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.

The Code Book: The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography

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The Code Book
Interesting, informative, geniously narrative, fascinating & enlightening.
Fun Read
A History of Ciphers, With Proper Credit for the Cracking of ENIGMA
great book

The Code Book: The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography
Simon Singh
Manufacturer: Anchor
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0385495323
Release Date: 2000-08-29

Amazon.com

People love secrets. Ever since the first word was written, humans have sent coded messages to each other. In The Code Book, Simon Singh, author of the bestselling Fermat's Enigma, offers a peek into the world of cryptography and codes, from ancient texts through computer encryption. Singh's compelling history is woven through with stories of how codes and ciphers have played a vital role in warfare, politics, and royal intrigue. The major theme of The Code Book is what Singh calls "the ongoing evolutionary battle between codemakers and codebreakers," never more clear than in the chapters devoted to World War II. Cryptography came of age during that conflict, as secret communications became critical to both sides' success.

Confronted with the prospect of defeat, the Allied cryptanalysts had worked night and day to penetrate German ciphers. It would appear that fear was the main driving force, and that adversity is one of the foundations of successful codebreaking.

In the information age, the fear that drives cryptographic improvements is both capitalistic and libertarian--corporations need encryption to ensure that their secrets don't fall into the hands of competitors and regulators, and ordinary people need encryption to keep their everyday communications private in a free society. Similarly, the battles for greater decryption power come from said competitors and governments wary of insurrection.

The Code Book is an excellent primer for those wishing to understand how the human need for privacy has manifested itself through cryptography. Singh's accessible style and clear explanations of complex algorithms cut through the arcane mathematical details without oversimplifying. --Therese Littleton

Book Description

In his first book since the bestselling Fermat's Enigma, Simon Singh offers the first sweeping history of encryption, tracing its evolution and revealing the dramatic effects codes have had on wars, nations, and individual lives. From Mary, Queen of Scots, trapped by her own code, to the Navajo Code Talkers who helped the Allies win World War II, to the incredible (and incredibly simple) logisitical breakthrough that made Internet commerce secure, The Code Book tells the story of the most powerful intellectual weapon ever known: secrecy.

Throughout the text are clear technical and mathematical explanations, and portraits of the remarkable personalities who wrote and broke the world's most difficult codes. Accessible, compelling, and remarkably far-reaching, this book will forever alter your view of history and what drives it. It will also make yo wonder how private that e-mail you just sent really is.

Customer Reviews:

The Code Book.......2007-09-25

I found it interesting and well written. Relize Simon is a Brit, so slightly a different type of sentence structure. I found sometimes that I just could not put the book down. I found out about the book from MAA. It's a college Math Mag playing with Hamming Code. Got interested in the artical about the book and then purchased it. Out of the three cyrpto books I bought this was the best. Others focused on the mathmatics and were not translated well from German.

Interesting, informative, geniously narrative, fascinating & enlightening........2007-08-22

This great book might on one hand be seen as an introduction to
cryptography (producing codes) and cryptanalysis (breaking codes), and on
the other hand as an anthology of slightly dramatized biographies of
certain individuals, throughout the whole history of codes and ciphers,
related to corresponding major events.

The style of the book is a successful and well-structured mixture of
popular science at its best and somewhat rigorous descriptions of
concepts and algorithms of various complexity. It starts off with telling
the story of the so called 'cipher of Mary Queen of Scots', then
successively deals with, for instance, the initial invention of a
theoretically unbreakable code (through using random numbers) and its
practical drawbacks, the rise and fall of the Enigma code, the usage of
codes in the form of unusual (hopefully unknown to the enemy or opponent)
languages, the analysis of ancient forgotten languages, privacy issues
including safe transfering of code keys and, finally, ends with
discussions of modern, and possibly future, cryptography/cryptanalysis-
techniques based on quantum computers and theory.

Moreover, additional interesting, and in some instances somewhat more
technical, material is referred to several appendices.

Note: The swedish translated edition includes quite a lot of Sweden-specific
information. (Translator: Margareta Brogren.) In all respects this is a
most impressive piece of work!

Fun Read.......2007-08-10

Great Book! A fun read and very interesting. A history of code making and code breaking from the beginning until now.

A History of Ciphers, With Proper Credit for the Cracking of ENIGMA.......2007-08-07

Singh has provided the reader a delightful history of encryption, beginning with 16th-century codes, proceeding with the mechanized ones, and concluding with modern computer-based systems. He points out how modern encryption is being used to thwart the counterfeiting of dollars, and rejects the so-called Bible Code.

Singh also touches on the intricacies of language, and discusses the difficulty of deciphering the Egyptian hieroglyphics. This involved the decoding of a language that no one speaks today, and one which has no close relatives among modern languages. He also has a fascinating account of the Navajo Indians and their unique language, and how their conversations were used to keep the Japanese in the dark during WWII.

When in comes to the German ENIGMA code of WWII, and in contrast to some English-language books on this subject, Singh gives credit squarely where it is due. He traces the Polish successes with code-breaking, beginning with the cracking of Russian codes by the Biuro Szyfrow (the Bureau of Ciphers) during the 1920 Polish-Bolshevik War (p. 144). In the years before WWII, a Polish team of mathematicians headed by Marian Rejewski recognizably solved the ENIGMA (p. 155). The Poles were ten years ahead of anyone else in this field (p. 160). The later successes of the British at Bletchley relied on Rejewski's work (p. 170), and followed the lead of the Poles (p. 243). Alan Turing followed Rejewski's strategy (p. 171).

great book.......2007-07-28

this book is one of the best books i have read in a while. it explanes everything you want tok now about cryptography and how to break the codes. this author knows his stuff.

Mummies & Pyramids (Magic Tree House Research Guide, paper)

Average customer rating:

This is a "fantabulous" book
I liked it alot!
Great Book!
Researchers Don't Believe Pyramids Built By Slaves
Who built the pyramids?

