History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)

Average customer rating:

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

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

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ASIN: 2913621066

Product Description

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

Customer Reviews:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It gives a coherent explanation of what we already know.

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

- The predictions it makes are confirmed empirically.

Fomenko goes by the following axioms:

- Chronology is the basis of history;

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Russians:

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

The Westerners:

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

The Chinese:

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

The Arabs:

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

The Divinity:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Historians are kindly invited to report the bugs.

Roman Military Equipment: From The Punic Wars To The Fall Of Rome

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THE Book to have
My Brother Liked It
THE definitive work on Roman military equipment

Roman Military Equipment: From The Punic Wars To The Fall Of Rome
M. C. Bishop , and J. C. N. Coulston
Manufacturer: Oxbow Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1842171593

Product Description

Rome's rise to empire is often said to have owed much to the efficiency and military skill of her armies and their technological superiority over barbarian enemies. But just how 'advanced' was Roman military equipment? What were its origins and how did it evolve? The authors of this book have gathered a wealth of evidence from all over the Roman Empire - excavated examples as well as pictorial and documentary sources - to present a picture of what range of equipment would be available at any given time, what it would look like and how it would function. They examine how certain pieces were adopted from Rome's enemies and adapted to particular conditions of warfare prevailing in different parts of the Empire. They also investigate in detail the technology of military equipment and the means by which it was produced, and discuss wider questions such as the status of the soldier in Roman society. Both the specially prepared illustrations and the text have been completely revised for the second edition of this detailed and authoritative handbook, bringing it up to date with the very latest research. It illustrates each element in the equipment of the Roman soldier, from his helmet to his boots, his insignia, his tools and his weapons. This book will appeal to archaeologists, ancient and military historians as well as the generally informed and inquisitive reader.

Customer Reviews:

THE Book to have.......2007-04-04

I am a Roman era re-enactor and I absolutely loved this book! Not only did in inform me with details I didn't know, but also informed me with what was wrong with my impression.

This is a must have for any Roman era enthusiast!!

My Brother Liked It.......2007-01-10

My brother is a big history and punic wars buff, and he really enjoyed it. From what I looked at the illustrations were amazing and the book seemed well written.

THE definitive work on Roman military equipment.......2006-09-08

I have both the first and the current editions of this utterly invaluable book. It is undoubtedly the best and most detailed discussion of Roman military equipment available and it is a "must read" for anyone interested in the subject, be he or she an historian, re-enactor, artist or whatever. I would give this book six stars, but there are only five available.

Average customer rating:

Informative pamphlet
5 Stars not nearly enough
Flawless
life of a Greek Hoplite warrior.
The citizen soldier, his role in the classical Greek warfare

Greek Hoplite 480-323 BC (Warrior)
Nicholas Sekunda
Manufacturer: Osprey Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1855328674
Release Date: 2000-12-25

Book Description

The Greek hoplite, the archetypal spear-armed warrior, is perhaps the most prevalent figure in our view of the 'Golden Age' of Ancient Greek civilisation. It was during this period that the state began to take greater responsibility for military organisation, and the arming and equipping of its citizens. From the victory at Marathon over Darius of Persia, through bitter inter-state warfare, to the rise of Philip of Macedonia and his son Alexander the Great, the hoplite soldier was in the front-line. This title narrates the life and experiences of the common Greek warrior, how he was recruited, trained and fought, and also looks in detail at how his weapons, armour, shields and helmets developed in the course of time.

Customer Reviews:

Informative pamphlet.......2007-09-29

This book has good information, but is small. I would actual only consider it a pamphlet. Was expecting a little more but overall it is a good basic review of the Greek Hoplite with a few good illustrations.

5 Stars not nearly enough.......2007-04-02

If you could have only one book on Greek heavy infantry warfare, this would be it. It examines every facet of the warrior's life in war and peace, in combat and at ease, including gear, appearance, tactics, and personal experience in battle. Gave a very easy-to-read introduction to hoplite battle tactics, and the plates supplement the text well. The plate commentary is extremely detailed.

