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.

Average customer rating:

A very fine, accurate, brief review of European History
Must Have for the AP Euro Exam
Modern European History
it's great
Perfect for Reviewing for Tests

Modern European History
Birdsall S. Viault
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Cracking the AP European History Exam, 2006-2007 Edition (College Test Prep)
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AP Achiever (Advanced Placement* Exam Preparation Guide) for European History (College Test Prep)

ASIN: 0070674531

Customer Reviews:

A very fine, accurate, brief review of European History.......2007-08-04

The student above who felt this review book was too LONG completely misses the point. One does not read through a book like this as a substitute for the textbook -- which is what I imagine this poor young student though he could do. One relies on it to clarify areas of confusion. As a good reference and review book to read either before a chapter or as review afterward, this is a genuinely excellent book.

First, it's a nice size. It's smaller (height and width) than most of the enormously giant-sized review books available so it's like a real book. And it's printed on real paper, not cheap newsprint like most of the AP review books are. Small enough that you can easily grab it off the shelf or carry it around with you. And, the page layout makes it easy to find things. Everything is treated in brief paragraphs with clear topic headings. Pages are brief so you move through it page-after-page very quickly. It really couldn't be easier to use.

As a history teacher, I look into this book from time to time to double-check an historical issue or event or to check up on correct chronology of events I can't quite recall. It saves a lot of time compared to paging through much longer, denser books.

As a review book, I imagine this would be very good to refresh a student's memory of lots of important (and, frankly, many less important!) events, people, and ideas. However, students who are looking for a book to replace their textbook will be disappointed as this book assumes you have some idea what is going on historically. You could read it alone and understand the history pretty well, but I doubt you'd be very confident without the analysis of the textbook which this does not have.

The one thing most lacking from books like this is overall themes and ideas. Most review books lack this so this is not so much a criticism as something to be aware of. History has patterns, themes, and MAJOR themes to be aware of (The rise of democracy, the clash of civilizations, the struggle for equality, impact of the Enlightenment, the impact of economic changes . . . and so on). If all you know are facts, events, and dates, you will be lost--but you already knew that!

This book assumes you are aware of these themes (See your textbook or your teacher if you aren't -- believe me, they are very important) and is designed simply to remind you of all that pesky information you might not have understood so well the first time. In that respect, this is a very fine book and clearly worth the money as one of the better European History review books.

Another caveat: It is NOT designed specifically to prepare you to "ace" the AP exam. It doesn't have the usual tips and tricks stuff that most review books have. It is designed for students who want to understand and remember the history, not for students that want quick shortcuts to faking out the exam. Of course, it goes without saying that students who understand the history tend to "ace" the exam -- without shortcuts and so-called "insider" information that isn't really very useful.

4 stars only because of lack of larger themes, but I'm a very tough grader!

Must Have for the AP Euro Exam.......2007-05-14

I had one of the most boring textbooks invented for the AP Euro class. I couldn't stand reading it and as a result, I was not one of the top scorers on the tests in my class. However, I used this book to study for my in-class final and the AP exam and I did well on both. Thanks to this book, I got a 5 on the AP. The book has good information and it helped me learn things that my AP teacher did not teach in our class. I recommend that you buy this book in order to do well on the AP. My only negative comment is that it has no practice exams but since the book is not associated with AP, it is a flaw that is easy to forgive.

Modern European History.......2007-03-12

Very helpful book. It has maps in it and its written in a very good language and nothing fancy.

it's great.......2007-03-01

i just took the ap euro exam last year (got a 5) and this was my favorite prep book out of all prep books (also had barrons and REA). concise, easy to carry around, excellent index, even smells nice (if you're a weirdo like me who likes to sniff bookpaper)- mod euro history condensed my piles of lecture notes to little easy-to-read paragraphs. altho i wouldn't recommend solely studying from this book (read your textbook and notes too. make flashcards till your hand falls off.), I definitely recommend getting it.

