Book Description
Lively...illuminating. A refreshing example of scholarly detective work.--Kirkus Reviews
Customer Reviews:
Born in Blood - is there any name more suitable?.......2007-10-17
First off - there is a wealth of information here for anyone searching for answers about The Knights Templar. Before reading this book I read "The Knights Templar: The History and Myths of the Legendary Military Order" by Sean Martin. This was a good starting point and a factual book that you can reference to time and time again.
Regarding Born in Blood - I learned a great deal about the Templar's, but also of King Philip of France, Pope Clement V, the Church, different kingdoms and their deceitful way of handling certain matters. If you were a man of power at that time, it seems there were so many factors to take into consideration. Everywhere you looked - someone had intentions of taking over a throne/kingdom (making malicious power plays) etc. There was a never-ending story of people in high places looking to conspire, and scheme against their enemies (and their friends) to achieve specific goals at ANY cost. But, what's great about this book is that the author is very easy to follow, hence, you see these evil plots unravel right before your eyes. NOTE: something can be learned (in a business sense & life in general) from reading these malevolent schemes, for "History always repeats itself".
I found many fascinating facts in this novel like the Papacy's voracious thirst for money, land, political connections, and above all POWER. I have come to realize the Church (just like any other organization) has had their fair share of a dirty past riddled with bodies, and covered in bloodshed. On more than one occasion, you had 2 popes ruling in the same timeframe with both popes conspiring to cause the downfall of the other. I never knew the church had this kind of history...I will definitely be reading more about the ancient "evil papacy" in the months to come.
Then we cover the 2nd part of the book about the Freemasons, their origin, and their behind the scenes life right up to where the book touches on modern day Freemasonry. John J. makes a very believable argument that the Templar organization (so rich, powerful, and politically connected) could reach the goal of: escaping persecution, set forth underground, start a new association and survive for centuries to come. You also read about the "cover-up origin" of Freemasonry and their machinations behind it all. You see their early dealings, and how they came to light. There is also some discussion of a few famous figures of America's early history as well.
Through the trials, and tribulations of this book, you realize that the desire for MORE money and MORE power can never be harnessed. There is NEVER enough for figures of authority, and it is virtually their undoing. I think John J. Robinson is a good author with a very clear writing style. He makes the book enjoyable, and I think he made a very good connection between the 2 organizations (he has made me a believer). This book has also made me very interested in the medieval era. I plan on purchasing a few more books based on the same time period.
Following a trail.......2007-06-27
Scholars doing research on a subject often uncover information the leads to a different path. Most scholars will ignore that information to finish the work they started, but other scholars follow that path to see where it leads. Thus it was for John Robinson, the author of "Born In Blood".
Mr. Robinson doing research about the Peasants' Revolt in England in 1381 uncovered information about the Knights Templar and subsequently their connection with the Freemasons.
Mr. Robinson, who is not a Freemason, took the information he gathered and presented it in a well written book. The facts uncovered and the conclusions reached will get both Masons and non-masons to look at the world's oldest and largest fraternity in a new, more positive, light.
GREAT.......2007-04-10
I am pleased to read another book that is not set to trash history makers but instead to make some sense out of the ignorance of many for the benefit of a true free society.
A Fascinating Read, But............2007-03-18
I have read and re-read this work a couple of times. Robinson writes a fascinating account of the Knights Templar and what may have happened to them after the Order was suppressed. As has been noted in most of the previous reviews, the author writes a good story. My gripe with it, and I say this both as a Master Mason and also as one who majored in History and minored in Bio Sciences in college, where are the footnotes? The references, the research notes to back up his statements? Without this supporting evidence that can be checked by other researchers, the work borders on being largely just speculation. I realize that much of the history of Freemasonry was never written down, and thus opens it up to a lot of speculation about its possible origins. A more recent work, The Secret History of Freemasonry, may actually be closer to the truth of the matter in that the Templars were patrons and financial backers of much of the great cathedrals and fortifications built during the two hundred years of their existence. And thus they would have had extensive connections to the operative masons who built these structures, and some of the refugee knights might have sought refuge within the stone mason guilds. Paul Naudon, the author of this work, backs up his work with numerous references -- something that unfortunately Robinson, now deceased, failed to do. So enjoy Born in Blood, but take it with a grain of salt.
A most plausible view of history.......2007-02-11
Maosn's, of which I am one, have an enigmatic past. In 1717 the United Grand Lodges of England (UGLE) suddenly appeared. Yet Masonic Lodges had existed for a long time. Why go so public that year?
John Robbinson set out to answer a simple question. How could the English Peasant's Revolt of 1318 been so well coordinated and executed in an era parish laws, illiteracy, and servitude? It took him, quite by chance from that revolt to Freemasonry. This book is well researched and well thought out. What he does, and what I find most fascinating, is to use the language of the Knights Templar- French, to support his thesis. Certain words recording in the reports of the uprising are generally ignored because when thought of as English, had no meaning.
His conclusion is fascinating and in a much better class historical writing than Holy Blood Holy Grail. A good read. It could serve as outline for a great epic movie.
While I do not subsribe to the Templar - Masonic School of origins, I do believe that he is correct on the Templar-Peasant Revolt connection.
(I prefer the enlightment - civil society school of thought: see books by Margaret Jacobs Ph.D) .
Book Description
What's beyond Freemasonry? That's the question investigators have pondered for decades and Craig Heimbichner furnishes fascinating answers as he probes deeply into the sooty arcana of the Ordo Templi Orientis --or "OTO" -- the higher secret society to which elite Freemasons emigrate as part of a process of occult succession.
"Blood on the Altar" pursues the shape-shifting trail of this successor group, on the Left as the pillar of a libertarian ethos, avant-garde drug culture and radical hedonism; on the Right, as the pillar of aristocratic preference for authoritarian rule and classical culture.
Heimbichner has deconstructed not just a Janus-faced secret society but a method of operation so deceptive, the reader can hardly believe that such audacious and far-flung duplicity and misdirection could possibly succeed for so long without exposure. But succeed it has, until now.
