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.

Irish Blessings: A Photographic Celebration (Irish Blessings)

Average customer rating:

A Celebration of Ireland
Beautiful and Charming
A Photo Collection Of Great Interest
A Beautiful Coffee Table Book...

Irish Blessings: A Photographic Celebration (Irish Blessings)
Ashley Shannon
Manufacturer: Running Press Book Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Collections, Catalogues & Exhibitions | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Nature & Wildlife | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Photo Essays | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Inspirational & Religious | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Pets | Home & Garden | Bargain Books | Stores | Books

Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Bargain Books | Stores | Books

Travel | Bargain Books | Stores | Books

Photography | Arts & Photography | Bargain Books | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Ireland: A Photographic Tour
The Most Beautiful Villages of Ireland
Ireland: History, Culture, People
Spectacular Ireland
Irish Blessings

ASIN: 0762404787

Customer Reviews:

A Celebration of Ireland.......2007-02-26

This wonderful volume matches a gallery of photographs that truly capture the beauty of Ireland with a collection of blessings attributed to Irish saints, songwriters, poets, and Irish custom. The effect of the collection is both moving and comforting, especially to those who have been fortunate enough to experience Ireland first hand.

The photography heavily favors the wild and undeveloped Western part of Ireland; visitors may recognize scenes from the Dingle Peninsula and the Killarny area, among others. The blessings are a celebration of Irish spirituality; quotes from early Irish Christians mingle with customary blessings and songs and items from popular Irish writers. They together are an invocation to remember the simple and important things in life.

This book is highly recommended to the reader familar with Ireland and with its spirituality.

Beautiful and Charming.......2001-11-14

This is a Wonderful book! The pictures are very beautiful, vivid!
And the verses are lovely...I am just thrilled to have bought a copy. Our Public Library even ordered a copy after having looked through mine. Outstanding!! Truly.

A Photo Collection Of Great Interest.......2001-02-22

I lived in London for two years a decade ago and so had the opportunity to travel extensively through the stunning countryside of England and Scotland. I never made it to Ireland however and so purchased Irish Blessings in order to have a good look at what I missed. TOO MUCH!

This collection of photographs was taken from a number of different sources. It is a lovely, well-assembled collection indeed and many of the plates are of a very high quality. All are of interest.

The book is broken up into three distinct parts with the first concentrating on the land itself. The second part, "...Home And Hearth," includes numerous shots of both the interior of Irish dwellings and photographs of a diverse sampling of buildings, often in sumptuous settings. The final segment of Irish Blessings is devoted to means of travel about the country which includes photographs of boats by the sea, rivers, roads through the countryside, and the odd bicycle or two propped up against a wooden covered bridge or a village pub waiting to provide simple transport to their owners.

There are not many people represented in the collection but photographs of animals that are integral to Irish country life are ubiquitous . One photo of a dog lazily resting upon the back of a horse is devine. And a picture of a cow atop a wondrous stone wall abutting the sea offers a unique, special image.

The photographs in this portfolio are matched with Irish verse and song. That is a nice idea but I only wish that a bit of text which conveyed something about the locations depicted had been included as well. As it stands, there is no way to know where in Ireland each photograph was taken unless one was very familiar with the country beforehand. A small problem perhaps, in an offering of great beauty and spirit.

A Beautiful Coffee Table Book..........2000-06-17

I guess I'm partial to Irish things, but I think this is a beautiful book. Pages are split between pictures...landscapes, buildings, homes, and text... Irish blessings (May the road rise to meet you...etc.) and Irish poets. Not a book to read staight through, but a great display book for you and guests to thumb through during idle moments.

Jack and the Leprechaun (Pictureback(R))

Average customer rating:

Great book
Cute Story!
A Wonderful Wee Book for St. Patrick's Day.
Jack and the Leprechaun review
Fun for St. Patrick's Day

Jack and the Leprechaun (Pictureback(R))
Ivan Robertson
Manufacturer: Random House Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Picture Books | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

It's St. Patrick's Day (Scholastic Readers)
Tim O'Toole and the Wee Folk (Picture Puffins)
St. Patrick's Day in the Morning (Clarion Books)
Hooray for St. Patrick's Day! (Lift-the-Flap, Puffin)
That's What Leprechauns Do

ASIN: 0375803289
Release Date: 2000-01-25

Book Description

It's St. Patrick's Day, and Jack Mouse is visiting his cousin Sean in Ireland. Sean tells Jack about the myth of leprechauns, and Jack is determined to catch one for himself! Children will delight in learning about Irish folk tales and traditions and the customs of St. Patrick's Day in this brand-new Pictureback®.