Perfect for Reviewing for Tests.......2007-01-24

So, I just finished my AP Euro class (the class exam was last week). I managed to get an A in what is considered a highly difficult course at my school, and I can proudly say that I only read my textbook the first week of the class. While other students spent hours poring over tedious 5 pt. font pages in our convoluted textbook, I simply read this. Before every M/C test or essay, I would quickly read the chapter[s] that corresponded with whatever subject we were studying. Many times, Modern European History had answers to questions on the test that the textbook didn't even mention. It covers every topic in the textbook in appropriate depth, and makes everything truly easy to understand. I highly recommend this; it saved my life!

Between Revolution and the Ballot Box: The Origins of the Argentine Radical Party in the 1890s (Cambridge Latin American Studies)

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Between Revolution and the Ballot Box: The Origins of the Argentine Radical Party in the 1890s (Cambridge Latin American Studies)
Paula Alonso
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0521771854

Book Description

Founded in 1891, the Unión Cívica Radical, generally known as the Radical Party, is the oldest national political party in Argentina. As the strongest opposition party during the 1890s, a pivotal decade in the birth of Argentina's party system, the Radical Party effected a critical development in Argentine politics: it created a system of open confrontation and political competition. This study offers not merely a revised version of the party's story but also a new perspective on the politics of the nation as a whole.

The Dynamics of Military Revolution, 1300-2050

Average customer rating:

Technology alone just doesn't cut it....
Concise overview of military revolutions
The Heart of Asymmetric Advantage is NOT Technology

The Dynamics of Military Revolution, 1300-2050

Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 052180079X

Book Description

The Dynamics of Military Revolution bridges a major gap in the emerging literature on revolutions in military affairs. It suggests that two very different phenomena have been at work over the past centuries: "military revolutions," which are driven by vast social and political changes, and "revolutions in military affairs," which military institutions have directed, although usually with great difficulty and ambiguous results. MacGregor Knox and Williamson Murray provide a conceptual framework and historical context for understanding the patterns of change, innovation, and adaptation that have marked war in the Western world since the fourteenth century--beginning with Edward III's revolution in medieval warfare, through the development of modern military institutions in seventeenth-century France, to the military impact of mass politics in the French Revolution, the cataclysmic military-industrial struggle of 1914-1918, and the German Blitzkrieg victories of 1940. Case studies and a conceptual overview offer an indispensible introduction to revolutionary military change,--which is as inevitable as it is difficult to predict. Macgregor Knox is the Stevenson Professor of International History at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He is the author of Common Destiny (Cambridge, 2000) and Hitler's Italian Allies (Cambridge, 2000). Knox and Murray are co-editors of Making of Strategy (Cambridge, 1996). Willamson Murray is Senior Fellow at the Institute for Defense Analysis. He is the co-editor of Military Innovation in the Interwar Period (Cambridge, 1996) and author of A War to Be Won (Harvard University Press, 2000).

Customer Reviews:

Technology alone just doesn't cut it...........2003-04-22

This book contains an awful lot of wisdom for such a slim volume (it clocks in at just under 200 pages).

The authors examine the natures of military revolutions and RMA (a very hot topic that has arguably produced more hot air than substance) and provide a number of case studies examining the issues and testing the authors' views through history.

The case studies are;

- The English in the 14th century
- 17th century France
- The French Revolution
- The American Civil War
- The Prussian RMA, 1840-1871
- The Battlefleet Revolution
- The First World War
- Blitzkrieg 1940

The various case studies are backed up by an extremely satisfying introduction and a thorough, well argued conclusion which fires one or two shots across the bows of those residents of the Pentagon who may be suffering from technology-centric tunnel vision. The authors (very distinguished bunch, it should be said) warn against the idea that Clausewitzian truths regarding such issues as friction can be discounted thanks to the wonders of technology and indeed make clear that they are as important as ever.

The various case studies work extremely well as concise stand-alone works on their various historical periods, even if RMA is not your hot topic. Especially good are the chapters on the English in the 14th century and on the Battlefleet Revolution (and the inner workings of the Imperial German Navy and the Royal Navy during this period).