The head-spinning trail of the OTO leads from the US government to the NASA rocket program, from the Hollywood film industry to Right-wing "patriot" groups, from the New Age craze for the Kabbalah, to an attempt to control the conservative enthusiasm for traditional liturgy.
The OTO has marched from triumph after triumph, as the spectre of its "Great Beast", British Intelligence officer Aleister Crowley, cast its Thelemic spell over a double-minded populace alternately seeking freedom-and-contraint, sex-and-repression, magick-and-Christendom, science-and-superstition. "Blood on the Altar" shows the OTO to be the signature secret society behind the most dazzling--and puzzling-- charades of the modern Cryptocracy.
Customer Reviews:
Get the facts.......2007-09-08
I was a member of the OTO for a number of years and even was the head of an Oasis. This fellow hasn't got a clue about the subject which he claims to be an expert on. I have gotten others ro read this book with a great enjoyment of the humor (unintentional). There may be a secret society running the world but this fellow has it all wrong. Anyone who knows the subject will find humor anyone looking for knowledge will only find confusion.
If only.......2007-07-24
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
I've been a member of the OTO for nearly 15 years, so it may suprise many readers of this review that I would give 4 stars to an expose of my dastardly doings. Boy, don't I wish. When I finished the book, I went waving it at my girlfriend, saying, "Where is THIS organization? I want to join THIS OTO!" Sadly, despite Mr. Heimbichner's efforts to assist our recruiting drive, the reality on the ground and the glamorous mystique he weaves around the Order are often very different things. Grant's Typhonian OTO, Bertiaux's OTOA, Motta's SOTO, McMurtry's
"Caliphate" OTO (to which I proudly belong), the "Swiss" OTO, et al, are mostly working with entirely different objectives. We are, unfortunately, too busy squabbling amongst ourselves to mount any sort of organized offensive on the status quo. This is not, as Heimbichner suggests, because the higher ups of the Order have nefariously sought to present the illusion of confusion. I can assure you that the confusion is quite real.
Nonetheless, I think that Heimbichner would be suprised at the number of places where he and I agree. While I repudiate his racist blood-libel bit, (or, rather, not being Christian, I don't care who's fault it is that his imaginary friend, Jesus, was crucified), I share his criticism of Zionism and the excesses of the State of Israel. I also agree that the Thelemic teachings are rather edgier than perhaps most self-identifying Thelemites are willing to admit to themselves. I also agree that Vatican II was tragic in many ways for Catholicism.
Further, while I can't speak for other Thelemites, I'm willing to acknowldge that Heimbichner was correct that I have a love/hate relationship with the Catholic Church. Protestanism is not very impressive. The mushrooming of suburban shopping mall style mega-churches, where a consumer culture passively consumes the yammering of ill-qualified preachers responsible only to themselves, is the logical outcome of the protestant ethic. At least the Catholic Church is a worthy opponent. I love the tradition, the art, the architecture, the mystery of the Catholic Church. At the same time, I find the ideas of original sin and vicarious atonement repugnant. The Church's clinging to Biblical questionable doctrines forbidding birth control at a time when over-population threatens our planet is irresponsible, to say the least. In fact, the Church's mania to control the sexuality of it's adherents is perhaps its most objectionable characteristic.
The problem, really, with this book is that Heimbichner's One United Conspiracy theory makes him fail to appreciate what, to me, should particularly be noted; which is this -- that, despite competing value systems, often, similar goals make for strange bedfellows. He misses a great deal of nuance and complexity that would have made this book a serious historical inquiry. While Heimbichner laments our media manipulated society, he fails to note that Aleister Crowley, whom he blames for this state of affairs, was complaining about "The Black Lodge" trying to "stop people from thinking" as far back as the 1940's (see Crowley's Magick without Tears for more on this issue.) The real menace today is the military-industrial complex. This is true whether you are a "right wing nut" or a "left wing nut," an occultist or a Catholic. In our own ways, esotericists and students of conspiracy like Heimbichner, although he doesn't realize it, are actually after the same enemy. Talk about strange bedfellows.
I could go on in this vein, but to return to the original question, why would I give this book 4 stars? The answer is that, frankly, Heimbichner traces alot of connections that are helpful to members of the OTO. His comments on the Palladium are particularly interesting. He highlights other connections that, although they are hiding in plain site, are hiding nonetheless. Alot of this same interrelationship is traced, less prejucially, in Joscelyn Godwin's "The Theosophical Enlightenment," and should be studied there. Author and occultist, Allen Greenfield, recently recounted on a podcast interview a comment made to him by one of the great modern adepts, Martin P. Starr. The comment was (and I paraphrase, here) that more important than following the papertrail of occult orders, is to follow the transmission of ideas. Heimbichner seems to believe that he is tracing a "papertrail" from one organization to another, but what he actually traces is the transmission of ideas from generation to generation of seekers after the Light.
Perhaps the the Light of Initiation is a "darkness visible" to those beyond its pale. Even those of us who have set out in search of that light often only catch a few glimpses of it. While the Bible cautions that Satan may disguise himself as an angel of light, it is, perhaps, also true that the angel of God may clothe himself in darkness. Perhaps it is this darkness that the cowan experiences when he confronts the adept. Men like Heimbichner will never see the light within. They are stopped by the terrible form of the Dweller of the Threshold, repulsed by the darkness visible, when the light invisible dwells just beyond its terrifying shroud.
I should probably end with the disclaimer that, while I have spoken of my own affiliation with the OTO, I am in no way deputed to speak on its behalf, and these opinions are my own.
Love is the law, love under will.
yes, Virginia, there is an OTO.......2007-07-04
One of the lynchpins of Graham Lincoln's dismissive review is the supposed authority of The Oxford Handbook of New Religious Movements. I guess it's fine from an Anglophilic point of view, but most serious scholars turn to the work of J. Gordon Melton. Sure, even Melton agrees that there are (at least) four competing OTO's, but would one argue that there isn't some agreed.upon vision that identifies each as "OTO"? Do the many dominations of Christianity not agree upon certain basic principles? And given the involvement of L. Ron Hubbard in the Pasadena chapter of the OTO (pre.Scientology), how can the organization not be considered significant in any comprehensive study of ... post.ancient religion? Lincoln, whether he intends it or not, takes an unseemly puritanical approach to Heimbichner's book. For Lincoln, the Masonic Order - unlike practically everything else in American society - is above criticism.
