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.

AC/DC: Maximum Rock & Roll: The Ultimate Story of the World's Greatest Rock-and-Roll Band

Average customer rating:

Shoot to Thrill!
Rockingest band ever
Show business
Bored to Tears
By Far The Best Book Available On AC/DC

AC/DC: Maximum Rock & Roll: The Ultimate Story of the World's Greatest Rock-and-Roll Band
Murray Engleheart , and Arnaud Durieux
Manufacturer: HarperEntertainment
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0061133914
Release Date: 2007-01-02

Book Description

Over three decades and more than 150 million albums, AC/DC has established itself as much more than just a great rock band. For millions of fans spanning several generations across the world, they are an ear-bleedingly loud, sweat-soaked religion, courtesy of such classic albums as Highway to Hell and Back in Black.

Now, in a book of astonishing breadth and scope, comes, for the very first time, the complete story of AC/DC. Everything you ever wanted to know and plenty more you never dreamt of is all here, the ultimate balls-out adventure, laced with sex, drunken escapades and brawls. It's a journey that started in the suburban Sydney, Australia, bedrooms of brothers Malcolm and Angus Young, boys who could wreak havoc with their guitars. Over their power chords were the lyrics and voice of Bon Scott, who would lead them higher and higher—until his tragic death in 1980. The bittersweet irony after his death was that not only did the Youngs manage to hold together without him, but the band's fortunes and status skyrocketed with his replacement, Brian Johnson, and the album Back in Black.

Five long years in the making, AC/DC: Maximum Rock & Roll is sourced from more than 1,300 interviews the band has given over the past thirty years combined with in excess of 75 of the authors' own interviews with those who worked with AC/DC both in the studio and on the road—many of whom have never spoken about the band publicly. It's topped off with stunning, never-before-seen photos to create the ultimate portrait of the ultimate rock band.

Customer Reviews:

Shoot to Thrill!.......2007-07-06

A great look into the AC/DC story. Learned quite a bit about the band and this well written and compelling without suffering the usual rock bio cliches.

Rockingest band ever.......2007-06-05

Interesting book about the band. Found references to early shows and bands and looked them up on YouTube.

Show business.......2007-05-15

It's a good book but not a GREAT one. I'm missing more detailed info about the recording sessions, making of the LPs etc. I'm sure a lot of research has gone into making the book but somehow it's lacking in depth and structure. Sorry to say but I was expecting a little bit more effort, as the book was so much hyped.

However, this book is a must for any big AC/DC fan (like myself)and I recommend it.

P.S. If you are a Who fan read "Dear boy, life of Keith Moon". That is absolutely the best rock'n'roll book I have ever read.

Bored to Tears.......2007-03-26

For decades now I've been a huge AC/DC fan and eagerly bought this book to validate many of the myths surrounding them. It was definitely full of facts but very repetetive. . ."Despite the bands small stature they were very street tough." Seems to be on every page of the book. From paragraph to paragraph the subject changes making it a hard-to-follow read. There's no story line, and I found myself bored to death. The author could have learned a few things from the writers of "The Dirt".

By Far The Best Book Available On AC/DC.......2007-03-22

Without the shadow of a doubt this is the best book available on AC/DC. From the members pre AC/DC early years, through to the bands Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame induction and beyond, it's all here.

Whether you're a die hard fan, or just have a passing interest in the group, this book has been painfully researched by Murray Engleheart & Arnaud Durieux to provide an accurate account of the bands formation, devolpment, determination and eventual success.

The highs & lows are all covered, from the bands early success, to Bon Scott's tragic death, to the triumph that was "Back In Black". Find out what made this band tick.

Plant Life In The World's Mediterranean Climates: California, Chile, South Africa, Australia, and the Mediterranean Basin

Average customer rating:

Great overview of mediterranean climates
Author's Credentials
A thoughtful, beautifully produced book
A "must" for horticulralists and gardeners.

Plant Life In The World's Mediterranean Climates: California, Chile, South Africa, Australia, and the Mediterranean Basin
Peter R. Dallman
Manufacturer: CALIFORNIA-PRINCETON FULLFILLMENT SERVICES
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0520208099

Book Description

This book provides a wonderful overview of the landscapes, vegetation types, and plants of the five regions of the world that have a Mediterranean climate. This climate of mild, rainy winters and dry, warm summers is found in California, Central Chile, the Cape Region of South Africa, the southwestern part of Australia and the Mediterranean Basin. The regions are widely separated and the flora of each is distinctive, having for the most part developed independently. Nevertheless, the plants share remarkably similar characteristics which allow them to thrive in these unusual conditions.
Peter Dallman's non-technical prose is complemented by numerous maps, tables, and figures, and the book is richly illustrated with photographs of landscapes, plants, and flowers. With its detailed information on some of the world's most resilient plant life, this book will serve as an excellent reference for everyone interested in growing drought-resistant plants and as a naturalist's guide to these beautiful and unusual bioregions.
For the growing number of travelers whose vacations focus on learning about and appreciating natural history, Dallman also includes a chapter on planning trips to the five Mediterranean regions.

Customer Reviews:

Great overview of mediterranean climates.......2005-09-19

This book is great. It has plenty of pictures, diagrams and drawings. Most of the pictures are not in color, however, which is its biggest downfall. It is not a detailed evaluation of mediterranean climates nor is it a good plant ID book, but provides an excellent overview for both the layman and scientist. It provides informatin on the plants that make the mediterranean climate unique and the typical plant communities that are found in them. It is great for someone who doesn't want to get bogged down with individual species and wants to see how all the parts fit together. I first checked this book out of my local library and felt it would be such a good reference book for work, play and travel that I had to have it. The book uses the most scientific and inclusive use of the term Mediterranean which means you are going to get descriptions of plant communities from San Diego to Sacramento to San Francisco. For those of us that prefer the more exclusive definitions it may come as a shock that San Francisco and Sacramento could be considered mediterranean so I'm warning you now. I am currently using this book to help plan a trip to Australia as a supplement to Lonely Planet's travel guides. This book has inspired me to visit all the world's mediterranean climates at some point in my life and I'm not even a plant lover.