Flawless.......2006-07-10

Nicholas Sekunda has produced a masterpiece with "Greek Hoplite". He goes into excellent detail describing the training of hoplites, their weapons and equipment, their organization on campaign, and their battle tactics. He also makes excellent use of primary sources, quoting Xenophon, Plutarch, and even the Greek tragedian Aeschylus. The colour plates are also vividly drawn. I honestly cannot think of anything bad to say about this book.

life of a Greek Hoplite warrior........2005-08-18

For anyone interested in ancient Greek military history this is a very informative book. The color plates are beautifully rendered and meticulously detailed.While this book is aimed at the younger reader, anyone with a thirst for knowledge on this subject will find it useful.The text is well written and enjoyable to all age levels.I find myself referencing it often to add realistic images to other works on this subject.

The citizen soldier, his role in the classical Greek warfare.......2004-02-15

What I like about the books of Nick Sekunda is that he always try to make it easy for the common guy, the text is not too academic and not dry like other Osprey Writers, I like the way he put the source, when a author point out the sources he is given you a great help, I always like to start with a book which can guide to another great source of the same theme.

In this book we follow the life common Hoplite and experiences Training,Motivation and Preparation for the Hoplite Battle, the author provides full detail on what they wore, how they fought, and how their function fitted into the structure of Greek society.

We also can see the how his weapons, armour, shields and helmets developed in the course of time, the development of the arms and armour from the pilo helmet to the Phrygian Helmet with 10 fabulous pieces of artwork from Adam Hook with a lot of black and white photos.

The book belongs on every classicist's shelf or fan of the Armours, this is what I enjoy the most of this books the description of the equipment wore by the typical soldier that dominated the classical Greek warfare, you would learn a lot,the volume presents the hoplite during the classical era from the Battle of Salamis to the death of Alexander the Great as clearly as can be imagined.

To learn more about the Warfare in the Classical Period or the Arms and Armours of the Hoplite you should star with the book of "Arms and Armor of the Greeks" by Anthony, M. Snodgrass another great writer is Peter Connolly check "Greece and Rome at War" many illustration and also "Warfare in the Classical World" by John Gibson Warry, "The Wars of the Ancient Greeks" by Victor Davis Hanson(Cassell History of Warfare series)"Thermopylae:The Battle for the West" by Ernle Bradford is an accessible narrative, also give a inside the Greek world and the warfare but if you want more of the Spartan,Hoplite and the Hot Gates check "Gates of Fire" by Steven Pressfield is a novel but with a lot of detail, from the author of the book there are many titles always from Osprey Marathon 490 BC(Campaign 108)is very useful.

Average customer rating:

It should be better

Wanna be weapons of mass destruction

Myth and Warfare - Definitely Worth It

A Catalog of Ancient Nasties

An Outstanding and Much Needed Book

Greek Fire, Poison Arrows and Scorpion Bombs
Adrienne Mayor
Manufacturer: Overlook TP
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Binding: Paperback

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Hannibal Crosses the Alps: The Invasion of Italy and the Second Punic War

The First Fossil Hunters: Paleontology in Greek and Roman Times.

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Gunpowder: Alchemy, Bombards, and Pyrotechnics : The History of the Explosive That Changed the World

A History of Greek Fire and Gunpowder

ASIN: 158567608X
Release Date: 2004-10-26

Book Description

With the news full of talk about bioterrorism and chemical weapons, Adrienne Mayor's exploration of the origins of biological and unethical warfare is an attention-grabber that follows through with fascinating illustrative episodes. A meticulously researched page-turner, Greek Fire, Poison Arrows & Scorpion Bombs draws extraordinary connections between the mythical worlds of Hercules and the Trojan War, the accounts of Herodotus and Thucydides, and modern warfare.

This is the first book to trace biological and chemical warfare to its ancient roots, and Mayor's thought-provoking findings are riveting. Drawing on sources ancient and modern, Mayor describes ancient recipes for arrow poisons, boobytraps rigged with plague, petroleum-based combustibles, choking gases, and the deployment of dangerous animals and venomous insects. She also explores the ambiguous moral implications inherent in this kind of warfare: Are these nefarious forms of warfare ingenious or cowardly? Admirable or reprehensible?

Science magazine called Mayor's The First Fossil Hunters "rich, spirited, and eminently readable" and Newsday praised her ability to "merge the fields of paleontology, archaeology, and classical literature." Greek Fire, Poison Arrows & Scorpion Bombs finds similar success merging mythology with modern science and the ethics of warfare.

