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.

Power, Terror, Peace, and War: America's Grand Strategy in a World at Risk

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Insightful, But Could Have Been Better
Brief Yet Comprehensive
Falls Well Short of His Previous Work
The American Project
A mixed bag

Power, Terror, Peace, and War: America's Grand Strategy in a World at Risk
Walter Russell Mead
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1400077036
Release Date: 2005-06-14

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Walter Russell Mead, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, offers an historical examination of U.S. foreign policy and the way it has become so complicated, divisive, and fraught with unintended consequences that it is beyond the control of any one group or ideology. Looking back at the 20th century in an attempt to identify a grand strategy for the future, he declares the years between the fall of the Berlin Wall and the attacks of September 11, 2001 to be "lost years" in which a difficult global shift began to take shape. He identifies this transition as the beginning of a shift from a "Fordian" (as in Henry Ford) system of mass production and mass consumption to a more dynamic "millennial capitalism" in which the free market is changing to benefit more people around the world, particularly those in developing countries. Mead also looks closely at how the Bush administration has reacted to the September 11 attacks and the threat of further terrorism, offering both thoughtful praise and sharp criticism in nearly equal measure. (The book is worth reading for these incisive comments alone.) In explaining the distinctions between "sharp" (military), "sticky" (economic), and "sweet" (cultural) power as tools for shaping the world, he makes clear that he believes the U.S. should be shaping the world—ideally by example and shared values, but also through military force and economic coercion when necessary. A strong "advocate of the American project," Mead remains optimistic about the future and predicts that the U.S. will be successful in spreading economic and political freedom far and wide, including regions that will offer great resistance to such changes. At times the narrative gets bogged down in potentially confusing academic terminology, but overall the book is filled with thought-provoking ideas and intriguing details about the role and limitations of U.S. influence and what it bodes for the rest of the world. --Shawn Carkonen

Book Description

International affairs expert and award-winning author of Special Providence Walter Russell Mead here offers a remarkably clear-eyed account of American foreign policy and the challenges it faces post—September 11.

Starting with what America represents to the world community, Mead argues that throughout its history it has been guided by a coherent set of foreign policy objectives. He places the record of the Bush administration in the context of America’s historical relations with its allies and foes. And he takes a hard look at the international scene–from despair and decay in the Arab world to tumult in Africa and Asia–and lays out a brilliant framework for tailoring America’s grand strategy to our current and future threats. Balanced, persuasive, and eminently sensible, Power, Terror, Peace, and War is a work of extraordinary significance on the role of the United States in the world today.

Customer Reviews:

Insightful, But Could Have Been Better.......2007-04-01

It almost goes without saying these days that the presence of the United States in the world in one form or another is a major issue. Whether you're an American or from another country, American foreign policy and cultural hegemony is an important topic worth considerable attention. In this book, Mead attempts to catalog the character of American foreign policy as it exists today and the character it must exemplify in the future in order to be successful. In this way, "Power, Terror, Peace, and War" is a sequel to Special Providence: American Foreign Policy and How It Changed the World. For those who have read "Special Providence", this book is not nearly as good, as the writing here sometimes reflected a lack of focus on Mead's part.

Nevertheless, Mead makes some very interesting insights that make the book more than worth reading. He differentiates the four types of American power: Sharp (Hard: namely military), Sticky (Hard: namely economic), Sweet (Soft: namely cultural), and Hegemonic (Soft: the three previous provide a symbol of inevitability). He also deals with two groups of countries who don't agree with the American vision for world order:

1. Extreme internationalists who want more rapid development of international law and "world government". Examples are Canada and Germany.
2. Those countries, such as France and Russia, who promote traditional power politics and are "realists" in terms of foreign policy.

After examining these to categorizations, Mead seems to simply go through a litany of other related issues, such as Evangelical conservatives, the Kyoto Protocol, September 11th, and globalization. Dealing with these issues makes for interesting insights, but Mead's sense of focus suffers. Mead is a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, so this book is more than worth reading. However, if you're only going to read one of his books, read "Special Providence".

Brief Yet Comprehensive.......2005-04-23

One of the positive by-products of 9-11, is an increased interest in Geo-politics across all spheres of American society. Mead's book is a perfectly succinct and comprehensive answer to "no blood for oil" and other slogans that are bandied about by good people who feel at a loss faced with the seemingly inexplicable actions of their government, and its friends and adversaries. Ought to be required public school reading.

Falls Well Short of His Previous Work.......2005-01-17

Walter Russell Mead had the unfortunate timing to publish one of the best new books on U.S. foreign relations just as 9/11 changed the American security landscape forever. His remarkable "Special Providence: American Foreign Policy and how it changed the World" hit bookstands around the country within weeks of Al Qaeda's attack. The work, which was part revisionist history and part typology of U.S. foreign policy traditions, had everything going for it except one thing: it called for an American global pullback, and cautioned against international overreaching, just as 9/11 ensured the U.S. would be extending itself around the world with a vengeance. What's a talented foreign policy specialist to do? Why not write another book?