Author's Credentials.......2004-09-21

Peter Dallman, a retired pediatric doctor and docent at Strybing Aboretum in San Francisco, California, spent many years
studying plants and traveling the world to see them where they grow in the Mediterranean climate areas of the world. Prof. Robert Ornduff, the late director of the Univ. of California Botanical Garden, encouraged him to write about these
plants and his travels. The result is a book giving the reader the best armchair picture of the vegetation of a very special part of the world.

A thoughtful, beautifully produced book.......2001-01-02

This book falls into a category somewhere between botany, climatology, and geography; it looks at several different types of "mediterranean climate" around the world, and describes the different vegetational types within each region, explaining (in a scholarly but accessible way) why these plant communities look the way they do.

It's beautifully produced, with both climate maps and full-color illustrations of plants and plant communities. I know of no other book that explains the relationship between geography and botanical ecology this elegantly; it's a lot of fun to browse, and I would recommend it *very* highly to armchair travellers with botanical inclinations.

A "must" for horticulralists and gardeners........2000-02-03

Peter Dallman's Plant Life In The World's Mediterranean Climates covers plants of California, Australia, South Africa and the Mediterranean, and will prove more accessible to general audiences studying plants. Here are photos, charts, and a host of details on plant communities and plant life common to this climate, with chapters providing both individual regional details and links between plants of each area. This is a highly recommended pick not just for specialty libraries, but for general collections.

Average customer rating:

Annoying interjections
Bruce Chatwin wrote half a book...
Aboriginals in Australia
Best of the best
The Songlines

The Songlines
Bruce Chatwin
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0140094296

Amazon.com

The late Bruce Chatwin carved out a literary career as unique as any writer's in this century: his books included In Patagonia, a fabulist travel narrative, The Viceroy of Ouidah, a mock-historical tale of a Brazilian slave-trader in 19th century Africa, and The Songlines, his beautiful, elegiac, comic account of following the invisible pathways traced by the Australian aborigines. Chatwin was nothing if not erudite, and the vast, eclectic body of literature that underlies this tale of trekking across the outback gives it a resonance found in few other recent travel books. A poignancy, as well, since Chatwin's untimely death made The Songlines one of his last books.

Customer Reviews:

Annoying interjections.......2007-05-22

The first sentence sounded promising:"In Alice Springs - a grid of scorching streets where men in long white socks were forever getting in and out of Land Cruisers - I met a Russian who was mapping the sacred sites of the Aboriginals." And indeed what follows in the next thirty or so chapters is a very readable and insightful travelogue of a British (author? archaelogist? historian?) "going bush" with Arkady Volchok, trying to learn about the mythical Aboriginal songlines. Not understandably, then, the author throws in bits and pieces of the protagonist's notebooks, which all more or less anthropological citations and thoughts from very different sources. The concept reminded me a bit of the motif in "The English Patient", where Almasy carries a copy of Herodotus' The Histories with him, adding his own notes and observations. Fortunately, in Ondaatje's novel, this remains a motif which does not disrupt the plot itself. With "The Songlines", however, I found myself flicking impatiently through the interjection-pages in order to get back to the story.

Bruce Chatwin wrote half a book..........2007-04-17

The Songlines really captured my attention. Human ecology, cultural anthropology, human evolution, cultural imperialism, Songlines, Native Australians ("aborigines"), travels... this is a book with information about a people and a place. I enjoyed the flow and pace of the story, and I hope I learned the reality of Native Australian culture.

However, Bruce Chatwin chose to use this book to publish assorted observations, quotes, and reflections from other travels. For me (me), they affected the flow of his storytelling, my ability to focus on the theme - Australia, not nomads - and the ending. Perhaps this is a style thing, and I don't know if Chatwin applies this style in his other books.

Didn't work for me. I wanted a conclusion to his original story.

Aboriginals in Australia.......2007-03-13

In Alice Springs the narrator called Bruce meets Arkady Volchok, an Australian citizen who is mapping the sacred sites of the Aboriginals. Arkady is fascinated by them, by their grit and tenacity and their ways of dealing with white people. Arkady speaks a couple of their languages and he is often astounded by their intellectual vigour, their memory and their capacity to survive.
It was during his time as a schoolteacher in Walbiri that Arkadi learned of the labyrinth of invisible pathways which meander all over Australia and are known to Europeans as Songlines - a way for Aboriginals to sing out the name of everything that crosses their path during their wanderings: birds, animals, plants, rocks, waterholes and so sing the world in existence.
When a route is suggested for a new Alice to Darwin railway line, Arkady's job is to identify the traditional landowners, to drive them over their old hunting grounds and to get them to reveal which rock or soak or ghost-gum is the work of a Dreamtime hero. Bruce is happy to join Arkady and to spend some time "out bush".
The reader of this novel learns a lot about Australia and the Aboriginals. The plot and the characters however are a bit thin. One finds it hard to sympathise with the Aboriginal figures appearing in the story. What they have to say and the way they express themselves amounts to practically nothing. It seems as though they need the white people to tell their stories and traditions.

Best of the best.......2006-10-02

This is the kind of writing/reflecting many people do while travelling and is not a "how to" type of travel guide. I've recommended this book to several thoughtful people, given it to many thoughtful teens as they begin to self-discover, and re-read the book twice. VERY nice writing, good thoughts, great ideas about humans.