Mummies & Pyramids (Magic Tree House Research Guide, paper)
Will And Ma Osborne
Manufacturer: Random House Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0375802983
Release Date: 2001-02-27

Amazon.com

If the first thing that comes to mind when someone mentions a mummy is a ghastly, bandaged creature staggering forth from a tomb, it's time to take a look at Mummies and Pyramids. This entertaining and enlightening research companion to Mary Pope Osborne's Mummies in the Morning is perfect for readers who developed an insatiable taste for the mysteries and science of ancient Egypt while reading about Jack and Annie's time- and space-traveling adventures at the pyramid of Queen Hutepi. Guided by siblings Jack and Annie, stars of the Magic Tree House series, the easy-to-read text offers up the secrets of pharaohs, hieroglyphic writing, the building of pyramids, how and why mummies were made, the Book of the Dead, Egyptian gods and goddesses, tomb treasures--and tomb robbers--and more. Divided into chapters covering everyday life in ancient Egypt, religion, funerals, and the most famous mummy of all, King Tutankhamen, the book also offers suggestions on how children can do their own research. Plentiful black and white illustrations and reproductions of Egyptian art make learning extra fun, as do regular appearances by Jack and Annie as they explain details of the text or offer commentary ("Not fair!" Annie says, "Only boys could go to school and become scribes!"). Stimulating and lively, this research guide is a stellar introduction to a subject guaranteed to intrigue young readers. (Ages 6 to 10) --Emilie Coulter

Book Description

How were pyramids built? Why did people make mummies? What magic charms were buried with mummies? Who discovered King Tut's tomb? Unwrap the answers to these questions and more in Magic Tree House Research Guide #3: Mummies and Pyramids, Jack and Annie's very own guide to the secrets of ancient Egypt. Includes information on hieroglyphics, how mummies were made, tomb treasures and robbers, Egyptian gods and goddesses, and much more!

Customer Reviews:

This is a "fantabulous" book.......2006-12-22

This book provides a lot of information about ancient Egypt. For example, I learned how ancient Egyptians lived and what they did in their everyday life. The book has a solid chapter about ancient Egyptian art. I was surprised at how many different types of art there were. Ancient Egyptians painted, weaved and made pots, statues and jars out of clay. They also made jewelry and large pots out of gold. I also learned about their burial chambers in the pyramids. They put paintings and all of their belongings in the tombs for use in their after lives. The pyramids are made of big stone blocks. Workers would move the heavy stone blocks into the shape of a pyramid. The book describes how the ancient Egyptians also built large ships and small canoes to go down the Nile River. This book is an interesting introduction to ancient Egypt. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about ancient Egypt and the pyramids.

I liked it alot!.......2006-02-05

This book was really fun! What I learned from this book is about the tomb robbers. And that Egypt is in Africa.
Elizabeth 7 years old.

Great Book!.......2006-01-01

This was a great book. I finished it in 1 day. I thought it was the best reasearch guide you have ever written. (Steven)

Researchers Don't Believe Pyramids Built By Slaves.......2005-04-17

This is a very good book for children. It contains a lot of great information about Ancient Egypt. I read another review by a reader who was offended by the thought that the Pyramids weren't built by slaves. This was obviously a surprise to him but I had heard it elsewhere so it was no news to me. There were slaves in Egypt and I'm sure they were badly used in other jobs. They could have also been used to help build the pyramids, I doubt we will ever know exactly. This is a good book and no reader should pass it up over one shocked review. There's plenty of good information here and it is very interesting.

Who built the pyramids?.......2004-04-30

My six year old pointed out the following 'bold' statement by the authors of this book:
"Many people think the work on the pyramids was done by slaves.
This is not true." p.81.
No mention of slaves!
Revisionist thinking?
Certainly not the book I want my children learning from.

The Message of the Sphinx: A Quest for the Hidden Legacy of Mankind

Average customer rating:

Fingerprints part 2
a most intriguing work
The Message of the Spinx
A review of the audiobook by a history teacher
Look To The Sky And Find The Truth

The Message of the Sphinx: A Quest for the Hidden Legacy of Mankind
GRAHAM HANCOCK , and ROBERT BAUVAL
Manufacturer: Crown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Egypt | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0517705036
Release Date: 1996-06-11

Book Description

The authors of the bestselling Fingerprints of the Gods, The Sign and the Seal, and The Orion Mystery team up to posit a revolutionary theory: that the Sphinx and the other great Egyptian monuments are of prehistoric origina and that they are arranged in such a way as to be a giant stone "hologram, " sending a message to us from the silent past. 16 pp. of photos. 30 line drawings.

Customer Reviews:

Fingerprints part 2.......2007-05-29

Basically this book feels like the Egypt chapters of "Fingerprints of the Gods" slightly expanded with more detail. It isn't as interesting or as terrifying as "Fingerprints" but it is shorter and brings a more specific set of "evidence" to the table.
Bringing up Edgar Cayce weakens the authors' position considerably. Psychic readings, though fascinating, cannot be accepted as evidence in any scientific debate.
The authors beat us over the head with the concept of precession, leaving the reader to gasp out "Okay, I get it!"
Ample quotes from ancient Egyptian texts help to build up a seemingly plausible picture of a sky/earth duality and the construction of the Giza complex as a "model" of the sky around the constellation Orion. Descriptions of the Pyramids and the freakish degree of accuracy in their design seem to indicate that whatever they were built for, it was something very specific and intentional. The orthodox Egyptological view that the Queen's Chamber was "abandoned" unfinished in favor of the King's Chamber just doesn't hold up, in view of the apparent care which was taken by Pyramid architects. This would not have been a construction project that you could make up as you went along.
One problem I had with the authors' theory of a mysterious "Brotherhood of Horus" which had preserved technological and astronomical secrets through the ages from 10,500 bc (supposed date of the "First Time" and the building of the Sphinx) to the Pyramid Age (2500 bc) ... if they were able to sustain their secret society for that length of time, where are they now? Such a "brotherhood" should, conceivably, be robust enough to survive and continue to "manipulate society from behind the scenes" even today. Seems fishy to me, and is another weak point in the authors' presentation.
Their most compelling evidence cited is the unmistakeable signs of water erosion on the body of the Sphinx (also a crucial element from "Fingerprints.") Why do Egyptologists wilfully ignore this clear indication of the actual age of the monument?? I'd like to hear the orthodox explanation, which of course is not presented in this book.
One point that is driven home is the notion that modern Egyptology is a religion rather than a science. The "orthodox" view of ancient Egyptian history is based largely on findings made by amateur treasure hunters during the British colonial period a century or more ago. We have much more sophisticated techinques and a better quality of information now at our disposal; why are we clinging to beliefs based on older, less reliable research? In a true science, theories are changed when new data becomes available, but Egyptologists have a tendency to dismiss or ignore any data that challenges what they already believe. There's always value to be found in divergent thinking, even if it is eventually proven wrong. Off the top of my head, I refer to Galileo and Darwin as "divergent thinkers" whose theories (of a heliocentric solar system and of evolution, respectively) were ridiculed at first.
I can understand Egyptologists' professional indignance when confronted with theories from "armchair researchers" who have done no actual fieldwork, and have not devoted their lives to study of Egyptian antiquity. But Hancock and Bauval have come armed with a formidable collection of evidence, much of which consists of FACTS which can be proven (or debunked.) Where is the scholarly rebuttal from thw Egyptological community? It's not enough to dismiss these theories as "ridiculous." Can somebody prove WHY they're ridiculous? It should be easy for an expert to shoot down the so-called "fanciful yarn" presented in this book, but so far I've seen no-one do it.
Meanwhile there are legitimate discoveries to be made at Giza, based on clues found by ACTUAL field work at the site. There's tangible evidence suggesting the presence of still-undiscovered chambers inside the Great Pyramid and under the plateau near the Sphinx. Work on following these leads proceeds frustratingly slowly. Dr. Zahi Hawas jealously guards the area almost as if it was his own personal property ... any "secrets" found there could be of profound importance to all of mankind, but based on some follow-up reading I've done (beyond the scope of this book) I question whether the public will even be told the truth about what, if anything, is discovered.

