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.

History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)

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Check and see
Suprise! Suprise!
Prescient St Augustine?
Something of a disappointment
Romulus courts Helen, Paris founds Rome, Moses goes to Troy..

History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)
Anatoly T Fomenko
Manufacturer: Delamere Resources LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 2913621066

Product Description

`History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2` is the second volume of the most explosive and astounding tractate on history ever written - however, every theory it contains, no matter how unorthodox, is backed by rock solid scientific data. The book is easy and pleasant to read; it is well-illustrated, contains hundreds of charts, graphs and illustrations, copies of ancient manuscripts, and countless facts attesting to the falsity of the chronology used nowadays. You will be amazed to discover: - That the chronology universally accepted today and taken for granted is simply wrong; - That ALL methods of dating of ancient sources and artefacts known today are erroneous or non-exact; - That there is not a single document that could be reliably dated earlier than the XIth century; The Author refers to the Middle Ages as the Antiquity and proves mutual superimposition of the Second and the Third Roman Empire, both of which become identified as the respective kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Furthermore, he asserts that the famous reform of the Occidental Church in the XI century by Pope Gregory Hildebrand was the reflection of the XII century reforms of Byzantine emperor Andronicus who in his turn identifies with Jesus Christ. The Trojan war counted by Homer happened only as late as of the XIII century A.D. and the great poet actually lived in XIV century A.D. No stone in history of Antiquity is left unturned. Literally. This book is the beginning of a major correction to the chronology we live with.

Customer Reviews:

Check and see.......2007-06-21

I don't care what other people say of this book. Those affirmig it's fake, they hadn't ever read it. Or have some special reasons to do so. "Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see..." This book won't make you feel comfortable. It'll make you feel free. It'll make you feel you're "not the only one" to feel you'd been lied to for centuries.

Suprise! Suprise!.......2007-03-22

Here is a serie of books which turns "the whole world" upside down. I learned a lot of it and I hope that a new book from A.T. Fomenko will follow very quick. A absolute must for everybody who is interested in history or even a little bit from it.

Prescient St Augustine?.......2006-02-05

We can so far divide the New Chronology into the following three parts:

a) The verifiable theory that proves consensual chronology wrong with the aid of astronomy, statistics and mathematics;

b) The new chronology hypothesis based on a new understanding of known historical facts and the most likely logical explanation of the most obvious inconsistencies inherent in the official version of history;

c) The history conjectures, that is experimental historical reconstructions based on assumptions that the authors believe to make sense in the light of their research and linguistic parallels - void of ironclad factual support to date.

Fomenko's theory complies with the most rigid scientific standards as a whole:

It gives a coherent explanation of what we already know.

- It is consistent: independent lines of inquiry all lead to the same conclusion.

- The predictions it makes are confirmed empirically.

Fomenko goes by the following axioms:

- Chronology is the basis of history;

- Human evolution has always been linear, gradual and irreversible;

- The "cyclic" nature of human civilization is a myth, likewise all the gaps, duplicates, "dark ages" and "renaissances" that we know from consensual history;

- The accumulation of geographical knowledge as reflected in cartography is a gradual and irreversible process;

- The chronological distance between a given manuscript and the events described therein is proportional to the amount of distortions it contains;

- There is no "useless" information in authentic ancient sources.

Why the mainstream historians do not shower mathematician Academician Dr.Prof Fomenko with thanks and laurels?

The Russians:

Because Fomenko asserts that there was no such thing as the Tartar and Mongol invasion followed by three centuries of slavery, providing a formidable body of documental evidence to prove his assertion. The so-called "Tartars and Mongols" were the actual ancestors of the modern Russians, living in a bilingual state with Arabic spoken as freely as Russian. The ancient Russian state was governed by a double structure of civil and military authorities. The hordes were actually professional armies with a tradition of lifelong conscription (the recruitment being the so-called "blood tax"). Their "invasions" were punitive operations against the regions that attempted tax evasion. Fomenko proves that Russian history as we know it today is a blatant forgery concocted by a host of German scientists brought to Russia by the usurper dynasty of the Romanovs, whose ascension to the throne was the result of coup d'état, charged with the mission of making their reign look legitimate. Fomenko proves Ivan the Terrible to be a collation of four rulers, no less. They represented the two rival dynasties - the legitimate rulers and the ambitious upstarts. The winner took it all! Over some 30 years of controversy, Russian historians have made a most remarkable transition - they were initially accusing the young mathematician Fomenko of anticommunist dissident activity and attempts to deface the historical legacy of Soviet Russia; nowadays the middle-aged mathematician is accused of adhering to "pro-communist Russian nationalism" and defacing the proud historical legacy of Great Russia.

The Westerners:

Because Fomenko blows consensual Russian history to smithereens, successfully removing a crucial cornerstone from underneath the otherwise impeccable edifice of World History. Fomenko adds insult to injury, wiping out one by one the Ancient Rome (the foundation of Rome in Italy is dated to the XIV century A. D.), the Ancient Greece and its numerous poleis, which he identifies as the mediaeval crusader settlements on the territory of Greece, and the Ancient Egypt (the pyramids of Giza become dated to the XI-XV century A. D. and identified as the royal cemetery of the Global "Mongolian" Empire, no less). The civilization of the Ancient Egypt is irrefutably dated to the XII-XV century A. D. with the aid of the ancient Egyptian horoscopes cut in stone. He was the first one to decipher and date all such horoscopes, coming up with mediaeval dates in every case. English historians rage at the suggestion that the history of Ancient England was de facto a Byzantine import transplanted to the English soil by the fugitive Byzantine nobility. To reward the English historians who consider themselves the true scribes of World History, the cover of the present book portrays Tintoretto's Jesus Christ crucified on the Big Ben.