The result is something of a disappointment. "Power, Terror, Peace, and War: America's Grand Strategy in a World at Risk" feels rushed and light. Weighing in at just over 200 pages, and with no bibliography, the book is thin in both original thinking and scholarship. Mead obviously felt he had to say something about 9/11 without delay. He should have taken his time. Where "Special Providence" had much that was useful and interesting, even after events had overtaken its conclusion, this book is likely to sink out of view without a whimper. Comparing the two books is an object lesson to authors who believe that topicality is of primary importance to the quality of their book.

A problem of Mead's that was not apparent in reading just one of his books, but which appears with more clarity after reading two of them, is his addiction to classification systems. His four part typology of American foreign policy -- Jeffersonians, Hamiltonians, Wilsonians, and Jacksonians -- is the centerpiece of "Special Providence." In "Power, Terror, Peace, and War", he comes up with a three-part division of sharp power (military), sticky power (economic), and sweet power (cultural), because he apparently wasn't satisfied with the traditional dichotomy of hard and soft power. He also speaks of Fordism and millennial capitalism, hegemonic power and harmonic convergence, and he reprises his classification of Jeffersonians, Hamiltonians, Wilsonians, and Jacksonians from the previous book. Not all of these terms are Mead's creations, but most of them are, and the result is the book has a strained quality to it. Even informed readers might feel a little at sea when contemplating ideas such as whether revivalist Hamiltonians' post-Fordist strategy of sticky power helps America's harmonic convergence. (Mead doesn't actually say that word for word, but it sometimes feels like he wants to.)

Despite this compulsive desire to come up with neologisms, Mead says very little that is interesting or new. In "Special Providence", he changed the way I thought about U.S. foreign policy in the nineteenth century. This book, on the other hand, is instantly forgettable. Mead makes general comments on economics that are weakly supported (how does Mead know whether millennial capitalism is here to stay?) and throwaway remarks on current events which were already dated by the time the book was published. Rather than waste your time with this work, I recommend reading his "Special Providence", a superior book in every way.

The American Project.......2005-01-01

Walter Russell Mead is the Henry A Kissinger Senior Fellow on US Foreign Policy at the Council of Foreign Relations and the intellectual power that he brings to bear on the issues of foreign policy are as impressive as his job title. He marshals the disciplines of politics, economics, sociology, history and religion to produce a provocative and compelling analysis of America and its role in the world.

This important book describes what Mead calls the "American Project...to protect our own domestic security while building a peaceful world order of peaceful states linked by common values and sharing a common prosperity." This project is rooted in American history and tradition. (This work should be read in tandem with Surprise, Security, and the American Experience by John Lewis Gaddis.)

Mead identifies four schools of thought that animate our way of thinking about foreign policy. 1)Wilsonians are idealistic internationalists who believe the spread of democracy abroad will give us security at home - many of the neoconservatives are of this persuasion. Present-day Wilsonians are notable for their lack of confidence in international institutions. 2)Jeffersonians adhere to isolationism, even less of an option today than it was in the 19th century. 3)Hamiltonians are the business class that promote enterprise at home and abroad; they believe that globalization contributes to peace and security. 4)Jacksonians are described as "populist nationalists." They have the individualist's suspicion of government. And, oh yeah, they like to fight. In foreign policy that translates into overwhelming force and total victory.

The Bush administration's war on terror has been, according to Mead, a combination of Revival Wilsonianism and Jacksonianism. The internal conflict between these two approaches are never more obvious than in the present occupation of Iraq. While the Wilsonians are delicately trying to plant the seeds of democracy, the Jacksonians want victory over the evildoers regardless of the consequences.

Another trend that Mead describes is the shift from managed capitalism ("Fordism") which is a cooperative arrangement among the managers of state, business, and labor to a global capitalism ("millenial capitalism") which is less regulated and less equitable in its distribution of winners and losers. The Hamiltonians are promoters of millenial capitalism. It is a worldwide phenomenon that the state elites dislike because it diminishes their control over the economy. One more reason they hate us. The poor also liked the old system because it brought government subsidies. Alas, they too hate us.

Mead's prescription for helping the poor is of course in tune with millenial capitalism. The money for old style foreign aid is no longer there since Western governments are all running huge deficits already. He advocates private banks lending money in the form of microloans. This has been done succussfully in Bangladesh and elsewhere. (Read Banker to the Poor:Micro-Lending and the Battle Against World Poverty by Muhammad Yunus.) Outreach to the poor is not only a good in and of itself but it also provides fewer soldiers for international terrorism.

The Revival Wilsonianism of the Bush administration also has a religious element. Mead believes that the religious aspect of the foreign policy agenda should be embraced by us and the rest of the world as a basis for action since international institutions are not providing us with the proper values necessary to guarantee our security. This is where I part company with Mead. Even though international institutions have failed on many occassions, I still have more confidence in the United Nations than evangelicals in charge of foreign policy. We must guard against becoming like the enemy; trying to fight Islamic fanaticism or fascism with evangelical Christianity is not the proper course. The proper solution would be reforming existing international institutions to reflect new realities. Long live the separation of church and international governance.

This book is very good at identifying the domestic sources of our search for solutions to our international problems. The goal of this book was to offer important discussion on securing America domestically within a network of states that share our values and it achieves that goal reasonably well.