a most intriguing work.......2007-04-21

Asking rather more questions than it answers, "The Message of the Sphinx" purports to use geology to prove that the Sphinx is much older than normally suspected. Also, astronomy is used to show once again that the layout of the Giza plateau represents the sky overhead at the summer solstice in 10,500 BC, which the author theorizes is when the First Time began. Having recently read "The Kybalion," which is a hermetic work supposedly handed down from the Sages discussed in this book, it actually all does sort of fit together - as above so below, as below so above is a mainstay of their system of belief and as such the layout of the Giza plateau and other pyramids in the general area fit the pattern. While I pride myself in not being a credulous person, I found the theories and suppositions put forth by the author to have a strong ring of truth to them - it does make me want to conduct further research and I can feel the frustration in the author that further studies have been so heavily curtailed.

A must-read for anyone interested in Egyptology, ancient civilizations and alternative theories of history.

The Message of the Spinx.......2007-03-09

Way has it taken so long for anyone to come up with this information. I think for the most part HandCock is right on the subject.

A review of the audiobook by a history teacher.......2007-02-08

I picked this one up on a whim. Having already read and reviewed Hancock's "Heaven's Mirror" several years ago, I knew what I was getting myself into - lots of alternative, well-researched ideas that cause you to think, "Well...maybe..."

The first half of the audiobook was just that. Questions about the weathering on the Sphinx. Unexplained unwillingness to research into what lies below the Sphinx (is it a cavern? a room? a geologic anomaly?), challenges to the orthodox Egyptology's interpretions.

Lots of good fun and as a history teacher I encourage challenges to Orthodoxy - for example, until fairly recently the Maya were considered to be wise sages of the rain forest who abhorred violence (turns out they readily engaged in human sacrfices all of the time), the Assyrians of Ninevah were considered to be a fantasy of the Bible and the city of Troy? - a figment of Homer's imagination. So, putting pinholes in orthodoxy has its place.

However, Hancock and Bauval lost me when they began to use Edgar Cayce's psychic readings from the 1930s and 1940s as a legitimate source. Star charts and weathering are legitimate sources. Not mediums. Come on!

To make it worse, Hancock and Bauval launch into an extended discourse on the movement of stars across the sky over the cenutires (called procession). While this had a legitimate point, one that Hancock fleshes out even more in his book "Heaven's Mirror," he goes on and on with it to the point where I couldn't hardly stand to listen to it any longer. The reader, Nick Ullett, did a superb job with the material he was asked to read, but there is no way that listening to nearly an hour of facts and figures about star charts and mathematical equations will be anything but mind-numbingly, eye-crossingly, stupifyingly boring. I listen to audiobooks to perk up my long daily commute. I actually had to turn off the relentless march of the equations just to stay awake! Hancock's points were made in the first 15 minutes - yet he continued on and on and on and on and on...

So, this is really two books - the first half is interesting and full of legitimate points. The second half is butressed by facts from the mouth of a psychic and then becomes an endless lecture on procession that should have been edited.

Final grade: D+

Look To The Sky And Find The Truth.......2007-02-05

In a compelling follow-up to Robert Bauval's (co-author, 1995) The Orion Mystery, and setting the foundation for Graham Hancock's (co-author, 1999) Heaven's Mirror, The Message of the Sphinx is a true history of a great civilization that mainstream history would rather ignore.

The book is split into two sections that are based on an encoded message in the Giza Plateau that is a template for records of a "lost" civilization through the alignment of the pyramids and understanding the true age of the Sphinx.

With the latter, the authors researched then new geological evidence of erosion patterns on the flanks of the Sphinx and conclude it was caused by 1,000 years of heavy rains. By using historical knowledge of weather conditions - those conditions date back to the end of the last ice age -it may make the Sphinx more than 12,000 years old.

The use of computer simulations of the sky show how the pyramids precisely line up to represent the three stars of Orion's Belt at 10,500 B.C. The authors write that this understanding of the sky was crucial to the pharoh's initiation rituals and - with the Sphinx - unlock the records of a civilization that looked to the skies to chronicle their history.

It should be no surprise that the book was then and continues to be discounted by the majority of Egyptologists. But it's these same researchers who have skirted the fact that it was the science, technology and history of grand black civilizations that made this region truly a cradle of human existence.

The Message of the Sphinx is an important exploration into who we were and how the truth is viewed in a clear sky of unbiased research.