This is a well written, interesting book which should annoy all the right people.

Concise overview of military revolutions.......2002-03-11

This book is the volume one should buy if he or she is searching for the best, consise overvue of the history and processes involved in the military innovations of the Western world.

The Heart of Asymmetric Advantage is NOT Technology.......2001-10-28

This is the only serious book I have been able to find that addresses revolutions in military affairs with useful case studies, a specific focus on whether asymmetric advantages do or do not result, and a very satisfactory executive conclusion. This book is strongly recommended for both military professionals, and the executive and congressional authorities who persist in sharing the fiction that technology is of itself an asymmetric advantage.

It merits emphasis that the author's first conclusion, spanning a diversity of case studies, is that technology may be a catalyst but it rarely drives a revolution in military affairs--concepts are revolutionary, it is ideas that break out of the box.

Their second conclusion is both counter-intuitive (but based on case studies) and in perfect alignment with Peter Drucker's conclusions on successful entrepreneurship: the best revolutions are incremental (evolutionary) and based on solutions to actual opponents and actual conditions, rather than hypothetical and delusional scenarios of what we think the future will bring us. In this the authors mesh well with Andrew Gordon's masterpiece on the rules of the game and Jutland: we may be best drawing down on our investments in peacetime, emphasizing the education of our future warfighters, and then be prepared for massive rapid agile investments in scaling up experimental initiatives as they prove successful in actual battle.

The book is noteworthy for its assault on fictional scenarios and its emphasis on realism in planning--especially valuable is the authors' staunch insistence that only honesty, open discussion among all ranks, and the wide dissemination of lessons learned, will lead to improvements.

Finally, the authors are in whole-hearted agreement with Colin Gray, author of Modern Strategy, in stating out-right that revolutions in military affairs are not a substitute for strategy as so often assumed by utopian planners, but merely an operational or tactical means.

This is a brilliant, carefully documented work that should scare the daylights out of every taxpayer--it is nothing short of an indictment of our entire current approach to military spending and organization. As the author's quaintly note in their understated way, in the last paragraph of the book, "the present trend is far from promising, as the American government and armed forces procure enormous arsenals only distantly related to specific strategic needs and operational and tactical employment concepts, while continu[ing], in the immortal words of Kiffin Rockwell, a pilot in the legendary First World War Lafayette Escadrille, to 'fly along, blissfully ignorant, hoping for the best.'"

Lest the above be greeted with some skepticism, let us note the 26 October 2001 award of $200 billion to Lockheed for the new Joint Strike Fighter calls into serious question whether the leadership in the Pentagon understands the real world--the real world conflicts of today--all 282 of them (counting 178 internal conflicts) will require the Joint Strike Fighter only 10% of the time--the other 90% of our challenges demand capabilities and insights the Pentagon is not only not capable of fielding, it simply refuses to consider them to be "real war." Omar Bin Laden beat the Pentagon on 11 September 2001, and he (and others who follow in his footsteps) will continue to do so until we find a military leadership that can lead a real-world revolution in military affairs.... rather than a continuing fantasy in which the military-industrial complex lives on regardless of how many homeland attacks we suffer.

Book Description

The three centuries following the discovery of the New World was a period of unprecedented global expansion, spearheaded by the lusty armies of the imperial European powers. This volume of The Cambridge Illustrated Atlases of Warfare is a lively and elaborately illustrated study of warfare during the early modern period, ranging from the European Renaissance to the American Revolution. Unique color maps and authoritative text illuminate the major military and naval developments that characterized the period. Feature boxes describe key events, important military confrontations, individual tacticians, battle strategies and weapons. Throughout, the author pays particular attention to the effects of European military expansion on the Americas, Africa, Asia, and the Mediterranean. This comprehensive and accessible book about a fascinating and important period will appeal to war buffs and historians alike.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent reference.......2004-01-06