A mixed bag.......2004-09-29

Mead's book is very stimulating. His review of foreign policy and domestic politics is wide-ranging. He creates memorable labels that help highlight the main points of his argument, even if (see the editorial reviews) they may oversimplify or distort somewhat. He lays out more compelling reasons for US interventions in the Middle East than does the Bush administration, while noting some of the ways in which the administration has fumbled the ball.

Yet there is a deep flaw in Mead's argument. In his account, Millenial Capitalism and American Revivalism are inevitable, the working out of the inner logic of capitalism and US politics. They are explicitly progressive, replacing an inferior Fordist system. Millenial Capitalism will do a better job than Fordism of providing for the poor and spreading the benefits of growth.

These are elements of faith to Mead - the foundation on which he builds his analysis rather subjects of analysis. Assuming progress, he overlooks past cycles of the rise and fall of economic liberalism and imperialism. Ignoring the cycles, he misses the reactions to the disruptions caused by trade and imperialism, and how they lead to the creation of the Fordist system. He pays too little attention to the reactions to the neoconservative project for global hegemenony and how they will affect international relations. The cold war arms race is reviving even now; Mead misses it.

Mead's America is also largely devoid of human agency. The role of a 40 year ideological project by the radical right in undermining Fordism and fostering the idea that Millenial Capitalism will lift all boats, and that the world requires American dominance, is substantially ignored.

Finally, Mead seems to be under the spell of American exceptionalism. He tells us of his world travels and talks, and how many people's views were enlightened by his explication of US foreign policy. I waited in vain for an admission that someone outside of the US might have valuable insights into international politics or that Mead himself has learned anything that informed his policy proposals.

In short, Mead's book represents thinking "inside the box". He is informative and educational, but his vision is limited by disciplinary boundaries and ideological commitments.

A Grand Strategy For America (Cornell Studies in Security Affairs)

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A Grand Strategy For America (Cornell Studies in Security Affairs)
Robert J. Art
Manufacturer: Cornell University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0801489571

Book Description

A Century Foundation Book

The United States today is the most powerful nation in the world, perhaps even stronger than Rome was during its heyday. It is likely to remain the world's preeminent power for at least several decades to come. What behavior is appropriate for such a powerful state?

To answer this question, Robert J. Art concentrates on "grand strategy"—the deployment of military power in both peace and war to support foreign policy goals. He first defines America's contemporary national interests and the specific threats they face, then identifies seven grand strategies that the United States might contemplate, examining each in relation to America's interests. The seven are:

• dominion—forcibly trying to remake the world in America's own image;
• global collective security—attempting to keep the peace everywhere;
• regional collective security—confining peacekeeping efforts to Europe;
• cooperative security—seeking to reduce the occurrence of war by limiting other states' offensive capabilities;
• isolationism—withdrawing from all military involvement beyond U.S. borders;
• containment—holding the line against aggressor states; and
• selective engagement—choosing to prevent or to become involved only in those conflicts that pose a threat to the country's long-term interests.

Book Description

This book brings together the essays of Robert Art, one of America's leading scholars of international relations and US foreign policy.

The essays represent some of his most important and influential international relations and foreign policy pieces written since the end of the Cold War. Focused on the theme of American grand strategy, the essays cover such topics as:

the use of force
coercive diplomacy
nuclear deterrence
defence policy
the role of NATO
US-European relations.

The essays in this collection possess both theoretical depth and historical breadth, providing a coherent assessment of the role that American military power plays in international politics. It includes a new introduction that provides an overview of American grand strategy and an original afterword in which the author reflects on the future of grand strategy in the post-9/11 world.

America's Grand Strategy and World Politics will be essential reading for anyone interested in American foreign policy and international politics.

Looking across the Mediterranean: radical Islamic politics and the West's response.(The War for Muslim Minds: Islam and the West)(Power, Terror, Peace, ... article from: Inroads: A Journal of Opinion

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Looking across the Mediterranean: radical Islamic politics and the West's response.(The War for Muslim Minds: Islam and the West)(Power, Terror, Peace, ... article from: Inroads: A Journal of Opinion
John Richards
Manufacturer: Inroads, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Inroads: A Journal of Opinion, published by Inroads, Inc. on January 1, 2005. The length of the article is 5673 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Looking across the Mediterranean: radical Islamic politics and the West's response.(The War for Muslim Minds: Islam and the West)(Power, Terror, Peace, and War: America's Grand Strategy in a World at Risk)(Book Review)
Author: John Richards
Publication: Inroads: A Journal of Opinion (Magazine/Journal)
Date: January 1, 2005
Publisher: Inroads, Inc.
Issue: 16 Page: 106(12)

Article Type: Book Review

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1863: A Civil War scenario : [historical fiction of American Civil War grand strategy]

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1863: A Civil War scenario : [historical fiction of American Civil War grand strategy]
William Hopkins
Manufacturer: March Hare Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: 0962954411

America's grand strategy choices (USAWC strategy research project)

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America's grand strategy choices (USAWC strategy research project)
Rolf A Siegel
Manufacturer: U.S. Army War College
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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