Customer Reviews:

It should be better.......2005-12-04

Greek Fire, Poison Arrows and Scorpion Bombs, by Adrienne Mayor, has a promising title. It claims to be about biological and chemical warfare in the ancient world, but this book comes far short of its claims. Although the book is divided into chapters, it jumps around chaotically, there seems to be no order to the presentation as Mayor's jumps topics, chronology and geographics. There is almost an implication that China, India, Rome, Persia, Greece and others elsewhere were developing similar weapons simultaneously, despite the years and miles that separated them. This book is so repetitious; the same stories are retold, some even within the same chapter. It is not clear what is chemical, biological, myth or history. Are elephants, camels, bears and dogs biological weapons in the normal sense of the term? There is very little presented in terms of science and technology, and this topic demands it. Worse are the ridiculous conclusions that fall from the scant evidence in the ancient literature, particularly the myths, where she does not hypothesize, but makes unconditional claims that the evidence clearly shows the use of these weapons. Throughout the book she throws in her self-righteous moralizing, with an underlying anti-west, anti-religious bias, reaching her peak with the ridiculous rant in the last chapter about modern weapons and their dismantling (the US government can't win, even in trying to rid of the weapons). Does she really believe that burying nuclear waste (only a fraction from weapons) underground will cause earthquakes (page 255)? The endnotes (there are no linked footnotes) offer little about where to find more information. I wanted this book to be better; it is an interesting topic, but it is a poorly written and edited disappointment.

Wanna be weapons of mass destruction.......2005-10-08

Since the terror attacks of 9-11, a lot of attention has gone into the science and threat of weapons of mass destruction. Unfortunately, there has been little history to accompany it, especially within the American popular press. This is unfortunate, as both biological and chemical weapons have been used extensively throughout human history by many nations and armies against other nations and armies. In this context, this is a good book to read to gain historical and moral perspective on the use of such weapons.

This book provides a history of the science and use of both chemical and biological weapons within the context of Western recorded history. The book begins with references of these types of weapons in ancient Greek, such as in the tasks of Hercules. The use of these weapons in warfare is then covered, such as how Roman armies would poison the water supplies of their enemies, or how white settlers purposely infected Native Americans with diseases like smallpox during the colonial era.

The book does a good job of covering the science and technology of these weapons, their efficacy and reliability in use, the decision-making and moral balancing that decided their employment, and their relative importance on and off the battlefield compared with other weapons and military tactics.

The book is lacking on one front; it completely leaves out the use of addictive drugs in war. Whether it was opium in China, alcohol in North America or cocaine in South America, the use of addictive drugs by one group of people to weaken, enslave and even destroy another group of people is common practice in the history of man. Granted there might not be enough historical evidence to document such behavior. But overall, it is a good book to read and worthy of any bookshelf.

Myth and Warfare - Definitely Worth It.......2005-08-30

You will enjoy this book even if you don't care for military history. I recommend this for anyone interested in ancient Greece and parallels to modern reality. This was well-written, entertaining and not too academic. I liked the weaving in of myth, the practical truth behind it. You won't be disappointed.

A Catalog of Ancient Nasties.......2004-09-14

Mayor's "Greek Fire, Poison Arrows & Scorpion Bombs" purports to be an historical survey of biological and chemical warfare in ancient times. Certainly we knew a lot about naptha (Greek Fire), a much-feared incendiary weapon, and I think poison arrows were fairly well known too, but her research has uncovered several other strange and disgusting ways of killing people, such as pouring molten pitch, distilling snake venom, cultivating diseases and, yes, bundling venomous snakes or scorpions up and lobbing the resultant "bomb" in the enemy's direction. The book is a pretty good compilation of these various methods. Nevertheless it is a very, very dry compendium; it also gets ahead of itself. Is it really fair to say that elephants, as used by Hannibal, were a "biological" weapon - if so, then every cavalry battalion has been a weapon of mass destruction. Nonetheless a very interesting work, if somewhat disappointing in presentation.

An Outstanding and Much Needed Book.......2004-04-24

Greek Fire is an extraordinary book. To put the subject of the book plainly, it deals with biological and chemical warfare in the ancient world from myth to history. I had not given much thought to the use of chemical and biological agents in the ancient world, focussing instead on the more familiar weaponry and tactics. The majority of historians and certainly the people we know probably believe that chemical weapons were created in World War I, with the advent of mustard and other gasses. This is very far from the truth and Adrienne Mayor provides us with the missing link in the ancient world: the use of dangerous agents to cause mass destruction.