This book, and its companion, covering The Middle Ages, 768-1487 and Renaissance to Revolution, 1492-1792, though with different authors, form an elegant pair of references. They cover a period that is infrequently covered in much detail, and rarely illustrated with any maps, much less the excellent examples here. My primary use for these books is as aids when reading both history and, even more, historical fiction such as Sharon Kay Penman, Dorothy Dunnett and Neal Stephenson. These authors write intricately plotted tapestries that rely heavily on movements in historical time, but their publishers include only incidental maps. These volumes supply a much needed reference for readers who are not quite au courant with the 3rd Anglo Dutch War, or the rise of Maratha India. The accompanying text gives an adequate survey of the time, but the primary emphasis is `rightly on the illustrated portion. The maps are beautifully designed, and easily deciphered, covering both individual battles and broader strategic concepts.

It's not bad...not great, but not bad.......2001-12-14

This isn't a bad book especially if you are looking for a good, general history of warfare during this time period.

At times the author gets a little heavy handed with the political correctness. For example, he states in the preface how he wanted to move away from the "customary dominance by western European developments". Then on the very next page he says "it is all too easy to take a Eurocentric perspective..."

Whatever. Can't historians just write their books nowadays without having to drag all this PC baggage around with them?

If you can slog through the rhetoric this book isn't so bad.

Not for the Wargamer or Military Historian.......2001-06-25

This Atlas is too general for the Military Historian and wargamer, but is a nice worldwide historical overview. It does have some good political maps, but there are not a lot of them, and they are only snapshots far apart in time. When I think of an Atlas I think of page followed by page of maps. This book is mostly text with many illustrative maps, and lots of non-map pictures. It is not as detailed as some other historical Atlases. I do not mean to disparage this work, it is a very good, very colorful overview, and puts military history in context. It is not however, a book that will provide informative maps for the Military Historian, or gaming enthusiast. Definately a book to check out of the library, It would be a good buy as a color paperback, unfortunately I paid for a hard copy.

Brilliant and provoking.......2000-05-15

Black's clear advantage was that the timeline span of the subject was avoided by most historians, probably because it's difficult to compile into a single piece of work. But, Black have done it in a fashion, arguably, very original than most historical atlases.

The special maps and themes are divided into daunting blocks of adventure and you'll not stop until the last pages. There are new insights into the clashes between Portugal and Utsmani Devlet in and around the Indian Ocean.

Let's hope more works come out from this author, at least from the Cambridge Series. In the end, you'll wish the pages were much longer as your thirst grew unbearable.

The Body of the Artisan: Art and Experience in the Scientific Revolution
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exciting new trend in Alchemical studies

The Body of the Artisan: Art and Experience in the Scientific Revolution
Pamela H. Smith
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0226763994

Book Description

Since the time of Aristotle, the making of knowledge and the making of objects have generally been considered separate enterprises. Yet during the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, the two became linked through a "new" philosophy known as science. In The Body of the Artisan, Pamela H. Smith demonstrates how much early modern science owed to an unlikely source-artists and artisans.

From goldsmiths to locksmiths and from carpenters to painters, artists and artisans were much sought after by the new scientists for their intimate, hands-on knowledge of natural materials and the ability to manipulate them. Drawing on a fascinating array of new evidence from northern Europe including artisans' objects and their writings, Smith shows how artisans saw all knowledge as rooted in matter and nature. With nearly two hundred images, The Body of the Artisan provides astonishingly vivid examples of this Renaissance synergy among art, craft, and science, and recovers a forgotten episode of the Scientific Revolution-an episode that forever altered the way we see the natural world.

Customer Reviews:

exciting new trend in Alchemical studies.......2007-10-19

The next time I have the opportunity to teach a class on alchemy and art, I will be sure to include this book as required reading. Pamela Smith has given us a powerful argument for the place of alchemy in early modern art history. You will learn much about the subject of alchemy as matter theory from the point of view of renaissance artists, who found alchemy useful as a set of symbols and vocabulary for talking about their "subject matter." There is much of interest here about the mystical side of artists' thinking at the time--a much neglected subject full of surprises and delights. This book is a beautiful production with much lovely and strange imagery. The scholarship is solid and the references/bibliography open up a lot of doors.

