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.

Waffen-SS Commanders: The Army, Corps and Divisional Leaders of a Legend: Augsberger to Kreutz

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Excellent Reference
Excellent Study of SS Commanders
Excellent Study of SS Commanders
Pictorial biographies of Waffen SS commanders.

Waffen-SS Commanders: The Army, Corps and Divisional Leaders of a Legend: Augsberger to Kreutz
Mark C. Yerger
Manufacturer: Schiffer Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0764303562

Book Description

The units of the Waffen-SS were some of the most successful and influental combat formations produced by any country in this century. Their abilities and accomplishments, in both defense and offense, remain legendary. Finally, the commanders of these elite units are examined here in detail. In this book, the first of a two volume set, forty-four biographies reveal the lives of the most senior Waffen-SS commanders. Details are provided for education, as well as pre-Third Reich era service in military and civil posts, and includes promotions, assignments and decorations. The 1933-1945 era, the most detailed, reveals all their commands and related data similar to their earlier service. Officially documented recollections of the combat actions that resulted in bestowal of their highest awards (Knight's Cross and German Cross in Gold) are finally discussed. Heavily documented, their individual stories continue until their eventual fates are revealed. Apart from the most famous leaders, such as Paul Hausser and Josef "Sepp" Dietrich, these volumes reveal and examine the many divisional commanders who have previously remained unknown except by the men they led. Included are the commanders who rose through the ranks after graduating from the SS officer school system. Along with numerous private archive sources in the U.S. and Europe, more than a dozen former divisional commanders contributed information or illustrations from their private collections. In additon to text data, this volume is profusely illustrated with more than 400 rare or previously unpublished photographs, and 35 documents. Order of battle charts with an explanation of symbols provided, detail the units themselves. With a foreward by Otto Kumm, the highly decorated last commander of the "Leibstandarte," this initial volume finally fills a significant knowledge void in recording the history of the Waffen-SS., over 400 b/w photographs, maps, documents, 8 1/2" x 11", glossary, appendices, index

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Reference.......1999-12-25

Waffen-SS Commanders is a two-part series on the major commanders of the Waffen-SS, perhaps the most controversial fighting formation in history. Yerger's sympathies with his subjects shows, but he is willing to distinguish between SS officers who conducted themselves in a professional manner and proved themselves in combat and the political favorites of Himmler who rose from the ranks of the German Polizei and whose units were particularly brutal in anti-partisan operations but were no match against professional soldiers. Examples of the former include Otto Baum, Heinz Harmel (whose treatment of prisoners and civilians at Arnhem earned praise from the Allies-General Harmel is still alive and at nearly 100 years of age still conducts his daily life in the same way as he did as a soldier), Paul Hausser and others. The lesser lights among the commanders of the Waffen SS include Friderich Jeckeln, Curt von Gottberg, and Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski, who testified for the prosecution at Nuremberg out of survival and not remorse for any actions-his brutality during the 1944 Warsaw uprising and his granting of POW status to Polish insurgents to insure that he would not be branded a war criminal in the eventuality of a German defear are documented by Yerger. To his credit, von den Bach did not renege on his promise to the Poles, although had Germany somehow won the war or negotiated a separate peace with the West, the Poles probably would have suffered a different fate.

As controversial a subject as the Waffen-SS was, not all of the commanders could be considered brutal criminals or incompetent as portrayed by revisionist history. To be sure, they served an ideology which was evil and most of the commanders were members of the NSDAP, but the majority of SS commanders were in fact professional soldiers equivalent to their army counterparts in the Wehrmacht. Most of these commanders did conduct themselves in a correct manner and fought with honor for their country, even if the regime they served had few redeeming qualities. It is a tribute to these commanders that the Waffen-SS still arouses much passion, even today, and most modern armies today use tactics and innovations which originated with the Waffen-SS over 50 years ago.

