Reviews (40)

At Last The Truth
I was blown away by this book. I always felt there was something we were not being told. When I actually got into the book, I was saying, yes, yes, yes, I knew it! Everyone from the age of 5 up needs to read this book. It will enlighten and sometimes frighten, but in the end it will give you knowledge. You will finally be able to think for yourself and start asking questions that the Church does not want us to ask.
A first class ticket to Woo-Woo Land
"A startling piece of detective work," says the Amazon book description, "that combines history, literary criticism, esoterica and archaeology, Genesis of the Grail Kings is the ultimate story of earthly kingship from its Mesopotamian foundation."
How Books Can Change Lives
read "Bloodline of the Holy Grail" and found familiar family names published in the geneology charts. That awakened a deep curiosity that led to a lifelong quest for the truth about my own heritage, and this changed my life forever. My journey led me to Kashmir to do an in-depth study of "Jesus in India." Now, having read "The Magdalene Legacy" I still want to know more. Mr. Gardner is a powerful writer who does extensive research, and his books will alter many more lives well into the future. Few books can have such powerful impact on history and on changing lives. His may be the books that actually change yours too. What greater testament to an author's impact than this?
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Subjects:  1. Ancient - Egypt    2. General    3. History    4. History - General History    5. Religion   

Reviews (14)

Hats and Shoes
I enjoyed this book thoroughly and read it at one sitting! It's quite a page turner. I found some of the authors conclusions to be rather quick given the spotty historical record of that time period but there is pleanty of citations and a lengthy bibliography for further reading.

The female pharoah
`Had Hatchepsut been born a man, her lengthy rule would almost certainly be remembered for its achievements: its stable government, successful trade missions, and the impressive architectural advances which include the construction of the Deir el-Bahri temple on the west bank of the Nile at Luxor, a building which is still widely regarded as one of the most beautiful in the world. Instead, Hatchepsut's gender has become her most important characteristic, and almost all references to her reign have concentrated not on her policies but on the person relationship and power struggles which many historians have felt able to detect within the claustrophobic early 18th Dynasty Theban royal family.' Good read and fairly balanced
Joyce Tyldesley's Hatchepsut: The Female Pharaoh is more than a good introduction to the title figure from ancient Egyptian history. The book is, in a way, Hatshepsut's biography; however it is quite honest about the amount of evidence that survives today--very little--and therefore does not pretend that some sort of definitive and personal narrative of the Pharaoh's life is possible. Instead of giving a year-by-year account of Hatshepsut and her life, the book presents and examines its subject in terms of historiography. Tyldesley discusses previous theories and extant evidence in a frank manner while offering her own interpretations, which tend to legitimize Hatshepsut's reign (and are sometimes quite compelling). Because there is so little evidence and the subject of Hatshepsut, a woman who ruled Egypt as a Pharaoh, is so easily entangled is people's own ideas about gender and power, all these interpretations--including Tydesley's--involve a degree of bias. This was particularly the case when scholars argued from silence, constructing their own ideas about Hatshepsut based on the logic of contemporary gender roles but in the absence of tangible facts. To address such interpretations by previous scholars, Tyldesley has had to put forth arguments in this same vacuum. She recognizes that interpretation without corroborating evidence is fundamentally problematic, and, when it comes to such difficult topics, she makes a laudable effort to be honest about how just what is and is not firm fact, and to give previous scholars their due credit. Overall, then, the book does an excellent job of problematizing the study of Hatshepsut--of showing what we know, what we assume (and why), and what is still wholly mystery. Those who read this book even slightly critically should come away with a decently balanced view of Hatshepsut.Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Egypt    5. Eighteenth dynasty, ca. 1570-1320 B.C    6. Hatshepsut,    7. Historical - General    8. History    9. Middle East - Egypt    10. Queen of Egypt    11. Queens    12. Women    13. African history: BCE to c 500 CE    14. Ancient World    15. Biography: historical    16. Hatshepsut    17. History / Ancient / Egypt    18. World history: BCE to c 500 CE   

Subjects:  1. Egypt    2. Egypt - History    3. History    4. History - General History    5. History: World    6. Islamic History    7. Middle East - Egypt    8. Middle East - General    9. ASIA    10. African history    11. Asian / Middle Eastern history: c 500 to c 1500    12. Egypt--History    13. History / Middle East    14. Modern period, c 1500 onwards    15. c 1000 CE to c 1500    16. c 500 CE to c 1000 CE   