A must read for the informed........2007-05-08
Very informative regarding the Masons and their aims for the new world order. Their power and influence in history and today, is indeed scary.
An underground classic destined to live on.......2007-02-20
This book is jam-packed with information and gores just about everyone's sacred cow with wit and insight as it shines a spotlight on the vermin-infested corner of occult Masonry. The campaign to slander this book on Amazon run by Masons and Thelemites (members of the OTO, subject of this book) is proof that the author struck the proper nerve. The lies posted below would be amusing if they weren't the (illiterate) product of such a campaign. For example, one recent reviewer mocks the author's statement that vampirism belongs to the upper levels of the OTO, but surely knows that the "Mass of the Phoenix" of the OTO is also known to initiates as the "Mass of the Vampire," and for good reason. Kenneth Grant not a member of the OTO run by Bill Breeze, which is "legally recognized?" What a joke. Take a trip to Peter Koenig's OTO website in Switzerland and you will find a document from Aleister Crowley authorizing Grant to run the whole bloody organization. That Breeze "won" something in the U.S. court system is another joke; in fact, followers of Marcelos Motta in the Society of the OTO claim the whole operation was run by the CIA through the courts. And the author never, ever claims that all of these individuals are members of the "same" OTO, but highlights the different and various individuals and branches of the OTO phenomenon.
These OTO reviewers are so full of contradictions that they praise the glossary and the research while saying it is "ridiculous." Really? They also pull out accusations and "tags" which are inaccurate, such as "racial bias" or mentions of UFOs (utterly absent from the book) in an attempt to attack the author or the book itself. As for the mention of infiltration by the OTO, the author never states how vast it is, but instead actually documents from OTO internal "libri" their own intentions to do so. This is never discussed in these reviews--for obvious reasons.
Buy the book and hang on to it. It will be worth serious money in a few years.
Average customer rating:
- Calculations are only as good as your numbers
- Pants on fire?
- Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
- Very Interesting
- History as Science Fiction
|
History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
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ASIN: 2913621058 |
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.
Amazon.com
Michael Baigent, Henry Lincoln, and Richard Leigh, authors of The Messianic Legacy, spent over 10 years on their own kind of quest for the Holy Grail, into the secretive history of early France. What they found, researched with the tenacity and attention to detail that befits any great quest, is a tangled and intricate story of politics and faith that reads like a mystery novel. It is the story of the Knights Templar, and a behind-the-scenes society called the Prieure de Sion, and its involvement in reinstating descendants of the Merovingian bloodline into political power. Why? The authors of Holy Blood, Holy Grail assert that their explorations into early history ultimately reveal that Jesus may not have died on the cross, but lived to marry and father children whose bloodline continues today. The authors' point here is not to compromise or to demean Jesus, but to offer another, more complete perspective of Jesus as God's incarnation in man. The power of this secret, which has been carefully guarded for hundreds of years, has sparked much controversy. For all the sensationalism and hoopla surrounding Holy Blood, Holy Grail and the alternate history that it outlines, the authors are careful to keep their perspective and sense of skepticism alive in its pages, explaining carefully and clearly how they came to draw such combustible conclusions. --Jodie Buller
Book Description
SPECIAL ILLUSTRATED EDITION WITH EXCLUSIVE NEW MATERIAL
“One of the more controversial books of the 20th century.” –UPI
“Enough to seriously challenge many traditional beliefs, if not alter them.” –Los Angeles Book Times Review
Explosive, thought-provoking, fiercely compelling, Holy Blood, Holy Grail breaks bold new ground with its shocking conclusions about the lineage of Christ and the legacy of the Holy Grail. Now this lavishly illustrated
collector’s edition features exclusive new material plus dozens of full-color photographs, drawings, symbols, architecture, and artwork, making it a dazzling feast for the eyes as well as the mind. Based on decades
of research, filled with eye-opening new
evidence and stunning scholarship, this authoritative work uncovers an alternate history as shocking as it is believable–as it dares to ask:
Is the traditional, accepted view of the life of Christ in some way incomplete?
Is it possible Christ did not die on the
cross?
Is it possible Jesus was married, a father,
and that his bloodline still exists?
Is it possible that parchments found in the
South of France a century ago reveal one
of the best-kept secrets in Christendom?
Is it possible that these parchments contain
the very heart of the mystery of the Holy
Grail?
According to the authors of this extraordinarily provocative, meticulously researched book, not only are these things possible–they are probably true. So revolutionary, so original, so convincing, the most faithful Christians will be moved; here is the book that has sparked worldwide controversy, now newly updated and beautifully illustrated for the collector’s shelf.
“Like Chariots of the Gods...The plot has all the elements of an international thriller.” –Newsweek
“Compelling.” –Philadelphia Inquirer
“An astonishing hypothesis.”
–Publishers Weekly
Customer Reviews:
Fun Read but..........2007-10-12
History is interesting and exciting. We never know what to believe. That is why faith destroys us. faith in the blind. Jesus was an inspiring philosopher. no more. Who cares if he was married or had kids??? He was a man!!! and dont be an idiot thinking god had anything to do with mary becoming pregnant. common sense. if you believe that..might as well think david copperfield is the son of god. dont take my review that seriously. just planting seeds...and yes..off the book a tad! hahaha
This IS the original.......2007-09-23
This is where it all started for me... 10 years and over 140 books later this book is still the best and the one i refer back to as the information contained is excellent.
What a story, whether true, false, fiction or non, it grips you from page 1 to the very end in a mystery that is so compelling and has such wide reaching implications you simply can not put it down.
I only wish the 3 authors had produced more work together.
Gary May
Denial cannot change fact............2007-09-03
.
....nor can frequent repetition create it.