Excellent Study of SS Commanders.......1999-12-25

If you have Part 1 of Yerger's study, be sure to get this book. It follows up his previous book in the same fashion. Yerger obviously has great sympathy for his subjects, but is willing to criticize those Waffen SS commanders who in his view were less than professional soldiers, especially the Higher SS and Police leaders who were given commands because of their political loyalties rather than their skills in combat. This contrast is shown in the section on the Krueger brothers, the only two brothers to achieve general rank in the SS. Walter Krueger, who was renowned for his command of the Das Reich division is favorably mentioned, as befits his combat leadership and prowess in battle, while his brother Friederich-Wilhelm, who rose through the ranks of the Polizei, is described as "a career SS officer with an interest in power and was brutal in controlling his administration within the General Government (of German-occupied Poland)." Officers who conducted themselves as worthy soldiers in Volume 2 include Felix Steiner, Kurt "Panzer" Meyer, Sylvester Stadler who ordered an immediate inqiry into the events at Oradour, one of the war crimes which the SS was accused of-a controversial event even today. Stadler was temporary commander of Das Reich and ordered a court-martial of the officer accused of the massacre of civilians of that village) and many others. In Volume 1, commanders such as Paul Hausser, Otto Baum, Heinrich Harmel (whose professionalism and humane treatment of prisoners and civilians during the Battle of Arnhem was praised by the Allies) and Karl Kreutz, are praised for their military compentency and bravery in combat while commanders who never faced true combat formations, for example Friederich Jeckeln, Curt von Gottberg, Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski(who testified for the prosecution at Nuremberg not because of any remorse but instead out of self-preservation) are not looked upon with much sympathy.

Such criticism is refreshing, especially with regards to a subject as controversial as the Waffen SS. Certainly there were some SS commanders who were either overrated or extremely brutal, but the vast majority conducted themselves in as professional a manner as any commander on the winning side. That they served an ideology which was evil does not diminish their service to their country and Yerger depicts this in a non-judgmental way.

Excellent Study of SS Commanders.......1999-12-25

Pictorial biographies of Waffen SS commanders........1999-03-14

Like other works by Yerger, "Waffen SS Commanders" is primarily a picture history. It also has nice 2+ page biographies of the military careers of senior Waffen SS officers. There are occasional passing references to their lives after the war, but nothing beyond 1-liners. Some of the biographies are of well known figures such as Dietrich and Hausser whom you can read of elsewhere, but this is probably the only place you will find biographies of minor figures such as Jungkuntz and Hampel. This is the first volume of what is intended to become a 4-volume series, and alphabetically only goes up to Kreutz. Guess who wrote the preface to this book!

The 100: A Ranking Of The Most Influential Persons In History

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Couldn't judge...
The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History
Who were the most influential persons in history? This book presents an interesting viewpoint.
A masterpiece
Suspect Scholarship

The 100: A Ranking Of The Most Influential Persons In History
Michael H. Hart
Manufacturer: Citadel
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0806513500

Customer Reviews:

Couldn't judge..........2007-05-16

The title sounded interesting. However, there was no clear criterion on how the author conducted the rating and evaluation process. Moreover, in many parts the presented achievements do not fully justify the author's selection. Definitely, I would like to learn more about the person to make my judgment, or at least agree or disagree with the author -- just a brief description was provided. Other than that the author did a great job trying to get this work accomplished. The most interesting part is the historical timeline provided. I really liked it. Good job!

The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History.......2007-05-10

This fascinating book ranks the author's most "influential" people in history. Not a list of the "greatest" persons in history. The book is involved with the question of who were the 100 persons who had the greatest affect on history and on the course of the world. I didn't always agree with the author's choices or rankings of importance (for example I would have included Abraham on the 100 list; he is only listed as honorable mention), but reading the excerpts was a new way of learning world history. Easy to read... very well researched and written in concise terms. I also should note that this book was not available to purchase at either Borders or Barnes and Noble, but Amazon had it & got it to me fast.