The Chinese:

Because Fomenko wipes out the Ancient History of China outright. No such thing. Full point. The compilation of the so-called Ancient Chinese History is reliably datable to the XVII-XVIII century only. It is perfectly recognizable as the Ancient European history, reworked and transcribed in hieroglyphs as yet another historical transplantation, this time performed on the Chinese soil by the loving Jesuit hands. The Chinese are the next in line to go berserk. Chinese history is inevitably bound to get both more ancient and more eventful, proportionally to the growing involvement of China in the world affairs. Chinese historians will keep on finding valid proof of prehistoric Chinese spaceflights until the Politburo orders them to shut up.

The Arabs:

Too bad. Islam with all its key figures is datable to XV-XVI century A. D. Arabic historians may find consolation in the crucial historical role of the Ottoman Empire in the XVI-XVII century. The trouble is that this empire was initially a Christian state, with Hagia Sophia identifiable as Temple of Solomon, according to Fomenko! We can only guess if the acquisition of Alexander the Great (a Macedonian and a Christian) as the founder of the Muslim World Empire will make Fomenko's theories more acceptable to the Arabic mainstream. He certainly does not spare any holy cows at all, claiming The Stone of Qa'Aba in Mecca to contain the lost Arch of the Covenant.

The Divinity:

Despite of reiterated statement that his theory is all about chronology and not Religion, Fomenko stirs up a whole condominium of wasp nests. His collection of anathemas, fatwa, and other condemnations from all parties concerned is already considerable. Little wonder, considering that the history of religions à la Fomenko looks as follows: the pre-Christian period (before the XI century and JC), Bacchic Christianity (XI-XII century, before and after JC), JC Christianity (XII-XVI century) and its subsequent mutations into Orthodox Christianity, the Catholicism, Islam, Buddhism, and so on.

According to Fomenko we know strictly NOTHING about the events that predate the X century A. D.

St Augustin was prescient when he spoke unto us: "be wary of mathematicians, particularly when they speak the truth."

Something of a disappointment.......2005-09-09

After having read the first volume of this expected series of 7 volumes I was triggered by the thesis of these authors that ancient Greek and Roman history did in fact take place in the Middle Ages. So I started studying medieval history of the Middle East - also known as Islamic history - to find out if the opponents of the ancient Greeks and Romans - the Acheamenid Persians, Sassanids, Scythians, Egyptians, etc. - also have their duplicates in medieval history. My search was disappointing: none of the many medieval Islamic dynasties seemed to correspond to the ancient middle eastern rulers.

However, I did find a close correspondence between Herodotus' Persian kings and medieval events:

- the defeat and capture of an Anatolian king - the Lydian Croesus - by the Persian conqueror Cyrus is identical to the defeat and capture of another Anatolian king - sultan Bayezid - by the Asian/Mongol conqueror Tamerlane;
- the Persian conquest of Egypt by the cruel tyrant Cambyses reds almost exactly as the Ottoman conquest of Egypt by Selim the Grim (note the nickname!);
- Darius the Lawgiver of the Persian Empire looks very much alike to Sulayman the Magnificent, the Lawgiver in Islamic history;
- Xerxes, whose main claim to fame is to be defeated by the Greeks at the naval battle of Salamis, looks like Selim II (the Sot) whose main claim to fame is to be defeated by a Spanish-Italian alliance at the naval battle of Lepanto.

I should have expected Fomenko et al. to arrive at similar conclusions, however, they claim that the Persian kings are the alter egos of the Angevin kings of Sicily whose biographies do not contain the exploits of the Persian kings.

The similiarities I indicate lead to the conclusion that Herodotus must have written his Histories at the close of the 16th century. But this is extremely late, given that Herodotus is "the Father of History", so therefore all other "ancient" histories must have been fabricated even later. Yet, the founders of modern chronology - Scaliger and Petavius - laid their foundations also at the close of the 16th century and had the full corpus of ancient histories already at their disposal.

It seems to me that Fomenko has to address these inconsistencies, maybe in the forthcoming 5 volumes?

Another critique of their book is that the correspondencies between different rulers are often based on a superficial comparison of the biographies; upon a more thorough comparison many details appear that do not correspond at all.

Finally, the authors rely heavily on the works of Gregorovius (1821-1891!!) - his medieval histories of Rome and Athens - as the source of medieval history; these works are - at least in the West - hoplessly outdated and have been superceded by more up-to-date works (for instance, Julius Norwich's trilogy on Byzantine history is not even cited).

Romulus courts Helen, Paris founds Rome, Moses goes to Troy.........2005-07-30

If you agree with Fomenko that Roman chronology is basically the foundation of the entire edifice of global chronology; you would also certainly agree that despite its numerous gaps and inconsistencies, Roman history is the best-documented field of ancient history, and thus a reference scale. But how well is the actual date of the Eternal City's foundation known?

Firstly, Rome is supposed to have been founded by the Trojans who had to flee after the fall of Troy. Some claim Rome to have been founded by Aeneas and Ulysses shortly after Troy had fallen; others are of the opinion that there was an entire dynasty that ruled for 500 years between the fall of Troy and the foundation of Rome.

Well, that's just an innocent 500 years long misunderstanding compared with what heretic Fomenko says, asserts, proves in his second volume: Second Roman Empire, Third Roman Empire, Biblical Kingdom of Israel, Biblical Kingdom of Judah, Holy Roman Empire are stories about basically same events, written from different points of view at different times. The underlying events have actually taken place during xii-xv cy. These histories have been written and perfected by multitude of highly talented humanist and clerical writers of xiii-xvi cy disguised as "ancients" with glorious names like Homer, Pluto, Thucydides etc..Chronology 2.0 beta..

