Book Description
If you want to build a profitable--and consistent--eBay business, you need to start with strategic product sourcing. What to Sell on eBay and Where to Get It reveals the same techniques used by the most successful e-commerce entrepreneurs and by major retail chains to determine what products will sell well and which suppliers will deliver those products for the best price.
Learn to generate product ideas, research your markets, diversify your product line, and build a direct supply of inventory. Using the proven strategies in this book, you’ll be able to find the products that will fuel your business for the long term and skyrocket your sales!
Customer Reviews:
Great Book.......2007-09-16
I was a power seller on ebay for a full year but then ebay became so commercial that it made it impossible for the little guy to make any kind of living. Now it's like an online retailer mall rather than a place for the home worker to make a living. But if you still want to give ebay a try then I would recommend this book. It's very straight forward on what it takes to find products to sell. Make no mistake, it does NOT tell you where to go to find things to sell, rather it tells you how to come up with your own ideas and how to research them. It teaches you how to find a niche and exploit it.
What to sell on Ebay and Where to get it........2007-09-06
Title is very misleading. Never a mention of particular products or sources to find them. A lot of good marketing info but, no specifics.
Sorry, but I cannot recommend this to anyone.
No Hype, Just the Facts.......2007-08-24
A great book without all of the hype and fanfare that is contained in so many of the "how-to" books today. The authors do not promise you a rose garden nor $5000 in 30 days, but they do show you the way to conduct a true business using eBay. If you are serious about making a part-time or full-time income from eBay this book is essential. If you are going to sell without registering as a business, without a sales tax license, or hide income, Don't buy this book.
If its too good to be true............2007-08-05
This book, and others like it, hold out the promise of wealth and power through eBay selling. But they do not deliver on their title premise. All of the so-called wholesalers you are ever referred to charge YOU the same or more than you could buy it yourself here on Amazon. This is hardly wholesale.
As someone who owned and operated an actual incorporated wholesale and retail (show room) business for years, and had net 30 and better accounts with major wholesalers, manufacturers, I can tell you a real wholesale price is in the vicinity of 50-60% of the msrp, or lower if your quantities are high.
What this and books like it offer is only a way to make the writer and publisher rich.
Many sources to get you going.......2007-07-20
Finding stuff to sell is a seller's greatest challenge, so any help is welcome. This book is by two pros, with deep ties in the field, so you can believe what they say. Great addition to your eBay library and worth the money even if just a couple of the sources pan out.
Average customer rating:
- Calculations are only as good as your numbers
- Pants on fire?
- Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
- Very Interesting
- History as Science Fiction
|
History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
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ASIN: 2913621058 |
Book Description
Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.
Customer Reviews:
Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03
Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.
Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19
Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.
Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09
There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.
For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.
Very Interesting.......2007-03-07
It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.
History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10
Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.
I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.
Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.
Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.
I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.
This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.
Product Description
`History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2` is the second volume of the most explosive and astounding tractate on history ever written - however, every theory it contains, no matter how unorthodox, is backed by rock solid scientific data. The book is easy and pleasant to read; it is well-illustrated, contains hundreds of charts, graphs and illustrations, copies of ancient manuscripts, and countless facts attesting to the falsity of the chronology used nowadays. You will be amazed to discover: - That the chronology universally accepted today and taken for granted is simply wrong; - That ALL methods of dating of ancient sources and artefacts known today are erroneous or non-exact; - That there is not a single document that could be reliably dated earlier than the XIth century; The Author refers to the Middle Ages as the Antiquity and proves mutual superimposition of the Second and the Third Roman Empire, both of which become identified as the respective kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Furthermore, he asserts that the famous reform of the Occidental Church in the XI century by Pope Gregory Hildebrand was the reflection of the XII century reforms of Byzantine emperor Andronicus who in his turn identifies with Jesus Christ. The Trojan war counted by Homer happened only as late as of the XIII century A.D. and the great poet actually lived in XIV century A.D. No stone in history of Antiquity is left unturned. Literally. This book is the beginning of a major correction to the chronology we live with.
Customer Reviews:
Check and see.......2007-06-21
I don't care what other people say of this book. Those affirmig it's fake, they hadn't ever read it. Or have some special reasons to do so. "Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see..." This book won't make you feel comfortable. It'll make you feel free. It'll make you feel you're "not the only one" to feel you'd been lied to for centuries.
Suprise! Suprise!.......2007-03-22
Here is a serie of books which turns "the whole world" upside down. I learned a lot of it and I hope that a new book from A.T. Fomenko will follow very quick. A absolute must for everybody who is interested in history or even a little bit from it.
Prescient St Augustine?.......2006-02-05
We can so far divide the New Chronology into the following three parts:
a) The verifiable theory that proves consensual chronology wrong with the aid of astronomy, statistics and mathematics;
b) The new chronology hypothesis based on a new understanding of known historical facts and the most likely logical explanation of the most obvious inconsistencies inherent in the official version of history;
c) The history conjectures, that is experimental historical reconstructions based on assumptions that the authors believe to make sense in the light of their research and linguistic parallels - void of ironclad factual support to date.
Fomenko's theory complies with the most rigid scientific standards as a whole:
It gives a coherent explanation of what we already know.
- It is consistent: independent lines of inquiry all lead to the same conclusion.
- The predictions it makes are confirmed empirically.