The Songlines.......2005-12-17

As i never wanted to go to Australia, i have to say that after reading this book i have not changed my mind, but it is not a point. It is not a book about traveling in Australia. It is more a book about walking, for example. As i like walking, i have found in this book so many great examples of what the walking is about, it is not just moving from one point on the Earth to another, it is also philosophy. And so on...this book is highly recommended for those who knows what the word "travel" means. In present time many people travel, but just a few ones deserve to be called "traveller". Bruce Chatwin is among them.

A Concise History of Australia (Cambridge Concise Histories)

Average customer rating:

concise history of australia
How could concise seem so long?
Informative and well-written
Very good modernist view of Australian history

A Concise History of Australia (Cambridge Concise Histories)
Stuart Macintyre
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0521601010

Book Description

This revised edition of a comprehensive single-volume Australian history reference incorporates the most recent historical research and contemporary debate on relevant issues. In addition to frontier violence between European settlers and Aborigines and the Stolen Generations, the volume covers the Sydney Olympics, the refugee crisis and the "Pacific solution."

Customer Reviews:

concise history of australia.......2005-12-30

According to the author, Australian history is 200 years of racism, sexism, oppression, dominance, exploitation. The victims are aborginal people, women, the early convicts -- and the environment. The villains, of course, are white males. When the Australian economy dips, the fault lies with the U.S., world capitalism and neoliberalism. When the Australian economy thrives, it just means Aussies can waste more money on bourgeois geegaws. The tone is humorless, unrelenting, shrill, one-sided -- a prime example of what one Australian referred to as "black armband history".

How could concise seem so long?.......2004-08-25

The first thing that came to mind as I trudged through Macintyre's wordy book was how could something called "concise" seem so long? This book is informative but entirely humorless, like reading an ingredient list. Macintyre seems more concerned with showcasing his vocabularity then with enticing you with the facinating history of Australia's past. There is plenty of information in this book if you can make it through to the end while maintaining consciousness. If you are about to visit Australia and you are looking for an entertaining and informative book to stimulate your enthusiasm I strongly recommend Bill Bryson's In a Sunburned Country. If you are looking for a strong sedative then this is the book for you.

Informative and well-written.......2000-11-24

I have long wanted to read a general history of Austrailia, and when I read. on April 3, 1988, The Fatal Shore, by Robert Hughes, I said to myself, in my post-reading note: "I am glad I read this book, but maybe I'd've done better to read a plain history of Australia than this long account of this aspect of its beginning." I am shamed to say that it has taken over 12 years to do what I thought I should have done back then. This book goes up to 1999, and portrays very well the current dilemmas facing Australia. If you enjoy the articles in Current History, as I do, this book reminds me of those articles, except it is less bland and neutral. Ordinarily I avoid histories with designations such as "short" or "concise" figuring that I want a fuller treatment. But when one knows as little of a country as I do of Australia, I thought this a good introduction to its history.

Very good modernist view of Australian history.......2000-07-12

Stuart's work is an excellent overview of Australian history from the dreamtime to the present. He captures the major periods and events that shaped the progress of Australia towards federation and beyond, into the current malaise over national identity and the development of a unique and identifiable cultures.

Modern thought increasingly accepts the indigenous problems that were part of Australian colonisation, and Stuart probes these and other contemporary issues by drawing from both sides of the debate. He illustrates research that examines the language of overland explorers, to determine whether they were 'exploring' or 'conquering', and he comments on modern interpretations of the constitution by the high court. Readers not well versed in Australian issues may pass over these slights of hands without understanding their importance in the nature of forging an Australian history, culture and identity.

I would recommend this book as a necessary overview for any person interested in the history of the country, including potential tourists.

Average customer rating:

Very strong research but with a dense and morbid writing cadance

What's This Book Got To Do With America ?

How Did we get where we are

Australia's Convict Legacy

Fatal Shore

The Fatal Shore: The epic of Australia's founding
Robert Hughes
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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In a Sunburned Country

A Commonwealth of Thieves: The Improbable Birth of Australia

The Explorers: Stories of Discovery and Adventure from the Australian Frontier

The Songlines

FLOATING BROTHEL, THE: THE EXTRAORDINARY TRUE STORY OF AN EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY SHIP AND ITS CARGO OF FEMALE CONVICTS

ASIN: 0394753666
Release Date: 1988-02-12

Amazon.com

An extraordinary volume--even a masterpiece--about the early history of Australia that reads like the finest of novels. Hughes captures everything in this complex tableau with narrative finesse that drives the reader ever-deeper into specific facts and greater understanding. He presents compassionate understanding of the plights of colonists--both freemen and convicts--and the Aboriginal peoples they displaced. One of the very best works of history I have ever read.

Book Description

The history of the birth of Australia which came out of the suffereing and brutality of England's infamous convict transportation system. With 16 pages of illustrations and 3 maps.

Customer Reviews:

Very strong research but with a dense and morbid writing cadance.......2007-07-14

Robert Hughes' The Fatal Shore is an assiduously and tirelessly researched work on the Western "founding" of Australia through essentially an experiment with a penal colony. Hughes obviously has written, to date, the finest and most exhaustive piece on the wonderfully interesting, albeit terrifying, beginnings of the country Down Under. All of this said, while the research is almost beyond the scope of critical analysis, the writing surely is not.

This book, not unlike Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's Gulag Archipelago is dense, and not simply in an academic sense. Hughes drones on and on with anecdotal writings of many of the criminal on "transportation", their keepers and eventually, the settlers. While much of this is interesting the author greatly fails the reader with redundancy - his take seems to be where two would be good, ten would be better. As such, the book drags. It seems almost sacrilege to say anything derogatory about this work (or Solzhenitsyn's as well) as the topics are covered incredibly well. But it seems the reader is not considered, only the research.

The writing aside, readers will come away with a unique and strong base of information on the founding of Australia and the timing of it. Hughes also does a terrific job of showing how the American Revolution influenced London decision makers to embark on such a large task and traces the increase in crime in the late 18th century and early 19th century throughout England, but in London specifically. This is a book that, while good, is quite dense. It is a task to read and is not up to all the accolades critics seem to shower upon it.

