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.

Romanian: Learn to Speak and Understand Romanian with Pimsleur Language Programs (Simon & Schuster's Pimsleur)

Average customer rating:

ok
Romanian Language Program definitely a good investment
Best Foreign Language program
Pimsleur Learn Romanian
Romanian: Learn to Speak and Understand Romanian with Pimsleur

Romanian: Learn to Speak and Understand Romanian with Pimsleur Language Programs (Simon & Schuster's Pimsleur)
Pimsleur
Manufacturer: Pimsleur
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Nonfiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Reference Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Nonfiction | Books on CD | Audiobooks | Formats | Books

General | Books on CD | Audiobooks | Formats | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0743550536

Book Description

Compact Romanian, a stand-alone 10-lesson (5 hours) program, teaches beginning language strategies for essential communication and traveling needs.

What is the Pimsleur® difference?

The Pimsleur Method provides the most effective language-learning program ever developed. The Pimsleur Method gives you quick command of Romanian structure without tedious drills. Learning to speak Romanian can actually be enjoyable and rewarding.

The key reason most people struggle with new languages is that they aren't given proper instruction, only bits and pieces of a language. Other language programs sell only pieces -- dictionaries; grammar books and instructions; lists of hundreds or even thousands of words and definitions; audios containing useless drills. They leave it to you to assemble these pieces as you try to speak. Pimsleur enables you to spend your time learning to speak the language rather than just studying its parts.

When you were learning English, could you speak before you knew how to conjugate verbs? Of course you could. That same learning process is what Pimsleur replicates. Pimsleur presents the whole language as one integrated piece so you can succeed.

With Pimsleur you get:

Grammar and vocabulary taught together in everyday conversation,

Interactive audio-only instruction that teaches spoken language organically,

The flexibility to learn anytime, anywhere,

30-minute lessons designed to optimize the amount of language you can learn in one sitting.

Millions of people have used Pimsleur to gain real conversational skills in new languages quickly and easily, wherever and whenever -- without books, written exercises, or drills.

Customer Reviews:

ok.......2007-09-12

Good, yet too simple. The CDs do not expand enough the vocabulary. You get tired of the same phrases and vocabulary.

Romanian Language Program definitely a good investment.......2007-08-09

I got this program to prepare me for my upcoming trip to Moldova with the Peace Corps. I have found the cds easy to listen to, attention grabbing and effective. I am now on the 4th cd and I am amazed at how much I have learned. I took years of spanish in college, but learning in the classroom does not compare to the self motivating system I have found with this cd. It is affordable and I would recomend it to anyone.

Best Foreign Language program.......2007-06-01

I loved learning Romanian with the Pimsleur method. It was easy, yet I learned so much. I would love it more if their were advanced levels.

Pimsleur Learn Romanian.......2007-03-13

My wife and inlaws use this product to get ready for an upcoming trip to Romania. They really love it. I think this is the best language learning program out there.

Romanian: Learn to Speak and Understand Romanian with Pimsleur.......2007-01-08

Quality of disks is good. For complete beginners the accompanying book could have had more text in it.

Teach Yourself Romanian Complete Course Audiopackage

Average customer rating:

Lacks Thoroughness and Full of Typos
Must learn romanian SOON
Quirky, yes, but for other reasons
Definitely not the best
Not a bad choice

Teach Yourself Romanian Complete Course Audiopackage
Dennis Deletant , and Yvonne Alexandrescu
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Nonfiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Reference Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Reference | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0071424741

Book Description

Complete language courses that span the globe!

From Danish to Spanish, Swahili to Brazilian Portuguese, the languages of the world are brought within the reach of any beginning language student. Learners can use the Teach Yourself Language Courses at their own pace or as a supplement in their formal courses. These complete courses are based on the very latest learning methods and designed to be enjoyable and user-friendly.