Fomenko goes by the following axioms:
- Chronology is the basis of history;
- Human evolution has always been linear, gradual and irreversible;
- The "cyclic" nature of human civilization is a myth, likewise all the gaps, duplicates, "dark ages" and "renaissances" that we know from consensual history;
- The accumulation of geographical knowledge as reflected in cartography is a gradual and irreversible process;
- The chronological distance between a given manuscript and the events described therein is proportional to the amount of distortions it contains;
- There is no "useless" information in authentic ancient sources.
Why the mainstream historians do not shower mathematician Academician Dr.Prof Fomenko with thanks and laurels?
The Russians:
Because Fomenko asserts that there was no such thing as the Tartar and Mongol invasion followed by three centuries of slavery, providing a formidable body of documental evidence to prove his assertion. The so-called "Tartars and Mongols" were the actual ancestors of the modern Russians, living in a bilingual state with Arabic spoken as freely as Russian. The ancient Russian state was governed by a double structure of civil and military authorities. The hordes were actually professional armies with a tradition of lifelong conscription (the recruitment being the so-called "blood tax"). Their "invasions" were punitive operations against the regions that attempted tax evasion. Fomenko proves that Russian history as we know it today is a blatant forgery concocted by a host of German scientists brought to Russia by the usurper dynasty of the Romanovs, whose ascension to the throne was the result of coup d'état, charged with the mission of making their reign look legitimate. Fomenko proves Ivan the Terrible to be a collation of four rulers, no less. They represented the two rival dynasties - the legitimate rulers and the ambitious upstarts. The winner took it all! Over some 30 years of controversy, Russian historians have made a most remarkable transition - they were initially accusing the young mathematician Fomenko of anticommunist dissident activity and attempts to deface the historical legacy of Soviet Russia; nowadays the middle-aged mathematician is accused of adhering to "pro-communist Russian nationalism" and defacing the proud historical legacy of Great Russia.
The Westerners:
Because Fomenko blows consensual Russian history to smithereens, successfully removing a crucial cornerstone from underneath the otherwise impeccable edifice of World History. Fomenko adds insult to injury, wiping out one by one the Ancient Rome (the foundation of Rome in Italy is dated to the XIV century A. D.), the Ancient Greece and its numerous poleis, which he identifies as the mediaeval crusader settlements on the territory of Greece, and the Ancient Egypt (the pyramids of Giza become dated to the XI-XV century A. D. and identified as the royal cemetery of the Global "Mongolian" Empire, no less). The civilization of the Ancient Egypt is irrefutably dated to the XII-XV century A. D. with the aid of the ancient Egyptian horoscopes cut in stone. He was the first one to decipher and date all such horoscopes, coming up with mediaeval dates in every case. English historians rage at the suggestion that the history of Ancient England was de facto a Byzantine import transplanted to the English soil by the fugitive Byzantine nobility. To reward the English historians who consider themselves the true scribes of World History, the cover of the present book portrays Tintoretto's Jesus Christ crucified on the Big Ben.
The Chinese:
Because Fomenko wipes out the Ancient History of China outright. No such thing. Full point. The compilation of the so-called Ancient Chinese History is reliably datable to the XVII-XVIII century only. It is perfectly recognizable as the Ancient European history, reworked and transcribed in hieroglyphs as yet another historical transplantation, this time performed on the Chinese soil by the loving Jesuit hands. The Chinese are the next in line to go berserk. Chinese history is inevitably bound to get both more ancient and more eventful, proportionally to the growing involvement of China in the world affairs. Chinese historians will keep on finding valid proof of prehistoric Chinese spaceflights until the Politburo orders them to shut up.
The Arabs:
Too bad. Islam with all its key figures is datable to XV-XVI century A. D. Arabic historians may find consolation in the crucial historical role of the Ottoman Empire in the XVI-XVII century. The trouble is that this empire was initially a Christian state, with Hagia Sophia identifiable as Temple of Solomon, according to Fomenko! We can only guess if the acquisition of Alexander the Great (a Macedonian and a Christian) as the founder of the Muslim World Empire will make Fomenko's theories more acceptable to the Arabic mainstream. He certainly does not spare any holy cows at all, claiming The Stone of Qa'Aba in Mecca to contain the lost Arch of the Covenant.
The Divinity:
Despite of reiterated statement that his theory is all about chronology and not Religion, Fomenko stirs up a whole condominium of wasp nests. His collection of anathemas, fatwa, and other condemnations from all parties concerned is already considerable. Little wonder, considering that the history of religions à la Fomenko looks as follows: the pre-Christian period (before the XI century and JC), Bacchic Christianity (XI-XII century, before and after JC), JC Christianity (XII-XVI century) and its subsequent mutations into Orthodox Christianity, the Catholicism, Islam, Buddhism, and so on.
According to Fomenko we know strictly NOTHING about the events that predate the X century A. D.
St Augustin was prescient when he spoke unto us: "be wary of mathematicians, particularly when they speak the truth."
Something of a disappointment.......2005-09-09
After having read the first volume of this expected series of 7 volumes I was triggered by the thesis of these authors that ancient Greek and Roman history did in fact take place in the Middle Ages. So I started studying medieval history of the Middle East - also known as Islamic history - to find out if the opponents of the ancient Greeks and Romans - the Acheamenid Persians, Sassanids, Scythians, Egyptians, etc. - also have their duplicates in medieval history. My search was disappointing: none of the many medieval Islamic dynasties seemed to correspond to the ancient middle eastern rulers.
