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.

Earth Day Birthday (Sharing Nature With Children Book)

Average customer rating:

GREAT!!!!!
A Different Take on a Familiar Song
A beautifully illustrated picture book for young readers
A treasure!

Earth Day Birthday (Sharing Nature With Children Book)
Pattie Schnetzler , and Pattie L. Schnetzler
Manufacturer: Dawn Publications (CA)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Fiction | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1584690542

Book Description

Here is a sing-along, read-along book that honors the animals, the environment, and a universal holiday all in one fresh approach. To the tune of "The Twelve Days of Christmas," appreciate twelve endearing North American species in their natural habitats. Includes suggestions for Earth Day activities. Earth Day is an environmental holiday worthy of celebration every day!

Customer Reviews:

GREAT!!!!!.......2007-05-20

My grandson's birthday is on Earth Day, so what more appropriate could this book be? Each child in his Kindergarten class donates a book to the class on their birthday, so I bought him this book to take to his class. You can not imagine what a hit it has turned out to be. The children read/sing it everyday. The pictures are fantasic and the narrative beautiful. This book rates 5++++ stars!!

A Different Take on a Familiar Song.......2005-11-25

Librarians and teachers looking for a great theme book to share on Earth Day will delight in this one. The lively rhyme may be sung to the tune of The Twelve Days of Christmas. The animals portrayed have all been brought back from the brink of extinction, which proves the effectiveness of conservation programs, and the gentle, detailed illustrations portray a dazzling variety of ecosystems. It will complement any teaching shelf.

A beautifully illustrated picture book for young readers.......2004-05-19

Earth Day Birthday is a beautifully illustrated picture book for young readers, demonstrating the wonder and importance of the planet's varied environment and the amazing creatures who thrive in it. The text by Pattie Schnetzler is patterned after the popular "Twelve Days of Christmas" song; each two-page spread features lavish color illustrations and lyrics such as "On the eighth Earth Day Birthday the wide world gave to me... / Eight cranes a-dancing / six owls a-hooting / five spotted fawns / four salmon leaping / three panthers creeping / two grizzlies sleeping / and a bald eagle in a blue sky." The final two pages offer a brief history and incentive to celebrate Earth Day, as well as the simple music for singing aloud. Wonderfully enhanced with the artwork of Chad Wallace, Earth Day Birthday is a counting book classic to share with preschool and kindergarten age boys and girls.

A treasure!.......2004-03-17

A perfect way to celebrate Earth Day every day for you and your child. Earth Day Birthday shows twelve different species of animals in their natural habitats. The catchy sing-along text combined with the awesome action illustrations truly make this book a treasure!

Average customer rating:

Best of the series
Good but not the best...
Fun Read.
3 and 1/2 stars
Coulter's Best!!

Earth Song
Catherine Coulter
Manufacturer: Signet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0451209273
Release Date: 2003-03-04

Book Description

Third in Catherine Coulter's charming Medieval Song Quartet.

Download Description

Philippa de Beauchamp, as impulsive as she is beautiful, flees her father's castle when she hears she is to be wed to the repellent Baron de Bridgport. But her daring escape in a wool wagon quickly becomes a misadventure, and she winds up in the arms of Dienwald de Fortenberry, a rogue as smooth and bold as Aquitaine wine.

Customer Reviews:

Best of the series.......2006-03-26

This one is the best of the "Song" series - the hero is not a rapist, the heroine isn't dumb, and the plot is actually a bit different from the others. Nice light reading - renews my faith a little in the author.

Good but not the best..........2005-05-10

Ok, let me start out by saying I love CC's work, she is almost my favorite, right behind Judith McNaught! I did enjoy this book, it was a little hard to get into after the first few pages, I like how the girl was so headstrong to do the things she did but it just took too long and there were too many intermediaries in the story. Warrior Song - the first of this series was really good, the best of the series, in my opinion. Earth Song was good, I will probably sell the book and not read it again, it didnt hold me that long for me to read again.