What's This Book Got To Do With America ?.......2007-03-13

To the reviewer below.....this book is about the founding of Australia. It has nothing to with America. You should focus on reviewing the book rather than using this as a platform to express your political views. Anyway, this book shed much light on Australia's origins. This is history not too well-known. I didn't realize there was this much detailed fact in the convict beginnings of Australia. It's a fascinating read and colorful characters come to life on the page. A highly recommended book.

How Did we get where we are.......2007-03-08

After reading this book, I am amazed that Australia became within less than 200 years a prosperous, democratic and modern nation. Mr Hughes goes on about our hiding details of "the stain". What country was he born into?

History was taught at school when I was educated in the 1950's and 60's and our convict past was taught in detail. I can't remember my friends or family "whispering" about it!

I love and am proud of my country; of the millions who toiled to make it what it is today and I've never been ashamed of our convict past; it goes a long way to explain why Mr Hughes lives in the USA and makes a living denegrating his homeland.

We are not American; we don't want to be American and if transportation has shaped our character it's preferable to the Puritan ethos that cursed and still curses the US.

Australia's Convict Legacy.......2007-03-06

Even though this book was written over 20 years ago, it doesn't yet feel dated. It has that timeless quality, the sure sign of a classic. Former art critic of Time magazine and author of many excellent books, Robert Hughes is probably one of the finest prose stylists writing in English today. This history of Australia is unique in that Hughes digs deeply into the past by examining the testimony of the convicts that were "transported" to this land that was in still largely unknown.

In the 20 years prior to the first transportation of convicts from Britain to Botany Bay (1788), the population of London had doubled. This rapid urbanization created poverty and overcrowding, and it spawned an entire "criminal class." There were so many violations of capital statutes that the authorities were reluctant to hang all the criminals for fear of riots. They then decided to house criminals in old ships moored in the docks, but this too proved to be only a temporary measure.

It was at this juncture that transportation was seen as the answer. The British believed, as Hughes tells it, that they would purify the race by ridding themselves of this criminal class. Genetic determinism was a fashionable belief at this time. Ultimately, it was discredited, writes Hughes, "as causes of crime lie within society not the criminal." Transporting convicts had the additional benefit of providing the colonies with free labor. They were considered better workers than the aborigines, who were also subjected to very harsh conditions by the colonists.

Most of the convicts were guilty of crimes against property, a serious offense in those days; very few were "political" prisoners. About 15% were women, all designated prostitutes. The authorities tried to send over only younger women so that they would become wives of the soldiers guarding the convicts. Many of them ultimately married soldiers in order to secure their freedom.

Hughes has written some very moving accounts of the brutishness and inhumanity of this "System." For those convicts who committed a crime while in detention, further punishment was meted out by sending them to Norfolk Island. This was a secondary detention center about 1,000 miles off the coast. It was known as "the Botany Bay of Botany Bay." The only way to escape this hellhole was death, which many of them ultimately welcomed.

What finally ended the transportation system was that by mid-19th century Australia was becoming a thriving and wealthy colony. The newly established and respectable class no longer wanted convicts shipped to New South Wales. Many people were now paying to go to Australia. The local authorities began to question why convicts should be sent there for free. In 1868 the last boatload of convicts disembarked somewhere in Western Australia, marking the end of this ignoble practice.

Hughes has set the record straight for those who always felt that there were similarities between the settling of America and that of Australia. The latter started out not as a land of opportunity and freedom, but one of confinement and punishment.

Fatal Shore.......2006-03-18

It was very detailed about the early history of Australia's settlement colonies including in Norfolk Island, Van Dieman's Land(Tasmania) and New South Wales. It described famous stories of cannabalism, the relationship to the aborigines, the brutality of the penal settlements and the conditions in Ireland and Great Britain that caused the convicts to be shipped half way around the globe.

The book also dealt with various problems such as the famine crisis that followed the 2nd fleet coming to shore. It described the Assignment system pertaining to the convicts. It described how and why the settlements initially started in Tasmania and eastern Australia and then later Western Australia. It described how various governers made gradual reforms to improve treatment of convicts and how the convicts system fell into decline and how Australia succeeded to become economically successful yet failed to adhere to Britain's initial interests.

Average customer rating:

A good piece of niche history
Ever wanted a reason to not become a criminal?
Not bad at all
Nice to see more excellent 'commoner' biographies
A Book of Human Suffering

The Girl From Botany Bay
Carolly Erickson
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0471271403

Book Description

Acclaim for Carolly Erickson

"Carolly Erickson is one of the most accomplished and successful historical biographers writing in English."
-The Times Literary Supplement

The First Elizabeth

"Even more readable and absorbing than the justly praised works of Tuchman and Fraser. A vivid and eminently readable portrait of history's favorite Tudor."
-The New York Times Book Review

"A masterpiece of narrative, a story so absorbing it is as hard to put down as a fine novel."
-Los Angeles Times Book Review

Alexandra

"Gifted . . . breathless . . . heartbreaking . . . Erickson excels."
-Chicago Tribune

Josephine

"An intimate, richly detailed, and candid portrait . . . [Erickson's] scholarly insights combine superbly with a mastery of period manners more often found in the best historical fiction."
-Kirkus Reviews

Mistress Anne

"Carolly Erickson is a most admirable biographer, and this book is highly enjoyable as well as being reliable and acute; indeed, it is popular historical biography at its best."
—The Times (London)

Customer Reviews:

A good piece of niche history.......2007-04-02

This short book retelling the legendary tale of the Girl from Botany Bay--actually Sydney Cove--who was sentenced to penal camp labor in Australia for highway robbery in England in the late 1700s is an entertaining read.