However, I did find a close correspondence between Herodotus' Persian kings and medieval events:
- the defeat and capture of an Anatolian king - the Lydian Croesus - by the Persian conqueror Cyrus is identical to the defeat and capture of another Anatolian king - sultan Bayezid - by the Asian/Mongol conqueror Tamerlane;
- the Persian conquest of Egypt by the cruel tyrant Cambyses reds almost exactly as the Ottoman conquest of Egypt by Selim the Grim (note the nickname!);
- Darius the Lawgiver of the Persian Empire looks very much alike to Sulayman the Magnificent, the Lawgiver in Islamic history;
- Xerxes, whose main claim to fame is to be defeated by the Greeks at the naval battle of Salamis, looks like Selim II (the Sot) whose main claim to fame is to be defeated by a Spanish-Italian alliance at the naval battle of Lepanto.
I should have expected Fomenko et al. to arrive at similar conclusions, however, they claim that the Persian kings are the alter egos of the Angevin kings of Sicily whose biographies do not contain the exploits of the Persian kings.
The similiarities I indicate lead to the conclusion that Herodotus must have written his Histories at the close of the 16th century. But this is extremely late, given that Herodotus is "the Father of History", so therefore all other "ancient" histories must have been fabricated even later. Yet, the founders of modern chronology - Scaliger and Petavius - laid their foundations also at the close of the 16th century and had the full corpus of ancient histories already at their disposal.
It seems to me that Fomenko has to address these inconsistencies, maybe in the forthcoming 5 volumes?
Another critique of their book is that the correspondencies between different rulers are often based on a superficial comparison of the biographies; upon a more thorough comparison many details appear that do not correspond at all.
Finally, the authors rely heavily on the works of Gregorovius (1821-1891!!) - his medieval histories of Rome and Athens - as the source of medieval history; these works are - at least in the West - hoplessly outdated and have been superceded by more up-to-date works (for instance, Julius Norwich's trilogy on Byzantine history is not even cited).
Romulus courts Helen, Paris founds Rome, Moses goes to Troy.........2005-07-30
If you agree with Fomenko that Roman chronology is basically the foundation of the entire edifice of global chronology; you would also certainly agree that despite its numerous gaps and inconsistencies, Roman history is the best-documented field of ancient history, and thus a reference scale. But how well is the actual date of the Eternal City's foundation known?
Firstly, Rome is supposed to have been founded by the Trojans who had to flee after the fall of Troy. Some claim Rome to have been founded by Aeneas and Ulysses shortly after Troy had fallen; others are of the opinion that there was an entire dynasty that ruled for 500 years between the fall of Troy and the foundation of Rome.
Well, that's just an innocent 500 years long misunderstanding compared with what heretic Fomenko says, asserts, proves in his second volume: Second Roman Empire, Third Roman Empire, Biblical Kingdom of Israel, Biblical Kingdom of Judah, Holy Roman Empire are stories about basically same events, written from different points of view at different times. The underlying events have actually taken place during xii-xv cy. These histories have been written and perfected by multitude of highly talented humanist and clerical writers of xiii-xvi cy disguised as "ancients" with glorious names like Homer, Pluto, Thucydides etc..Chronology 2.0 beta..
Historians are kindly invited to report the bugs.
Book Description
Sir Richard Bolitho returns from a wearing campaign in North American waters to take up a command in Malta. As England's long war with Napoleon reaches its end, will Richard Bolitho's longing for peace—both public and personal—be fulfilled?
Customer Reviews:
Not Too Smart to Kill Off Your Hero!.......2007-01-31
I could not believe the turn this series took in the last 4-5 books: Bolitho and Herrick at each other's throats, all the double entendre sex and romance, and then with this novel---killing off the fellow the whole series was built around! Not too smart to kill off your hero, Mr.Kent. The nephew is not a well fleshed-out character in any of the previous books and now the author wants to devote the remaining books to telling about his so-called adventures? Ridiculous! I wonder if all the romantic stuff sneaked in (it really does increase after book 15 or 16) after the author remarried a somewhat younger woman (see his website for author biography). Whatever the reason, Patrick O'Brian he ain't and none of these books are as well written as the Aubrey-Maturin series, no matter how many reviewers have claimed it so. O'Brian was in a league of his own. Kent is in the mediocre one with many others. I stopped reading the series when finished with this book, and am currently looking for a new one to inform and entertain.
A grudging 3 stars.......2004-01-12
I have greatly enjoyed Kent's Bolitho Novels, mainly because I had read Hornblower as well as the Aubrey/Maturin novels, and was infected with the love of the genre.
I'll not compare Bolitho to those other worthies as he is not them nor they him, however I do think that Mr Kent should have killed off our more-than-maudlin Admiral in book 17 or 18.
I found this book a nice way to spend my reading time for a day or so, but in truth, I can't recommend it as one of Kent's best.
Maudlin.......2001-09-14
Alexander Kent (Douglas Reeman), a prolific writer, spends an entire novel in maudlin reminescence of a character's life to prepare us for that character's death. This last installment of Richard Bolitho's life deserved far better. Set around Napoleon's escape from Elba, the novel never really gives Sir Richard anything to do, except remember those he has known and act as though he is ready to die. The series, which already went about 8 books too long, is left to trickle off, instead of a spectacular finish and transition to Adam becoming the main character. I read all 23 of the set (though not the 24th, where Adam carries on) and I wish I'd stopped around 15 or so. Skip this one and continue on to Adam's first solo adventure.