Customer Reviews:

Great book.......2007-04-06

My son's name is Liam so he LOVED reading about Liam the Leprechaun. It kept his interest and the illustrations were great. We read this book several times a night for days!

Cute Story!.......2007-03-19

Ivan Robertson writes a delightful yarn about Irish customs and folklore. The story mentions Gaelic, the oldest language in Ireland, the oak club called a shillelagh, and the importance of the three-leaf clover. The 24-page book is recommended for children 3 to 7 years, which I think is appropriate for the age group. The text is easy to read, and doesn't bite off more than it can chew like many works attempt to do.

Jack and the Leprechaun is illustrated in watercolor, which is bright and cheerful and bursting with details. One could literally spend an hour looking at all the fine points painted into the scenes. The only inharmonious feature of the book is Katy Bratun's version of the Irish flag. The Irish flag is green, white, and orange not orange, white, and orange. Most readers won't notice such minutia, but it is curious with all the research required for this work, the illustrator got it wrong. I only spotted it because I have a bit of Irish in me.

My son, William, is currently into leprechauns, and it's no wonder with his beautiful red hair, and traditional name. He's taking a liking to Jack and the Leprechaun I think mostly because Liam is short for William, and everybody knows leprechauns have red hair. Somehow at five, I think it's okay to identify with the fairies even though their fabled creatures. Had I known when I purchased this book that there were so many well-written leprechaun stories, I surely would have settled on another. Although, considering the economical price, it's hard to be critical.

A Wonderful Wee Book for St. Patrick's Day........2006-05-13

There is no excuse for not buying this book if you are looking for a way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day with your child. The paperback is very inexpensive and as such one might think it doesn't have much to offer but it does.

Ivan Robertson managed to write a cute story of a leprechaun while packing a lot of Irish culture and history into this little book. For instance we learn about the date and type of celebration one has in Ireland, what a shillelagh (shaw lay lee) is, what "Cead mile failte" (cade meela fall-cha) expresses, that Gaelic is their oldest language, why shamrocks are important, that green is the national color of Ireland, soda bread is traditional, and "Danny Boy" is a song special to the Country.

Katy Braun's illustrations are fun, festive, and green. This is the best St. Patrick's day book I have found so far for my wee lass.

Jack and the Leprechaun review.......2006-03-31

This is a cute inexpensive St. Patrick's Day book. Jack helps his cousin Sean, but also looks for Liam the Leprechaun. M

Fun for St. Patrick's Day.......2006-03-24

Read this to a first grade class. Lots of sights of how St. Patrick's Day is celebrated in Ireland: parade, special food, a family gathering. The children liked the added feature that it was a mystery to guess what the mice received at the end of the book.

Ecological Imperialism: The Biological Expansion of Europe, 9001900 (Canto)

Average customer rating:

Comparison With Guns, Germs, and Steel
Interesting Theory
A landmark (but dated) study on the ecological dimension of European expansion
Book Review: "Ecological Imperialism"
Triumph of the pig, the rat, the dandelion, the smallpox virus... and the European humans who gave them a ride across the ocean

Ecological Imperialism: The Biological Expansion of Europe, 9001900 (Canto)
Alfred W. Crosby
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

New Zealand | Australia & Oceania | History | Subjects | Books

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Human Geography | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

Changes in the Land, Revised Edition: Indians, Colonists, and the Ecology of New England
Something New Under the Sun: An Environmental History of the Twentieth-Century World (Global Century Series)
Plagues and Peoples
Worlds of History: A Comparative Reader, Volume One: To 1550
Sweetness and Power: The Place of Sugar in Modern History

ASIN: 0521456908

Book Description

People of European descent form the bulk of the population in most of the temperate zones of the world - North America, Australia and New Zealand. The military successes of European imperialism are easy to explain; in many cases they were a matter of firearms against spears. But as Alfred Crosby explains in his highly original and fascinating book, the Europeansâ€™ displacement and replacement of the native peoples in the temperate zones was more a matter of biology than of military conquest.