Reviews (10)

Where's that anti-Islam polemic?
My attention was drawn to the book when I received an e-mail with the text of a speech allegedly made by Churchill in 1899, and attributed to pp 248-250 of Volume II of the first edition. The nicest part says "Individual Moslems may show splendid qualities, but the influence of the religion paralyses the social development of those who follow it."
A Young "Subaltern of the Empire" with a Destiny
Here we find a 20-something Churchill reporting on the British-Egyptian campaign against the Mahdists in the Sudan in the late 1890's. This is mostly told in the third person, although he was present for part of the action as a junior officer in the 21st Lancers (back when cavalry still rode horses).
The River War
This is a very important book that was not put forward vigorously because of the low quality of the writing and the racism that ruled the mind of Winston Churchill mind and the minds of the elite of Great Britain and their policies. I have studied the Napoleonic war and the manipulation of the Allies by the British and all the countries who went forth a Vikings.
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Subjects:  1. 1862-1899    2. Europe - Great Britain - General    3. History    4. History - Military / War    5. History: World    6. Middle East - Egypt    7. Military - Other    8. Sudan    9. World - General    10. African history: c 1500 to c 1900    11. World history: Second World War    12. c 1800 to c 1900   

Reviews (2)

Pharahonic women....
I have read this book and I think it is one of the greatest piece of literature...it explain everything you need to know about women in those time...it's completedvery well illustrated and the price compensate the product..it's worth it...it's great!

Pharahonic women....
I have read this book and I think it is one of the greatest piece of literature...it explain everything you need to know about women in those time...it's completedvery well illustrated and the price compensate the product..it's worth it...it's great! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Ancient - Egypt    2. Ancient Egypt Archaeology    3. Antiquities    4. Archaeology    5. Archaeology / Anthropology    6. Art    7. Civilization    8. Egypt    9. History    10. History - General    11. To 332 B.C    12. To 500    13. Women    14. Women And Art    15. Women's Studies - History    16. Ancient Egypt    17. Art / General    18. BCE to c 500 CE    19. Egyptian archaeology    20. Women's studies   

Reviews (8)

My curiosity is satisfied!
As Professor Moran points out in his preface, his main objective was to provide an up to datetranslation of"the entire corpus of Amarna letters which reflects the advances of the last 75 years."Indeed there is little or no explanation about the meanings ofthe eventsreferred to in these letters.On the other hand, my somewhat incompatible objective in buying this book,was to go to the source in order to satisfy myself about the veracity or otherwise of the interpretations ofsome of these letters by other historians. However, and possibly because of their repetitive nature, I did get a picture of what was going on in the area of what is now Syria, Lebanon, and Israel, during the last years of Amenhopis III and his son Akhenaten,
Amazing source of information
The book gives rare possibility to take a glipmse of original correspondence from the end od XVIII Dynasty. It requires some kind of "experience" in egyptian topic, very good for enthusiasts of Amarna Period.

Necessary tool for historical studies of Egypt, Israel,ANE
Tel El Amarna is the modern name of where the Nile capital of Egypt once stood. Egypt was briefly ruled from this location by Pharaoh Amenhotep IV (1352 - 1336 B.C. 18th Dynasty). Amenhotep, meaning "Amon is satisfied", took on the name Akhenaton, "he who is serviceable to Aton", when he exalted Aton by making the cult of the sun disc the primary religion of Egypt. Under Akenaton the capital city of Egypt was moved from Thebes to Akhetaton, "the horizon of Aton."Read more

Subjects:  1. Ancient - General    2. Arabic    3. History    4. History - General History    5. History: World    6. African history: BCE to c 500 CE    7. Ancient Egypt    8. Literary Criticism & Collections / Theory    9. Other prose: classical, early & medieval    10. World history: BCE to c 500 CE   

Reviews (1)

CONCISE AND NOTHING ELSE
This book is more of a historical guide to the modern history of Egyptthan a"history" itself. The (selected) facts and persona aretaken in a chronological succession, being merely described but notanalysed in-depth. So that it is only helpful as a resource for checkingdates and names, but it is just disappointing as for the actual historical,political and social forces that gave form to present-day Egypt, herposition in contemporary world and her most accute problems (among whichthe "identity"-problem: Muslim or Western Egypt?). ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1798-    2. 640-1882    3. Egypt    4. History    5. History - Military / War    6. History: World    7. Middle East - Egypt    8. Middle East - General    9. Military - General    10. ASIA    11. Asian / Middle Eastern history    12. Egypt--History--640-1882    13. History / Middle East    14. Modern period, c 1500 onwards   