Historians are kindly invited to report the bugs.

The Early Chinese Empires: Qin and Han (History of Imperial China)

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Solid

The Early Chinese Empires: Qin and Han (History of Imperial China)
Mark Edward Lewis
Manufacturer: Belknap Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 067402477X

Book Description

In 221 bc the First Emperor of Qin unified the lands that would become the heart of a Chinese empire. Though forged by conquest, this vast domain depended for its political survival on a fundamental reshaping of Chinese culture. With this informative book, we are present at the creation of an ancient imperial order whose major features would endure for two millennia.

The Qin and Han constitute the "classical period" of Chinese history--a role played by the Greeks and Romans in the West. Mark Edward Lewis highlights the key challenges faced by the court officials and scholars who set about governing an empire of such scale and diversity of peoples. He traces the drastic measures taken to transcend, without eliminating, these regional differences: the invention of the emperor as the divine embodiment of the state; the establishment of a common script for communication and a state-sponsored canon for the propagation of Confucian ideals; the flourishing of the great families, whose domination of local society rested on wealth, landholding, and elaborate kinship structures; the demilitarization of the interior; and the impact of non-Chinese warrior-nomads in setting the boundaries of an emerging Chinese identity.

The first of a six-volume series on the history of imperial China, The Early Chinese Empires illuminates many formative events in China's long history of imperialism--events whose residual influence can still be discerned today.

Customer Reviews:

Solid.......2007-08-26

A solid introduction to Chinese Imperial history. This is the first volume of a projected survey of Imperial history being brought out by Harvard University Press. Lewis presents the first Chinese Empires, the Chin and the Han, as developing several of the basic institutions that would characterize the Chinese state for centuries. These include the overarching goal of a unified state transcending regions, a political system based on the Emperor as source of all authority and focal point of loyalty, the development of a unified intellectual culture serving the state, the demilitarization of the interior and development of professional and client armies defending the frontiers against nomadic peoples, and the emergence of the gentry that would be the mediator between the Imperial center and the countryside.

Lewis describes the Chin/Han as akin to the Classical period of Western history. This is true in both the sense of these societies establishing basic features of their descendant cultures but also in the sense of the problems of reconstructing their histories. As with Classical history, Lewis draws on literary accounts, contemporary histories, a modest amount of surviving primary documents, epigraphy, and archaeological evidence. One thing that appears to be different is the greater degree of continuity between the Chin/Han and later states.

Lewis covers the emergence of the initial Chin empire from the preceding Warring States. This seems to be the story of the development of a relatively centralized and militarized state emerging from a welter of feudatories, and then able to conquer rival states to produce a unified Empire. The history of the succeeding Han is presented as a partial dismantling of Chin institutions to produce the basic features of the Chinese state. Lewis does not present a typical narrative but rather more of a structural analysis. Much of the book consists of thematic chapters on family life, religion, intellectual culture, and law. This may be due in part to the limitations of the narrative record. Perhaps for the same reason, some very intriguing aspects, such as the apparent considerable monetarization of the Chinese economy are not explored. There is a particularly interesting discussion of the military strategies adopted by the Han to deal with Central Asian nomads and how their failure apparently precipitated the fall of the Han.

Lewis is a competent, as opposed to very good, writer. Perhaps because of the survey format, there are some limitations for the general reader. A brief discussion of the nature of the Zhou feudal state would have been useful. Similarly, Lewis has a good discussion of the emergence of an official intellectual canon but little discussion of the actual content of its different components. Having raised the comparison with Classical history, Lewis provides no comparative discussion. For example, the use of Central Asian nomads as client armies invites comparison with the later Roman Empire.

There are a number of maps but they are not of very good quality. Overall, this is a good start for this series.

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excellent framework to begin study of Chinese philosophy

The Intellectual Foundations of China
Frederick W Mote
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0075540304

Book Description

This brief paperback introduction to the basic ideas that underlie traditional Chinese culture focuses on the "Golden Age" (600 B.C.-150 B.C.) of Chinese philosophy.

Customer Reviews:

excellent framework to begin study of Chinese philosophy.......2003-10-17

Dr. Mote's monograph outlines the foundations of Chinese thought from Confucius (551-479 BC) through the bureaucratic innovations of the first dynasty (the Ch'in, 221-206 BC). The book covers early Chinese cosmology, Confucianism and its derivative schools, Taoism, Mohism, and the pragmatic successes of history's first totalitarian government -- the Ch'in State. It does not attempt to cover later influences such as Buddhism.

Book Description

D. R. Howland explores China’s representations of Japan in the changing world of the late nineteenth century and, in so doing, examines the cultural and social borders between the two neighbors. Looking at Chinese accounts of Japan written during the 1870s and 1880s, he undertakes an unprecedented analysis of the main genres the Chinese used to portray Japanâthe travel diary, poetry, and the geographical treatise. In his discussion of the practice of âbrushtalk,â in which Chinese scholars communicated with the Japanese by exchanging ideographs, Howland further shows how the Chinese viewed the communication of their language and its dominant modesâhistory and poetryâas the textual and cultural basis of a shared civilization between the two societies.
With Japan’s decision in the 1870s to modernize and westernize, China’s relationship with Japan underwent a crucial changeâone that resulted in its decisive separation from Chinese civilization and, according to Howland, a destabilization of China’s worldview. His examination of the ways in which Chinese perceptions of Japan altered in the 1880s reveals the crucial choice faced by the Chinese of whether to interact with Japan as âkin,â based on geographical proximity and the existence of common cultural threads, or as a âbarbarian,â an alien force molded by European influence.
By probing China’s poetic and expository modes of portraying Japan, Borders of Chinese Civilization exposes the changing world of the nineteenth century and China’s comprehension of it. This broadly appealing work will engage scholars in the fields of Asian studies, Chinese literature, history, and geography, as well as those interested in theoretical reflections on travel or modernism.