Customer Reviews:

Comparison With Guns, Germs, and Steel.......2007-10-04

In the first sentence of the prologue, Alfred Crosby defines his thesis for this book. He says: "European emigrants and their descendants are all over the place, which requires explanation." It is an interesting statement to ponder and an even more interesting one to answer. Crosby does so in a very readable, sometimes humorous style and with convincing arguments. Originally published in 1986, this has become a classic for those studying or just interested in environmental history. He delves into the subjects of not only the migrations of people, but also their animals, domesticated plants and diseases. Does this sound at all familiar? Jared Diamond took up the same subject in his Pulitzer Prize winning book, Guns, Germs, and Steel. One can't but help but compare them.

The first question to ask is Diamond's book is so popular and Crosby's not so well known? After all, Ecological Imperialism also won an award, the 1987 Ralph Waldo Emerson Prize given by Phi Beta Kappa, and justifiably so. It is solid scholarship presented in a manner accessible to anyone interested enough to pick up the book. In fact, I found it much more readable than Diamond's book, which presents so much information, it is a little hard to take it all in. Diamond expands upon several of Crosby's assertions--that not only the people from Europe successfully invaded the New World, but so did their plants, animals and germs.

A part of the history of the European invasions (or Neo-Europes as Crosby defines them) which Diamond does not cover are the attempts to settle in a new land that failed. Chapter 3 entitled The Norse and the Crusaders takes an interesting look at why the initial Norse settlements in "Vinland" did not work, and why the attempt to conquer the Holy Land for Christianity failed. In the first instance, the Norsemen came to Vinland, or what is today Newfoundland by way of Greenland, not directly from Norway. Their boats were not seaworthy enough to have made the journey directly across the Atlantic Ocean. Thus when the settlement in Greenland withered and died, so did the connection with Vinland. Crosby points out that ironically, because of the viability of the land, Vinland could have supported the colony in Greenland, but it was not possible the other way around.

These failures helped set the stage for what was to become one of the most important changes in human and ecological history. Crosby tells this story with interest and ease. Why then, has Diamond's book been so popular as opposed to Crosby's? Diamond's contains a lot more detailed information, although in my opinion this makes it more difficult to read. Diamond may have been more well known, having won the MacArthur Foundation fellowship prior to the publication of his book. But it may have been a matter of timing--the public was more interested in the topic at the time of publication, but probably there was also just some amount of sheer luck. Whatever the reason, you won't regret the time you spend with Crosby. It is a thought provoking and interesting read.

Interesting Theory.......2007-01-22

"Ecological Imperialism: The Biological Expansion Of Europe, 900-1900"
by Alfred W. Crosby. Cambridge University Press, 1986.
The implication of this book's theory is that the Europeans succeeded in the "New" World due to the imperialistic strength of European flora and fauna. European cattle and European horses conquered the plains of both North America and Argentina, making them "neo-Europes". When Columbus introduced the pig, (either inadvertently or consciously), he knew that that the porcine animal species would "conquer" their local environment. The author's excellent writing follows this theme throughout his book, but, in my opinion, he spends too much time on New Zealand ... pages 217 to 268.

Yet, if the author's thesis is correct, the book becomes a disparaging comment on human efforts. For example, compare the Pilgrims' landing in 1620 with the landing of Hernando De Cortez (1485-1547) at Vera Cruz in 1519. The Pilgrims snuck ashore, onto that Rock in Plymouth, on a cold winter's day. There was no one to meet them, as the locals (or "indigenes" as Crosby likes to call them) had all been killed off by strange and new diseases. The diseases were probably brought over by Englishmen; otherwise where did Squanto, the Indian chief, learn his rudimentary English? (Just as my aside, if the Scots, who first settled in Ulster, Ireland and then came to North America, are known as Scots-Irish, why weren't the Pilgrims known as "Anglo-Dutch"?)

In February 1519, more than a century before the Pilgrims, Hernando De Cortez landed at the Rich Villa of the Holy Cross, Vera Cruz, with some 500-600 men, to face not thousands, but hundreds of thousands. To instill courage in his men, Cortez burnt his boats. The Spanish had to go forward and they conquered an empire. On the other hand the Pilgrims occupied a dead village. In both cases, European diseases were the deciding factor, but the achievement of either group was entirely different. Crosby's book treats them as if they were equal.

I believe that Alfred W. Crosby has hit on something that bears further investigation. In the late summer of 2004, I attended a wedding in Slovenia. As we drove through Germany, I noticed goldenrod by the sides of the corn fields. I asked and I was told that goldenrod was introduced as a flowering plant but was not doing so well in Europe. I wonder if Crosby's thesis was borne out by the lack of success of goldenrod ...and other American plants? Don't get me wrong: since I am allergic to goldenrod, I am happy it was NOT successful in German farm fields, but why?