Sword of Honor.......2000-01-03
I read this book in a U.K. print as it is not yet in the States and I found it to be one of the better efforts of Mr Kent ne Reeman. The historical events of Napoleon's escape from Elba and the battles that ensued give this book the drama and flaver that I have come to love in the previous 22 books in this line. I could not put it down, and read it straight through. I have over the years intoduced over 15 of my friends to the Bolitho saga, and the only bad thing about this book is the death of Admiral Sir Richard, but with the presence of Adam Bolitho, I feel that this saga can continue with no loss of interest for all of us whom have come to love all of the people that have been intorduced and been brought alive in the past 23 books. I only hope that Lady Sommerval is not left out of any forthcoming books.
Customer Reviews:
Spectacular.......2007-10-09
An absolute page turning account of a desperate battle. The account, though historically informative, reads like a novel. It is concisely written, expressive, and captivating. I could not put it down. I highly recommend this book if you're interested in not only learning about a fascinating struggle, but in obtaining a sense of what it must have been like to be in Malta in 1565.
highly readable account of a heroic moment in European history.......2007-09-30
The "Great Siege", is the Siege of Malta in 1565, as the Turkish Ottoman Empire tried to expand further into the Mediterranean and up to Italy. The Ottomans had already conquered most of Eastern Europe.
The book, by a British historian named Ernle Bradford, is great! But unfortunately extremely difficult to get. It's not stocked on Amazon and second hand copies are rare. I was lucky and got mine second hand off Amazon for 20 bucks plus shipping, back in April. It's a book I'd always had a wish to read, since seeing a review years ago.
The historical background to the siege, and an abbreviated discussion can be found here online: Siege of Malta (1565) - Wikipedia.
The book uses all the contemporary accounts and puts them into a flowing narrative, that is really quite riveting. The main characters are the Grand Master of the Order of the Knights Hospitaller of St. John, (a fighting religous order who also maintained hospitals! Go figure.), Jean de Valette, the Turkish leader , Mustafa Pasha, and his Tripoli ally Turgot Reis.
The Turkish invaders really should have won the day as they had vastly more men. They were stymied by their own infighting, some bad tactical decisions (especially opening the siege by trying to capture the Fort of St. Elmo's), and by the heroic defense of the Christian defenders who travelled to Malta, and the Maltese fighters. The violence level is appalling. It was a bad idea to be captured, by either side!
It's a great, highly readable story, if you can get the book. I hope it gets re-issued soon.
The Great Siege.......2006-04-23
This is a truly great book. Mr Bradford is so passionate about his subject, so vivid in his detail, that it's all you can do not to book a plane ticket to go and see for yourself. The detail is staggering - he recreates the past with the love and care of an artist. It is a book about the Knights of the Order of St John of Jerusalem and their struggle against the Turks of the Ottoman empire - and it's a ripping good read. Just pick it up - you'll enjoy it.
Amazing siege, amazing story, amazing book..........2006-01-18
What I read: An amazingly heroic defense of the knights and the Maltese against an amazing siege of the navy of the Magnificient and his generals. When I read in my middle school history class, this siege just was an unsuccessful one-sentence event in the hundreds of pages of the Ottoman Empire, but, while reading this book, I felt like I watched and lived the siege minute by minute. And I felt like this was the most important siege of all times (it truly might be!). My respects to especially Dragut (Turgut) and to La Vallette increased, since both were great leaders. I also learned how little things can change the result of the war. Questions in my mind after reading the book are: What would be the result like if Suleiman attended the siege? What would be the result like if Admiral Piali Pasha listened to Mustafa Pasha so that they would secure the north before the siege? What would it be like if Dragut wasn't hit by a stone and die during the siege? What would the result be like if the Don Garcia waited for two more days? What would the history be like after that?
It felt sorry for all the people fought during the siege, both the siegers, who came to "smoke out the nest of vipers who were constantly attacking their ships in the mediterranean", and the defenders, who "were defending their last homeland to death".
Magificent tale of courage, duty and iron discipline.......2005-08-17
Outstanding story of the true events on Malta in 1565 in a struggle between the Turks and the small band of Knights of St John. Terrific research, compelling characters and some truly horrific and gruesome battle when most battles were fought at close range and with edged weaponry. The author has captured the mood of the garrison and the Turks and their allies like no other book I have read. Powerful characters who were so convinced to stand against overwhelming odds for months on end is remarkable and true. What an epic film this would make as some of the events ring true to this day.
A must read for anyone interested in the advent of gunpowder, heroic and defiant stands, massive battles and some incredible characters like the leader of the knights, La Valette who was seventy years old while leading the defense himself! Most enjoyable book of this nature that I have ever read. Powerful stuff.
Book Description
Whether you are traveling first class or on a limited budget, this Eyewitness Top 10 Guide will lead you straight to the very best Malta and Gozo have to offer. Dozens of Top 10 lists - from the Top 10 beaches and resorts to the Top 10 shops, bars, restaurants and hotels - provide the insider knowledge every visitor needs. And to save you time and money, there's even a list of the Top 10 Things to Avoid. Find your way effortlessly using the detailed maps, which fold out from the front and back covers, plus many smaller maps inside. Features include: Top 10 greatest beaches & resorts, Top 10 unmissable island walks & drives, Top 10 spectacular areas of natural beauty, Top 10 most charming towns & villages, Top 10 temples & ancient sights, Top 10 liveliest festivals & events, Top 10 most fun places for children, Top 10 finest restaurants & bars, Top 10 best hotels for every budget, Top 10 insider tips for every visitor, and Over 275 color photographs, maps & illustrations!