Pieced largely from a few contemporary mentions of Mary Broad in newspapers, journals, and personal memoirs of people who were in the journey with her, Ms. Erickson has put together a short, well researched book.

Though less than 200 pages, the book could have probably been shorter. Since there is so little in the public record about Mary Broad, who was illiterate herself and hence couldn't write down her own story, Ms. Erickson has to spend a great deal of time on conjecture and educated guesses about what may have been going through Mary's mind at a particular point in time. This distraction aside, the book is still worth the short time it would take to read.

Ever wanted a reason to not become a criminal?.......2006-06-03

Terrifying story of the dangers of the sea and the horrors of life on prison ships.

Thank heavens I have never committed any of the crimes (or at least been caught) that would have doomed me to the punishment of being on a ship bound for Botany Bay.

Mary Broad's story of "Crime and Punishment" is a vivid description of 18th century survival under the harshest conditions.

Sealed into a filthy, animalistic hold of a ship and bound for halfway around the world to be imprisioned on the primative Botany Bay, Mary's life goes from bad to worse prompting a plan to escape via a small boat.

With her husband and friends, Mary sets off to get anywhere but Botany Bay. Battered by weather that would have challenged the largest of ships, the little group of escaped convicts suffer hunger and thirst, lose sight of the coast, and find themselves in the open sea.

Finally they drag into the harbor of Kupang where they are accepted and given the warmest of welcomes. Finally, for the first time in her life, Mary experiences pleasures of life that had always been out of her reach. But this dream-life comes to an end when the residents of Kupang realize that their new friends are escaped prisoners.

Mary is turned over to the British and returned to England. Standing trial once again she is to be remanded to Newgate Prison -- it was new then -- but public sentiment moves the courts to determine that Mary has been punished enough and she is released.

The rest of her life is spent quietly and she passes into history without any more notice. The only reason we know her story or even have any interest in the story of Mary Brand is because she was "The Girl from Botany Bay".

Not bad at all.......2005-11-20

Generally I don't enjoy non fiction quite as much as plain old fiction books, but this was an exception.

The story of Mary Broad is quite touching. Arrested for highway robbery and sentenced to hang, she was one of the first waves of convicts to be sailed halfway across the world to England's newest penal colony of Australia. Once there she made a daring escape with her husband, two small children and seven other men. They stole a small dingy and sailed all the way around Australia and then to Indonesia, where they were recaptured and taken back to England for trial. One in England, Mary, whose small children and husband had died since escaping, became a darling of the media and was pardoned.

This is an incredible story, and it's written almost in a novel like fashion, making it accessible to all readers. I look forward to reading more of the author's works.

If you enjoyed this book try reading Morgan's Run by Colleen McCullough for a fictional account of the great prison experiment and information on the Norfolk Island settlement of the colony.

Nice to see more excellent 'commoner' biographies.......2005-08-08

Mary Broad had a brief moment of celebrity, and this is probably one of the only reasons we know so much about the life and times of not just Broad, but others like her. Women who lived a hand to mouth existence, who trod on the wrong side of the law, and then suffered the horrific consequences of British Justice in the late Eighteenth century.

Broad was committed to transportation to the extremely new colony of New South Wales in Australia, first imprisoned on the stinking hulks which had their own brutal justice systems on board. Then the terrible long journey half way round the world, only to reach Australia and suffer famine from failed crops.

Her stoicism in spite of enormous hardship and her ability to survive are testament to an extraordinary woman, and her story of survival is amazing.

Erikson has done a great job as usual drawing from sources to outline the social aspects of the time and combining them to reflect what she lived through where her accounts are limited. Certainly, there are many accounts of male life in transporation but few remain of what women's lot were. Sian Rees published a great book a few years ago called Floating Brothel, which I would highly recommend to read with this one - it follows a transport ship of women and what happened to them on the ship and after - as the title of that book reflects it was not an easy voyage.

Mary Broad escaped from Australia and was eventually recaptured and returned to Britain where she was imprisoned again, only the intervention of the writer, Boswell (who was famous for his connection to the Johnson) garnered a royal pardon for her.

Erickson has been a prolific but good writer, I have enjoyed many of her previous biographies including and excellent one on the Regency period. It was a very good read, but my only real quibble with it is I felt it was less fluid than some I have read lately which have been page turners (without being tabloid). It had a nice measured pace and I found I was kept interested in the outcome to the end. Overall a nice interesting history which should appeal to a wide range of readers.

A Book of Human Suffering.......2005-02-24

I was aware that England used Australia as a place to send prisoners during the American Revolutionary War years and later, but I never realized how miserable the living conditions were and the human cargo that was shipped there arrived more dead than alive. Botany Bay actually was located on the southern shore of the island of Tasmania, but conditions were such that the prisoners were transferred to what is now Sydney harbor. Lawbreakers in England such as Mary Bryant were routinely sentenced to death by hanging. Mary was one of those whose life was spared and chosen to serve her sentence in Australia. After several punishing months at sea and living in filth on the ship in addition to becomming pregnant by a male passenger the group of convicts arrived at their destination. Living conditions for the prisoners encouraged everyone to plot their escape from this living hell hole. Mary, along with her husband, child, and other prisoners escaped and headed for the island of Timor. This is a story of sadistic guards who enjoyed abusing their authority by having violators whipped for escape attempts and other rule violations. Mary and her family were to be returned to England after being recaptured, but her husband and now two children both died before arriving. Mary expected to be resentenced to death, but James Boswell, a friend of King George, wrote asking for a pardon for Mary for all the trials and tribulations she had been through. His appeal was successful and Mary received a pardon along with a yearly annunity from James Boswell for her to live on. This is a book of human suffering while traveling on a ship in terrible weather in addition to the suffering while in captivity in Australia. The English weren't bashful in handing out death penalities to its citizens, and sentencing offenders to Australia to live in squalor if they survived the trip was a way of just getting these people out of their hair and the country. This is a sad chapter in the history of England.