A landmark (but dated) study on the ecological dimension of European expansion.......2006-07-16

Alfred Crosby is widely credited for popularising the ecological dimension of the history of imperial expansion. For this reason, and perhaps this reason alone, his book is worth a read.

The book, first published in 1986, revolutionised the way we think about European imperial expansion into the New World. How a few hundred disoriented Europeans armed with spears and misfiring guns managed to overwhelm entire Inca and Aztec civilisations in the early sixteenth century, for example. Crosby convincingly casts aside traditional political or military explanations by attributing the astonishing Portuguese and Spanish victories to bacteriology: how diseases such as smallpox and measles that the Europeans unwittingly carried with them wiped out thousands of New World inhabitants, severely crippling their defences.

The larger point that Crosby drives across is a profound one. Historical events - in this case, European expansion and imperialism - can be explained predominantly by ecological factors. In the clash of `biotas' between the Old and the New World, the Old World won. Convincingly. Hence the presence not just of Europeans in the Americas, but also of pigs and dandelions. According to this thesis, ecology shaped European expansion; creating `Neo-Europes' in the New World that facilitated European migration, precipitating the `Caucasian wave' from the 1820s to the 1930s. Unlike in most other histories, in Crosby's ecological history, humans form the backdrop and inexorable ecological forces take centre-stage.

Refreshing as this perspective is, the way that Crosby has rendered it is problematic in on a number of accounts. By excluding humans from the picture; or at best relegating human developments to the sidelines, Crosby emerges with a dangerously reductive picture of historical development. Deterministic ecological explanations cannot alone account for European expansion - after all, we must not forget that the first European transoceanic voyages were motivated by curiosity rather than necessity. More problematic is the book's implicit assumption that ecological influence was unidirectional. In concentrating on explicating the Old World's ecological victory over the New, Crosby neglects to examine the influence that New World ecology had on the Old.

Nonetheless, Crosby's work remains a landmark study that deserves a read. Moreover, it packs a punch as a piece of writing - its lucid narratives and provocative assertions laid out with the bold and elegant strokes of a master-artist. Yet Crosby's work is also increasingly a dated study that has been qualified over and over by new works in the field, or in the related field of environmental history. Those interested in the subject should by no means stop at Crosby's book.