Essential for any library or bookshelf dealing with the cutting edge in historical academic alchemical studies. Beyond the academic space, artists, mystics and occultists should find this book to be of great fascination, treating many practical concerns in historical snapshot.

Ingenious Pursuits: Building the Scientific Revolution

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A Joy to Read and Ponder
Fact checking?
Incoherent
Interesting bits and pieces, yet lacks cohesion
thorough yet aimless; detailed yet unclear

Ingenious Pursuits: Building the Scientific Revolution
Lisa Jardine
Manufacturer: Nan A. Talese
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0385493258
Release Date: 1999-11-09

Amazon.com

Even Einstein had to eat. We seem to forget that scientists live in the same world as the rest of us, and that their work is informed by everything they encounter day to day. Lisa Jardine explores this interconnectedness in the context of the late 17th-century scientific revolution in Ingenious Pursuits, a well-planned journey back in time that delivers precious insight into the lives of those who laid the groundwork for cloning, nuclear weapons, and Internet commerce. Robert Hooke, Christopher Wren, and Gian Domenico Cassini are just a few of the multitalented explorers that Jardine profiles through diaries, letters, and scientific records. Taking the time to fully flesh out the lives of these adventurous spirits, she shows the reader that science began as a natural curiosity about the material world, inspired by diverse interests: art, religion, medicine, engineering, and more.

Political meddling in science is nothing new; even 300 years ago rulers competed for knowledge and the status that came from scientific achievement. Jardine expands on this premise to see the colonial expansion of the time as a driving force behind research, responsible for the contemporary explosions in cartography, botany, and optics. While Ingenious Pursuits stays for the most part in the 17th century, it does remind us of our own interwoven scientific and social threads, and that perhaps the next revolutionary breakthrough will come about as much because of telemarketers as National Science Foundation grants. --Rob Lightner

Book Description

Today the two cultures of "art" and "science" have come to be treated as fundamentally opposed, their aims incompatible. In this remarkable book, Lisa Jardine makes clear that this distinction is both artificial and historically inaccurate.

The intellectual revolution of the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries was the single most formative event in Western history, bringing together the humanities and natural sciences in an unprecedented ferment of conceptual and practical inventiveness. Isaac Newton was as fascinated with the chemical processes involved in the transmutation of metals as he was with the movements of the planets. John Locke was as keen a physician and botanist as he was a philosopher. Christopher Wren pursued anatomical dissections and early blood transfusion with the same vigor as he did architecture.

These men--among others--opened their minds to the widest possible influences, allowing for huge and brilliant leaps of imagination, for the ingenuity, quick-wittedness, lateral thinking, and inspired guesswork that we now associate with the humanities, not the sciences. But what unified their activities was a genius for technological innovation, for combining the workings of the hand and the brain in one continuous creative process. And it is this that marks the emergence of a distinctive, modern Western Intellectual Tradition.

Ingenious Pursuits focuses on a series of virtuoso advancements--among them the discovery of the circulation of blood, the perfection of the mechanical clock, enhanced astronomical observation, fundamental developments in mathematics, selective animal and plant breeding, and the development of chemical substance analysis--that transformed the thinking of the early modern world and inaugurated forces for change that laid the very foundations for modern thought.

Revisiting the largely unsung heroes of the Scientific Revolution and their crowded, motley lives, Jardine brilliantly illuminates the practice of science, showing how the discoveries they made grew out of the preoccupations and pressures of an active and engaged everyday life. Ingenious Pursuits is a broad-ranging and highly readable look at the very nature of creativity, at the impact of science on the emerging modern world, and the intellectual revolutions that still shape lives.