Subjects:  1. Ancient - Egypt    2. History    3. History - General History    4. History: World    5. African history: BCE to c 500 CE    6. Ancient Egypt    7. Egyptian archaeology    8. History / Ancient / Egypt   

Reviews (8)

Tremendous Insight
Lila Abu Lughod, an Arab American woman, lived among the Awlad Ali tribes of the North West of Egypt for two years. Veiled Sentiments is the book she wrote on the lives and poetry of Awlad Ali. Abu Lughod field work was clearly not carried out from a "superior" stance; she sympathized with her subjects and dealt with them as equal human beings rather than inferior specimen or cultures. Abu Lughod attitude, intelligence, training and tremendous analystical ability helped her in developing great insight and understanding of this fascinating culture.
Evocative ethnography
I agree with the other reviewers.It was the best ethnography I can remember reading.What struck a chord with me was her description and explanation of the women's submission to the men, that the submissiveness was valuable only when it was voluntarily given.The idea of women being submissive to men is not only Islamic, but exists also in Christianity.

A Tool for Understanding
"Veiled Sentiments" is academic.It is the outcome of the author's living in a Bedouin community in northern Egypt (the Western Desert) for two years, a feat of no mean proportions.Read more

Subjects:  1. Anthropology - Cultural    2. Archaeology / Anthropology    3. Bedouins    4. Egypt    5. Folk poetry, Arabic    6. Folklore    7. Gender Studies    8. History and criticism    9. Social Science    10. Social life and customs    11. Sociology    12. Women's Studies - General    13. Africa    14. African history    15. Social Science / Anthropology / General   

Reviews (8)

King of Fools
Amazing book, for two reasons.First the amount of information contained within and second the shear ignorance of the author.The first book written about Amenophis IV aka Akhenaten which does not attack his crediblity, legacy and character will be the first.Aldred sinks to the depths of his era while doing all he can to discredit any positive attributes and accomplishments to this historic figure.Egyptologists enjoy a distinct advantage over other non-fiction writers in that they are free spin deceptive webs which are vitually unverifiable to the general public for decades inorder to attack their subjects with wild claims, stories and inuendo.It is amazing that a researcher of Aldred's acclaim would focus so much on unfounded allegations of incest, adultry and homosexuality that I began to wonder what dark secrets lay in his past.
Brilliant Archaeologist
Cyril Aldred was one of the best minds ever to work in Egyptology. He used both common sense and intelligence, and rarely found himself swept up in the fantasies that abound in Egyptology. This book is an excellent example of his meticulous work. Read, for example, his chapter deciphering the contents of KV55. Not just the mummy, but the shrines and other objects, found in a hopeless jumble. Guided by what is simple and probable, he presents a reasonable explanation of how the tomb was found in that state it was; and how such a mixed burial, with objects referring to Akhenaten, Tiye and Smenkhara, came to be. for everyone interested in Akhenaten...
Written by a notorious Egyptologist, this classic tells of Akhenaten and Nefertiti's life and family, the foundation of Amarna,and the conception of monotheism. One of the best books ever written on the subject, it is well researched and extremely informative, with many illustrations. Definitely recommended to anyone interested in learning more about this pharaoh. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Akhenaten,    2. Akhenaton,    3. Egypt    4. Eighteenth dynasty, ca. 1570-1    5. Eighteenth dynasty, ca. 1570-1320 B.C    6. General    7. History    8. History - General History    9. History: World    10. King of Egypt    11. Middle East - Egypt   

Reviews (4)

The dark side of the American dream as expressed by working class hoodlums
I cannot imagine anyone ever writing a more thorough examination of the environment, causes and activities of juvenile street gangs in New York than Eric Schneider.Schneider, himself of lower-middle-class Manhattan origins, presents us, not with a vague cultural angle on the phenomenon, but an entire history of the changing economic and racial landscape of post-war New York and how street gangs were, in essence, a manifestation of that changing landscape.Gangs were a reaction to their underlying social circumstances and it is with this level of depth and rigour that Schneider has approached the subject.
only in New York...
This book is an excellent treatise into one of the many fascinating eras of the NY underworld. The author takes you back to a dark time when Italian gangs fought Irish and German gangs, then united to fight Puerto Rican and Black Gangs, after which even Puerto Ricans were assimilated. This was a time when gangs were vicious but had not yet discovered heroine, crack cocaine, and machine guns; very interesting reading.