Prepared by experts in the language, each course begins with the basics and steadily promotes the student to a level of smooth and confident communication, through:

Up-to-date, graded interactive dialogues
Graded units of culture notes, grammar, and exercises
Step-by-step guides to pronunciation
Practical vocabulary
Regular and irregular verb tables
Plenty of practice exercises and answers
Bilingual glossary The new editions also feature:
Clear, uncluttered, and user-friendly layout
Self-assessment quizzes to test progress
New recordings on CD for easy access and review
Website suggestions to take language study further

Customer Reviews:

Lacks Thoroughness and Full of Typos.......2007-08-10

When I first started learning Romanian on my own, I thought this book was very useful, and I'd still say it is if you just want to memorize a bunch of phrases without learning why they're constructed the way they are or how to contruct original sentences. But after taking two years of college Romanian, I'm horrified by this book's lack of grammar explanation (Romanian grammar is quite complex and requires clear explanations for English speakers). The book helps you memorize common sentences, but in fails to prepare you to speak Romanian outside of a script. Also, there are so many typos I want to scream. Typos in the English text, in the Romanian text, in the dialogues, even in the exercise answer keys. I can't recommend it.

Must learn romanian SOON.......2007-07-19

I thought this course was overall pretty good. I took so much time to keep listening over and over again! It was very challenging to learn; however, learning any language is difficult.

Quirky, yes, but for other reasons.......2007-05-12

I wanted to post a partial response to an earlier review which is fantastic in its breadth but I feel misstates one particular part. The reason I mention this is that comment in particular was a reason I almost didn't buy this book. It made the author sound unreasonable and illogical.

It is odd that this reviewer states "In fact, he says Romanians emphasise each syllable of a word evenly, when they simply don't." Which is not true. There is a point in the beginning that says some words are evenly stressed. But throughout the first and second chapter there are numerous quotes discussing the various stresses and what they mean. This comment by the reviewer relies on a single sentence in the book and audio which I believe is extended beyond its apparent meaning.

On a negative note towards the book, however, I don't understand why each new Romanian word doesn't have a pronunciation guide to that word. You only have individual letter and letter combo pronunciation, not word specific. How can a language book exclude this? The CD helps a little, but I was hoping to get more out of the written book.

Definitely not the best.......2007-04-13

I bought this book before moving to Romania, because I was hoping to get a bit of a foundation. For awhile I did my best to work through the lessons, hoping that I would be able to learn from them.

However, I found one very definite problem with this book (aside from some of the things mentioned by others such as typos and now-outdated examples). The grammar was hardly ever explained in any thorough way. For example, Romanian has different ways of conjugating verbs that end with -i. The book just gave the different ways this is done without giving any hint about how you can know when one conjugation is used, which one is more common, or anything. Even if the authors had stated, "There is no way to know; you just have to memorize this for each verb," that would have been helpful. Unfortunately, there was nothing like that. Another example is the way that nouns are pluralized. The authors don't give any hint about which are the most common endings, how you can tell which pluralization form is likely to be used with which word, the fact that most foreign nouns entering Romanian but still in their foreign forms become neutral and take the -uri plural (CD-uri, email-uri, etc.), and various other things that are helpful.

I know that this is something that may not be such a big issue for some people. My experience in learning and teaching foreign languages is that most people tend to have a bent towards either vocabulary or grammar, and in one of those two areas they tend to excel more than they do in the other. I happen to be a grammar sort of person, and so this was a very big deal to me. In fact, it was enough that I wasn't able to complete all of the lessons because I couldn't figure out the grammar rules well enough to feel like I was learning anything (because those rules weren't generally stated very clearly in the text). I'm still giving it 2 stars instead of 1 because those who focus more easily on grammar will have an easier time with it, and because it does have useful reference tools in the back.

Not a bad choice.......2007-03-23

The CD starts out well, with the whole vocab list being pronounced, but it gets lazy as the chapters progress. As someone who likes to just turn the CDs on while driving and hear the words as background noise, this gets annoying. I ended up buying an audio recorder to tape the rest of the words and lists of verb conjuations. That didn't help with pronunciation but it sufficed. Otherwise the book seems good for the casual tourist. Would recommend.

History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)

Average customer rating:

Check and see
Suprise! Suprise!
Prescient St Augustine?
Something of a disappointment
Romulus courts Helen, Paris founds Rome, Moses goes to Troy..

History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)
Anatoly T Fomenko
Manufacturer: Delamere Resources LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Assyria, Babylonia & Sumer | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

Historiography | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Medieval | World | History | Subjects | Books

German | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Russian | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Spanish | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Chinese | Classics | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Mythology & Folklore | Encyclopedias | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Controversial Knowledge | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

History | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Celtic | Earth-Based Religions | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Magic & Wizards | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

History | Fashion | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Nonfiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Reference Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Religion & Spirituality Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 2913621066

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.