There are some interesting facts presented here, and some even more interesting conclusions drawn from those facts.
And thus the fight begins.
Some of the most intriguing facts are those surrounding Rosslyn Chapel. Inside there are carvings of plants that were not "discovered" by Europeans until two-hundred years AFTER their carving.
This is great book on the Templars and one theory of their demise.
Or is it fact????
It's interesting....These doubters........2007-07-31
Alot of you are doing exactly what they said the critics have done, You can argue all you want about Prior and etc, But they will agree with me that the most important topic here is the gospels pertaining to Jesus, you must remember that they think the most interesting thing here is that there is a civilization of people who believe in Jesus because of what they have been told to believe by force or condition to believe since childhood(like me, being a preachers kid) But they have now questioned not what you believe but on what grounds do you believe. They didnt make up verses, They quoted what was in the bible the King James Version! Think about this! What is the mystery behind the "Two Mary's" is Mary of bethany and the Magdalen the same? well according to the bible THEY ARE! Is there contradictions concerning the resurrection in the gospels? Well according to the gospels THERE IS! Is there something odd about the way Jesus was tried & convicted by Rome's accord? If you read the gospels with a historic eye THERE IS! People pick up the bible and read it along with what they question and you will come out with the same conclusions.
Holy Moses.......2007-07-03
If you are a historian, this is the book for you.
If you do research, this is for you.
If you are doing leisurely reading, this is not for you.
This book requires concentration.
Average customer rating:
- Awesome
- Took too long to get good
- The Devil Wears Prada and Buffy's Love Child
- Good but not great....
- Thoughts from a bookworm in Tacoma
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Blue Bloods
Melissa De La Cruz
Manufacturer: Hyperion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Masquerade
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ASIN: 0786838922
Release Date: 2006-04-25 |
Book Description
When the Mayflower set sail in 1620, it carried on board the men and women who would shape America: Miles Standish; John Alden; Constance Hopkins. But some among the Pilgrims were not pure of heart; they were not escaping religious persecution. Indeed, they were not even human. They were vampires.The vampires assimilated quickly into the New World. Rising to levels of enormous power, wealth, and influence, they were the celebrated blue bloods of American society. The Blue Bloods vowed that their immortal status would remain a closely guarded secret. And they kept that secret for centuries. But now, in New York City, the secret is seeping out. Schuyler Van Alen is a sophomore at a prestigious private school. Suddenly, when she turns fifteen, there is a visible mosaic of blue veins on her arm. She starts to crave raw foodand she is having flashbacks to ancient times. Then a girl from her school is found dead . . . drained of all her blood. Schuyler doesnt know what to think. Could those vampire legends really be true?Steeped in vampire lore and set against the heady backdrop of the rich, young, and powerful in the heart of New York City, Blue Bloods will be devoured by Melissa de la Cruzs legion fans.
Customer Reviews:
Awesome.......2007-10-15
The first book in a series is always the one to suck you in, or not. This book did an amazing job at keeping you sucked in, turning the pages despite the hour of night to find out what would happen next. The characters were well developed and extremely easy to love or hate. It is riviting. Make sure you order Masquerade as well, you'll want to start the second book immediately after finishing the first.
Took too long to get good.......2007-10-03
I'm in my 20's and ever since reading the Twilight series, I have become obsessed with trying to find something else just as good. (Very Hard)
'Blue Blood' took a longggg time to get good. Not until you are about half-way through the book, does it start to get interesting. The diary entries were a little confusing for me. There's alot of "name-throwing" (prada, paige, versace, etc.) Lots of just non-stop talking about popular/good-looking people and how they dress, where they party, etc. So at first I was really regretting buying the book.
But when I had about 100 pages left, it started getting pretty good; where now, I need to buy 'Masquerade'.
Not too bad just takes time to get good.
The Devil Wears Prada and Buffy's Love Child.......2007-10-03
This was sort of The Devil Wears Prada and Buffy's love child. As a sci-fi/fantasy fan, it was not the greatest. There are far better vampire novels out there. That said, there was something to the story that makes me want to find out more. To be honest, I was having a hard time stomaching the constant designer name drops. I get it... they are young, powerful, and dressed to kill. Do I need to know that she is wearing Chanel boots? Hell no. As for the history part, it was almost hard to take. I'll give De La Cruz some points for originality; however, to anyone who knows anything about history, its going to be difficult to read. I guess it is one way to get girls who like "chick lit" into fantasy. I really wouldn't recommend this book unless you are really a De La Cruz fan.
Good but not great...........2007-09-14
Blue Bloods in a story about a girl who learns she is the daughter of a vampire (who in this case are fallen angels inhabiting flesh bodies) and a human. The blue bloods (i.e. the vampires) live forever and recycle on earth being born each time with previous memories from their past life. They are part of an elite group of kids who attend a private school. They are concerned because there is something from the past trying to kill them off by draining all their blood (which is required to regenerate because it is the blood that contains the memories). That is the premise, sounds alright right? Well, if executed well it could have been a really fantastic idea but unfortunately the writing falls short with boring descriptions of clothes, generic and bland dialogs and characters that you just can't get into. It is fine for a quick read through once if you are bored but I don't recommend it if you are looking for an intense and original story.
Thoughts from a bookworm in Tacoma.......2007-09-11
I'll be the first to admit that I'm in no way qualified to define what a "good book" is. No one can claim that right. Everyone will have to decide for themselves whether De La Cruz's work is their style. All I know is the feeling I got from reading "Blue Bloods". It was not something I expected, and I can only describe it as isolation. I am a fairly average working class young woman. I've always liked books where there is at least one character who faces, even in a fantasy context, the same kinds of problems that I occasionally do (money troubles, cruel superiors etc.). I've never perceived obscenely rich people as having real problems. There is always money to cushion the blow, so that even if (for example) their child gets a horrible cancer the child will still be exponentially more likely to survive than the child on my economic level who gets the same illness, simply because the rich child will have parents who can afford the endless medical treatment and will never have to deal with insurance issues.