Book Review: "Ecological Imperialism" .......2006-04-10

Book Review: "Ecological Imperialism"
In his book, Ecological Imperialism: The Biological Expansion of Europe, 900-1900, Alfred W. Crosby investigates the roots of European domination over the western world. He calls the places where early Europeans settled "Neo-Europes" with special emphasis on North and South America , Australia , and New Zealand . In his prologue he ponders whether Europeans dominated their environment and other cultures because of their technology, or whether the consistent "success of European imperialism has a biological, [and] an ecological, component.". Crosby 's thesis is that Europeans were successful imperialists because wherever they went their agriculture and animals thrived; and the indigenous populations and local ecosystems collapsed under their biological advance.
Crosby begins at the beginning, discussing the one big continent, Pangaea, supposed to have existed in pre-history and the slow development of life forms other than reptilian, in particular Homo sapiens. The break up of Pangaea (this hypothetical super-continent) caused the "the decentralization of the process of evolution," that is, when the land cracked apart flora and fauna were spilt between the newly created continents. That continental split is the reason similar species are found in Europe and North America.
Eventually Crosby brings the reader up to the end of the Ice Age. Ten thousand years ago humans were exploring the islands of the Eastern Atlantic including Australia . Once on these islands humans domesticated plants, piled up mounds of garbage, spread disease, and hunted animals into extinction. Normally the despoilment of indigenous flora and fauna occurs over tens of thousands of years. In locations where humans arrived with mature hunting skills a sudden extinction of local plant and animal life occurred. These sudden prehistoric, or Pleistocene, overkills were the first concentrated impact humans had on virgin ecosystems.
The virgin ecosystem of Porto Santo Island was the destination of Portuguese settlers during the 1400s. Porto Santo Island was completely uninhabited and filled with untouched flora and fauna. One Portuguese ship captain brought a mother rabbit and her babies to the island. The rabbits loved Porto Santo and thrived in the island environment. So much so that soon the settlers were blasting away at the rabbits in an attempt to exterminate the entire local rabbit population. It seems the rabbits could not determine the difference between the crops meant for human consumption and the crops meant for bunny consumption. The rabbits won in this instance and for a time the settlers moved elsewhere, "defeated by their own ecological ignorance."
The experience of Spanish invaders in the Canaries showed them that no matter where they went, even if they could not out-fight their opponents, Europeans could dominate their enemies anyway. "In all these [new] places, the newcomers would conquer the human populations and Europeanize entire ecosystems." The Spanish learned from their experiences in the Canaries that their livestock and crops would succeed in these new environments; they also learned they could easily defeat the local natives without traditional warfare. The various "plagues" and "sleeping sicknesses," which the Spanish called peste and modorra, killed off and weakened natives who had no natural immunity to ailments common to the Spanish. In essence, sore throats and colds were the winning weapons of the conquerors; it was the flu that subjugated the Canaries.
The unfortunate natives of the Canary Islands , the Guanches, did not survive their meeting with the Spanish sailors. These previously isolated people died rapidly from dysentery, pneumonia, and venereal disease. According to Crosby "few experiences are as dangerous to a people's survival as the passage from isolation to membership in the worldwide community that included European sailors, soldiers, and settlers." When the Spanish conquered the Canaries the Guanches lost their land and therefore their livelihood. Some Guanches joined the Spanish army and went to fight in the Americas ; the Spanish sold others into slavery. The majority of Guanches however died of disease and the entire population became extinct.
Unlike the Guanches of the Canaries, the Maoris of New Zealand did survive despite great odds. When invaded by Europeans the Maoris assumed they would become extinct. European rats annihilated the Maori rat, an animal that was a food staple for the natives. The Maori fly might have help ward off the incursion of sheep that quickly destroyed the local flora, but invading European houseflies wiped out the local flies. Clover took over where ferns had been, and the Maori waited for their own extinction. The Maori population hit bottom in 1890 but then began a mysterious recovery and 280,000 people claim to be Maori by 1981.
In the 1500s Europeans arrived in the Americas with horses, technology (weapons), domesticated plants (crops), farm animals, germs, insects, diseases, weeds, and varmints. The garbage piled up by farmers encouraged varmint populations (mainly mice and rats) which spread disease and attacked human food supplies. Crosby devoted an entire chapter to the spread of weeds around the world. Weeds are not specific plants. "Weed" is a general term applied to a plant that spreads rapidly and encroaches on other plants. The study of where specific weeds appeared and when, aids in tracking population movements. The weeds brought by Europeans were actually another unintentional imperial victory. Weeds repaired damaged top soils and provided feed for livestock. " Rye and oats were once weeds." "Weeds are the Red Cross of the plant world; they deal with ecological emergencies." "Weeds thrive on radical change, not stability. That, in the abstract, is the reason for the triumph of European weeds in the Neo-Europes..." Weeds were resilient and thrived in soils laid bare by European plows, and damaged by drastically altered ecosystems.
European populations exploded in the Americas and Australia . What distinguished these Neo-Europes were the large food surpluses they generated. Neo-Europes led the world in food production "relative to the amount locally consumed." Other cultures actually produced more food per capita and per hectare, but the Neo-Europes exported more food than any other society. Especially successful exports from Neo-Europes were wheat, soybeans, pig products, and beef. Europeans consistently chose to settle in temperate climates where their animals and crops thrived. This was prudent and logical, it would have made no sense for Europeans to settle in torrid climates where their livestock would have suffered, and their favorite crops could not be grown.
The wind also aided European imperialists. When faced with strong winds the Portuguese marinheiros, true sailors, did not turn around and go home or sit sail-less in the water until the winds changed. Marinheiros would "sail around the wind." Sailors would tack close enough to the contrary wind to keep moving and then find a wind that they could use to continue their course. The Portuguese who perfected this "crabwise slide" called it the volta do mar, literally "going back to the sea." This understanding of winds allowed marinheiros to sail out on trade winds and back home on the westerlies.
Smallpox was the big killer of the Aztecs and the Incas in Peru ; the Huron and Iroquois in Mexico ; and the Amerindians of the United States . Crosby claims the victories of the Conquistadors over the Amerindians were "in large part the triumphs of the virus of smallpox." Besides smallpox Europeans brought dysentery and influenza; those epidemics killed almost the whole indigenous population of North America . In effect, the domination over ecology and culture by European invaders was more of a biological accident, than a well-executed military takeover.
Virgin soil epidemics spread through populations who had no prior contact with European diseases. These populations had no immunity to protect them. Virgin soil epidemics had many dramatic consequences. First, the epidemics effectively committed genocide, killing entire populations of native people around the world. Second, certain diseases (measles, influenza, tuberculosis) effected people fifteen to forty years of age more than others. These young adults were responsible for most of the labor involved in supplying food, procreation, raising children, and defending the society. The third and fourth effects of virgin soil epidemics were cultural optimism on the part of the conquerors, and cultural fatalism on the part of the conquered. When Europeans arrived and slew their rivals without raising a sword they believed that God must be on their side and this belief affirmed the rightness of their imperialistic actions. When the indigenous people died by the hoard from mysterious ailments they developed a fatalistic view of their own destiny and supposed the white man's Gods were the more powerful.
Ecological Imperialism is interesting, occasionally humorous, and easy to read. Crosby accomplishes his goal of writing a big book. This author presents a convincing and encompassing explanation for the incredible success of European imperialists. The book leaves the reader with more questions. How aggressively imperialistic were the original conquerors if all they had to do was show up and their opponents fell to the wayside? Crosby argues convincingly that Europeans were triumphant because the places they chose to conquer had ecosystems and indigenous populations that surrendered to the biology of the invaders.