Edge of Empires: Chinese Elites and British Colonials in Hong Kong

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Outstanding

Edge of Empires: Chinese Elites and British Colonials in Hong Kong
John M. Carroll
Manufacturer: Harvard University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0674017013

Book Description

In an engaging, revisionist study, John M. Carroll argues that in the century after the Opium War, Hong Kong's colonial nature helped create a local Chinese business elite.

By the end of the nineteenth century, the colonial government saw Chinese businessmen as allies in establishing Hong Kong as a commercial center. The idea of a commercially vibrant China united them. Chinese and British leaders cooperated on issues of mutual concern, such as the expansion of capitalism and political and economic directions for an ailing China.

These Chinese also found opportunities in the colonial system to develop business and commerce. In doing so, they used Hong Kong's strategic position to underscore their own identity as a distinctive group unlike their mainland counterparts. Nationalism took on a specifically Hong Kong character. At the same time, by contributing to imperial war funds, organizing ceremonies for visiting British royalty, and attending imperial trade exhibitions, the Chinese helped make Hong Kong an active member of the global British Empire.

In Edge of Empires, Carroll situates Hong Kong squarely within the framework of both Chinese and British colonial history, while exploring larger questions about the meaning and implications of colonialism in modern history.

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding.......2005-06-18

This is a brilliant account of the emergence of particular identities and social structures in colonial Hong Kong. Although focused on this unique British colony, the book will be fascinating to anyone interested in colonialism, imperialism, or cultural identity.

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This book took the author 35 years to write
A superb beautifully illustrated introduction to China.
Characters
One of the best introductions to Chinese culture available!

China: Empire of Living Symbols
Cecilia Lindqvist
Manufacturer: Perseus Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0201570092

Customer Reviews:

This book took the author 35 years to write.......2007-02-23

When I was a kid I though that the Chinese written language was impossible to learn (unless you were born there) and that the signs were just a bunch of arbitrary strokes impossible to remember.

All this changed when I picked up this book in the 1990s. I then discovered the connection between the Chinese culture and history, and the written Chinese language. It is thick with carefully chosen and categorized stories, often experienced by the author herself, about how a Chinese character reveals something about Chinese history, thinking, or everyday life in ancient times. The Chinese themselves are often strangely unaware about the etymology of their Hànzi characters, since the school system encourages rote learning. Its richly illustrated by drawings and photographs that shows similarities between something and the character representing it. E.g. how the character for "well" resembles the ancient Chinese way of constructing wells, quite different from western ones.

What this book is not:
- Its very, far from anything like a textbook in Chinese writing. But it may be the best soft introduction to such a topic. Its well suited for people that want to know something about the Chinese language, but don't want to spend time studying it.
- Its not a dictionary. It covers 500 characters in 350 pages. The characters are not selected because of word frequency, or usefulness in everyday life etc. Many characters covered are really rare.
- It doesn't say anything about how the signs are pronounced. It is strictly about how the Chinese culture embedded in the written language.
- If you stop reading before the last chapter you will believe that the Chinese language are mostly made up of ideographs or pictograms (a picture of something in the real world). In fact more than 90% of Characters are made up of Radical-Phonetic signs (explained in the final chapter) and character do not resemble anything "in real life". To "unlearn" this misunderstanding I will recommend J. DeFrancis: "The Chinese Language: Fact and Fantasy"

Because of this book, I moved to China and studied there in 2005. Without getting inspiration from this book a few years ago, I would never have thought it was worth even trying to understand the Chinese language.

A superb beautifully illustrated introduction to China........2001-06-27

CHINA : Empire of Living Symbols. By Cecilia Lindqvist. Translated from the Swedish by Joan Tate. 424 pp. New York : Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Inc., 1991 (1989). ISBN 0-201-57009-2 (hbk.)

Although Cecilia Lindqvist is a professional scholar of Chinese and was in fact a pupil of Bernhard Karlgren, one of the greatest sinologists of the 20th century, she is one of those rare scholars who, instead of devoting herself exclusively to academic publications, has not been afraid to produce a book designed for the general reader.

Her book, though founded in a specialist knowledge of both Chinese and China, where she lived for many years, is written with a light and engaging touch, is magnificently illustrated with numerous photographs, both black-and-white and color, line drawings, maps, Chinese characters, etc., and is so beautifully produced that it could be read or browsed with interest by anyone.

Her book attempts so many things, and succeeds so well in them all, that it would be difficult to overpraise it. It introduces us to the pictorial element of the Chinese script in a more engaging way than has ever been done before, and becomes in fact a painless way of acquiring a vocabulary of the basic building blocks which go to make up Chinese characters.

It relates these basic pictograms to a wide range of topics in Chinese cultural history in a sumptuously illustrated series of chapters dealing with - Oracle Bones and Bronzes; Man, Mankind; Water and Mountains ; Wild Animals; Domestic Animals; Carts, Roads, and Boats; Farming; Wine and Jars; Hemp and Silk; Bamboo and Tree; Tools and Weapons; Roofs and Houses; Books and Musical Instruments; Numbers and Other Abstract Characters. It also includes a chapter on Meaning and Sound which traces the development of Chinese writing from the early pictographs through to phonetic compounds.

The book is rounded out with a gallery of superb color photographs; a section on Character Stroke Order; a really excellent Bibliography of both Western and Chinese books (which unfortunately gives only the pinyin and lacks the sinographs for the latter); a table of Dynasties and Periods; and a full Index.