Average customer rating:

Gotta love a a place where everything wants to kill you.
a great read
Everything will kill you
Masterful.
Funny and Informative

In a Sunburned Country

Manufacturer: Random House Audio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: 055350259X
Release Date: 2000-06-06

Amazon.com

Bill Bryson follows his Appalachian amble, A Walk in the Woods, with the story of his exploits in Australia, where A-bombs go off unnoticed, prime ministers disappear into the surf, and cheery citizens coexist with the world's deadliest creatures: toxic caterpillars, aggressive seashells, crocodiles, sharks, snakes, and the deadliest of them all, the dreaded box jellyfish. And that's just the beginning, as Bryson treks through sunbaked deserts and up endless coastlines, crisscrossing the "under-discovered" Down Under in search of all things interesting.

Bryson, who could make a pile of dirt compelling--and yes, Australia is mostly dirt--finds no shortage of curiosities. When he isn't dodging Portuguese man-of-wars or considering the virtues of the remarkable platypus, he visits southwest Gippsland, home of the world's largest earthworms (up to 12 feet in length). He discovers that Australia, which began nationhood as a prison, contains the longest straight stretch of railroad track in the world (297 miles), as well as the world's largest monolith (the majestic Uluru) and largest living thing (the Great Barrier Reef). He finds ridiculous place names: "Mullumbimby Ewylamartup, Jiggalong, and the supremely satisfying Tittybong," and manages to catch a cricket game on the radio, which is like

listening to two men sitting in a rowboat on a large, placid lake on a day when the fish aren't biting; it's like having a nap without losing consciousness. It actually helps not to know quite what's going on. In such a rarefied world of contentment and inactivity, comprehension would become a distraction.

"You see," Bryson observes, "Australia is an interesting place. It truly is. And that really is all I'm saying." Of course, Bryson--who is as much a travel writer here as a humorist, naturalist, and historian--says much more, and does so with generous amounts of wit and hilarity. Australia may be "mostly empty and a long way away," but it's a little closer now. --Rob McDonald

Book Description

Read by the author
Nine CDs, 10 hours

Just in time for the 2000 Olympics-the bestselling quthor of A Walk in the Woods takes listeners on a truly outrageous tour Down Under.

Compared to his Australian excursions, Bill Bryson had it easy on the Appalachian Trail. Nonetheless, Bryson has on several occasions embarked on seemingly endless flights bound for a land where Little Debbies are scarce but insects are abundant (up to 220,000 species of them), not to mention crocodiles.

Taking listeners on a rollicking ride far beyond packaged-tour routes, IN A SUNBURNED COUNTRY introduces a place where interesting things happen all the time. Leaving no Vegemite unsavored, listeners will accompany Bryson as he dodges jellyfish while learning to surf at Bondi Beach, discovers a fish that can climb trees, dehydrates in deserts where temperatures leap to 140 degrees F, and tells the true story of the rejected Danish architect who designed the Sydney Opera House.

Download Description

Compared to his Australian excursions, Bill Bryson had it easy on the Appalachian Trail. Nonetheless, Bryson has on several occasions embarked on seemingly endless flights bound for a land where Little Debbies are scarce but insects are abundant (up to 220,000 species of them), not to mention the crocodiles.

Taking readers on a rollicking ride far beyond packaged-tour routes, In a Sunburned Country introduces a place where interesting things happen all the time, from a Prime Minister who was lost at sea while swimming at a Victoria beach to Japanese cult members who managed to set off an atomic bomb unnoticed on their 500,000-acre property. Leaving no Vegemite unsavored readers will accompany Bryson as he dodges jellyfish while learning to surf at Bondi Beach, discovers a fish that can climb trees, dehydrates in deserts where the temperatures leap to 140degreeF, and tells the true story of the rejected Danish architect who designed the Sydney Opera House.

Published just in time for the Olympics, In a Sunburned Country provides a singularly intriguing, wonderfully wacky take on a glorious, adventure-filled locale.

Customer Reviews:

Gotta love a a place where everything wants to kill you........2007-10-09

It's obvious in reading this book that Bryson fell head over heels for the land down under. What makes him such a great travel writer is that, in love or not, he never resorts to gushing. He maintains the dry wit and eye for oddities that are his trademarks. I particularly liked the recurring bits about sharks and other potential agents of death. Bryson shows us a country full of interesting, likable and hardworking people; a harsh country not without problems, but a gosh-darned interesting place. You'll laugh a lot reading this, but without laughing at anyone. That's a difficult thing to pull off, and Bryson does it. His affection for the place is palpable. This is a great armchair travel book.

a great read.......2007-09-22

This is a great book, in my opinion. Bryson makes this tale both informative and funny. I had at least a few laugh-out-loud moments with this book. After I finished, I felt almost as if I had just taken a trip to Australia (never been there yet)- def the sign of a good writer. If you've never read Bill Bryson before, take a chance on this one - you won't regret it.

Everything will kill you.......2007-09-20

This should be required reading for anybody heading to Australia. He is an astute observer of human behavior, and relates his findings in the most humorous way. His description of the game of cricket is the most accurate and hilarious I've ever read, and his constant reminders of how everything in Australia will kill you provides nice continuity throughout the book.

Masterful........2007-09-06

What stands out about this book for me is that it stays with me. I often find myself referring back to it, telling people stories I read in it, chuckling about something in it. It helps that I appreciate Bryson's humor, his hypochondria and morbidity and his delight in the ridiculous. And since it is a travel book, its only fair to say that since I read his book, I went to see some of the things he saw, and I mean to see more of them.