Customer Reviews:

A Joy to Read and Ponder.......2006-12-03

I love books on science, particularly those about the great "discovery" times in Europe (mainly England) in the 17th and 18th centuries. The boldness, curiousity and ingenuity of these men and occasional women still leaves me stunned. From the book one gets a glimpse of the curiousity about the natural world and that their exploration of it was FUN, an adventure to be treasured, shared and used. The author covers more than just dry scientific findings - the framework of the society and science's growing role within that society also is present.

Many of those featured are unsung heroes - Hooke, Boyle, Cassini, Huygens along with, of course, several of the famous - Newton, Bacon, etc. Their collaboration and effort, it is safe to say, essentially laid the foundations for the modern age. At no other time except perhaps North America around the Revolution has there been such a gathering of such greatness. One pauses at the thought that except for a few individuals, mankind would keep rolling along the same path day after day. Whole books could have been (and have been) written on any one of these personalities but their confluence at this stage in history was a combination of serendipity, the free socieites of northern Europe and the introduction of tools to extend the human dimension, namely the microscope and telescope.

This is also the story of that great organization, the Royal Society, and its efforts in spreading the gospel of the good news of science. The book is richly illustrated with beautiful drawings, most of which are original. A "Cast of Characters" at the conclusion offers a small sketch of each of the principle players. My grade - A

Fact checking?.......2006-10-24

I'm pretty disappointed by this book - as other reviewers have said, there are many interesting facts, but it's quite incoherent. And then I start wondering how many are facts. On p.29 of my paperback edition, we learn that Charles II hid in an oak after the battle of Northampton, and then on p. 101 that someone used spectacles for short sightedness for magnifying small objects. This sort of thing is so lazy and sloppy.

Incoherent.......2003-04-03

Awful. The book is simply a large collection of facts and quotations stuck together with overblown generalizations. It looks as though she collected her research on index card and then insisted on using each and every one regardless of its relevance or interest. She does come up with the odd interesting fact, but they aren't worth the effort of having to wade through all the rest.

Interesting bits and pieces, yet lacks cohesion.......2002-04-09

Jardine's book offers many interesting facts and details of the day-to-day lives of those that made significant contributions to modern astronomy, medicine, architecture, and other fields. Among her characters are Newton, Flamsteed, Hooke, Boyle and Harvey. What is lacking is an overall sense of cohesion throughout the book. Jardine seems to have tried to take a more human approach to these scientific developments and developers by focusing on their personal lives, correspondence, and social interactions.

While certainly valuable, these details provide only one small aspect of the scientific revolution and ignore the inventions themselves in favor of the circumstances surrounding them. The reader is unable to experience the excitement and mystery of discovery and invention which must have played an equally powerful part in motivating these "Ingenious Pursuits".

For those looking for a wide variety of historical tidbits surrounding the scientific revolution, this book may be for you. For those, however, with a more substantial interest in the scientific developments of the mid- to late-seventeenth century, keep looking.

thorough yet aimless; detailed yet unclear.......2001-03-21

This is a tough book to finish because it isn't clear where the story is. The research is thorough, as you might expect from an author who is "Professor of Renaissance Studies". But the book touches on all kinds of scientific advances and technology that would be interesting if explained. Jardine mentions the introduction of the ruby bearing for chronometers. But she doesn't explain or illustrate the jewelled watch movement. By contrast I've watched Gerry Sussman, an MIT EECS professor, hold an audience spellbound with a clear explanation of what the 17 jewels in a 17-jewel watch movement do. Next time Jardine writes about science, I hope that she collaborates with an engineer or scientist and an illustrator.