Romanian Made Nice & Easy (REA) (Languages Made Nice & Easy)

Average customer rating:

Not really a "Learn Romanian" book
romanian made easy
Pragmatic if not scholarly
like the title says. "Nice and Easy"
Not a grammar book

Romanian Made Nice & Easy (REA) (Languages Made Nice & Easy)
The Staff of REA
Manufacturer: Research & Education Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Study Skills | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Encyclopedias | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books

Study Guides | Reference | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Reference Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

General | Reference | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

Study Guides | Reference | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

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

ASIN: 0878914013

Customer Reviews:

Not really a "Learn Romanian" book.......2007-08-08

I have bought a small set of books to learn the Romanian language and this seems to be the least useful of them.

It's not a book that will teach you the language - it will only provide you phrases that will be useful if you want to spend some days in Romania and be minimally understood. If you really want to learn the language by yourself, it should be really a better idea to buy some method (I particularly like the one from Assimil, which has an option with audio from the lessons spoken by native Romanians), a Romanian grammar (the one from Christina Hoffman is very helpful) and a good dictionary. This one is just for tourists.

romanian made easy.......2007-07-05

well i am not done with it yet but from where i'm at it is really helpful and easy to use as is stated in the name.

Pragmatic if not scholarly.......2006-07-05

This book can give English natives who do not master phonetic transcription of any kind a very useful idea of how to pronounce Romanian by reading and not listening--as close as native English speakers can get it. As long as students of Romanian possess no theoretical basis such as phonetic transcription (either American or European) which can help with reading a foreign language, and want to get a crash course in everyday phrases, this book provides an almost ideal approach to the learning of spoken Romanian--it is "nice and easy", as promised.

To those who want to learn it for more serious purposes, though--such as getting a better grasp of the language, writing correctly, or even taking academic courses in Romanian--I would suggest them to supplement with more serious books, such as the Teach Yourself Romanian Complete Course, for example.

like the title says. "Nice and Easy".......2005-12-04

i bought this book because my girlfriend's family is from romania and she speaks the language. i wanted to learn the language so her family would see me trying to fit in and... well, let me fit in. after i got the book, i pulled out my phone and sent a text in romanian. she replied back in romanian. the only problem with the book is it does'nt go very deep. it's pretty short. i'd love it if the same people wrote something bigger in the same format. the pronunciation guides were great. if you're just looking at getting started at learning romanian, or you just want to impress a romanian/american girl (cuz they're so hot) buy the book.

Not a grammar book.......2005-08-04

I was expecting a book with such a title to provide an overview of Romanian grammar. It doesn't. It is just a phrase book (with some good material on Romanian culture). It is a good phrasebook, but don't expect to get an understanding of the structure of the language from this book. That being said, I do appreciate the way that pronunciation is indicated (something that is missing from the the Romanian grammar book I bought at the same time).

The Romanian Revolution Of December 1989

Average customer rating:

Rave Reviews for Seller!

The Romanian Revolution Of December 1989
Peter Siani-Davies
Manufacturer: Cornell University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Eastern | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

Romania | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

Revolutionary | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0801442451

Book Description

The Romanian Revolution of 1989 was the most spectacularly violent and remains today the most controversial of all the East European upheavals of that year. Despite (or perhaps because of) the media attention the revolution received, it remains shrouded in mystery. How did the seemingly impregnable Ceausescu regime come to be toppled so swiftly and how did Ion Iliescu and the National Salvation Front come to power? Was it by coup d'état? Who were the mysterious "terrorists" who wreaked such havoc on the streets of Bucharest and the other major cities of Romania? Were they members of the notorious securitate? What was the role of the Soviet Union?

Blending narrative with analysis, Peter Siani-Davies seeks to answer these and other questions while placing the events and their immediate aftermath within a wider context. Based on fieldwork conducted in Romania and drawing heavily on Romanian sources, including television and radio transcripts, official documents, newspaper reports, and interviews, this book is the most thorough study of the Romanian Revolution that has appeared in English or any other major European language.