Sorry Ms. Coulter, You are a wonderful writer but this one was a bit lacking. I guess we all have bad days.

Fun Read........2004-08-12

I thought this book was a fun read. I loved the secondary characters and how the whole story unfolded and the many twists and turns it took along the way. Phillipa was a brave girl who had a giving heart and a fire in her spirit. This book was fun to read and kept me on my toes wondering what might come next. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was because of all the fighting between the two characters. I don't mind some fighting, but I don't like it when they are constantly going at it all the time. I just wished everyone didn't make fun of Phillipa's height. It got kind of mean and old after awhile. I believe there is a fine balance and this one just tipped a little too far over to the hostility side. But, don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed this book. There were some real funny and cute parts in it (i.e.my favorite was the mud scene).

3 and 1/2 stars.......2003-03-14

Heroine: extremely tall, solid

Fears of being wed to a loathsome, ancient baron prompt Philippa de Beauchamp to flee her comfortable home. But her impulsive and imprudent act lands her in the clutches of none other than the "Rogue of Cornwall", a man as dangerous as he is gorgeous!

Dienwald de Fortenberry is cursed with the desire to do better by his young son and serfs, but lacks the funds to accomplish his worthy goals. So when a filthy young wench appears in his castle's courtyard insisting that she's a lady-- the daughter of his despised but wealthy neighbor no less, Dienwald believes that deliverance from his financial woes is finally at-hand. All he needs to do is ransom the girl back to her family for an obscene amount of money and all his problems will be solved.

But it will take time for his perfect plan to come together; time that Dienwald may not have because the longer he waits the more opportunities Philippa has to break his head, his heart, or both!

What worked for me:

I've loved medieval stories ever since I discovered King Arthur, Robin Hood, and Ivanhoe, so "Earth Song" gets points from me just for being set in this time period.

There were some wryly humorous lines peppered throughout the book that kept me smiling, and of course it was very nice to see a woman escape from a dire predicament for once without a man swooping in to rescue her.
Size-wise Philippa was very tall and solid and frequently teased about her great height.

What didn't work for me:

I realize that the hero and heroine were thrown together, but still they bickered right up til just about the last page of the book. (And that's a just a wee bit long for my tastes.) Also, there were a few plot elements that were a bit too transparent, and in a handful of places the writing felt stilted, not at all what I expect from a Catherine Coulter novel.

Overall:

Fans of Medievals should enjoy this one, but fans of Ms. Coulter may not find it to be her very best work.

Warning: While it didn't quite cross the line into full-fledged "bodice ripper" territory, "Earth Song" balanced itself precariously on that line. If you are uncomfortable with stories which are less-than-PC, then you may want to give a pass on this one, which tries to be true to the harsh realities of life in Medieval times.

Coulter's Best!!.......2002-10-31

This is one of four SONG books, the last, but it stands on its own very well, and is the best of Coulter's works. It is funny, warm and you really love these characters.

Philippa de Beauchamp, is a long-legged girl, tall as many of her suitors. After her sisters fiancé tries to kiss her, her father says he is going to marry her to the repugnant Baron de Bridgeport. He was merely telling the suitor that, but Phillipa believe it, and decides to escape her fate. She stows away in a waggon full of wool, heading to town. Only the waggons are stolen by one Dienwald de Fortenberry. Dienwald is a self-styled lord of the manor, a rogue, a robber and answers to no one, though he does try to take care of his people. Which is why he was stealing the wool. They are in desperate need of new clothing. What he did not need was the woolly monster that rose up out of the waggon. Once it is cleaned up, he find he has a woman nearly as tall as him, one worth a ransom. So he keeps her prison. However, she takes over the castle. It is a pigsty and she sees it cleaned, she sets about to having the wool spin for cloth, then clothing made for everyone. And she slowly falls in love with Dienwald. Only romance is not smooth!! Especially when he learns that she is the bi-blow daughter of Edward the Longshanks.

This is so wonderful, much in the style of Lynsay Sands engaging & warm historicals. So if you enjoy Lynsay, I highly recommend this to her fans.