Average customer rating:

Controversial Shift in Veneration From White Greece to Black Egypt
The Truth That Was Stolen Through War
Theives
Dedication/Review From the Internet by RUNOKO RASHIDI
The wisdom of the Egyptians was a proverb with the Greeks

Stolen Legacy
George G. M. James
Manufacturer: African American Images
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Egypt | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0913543780

Book Description

Challenging the notion that civilization started in Greece, this uncompromising classic attempts to prove that the true authors of Greek philosophy were not Greeks but Egyptians. The text asserts that the praise and honor blindly given to the Greeks for centuries rightfully belong to the people of Africa, and argues that the theft of this great African legacy led to the erroneous world opinion that the African continent has made no contribution to civilization. Quoting such celebrated Greek scholars as Herodotus, Hippocrates, Aristotle, Thales, and Pythagoras, who admit to the influence of Egyptian studies in their work, this edition sheds new light on traditional philosophical and historical thought. Originally published in 1954, this book features a new introduction.

Customer Reviews:

Controversial Shift in Veneration From White Greece to Black Egypt.......2007-04-14

Having read all of the previous 74 reviews the resemblance of controversy along skin color lines towards the O.J.Simpson case becomes clear. That alone should give food for thought. As a RastafarI I am not that fond of arguing for the sake of winning in an US debate class. I like to "reason".

What the book is about: It swiftly dismantles the (supposed) pseudo-achievements of ancient Greek philosophy by thoroughly (or not) proving its much older Black Egyptian origins. Socrates, Plato, Aristotle and the other "great Greek philosophers" were persecuted for introducing alien to Greece (somewhat corrupted along the accused plagiarism) knowledge and thoughts, they acquired by various means from the people which build the pyramids.

Which is most interesting for RastafarI as Rasta tradition rejects a focus on ancient Greek culture as Eurocentrism. After reading this book, I-n-I may adjust to embracing Greek philosophy - as of Black African origin. What a challenge! What a potential twist! As the Oregonians say (and whoever before them): "Never assume someone to be wrong, it may turn out later, they were right, too."

Personally, I would say, for a book written in 1954, only minor adjustments, such as corrections, would have to be made. (Compared to much newer books, yet in need of much more updating.) As controversial as this book is, white-conditioned folks cry "Lies!" I find the challenge of it alone very rewarding. A zillion lies have been told by white downpressors about black skinned people. A zillion more false scientific fantasies have been uttered in the same vein. Nobody got upset, not really. But when the racist-conditioned can't deal with the possibility of a reversed truth, they hit the ceiling, when the proof might be a bit lacking. Instead of appreciating that work and enhancing it further to find out even more of the truth. (The complete truth of anything we will never learn of course.)

A challenge very necessary. As I write this, a movie will soon open in my country of living, in which black sororities and fraternities at an African American college uses exclusively Greek alphabet letters for their names ("Stomp the Yard"). Exactly, what George G.M. James advised against 53 years ago, in order to emancipate. One of the reviewers of this book suggests now, to let comparisons with Greece go and rather concentrate on the black African achievements. Sure! All the centuries of colonialism, black skinned people GOT compared to Greece, driven into an inferiority complex, and now, that the tides have turned, Blacks are paternalised to let go of Greece. Ok, I can do that. I will concentrate on ancient Black Egypt then and totally forget about Greece...

The "philosophy" controversy: Linguistically relevant isn't so much, wether there are other words in ancient Greek containing word-parts of that, but wether the previous language did and wether ancient Egyptian did instead. Which I am told respectively no and yes, but personally I cannot confirm.

The Alexandria library controversy: I have read other sources referencing a library in existence before the Greek invasion (which would make much sense, I may add). But again, personally, I cannot confirm.

In any case, even if one or the other statement is not 100% correct or even false, the book has many more to offer. And is not describing Aristotle's plagiarism alone, but of basically all the other Greek philosophers as well. This smells like specific criticism intended to discredit the entire book. Which actually confirms the overall message of the book: For if the racist-conditioned COULD disprove ALL the allegations of the book, we could be sure they WOULD.

It is hilarious to claim, the Egyptians wouldn't have known any philosophy. Because supposedly no records would have been found. Like what: All the tons of books available (on this website) about religion and wisdom of the ancient Egyptians are what - I figure of the imagination? This book is describing very religious philosophy and nobody upfull/honest would dare to suggest, the Egyptians didn't have any. How far do people go? Unbelievable.

Maybe this hilarious claim is to be overstood as more specific philosophy according to the later Greek version. Nobody serious in the science community doubts the religious influence of Egypt over ancient Greece. E.g. "Black Isis and Child" is the image, from which "Black Mary and Child" was derived (later to be turned white-skinned). There's not enough space to list all of the religious path of development. Maybe it's not so much about plagiarism, but rather missionising, converting, influencing, adjusting, going the path of religious evolution.

The art controversy: Maybe the Greeks didn't build any pyramids, as it is claimed there is no architectural similarity between the two countries. Well, probably, they couldn't. I've read somewhere, the Japanese attempted to rebuild a pyramid in the 20th century and failed. Which is exactly a point: Even today, we can only GUESS, how the Egyptians build the pyramids. We simply do not know. There are no records left, whatsoever. Yet, nobody would claim, because those records aren't there, the pyramids aren't there. (Also being as precise geometrically and astronomically as with today's sophisticated gadgetry.) Also: The ancient Egyptians were able to diagnose certain bone fractions, today's doctors can't without x-ray. We only know, they could do it, but not how!
After Alexander the Great, the Greeks DID absorb any art they encountered. Paintings of Egyptian and Indian styles became Hellenised and vice versa. Of course, how else?!

For this purpose I advise reading African Origins Of Freemasonry: Treatise Of The Ancient Grand Lodge Of Khamet. Written in 2005, it references this book and updates a bit on the controversy, mentioning that discreditors of the book have been disproven in turn in the meanwhile. It also says, Freemasonry derives from the Ancient Egyptian Philosophy/Religion. Yet, this book doesn't say anything about Freemasonry. Why? Because of an oath of secrecy. Which of course was the same back then. Why? Priests are more powerfull, when only they can perform and have the knowledge. Please compare that to the Vatican which in the Dark Ages closed all institutes of education, destroyed all Greco-Roman texts it could, made its priest the only literate and did not translate the Bible into the local languages. They could interpret whatever they wanted! By the way: The Egyptians DID reveal the plagiarism : As soon, as they were able to - after all the successive occupations making that impossible before. Today, as in this book does. And experience the resistance of the establishment! (Also, some knowledge is dangerous, that's why e.g. certain Buddhist monks today do not reveal their fighting technics, whith which they wouldn't only win any Olympics, but could do considerable harm.)