Recognizing that a definitive history of these events may be impossible, Siani-Davies focuses on the ways in which participants interpreted the events according to particular scripts and myths of revolution rooted in the Romanian historical experience. In the process the author sheds light on the ways in which history and the conflicting retellings of the 1989 events are put to political use in the transitional societies of Eastern Europe.

Customer Reviews:

Rave Reviews for Seller!.......2007-06-27

Just to let you know, we needed this book for a special assignment, and the seller sent it asap! AND it was exactly as described. That's a winning combination!

Happy in Minnesota

Dada East: The Romanians of Cabaret Voltaire

Average customer rating:

Dada East: The Romanians of Cabaret Voltaire
Tom Sandqvist
Manufacturer: The MIT Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Dadaism | Schools, Periods & Styles | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Modern | Schools, Periods & Styles | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Surrealism | Schools, Periods & Styles | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Romania | Europe | History | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0262195070

Book Description

Dada -- perhaps the most famous and outrageous of modernism's artistic movements -- is said to have begun at the Cabaret Voltaire, a literary evening staged at the restaurant Meierei in Zurich on February 5, 1916. The evening featured stamping, roaring, banging on the lids of pots and pans, and the recitation of incomprehensible "poemes simultanes" Thus a global revolution in art and culture was born in a Swiss restaurant. Or was it?

In Dada East, Tom Sandqvist shows that Dada did not spring full-grown from a Zurich literary salon but grew out of an already vibrant artistic tradition in Eastern Europe -- particularly Romania -- that was transposed to Switzerland when a group of Romanian modernists settled in Zurich. Bucharest and other cities in Romania had been the scene of Dada-like poetry, prose, and spectacle in the years before World War I. One of the leading lights was Tristan Tzara, who began his career in avant-garde literature at fifteen when he cofounded the magazine Simbolul. Tzara -- who himself coined the term "Dada," inspired by an obscure connection of his birthday to an Orthodox saint -- was at the Cabaret Voltaire that night, along with fellow Romanians Marcel, Jules, and Georges Janco and Arthur Segal. It's not a coincidence, Sandqvist argues, that so many of the first dadaist group were Romanians. Sandqvist traces the artistic and personal transformations that took place in the "little Paris of the Balkans" before they took center stage elsewhere, finding sources as varied as symbolism, futurism, and folklore. He points to a connection between Romanian modernists and the Eastern European Yiddish tradition; Tzara, the Janco brothers, and Segal all grew up within Jewish culture and traditions.

For years, the communist authorities in Romania disowned and disavowed Romania's avant-garde movements. Now, as archives and libraries are opening to Western scholars, Tom Sandqvist tells the secret history of Dada's Romanian roots.

Average customer rating:

Language And Travel Guide to Romania
Rosemary Rennon
Manufacturer: Hippocrene Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Europe | Travel | Subjects | Books

Romania & Moldova | Europe | Travel | Subjects | Books

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Reference Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Travel Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0781811503

Average customer rating:

An Intellectual Triumph
Self indulgant at times, yet kept me on board
The politics of an Obsession
A smart director would snatch up the rights
Beautiful

The Romanian: Story of an Obsession
Bruce Benderson
Manufacturer: Tarcher
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Travel | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Memoirs | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Gay & Lesbian | Subjects | Books

General | Nonfiction | Gay & Lesbian | Subjects | Books

Travel | Gay & Lesbian | Subjects | Books

Romania & Moldova | Europe | Travel | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Travel Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1585424781

Book Description

Winner of the 2004 Prix de Flore-one of France's most distinguished literary prizes-a wildly romantic, true-life love story

History follows a trail of sputtering desire, often calling upon the delusions of lovers to generate the sparks. If it weren't for us, the world would suffer from a dismal lack of stories," writes Bruce Benderson in this brutally candid memoir.

"What astonishes and intrigues is Benderson's way of recounting, in the sweetest possible voice, things that are considered shocking," wrote Le Monde. What's so shocking? It's not just Benderson's job translating CÃ©line Dion's saccharine autobiography, which he admits is driving him mad; but his unrequited love for an impoverished Romanian in "cheap club-kid platforms with dollar signs in his squinting eyes," whom he meets while on a journalism assignment in Eastern Europe.