Book Description

Tolkien’s poignant epilogue to The Lord of the Rings.

Bilbo’s Last Song is a poem written by Bilbo, hero adventurer of The Hobbit, before he leaves Middle Earth to take a ship to the Undying Lands beyond the sunset, at the end of The Lord of the Rings. The song is both a longing to set forth on his ultimate journey and a tender farewell to friends left behind.

Ship, my ship! I seek the west,
And fields and mountains ever blest.
Farewell to Middle-earth at last,
I see the Star above your mast!!

Stunningly illustrated by Pauline Baynes, a friend of Tolkien’s for many years, her magical, jewel-like paintings depict the journey that brings the ring bearers and the company of elves to The Grey Havens, and the ship that is waiting to take them on their final journey.

Publication will coincide with the release of the second Lord of the Rings movie, The Two Towers.

Customer Reviews:

Satisfying to any Hobbit Fan.......2005-08-03

This smile inducing poem-in-a-picture-book is a chance to return to Middle Earth for something new, shown to us by a loved and familiar character.

I haven't seen this book, but. . ........2004-12-03

I used to have the poem on a poster. In high school I wrote an essay comparing it with Tennyson's "Crossing the Bar"--discussing how they poems were alike and how different. I got an "A" on it, I remember. (Both poems use describe death as a journey over water. While Tennyson seems emotionally detached and passive, expressing only a wish or hope to see the pilot after crossing the bar, the narrator in JRRT's poem is looking forward to the journey.)

Very Disappointing.......2004-03-17

I wanted to purchase this book for my husband's birthday. I went looking for it at a local bookstore after discovering it here on amazon and reading the great reviews - we are both lovers of Tollkien's works. My first reaction was - 'gee, its tiny' - being only slightly bigger than a pocket size book. Then I looked more closely. A hardcover, yes, but nothing spectacular in quality. The pictures are sweet, light and airy, but I expected more. And as for the verse - I also expected there to be more. It is well written, but very brief. Four brief lines of verse on each right-hand page, while the page on the left was an illustration. I didn't stand there and count lines of text, but since there are maybe 24 pages in the book total, that would make it 12 pages of text or 48 short lines of verse in the whole book. It could have been printed on one or two pages and still been surrounded by lovely illustrations.
It's just not worth the money in my book - no pun intended.

the perfect encore.......2003-07-18

This book was one that I stumbled apon in [a local store] as I was browsing the Tolkien area as usual. Since it was a rather short read, I sat down at a table in the back of the store. By the time I reached the last page my heart ached, tears came to my eyes, a smile appeared on my face, and I knew I could never put it back on that shelf. I could truly sense the love Tolkien felt for his Hobbits, and all of their friends. It is the perfect encore to the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. I've enjoyed Bilbo's Last Song so many times since that day that I highly recommend this book to all true Tolkien fans. Ignore the price and buy this wonderful book!

Only for the diehard Tolkien and Baynes collectors.......2003-06-16

Okay, why only two stars?
It cannot be the author, nor the layout or illustrations. The poem itself is lovely, as are the bright illustrations by Tolkien's favourite illustrator - Pauline Baynes.
And that is exactly what one would find attractive in this book: the pictures. One can get the poem anywhere from the Internet and the book has no annotations or notes, apart from pointing each illustration to the according segments of Tolkien's books.
The illustrations would be the only reason, I can imagine, for a moderate Tolkien-enthusiast to buy this booklet. And there lies the problem: it's too expensive.
Sure it's a hardback, with paper most suitable for illustrations, and it is mighty hansom to leaf through. But it's a trifle too small for that price.
Worthy of publishing indeed, and perhaps it's even great to show your kids. But being a Tolkien-collector myself, buying and reading beyond an enthusiast's taste, I was disappointed by this.
I bought it via mail order, which is why I have it at all: would I have seen it in a bookstore, the ridiculous price would have made it stay put. See if you can get it second-hand.