Triumph of the pig, the rat, the dandelion, the smallpox virus... and the European humans who gave them a ride across the ocean.......2006-02-26

The most impressive and pleasant aspect of this new approach to world history is the non-anthropocentric perspective Crosby adopts. He tells the story of the expansion of a tightly connected group of European organisms, which includes humans alongside with other domesticated animals, crops, weeds, viruses and bacteria.

The book shows that humans were the leading elements in this great expansion beyond Europe and across the oceans - but they would not have managed to successfully invade, occupy and dominate vast areas of the planet such as America, Australia and New Zealand if they had not been supported by a powerful combination of fauna, flora and germs. In fact, often enough these supporting organisms even took the lead in making the "new-found" territories hospitable for Europeans. Once they had arrived to faraway lands with similar climatic conditions as Europe - but with much less people, germs, domesticated animals and plants - the horses, pigs, cows, sheep, bees, rats, weeds and endemic diseases carried by European vessels began spreading quickly in these totally unexposed areas, and thrived mainly by destroying the native organisms.

Another important point developed by Crosby is that this apparently aggressive invasion and occupation of other continents was actually the consequence of a long process started many thousands of generations before, and of which Europeans were totally unaware. They were simply the ones most prepared and willing to cross unknown oceans (in fact, for centuries they had to painfully learn all about winds and currents - for which many a vessel with all its human and non-human crew had to be sacrificed) and settle down many 1000 of kilometres away from their original home, because the "old continent" had become overpopulated, deforested and overgrazed. Their "ecological imperialism" was in the end part of their struggle to survive and reproduce (to the disadvantage of other human and non-human organisms).

Thus, Crosby urges his readers to think of this propagation of certain humans and their accompanying flora, fauna and germs in detriment of others as a natural phenomenon. In fact, he often compares the European ecological expansion with an "avalanche" or a "bursting dam", i.e., something that had to inevitably happen given the circumstances. In this scenario, it becomes clear that these organisms were vehicles for a great "biological revolution" (in the words of the author), where humans were the spearhead of the movement - but hardly the all-knowing, dominant, free agents they mostly imagine(d) themselves to be.

Average customer rating:

Don't Take Your Snake For a Stroll
A Cute Book, but Not for Every Child - a review of "Don't Take Your Snake for a Stroll
Wish this kind of book was around when my kids were small!

Don't Take Your Snake for a Stroll
Karin Ireland
Manufacturer: Harcourt Children's Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Humorous | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Picture Books | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Baby-3 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Perfect Pet
Baghead
Nothing Ever Happens On 90th Street
Tough Boris (Books for Young Readers)
The Wolf Who Cried Boy

ASIN: 0152023615

Book Description

What would happen if your moose wanted to go to the movies? What if your rhino begged to go dancing? What if your pig pleaded to shop? Say "No!" Because, as the unsuspecting pet owner in this book learns, taking peculiar pets to people places can lead to pandemonium!
Karin Ireland's hilarious verse and David Catrow's wacky visuals just might convince you that sometimes it's best to leave your creatures at home.

Customer Reviews:

Don't Take Your Snake For a Stroll.......2007-02-05

A fun book for readers that are a bit older. My 4 and 5 year old enjoy the story, but don't get the humor regarding each animal. I think this is great for first grade and up. When I read this at elementary school story time, it gets the best reaction from the first and second graders.