The book is well organized into subjects dealing first with the mythic origin of chemical weapons: Hercules and the Hydra. Ms. Mayor proceeds to discuss poisoned arrows, defeating enemies by poisoning water and diverting streams, winning a victory by poisoning the food your enemies will eat, the use of insects and animals against enemies and creating chemical weapons, such as flame throwers. We learn that the ancients understood that animals such as rats and mice were the cause of plagues, how shamans went out to gather dangerous plants and how they were handled in the preparation of weapons and how real Pandora's boxes existed filled with plague-generating material.

Ms. Mayor often includes modern parallels to the ancient stories, including recent events, to show that the use of chemical and biological weapons were (and still are) used to create fear of the weapon. I found it surprising to learn that Winston Churchill ordered poison gas used against the Kurds in the 1920s. This book is a wealth of information about the development and use of chemical and biological weapons in the ancient world, the feeling engendered about the weapons and the clever stratagems employed many times in the use of these weapons. As one reads this book, its importance becomes more evident with each chapter and you wonder why no one has come to realize the long history of terror weapons and how people felt centuries ago is still relevant to our time. Greek Fire is a well-written and its subjects are thoroughly discussed. It is a hard book to put down and will not disappoint.

Average customer rating:

Interesing study of the development of siege warfare

Ancient Siege Warfare: "Persians, Greeks, Carthaginians and Romans 546-146 BC" (Elite)
Duncan Campbell
Manufacturer: Osprey Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books
Strategy | Military | History | Subjects | Books
General | Conventional | Weapons & Warfare | Military | History | Subjects | Books
Military Science | History | Subjects | Books
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Siege Warfare in the Roman World: 146 BC-AD 378 (Elite)

Greek and Roman Siege Machinery 399 BC-AD 363 (New Vanguard)

Greek and Roman Artillery 399 BC-AD 363 (New Vanguard)

Ancient Greek Fortifications 500-300 BC (Fortress)

Roman Legionary Fortresses 27 BC-AD 378 (Fortress)

ASIN: 1841767700
Release Date: 2005-01-01

Book Description

Sieges played a central role in many conflicts of the ancient world and generals, including Darius, Alexander the Great, Hannibal and Scipio Africanus successfully used siegecraft to gain their objectives. As siege tactics became integral to success in war, generals employed the minds of engineers and scientists to develop tactics which ranged from penetrating the defences or blockading the city through to tricks and deception. This fascinating study tracks developments in siege warfare from Ancient Persia in the 6th century BC through to the Roman sieges of the second century BC, describing the range of equipment and techniques which evolved during this period.

Customer Reviews:

Interesing study of the development of siege warfare .......2006-07-10

I have read much on this subject and was quite pleased to find some new and quite interesting information.

I also liked the pictures that I thought displayed the text well.

Greek and Roman Artillery 399 BC-AD 363 (New Vanguard)

Average customer rating:

Nice study
A good little resource for the siege engine builder.

Greek and Roman Artillery 399 BC-AD 363 (New Vanguard)
Duncan Campbell
Manufacturer: Osprey Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Greece | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

Rome | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1841766348
Release Date: 2003-11-21

Book Description

The catapult (katapeltikon) was invented under the patronage of Dionysius I, tyrant of Syracuse, in the 4th century bc. At first only the arrow-firing variant was used, and it was not until the reign of Alexander the Great that stone-projecting catapults were introduced. The Romans adopted these weapons during the Punic Wars and further developed them, before introducing the new arrow-firing ballista and stone-throwing onager. This title traces the often controversial design, development and construction of these weapons throughout the history of the classical world.

Customer Reviews:

Nice study.......2006-07-03

If you are interested on the mechanics or how to build one of these artillery pieces this book is for you. Its quite well explained.

It also has some nice pictures.

If you want to know like I did, how they were used or how effective they were, you will find very little unfortunately here.

A good little resource for the siege engine builder........2006-02-25

I build models of seige engines as a hobby, and this book is a valuable addition to my library. It specifically deals with the ballista, a crossbow-like weapon, and does so in good detail. The drawings are detailed and carefully done, and the photos and descriptions are more than adequate for a talented reconstructor to make scale models from tabletop sized to full sized. It is well worth adding to your library if you have an interest in Greek and Roman warfare and engineering.