The Black Egyptian controversy: Gee, I thought, we were past that "controversy". Currently, human knowledge doubles every 5 years. Part of that is, that the ancient Egyptians were black skinned. Not some, but most, even all in the early times. Read some of the older Ivan Van Sertima books or the 2006 When We Ruled: The Ancient and Medieval History of Black Civilisations proving that. For the DNA-resemblances to the Sumerians etc., guess what: They and the so called Hittites and other early peoples in the vicinity were black also. As were some ancestor-peoples of peoples called Semitic today. So that argument was a boomerang.

Also read one or the other recent book on genetics. Then you will find out, that EVERY single human, who lived at the times of the ancients, who left a surviving line of descendents, is one of the ancestors of EVERY human living today. Not a single exception. Which is true in turn for the time of the ancient Greeks in reference again to the times of the early Egyptian dynasties. There simply isn't such a thing as race, but a constant and complete mixing of anything. There is only appearances. Get over that! Both sides of the argument. That will enlighten your philosophy and spirituality. As everything from ancient times is OUR history, from ALL THE SIDES. Or "I-and-I" history, as Rastas would say. I.e. no matter, who invented that certain philosophy, they were the ancestors of ALL of I and I.

The Truth That Was Stolen Through War.......2007-03-21

"For centuries the world has been misled about the original source of the Arts and Sciences; for centuries Socrates, Plato and Aristotle have been falsely idolized as models of intellectual greatness; and for centuries the African continent has been called the Dark Continent, because Europe coveted the honor of transmitting to the world, the Arts and Sciences," writes George G.M. James, in his landmark study of the true authors of Greek philosophy, the Egyptians.

Initially published in 1954, the book shows yet again how war for the truth is waged on a battlefield, this one being Alexander's conquest of Egypt and the military policies to gain from Egyptian Priests information concerning Egyptian history, philosophy and religion & the plundering of libraries. That became the starting point for the plagarized writings of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, with this false history being continually taught in classrooms, from elementary schools to colleges.

James focuses on the Egyptian Mystery System, which was the foundation for the arts & sciences and how these doctrines found in Greek writings are traced back to the Egyptian origin.

Particularly interesting are the chapters where James gives a brief biography of a Greek author and then - with an impressive listing of resources - points to major discrepencies in their lives and the doubts surrounding the authorship of their "original" works.

And please note that James wrote his book with a larger mission in mind: "Consequently this theft of the African legacy by the Greeks led to the erroneous world opinion that the African Continent has made no contribution to civilization, and that its people are naturally backward. This is the misrepresentation that has become the basis of race prejudice, which has affected all people of color."

It is only right for wrongs to be correctly rewritten and the truth be told. Stolen Legacy began that process more than 50 years ago and it continues today, one reader at a time.

Theives.......2007-02-27

Stolen Legacy by George James

Someone said "stop hatin". I agree. When the truth begins to come to light, the myth makers begin to make big "wahala." Did grandmama nem say "that a hit dog barks the loudest." I guess we got some hit dogs up in heah!

Egypt is one of those places that conjure up images of beautiful and magnificent ancient people who built the pyramids and created a great African culture.

I have been fascinated with Egypt since I was a young child. I was also enamored of Greek mythology. However, when I discovered that there is no such thing as Greek mythology, but Egyptian/African mythology in disguise; I felt compelled to try to learn the truth.

The book is only one book of many that should be read, that is, if you want the truth.

Dedication/Review From the Internet by RUNOKO RASHIDI .......2006-11-30

THE GLOBAL AFRICAN COMMUNITY

H I S T O R Y N O T E S

By RUNOKO RASHIDI

DEDICATED TO DR. PETER DAWSON AND DR. ALFRED M. LIGON

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following information will be of interest to all who appreciate the work of George G. M. James. As we all know, very little is published about Professor James. The following information came to me via the Internet. I have decided to republish it here because it has some precious information about Prof. James.
This information is quite appropriate to describe the book that i first reprinted in 1989 - long after the death of Mr. James. But since i was the first publisher to 'mass' produce, and satisfy the great demand for the book, it is the only one in print that also has a photograph of the Author. [...]
"The term Greek philosophy, to begin with, is a
misnomer, for there is no such philosophy in
existence."

Dr. George Granville Monah James was born in
Georgetown, Guyana, South America. He was the son of
Reverend Linch B. and Margaret E. James. George G.M.
James earned Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Theology
and Master of Arts degrees from Durham University in
England and was a candidate there for the D. Litt
degree. He conducted research at London University
and did postgraduate work at Columbia University where
he read for his Ph.D. Dr. James earned a teaching
certificate in the State of New York to teach
mathematics, Latin and Greek. James later served as
Professor of Logic and Greek at Livingston College in
Salisbury, North Carolina for two years, and
eventually taught at the University of Arkansas, Pine
Bluff.

Dr. James was the author of the widely circulated
Stolen Legacy: The Greeks Were Not the Authors of
Greek Philosophy, But the People of North Africa,
Commonly Called the Egyptians--a controversial text
originally published in 1954 and reprinted a number of
times since. Professor William Leo Hansberry reviewed
Stolen Legacy in the Journal of Negro Education in
1955, and noted that:

"In Stolen Legacy an author with a passion for justice
and truth champions a startling thesis with which most
of the little volume's readers--Hellenophiles in
particular--will no doubt strongly disagree. In this
work Professor James dares to contend and labor to
prove, among others, that 'the Greeks were not the
authors of Greek philosophy', that 'so-called Greek
philosophy' was based in the main upon ideas and
concepts which were borrowed without
acknowledgement--indeed 'stolen'--by a few wayward and
dishonest Greeks from the ancient Egyptians."