This is real
My grandparents emigrated from ItalyRead more

Subjects:  1. Criminology    2. General    3. History    4. History - U.S.    5. History: American    6. Sociology    7. United States - 20th Century    8. United States - 20th Century (1945 to 2000)    9. American History    10. Anthropology    11. Cultural studies    12. Gender Studies    13. History / United States / 20th Century    14. Local history    15. Political Science and International Relations    16. Postwar period, 1945 to c 2000    17. Social history    18. USA    19. Urban communities    20. Violence in society   

Editorial Review

Suspicion naturally arises when you read a promo line on a back cover that says, "This is the most important book concerning the Great Pyramid written in the last 20 years." In this case, however, it may be fact. In writing Read more

Reviews (51)

The Giza Power plant
Very compelling scientific and engineering focus on the interior aspects of the Giza Pyramid. Obviously a new look at the internal mechanisms of design, rather then the currently accepted theories. As a believer in connecting with Spirit through ceremony and ritual, I find this book actually reinforces the concepts I practice - vibration raises the frequency which in turn connects you with Spirit!

Pyramid power? Or traveler's diarrhea? You decide.
The author Dunn is not the only person with an outlandish theory about the meaning of the pyramids (jokingly known as "pyramidiocy"). His ideas fit in among others about curses, astrology, extraterrestrials, Atlantis, even a well-known technological theory which predates Dunn's: that the Great Pyramid was a giant water pump.
This book may hold the key to endless renewable energy -- and the future of mankind.
This book is well worth reading for anyone who has ever asked, "How did they build the Pyramids" or "If the Egyptians built the Great Pyramids, how did they forget how to do it?".Using layman terms, Mr. Dunn takes the reader on a journey that he, himself, traveled over a 20-year period for answers.During his research, Mr. Dunn discovers information and artifacts that cannot be replicated without the use of advanced technology, and cannot be explained by Egyptologist.Many of these artifacts had been hidden from public view for many years. Read more

Subjects:  1. Ancient - Egypt    2. Body, Mind & Spirit    3. Controversial Knowledge    4. Egypt    5. Gaia & Earth Energies    6. Great Pyramid (Egypt)    7. History    8. New Age    9. New Age / Body, Mind & Spirit    10. Power plants    11. Technology    12. African history: BCE to c 500 CE    13. Body, Mind & Spirit / Gaia & Earth Energies    14. Technology: General Issues   

Reviews (37)

Black Athena down, but not completely out
"Black Athena Revisited" is a polemic against Martin Bernal's controversial bestseller "Black Athena" (volumes 1 and 2). In that work, Bernal extended a friendly hand to Afro-centrists, claiming that the ancient Egyptians were Black Africans, and that ancient Greece was decisively influenced by these Blacks. Bernal also claimed that West Semitic cultures heavily influenced Greece.
What exactly is everybody afraid of?
"The basic points of ancient metrology were reconstructed in the seventeenth century by two successive holders of the Saville Chair of Astronomy at Oxford, John Greaves (1602-1652) and Eduard Bernard (1638-1697). Their work is connected with the development of the ideas of Newton, who also was interested in ancient metrology...
How many scholars does it take to change a lightbulb?
"The fact that an opinion is widely held is no evidence whatsoever that it is not utterly absurd."
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Subjects:  1. Ancient - Greece    2. Civilization    3. Egyptian influences    4. Greece    5. History    6. History - General History    7. History: World    8. Phoenician influences    9. To 146 B.C    10. World - General    11. "classics; ancient Egypt;Martin Bernal; Afroasiatic; Phoenicia; race; physical anthropology; Near East; John Baines; Egyptology; Kathryn A. Bard; C. Loring Brace; John E. Coleman; Edith Hall; Jay H. Jasanoff; Richard Jenkyns; Mary R. Lefkowitz; Mario Liverani; Sarah P. Morris; Robert E. Norton; Alan Nussbaum; David O'Connor; Robert Palter; Guy MacLean Rogers; Frank M. Snowden, Jr.; Lawrence A. Tritle; Emily T. Vermeule; Frank J. Yurco; Archaeology; Multicultural Studies "    12. Ancient Greece    13. Ancient World    14. European history: BCE to c 500 CE    15. History / Ancient / General    16. Other prose: from c 1900 -    17. World history: BCE to c 500 CE