Distilling Knowledge: Alchemy, Chemistry, and the Scientific Revolution (New Histories of Science, Technology, and Medicine)

Average customer rating:

the cutting edge of historical scholarship
Like a breathe of fresh air

Distilling Knowledge: Alchemy, Chemistry, and the Scientific Revolution (New Histories of Science, Technology, and Medicine)
Bruce T. Moran
Manufacturer: Harvard University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General & Reference | Chemistry | Science | Subjects | Books

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History of Science | History & Philosophy | Science | Subjects | Books

Promethean Ambitions: Alchemy and the Quest to Perfect Nature
Secrets of Nature: Astrology and Alchemy in Early Modern Europe (Transformations: Studies in the History of Science and Technology)
Atoms and Alchemy: Chymistry and the Experimental Origins of the Scientific Revolution
Practical Matter: Newton's Science in the Service of Industry and Empire, 1687-1851 (New Histories of Science, Technology, and Medicine)
Transforming Matter: A History of Chemistry from Alchemy to the Buckyball (Johns Hopkins Introductory Studies in the History of Science)

ASIN: 0674014952

Book Description

Alchemy can't be science--common sense tells us as much. But perhaps common sense is not the best measure of what science is, or was. In this book, Bruce Moran looks past contemporary assumptions and prejudices to determine what alchemists were actually doing in the context of early modern science. Examining the ways alchemy and chemistry were studied and practiced between 1400 and 1700, he shows how these approaches influenced their respective practitioners' ideas about nature and shaped their inquiries into the workings of the natural world. His work sets up a dialogue between what historians have usually presented as separate spheres; here we see how alchemists and early chemists exchanged ideas and methods and in fact shared a territory between their two disciplines.

Distilling Knowledge suggests that scientific revolution may wear a different appearance in different cultural contexts. The metaphor of the Scientific Revolution, Moran argues, can be expanded to make sense of alchemy and other so-called pseudo-sciences--by including a new framework in which "process can count as an object, in which making leads to learning, and in which the messiness of conflict leads to discernment." Seen on its own terms, alchemy can stand within the bounds of demonstrative science.

Customer Reviews:

the cutting edge of historical scholarship.......2007-10-11

Bruce Moran is a heavy in the world of academic alchemical studies, and this book is exactly what the history of science needs--after having neglected the serious study of alchemy for too long for the wrong reasons. Of all his books, this is the best place to start for somebody with a general interest in the subject, or those who wish to better understand the true place of alchemy in the development of modern scientific method, as well as the history of chemistry. This book contains a powerful argument for the relevance of alchemy in the development of the modern conception of what scientific knowledge should be understood as consisting of, and should dispel for anyone with "eyes to see" the negative rumours about alchemy being foolish superstition. Alchemy was early modern matter theory, deeply concerned with many of the issues modern scientists can't fail to neglect. Now historians of science cannot neglect them either.

Like a breathe of fresh air.......2007-05-07

After reading several popular books on alchemy, it was a relief to find this scholarly, yet easy-to-read, history. Moran sets alchemy in context through time and shows how it fits into the scientific revolution. All the major alchemical heavies are there--including some fascinating material on Paracelsus. Also discusses such things as the evolution of the alchemy/chemistry teaching laboratory. Really a satisfying and fascinating read.

The Matter of Revolution: Science, Poetry, and Politics in the Age of Milton

Average customer rating:

Excellent

The Matter of Revolution: Science, Poetry, and Politics in the Age of Milton
John Rogers
Manufacturer: Cornell University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

17th Century | World | History | Subjects | Books

General | History & Philosophy | Science | Subjects | Books

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

Literature & Fiction | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

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Similar Items:

Literature and Revolution in England, 1640-1660
Writing the English Republic: Poetry, Rhetoric and Politics, 16271660
The Life of John Milton: A Critical Biography (Blackwell Critical Biographies)

ASIN: 0801485258

Customer Reviews:

Excellent.......2001-07-19

A masterful study of how the novel ideas of Milton's time inform his vocabulary and thought. Rogers is especially attentive to the differences between our notions of "science" and those of the early Enlightenment. Essential.