Who were the most influential persons in history? This book presents an interesting viewpoint........2007-03-24

This book is a very interesting collection of biographies of highly influential people throughout history. Since influence is not a well defined entity and is difficult to measure, the actual rank or inclusion of a person on the list should not be taken seriously. The author clearly states that the book is "his ranking", and not objective science. However, I find his list and the motivations for his ranking quite enlightening and often convincing.

This list contained a few people I had never heard of, but clearly were a lot more influential then many of the people I thought were the most influential. Take, for example, "Ts'ai Lun" the inventor of paper (China 105 AD), who is ranked number 7. Largely because of the existence of paper China was able to develop into a powerful and united empire, and when paper reached Europe it had a profound influence on Western Civilization as well. Would there even be a modern Western Civilization without Ts'ai Lun?

Because of paper we don't need to use clay tablets, sheep skin, papyrus, or bamboo to write. Printing presses and the mass production of books and newspapers has been made possible because of paper. We also have paper money, toilet paper, and paper products thanks to Ts'ai Lun. Clearly fame and influence are two very different things. Keep this in mind before disagreeing with Hart too quickly.

Also note that the book ranks the most influential people in history, not the greatest, not the noblest, not the most outstanding people, and not the most important people in history. The grand father who spends several hours each day to help raise your child, educate him, and spends his money on him, clearly has a large influence on you and your family, but so does the drunk driver who kills your child. It is quite easy to have a negative influence on people, but negative influences are considered in this book. So this is why people like Hitler, Stalin, Mao, and Genghis Khan, are on the list.

36 of the 100 persons in the list are scientists and inventors. Some think this is too many, I think this is rather too few. Because of technology and science the world has been transformed from a planet with abundant misery and death to a planet with just some misery and death. It used to be that more than half of all kids died, the average life span was 30, and almost everyone was dirt poor and ignorant. Today the average lifespan in the third world is 67, infant mortality is way down, starvation relatively less wide spread, and analphabetism is no longer the norm. Just in case someone has missed it, the reason for the population explosion is that people stopped dying like flies.

Many have complained that the rank of Shakespeare is too low. Edward de Vere (William Shakespeare) is number 31 and Edward Jenner is number 70. Edward Jenner invented the smallpox vaccine. Smallpox killed more than 300 million people in the 20th century (which is roughly 7-8% of all deaths in the 20th century). Since 1979 no one has died from small pox because vaccination has eradicated it. Shakespeare was a play write that was influential on the English language. I had never read or heard much about Shakespeare until I moved to the U.S. (I am not a native English speaker). It seems to me that the two Edwards should switch rank. In any case Shakespeare's position on the list is not that bad. Whomever you would like to see on this list, everyone has their viewpoint. My list will not look like yours, or Harts, but Harts list is quite enlightening.

What makes this a good book is the fact that it makes you think about who the influential people really were and why. It is also a good book to teach children about history and the people who influenced it. It is also a fun biography collection.

A masterpiece.......2007-02-01

This is one of the best Book out there. M. Hart provides his justification for his ranking. This is a MUST Read book !