Stolen Legacy was written during Dr. James' tenure at
the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. As of
today, there is not even a copy of the book in the
University library. There is no statue or bust of Dr.
James on the campus. There is no plaque of Dr. James
adorning the campus walls. There is not even a
certificate to note Dr. James' existence or that he
even lived. This is at an historically Black college!

Dr. James's tragic death, under mysterious
circumstances, reputedly, came shortly after Stolen
Legacy's publication. To date, no significant
biography of James has been presented.

SOURCES:
Stolen Legacy, by George G.M. James
Nile Valley Contributions To Civilization, by Anthony
Browder

The wisdom of the Egyptians was a proverb with the Greeks.......2006-09-09

"The wisdom of the Egyptians was a proverb with the Greeks, who felt themselves children beside this ancient race." Plato, Timaeus, 22B, Quoted from Will Durant, the Story of civilization: I

Egyptian Civilization:
"Historians of philosophy have been wont to begin their story with the Greeks. It may be that we are all mistaken; for among the most ancient fragments left to us by the Egyptians are writings that belong under the rubric of moral philosophy. The Egyptians were the light of the ancient world. They produced many early medical instruments, designed the world's first step pyramid, and laid the empirical groundwork for scientific reasoning. Akhenaton, ..., is cited as "the Father of Monotheism." Eugene Holley Jr.
Gerald Massey's work; 'Book of the Beginnings,' is an essential reading for seekers of a balanced understanding of human origins, religious thought and belief, and the role of Egyptian civilization in world history. Massey, born in England in 1828, was a radical Egyptologist, who maintained that Africa was the source for "the greatest civilization in the world." According to Massey, all evidence cries aloud its proclamation that Africa was the birthplace of the non-articulate and Egypt the mouthpiece of articulate man.

Egyptian Moral Heritage:
Herodotus, has demonstrated that Greece borrowed from Egypt all the elements of her civilization, and that Egypt was the cradle of civilization. "Egypt is the mother of all (the civilized) world," says the popular proverb, to which responded the Late Nobel laureate, Naguib Mahfouz, "Egyptian civilization was beyond any doubt a great culture that encompassed the entire ancient world. The fact that we may have come to know it once more through the mediation of Western explorers and scientists does not make it any less ours. How could it be? It is the heritage of all humanity."
Morally, Ancient Egypt was far ahead of 18th century Europe, as testified by Diodoros (Hellene historian, 1st cent. BC) who specified that Solon had adopted an Egyptian law according to which everybody had to declare the source of their income. In I.79.3 Diodoros specified yet another Solonic law supposed to derive from Egypt, his famous 'Seisachtheia,' "shaking off of debts" according to which a man could not be imprisoned or enslaved for debt. Whether or not Diodoros' claims are correct, has been treated seriously in the 20th century.

Egypt: Greece Alma Matter?
'But now that we have examined these matters, we must enumerate what Greeks, who have won fame for their wisdom and learning, visited in ancient times, in order to become acquainted with its customs and learning. For the priests of Egypt recount from the records of their sacred books that they were visited in early times by Orpheus, Musaeus, Melampus, and Daedalus, also by the poet Homer and Lycurgus of Sparta, later by Solon of Athens and the philosopher Plato, and that there also came Pythagoras of Samos and the mathematician Eudoxus, {note 1} as well as Democritus of Abdera and Oenopides {note 2} of Chios. As evidence for the visits of all these men they point in some cases to their statues and in others to places or buildings {note 3} which bear their names, and they offer proofs from the branch of learning which each one of these men pursued, arguing that all the things for which they were admired among the Greeks were transferred from Egypt. (DIODORUS OF SICILY, C.H. Oldfather, translator, Harvard University Press (Loeb), Cambridge Ma. 1968.)

M. Bernal wrote, "Her (Lefkowitz) general truth is that Greece did not derive any significant part of its civilization from Egypt. In this, she not only flies in the face of Greek and Roman tradition but even goes further than most of her classicist colleagues. For instance, she is extremely doubtful that Plato ever went to Egypt because, she maintains, references to the visit only appear in the late Hellenistic period (1st century BC). However, according to recent scholarship on the issue, the tradition of the journey goes back to Speusippos, Plato's nephew and his successor as head of the Academy." Bernal Review; Not Out of Africa

Stolen Legacy:
"The term Greek philosophy, to begin with, is a misnomer, for there is no such philosophy in existence." is such a harsh statement for Dr. James to start his introduction, and very bold for a book written in 1954 Arkansas. The compatibility of Greek philosophy with Egyptian Wisdom is in intense debate for the last two decades. If Lefkowitz rogues' gallery targeted above all George James (as Bernal stated), it is because they are both polarizing figures, was the reason I acquired the book recently, and attempted to review it.
Over on athena-discuss, Scott A. Simmons wrote, "I would readily grant "tribute" as opposed to "theft", if the "wholesale appropriation" were acknowledged by those whose names now attract credit that is not theirs. If they (Archimedes, Aristotle, Thales, etc.) took from the Egyptians without acknowledging it, then by definition, plagiarism is committed."
Professor William Hansberry reviewed Stolen Legacy in the Journal of Negro Education in 1955, and noted that: "In Stolen Legacy an author with a passion for justice and truth champions a startling thesis with which most of the little volume's readers, Helleno-philes in particular, will no doubt strongly disagree. In this work Professor James dares to contend and labor to prove, among others, that 'the Greeks were not the authors of Greek philosophy', that 'so-called Greek philosophy' was based in the main upon ideas and concepts which were borrowed without acknowledgement, indeed 'stolen,' by a few wayward and dishonest Greeks from the ancient Egyptians."

Dr. George G. M. James:
"Mary Lefkowitz dislikes the whole gamut. ...However, her principal objection is to the 20th century group that ... some refer to as "Nilocentric," ... I too am included in her attacks but her rogues' gallery consists of ..., and above all George G. M. James." Martin Bernal

Dr. George Granville James, son of Reverend Linch James, earned BA, and MA degrees from Durham University in England. He conducted research at London University and did postgraduate work at Columbia University where he read for his Ph.D. James later served as Professor of Logic and Greek at Livingston College in Salisbury, NC, and eventually taught at the University of Arkansas.