First of all, De La Cruz has created a race of vampires who are continuously reincarnated (rather like Tolkien's Elves), and who were originally fallen angels. Not only are her vampires not "made" by other vampires, but they were never human to begin with! That alone makes me feel a bit put off. Where's the fun in a vampire story if you can't imagine the risk of becoming a part of this vampire community yourself?
The second problem lies in the fact that all of her vampires come from Old Money American pedigrees (one of them is even revealed to be Miles Standish and the Archangel Michael all rolled up into one neat package). They are not merely "rich", they are "obscenely rich". As a working class girl, I will never be even remotely part of this world, and I have little desire to be. The habits of obscenely rich people are so alien to me that I find myself unable to relate to them. In fact, when you have a heroine in a story who is in a similar life situation to myself, the people that are like De La Cruz's vampires are usually her antagonists! I am doubly cut off from the world that De La Cruz has created by this fact. Now, I know that De La Cruz is a fashion expert and has written for many fashion mags. This seems to be why she goes out of her way to mention so much detailed fashion and pop-culture information. I've sometimes noticed this from writers who have successful non-writing careers. Robin Cook sometimes does the same thing with medical facts. I find this excessive pop-culture trivia distracting. I will never be able to afford these brand name clothes and so I don't know much about them and see no reason to find out. I don't see why De La Cruz needs to say that the character is wearing jeans by this designer and bought them at this specific boutique on this specific street in Manhattan. All she needs to say is the character is wearing expensive designer jeans and I'll get the picture. I have to admit, it sometimes sounds like she's showing off her knowledge as opposed to furthering the plot.
This is, I am more than willing to admit, a personal view and should in no way deter anyone from at least trying this writer out. I believe every writer should be experienced first hand before someone makes a judgement. And De La Cruz is a fairly good story teller. It's a credit to her skill that I actually wanted to find out how the story ended, otherwise I probably would've just abandoned the book in the middle. But my desire to find out the ending was strained by the time I got to the last chapters. I just wish that she had made her characters and her fictional world more accessable to the majority of the population. It really is a shame that I couldn't get over my feelings of being shut out and enjoy the story more.
Customer Reviews:
This Book Changed My Life!!!!.......2007-04-25
The first time I read this book, I read it under the cover of 'The Lost Secret of the New Covenant'. I wept and cried with joy as I finally realized for the first time the depths of God's love for me. Understanding the Blood Covenant that we have with Jesus Christ has built my faith like no other teaching. I am so thankful to God that it is back in print, I don't care what name it is being published under. If you are sick to death of religion and all it's narrow minded legalism and want to know true freedom, then get this book.
power of the blood covenant.......2007-03-19
the book is very interesting and provides details about God's covenant with man.
Fantastic Book!.......2007-03-13
This is an amazing resource for anyone interested in the concept of covenant underlying the whole of scripture. It is well written, insightful and freeing in its concentration on what God has done for mankind. Excellent book -- one I will give to others and keep on hand in my personal library for years to come.
The Same Book.......2007-01-16
First the only reason for a 1 star is because its the same book as another book written by Mr Smith, "The Lost Secret of the New Covenant" This is a great wonderful book, One of my Favorite books, So if you have this book do not by " The Power of the Blood Covenant: Uncover the Secret Strength of God's Eternal Oath"
Customer Reviews:
Awesome Paranormal Romance mixed with CSI.......2007-08-15
Vivi Anna, has written an excellent paranormal romance and the first Nocturne book I could not only finish, but devour. She has made her name to my must buy list.
Strong Author Deserves Better Help.......2007-08-12
This review is actually closer to a 4.5 and a strong recommendation for setting, great plot, wonderful characters--both secondary and villians--thatoverallmake this just a delightful read. Until we get to the "third act', when it all starts to fall apart. The author has done excellent world building, but suddenly starts contradicting herself. The lead male character develops certain characteristics that readers of the urban fantasy genre know darn well wouldn't happen. Yet I don't hold the author responsible because of the level of quality and originality she demonstrates through the entire book. She needed a good editor to pick up the small details that could ruin an almost top-knotch book. Still--this is an author to watch and brand-name buy for next time. Betcha' by her next book, she will be hooked up to a better publisher, too!
Vampire CSI + Romance..........2007-03-23
I haven't been all that tempted by the new Harlequin/Silhouette Nocturne paranormal line so far, but I couldn't pass this one up--we have the alternate-modern-day setting (mostly like our own world but with vamps and other beasties running around) that I like so much, plus some pretty good police procedural/CSI stuff, plus kind-of-hot vampire romance.
I loved the setting, Necropolis, a city built on an abandoned military base as a refuge/home for all sorts of paranormal types, including vampires, werewolves and witches. Necropolis is near San Antonio but the human and nonhuman worlds aren't supposed to interact, except they do and a human woman ends up dead in Necropolis. This is the reason for the insertion of Eve Grant, human criminologist, into CAine Valorian's crack Necropolis PD forensic team. Of course Caine (leader of the team) and Eve have an irresistable attraction to each other, while they work side by side trying to figure out who killed the girl and what they might be planning to do with the blood they took from her.
Necropolis, where it's pretty dangerous to be human, even if you are a trained police type, is the best part of this book. Second best part--the interesting team working with and around Caine. I am sure they are due books of their own at some point. If you like the CSI tv show format (lots of science jargon, friction between team members etc) and the typical paranormal ingredients, this is definitely a book to check out.
Alas, the actual crime plot was on the weakish side, or at least wrapped up far too hastily, or maybe not at all and will be continuing in further books. I wasn't sure what the bad guy was up to and if there really was a bigger bad he was working for, who showed up or not. If the plot goes on in further books it will clarify this, but I wasn't sure whether this was supposed to stand alone or not.
I also was a little let down bythe romance plot. Heavy on the angsty "humans and vampires can't mix" side, when they do finally get together I wasn't as convinced as Caine and Eve seem to be that this will all work out. Of course, again, this storyline may continue in further books which would make everything in this book ultimately make more sense.
My mind remains open and I look forward to more books in the series, as well as other work by Vivi Anna.