The book is a curious size, having been made 8.5 by 8.5 inches to accomodate its many photographs, is bound in full linen, stitched, and beautifully printed on a very strong smooth ivory-tinted paper.

Anyone who, after reading the book, would like to learn more about China's culture or writing system, will find that the fully annotated Bibliography with its extensive list of interesting works for further reading will provide many leads. These range from general books on the science and civilization of China up to such things as specialist Chinese dictionaries of the ancient bone and bronze forms of the characters.

Lindqvist's love of China, its people, language, and culture shines through on every page, and her book is clearly a labor of love. It can be recommended without reservation as a marvelous introduction to one of the richest and most fascinating cultures on earth.

Characters.......2001-04-29

Glad to see it was translated from Swedish. It is quite good, I have seen other interpretations of some characters than the ones she gives. Also I was hoping she would cover more characters. Still a very interesting book.

Tom Anderson
Anderson Analytics, LLC
http://www.andersonanalytics.com

One of the best introductions to Chinese culture available!.......1998-09-21

If you only have time or money to get one book as an introduction to Chinese culture--try this! Cecilia Lindqvist shows the reader how Chinese characters are derived from reality. As she does so, Lindqvist describes Chinese history, geography, art, music, customs. The book includes excellent reproductions of Chinese art and pictures of everyday life. Reading this book feels like touring China with a knowing and chatty guide. She takes you not only around an enormous territory, but through 6,000 years of civilization.

China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Inc.: The Dynamics of a New Empire

Average customer rating:

Written on the eve of HK repatriation
Great overview of the situation in greater China
An Economic Powerhouse Rises
The first half is excellent, but the second half is not
A hard to put down look at Greater China.

China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Inc.: The Dynamics of a New Empire
Willem Van Kemenade
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0679777563
Release Date: 1998-06-30

Amazon.com

With Hong Kong's reversion to Chinese rule, a new style of leadership under party chief and president Jiang Zemin, and unrivaled economic growth, China is more unpredictable than ever. In an era in which communist regimes are crumbling worldwide, China not only survives but prospers, contradicting the West's maxim that open markets inevitably lead to open societies. Given all the unknowns that surround China's future, Willem van Kemenade's China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Inc. seems a brave undertaking. Van Kemenade, a Dutch journalist specializing in Asian affairs, presents a well-documented account of the economic powerhouse forming around the combined might of the Chinese mainland (including Macao and Hong Kong) and Taiwan.

Though he gives no easy answers, van Kemenade poses a lot of interesting questions, providing in the process a fascinating portrait of a nation replete with contradictions: though the central government has maintained an iron grip on Chinese politics, Chinese-style capitalism has garnered greater economic freedom from Beijing in many parts of the country. How this new independence might affect other areas such as the military is anybody's guess, although van Kemenade provides some compelling scenarios of ways in which such a situation might play out. China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Inc. is a provocative look at China on the threshold of the 21st century.

Book Description

On the eve of June 30, Hong Kong was officially passed back to China. This event will mark what Willem van Kemenade sees as the start of an increasingly problematic -- and even dangerous -- reintegration of the old Chinese empire into a new world superpower. Since the early 1980s, investment money has been pouring into China from Hong Kong and trade has escalated at a rocket's pace. A few years later, the same pattern began between China and Taiwan. The combination of Hong Kong/Taiwan management, financial and export know-how with China's inexhaustible pool of cheap labor and land has enabled China in one decade to leap from an impoverished revolutionary state to a major international trading power. This economic boom, in conjunction with the violation of intellectual property rights, systematic tax fraud, and the corruption of the police force, has helped shape the "socialist market economy," China's third way -- and a new mix of old-fashioned Soviet Communism and East Asian capitalism.

The formal addition of Hong Kong will add to this mixture the democratic structures set in place by the British. And, as China moves to reclaim Taiwan (the process has already begun), it will be incorporating a rival Chinese sub-nation with a fully election-based political system and a powerful independence movement. Can such a reunified China resist the "spiritual pollution" of democratic values, human rights, and political freedom? Will it become the first depoliticized "corporatist superpower"? What are the prospects that reunification will be peaceful?

Van Kemenade's portrait of the true internal power structures of the three Chinas provides our clearest look yet at the fastest-rising new empire in the world today.

Customer Reviews:

Written on the eve of HK repatriation.......2002-10-11

The author is a Dutch journalist for a Dutch newspaper based in Asia for twentysomething years and his book was translated into English a year later. Over 5 years ago, he wrote with a provocative title; similar to vanWolferen, an author (0-394-57796-5) who popularized the mgmt-speak: "Japan Inc," along with Business Week magazine, in the mid 1980s, when megaconglomerates (keiretsu), such as Mitsubishi and Sumitomo, were conspiring to conquer the world again, this time economically instead of militarily after WW II plus 40 years. Then later Mark Clifford wrote (1-56324-386-5) of a similar business conspiracy being duplicated with the chaebols of "Korea Inc," such as Samsung and Hyundai, after the Korean conflict (1950) plus 40 years. I found that this author has written a profound analysis on a potentially unified China (PRC+HK+TW), and interprets recent history to show the reader how China could set a similar course since the Cultural Revolution (1975) plus 40 years. Although he is a westerner who knows the native language, he appears to give a more neutral, less biased portrait of the emerging giant.

While not explicitly claimed by the author, his experience in reporting about China has started in the late 70s, first from Indonesia and then in the Chinas. This means that he observed the China ferment since the Cultural Revolution. So his writings must have included the Gang of 4 (79), the Four Modernizations (80s), Third Line Project (relo key defense industry away from the vulnerable E coast), and Deng's Reform and Opening (92). His book includes a 3-page bibliography, 18 pages of notes, and a 14-page index for further study. From his vantage point, he could eavesdrop on the whispered goings-on in the CCP and Taiwanese governments in order to validate what is eventually released to the propaganda machines.