Rather than retreat, Benderson absorbs everything he can about Romanian culture and discovers an uncanny similarity between his own obsession for the Romanian (named Romulus) and the disastrous love affair of King Carol II, the last king of Romania (1893-1953). Throughout, Benderson-"absolutely free of bitterness, nastiness, or any desire to protect himself," wrote Le Monde-is sustained by little white codeine pills, a poetic self-awareness, a sense of humor, and an unwavering belief in the perfect romance, even as wild dogs chase him down Romanian streets.

Customer Reviews:

An Intellectual Triumph.......2007-04-19

Benderson, Bruce, "The Romanian: Story of an Obsession", Tarcher/ Penguin, 2006.

An Intellectual Triumph

Amos Lassen and Literary Pride

If you are in the mood for a serous book that will indeed make you think, pick up a copy of Bruce Benderson's "The Romanian: Story of an Obsession" and I can promise you that you will not be disappointed. I knew nothing about it and the more I read the more surprised I became and the more I loved this book. Written as a memoir, it is really more of a mystery. It s one thing to go down the wrong road but it is something else when you knowingly do so. The book is honest (sometimes too much so) and realistic (because it really happened).
Anyone who has ever loved a person or a place with pain and obsessed, fantasized, felt not at home, or thought about the concepts of history and fate will have a pleasurable read. Benderson takes Romanian history and enmeshes it with the love story of a forbidden hustler. Benderson's obsession with a Romanian rent boy parallels the scandal of a royal family and in doing so takes us with beautiful insight into the modern perspective. Benderson has created a whole new form of travel memoir with this book. He transforms his obsessions to matters for the intellect and we get a psycho-sexual soap opera where danger and truth hide in run down hotels, dim cul-de-sacs and unknown foreign landscapes. The titillation he could have provided his readers by writing this as a soft-core porn novel is instead relates as depraved, masochistic luminous and comical story. There is no hint of redemption and no patented wisdom. The style of the author is depressing and decadent and seems to be infused with mind altering drugs but this is what makes this book so great.
Benderson is at times self-indulgent but we never lose interest. It seemed to me that the author was trying to exorcise some of his guilt feelings about exploiting a young hustler but this is not really of importance as we see when the book draws to a close. Everything is just dirty and the man brought about his own fate.
Benderson felt that his mother had suffocated him emotionally and it is through this knowledge and his relationship with a young man that he begins to realize that everyone of us carries some kind of flaw and that above all, we are human. In learning this, the book shocks us into the reality of the way we live and we start to search within ourselves. Benderson shocks us out of any preconceived notions we may have about the nature of sexuality and we learn that we are mainly responsible for our undoing.
The layers of the book are plentiful as past and present intertwine and the passion of Benderson becomes the passion of the person reading his book. The language is beautiful and the way three different themes are bound together is nothing short of amazing. The descriptions are lush and I bet that Romania has never looked so good before. Benderson uses his beautiful narrative to tell us of things that should ordinarily shock us but his way of relating what he has to say is absolutely gorgeous.

Self indulgant at times, yet kept me on board.......2007-04-01

I knew nothing about this memoire but the title before i picked it up so you can imagine my suprise as the plot became clear.

I enjoyed this book more than i expected because the characters pulled me in and the pace seemed to be more like a mystery than a memoire. Knowing that the story was not dreampt up made the characters feelings weigh a bit more heavily.

I really enjoyed the journey the author goes through...knowing he's venturing down the wrong path but going anyway, for the immediate satisfaction that lays there.

The politics of an Obsession.......2006-06-02

I loved this book. It was honest, although at times it did teeter on the pretentious. I'm not sure if there really was a valid point to his parallel tale of Romania's last king and mistress and Benderson's affair with the his Romanian hustler. Perhaps Benderson was just trying to displace some of his guilty feelings over exploiting a poor and desperate young man. By the end it really doesn't matter - his rose tinted glasses are off and it's all just grime, grit as dirty as uncut diamonds. I came to realize that everyone is an accomplice in their own undoing.

A smart director would snatch up the rights.......2006-04-29

I am straight and was wonderfully surprised how "The Romanian" depicted facets of my own love life and how Benderson's relationship with his mother was similar --the same suffocating control and tenderness. Benderson jolts us right out of our outdated heterosexual and homosexual bourgeois notions. Whether it is his mother or a shameful street hustler, Benderson is only too aware that we are all flawed; that we are only all too human. A shocker for sure but almost right from the beginning, we stop judging and start to search, along with Benderson, deep into our own souls.