This one gets three stars for the loveliness, minus one for the "all Tolkien-fans say moooh!" attitude.
Two.

Book Description

This collection of Native American quotations, songs, and poems is paired in a handsome, high-quality art book with the classic works of Edward S. Curtis. Convinced he was witnessing an irreversible loss of their cultures, Curtis began traveling the West in the 1890 to photograph members of various tribes. His striking images are a perfect complement to profound observations from Lone Man, Chief Seattle, Mourning Dove, Geronimo, and other wise men and women of the Pawnee, Oglala Sioux, Paiute, Wabanaki Algonquin, and Ojibwa.

Customer Reviews:

Stirring..........2004-01-29

This book is full of stirring images & words & makes a touching addition to your library!

Average customer rating:

Earth's Swan song...
snorefest!
Skim-Worthy
the songs of distant earth
Future utopia

Songs of Distant Earth
Arthur C. Clarke
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0345322401
Release Date: 1987-04-12

Book Description

Thalassa was a paradise above the earth. Its beauty and vast resources seduce its inhabitants into a feeling of perfection. But then the Magellan arrives, carrying with it one million refugees from the last mad days of earth. Paradise looks indeed lost....

Customer Reviews:

Earth's Swan song..........2007-09-27

Lately I have been going through an Arthur C. Clarke phase, I've always been terribly addicted to his books, and The Songs of Distant Earth is by far one of the best yet. It is a very somber tale which concerns the next phase of humanity, as we leave earth behind upon the destruction of the sun and the rest of the solar system, the future of mankind residing within the stars.

The story resolves around one of the new colonies on Thalassa, having been establish for 700 years on an ocean planet, their secluded paradise is soon to change as Magellan, the last ship from earth, arrives in orbit bring with it a million survivors from the last days of earth. Although Magellan are only making a pit stop before continuing onward to their final destination, the 2 years it spends with the Lassans will chage the lives of both cultures forever and will echo down for generations to come...

This is not an action, suspense or thriller, there is no twist or surprise ending, it is just beautiful in every sense. Clarke doesn't only show his prowess with scientific accuracy, he also show a profound understanding of humanity, and even though it is present in most of his works, this book captures a truer, more pure essense of us than ever before.

A brilliant book, both a Swan Song for Earth and a beacon of hope for us as a species, a very moving text.

snorefest!.......2007-01-30

Meandering, amateurish writing with no conflict. Please save yourself the time of reading this unsatisfying book. I kept hoping that all the ideas that were introduced would be developed and paid off, but they never were. as I got later and later in the book, I thought perhaps there was a big surprise ending, but it never arrives! Lots of interesting storylines are started - is there intelligent life on the new planet? Will the starship stay and come into conflict with the native population? Will the legions of sleeping crew awaken? Will any of the crew abandon their mission, or natives stow away on the ship? Will either betrayed lover freak and do something? Will the VOLCANO go off for christ's sake??? Nothing happens!!! The book stomps all over Chekhov's cardinal rule of drama - if you put a shotgun on the wall in the first act, it damn well better go off in the third. There are shotguns everywhere in this book but they remain dusty relics that add nothing but frustration to the experience of the reader.

The love story is laughably dry, even though it should be a tension-filled shifting love triangle. You don't read about any of it happening as it develops. You just get boring, lifeless updates after the fact. I didn't care about any of the characters - none of them have any goals, they aren't developed beyond the most rudimentary descriptors, and you don't see them make any compelling choices, again we're just told about their actions after the fact in the most boring, lifeless terms.

The discussions of religion are amusing in moments, but on the whole pretty uncontroversial. Although the way it's written, you can tell Clarke THINKS he's blowing your mind. Maybe for some people it's earth-shattering (ha-ha), but again, even if they're good ideas, there's no reason to care about the ideas, because there's nothing at stake, i.e. no story.

seriously, there's no story. for a moment mutiny is threatened, but it goes away after a polite meeting and one slightly interesting but totally perfunctory interrogation. i mean it, that's IT. the love triangle goes nowhere. one character dies in a tidal wave and even THAT is completely undramatic, and he's brought back to life in a completely routine way on the next page. yawn! seriously. don't read it.

instead, if you haven't already, check out Childhood's End, another Clarke novel, which is completely brilliant. It has good ideas AND a story, complete with conflict, tension and characters you actually care about. it's still very cerebral, but in a way that works, unlike Songs of Distant Earth.

