it may have lost sight of its original intentions. Many believers do not even remember the pre-Vatican II world of Catholicism. Still others have tried to continually apply and update the spirit of the Council without appreciating the context in which the church gathered and the global circumstances that surrounded the Council's implementation.

101 Questions and Answers on Vatican II brings us back to the beginning-to the preparations and expectations for the Council, to the meetings and developments in 1962-1965, to the internal church struggles and the exterior influences that shaped the final documents, and to the many layers of experience and perspectives within the church since the Council adjourned. For people who have heard of Vatican II but have only experienced the Council through a glass darkly, this book takes them back to the beginning to a basic question: "Just what was Vatican II?"

Highlights:
--no other guide like this one.
--user-friendly format.
--sure to be a hit in parishes, lay leadership groups, RCIA and catechist groups.

Customer Reviews:

A biased book that confuses all the issues.......2007-07-23

I read this from the perspective of a philosophy/theology teacher and found it, quite simply, awful. It is biased, prejudicial, makes unwarranted leaps and assumptions, displays apalling ignorance of the issues and texts....It is really quite astonishing how very ignorant this book is, and how selectively it not only quotes, but interprets everyone so as to fit the pre-conceived biases. I am speaking as someone with no dog in this fight as to being a so-called theological "liberal" or "conservative," just as a trained logician/ethicist (and, full disclosure, as a Catholic) who would like to see truthful, reasoned argument.

The only use I can see for this book would be in a freshman introductory course on logic or critical thinking, on how NOT to argue. But don't take my word for it; read the Vatican II texts themselves and decide for yourself.

A TRIBUTE ............2007-04-07

to the magnaminous tolerance of the Holy See is called to attention by this book and the fact that Sr. Sullivan has not been excommunicated for not recanting many of her opinions expressed in it. I respectfully criticize the prudential judgement of the Holy See for this excessive tolerance. If you want to read about Vatican II, read "Catholic Matters" by Fr. Richard John Neuhaus. He points out that the election of Cardinal Josef Ratzinger to the papal throne was the swan song of the likes of Sr. Sullivan, most of whom he points out are now "toddling about the nursing home garden reminiscing about their Church which will never be." Want proof of who's winning: Sr. Sullivan's book: Amazon sales rank #501,479. Fr. Richard John Neuhaus's Catholic Matters #148,258. THE SPIRIT OF VATICAN II IS DEAD, THANK THE LORD. LONG LIVE POPE BENEDICT XVI.

Not an accurate representation.......2005-09-01

My issue with this book was that it really wasn't about Vatican II as a whole - it was about the parts of Vatican II that support Sr. Maureen's opinions. The "conservatives" were painted as villains in the council, while the "progressives" were shown in a bright, beautiful light of openness.

For instance, while Vatican II did not discuss birth control at all, the book strongly implies that "legitimate dissent" is reasonable on issues of life (e.g. birth control). Early in the book (page 28) Sr. Maureen accuses then Cardinal Ratzinger of lying by "rewriting" the early history of the council in 1985 (this accusation is based on a conversation Sr. Maureen had with Bishop Capovilla). The book also talks favorably about women religious openly opposing the church by ignoring specific Vatican requests to not attend female ordination conferences.

The book is an easy read and is incredible if your looking for excerpts from Vatican II documents to support "progressive" theology, but is really not very helpful in understanding the actual tenor or teachings of the second Vatican council. I would warn anyone reading this book that it is largely opinion and interpretation, not actual Catholic teaching.

the Devil's book.......2004-03-18

the author is clearly very highly opinionated and it is all about her personal opinions, nothing to do with vatican II. she is obviously a leftist feminist who doesn't like the Pope.
leave well alone

Book for Curious Young Adults and for Reflective Old Timers.......2003-03-23

Sr. Maureen Sullivan, OP, has provided a very helpful aid for Catholic young adults who are attending courses in Catholic theology or participating in discussion groups. For people in this age grouping the Second Vatican Council (1962-65) is merely foggy history. However, it remains a pivotal event for understanding contemporary theological methods, biblical studies, liturgical renewal, spiritual self-understanding, approaches to ethical issues, as well as an overall sense of Catholic sensibilities. The information and insights that the author provides in "101 Questions about Vatican II" should provide the younger reader with a foundation for a better grasp of the issues still being explored and debated.

It is also the intent of the author to instill a sense of enthusiasm for the significance of this momentous event. As a Catholic priest ordained in early 1963 immediately after the conclusion of the first session of the Second Vatican Council I suspect that the original ecstasy of the Council and its aftermath will be difficult to replicated in the lives of those who did not share the agony of that period as well. For some members of an older generation this helpful guide may well provide memories that only now, some forty years later, fully reveal their significance.

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