Of the key areas in his book, Chap 3, over 30 pages are devoted in describing the westernization of Taiwan, yet he weaves in the overall strategy used by the PRC so that Taiwan will eventually return to the fold (p112). And in Chap 8, a 12-page analysis on why Taiwanese were allowed to create wholly owned factories in the Xiamen SEZ, directly across the Taiwan Straits in Fujian province, PRC. This book is great because it identifies the younger CCP lieutenants that one needs to watch as they gain experience and power. Furthermore in the 13-page Chap 13, he discusses why the greater HK / Canton / Shenzhen SEZ / Guangdong province area will be the first megalopolis that truly will embrace capitalism with Chinese characteristics. The industrial infrastructure is alive and well all united with the Cantonese dialect; the 5th ASEAN Tiger is ready to move. And finally in 15-page next to the last Chap 18, he explains the changes in politics, society, and culture that will take place during China's coming out period that will last through this decade. The author and translator have created an understandable read, one that has deciphered the seemingly conflicting news bytes that are in American press. One that makes it easier to see the forest and the trees, yet helping the reader understand the telltales so you can watch them bend as the wind blows.

Just this year, I see that Wal-Mart is selling refrigerators made by Haier, which is direct from the emerging Chinese capitalists in the PRC. This is the first consumer harbinger with a PRC brand name. This breaks the tradition of OEM contract manufacturing, first of clothing, shoes, and toys, then upscale to TVs, VCRs, and stereo gear. Now China is superceding the OEM manufacture of high tech computer components which are in-magnanimously buried underneath the "Intel inside" sticker on PC cases, which have been made in the PRC all through the 90s. The "Made in China" sticker is being flagerantly and ubiquitously waved in front of the world.

Undeniably since 2K, the march with "China Inc" has begun. After taking some lessons from history and reading van Kemanade's book, it becomes obvious in predicting the events to come. As aptly alluded to in David Sheff's new book (0-06-000599-8), the WTO gates have rang open a year ago (9/01); the modern Marco Polo shall be wise to heed the new adage, "Go east, young man, go east to China!"

Great overview of the situation in greater China.......2002-01-03

I picked this book up at ..., not really knowing what to expect. To my surprise, I ended up with a very detailed account of the economic and political situation in greater China (eastern continental Asia plus Japan, basically).

To begin with, this book really shows how the economic situation dominates the politics and realities of China. The incomplete transformation to a market economy where it is now legal, and even encouraged, to strive for profit is discussed throughout the book at varying levels. Keep in mind that China is still Communist - competition and striving for profit/growth is only somewhat the antithesis of Marxist theory. Reversing Mao's egalitarianism in favor of Deng's "those who can, get rich and it will trickle down" is something that has led to corruption and lack of moral guidance for most Chinese.

It also contains a good portrayal of the conflict between the gerontocracy and the younger (heh, 55-65 being young) generation more inclined to quicker and more complete economic reform. The government's ever changing policy on Confucianism, for example, illustrates the current problem the Communists are having coming up with ideology for the changing situation. This is discussed especially near the end of the book (including some nice information about new folk heroes).

The discussion on Communist theory displays some arguments that since China was never capitalist, they cannot proceed along the normal historical dialectic. I found this quite interesting. It seems the Chinese argue out of everything with paper-thin ideology, which is a recurring theme in this book - regarding relations with Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, America, just about everyone (including internal criticism of government policy).

An important topic also discussed in this book is the nature of the neonationalism present in Chinese today, as well the probable nature of China's Communism in the future. It is suggested that the Communism will evolve to where it is political repression that is the rule, but that out of necessity economic freedom will be increasingly common. This will create problems for the Communist system, even as it attempts to reform itself. The translation is well done, and the statistics are also handled well.

Oh, and for those who have been complaining about the second half of the book dealing with China's economic zones - I really found that part of the book to be the most informative. I assume most of us had very little knowledge of the northeast/xinjiang compared with our knowledge of Taiwan or Hong Kong. There was a good portrayal of Chinese racial relations with the Islamic portion to the west, and in the east with the Russians and Koreans. It was also interesting to learn more about the slow-motion invasion of the Siberia by the Chinese. This involves mass migration and illegal immigration, basically taking over towns that used to be Russian and turning the Russians into the lesser beings (as opposed to the imperialist notions circa old Shanghai), i.e. the mistreated waitresses and desperate barterers traveling to escape the economic problems in Russia itself. I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the subject matter and the will to learn a great deal about internal politics and conflict, as well as the economics signified by the "Inc." in the title.

An Economic Powerhouse Rises.......2000-02-18

Mr. van Kemenade, a journalist who has lived in mainland China for twenty years, has firsthand knowledge of Chinese history and society. He has written a detailed discussion about China's dynamic goal-oriented society, and about China's willingness to use long-term planning and almost ruthless determination to accomplish societal goals.

Mr. van Kemenade discusses how China's internal economy is increasingly controlled by centralized planning. Mr. van Kemenade also discusses China's economic relationships with Taiwan, with China's neighbors, and with the world.

China is the United States' largest trading partner. Every month our debt to China increases. This accumulating debt is a real and major transfer of wealth from the United States to China. We cannot assess the true cost until the bill comes due.

The first half is excellent, but the second half is not.......2000-02-17

Overall this is a good book, but it's big, chock full of facts and statistics. It helps to have some background knowledge of many of the figures involved. Still, most of the book is well written (or translated), so that the recitation of facts and statistics don't impede your reading at all.