Suspect Scholarship.......2007-01-14

I must say that I may have given too glowing an account of Hart's book in
my earlier review. After reading the works of others who have written about famous persons in history, I would have to say that, although Hart
is very informative, his reasoning and scholarship are suspect. Nowhere is that more obvious than in his ranking of Jesus Christ. It wasn't merely
where Christ was ranked,(3rd), but the lack of information given on Christ. He tells exactly why Muhammed was ranked first. He is very detailed and cogent in his arguments, as he is for much of the book. However, with Jesus, Hart spends so much of Jesus' bio justifying his lower ranking of
him, that he comes off sounding very defensive. He should have spent more time showing how Christ's ethical ideas and moral teachings have affected the nations. He might have explained how Jesus' strong belief in helping the oppressed enormously influenced the rise of charitable institutions. OR maybe how Jesus teachings were the greatest catalysts for the worldwide growth of hospitals and orphanages. Or even how Jesus' Great Commission, which even some atheists say is the greatest directive ever given, greatly stimulated global civilization, education of the masses, and affected global industrialization. There was no mention of The Great Commission!!
You can't write about Jesus Christ and not mention The Great Commission!! That mission statement, by itself, is what put Christianity on the map. Also, Hart claims that Paul added the worship of Christ. Again, he didn't do his homework. There were other leaders of the early church who came before Paul, who advocated the worship of Christ,including Jesus' own brother James, who called him The Lord of Glory. John the Revelator, who wrote more of the New Testament than any one except Paul, called him many divine names, including The Almighty, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. Paul was merely influenced by these closer, more intimate followers of Christ. And he basically laid down, in coherent form, the theology of Christianity,which he says in 1 Corinthians, that he was told from others.And what about Christ's influence on the arts? The Last Supper? The Pieta? The Frescoes of the Sistine Chapel?These famous works of art have been the inspiration of thousands of influential artists, not too mention effective advertisement for Christianity. Finally, I wonder why Hart overlooked the fact that most of our universities, which started in the Middle Ages, although, derived from the Greeks and Romans, actually were founded by Christians for Christian purposes, including all of our early American colleges and universitites except one. Considering the astounding influence of education on the greatness of America, I am shocked that Hart never mentioned it. Read Hart's book, but read it with care.

Historical Dictionary of Georgia (Historical Dictionaries of Europe)

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Historical Dictionary of Georgia (Historical Dictionaries of Europe)
Alexander Mikaberidze
Manufacturer: The Scarecrow Press, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0810855801

Who's Who In The World 2007 (Who's Who in the World)

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Who's Who In The World 2007 (Who's Who in the World)

Manufacturer: Marquis Who's Who
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0837911370

Culinary Biographies: A Dictionary of the World's Great Historic Chefs, Cookbook Authors and Collectors, Farmers, Gourmets, Home Economists, Nutritionists, Restaurateurs, Philosophers, Physicians, Scientists, Writers, and Others Who Influenced the Way We Eat Today

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Packed with insights
A Beautiful Book -- Of Food History

Culinary Biographies: A Dictionary of the World's Great Historic Chefs, Cookbook Authors and Collectors, Farmers, Gourmets, Home Economists, Nutritionists, Restaurateurs, Philosophers, Physicians, Scientists, Writers, and Others Who Influenced the Way We Eat Today
Alice Arndt (Editor)
Manufacturer: Yes Press, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0971832218

Product Description

Illustrated biographical dictionary of historic culinarians, from all places and periods except the immediate present.

Customer Reviews:

Packed with insights.......2006-12-12

Plenty of books cover culinary history and within these usually are scattered references to cooks who have influenced the genre over the decades - but nowhere else will you find a collection devoted entirely to culinary biographies, and nowhere else will the combined scholarship of over eighty culinary scholars achieve this result. Here are all the pro names you'd expect to read about, from Betty Crocker to Fannie Farmer, plus those from other countries lesser known (but no less important) such as Erna Horn or Kenneth Lo. From cookbook authors to farmers, restauranteurs, scientists and food writers, CULINARY BIOGRAPHIES is packed with insights, with each biography including not just a survey of the culinary figure's life, but an overview of contributions and influences, providing a good bit of period history in the process.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

A Beautiful Book -- Of Food History.......2006-06-06

If you get a look at it in person, you can easily see why editor Alice Arndt wanted to self-publish. The book is beautiful: cover, paper, illustrations, typesetting. Of course, you'd also get it for the contents.

Culinary Biographies is an encyclopedia of hundreds of people who had a major influence on the history of food. Mostly chefs and cookbook writers, but also some major patrons, nutritionist and doctors.

Why I was thrilled to get the book -- and why I corresponded with Alice before it was published -- is that it contains the most material I've ever seen on the influential people of Asian cuisine. This is information I've been unable to find elsewhere (see some earlier posts on this board).