Greek and Roman Siege Machinery 399 BC-AD 363 (New Vanguard)

Average customer rating:

Greek and Roman Siege Machinery 399 BC-AD 363 (New Vanguard)
Duncan Campbell
Manufacturer: Osprey Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Greece | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

Rome | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Military Science | History | Subjects | Books

History of Technology | Technology | Science | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1841766054
Release Date: 2003-06-20

Book Description

Siege machinery first appeared in the West during the Carthaginian invasion of Sicily in the late-5th century BC, in the form of siege towers and battering rams. After a 50-year hiatus these weapons of war re-appeared in the Macedonian armies of Philip II and Alexander the Great, a period that saw the height of their development in the Ancient World. The experience of warfare with both the Carthaginians during the later-3rd century BC, and Philip V of Macedon during the early-2nd century BC, finally prompted the introduction of the siege tower and the battering ram to the Roman arsenal. This title traces the development and use of these weapons across the whole of this period.

Ancient Greek War and Weapons (People in the Past Series-Greece)

Average customer rating:

Ancient Greek War and Weapons (People in the Past Series-Greece)
Haydn Middleton
Manufacturer: Heinemann
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
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ASIN: 1403401349

The Greek and Persian Wars 500-323 BC (Men-at-Arms)

Average customer rating:

Not what I was expecting.
Not recomended
Good book, OK pictures

The Greek and Persian Wars 500-323 BC (Men-at-Arms)

Manufacturer: Osprey Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Greece | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Military Science | History | Subjects | Books

Ancient | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0850452716
Release Date: 1977-06-01

Book Description

In the early 5th century BC, after the fall of the Lydian Empire, the Persian Wars began. It was an ideological conflict which pitted a proud, democratic, freedom-loving people against a tyrannical and mighty empire. The stories of the many battles fought between the Greeks and the Persians are here spendidly brought to life by Jack Cassin-Scott, who details the tactics, organisation and uniforms of the armies of both sides in a volume featuring numerous illustrations and museum photographs, plus eight full page colour plates superbly drawn by the author himself.

Customer Reviews:

Not what I was expecting........2007-01-15

I was quite excited to read this book, as the illustration of the Persian Cavalry on the cover impressed me greatly. The author seems to have a great knowledge and grasp of the Persian wars, he just doesn't use it to his potential extent.

For one thing, the reconstructions of the Greek soldiers are absolutely ridiculous. I've studied Greek armour for much of my life, and I couldn't even identify many of his hoplite illustrations as even being Greek. To make matters worse, there are zero images of vase paintings or statues within the pages of the book that even suggest the armour he illustrates ever existed, which made me think twice about purchasing this book.

His Persians, while an improvement, still seem a little awkward. A good example is that the Immortals are shown without scaled armour, whereas Herodotus confirmed that they wore it in battle. The art isn't all disappointing though, there are some rather good images of Greek and Persian light infantry, as well as excellent representations of Arabian camelry and a Phrygian axeman.

The text, while certainly easy reading, does never go indepth on the armour and arms it should be about, and instead directly concentrates on the events of Persian and Greek conflict - something that the buyer should presumably already know much about. Certainly, the writing would be all fine and well for someone new on the topic, but with the accompanying illustrations of Cassin-Scott's unbelievably strange soldiers, it just isn't worth it.

Not recomended.......2002-01-10

The book covers two peoples (the persians and greeks)and a period (almost 200 years) where the changes in warfare, not to say in batlle dress, are very extensive. So it is highly superficial on both.
There are much better color plates and information in other Men-at-Arms titles. Look for them, this one is barelly a start.
Finally, there is no evidences, as has been written in books of this same series, that Spartans have ever used the composit body armour as showed in the book.

Good book, OK pictures.......2000-04-10

This book had good information on the Greek and Persian wars. You can find plenty of books on Greeks or Persia, but not ones devoted to the wars between the two. They have pretty good pictures for the Greeks army, but the Persian pictures are not very good, I've seen better uniforms for them that arn't in the book. All the pictures are just not too great. So all in all, if you are some what interested in the book, get it.

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