In the first half of the book, Kemenade covers not just China, but China's relations with Taiwan and Hong Kong, and how those two `tigers' have dealt with the biggest power in the East. He certainly brings out the intractability and the inflexibility of the China's ruling elite on the matter of Taiwan's independence. And they show a shocking lack of sensitivity in order to save face - in the Qiandao incident, where close to 50 Taiwanese tourists were murdered, the mainland Chinese authorities were inhumanly hostile to the bereaved relatives, and refused to accept any responsibility at all. Actions like those that will do nothing to make the mainland endearing to the Taiwanese.

But it is also clear that the mainland authorities are capable of great patience and subtlety in their aim of achieving reunification with Taiwan. For instance, Kemenade illustrates how China has been encouraging Taiwanese businesses to invest heavily in the mainland over the past years so as to increase Taiwan's independence on the mainland. And he goes further, showing how ambivalent the Taiwanese are about business investment in China, and the measures politicians have taken to stem the flow of money to the mainland.

Kemenade deals neatly with the simmering regional/central issues on the mainland itself. He discusses in a fair amount of detail how the massive economic growth of "special economic zones" is creating centrifugal pressures on China's traditional unitary state. China may be politically centralised, but it is economically becoming a federation. He points out how in the area of tax collection, the local authorities are strong and central authorities weak; and the extent to which the local authorities - particularly in the rich provinces - are resisting tax collection by the central government.

Unfortunately, the second half of Kemenade's book is much less convincing or even interesting to read. This is very unfortunate.

Kemenade covers the economics of the Northeast of China, an area rarely discussed by modern commentators. He discusses mainly the investment of the other Asian economies, like Japan and South Korea, into the Northeast, often thought of as an industrial wasteland. The problem for me here was that the earlier chapters on Hong Kong and Taiwan were so compelling and comprehensive that this later chapter about the Northeast of China paled by comparison.

Kemenade has little to say about Russia-China relations. I got the impression that Kemenade was saying that the Chinese do not feel as threatened by the Russians as the Russians do by the Chinese. This would seem to be a result of the economic and political confidence of the Chinese. This is plausible. Unfortunately, his evidence for this point was very weak.

Given Kemenade's generally full coverage of China's domestic problems, his discussion of the Tiananmen Square massacre is surprisingly superficial. Although he gives you some of the political intrigue behind the scenes - and it is Li Peng who emerges as the real villain - he doesn't discuss in any depth the events leading up to the massacre. That's a bit disappointing.

There has been some criticism that Kemenade only deals with the `how' and not the `why' of mainland China's policies, but this seems superficial. The approach Kemenade takes is to show us by illustration, rather than spoon-feed us. His book requires you to make up your own mind. On the other hand, there is some truth in the criticism, particularly in the second half of the book, and I would have liked to have seen a little more focussed discussion.

A hard to put down look at Greater China........1999-09-24

Although there is a plethora of books on China there are few books on Taiwan and fewer still on relations between the two countries. Kemenade is to be thanked for taking up the challenge of such a daunting subject. He realizes that Taiwan can't be understood without looking at its overlarge, over-testosteroned neighbor. Kemenade excels at explaining the intricate business relationship between China and Taiwan. Despite constant worries of invasion from China, Taiwanese businessmen flock to China to make their fortune. On one hand China tries to keep Taiwan locked in a diplomatic cage, but on the other hand Taiwan is the third largest investor in China, and would probably be the second if Taiwan's government didn't actively discourage investment on the mainland. One of the few books on Chian that I have reread and will likely read again. Admittedly, not the best summary of China but what book under 1,000 pages is. Kemendae gives you the facts to make your own conclusions about what is happening in Greater China.

Gilded Splendor: Treasures of China's Liao Empire 907-1125

Average customer rating:

Gilded Splendor: Treasures of China's Liao Empire 907-1125
Hsueh-man Shen
Manufacturer: 5 Continents Editions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 8874393326

Book Description

The first major volume to explore one of China's most influential yet little known dynasties which brings to life one of China's forgotten empires and its unique culture.

Operation Yao Ming: The Chinese Sports Empire, American Big Business, and the Making of an NBA Superstar

Average customer rating:

Solid Read
Yao story interesting; broader Chineses history is fascinating
Good But Hardly Profound Bio of Yao Ming
Unsubtantiated Racist Drivel
Good Story but.......

Operation Yao Ming: The Chinese Sports Empire, American Big Business, and the Making of an NBA Superstar
Brook Larmer
Manufacturer: Gotham
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1592400787

Book Description

The riveting story behind NBA giant Yao Ming, the ruthless Chinese sports machine that created him, and the East-West struggle over ChinaÂ's most famous son.

The NBAÂ's 7Â`6Â“ All-Star Yao Ming has changed the face of basketball, revitalizing a league desperate for a new hero while becoming a multimillionaire pitchman for Reebok and McDonaldÂ's. But his journey to AmericaÂ—like that of his forgotten foil, 7Â`1Â“ Wang ZhizhiÂ—began long before he set foot on the worldÂ's brightest athletic stage.

Operation Yao Ming opens with the story of the two boysÂ' parents, basketball players brought together by Chinese officials intent on creating a generation of athletes who could bring glory to their resurgent motherland. Their children would have no more freedom to choose their fates. By age thirteen, Yao was pulled out of sports school to join the Shanghai Sharks pro team, following in the footsteps of Wang, then the star of the PeopleÂ's Liberation Army team. Rumors of the pair of Chinese giants soon attracted the NBA and American sports companies, all eager to tap a market of 1.3 billion consumers.