"The Romanians," multi- layered intertwines the past with and present in such a brilliant way that we not only learn something about ourselves but also about several cultures. A smart director like Paul VERHOEVEN or TARANTINO would be smart to snatch up the rights.

Beautiful .......2006-04-07

While I may like this book partly because I know its main locale, anyone who has ever loved a person or a place with pain, obsessed, fantasized, felt exiled, or contemplated history and fate, will find this a fascinating read.

Average customer rating:

Worth Reading
A Haunting Look Back
The banality of tyranny/evil; the process of self redemption
A disappointing and pretentious memoir

The Return
Petru Popescu
Manufacturer: Grove Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Authors | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Emigration & Immigration | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Romania & Moldova | Europe | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Reference Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Travel Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
ASIN: 0802116132

Customer Reviews:

Worth Reading.......1999-10-07

I would like to thank Petru Popescu for writing this book and for so openly sharing his experiences of, and feelings about, life in Romania. Having several Romanian friends and acquaintances, Popescu's book filled in a lot of blanks for me, and answered questions that have sometimes proven much too painful for my friends to answer. I have researched Romania's communist and recent history fairly extensively in the course of my work, and have not come across anything that has been as informative on a personal level as The Return. Other reviewers here have noted that Popescu comes across as a bit full of himself. I agree. On page 220 he notes that his wife, whom he obviously loves very much, has been "imprinted by motherhood, but (is) still thin." (If my husband paid me a compliment like that, I would throw all of his clothes out on the lawn. Who "imprinted" her, exactly? ) He also informs the reader that he is talented, published, filmed, televised, well-known, flies first class, owns a Mercedes, resides in the 90210 zip code, and has enjoyed many a sexual escapade to boot. While Popescu may lack modesty and his womanizing may strike some readers as a bit disturbing, this book is worth reading. Popescu has spared nothing in displaying the details of his humanity both within and apart from communism. It is a story that should be heard.

A Haunting Look Back.......1998-08-24

The images are vivid and many lives are captured in Popescu's book. We find in his 'return' the return we must all make.

The banality of tyranny/evil; the process of self redemption.......1998-03-22

There were two components of this book that decreased its emotional impact and its potential i.e. : (1) its easy going American Apple Pie style and (2) the time spent on wallpapering personal insecurity with self accomplishment. Here is a man who is trying to put his Self together after living through the mental aberrations as well as the physical and spiritual confinement of Communism. Moreover, first he has inherited, into his very `genetic' makeup, the ghost of Romania past ( its senseless barbarism, its deviant Fascism, its glorious struggle, its bickering and Balkan feuding, its honor and genteel socialization) transferred through stories from his relatives & their personal family history, second he has had to attain his manhood in a dysfunctional family and third, after defection to & wanderings in the garden of the American dream, he marries the post war daughter of Shoah survivors. All these elements are set with a backdrop of Romanians who, as a people/culture, cannot look truths in the eye and seek redemption. A setting for a tale of character development and self discovery par excellence! So much for potential! If one mentally subtracts the `style' and the `wallpaper' impediments out of this book then one is left with a picture of Romania the country/the people, the day to day impact of Communism, the scary banality of tyranny & evil and the subsequent process of deifying the tyrant. Food for thought! Food for thought! I only wish I could also have had the tale of personal redemption too!

A disappointing and pretentious memoir.......1997-11-19

Petru Popescu was apparently viewed as a writer in Romania much as Jackie Susann, whom he dismisses as "trash," is viewed in the US. Romanians who lived through the Ceaucescu and Iliescu years will not be taken in by Mr. Popescu's posturing, self-aggrandizement, and embellishments. The writing style is stilted and harsh, reflecting the author's former career as a tool for a corrupt and out-of-control government. The text contains many language and spelling errors that should have been corrected by an editor. This book was a very difficult read. Its value is in some of the descriptions of day to day life in Communist Romania, which most people cannot imagine. A far superior book -- both in style and accuracy -- is "The Hole in the Flag" by Andrei Codrescu, another Romanian ex-patriate who presents a compelling history and memoir without the personal puffery.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books