Even the title never pays off in the way you want it to. The starship brings with it all the artwork, literature and music of obliterated earth, and there's concern over how this influx of information will impact the young civilization. but then you never see any impact. there's one very mundane concert at the very end with no aftermath, good or bad! although the setup is there for some fascinating conflicts it just never pays off. kind of like the rest of the book. very disappointing.

Skim-Worthy.......2006-08-23

As in the equal of the film on top of milk.

There's a great premise here, of the destruction of Earth, and the meeting of remnant colonies from different eras. Not original, but a great premise nonetheless. However, the greatness of the premise only magnifies the tragedy of the novel development. Or rather, the lack thereof. For there is no real development here. It was incredibly disappointing. All of the answers you hope for are not included- in fact there are an increasing number of questions raised in the book. It is like the TV show Lost, if there was never a second season. It is as if Clarke came up with the first half of the book and forgot to finish it.

This book is filled with long, drawn out romances that are neither interesting nor relevant. It is incredibly anti-Theist, seeking to attack any idea or person who is stupid enough to believe in a god. All this is ignorable if only it had a semblance of a plot; if events progressed, and the storyline completed. It doesn't.

the songs of distant earth.......2006-08-11

clarke imagines a splendid future for the human race in this novel. thousands of years in the future, the final ship from doomed earth makes a stop at an old earth colony, now a culture in its own right, on its way into the unknown. the inhabitants of the world and the passengers on the ship intermix, making a fascinating blend of the old and the new.
this is a thoroughly enjoyable book. thalassa is a wonderfully drawn paradise. the thalassans still retain enough 'flaws' in their 'humanity' to be immediately reconcilable with humans both today and from that time in the future. the science that is sprinkled through the work is not overbearing and in no way upsets the flow of the story. the 'non-issue' of sexuality adds to the characters, as does clarke's mature views on love. the only stumbling block may be one or two passages on religion that approach the title of 'rant'. but, they are easily forgiven in view of such an inspiring story of human evolution.

Future utopia.......2006-07-16

Earth is about to be destroyed by our Sun that is going nova and humanity must explore the outreaches of the galaxy and reseed alien planets with test tube babies and their robotic handmaidens.

Clarke explores the limits of traveling throughout the galaxy and the limits of our technology; there is no magic faster than light (FTL) drives. Seed ships are sent in the 25th century arriving at their destination hundreds of years later traveling at a respectable fifth of the speed of light. These ships are sent to other worlds with a partial history of Earth for it's future inhabitants. The nadir of humanity is erased; wars, religion, guns and violence are eradicated from the archives for the future inhabitants.

The new inhabitants of the seeded Thalassa (one of many seeded planets) are a modern day Eden. Humanity's future on Thalassa is not beset with violence or wars, sexuality is open and permissible and people are generally happy. One thousand years hence the Lassans are visited by the last ship leaving Earth after it's destruction for a refueling mission before going on to their new home planet Sagan II

This book is quite good for a number of reasons, the first being the realistic portrayal of spaceships and the limits of technology; how will humans travel in the future? The second is Clarke's diatribe against religion, guns, and repressed sexuality on Earth. The only problem with the book was its length; I wish it were a lot longer. Another great book for one of our greatest science fiction writers

Average customer rating:

Loved this book after reading Song of the Axe
Song of the Earth
Romantic fiction but poor history.
You better be really bored....
Fine storytelling

Song of the Earth
John R. Dann
Manufacturer: Forge Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0765311933
Release Date: 2004-12-23