Blood Secrets -A Joyfully Recommended Title!.......2007-03-12
Necropolis wasn't all that different from any other city in America; high-rises brushed the night sky, storefronts lined the busy streets, fluorescent signs declared this week's special sales and couples out on the town lined up to get into the hottest nightclubs. There was a difference though... the people. They weren't human, they were Other. For the most part, the existence of the Otherworld community was a guarded secret from the rest of the world. The human populace on a whole weren't aware of the existence of any Otherworld community, let alone a city built just for them fifty miles outside of San Antonio, Texas, behind the chain link fence of a supposed military installation.
Caine Valorian is a Crime Scene Investigator for the city of Necropolis. His lab is his baby and he spent months setting it up, getting it organized, buying the equipment; all of it funded by his own sizeable fortune. A vampire didn't live as long as he had without amassing some wealth... if he was smart. Since the death of his wife, Caine hasn't had anything to do with relationships, other than professional ones.
Why did she have to open her big fat mouth at the emergency lab meeting and say that working in the Otherworld Crime Unit would be no big deal? Eve Grant works as a Crime Scene Investigator in San Antonio and has for the past two years. She's processed evidence and maintained the computer lab, and although she'd been out on a few crime scenes while in training, this would be the first one she'd be out in the field alone... well, not quite alone.
The first time Caine saw Eve, he thought she looked like a Malibu Stacy Barbie doll. There was an instant attraction¾which was odd for him; especially since she was a human. The attraction became stronger when she proved herself to be extremely intelligent and good at her job. This was bad, he needed to keep his mind on the case, not on the human that came in to help with it. Eve expected Caine Valorian to look like a classic movie vampire... long black hair, aristocratic features, and pale blue eyes but the only thing he and the vampire in her mind have in common was the color of his hair. She was in trouble. She just arrived and she was already imagining the lead investigator of the case in flagrante. The case... she had to keep her mind and attention on finding out what a young human woman was not only doing in a city that is off-limits to the human race, but who her murderer is.
Valorian Chronicles is a book that totally captivated me with its intense emotion, mystery and adventure. Every step that Caine and Eve took solving Lillian's murder brought me closer to finding out who the murderer was, but even with the occasional glimpse into the killer's mind and life, as well as the clues that were found, I didn't figure it out until the end. Both the romance and the mystery in the Valorian Chronicles told in this alternate reality felt so real, that I could easily not only see the story as it unfolded, but also felt that I could fly to San Antonio, rent a car and drive right to Necropolis. I have loved every story of Vivi Anna's that I've read, and the Valorian Chronicles is another one that goes onto the top shelf of my keeper bookcase. I loved Valorian Chronicles from first page until last and I can't wait until book two comes out!!
Lyonene
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed
superb paranormal romantic police procedural .......2007-03-11
In downtown Necropolis at a room in the Black Heart Hotel, Otherworld Crime Unit Chief Caine Valorian a vampire and his top aids Jace Jericho and Lyra Magice struggle with the case of a woman's throat sliced, but little blood at the crime scene. Though a bloodsucker apparently bit the human victim, the amount of blood apparently taken is way beyond the pint normally consumed; that amount should have left them with a comatose culprit lying in his or her vomit. This murder could be the final impetus leading to an interspecies war.
Caine also has a new cop on his team; one whose assignment makes no sense to him to be working the paranormal crime beat. His superior at Necropolis Police Department Captain Mahina Garner has assigned human Eve Grant to work for him breaking a glass ceiling as no human has ever been placed on this squad. Though Eve proves to be a superior dedicated investigator, she poses a second problem for Valorian; he is attracted to her and struggles to contain his desire for her as he knows cross species romances normally fail and besides, one should never mix pleasure with work especially with a subordinate. As he holds his need in check, they work in close proximity on a homicide case that if not solved fast could expedite the impending interspecies war.
The key to why BLOOD SECRETS is a superb paranormal romantic police procedural is that the lead couple and the support cast (on both sides of the law) make Necropolis seem genuine; thus the fantasy elements come across as real. The relationship between the vampire chief and his human detective enhances the whodunit with the fear of a dangerous civil war between species lurking on the horizon. Viva Vivi!
Harriet Klausner
Book Description
In the aftermath of 9/11, President Bush froze all terrorist assets in traditional financial institutions and money channels. But Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups have long followed a diversification strategy that has rendered the crackdown by the U.S. and other governments almost useless. Blood from Stones is the first book to uncover, through on-the-ground reporting, the interlocking web of commodities, underground transfer systems, charities, and sympathetic bankers that support terrorist activities throughout the world.
As a foreign correspondent and investigative reporter for The Washington Post, Douglas Farah ventured into the dangerous and uncharted world of terrorist financing—a journey that took him across four continents. The information he gathered was far ahead of what U.S. intelligence agencies knew as they scrambled to understand the 9/11 attacks. In unprecedented detail, Farah traces the movement of money from the traffickers of “blood diamonds” in West Africa to the world diamond exchange in Belgium and homegrown money merchants in Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Karachi, and Lahore who turn cash into commodities and commodities into cash. He probes charities that siphon off money to pay for such essentials as false identification cards and safe passage for operatives. And he reveals how the funding of terrorist activities is integrated into the age-old hawala network, a trust-based system that has operated for generations across Arabia and Southeast Asia.
Focusing on this critical aspect of the war on terrorism, Blood from Stones not only shows how terrorists are able to orchestrate complex and expensive attacks but also makes it clear why the war will be so difficult to win.
Customer Reviews:
How about just buying synthetic diamonds?.......2007-03-14
I read through most of this book in the bookstore and found it quite disturbing. I'm not qualified to rate the accuracy of the authors claims, however, it wouldn't surprise me if they turn out to be 100% true. Sierra Leone and Liberia have suffered horrific civil wars. I have read other accounts of children being forced to join the army and turned into killing machines. I've also see photos of African children who've had their arms hacked off at the elbows by rebels.