Customer Reviews:
If you have an idea, DK Guides can help you prioritize your plans ..........2007-10-15
I love DK Eyewitness Guides -- in fact, after the travel, they're the books I keep so I can show everyone really great photos where I've been. This particular guide is the first Top 10 Guide I've used and I found the format excellent for choosing what to see, which hotel to stay in, and where to go. This is not a comprehensive guide, but it isn't meant to be. DK Eyewitness books are full of wonderful photographs/diagrams and so, occasionally, they lack a bit in the discription or required travel information. For an experienced traveler this is not a problem. For the nervous traveler or the new traveler who wants/needs a lot of extraneous general travel information this book is best used in conjuction with a more detailed volume.
Nice book with quality pictures and maps. But another guidebook with facts is needed.......2007-05-21
In my planning to make a holiday trip to Malta, I bought this book along with the LP book for 2007, which gives me the opportunity to evaluate the two books.
On the plus side, this one is loaded with high quality pictures. And the maps are also of high quality and easy to navigate. It gives very useful suggestions, tips and plans about the destination. One gets a quick overview of all attractions and can easily design a trip tailoring to one's interest.
On the minus side, this book can never be used alone, and must be used together with another guidebook with lots of facts. It is not intended to be one all-included guidebook anyway. What can be absolutely added is hotel information, especially for a matured destination like Malta, there are definitely more hotels at all ranges to evaluate.
What can be also included is information on links to other regional destinations, such as Sicilly and Tunisia.
In general, it is a good handy book with nice pictures to look at. But you won't survive on this book alone.
Book Description
From the acclaimed author of Empires of Sand comes a mesmerizing new adventure that Jean Auel cites as “crowded with events that both forecast and mirror the conflicts of today.” Sweeping from the drawing rooms of Paris to the palace of Suleiman the Magnificent to the dark hold of a slave ship racing across the sea, here is a dazzling story of love and valor, innocence and identity, an epic novel of the clash of civilizations on a barren island where the future was forged.
The Mediterranean, the sixteenth century: Lying squarely in the midst of the vital sea lanes between the Christian West and the Ottoman Empire in the East, and ruled by the ancient Order of the Knights of St. John, Malta will become the stage upon which the fate of the world turns. For one of its sons, the hand of violence strikes swiftly, when young Nicolo Borg is seized by Barbary slavers and launched on a remarkable journey to the court of the supreme ruler of the Muslim world. Renamed Asha, plotting his escape even as he swears allegiance to the god of his masters and is schooled in the arts of culture and war, the innocent boy will be transformed into one of the Sultan’s deadliest commanders.
For Nico’s beloved sister, Maria, his loss fires her hatred for the knights who did nothing to save him and her dreams of escape from her stifling home. As the headstrong girl grows into a fierce beauty, she will capture the attention of one man in particular, Christien de Vries, a surgeon-knight torn between duty and desire, caught up in Malta’s frantic preparations against the coming Ottoman storm. Around Nico and Maria are men and women who will share their destinies: Dragut Raïs, a brilliant corsair, arch-rival of the knights…Giulio Salvago, a priest in full flight from his carnal nature…Alisa, a young beauty hidden away in a harem…Jean de La Valette, the master knight who is Malta’s only hope for survival.
As the mighty Ottoman fleet bears down on the tiny island, as Nico Borg makes his way back to his homeland at the helm of a warship, Ironfire moves inexorably to a shattering climax where all will face ultimate justice in the murderous cauldron of siege warfare. Brilliantly capturing the crosscurrents of a storied age, Ironfire is historical fiction in the grand tradition, a stirring realization of a pivotal moment in time that irrevocably shaped the world we inhabit today.
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews:
I loved this book!.......2007-06-18
In the very best tradition of historical fiction, this book hooked me with the first page. David Ball is a truly a gifted writer, and does a wonderful job of making that period of history come alive. I'm looking forward to reading Empires of Sand, his first novel.
"Soap Fire" is a more accurate title..........2007-01-19
*** SPOILERS AHEAD !!! ***
Iron Fire aspires to be a historical novel. Though well-written and occasionally fascinating, Ball's epic has serious flaws as both history and fiction. It is a tough slog that could have used a bit more editing, or better yet, a different authorial perspective.
In terms of history, Ball's failing is what might be termed "Restonitis" after the alleged non-fiction author who has written junky pop fiction about the Crusades, the Inquisition, and the 11th Century. The symptoms of this disease are 1) the certainty that no sane or decent person in past ages ever espoused Christianity as a belief. Therefore every devout Christian in this book is inevitably a fanatic, hypocrite, fool, or scoundrel. Any and all sympathetic characters are always non-religious types or members of some other belief system. Symptom # 2 of Restonitis is an assumption that Islamic civilization in the past is in every way superior to Christianity, more tolerant, sophisticated, peaceable, moral, and advanced. Therefore the Muslims here are both more civilized in general, and also their religion apparently has none of the deficiencies of Christianity, so every religious Muslim in this book is really smart, noble, and decent.