The Secret History of the West: The Influence of Secret Organizations on Western History from the Renaissance to the 20th Century

Average customer rating:

Secret History of the West
Extremely Detailed
Terribly Important; Absolutely Great!
Don't Bother

The Secret History of the West: The Influence of Secret Organizations on Western History from the Renaissance to the 20th Century
Nicholas Hagger
Manufacturer: O Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Revolutionary | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Syndicate: The Story of the Coming World Government
The Secret Founding of America: The Real Story of Freemasons, Puritans, & the Battle for The New World
The Light of Civilization
The SS Brotherhood of the Bell: Nasa's Nazis, JFK, And Majic-12
The Vril Society

ASIN: 1905047045

Book Description

Western civilization as we know it today is not the end result of steady progress, but of series of revolutions. The radical departure from orthodox history that Nicholas Hagger takes is to show how all these-the Protestant Revolution, which in turn provided the idealogical foundations of the English, American, French and Russian-have their roots in ideas and influences that have hitherto been unexpressed, secret.

Customer Reviews:

Secret History of the West.......2007-08-14

I think this book contains quite a bit of historical information. If masons have led to the age of enlightenement and freedom of conscience ... well I think that is good.
What I can not agree (especially from a professor) is to use phrases like "it may be that he had met so and so" while referring to important events or (seemingly) facts. I say seemingly because of such phrases that are not exact and gives a taste of conjecture... Another point is that at very important junctures he refers to the book "the Scarlet and the Beast".This occurs too often. In a tretise such as this, I would expect a little more care to rely on different references.This is especially important when he refers to the Sion organisation and the masonic fraternity which he names Sion (rosicurian) freemasonry. As the order of Sion`s existance and story is a very controversial subject and many serious writers debate it in books and on the internet, I really would have liked to see it substantiated with more references.

Extremely Detailed.......2007-08-13

It seems to be factual at places and somewhat hyped at others. Basically rooted in fact, and presented in a flow of time. Excellent wrapup of euro history and influences.

Terribly Important; Absolutely Great!.......2007-04-26

I have just finished Nicholas Hagger's terribly interesting and important "Secret History of the West". And I am well pleased by the experience. Hagger's book is the most complete elaboration of the conspiratorial aspect of history in the period from the Renaissance to the Bolshevik Revolution that I have yet encountered. To put this in context, I have read thoroughly in this genre from Douglas Reed to Michael Hoffman and from Jim Maars and Nesta Webster to Father Denis Fahey and "Maurice Pinay". Although I don't necessarily agree with everything that Hagger records, I am nonetheless delighted with the thorough and logically sound work he has here rendered.

Hagger posits basically that revolutions, throughout the history of the West, have been fomented by occult, or secret, forces. And he proves this point quite conclusively. Even more, he does this is an extraordinarily interesting and even compelling manner.

The theme of this book differs only slightly from the wisdom I have gained from reading carefully Father Denis Fahey. The latter holds that the conspiracy is Satanic, with the Jewish nation and freemasonry as its human agents. Hagger posits that the conspiracy is Luciferian, and primarily directed by the various sects of freemasonry. This minor distinction detracts not in the least from the overall quality of this excellent work.

Mr. Hagger's description of the many conflicting factors surrounding the Bolshevik Revolution and its ultimate result, the Soviet Empire, was most enlightening. I must admit that I first rejected his analysis. But, on reflection, I have to say that his interpretation of these critical events is not only unique, but uniquely explanatory.

We are deeply indebted to Mr. Hagger for this outstanding work. And we look forward now to reading its sequel, "The Syndicate", by the same author. This is an oustanding book that we highly recommend.

By the way, we are also indebted to Amazon's recommendation system for enabling us to discover this important book. Absent this system, I might never have been aware of the very interesting and important work of Mr. Nicholas Hagger.

Don't Bother.......2006-10-21

While the book had some interesting historical information in it, it was just another "christian" hit piece against beliefs that do not coincide with their own. I found the book somewhat amusing in some respects. We are supposed to make the mental leap that because the Rosicrucians and Masons led us into the "age of enlightenment" they are supposed to be the "bad guys." HAHAHA. What a hoot!!

I really get tired of some of these conspiracy theories. Some of them make sense, but when one thinks about it, the tactics that they are using to "prove" some secret societies involvement with heinous groups can be applied to any group,including Christianity. It's ridiculous.

Unless you just want some historical information, don't bother buying this book.

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