So, if you are into food history, you need this book. Better, if you have a friend who's into food and history, it would make a great gift.

World Authors, 1995-2000 (World Authors)

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Covering 326 authors worldwide

World Authors, 1995-2000 (World Authors)

Manufacturer: H. W. Wilson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0824210328

Customer Reviews:

Covering 326 authors worldwide.......2004-01-13

Expertly organized and edited by Clifford Thompson and Mari Rich, World Authors 1995-2000 offers accurate accounts of contemporary writers' lives and works, including critical responses and biographies. Covering 326 authors worldwide including novelists, playwrights, poets, essayists, historians, biographers, critics, and others, all arranged in alphabetical order, World Authors 1995-2000 is an excellent, broad-ranging resource. Each author was selected on the basis of literary merit, popularity, and (in the case of foreign writers) accessibility to English-language readers. A black-and-white photograph of each author precedes their biographical entry, which is also supplemented with a suggested reading list of works.

The Private World of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor

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A kings story
Vapid, yes...though totally fascinating...
finally a sneak peek into their very private world
too much to pay for a couple with zero to offer

The Private World of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor
Hugo Vickers
Manufacturer: Abbeville Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0789202263

Customer Reviews:

A kings story.......2002-12-08

I felt sorry for the duke, he must have been such a lonely man.....He never got any compliments from his father or his family. They all seemed so far away from each other. No wonder he fell in love with Wallis, she paid attention to him, this is what he needed, someone to treat him with respect and high regard, no wonder he abdicated....He wouldn't have to abdicate,but the P.M. at that time was a very vicious and ugly person who was JEALOUS of King Edward, he wouldn't even allow the king to speak to the other members on his own behalf...Queen Mum was also jealous and vicious, she did not like Wallis, because she was divorced and an american, she would not allow King George to communicate with the duke after he was exiled. The people all wanted King Edward to become King, they all loved him because of his charistma and his feelings for the common people.Edward and Diana were very much alike and treated VERY BADLY by their so called "royal families". Edward and Diana had more "guts" than all the royals together. King Edward would have been a "great" king, thanks to Queen Mum and her coldness toward Edward and Wallis caused him to live in an empty wrld. All the worl loves "lovers"and the Duke and Duchess were the lovers of the 20th century. How many people can have such a love????????I really loved this book and read it over and over.....

Vapid, yes...though totally fascinating..........2001-03-12

I can't help it. Even though I believe that the Duke and Dutchess of Windsor were probably two of the most self-serving people ever to exist on the face of the planet, I find them totally fascinating. And this book lets us into their domaine. Imagine a man so totally mesmerized by this woman, that not only did he leave her a fresh flower on her pillow every night of their married life, he slept surrounded by photos of her (separate bedrooms). There were 10,000 photos of them in his bathtub (covered with a mahogany top. He ONLY showered.) that were discovered after her death. That means for the duration of the time that they were married, they were photographed approximately 300 times a year. Every year. The photographs of the refurbished decor in the Paris house were fascinating. Too bad everything was sold after Dodi & Diana's death. This book is truly a window into a lifestyle that no longer exists.

finally a sneak peek into their very private world.......1999-09-08

I was very impressed with the photography and the information contained in this book. Wallis Simpson is amazing, she comes off as more chic and more royal than any of the royals. Fascinating inside look into that very glamorous era, and it's most powerful couple.

too much to pay for a couple with zero to offer.......1998-04-03

It is beyond me how any person with a functioning brain could ever find the Windsors more than the most over publicized, most tedious couple who ever inhabited the pages of People Magazine and its predecessors. What is even more alarming is that there are people willing to pay $67.50 for a book of pictures of the duke, the duchess and their collection of stuff. Pardon me for my rant, but I needed to do it. I don't think I've ever typed out my feeings on this subject before. I've ranted about this couple more than I wish to admit.. but, hell, we all have our quirks.