The Oxford Encyclopedia Of Ancient Egypt, 3 Volume Set

Average customer rating:

Best Reference Book on Egypt Available
Definitive but poorly presented
Not worth [money] much less 10 times that amount
Wrong Book
Don't be deceived!!!

The Oxford Encyclopedia Of Ancient Egypt, 3 Volume Set
Donald B., Ed. Redford
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0195102347

Book Description

Featuring 600 original articles written by leading scholars, The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt goes far beyond the records of archaeology to make available what we know about the full social, political, religious, cultural and artistic legacy of this 5,000 year civilization. The Encyclopedia offers the most complete picture available of ancient Egyptian civilization, from the predynastic era to its eclipse in the seventh century CE. Here is the Egyptian world in illuminating, accessible detail: art, architecture, religion, language, literature, trade, politics, everyday social life and the culture of the court. Of special interest is the coverage of themes and issues that are particularly controversial--such as the new theories of the origins of complex society in the Nile Valley, new discoveries about Greco-Roman Egypt, and new developments in literature, religion, linguistics and other fields, including the debates about Egypt's African legacy. Extensively illustrated with photographs, line drawings, and maps, the Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt is designed for the widest possible access, serving students, teachers, and scholars in fields ranging from Near East archaeology and classics to ancient art, architecture, history, language and religion, as well as general readers fascinated by a world that remains--even today--incompletely mapped.

Customer Reviews:

Best Reference Book on Egypt Available.......2005-12-16

This is a 3 Volume Encyclopedia and does consist of 1880 pages. It is the most authorative book that the non professional person wanting to learn about Egypt can obtain. Some of the other reviews (1 star) do not make sense to me and they must be talking about some other set of books.

Definitive but poorly presented.......2003-11-03

This is an A-Z of Egyptology which will act as a definitive reference. Two downsides:
1) There is no narrative introduction to the subject, so this Encyclopedia would complement a 'history', but not replace it
2) The photographs are in black and white and are often bad quality: badly focussed, badly lit.

Not worth [money] much less 10 times that amount.......2002-04-30

The problem with this encyclopedia is that it is not encyclopedic in nature. Many topics are not covered (for example, you won't find Hatshepsut's mortuary temple in it), and those that are covered are handled in a very simplistic and abbreviated (not concise, just short) way.

I cannot remember when I was so disappointed in a reference book...maybe never.

Wrong Book.......2002-04-23

There is a problem here - there is an updated version of this book, available elsewhere, which (i) is longer, (ii)has more color photos, and (iii) is about 10% cheaper.

Don't be deceived!!!.......2002-03-29

I just received this book and found that for [your money] you get one 500 page book instead of the full 1600 page set of 3 as stated in the description. Basically, you are not getting what you are paying for. Don't order from here unless you plan on returning it.

The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt (Landmark Books)

Average customer rating:

Not Just Pharaohs--but all of Egypt!
Pharaohs!
An Effective Introduction to Ancient Egypt for Children
a good introduction to Ancient Egypt, for children
Excellent introduction to Egypt!

The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt (Landmark Books)
Elizabeth Payne
Manufacturer: Random House Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0394846990
Release Date: 1981-02-12

Book Description

For more than 3,000 years, Egypt was a great civilization that thrived along the banks of the Nile River. But when its cities crumbled to dust, Egypt’s culture and the secrets of its hieroglyphic writings were
also lost. The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt explains how archaeologists have pieced together their discoveries to slowly reveal the history of Egypt’s people, its pharaohs, and its golden days.

Customer Reviews:

Not Just Pharaohs--but all of Egypt!.......2006-07-11

This book is another Landmark Books success!

Your children and you will learn, not just about Pharaohs, but about Egyptian history as well. The author utilizes stories well in order to draw the reader in and retain his interest. This is no mere book of facts that you will have to drag your children through; I found myself engaged and learning while reading it.

Of course, this is not the FULL history of Egypt, but all the main Pharaoh's and the events surrounding them are covered in detail. I take issue with a few of the assumptions the author presents that have been made by modern Egyptologists, but the error is in our current thinking on Egypt, not the author's work.

(For example, do you really believe that illiterate peasants worked from sunup to sundown and were pleased to do so for Pharaoh--to a man? Or, that modern scholars who have been able to find little evidence from the time period of Cheops know more about the opinion of the ancient Egyptians towards their Pharaoh than the Egyptians themselves did in 50BC?)

Some Pharaohs covered include Cheops, Hatshepsut, Thutmose III, Akhnaton, and Rameses II. Also covered are the times of chaos in between the kingdoms, minor pharaohs and some queens, and times when Egypt was conquered and how this changed their kingdom. Even daily life of ancient Egypt is described within the text, making this an good stand-alone study on Egypt.

Summary: This is an excellent middle-school resource for a study on ancient Egypt that will provide information about most of the main events in a chronological manner. Highly recommended!

Pharaohs!.......2005-08-23

The mythology of Egypt can be fun, but the history is what really draws your attention. A clear part of Egyptian history is her pharaohs, and this book follows the line of ancient pharaohs with adequately-sized sections for each.
If you are looking for specific details this might not be very helpful, but it is very good for reading about the bigger stories.
This is a great book to help start young readers on their road to learning about Ancient Egypt.
A 'must have' for any Egypt-history-lover!

An Effective Introduction to Ancient Egypt for Children.......2001-08-31

Written for children who are independent readers, Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt was, nevertheless, a fascinating introduction to Ancient Egypt for all my children. My younger daughter was in first grade at the time and needed some help with the reading, but the stories themselves were of great interest to her. It was fun for me to see all three of them learn about the Rosetta Stone and other archaeological discoveries, most of which I hadn't learned about until I was well past childhood. It's amazing what children will find interesting when it comes wrapped in a story. Although some may regard the story-telling as somewhat fanciful (obviously we don't really know what most of these people really thought or felt), the author has succeeded in her quest to bring the attention of the reader into the context of the history she describes.