In suspenseful scenes, journalist Brook Larmer details the backroom maneuverings that brought ChinaÂ's first players to the NBA. Drawing on years of firsthand reporting, Larmer uncovers the disturbing truth behind ChinaÂ's drive to produce Olympic champions, while also taking readers behind the scenes of AmericaÂ's multibillion-dollar sports empire. Caught in the middle are two young menÂ—one will become a mega-rich superstar and hero to millions, the other a struggling athlete rejected by his homeland yet lost in America.

Download Description

"The riveting story behind NBA giant Yao Ming, the ruthless Chinese sports machine that created him, and the East-West struggle over China's most famous son. The NBA's 7'6"" All-Star Yao Ming has changed the face of basketball, revitalizing a league desperate for a new hero while becoming a multimillionaire pitchman for Reebok and McDonald's. But his journey to America-like that of his forgotten foil, 7'1"" Wang Zhizhi-began long before he set foot on the world's brightest athletic stage. Operation Yao Ming opens with the story of the two boys' parents, basketball players brought together by Chinese officials intent on creating a generation of athletes who could bring glory to their resurgent motherland. Their children would have no more freedom to choose their fates. By age thirteen, Yao was pulled out of sports school to join the Shanghai Sharks pro team, following in the footsteps of Wang, then the star of the People's Liberation Army team. Rumors of the pair of Chinese giants soon attracted the NBA and American sports companies, all eager to tap a market of 1.3 billion consumers. In suspenseful scenes, journalist Brook Larmer details the backroom maneuverings that brought China's first players to the NBA. Drawing on years of firsthand reporting, Larmer uncovers the disturbing truth behind China's drive to produce Olympic champions, while also taking readers behind the scenes of America's multibillion-dollar sports empire. Caught in the middle are two young men-one will become a mega-rich superstar and hero to millions, the other a struggling athlete rejected by his homeland yet lost in America."

Customer Reviews:

Solid Read.......2007-03-18

I first saw Yao Ming in a Marriott Courtyard lobby during an AAU tour in '98. I was wowed by the secrecy around the guy at the hotel. Since then, I've been waiting for the real story...No fluff. Well, Larmer captures the story of Yao Ming and the rise of basketball in China with his research. Even better, he coorelates the rise of basketball to the development of the Chinese economic boom. Major props...

Now, will critics of Yao please read this book about the environment that surrounded Yao and Shanghai during his development? Will they please realize that Yao would be better suited for a team concept? It's just unfortunate that he started off his NBA career by landing into a thug party in Houston.

Critics have been killing Yao for becoming too soft or for not stepping up to the mantle. Yet, what they don't realize is that Yao is from entirely different culture that professes team not the "I" like the majority of today's NBA superstars. He's a team player and a product of Soviet Training who places the group's interests above personal accolades...Does anyone remember the late '80s version of Arvydas Sabonis?

Larmer touches on all of the subjects surrounding the development of Yao Ming by detailing politics, the reign of Mao, alternative health and herbs, Soviet training methods, Nike, academies, agents, the NBA and sports marketing. Tie this in with 'World is Flat', and you'll see a glimpse of sports in the 21st century.

Yao story interesting; broader Chineses history is fascinating.......2006-10-14

I am NOT a huge sports nut...you know the kind who rattles off stats and knows all the players, but I really enjoyed this book. The story of Yao Ming was very interesting especially as it interlaces with China's history. I think it gives a very interesting look into the evolution of Chinese sports, politics and government. It kept me interested and I really looked forward to picking it up again every evening to read.

Good But Hardly Profound Bio of Yao Ming.......2006-06-03

This book is a very readable biography of Yao Ming.
But I had been led to hope that it would inform me about China's future. I'm disappointed at how little it tells me about that subject. It provides some moderately interesting tidbits of information about China's recent history, but the book doesn't attempt to provide the kind of understanding of China that would tell us whether those tidbits are a glimpse of a past that is being abandoned or whether they contain useful indications of China's future.

Unsubtantiated Racist Drivel.......2006-05-19

This book is full of unsubtantiated racist drivel. The premise is that the Chinese can't play basketball. Lamaar does not source his claims - it's just like that he's making up stuffs from thin air.

Regarding his claim that Yao was somehow bred. An Sports Illustrated (SI) article asked why is there only one Yao Ming.
Why didn't they "created" more Yao Ming's if what Lamaar claimed is really factual? In case people don't know. Yao is the only child.

If you look at other NBA caliber Chinese basketball players such Sun Yue, Yi Jianlian, Tang Zhengdon, Xue Yuyang (drafted by Denver), and even Wang Zhizhi. Their parents were not basketball players.

There is no logic to Lamaar's unsubstantiated drivel.

Good Story but..............2006-04-04

I read the entire book while on a 11 hour flight from the US to China. All in all, the book was good, lots of background info on Yao, his parents and even disgraced hoops star Wang Zhi-Zhi.

However, I'm not sure I buy into the book's theory of China trying to be matchmaker and have Yao's parents to produce tall offspring. Why stop at Yao's parents? They certainly weren't the only tall people in China at the time. As most of us basketball fans know by now, Yao Ming (by himself), cannot carry the Chinese National Basketball team. The team needs more capable players to compete against the European and American teams.

Another minor complaint of the book is the re-cycling of previously written articles about Yao. Perhaps there just isn't a ton of written material about Yao, but I know there were a few sections regarding Yao there were paraphased from other sources. As an avid reader of anything Yao, I wish the author could have been more discreet or rewrote the source material differently. As is, it was just annoying to read something and feel like "dang, I know that came from somewhere before".

I did finish the book by the end of my plane ride. :) All in all, despite the misgivings of the theories and the apparently recycling of some articles, the book was fairly entertaining and you do learn something about Yao, his family and others in the Chinese sports empire.

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