Book Description

In John R. Dann's thrilling and romantic prehistoric saga, Song of the Axe, the tribe's chieftain was called Grae, after a famous ancestor. Now Dann returns to tell the saga of the wanderings of one prehistoric tribal family over several generations, always led by that famous, original Grae, and by his children. The powerful daughters of River Woman saved young Grae from a flooded river after a volcano erupted and destroyed their tribal home. Then they made him chief, but that's almost the last thing they agree on before the tribe splinters.Grae leads the main group out of Africa ever northward, into central and eastern Europe, always searching for safety and a better life. Challenged by truly monstrous evil tribes, but guided by spirits, they survive. It takes three generations, and three chieftains named Grae, before the tribe comes to rest. Their story is an adventure on the grandest scale, full of dangers, romance, and beguiling mystery in an exotic setting. A rich and complex story told with simplicity, authenticity, and vigor, Song of the Earth is a worthy companion to Song of the Axe.

Customer Reviews:

Loved this book after reading Song of the Axe.......2007-07-14

I love to read all types of books, and happened to come across this one and Song of the Axe at the library. It is recommended to read Song of the Axe first. I read that one and could hardly put it down, then followed with Song of the Earth. It is a real treat to have questions answered from reading the Song of the Axe. It goes back in time several generations, explaining how the tribes evolved and split and in some cases, met again. Interesting is how they developed new words, tools, and traditions. I don't know how it is if you approach ths from purely a historic view, but if you want a terrific set of books for entertainment and a unique perspective, you may very much enjoy these. It is enlightening to read how these early people used instinct, creativity and trial/error to survive. I am just hoping there are more than these two books that tell of these specific tribes.

Song of the Earth.......2007-04-12

If one likes history from what thinks might have occurred at the beginning of time this book is for you. You may not believe what happens with the prose, but it will make think. What is better then the making up your own mind?

Romantic fiction but poor history........2006-03-16

I tend to agree with your first reviewer as to the "Adam and Eve"
features of this novel.
It is quite readable and fast paced, but its picture of 30,000 BCE
is "way off base" by the standards of modern knowledge.
As far as I can find there is no trace whatever of the "wide men"
(Neanderthals) in Africa.
There is no indication of Neanderthal stupidity, savagery and endemic canibalism ( they had bigger brains than Homo Sapiens sapiens).
"Modern man" dates back far beyond 30,000 years even according to the somewhat discredited "Eve" hypothesis.
For example Australia was actually settled as early as 80,000 BCE
by the Aboriginals, who are effectively modern man biologically.
As to the protagonists inventing clothing for the first time as recently as then, well that is farcical.
Neanderthals in Europe were living on the edge of the ice sheets for a whole ice age before then!
Perhaps they were very hairy indeed!!!
Over all the cover very much sums up the book.
Jean Auel did a much better job, especially in her later books.
Eurokiwi

You better be really bored...........2006-02-17

It began nicely with a grandmother telling the story of how it began in their tribe. I contributed the fact that it was being told by another character to reason for the quick pace of the story and the lame language. The story continued though with mild language in the simplest of forms. The story was very faced paced and could easily be noticed that a man wrote this book. The entire village located in a paradise where killing was not necessary and everyone ran around naked and had sex whenever and with whomever they wanted and jealousy was never an issue. The entire village was soon destroyed by a natural catastrophe and all that remained was one boy and seven women, all who were sisters. Each woman paired with him and each had children. It had the whole Adam and Eve thing going on which is completely wrong for the type of book that it is. This is way before Christianity and like beliefs. It was a time of spirits and earthen ways. Within the first 50 pages every woman had already birthed a child. Without problems, the people learned to hunt and quickly developed new words. They learned quickly to develop knives without painstaking labor and frustration. There were hardly any conflicts that the people of the story didn't quickly overcome. The story flowed so swiftly that before I read even 100 pages most of the children were grown. No personalities were developed very well. The Arthur told you who it was and that was it. There was no beneath the surface look at the characters. To put it simply, the story was very blah. The story ran too quickly to get an idea of the surroundings and the events happening around them so you could never step inside and really become part of the story. I had to put it down and find something else. Maybe it gets better I don't know. I will probably go back to it when I have ran out of other prehistorically fictions to read. Try a Charlotte Prentiss, Jean M. Auel, Sue Harrison, Linda Lay Shueler, or a Gear's couple book, William Sarabande or see one of the other books in my reviews. This one is definitely one of the worst ones I have read. It would have been better if the author took its time developing the surroundings, characters and the events so that the reader could visualize it. This book could have lengthened itself to several books, which would have made it much better in my opinion.