To anyone who's studied history on a reasonably objective, both symptoms of Restonitis are laughable and naive misstatements of fact. This puerile bias is particularly silly in Ball's book as the Siege of Malta is literally incomprehensible if we assume the Knights were all vile and brutal hypocrites whose Christianity was irrelevant or deeply flawed. The Knights as a group endured a lot and suffered much, and the citizens of Malta suffered by their side. If the Knights and civilians did not really believe in their faith, they would have surrendered or collapsed under siege. The victory they achieved is due in large part to the strength of their religious conviction, and to doubt this from a cynical modern authorial perspective greatly reduces one's ability to write convincingly of the era.
So on the historical level, we have a cartoon, with even such notable Christian leaders as De Valette being portrayed as a harsh mean-spirited martinet, and every Muslim in sight having a halo over his saintly head. The local parish priest is an evil rapist, the Bishop is indifferent to the plight of his flock, the rank and file Knight abuses commoners, drinks, gambles, and whores, etc. This is an idiotic picture of an era, and more importantly does not do much to explain the causes, conduct, or outcome of the central plot element here, the Siege of Malta.
On the level of fiction, Ball fares a bit better as he is not a bad writer and tells a good tale. However, he has an unerring perspective to seize on what is dull and trite and so slights more interesting and unique topics. Thus we see a lot of wretched boring peasant life in Birgu, and clichéd heartwarming Yenta-like shtetl domesticity with a colony of secret Jews who are of course all lovely, caring, and wonderful (as they are not Christians, you see). The Knights are generally ignored, and the Siege itself is only about a quarter of the book. We see a little bit of life in the Sultan's court which is unique and interesting, but then we are back to Birgu for more adventures of our impoverished, abused Orphan Annie substitute, Maria.
Maria's misadventures are another problem. Her brother is kidnapped, her mean drunkard father beats and mistreats her, her mother is indifferent to her and then calls her a whore. She is raped by an evil priest, ignored by the Bishop and civil authorities, and then sees her adopted Jewish family tortured and beaten by evil Christians. (Hm, do I even need to add the work "evil" there?) Then finally she falls in love with a noble Knight of St John (who being a good man of course ignores his Christian faith and his sacred vows and has sex with her outside of marriage). Then of course there is her unrequited love admirer Jacopo, and finally the return of her long lost brother on the other side of the Muslim siege forces...
Anyway, besides the fact that so much misadventure strains credulity, Maria is also virtuous, perky, smart, optimistic, beautiful etc. She is therefore an utterly boring character who makes Dickens heroes seem like deep and complex personalities. The other main characters are somewhat better, but between the cartoonishly evil Christians and the Pollyannaesque heroine, much of Ball's narrative is unconvincing and tedious to read. Another main problem is Asha's love for Alisa, which is told (not shown) to us as being a major motive for his behavior and driving force of his life. Frankly, the little we see of his love suggests puppy love, and the burning urge for revenge that develops from Asha's loss is hard to believe.
In total, we have bits and pieces of an interesting book here. The naval warfare, the conflict between cultures and religions, the Knights of St John, and the Siege itself are all fascinating. However, the soap opera aspects of the plot, the dull heroine, and the overly modernistic secular interpretation of events stands in the way of the good stuff, and ultimately Ball spends a lot of time on the less interesting aspects of his story. We have all read the oppressed peasant girl meets dreamy nobleman plotline far too many times before, and to have yet another iteration of this old saw at the expense of more unique and fascinating development is a great loss. We see the glimpses of a great story in the background, but annoying Maria and her latest ordeal keep getting in the way.
Finally, as mentioned above, the politically correct vilification of Christianity and the idealized treatment of Islam suggest a reverse form of colonial cringe, where we in the West feel all guilty and ashamed that we sucked so much in the past. While we as a culture should take care not to be chauvinistic, Ball's work goes too far in the opposite direction. This makes his book feel like a puppet show, and ultimately suggests that he was unable or unwilling to do serious research into the realities of the era about which he writes.
Great Book.......2006-11-28
A little slow to develop, but unstoppable once it got going. There's some fantastic detail and it's very historically accurate. I'd recommend it to anyone.
Absorbing Novel.......2006-10-11
An important novel, mainly because most Americans know nothing of this pivotal struggle - The Great Seige of Malta, 1565. The History Channel regularly ignores it when covering the Ottoman Empire, the life of Sulieman, or the Knights Hospitaliers. A major motion picture about the Great Seige was scrapped in 2003, probably due to tensions with the West and Islam. David Ball is masterful in depicting the battle scenes, and is very faithful to the historical unfolding of the event, as chronicled by an eyewitness historian named Balbi. It's truly unbelievable to those who haven't read this account.Forts St. Elmo and St. Angelo still stand today and you can tour them while vacationing in Malta. There's also a museum at the Grand Master's Palace in Valletta with thousands of artifacts from the Great Seige on display. The characters in the story are developed nicely and there are some surprises. Lots of twists and turns and well-paced. Hard to put down this book. It all leads up to the inevitable climax, which gets very intense.
One of the best I have ever read........2006-08-17
I read David Ball's Empires of Sand when I was traveling through the Andes mountains in Peru. And now I had the chance to travel through Turkey, so I stopped at the local bookstore and picked up a copy of Ironfire.
This is truely one of the best novels I have ever read. Please, don't read anymore reviews or summaries of this book. Let the story unfold around you clearly and do not bring any preconceptions about what to expect.