Funny and Informative .......2007-08-07

I didn't know much about Bill Bryson except that he had written A Short History of Nearly Everything (which had nearly bored me to tears, the first time I tried to read it), but I gave this book a chance and I am so glad I did.
I think Bill Bryson is just about the funniest man alive. I was laughing so hard I was in tears more than a few times. I also really enjoy the history he gave about Australia.
Bill Bryson is one of my very favorite authors because of this book.

The Journals of Captain Cook (Penguin Classics)

Average customer rating:

A dry tedious read
Cook Lite
READ THIS ALONGSIDE RICHARD HOUGH'S BIOGRAPHY
A detailed account of Cook's voyages
A classic re-launched

The Journals of Captain Cook (Penguin Classics)
James R. Cook , and Philip Edwards
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0140436472
Release Date: 2000-04-03

Book Description

A new one-volume abridged edition of Cook's famous journals--"a majestic story of epic proportions"(Philip Edwards in the Introduction)
Captain Cook's Journals provide his vivid first-hand account of three extraordinary expeditions between 1768 and 1779. These charted the entire coast of New Zealand and the east coast of Australia and brought back detailed descriptions of Tahiti, Tonga, and a host of previously unknown islands in the Pacific including the Hawaiian Islands. The journals amply reveal the determination, courage, and skill that enabled Cook to wrestle with the continuous dangers of uncharted seas and the problems of achieving a relationship with the peoples whose unannounced guest he became. This edition, abridged from the definitive four-volume Hakluyt Society edition, makes Cook's inimitable personal account of his years of voyaging widely accessible for the first time and includes an Introduction to each voyage, a Glossary of unusual words, indexes of people and places, and a Postscript assessing the controversy surrounding Cook's death.

Selected and Edited with Introductions by Philip Edwards

Customer Reviews:

A dry tedious read.......2007-07-20

I wanted to like this book. I really did. When I saw it online, I thought that it looked interesting. The few reviews were favorable. I enjoy maritime tales, stories and life. I thought that pirates and life aboard ships were interesting decades ago.

This was a slow, monotonous account. At least all that I could read for three days. Then I lost interest. I have read period pieces before. However the abbreviations and some of the words I just could not decipher.

If you want to attempt to figure out this book, I wish you luck. If you do, maybe you could explain it to me. :)

Cook Lite.......2005-04-04

I wish I had read the reviews before paying for this. The key word for this edition is ABRIDGED. According to the editor Philip Edward's introduction, only about a third of Cook's/Beaglehole's text is included.

READ THIS ALONGSIDE RICHARD HOUGH'S BIOGRAPHY.......2003-06-05

This is a spectacularly interesting journal. Cook was an odd sort, that's for sure. But a genius? I'd certainly say so after reading his often-daily account of his activities. Really neat book.

A detailed account of Cook's voyages.......2001-04-05

This well prepared abridged edition of Captain James Cook's journals is a specialized book of interest to people studying the exploration of the Pacific and/or the British Navy of that time period. Other people might find sections of it dry reading. The book is recommended for oceanography students as the 17th century voyages of exploration formed the basis for later oceanographic cruises.

Cook's voyages carried scientific personnel of that time period, many of whom died from the harsh conditions along with members of the crews. In addition to bad weather, there were diseases and hostile natives (including cannibals). Extensive charting was carried out and, on the second voyage, the Board of Longitude supplied Cook with Larcum Kendall's copy of John Harrison's H4 watch for determining longitude. Observations were made of prevailing winds, currents, temperature, and other things of scientific interest.

Natives throughout the Pacific would go to great lengths to obtain iron, expecially axes, even prostituting their wives and daughters (willing or not). Natives would attempt to steal items, if they could, leading to numerous confrontations including one in which a boat crew of the Adventure (the consort ship of the second voyage) were killed and eaten by the Maori natives of New Zealand.

Cook's journal ended several weeks before his death. The editor fills in details from journals of other people who were on the voyage, and speculates on the reason he was killed by the natives in Hawaii.

The book includes maps of Cook's routes on his voyages. It also has an index listing the names of the various individuals mentioned, with an indication of their positions on the voyages or their other positions if they were not active participants.

A classic re-launched.......2000-07-18

This re-issue of the Beaglehole edition of the Cook journals attests to the enduring importance of Cook as the exemplar navigator and Beaglehole as his nautical Boswell.

The writing is elegant and subtle and the fascination of the recital enduring.

Best there is no other!

Average customer rating:

Good Overview, Short on Archeology

An incredible journey through a graveyard of lost ships.

Price of Freedom Lies Between These Pages

Great book on the warships lost in Iron Bottom Sound

A keystone in every maritime library

The Lost Ships of Guadalcanal: Exploring the Ghost Fleet of the South Pacific
Robert D. Ballard , and Rick Archbold
Manufacturer: Warner Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Return to Midway

Guadalcanal: The Definitive Account of the Landmark Battle

Graveyards of the Pacific: From Pearl Harbor to Bikini Island

The Discovery of the Bismarck: Germany's Greatest Battleship Surrenders Her Secrets

Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway

ASIN: 0446516368

Customer Reviews:

Good Overview, Short on Archeology.......2004-11-19

I will say that like most of Ballard's books this is nicely laid out; good sized and with excellent photographs & drawings.

Most of the book is taken up by short histories of the various battles that make up the 'Guadalcanal Campaign.' This didn't leave much room for the exploration of the wrecks themselves which gives you a rather rushed feeling despite the good background history.

Perhaps this would have been even better as an expanded two volume set.

An incredible journey through a graveyard of lost ships........2004-09-23

The work of Dr Robert D. Ballard knows no bounds and is truly inspirational to those of us who read of his exploits and seek to emulate his standards with much lesser shipwrecks.

Once again, just as soon as I took delivery of "The Lost Ships of Guadalcanal" I knew I had a 5 Star Book in my hands and, once again, I found nothing within it's 220 pages to make me take away any of those stars.