Fine storytelling.......2004-11-16

Circa 30,000 BC (plus or minus a millennium or two as only word of mouth records handed down by generational storytellers exist) the Young Grae became a great chieftain due to Erida at his side (see SONG OF THE AXE). His father Eagle needed Flower and his grandfather Old Grae had the seven daughters of River Woman to aid him.

The seven sisters, sired by different men, were the only friends of the weird looking and constant jabbering Old Grae when he was a child. Having learned to swim when their mom tossed them into the nearby river, the sisters saved Old Grae when a volcano destroyed their Eden and almost led to his drowning.

The tribe splinters with Old Grae taking one group with him that includes three of the magnificent seven (Spirit Dancer mother to Eagle, Sun Hair, and Lilith) on an Exodus through the wilderness guided by spirits talking to him. As three consecutive generations wander northward, they battle with tyrannical tribes threatening their existence. Old Grae never sees the promised land, but his ancestry the Tribe of Grae continue the quest seeking a land of milk and honey to call home

This prequel is a terrific look at prehistorical society done with a biblical context. The story line grips the reader who obtains a deep look at the wandering tribe's struggle to survive in a harsh environment. The biblical references add an odd intriguing spin, but also slow down the action when enhanced by insightful anthropological concepts on wandering life in 30,000 BC. Still fans will believe that Old Grae, his peers and his ancestors existed in ironically a well written prehistory tale.

Harriet Klausner

Average customer rating:

Beautiful artwork, moving text
The Song of the Sea.

The Song of the Sea

Manufacturer: Harvest House Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Gifts | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Inspirational | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0736901183

Book Description

As a seashell held to the ear, D. Morganâ€™s vibrant prose and paintings transport the rhythm and serenity of the sea to oneâ€™s heart. Moments spent among images of beaches, lighthouses, and gifts of the tide and the gentle current of musings by famous writers will carry you to the splendor of creationâ€™s shore.

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful artwork, moving text.......2004-05-23

This beautiful publication is emotionally inspiring. My family liked it enough to buy extra copies for distant friends who love the sea.

The Song of the Sea........2000-07-26

The Song of the Sea was a wonderfully uplifting book. If you love the ocean and feel a strong pull to the crashing surf, you'll love to sit a read over these thought provoking quotes and beautiful illustrations. I first saw this book at a Bed and Breakfast on a coastal island and had to come home and order it for myself. I know the pages will help me get through till I can go back to the sea myself.

Average customer rating:

The Song of the Earth
'ecocriticism' comes of age

The Song of the Earth
Jonathan Bate
Manufacturer: Harvard University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Conservation | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

General | Conservation | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0674008189

Book Description

As we enter a new millennium ruled by technology, will poetry still matter? The Song of the Earth answers eloquently in the affirmative. A book about our growing alienation from nature, it is also a brilliant meditation on the capacity of the writer to bring us back to earth, our home.

In the first ecological reading of English literature, Jonathan Bate traces the distinctions among "nature," "culture," and "environment" and shows how their meanings have changed since their appearance in the literature of the eighteenth century. An intricate interweaving of climatic, topographical, and political elements poetically deployed, his book ranges from greenhouses in Jane Austen's novels to fruit bats in the poetry of Les Murray, by way of Thomas Hardy's woodlands, Dr. Frankenstein's Creature, John Clare's birds' nests, Wordsworth's rivers, Byron's bear, and an early nineteenth-century novel about an orangutan who stands for Parliament. Though grounded in the English Romantic tradition, the book also explores American, Central European, and Caribbean poets and engages theoretically with Rousseau, Adorno, Bachelard, and especially Heidegger.