If you love reading about real humans, then read this book. Real people are not evil or good, deceitful or arrogant, brave or cowardly. Real humans are a complicated mix between many things. That is what this story is about and I guarantee that it will bring tears to your eyes several times, both joyful and sad tears. And sometimes emotions will rise within your throat just from the sheer weight of it all.
Book Description
Savor a glass of limuncell after a day climbing the steps and tracing the ramparts of Valletta, p. 65
Let your hair down in the Paceville party zone or at Rabat's open-air nightclubs, p. 87, p. 129.
Scratch your head and ponder the who, what, when, and why of prehistoric temples, p. 142.
Hire a centuries-old farmhouse for poolside R&R in a sleepy Gozitan village, p. 150.
One author, one fireworks festival, one serious Eurovision disappointment, 10 boat rides, 12 pastizzi, no rabbits harmed in the making of this book.
Diving & Snorkelling chapter highlights all the best dive spots.
Customer Reviews:
Guidebook with good pictures, maps and sugestions. But not a fact book.......2007-05-21
Typical LP book, more or less what I need and packed with facts. But on the hotel pages, I am surprised to see so few hotels get listed, considering a destination like Malta must offer much much more options at all ranges.
What I also would like to see is information about sea links to Sicilly and Tunisia, a day-trip or an organized tour. There is hardly any mentioning of such. You've made all the way to malta, and Sicilly is just an hour and a half away, it is definitely worth of considering visiting.
All in all, a typical LP book with almost all information you will need.
The perfect "in a nutshell" guide.......2007-02-10
Malta is one of those rare gems that still exist in the world. From its gorgeous coastlines, to the fascinating medieval strongholds, to the very life/flavor of the island itself, this is one of those places that captures the best society has offered from the last two-thousand years.
Lonely Planet does a fine job with their Malta/Gozo edition. Like most of their traveler friendly guides, it captures all the necessary information without overdoing it. For anyone brand new to the island, this book is like the gentle hand that guides you without sullying all the wonderful surprises that await you in Malta, a place I find as one of the worlds least appreciated attractions.
This book will offer advice, but from different perspectives, and the writing comes directly from those that have experienced what they cover. You won't get any "hearsay" junk with this guide. It is right on the money with everything it discusses; from restaurants, to travel accommodations, to tourist attractions, and far more. The maps are excellent and quite beneficial. I found myself spending a good half-hour to hour each night reading this AFTER we were already staying there, just to make certain I was getting every bit of flavor from my vacation as I could. It seems there is very little that this guide doesn't cover, for it even covers its history in a brief, but concise manner.
For those who live or already very familiar with the Malta/Gozo area, there won't be much information here that you probably don't already know. However, if you are traveling to this wonderful place for the very first time, get this book! It is well worth the money and will be indispensable as you try to make the most out of your excursion. I envy anyone who has yet to visit Malta for the 1st time, for there is nothing like the first trip!
Informative and useful.......2006-03-09
Like other Lonely Planet guide books, this one is informative and contains useful information for the traveler. Some historical information, good overview, maps, suggested itineraries, etc.
Do not understand this question, but the book I bought was Lonley Planet's Malta and Gozo.......2005-09-20
Super....could not have enjoyed my holiday as much without it!
A guide for Malta.......2005-06-14
A good book for anyone who hasn't been to Malta before and wants to know what to expect. Plus learn about Malta's history.
Malta property
(...)
Average customer rating:
- Entertaining, but there are some problems
- Splendid Adventure
- Losing My Religion !!
- Vulchers Desire Dead Meat
- Another Bodice Ripper
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The Religion: A Novel
Tim Willocks
Manufacturer: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0374248656
Release Date: 2007-05-15 |
Book Description
This is what we dream of: to be so swept away, so poleaxed by a book that the breath is sucked right out of us. Brace yourselves.
May 1565. Suleiman the Magnificent, emperor of the Ottomans, has declared a jihad against the Knights of Saint John the Baptist. The largest armada of all time approaches the knights’ Christian stronghold on the island of Malta. The Turks know the knights as the “Hounds of Hell.” The knights call themselves “The Religion.”
In Messina, Sicily, a French countess, Carla La Penautier, seeks passage to Malta in a quest to find the son taken from her at his birth twelve years ago. The only man with the expertise and daring to help her is a Rabelaisian soldier of fortune, arms dealer, former janissary, and strapping Saxon adventurer by the name of Mattias Tannhauser. He agrees to accompany the lady to Malta, where, amid the most spectacular siege in military history, they must try to find the boy—whose name they do not know and whose face they have never seen—and pluck him from the jaws of Holy War.
The Religion is the first book of the Tannhauser Trilogy, and from the first page of this epic account of the last great medieval conflict between East and West, it is clear we are in the hands of a master. Not since James Clavell has a novelist so powerfully and assuredly plunged readers headlong into another world and time. Anne Rice transformed the vampire novel. Stephen King reinvented horror. Now, in a spectacular tale of heroism, tragedy, and passion, Tim Willocks revivifies historical fiction.
Customer Reviews:
Entertaining, but there are some problems .......2007-10-09
This book is a bloody, baudy, action packed novel about the siege of Malta in 1565. There is a lot of sex and violence here. The battles are bloodily explosive, the villains clever and treacherous, the dangers omnipresent. Some of the characters are people you can believe in and care about, even though they do horrible things. This 16th century world is one that teems with danger, violence and backstabbing. Not quite real, perhaps, but good entertainment. The prose is not the stuff of great literature, but it reads easily enough. I looked forward to each opportunity to pick the book up again.