A Cute Book, but Not for Every Child - a review of "Don't Take Your Snake for a Stroll.......2006-10-07

This is a cute book conceptually and the poetry reminds me very much of Shel Silverstein - at least as far as the cadence and some of the rhyme goes.

The humor is there, but in my experience it is going to be one of those things that your child is going to 'get' or not get depending on where they are developmentally - which means you are going to have to make the judgement call yourself as to whether they would enjoy this book.

With my own two children, I would say that they didn't 'get' most of this book. (They are boy and girl; 4 and 6 y.o. at the moment.) Below is an example of one the rhymes.

If you take your pig out shopping,
Don't take him to the mall.
He'll play in the dirt in the planter outside
And you won't get to shop at all.

Three Stars. [C+]. Cute rhymes. Cute concept. Artwork is so-so. Good read-aloud.

Wish this kind of book was around when my kids were small!.......2003-07-11

This is a superbly illustrated and cleverly written children's
book for ages 2 to 7! Every page has a "what if" poem about
taking various animals shopping, to the movies, to the beach,
etc. The pictures enhance the story line and make a child
(and adult) anxious for the next page! I bought one book
for my favorite 3 year old and then went back and bought
2 more for my nephews! I hope this author and illustrator
will keep working together to produce more like this book!

Average customer rating:

Not what I expected...
Well cartoon iIlustrated childs book
2nd Graders were laughing out loud
2nd Graders were laughing out loud
Fin M'Coul

Fin M'Coul: The Giant of Knockmany Hill
Tomie dePaola
Manufacturer: Holiday House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Baby-3 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Jamie O'Rourke and the Big Potato
Tim O'Toole and the Wee Folk (Picture Puffins)
Jamie O'Rourke and the Pooka (Picture Puffins)
O'Sullivan Stew (Picture Puffins)
St. Patrick's Day in the Morning (Clarion Books)

ASIN: 0823403858

Book Description

Fin's wife saves him from the most feared giant in Ireland. An ALA Notable Book.

Customer Reviews:

Not what I expected..........2007-07-27

My son really likes the Tomie De Paola books that we have, and I ordered this one since I really thought he would like the giant theme. I really liked the book up until the Giant's finger gets bitten off by Cucullin and he pounds the daylights out of the giant. Had I know that aspect was in the book, I would not have ordered it, so just beware.

Well cartoon iIlustrated childs book.......2006-02-21

Wonderful book for my Grandson - aged 6 - we read the story to him and he was enthralled. So much so, that he made us read it to a group of his friends. The style of writing was simple to understand and well illustrated with cartoons.

2nd Graders were laughing out loud.......2003-03-08

I read this to my son's 2nd grade class (7-8 year olds) and they really enjoyed it. They loved looking at the pictures to see giants & "regular-size" folk together. And they laughed aloud as Fin & Oonagh tricked the bad giant Cucullin (and at my Irish accent)!

2nd Graders were laughing out loud.......2003-03-08

Fin M'Coul.......2000-10-07

Tomie Depaolo is one of our families favorite authors and illustrators. He brings alive the rich diversity of every culture he writes about. He has brought history and culture to this generation growing up, like no one else can. I am so glad he shares his gifts with our children! This book is a good example of bringing folk tales alive through story books.

Average customer rating:

The Horse in Ireland
Brian Smith
Manufacturer: Irish American Book Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

General | Veterinary Medicine | Medicine | Subjects | Books

Animal Husbandry | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Sports | Subjects | Books

Lara at Athenry Castle (Hoofbeats, Book 3)

Average customer rating:

A Kids Review on Lara at Athenry Castle

Lara at Athenry Castle (Hoofbeats, Book 3)
Kathleen Duey
Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Action & Adventure | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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

General | Issues | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Lara and the Silent Place (Hoofbeats, Book 4)
Lara and the Moon-Colored Filly (Hoofbeats, Book 2)
Lara and the Gray Mare (Hoofbeats, Book 1)
Hoofbeats (Katie and the Mustang, Book 4)
Hoofbeats: Katie and the Mustang Gift Set [BOX SET]

ASIN: 0142402206

Book Description

Nine-year-old Lara is the daughter of the rÂ'-the leader of her cattle-raising clan. While she spends her days tending to the cattle, her heart lies with her beloved gray mare. When Lara goes to the highlands to set the cattle out to graze, she finds the mare in the process of a difficult birth. Lara vows to take care of the foal as a dying promise to the gray mare, and with the help of a childless milk-cow, she cares for the spindly-legged filly. But just when she is confident that the foal can survive, a rival clan captures them both, and throws Lara's life into turmoil. When the filly is eventually given to a titled baron in the castle town of Athenry, Lara, determined to stay with the horse no matter what, goes along. Together, she and her beloved horse face seemingly insurmountable challenges, but all along Lara keeps two things in mind. One day, she will manage to flee, and will set off in search of the family that she was taken from. And she will not leave without her silver mare.