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Dictionary of Bird Artists of the World
Christine E. Jackson
Manufacturer: Antique Collectors' Club
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ASIN: 1851492038

The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of The Oxford English Dictionary

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Interesting, but cannot match its own hype
Surprisingly absorbing
Sensationalized Version of a Gripping History
Slow
THIS BOOK IS A MUST-READ

The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of The Oxford English Dictionary
Simon Winchester
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
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ASIN: 006099486X

Amazon.com

When the editors of the Oxford English Dictionary put out a call during the late 19th century pleading for "men of letters" to provide help with their mammoth undertaking, hundreds of responses came forth. Some helpers, like Dr. W.C. Minor, provided literally thousands of entries to the editors. But Minor, an American expatriate in England and a Civil War veteran, was actually a certified lunatic who turned in his dictionary entries from the Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum. Simon Winchester has produced a mesmerizing coda to the deeply troubled Minor's life, a life that in one sense began with the senseless murder of an innocent British brewery worker that the deluded Minor believed was an assassin sent by one of his numerous "enemies."

Winchester also paints a rich portrait of the OED's leading light, Professor James Murray, who spent more than 40 years of his life on a project he would not see completed in his lifetime. Winchester traces the origins of the drive to create a "Big Dictionary" down through Murray and far back into the past; the result is a fascinating compact history of the English language (albeit admittedly more interesting to linguistics enthusiasts than historians or true crime buffs). That Murray and Minor, whose lives took such wildly disparate turns yet were united in their fierce love of language, were able to view one another as peers and foster a warm friendship is just one of the delicately turned subplots of this compelling book. --Tjames Madison

Amazon.com Audiobook Review

The compilation of the Oxford English Dictionary, 70 years in the making, was an intellectually heroic feat with a twist worthy of the greatest mystery fiction: one of its most valuable contributors was a criminally insane American physician, locked up in an English asylum for murder. British stage actor Simon Jones leads us through this uncommon meeting of minds (the other belonging to self-educated dictionary editor James Murray) at full gallop. Ultimately, it's hard to say which is more remarkable: the facts of this amazingly well-researched story, or the sound of author Simon Winchester's erudite prose. Jones's reading smoothly transports listeners to the 19th century, reminding us why so many brilliant people obsessively set out to catalogue the English language. This unabridged version contains an interview between Winchester and John Simpson, editor of the Oxford dictionary. (Running time: 6.5 hours, 6 cassettes) --Lou Schuler

Book Description

The Professor and the Madman, masterfully researched and eloquently written, is an extraordinary tale of madness, genius, and the incredible obsessions of two remarkable men that led to the making of the Oxford English Dictionary--and literary history. The compilation of the OED, begun in 1857, was one of the most ambitious projects ever undertaken. As definitions were collected, the overseeing committee, led by Professor James Murray, discovered that one man, Dr. W C. Minor, had submitted more than ten thousand. When the committee insisted on honoring him, a shocking truth came to light: Dr. Minor, an American Civil War veteran, was also an inmate at an asylum for the criminally insane.

Download Description

The Professor and the Madman, masterfully researched and eloquently written, is an extraordinary tale of madness, genius, and the incredible obsessions of two remarkable men that led to the making of the Oxford English Dictionary -- and literary history. The compilation of the OED began in 1857, it was one of the most ambitious projects ever undertaken. As definitions were collected, the overseeing committee, led by Professor James Murray, discovered that one man, Dr. W. C. Minor, had submitted more than ten thousand. When the committee insisted on honoring him, a shocking truth came to light: Dr. Minor, an American Civil War veteran, was also an inmate at an asylum for the criminally insane.

This P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into the book, including author interviews, recommended reading, and more.

Customer Reviews:

Interesting, but cannot match its own hype.......2007-09-10

I think that I could've really enjoyed this book on its own merits had the author not continued to insist throughout that the story was horrifying, amazing, shocking, thrilling, electrifying, and tragic by turns. Rarely can these "sensationalist histories" live up to their own hype. I found the book a fascinating look into the development of the OED with the bonus of the intriguing back story of one its most unusual volunteer contributors. Isn't that good enough? Why must everything be oversold? Note to the publisher: Next time undersell, over-deliver.