The hero is a flawed and ambivalent man of adventure, who straddles the Christian and Muslim worlds, with allegiances to both. He imagines himself as a wealthy merchant, but his sense of right and wrong gets in the way. Nevertheless, he is a methodical and ruthless killer when he feels the need to kill.
Many of the historical elements are accurate. Unfortunately, Willocks portrays most of the Catholic leaders as demons, which was not true. It is in keeping with the spirit of the world Willocks creates, where almost everyone is brutal and deadly. The only exceptions to this rule are the two women, who are almost saintly by comparison, if you overlook the relentless sexualization of their characters.
The action rarely pauses, and the writer is a good story teller. I was entertained by this book. I would not recommend it to many people, however. The anti-Catholic tone, the sex, and the violence are problematic.
Splendid Adventure.......2007-10-06
This is a splendid adventure with a bit of romance and sex thrown in. It is a book one wants to read without putting it down even to sleep. The questions the book raises about religion are especially topical. One does nope he will write sequels.
Losing My Religion !!.......2007-10-04
I am really mad at myself for taking time out of my vacation to read this much-touted, but ultimately unsatisfying, novel."The Religion" by Tim Willocks is this summer's doorstopper beach read in the historical fiction genre. I've seen it praised in the New Yorker, on The Onion, and other places. But it's pretty clunky and pretentious and it makes me scratch my head in wonder that writers like Bernard Cornwell aren't more widely read. The entire first half of this 600 page book has less story than the first two chapters of a Cornwell novel.
I found myself rewriting and editing the book in my head as I went along. The story involves the siege of the island fortress of Malta in the 16th century. It was a Christian warrior monk vs. fanatical Turkish horde kind of affair. the action and description is inexact and the plot is a shambling Nora Roberts-like contrivance with literary airs. The kind of book where there is a half-page exposition on how the character feels when he hears music, and where the skies are always "azure vaulted" instead of just blue.
Every other art form keeps the observer's experience in mind- film, TV, theater, everything..so why do authors of bloated pseudo-literary kindling like this ramble on and on without any regard for the reader's experience? You have to constantly think about the reader- let him do some of the work, let him participate, give him enough concrete, vivid detail to form his own picture of the world your trying to create for him.
The biggest let down about "The Religion" is that the main character has a very colorful history- He is a German blacksmith's apprentice that was spared in a Turkish raid of his village, he was adopted by the captain of the Turks and inducted into the Janissaries, the fanatical Muslim soldiers whose ranks were made up entirely of orphaned Christian children. He fought for them for three decades then he went back to Europe, attained the rank of captain in the Italian army, apprenticed himself to a wise man that was burned at the stake during the Inquisition for being an Alchemist, then partnered up with a Jewish merchant and an English mercenary to run a tavern in Sicily that is a front for arms dealing on both sides of the Christian Muslim conflict in the Mediterranean.
This sounds almost like the background of a Cornwellian hero- how he is buffeted back and forth between both sides of a cultural divide. It is enough material, for a more skillful author, to furnish a whole cycle of stories. But it all happens before the main story in Willock's book gets underway- all that good background is chucked in favor of a creaky old romance novel plot. it's a waste. I read that this is the first in a Trilogy- what the world needs less of are arbitrary trilogies.
Vulchers Desire Dead Meat.......2007-09-26
The author delivers what he feels the target audience would want, just as the owner of a strip-joint would do; and a couple of the sex scenes are consistent with the nature of the material one might find in a strip-joint setting. The average quality of the overall literary corpus has just dropped a notch.
Another Bodice Ripper.......2007-09-17
Why are people writing such long winded, positive reviews for this book? It's just another Bodice Ripper, and not a very good one at that. By page 75 there'd already been 4 detailed descriptions of obscene (and violent) sex and I enjoy a good Bodice Ripper as much as the other guy, but this was over done and poorly written. Very Bad book. Don't waste your time!
Book Description
The handy pocket-size guide is packed with useful information, tips and recommendations, accompanied by color photographs, charts and maps for the first-time traveller who wants to experience the major highlights that Malta has to offer. This travel book surpasses other guides in that it incorporates essential information in an easy-to-carry and easy-to-read format that is attractive and
useful at the same time. It provides a visitor with an invaluable introduction to Malta by concisely highlighting the region’s ‘must see’ areas in a practical and user-friendly format, thus encouraging the tourist to make the most of his/her available time. All the essential information you need to get around an unfamiliar region is compacted into useful and practical ‘At-a-Glance’ sections at the end of each chapter. The fold-out map of Malta is ideal for tourists and visitors. In addition to the main map of Malta, which highlights scenic routes, it features 3 detailed area maps and 7 town plans.
Customer Reviews:
First time visit .......2007-05-08
This guide and excellent map served the need well.Recommended
Good cultural info, not that good for practical info.......2007-04-03
This book has lots of interesting cultural information. It is helpfully broken down into regional sections. The map that comes along with it looks comprehensive.
But if you're looking for a guide for transportation and lodging, you'll have to look elsewhere. It has a sentence on about 3 hotels per region. But I think that's probably how it is meant to be used, to give details to go with your other book.
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