This book will stand the test of time as a literary work and outstanding account of one of the major naval battle zones of the Pacific in WW2. There are modern photographs including a number taken from the air, historic photographs (American, Australian, Japanese and local) of the places, the personalities, the ships, aircraft and soldiers, some incredible paintings of the night actions that took place, pictures of Ballard's crew as they go about their work and his advanced equipment being deployed and used. There is also a picture of a very young John F. Kennedy in his PT-109.

The first underwater pictures are enough to make the heart stop for just a moment as you realise this man Ballard has done it again - not once, but in this case several times. Commencing with the 9,850 ton Heavy Cruiser HMAS Canberra (the "A" stands for Australian) we no sooner see the first underwater photographs of this once magnificent ship - which went down fight in the opening minutes of the Battle of Savo Island, then we turn the page to find a 3-page open-out spread of Ken Marschall's painting of the entire wreck.

On the opposite side of that 3 page spread is another equally outstanding painting of USS Quincy followed by her own set of underwater photographs. As the story of Guadalcanal continues, so we find more details of US and Japanese successes and losses and the trials and tribulations endured by the forces of both sides as the author carefully draws us towards that part in the overall series of battles that will bring us to his next discovery and Ken Marschall's next incredible painting - the USS Monssen.

With more underwater photographs of yet more of the "Lost Ships of Guadalcanal," and yet more paintings by Ken Marschall, the author skilfully brings the reader both to the end of the series of battles and to the end of his own journey of discovery. Whilst not one of the greatest works of art within the book, one of my favourite paintings is found on p.200. This is an aerial picture of the entire area called "Iron Bottom Sound" - painted as though the water had been removed and showing the location of no fewer than 13 warships, one aircraft and two beached freighters. As part of the caption states ".... that makes this one of the greatest submarine battlefields." Yes it is, and in this book it was all brought back to life by Dr Robert D. Ballard.

An excellent book by any standards.

NM

Price of Freedom Lies Between These Pages.......2002-11-12

The title above is what my great-uncle inscribed on the inside cover of this book. He is the Tommy Morris whose story is told in the pages of this book. Like many more famous sailors and soldiers, Uncle Tommy (who died only two weeks ago after a long decline, for those readers who might be interested)used to tell me and my grandfather (Tommy's brother) that it was impossible for him to think of people as "civilized" having seen how we turn our new discoveries and technology so easily to the unhappy task of killing each other. He also said to me once that his role in the Quincy sinking was that of a "damsel in distress".. which description was follwed by that sort of masculing deep-seated chuckle which only come forth from heroic men who have seen hell on earth.

I am biased, but I wer I not, I would still think this an excellent book!

Gary Morris

Great book on the warships lost in Iron Bottom Sound.......2001-09-15

Between August 1942 and February 1943, a land-sea and air battle was waged for an island in the south pacific called Guadalcanal. The six-month long battle for the island would be one of the definitive battles of the war. It was also one of the costliest. Thousands of Allied and Japanese soldiers died. And a channel north of the island had so many ships go down there that it was renamed Iron Bottom Sound.

It is possible that more men died in the waters off Guadalcanal then on the island itself. But for many years, most of the ships were out of reach to divers and eventually were all but forgotten. Then, in 1992, Oceanographer Robert Ballard, who had found the Titanic and the Bismarck, decided to explore the area using the latest in technology. It is quite an experience to see a past battlefield on land like Normandy, Pearl Harbor, Gettysburg or Guadalcanal itself. But the battlefields were obviously cleaned up afterward and don't look the way they did when the battle concluded. But time knows no boundaries in Iron Bottom Sound. The paintings by Ken Marshall and the photographs show many of the ships still upright on the ocean floor; Their guns and torpedo tubes still trained outward as if firing at a long gone enemy. But some of the ships are not so beautifully preserved. The Battleship Krishima, for example, lies upside down in two pieces on the ocean floor. And the Destroyer Barton is broken in half and lying on its side from two torpedoes. Nevertheless, most of the ships appear ready to rise up and continue fighting.

Lavishly illustrated and with a detailed text, The Lost Ships of Guadalcanal will make a welcome addition to the collection of any War, Naval or Shipwreck enthusiast (If you can find a copy that is).

A keystone in every maritime library.......2001-08-28

Dr. Bob Ballard discovered the Titanic in the mid 1980's using cutting-edge underwater technology. For this book, he turned that skill and knowledge to lead an expedition to examine the wrecks of one of the bloodiest naval battles of World War II, one so full of death and destruction that veterans of the battle gave the waters of Gualdalcanal the nickname of "Iron Bottom Sound" because of the number of ships and aircraft that lay underwater. Guadalcanal was the linchpin of American and Japanese military strategy for control of the south Pacific islands. The Americans controlled the airfield, but the Japanese controlled the island and the waters around it. The Japanese couldn't resupply its army because of attacks to its freighters by Allied aircraft and the Americans couldn't resupply its airfield because of attacks to its fleet of ships. In one single battle in the pitch-black darkness of night, the mighty Japanese fleet engaged a weaker American destroyer group where American guns were aimed by radar and Japanese guns were aimed by looking for the flashes from the American weapons. The American fleet was destroyed but it was a Pyhric victory because the Japanese supply ships failed to reach the starving Japanese troops on the island. Dr. Ballard does a remarkable job of capturing both the essence of the battle and the essence of underwater archeology to create a wonderful book filled with full-color pictures of the wrecks and period black-and-white pictures of the war. He also includes the fantastic paintings and maps in the style that has adorned his other books to show how the wrecks would look if there was absolute clarity underwater and with a "God's Eye". This book is one of the better ones I've found that deal with the ships of Guadalcanal and underwater archeology. I've noticed copies adorning the workbenches of many model-ship builders (including mine). Its a great gift idea and sure to please anyone interested in great battles, maritime history, WW2, underwater exploration, or tales of bravery (by those who fought and those who study the ocean).

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