Since almost nothing is made in America anymore I sometimes wonder how much exploitation goes into various sundry items. There's really not much that one person can do about the world's injustices, however, since a diamond is a major purchase it warrants a little investigation. My understanding is that synthetic diamonds are virtually the same quality and cost a fraction of natural ones.
Apparently there is also a lot of blood and destruction involved in gold mining as well, especially in Brazil right now.
The diamond trade under scrutiny.......2007-03-11
Douglas Farah was not the first person to write about the conflict diamond trade but he was the first one to make the US government pay attention. His discovery that Al Qaeda was funneling their dollars for conflict diamonds so that the bush (not the president) wars could continue. This is truly one of the most horrifying operations occurring in the US where what can only be described as evil is profiting on all sides. It is an easy to read book with an important message. For those who want to learn more about the conflict diamond trade and the problems it causes this is a great book to start with.
Why the "war on terror" won't work is explained........2006-01-05
Want to try and understand why the Patriot Act and actions (all belatedly) by the Homestead Security powers will not work in the face of groups that are non-country specific and not driven by personal financial gain (plus can finance their actions on a shoestring based on the examples of 9/11 in New York; Madrid Metro and most recently London on 7/7)? Then this book while written mainly around pre and post 9/11 actions will be an eyeopener being a rare case of a book on investigative journalism delivering more than a scare story and with a real message to consider and debate afterwards.
It is a book of two parts the first being the author's specific bad experience in Western Africa especially in Sierra Leone and Liberia pre and immediately post 9/11. This focusses on showing how use of high value non-monetary goods (diamonds in this case) allowed the use of non-banking arrangements like hawala and charities, to avoid standard intelligence approaches in blocking funds and in the process generate non-traceable routes.
The second part is even more depressing showing how the use since 9/11 of high volume/low financial value per item scams such as baby formula foods and cigarettes avoid detection under old methods of policing since they are too low to attract high level interest, but can ultimately generate millions.
Alongside this the stories told in passing of Russian and Israeli arms dealers cross border activities and endless in fighting between US government agencies over control not result, and the clear message is that the issues are still not fully understood or more critically the manner to detect and tackle yet been mastered and achieved.
The Spy Who Loved Them and Left Them.......2005-12-23
I suppose Mr. Farah is the type of journalist who loves to be loved. In reading twice through Blood From Stones, I felt as if Mr. Farah was pistol whipping me into believing his reporting. The reader has to first believe that all of Mr. Farah's sources and methods are right, air tight, and without question telling the truth. Yet at the same time, the reader has to leave Mr. Farah the luxury of betraying his sources and running to the nearest US Embassy any time he, the journalist, was under threat from the nasty warlord turned president Charles Taylor. Ok, Al Qaida members bought some diamonds and Taylor allowed them to do so. Great, bad thing, I agree.
Several times through the first part of the book, Mr. Farah said this or that guy was his dream source. And if only those bunch of idiots back in Washington: CIA, DIA, State, etc, would listen, they would know that Al Qaida was operating in West Africa. While at the same time, Farah the patriotic journalist, turns over his sources to these same bumbling officials so that the sources can be polygraphed, debriefed, and prodded into turning coat and reporting for the good ole US of A.
There is a lot of truth in Mr. Farah's analysis and work, but I wondered why Farah is so patriotic? His reporting in the Washington Post probably led to some of his sources being strung up in some lonely part of Liberia and Sierra Leone; killed for being outted in one of Farah's editorials or articles. In the book, Mr. Farah runs to the US Embassy in Abidjan and clutches to Embassy security officers as he and his family leave Abidjan under a threat from warlord Taylor. I said to myself, ok, you're a journalist who happens to be a US citizen, why not stick it out with your sources, send your family home, and deal with it. Instead Farah runs to his editors at the Post, with eureka, I have it, from my dusty part of West Africa, Al Qaida.
At the end of the book, I just didn't know what to make of Mr. Farah's story: good information, nice second part on how terrorist networks work, and some good insider stuff on Liberia. But, comme meme, enough of Farah saying that these or those guys got it wrong, and I know better than you. Mr. Farah in the end is a journalist, who publishs stories about bad people, and hopefully someone does something about it. Not a patriotic dupe for the guys back in Washington who are dropping the ball.
Well, with Charles Taylor still back in Nigeria and threatenting to eventually come back to join in Liberia's new democracy and avoid war crimes. I only hope Mr. Farah can use the good analysis and work in this book, and there certainly are good parts in this well written book, to bring pressure in Washington for Taylor to be brought to justice. Not out of patriotism, but out of sheer revolt for what this killer has done. You know, the book was about Al Qaida and using diamonds to finance its operations. If that what US senators and congressmembers need as an excuse to get Taylor, then so be it. Farah makes a good argument for blood diamonds, but what the heck do you think the bumblers in Washington could do about it anyways?
Great, Informative Book.......2005-01-14
This is a fantastic book for everyone interested in Africa, the diamond trade, or the money trail fueling global terrorist activity. The author takes the reader through the many webs of terrorist financing, including key personalities involved in the trade of diamonds and other precious stones. In addition, the author covers several civil wars in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Congo, which provides a great background to those conflicts. The author traveled extensively throughout Africa and the Middle East to follow the money trail. Farah is an excellent writer who writes in a clear and concise manner. This is an impossible book to put down. Academics and as well as lay people will find this book valuable. In fact, the American people should rush out and buy this book.
Average customer rating:
- Was just as advertised........ Great!!!
- zzzzzZZZZZZZZ
- boring
- a bit slow and not as many 'surprises' as the cover says
- Blood may tell...but book doesn't do that well...
|
Blood Will Tell: A Shocking True Story of Marriage, Murder, and Fatal Family Secrets (St. Martin's True Crime Library)
Carlton Smith
Manufacturer: St. Martin's True Crime
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Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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ASIN: 0312977956
Release Date: 2008-06-03 |
Book Description
They Were The Perfect Family. . .For twenty years, Ken and Kristine Fitzhugh and their two sons had lived lives of comfortable middle-class normality in the university town of Palo Alto, California. Then came the shocking news that Kristine Fitzhugh was dead, the victim of a terrible accident... By the time the Palo Alto Police Department looked closer at the death of Kristine Fitzhugh, there could be only one conclusion. Someone had murdered Kristine in her own home, inflicting a series of horrific blows to the back of her head, and then cleaned up the mess to make it look like an accident. Who would do such a thing? Protesting his innocence, Kenneth Fitzhugh was arrested and tried for the murder of his wife. And as the case progressed, one by one, the hidden secrets of the Fitzhugh family came spilling out. . .