We bought this book along with the Greenleaf Guide to Ancient Eqypt, which listed it as one of its primary texts for children's history. I recommend that book, along Tony Allan's Time Traveller Book of Pharaohs and Pyramids, if you are going to teach your children the history of ancient Egypt. The Greenleaf book helps you organize your children's study with questions and projects (along with recommended resources), while the well-illustrated Time Traveller book helps the children visualize what they're reading about.

a good introduction to Ancient Egypt, for children.......2000-08-30

In this book, the author examines the important discoveries and the pharaohs of Ancient Egypt. She gives a description of the infamous Rosetta Stone, then continues with a brief history of the Ancient Egyptian civilization and religious beliefs. She also reports on the pharaohs and their accomplishments, including those of Akhenaton, Ramesses II, Cheops, Hatshepsut and Thutmose III. An interesting book for children ages 9 to 12.

Excellent introduction to Egypt!.......2000-08-06

This is a wonderful general introduction tot he study of ancient Egypt. Caution: This is really meant for grades 7 and up. The langauge is difficult for younger ones,even as a read-aloud. Also, the first chapter is mostly conjecture about the beginning of civilization in the Nile River Valley. You can skip it. Overall, it is fascinating reading.

Average customer rating:

Social Studies: Ancient Civilizations

Manufacturer: Harcourt School
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0153097892

Mummies Made in Egypt (Reading Rainbow Book)

Average customer rating:

What a fantastic book!
Great!
This was my favorite book as a child.
Good Book - Bad Memories
The Wish to Live Forever

Mummies Made in Egypt (Reading Rainbow Book)

Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0064460118

Book Description

Aliki describes and illustrates the techniques and the reasons for the use of mummification in ancient Egypt.

Customer Reviews:

What a fantastic book!.......2006-04-09

This is a very thorough, entertaining, and informative treatment of the subject of mummies. Illustrations in the book were inspired by ancient Egyptian art. This is a great book to supplement any elemenatary study of Egypt.

Great!.......2006-01-03

What a great book! The author gives really interesting information regarding mummies and how they're made. The illustrations are good too. I liked that the whole book was illustrated without real pictures of mummies as it creeps out my daughter! A great overview of the process the Egyptian priests used to mummify a person.

This was my favorite book as a child........2004-09-19

I must have checked it out a hundred times as a child when I was in elementary school. It is written in a beautiful and colourful comic book form. Yet is also very informitive and filled with interesting information. It gave me a fascination for mummies and ancient cultures that has lasted my whole life. Even the sensitive details are presented in a clinical, illuminating light. I would recommend this to some one of any age who has an interest in or mummies ancient egypt in general.

Good Book - Bad Memories.......2002-06-26

I think the Aliki book explains the true reality of the ancient Egyptains beliefs. I am actually writing this because I was scared of the book. I wouldn't recommend showing this to a child without telling them what to expect. The book explains about the belief involving the many gods (Osiris, Anubis, and Isis are a few) I don't want any child to be scared of the culture, but who would know?

The Wish to Live Forever.......2001-09-01

Kids love mummies, and mine are no exception. As Aliki (the book's author/illustrator) says, "A mummy is a mystery-hidden in layers of ancient bandage, bedecked with priceless jewels." We read Mummies Made in Egypt as part of our Egyptian study when our children were 7, 10 and 11. The back cover (accurately) says the book is written for ages 8 to 12. I have to admit I loved this book as much as my children and learned a lot from it. What's great, as another reviewer has pointed out, is that it's not morbid in any way. It presents the facts, clearly and simply, accompanied by equally simple and clear illustrations. Is there a better children's illustrator than Aliki?

The Orion Mystery: Unlocking the Secrets of the Pyramids

Average customer rating:

good Fiction
Amazingly boring
AMAZING
Interesting but over-wrought
The importance of having purpose.

The Orion Mystery: Unlocking the Secrets of the Pyramids
Robert Bauval , and Adrian Gilbert
Manufacturer: Three Rivers Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0517884542
Release Date: 1995-08-22

Book Description

A revolutionary book that explains the most enigmatic and fascinating wonder of the ancient world: the Pyramids of Egypt. "[An] absorbing and fascinating work of archaeological detection...clearly and rivetingly told...the book is highly and compulsively readable."-- London Sunday Times. 16-page black-and-white inserts.

Customer Reviews:

good Fiction.......2005-06-20

Just like the old Chariots of Gods, his books are very interesting and and entertaining. But please dont think that you are reading a scientific work. Real historical works are not as sexy and entertaining as these books just as real archeologists are not Indiana Joneses.

Amazingly boring.......2005-01-06

Granted, the author got some interesting ideas. But why does he hide them for the most part of the book? About 80% of the book is a repetitive description of different facts, theories and opinions, with the author arguing about "what is not correct", and no clue at what is he getting at. Well, not fare, he gives some clues, but not more. Sometimes it looks like he's got carried away with a need to talk (or write) without any point to deliver.

Again, that's not to say that he does not have any interesting things inside, he certainly has. It's just those interesting things would fit into 20 pages if described without well-known, repetitive and not-so-exciting things.

AMAZING.......2004-06-14

Next to Grahm Hancock, Robert Bauval is the creme de la creme of astro-archeology.

Everything you thought you knew about the pyramids is WRONG.

In the future the work of Bauval and Hancock is the marker that determines our understanding of ancient works like The Great Pyramid.

We are in a 'new age' of understanding our past thanks to the works of geniuses like Bauval and Hancock.

AMAZING

Interesting but over-wrought.......2004-01-12

The story has some very interesting points, some very well researched. But there are some conclusions made which seem illogical and strain plausibility. There are points made which could have simple explanations that have already been offered, yet the authours try to explain them in a different, more circumstancial way, to fit in with their thesis.

There are some very interesting parts and the book contains a large amount of useful information. If you have an open mind (or if you are a conspiracy theorist) there is much too enjoy in this book.

The importance of having purpose........2002-09-16

What was the purpose behind building the pyramids? I know. Why do archeologists feel compelled to drill thru every door leading to secret rooms within pyramids? I know the purpose behind that as well. More importantly I know that unless you wish to end up like Atlantis and every other ancient civilization that being vanished and vanquished you will remove urselves from all juxtapositions against pyramids. Ur better off rock or mountain climbing. Don't tell me I didn't tell u so! Does the book address these issues?

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