The model for an innovative and sophisticated new "ecopoetics," The Song of the Earth is at once an essential history of environmental consciousness and an impassioned argument for the necessity of literature in a time of ecological crisis.

Customer Reviews:

The Song of the Earth.......2007-06-08

This is probably the best book I've read all year. As an English teacher, I appreciate Bate's literary sensibility, and as a citizen of the earth, I value his insights into our environment. I have recommended this book to every intelligent person I know.

'ecocriticism' comes of age.......2001-02-06

Jonathan Bate's short book, 'Romantic Ecology'(1991) was a landmark in literary ecocriticism. In 'The Song of the Earth' Bate has developed his theme further and in doing so has produced an instant classic.

The purpose of the book is to show how poetry is not only relevant but necessary in an age of increasing environmental unease. It is a manifesto for the urgency of 'ecopoetics'. Bate writes: 'This is a book about why poetry continues to matter as we enter a new millennium that will be ruled by technology. It is a book about modern western man's alienation from nature. It is about the capacity of the writer to restore us to the earth which is our home' (vii)

Chapters are as follows: 1. Going, Going 2. The State of Nature 3. A Voice for Ariel 4. Major Weather 5. The Picturesque Environment 6. Nests, Shell, Landmarks 7. Poets, Apes and Other Animals 8. The Place of Poetry 9. What are Poets For?

My favourite chapter is 'Major Weather' which, in some quite startling and original ways, charts the influence of climate on writing . The centre piece of the chapter is a reading of Keat's 'Ode to Autumn' as a 'weather poem', resembling 'a well-regulated ecosystem'. For Bate, the ode 'is not an escapist fantasy which turns its back on the ruptures of Regency culture, as late twentieth century criticism tended to suggest. No: it is a meditation on how human culture can only function through links and reciprocal relations with nature.'(103-4). I learned 'Ode to Autumn' as a schoolchild, and it has always stayed with me. Now I see eloquently expressed the reasons for its significance to me.

Bate has set himself a difficult but worthy task, to argue for poetry as 'the place where we save the earth', that if culture is the cause of environmental destruction it can also be its remedy. This, then, is a book that should be read by everyone with an interest in literature, by everyone with an interest in the continuation of life on the planet.

Average customer rating:

A superb resource for broadening spiritual depth

Seven Songs of Creation: Liturgies for Celebrating and Healing Earth : An Earth Bible Resource

Manufacturer: Pilgrim Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Preaching | Ministry & Church Leadership | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Devotionals | Worship & Devotion | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Ritual | Other Practices | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Devotionals | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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Readings from the Perspective of Earth (The Earth Bible Series)

The Earth Story in Psalms and Prophets (The Earth Bible, 4)

Earth Story in Genesis (The Earth Bible Series)

The Earth Story in the New Testament (The Earth Bible, Volume 5)

Leaving Church: A Memoir of Faith

ASIN: 0829815937

Customer Reviews:

A superb resource for broadening spiritual depth .......2004-11-05

Written by the chief editor of the Earth Bible Project, Seven Songs of Creation: Liturgies for Celebrating and Healing Earth is a resource intended to help worshipping communities develop liturgies to revere, honor, love, and serve Earth. Seven Songs of Creation is not meant to make the Earth the theme of worship, but rather to forge a way of worshiping God and Jesus Christ that takes into account the wonder and miracle of all living things. Song of Sanctuary, Earth, Sky, Waters, Sophia, Life, and Healing are presented in full musical notation, along with hymns, alternative prayers, litanies, blessings, confessions, reflections, and special text for celebrating the Eucharist. Especially meant to fuse reverence for God's natural creations with Christian service, Seven Songs of Creation is a superb resource for broadening spiritual depth and awakening the awareness of one's congregation.

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