Customer Reviews:
Was just as advertised........ Great!!!.......2006-02-25
Its nice to feel confident when ordering from Amazon...knowing that the item will be shipped as stated and arrive just as advertised.
Keep up the great work gang....
Don
zzzzzZZZZZZZZ.......2003-10-21
I couldn't finish the book. It was so tedious that I fell asleep. If you want a good true crime try: "Scream at the Sky" by Carlton Stowers, "Salt of the Earth" by Jack Olsen or any one of John Walsh's books.
boring.......2003-08-28
I just finished reading this book and was very disappointed with it. He tell everything that happen through the whole trial. All of this could have been left out and then at the end of the book all he writes is the jury knew Ken had killed his wife. Then he just ended the book. He didn't say what the sentence was or how long he will have to serve. This is a very important part of a true crime book'
a bit slow and not as many 'surprises' as the cover says.......2003-08-19
I found this book a bit slow and tedious compared to writings by other true crime writers like Ann Rule and Jerry Bledsoe. The author reveals from the first chapter that Ken is in prison so the book never builds any anticipation as to whether the police will build a case against him. The most interesting thing about the whole book is the eerie similarities to the Michael Peterson case going on right now in NC which is being televised on CourtTV. Actually, that case is more interesting, skip the book.
Blood may tell...but book doesn't do that well..........2003-08-09
Parts of this true crime book were terrific. Particularly the parts about the investigation and the narrative about the life of the Fitzhugh family. However, the last part of the book is a snooze. Smith, who seems to have a talented background, basically gives us trial transcripts for about 100 pages or so, including the DNA evidence. The narrative disappears and is enough to put me to sleep (as it did a few times). The story here could have been told in much more engaging way--transcripts are not that interesting. Also, where was the epilogue? What happened? We know Fitzhugh is convicted, but what about his kids? Bob Brown? What happened to these people? We don't know. Instead, we get some dime story philosophy and a look at Del Mar. Who Cares? There was a much better book to be written on this fascinating case.
Customer Reviews:
Dazed and Confused.......2002-09-03
This book is a confusing set of devices and instructions for players and storytellers alike. It is hard to read and equally hard to understand--i found my High School government textbook easier to read than this. However, if you do want to give you Tremere scorcer/witch a bit more depth i would recomend this book, and its companion book.
Great assistance for storytellers.......2001-11-18
I will rarely say in these reviews on Amazon.com that that "only X type of person should read this" but this review is one exception. I think this book has so much information, so many great ideas and guidelines, and clan background that it is really only useful for storytellers and maybe wouldbe writers who like the "world of darkness". I think a player would get a lot of ideas, many of which would not be compatible with a story from this book so the best way to combat that and still allow Tremere and other magic using Kindred to develop would be for storyteller and player to look at this book together. I think it does a good job of detailing how to design paths and rituals, a sample worksheet might help in this regard, but also in talking about the limitations of the practice of bloodmagic.
BAMPH!!!!!!.......2000-08-21
A book detailing the complex discipline of Thaumaturgy has been long needed. This is a really good one and while it doesn't solve all the problems created by the past handling of Thaumaturgy in VAMPIRE: THE MASQUERADE, it goes a long way toward clarifying and further developing the discipline.
The book discussed the history and theory of vampiric blood magic. We learn that it predates the Tremere, for example, and hear about basic principles of magical workings. There is discussion about the difference between a Tremere vampire and a True Mage (metaphysical, mostly, and assumes familiarity with MAGE- for more practical instructions on vampires and mages, see VAMPIRE: STORYTELLERS HANDBOOK), how non-Tremere might learn Thaumaturgy and some examples of arcane tomes. Most of it is clearly explained (with few exceptions like the unnecessarily ambiguous section about the difference between spirits and demons).
There are welcome sections outlining the Koldunic sorcery of the Tzimisce (finally!) and voodoo-derived traditions of Necromancy. Both the Assamites and the Setites have their own traditions of blood magic, detailed here. There are paths derived from Alchemy and Kaballah. Biothaumatugy is recycled from SECRETS OF THE BLACK HAND.
Unfortunately, while the material introduced here is superb, the book doesn't pull together the various little bits of Thaumaturgy scattered between VAMPIRE: THE MASQUERADE and VAMPIRE: DARK AGES. It just once again gives us more and better. It would have been nice, for example, to have an appendix showing which previously introduced paths and rituals are in which books. Furthermore, some storytellers seem intimidated about Thaumaturgy and disallow it as "too complicated". Step by step instructions (and a pep talk) might have been good, too. I should mention also that this book is about vampiric blood magic ONLY- no numinas or hedge magic more appropriate to allies like ghouls.
Way to bring the magi into focus.......2000-07-27
This is an excellent source for new Tremere players alnog with old ones. The information about the workings of Thaumaturgy in this book is excellent and it provides you with the things you need to properly be a true Tremere. There is info on Necromancy and Koldunic Sorcery also but since this is a book on Thaumaturgy the other two are not described in such depth as Thaumaturgy was.
A Tremere Elder's view on Blood Magic.......2000-02-27
As an Elder of Clan Tremere (-or just a long term Tremere player), I was very pleased to see this new teatise for upcoming apprentices (-White Wolf publish a book dedicated to Thaumaturgy). This book isn't merely a long list of new and revamped rituals and paths (although it had its share),it is an explanation of what is unquestionably the most complicated discipline. I found the history of Blood Magic to be well thought out, as well as the discussion of "how it works". All in all, a MUST READ for any Tremere (-player, as well as anyone fond of thaumaturgy) apprentice.
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