Customer Reviews:

A Kids Review on Lara at Athenry Castle.......2006-01-10

Nine-year-old Larach was captured by one of her father's tuath's worst enemies, the Normans. She is allowed only a few crumbs of bread and a handful of cheese each morning and night. She struggles to stay with her beautiful moon-colored filly, Dannsair. Lara is unsure of what her future holds, but still trudges on to Athenry.

Lara disguises herself as a Norman boy to get a job at the Baron of Athenry's Stables. She is overjoyed at working in the same stable barn as her filly, Dannsair. Her stable master realizes that Lara is a natural born rider and asks her to represent Athenry in an upcoming race. If she wins her prize (instead of money) will be Dannsair's ownership. Will the stable master keep his promise?
Will Larach win?
Will she ever get to go home again?
Find out when you read Lara at Athenry Castle.

If you are interested in horses, people, adventure, and struggling to suvive, then you will love the Hoofbeats series. I give it 4 out of 5 stars, because some sections are difficult to understand.

-Brianna

Celtic Animals Charted Designs (Dover Needlework Series)

Average customer rating:

Advanced embroidery
Mixed Reviews
Great book; great price
A worth while purchase
Very good, but not great....

Celtic Animals Charted Designs (Dover Needlework Series)
Ina Kliffen
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Cross-Stitch | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Embroidery | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Stuffed Animals | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Textile Arts | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Celtic Charted Designs (Dover Needlework Series)
Celtic Art In Cross Stitch
Charted Peasant Designs from Saxon Transylvania (Dover Needlework)
Celtic cross stitch
Julie Hasler's Fantasy Cross Stitch: Zodiac Signs, Mythical Beasts and Mystical Characters

ASIN: 0486291251

Book Description

43 carefully designed color-coded charts depict bizarre mythical creatures that abound in Celtic art. Complete instructions and easy-to-follow diagrams enable even beginning needlecrafters to create a wealth of fabulous patterns that will embellish clothing, linens, and other domestic items.

Customer Reviews:

Advanced embroidery.......2006-03-30

This book is for those that understand stitchery with ease. The designs are really good to use with anything, even making bookmarks. This book is for the advanced cross stitcher, or embroiderer.

Mixed Reviews.......2002-10-02

I like the designs, but the total black and white with tiny blocks makes the patterns hard to read. The designs are good, but lacking in color, so if you feel like playing around with them a bit, this is a great book - especially considering the price. Otherwise, I'd probably recommend staying away from it and going with a more expensive, though much more readable and more colorful alternative.

Great book; great price.......2001-09-15

WOW! For the price this book is absolutely wonderful. All the patterns are in black & white, but it's still just as useful as most of the $...-$... celtic cross-stitch books.

A worth while purchase.......2001-09-03

This book has many different designs available. The designs can be a bit small, and a bit difficult to read. I highly recommend taking these charts and enlarging them before starting work on them. There are a great variety in designs, some will take a while to complete, while others can be completed in much less time.

Very good, but not great...........2000-07-02

If you're a true fan of Celtic art, you'll probably enjoy these patterns, but be warned; these will not appeal to everyone. Some of the patterns are outstanding in their design; others are just dull. While the interesting patterns out-number the boring ones, the color choices are bland (unless you really LOVE earth tones) and some of the charts are made up of too few stitches to represent the original designs. Still, if these things don't bother you, I strongly recommend this title.

Lara and the Moon-Colored Filly (Hoofbeats, Book 2)

Average customer rating:

Lara and the Moon-Colored Filly (Hoofbeats, Book 2)
Kathleen Duey
Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Action & Adventure | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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

General | Issues | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Lara at Athenry Castle (Hoofbeats, Book 3)
Lara and the Gray Mare (Hoofbeats, Book 1)
Lara and the Silent Place (Hoofbeats, Book 4)
Hoofbeats (Katie and the Mustang, Book 4)
Hoofbeats: Katie and the Mustang Gift Set [BOX SET]

ASIN: 0142402311

Book Description

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books