Surprisingly absorbing.......2007-08-28

Locked inside the compilation of the Oxford English Dictionary is an astonishing, bizarre story poignantly told in The Professor and the Madman. Well written, this disturbing story flows easily, holding the reader's interest to the end, even through the definitions!

After reading this book I have also gained a new appreciation for the beloved dictionary.

Sensationalized Version of a Gripping History.......2007-08-13

The Professor and the Madman is the yellow journalism version of the history of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), Sir James Murray, Dr. William Chester Minor, the treatment of the criminally insane during the Victorian period. I was particularly offended by the overly graphic details of Dr. Minor's self-mutilation (if you don't have a strong stomach, skip that section) and playing up of the fictionalized (and often repeated as fact) version of how Sir James and Dr. Minor first met. If the story weren't so interesting, I would encourage you to avoid the book.

Writing the first edition of the OED took 70 years and employed an unusual organizational method that has since become popular for monumental knowledge tasks -- relying on volunteers to do the bulk of the work of finding quotations that use each word in different ways over time. As someone who has always admired the OED, I enjoyed learning more about the process involved in its development. Unfortunately, that material is scattered throughout the book rather than concentrated where you can find it for a brief read through. The examples are good, however, if the material is needlessly diluted.

Thinking about that monumental effort will give you just the right foundation for appreciating how mental illness can affect parts of one's faculties while leaving others undisturbed, as the paranoid Dr. Minor employed his extensive free time in the Broadmoor Asylum for Criminally Insane and personal wealth to become of the most organized and helpful contributors to the OED.

Dr. Minor's story is the actual focus of the book. Unless you are quite interested in ironies, mental illness, and how the Victorians treated the criminally insane, you will probably find this book has more of Dr. Minor than you really care to know. It's a tragic story, but not one that I would have sought to read if the OED development process material hadn't been in the book. As background for that comment, you should know that I have a strong interest in criminal insanity and wrote my law school thesis on the subject. The book tells its story to make you feel the pain of being Dr. Minor quite well, but The Madman and the Professor won't advance your knowledge of mental illness or legal concepts of responsibility very much.

I was attracted to this book in part due to my work in leading the 400 Year Project, seeking ways to make improvements in everyone's lives at 20 times the normal rate between 2015 and 2035. I came away impressed that just a few people can make a remarkable contribution to an all-but-impossible project. I will redouble my efforts to locate such people for the 400 Year Project.

Tackle the impossible to find out what you can really do!

Slow.......2007-07-11

I did like this book and would have given it 3.5 stars is I could. The history was interesting and easy to get through, even for a casual reader of histories such as myself. However, for some reason I felt like I was dragging myself through parts. I am unable to put my finger on it, but some parts were just really slow for me. I would recomend that you read this book if for no reason than it is full of interesting facts that may come in handy at a cocktail party. In all seriousness, I did like it but read it on vacation so you can cruise through the slow parts.

THIS BOOK IS A MUST-READ.......2007-03-18

IF YOU ARE SOMEWHAT INTERESTED IN MENTAL ILLNESS AND NON-FICTION, THIS BOOK IS A MUST READ. FROM THE OPENING LINES TO THE END OF THE BOOK, THIS TRUE STORY WILL HAVE YOU TURNING PAGES. THE TITLE IS SOMEWHAT MISLEADING BECAUSE YOU PROBABLY THINK "SO WHAT" ABOUT THE MAKING OF THE OXFORD DICTIONARY. BUT DO NOT LET THE TITLE FOOL YOU. THIS IS A FASCINATING STORY FROM THE 1800'S ABOUT PARANOID SCHIZOPHRENIA, BRILLIANT MINDS AND WRITING OF THE MOST IMPORTANT DICTIONARY OF ALL TIMES. THIS BOOK IS ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITES

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