Middle East Books

I have read a number of books about the Iraqi weapons inspection process and I must say that this book is the most in depth. In what I admittedly would fess up to be a bit of a stereotype, the author is British thus the book is a bit on the dry side and full of detail. So much detail that at times it gets in the way of the main story. The author not only covers the story of how the Iraqi's hid the weapons or hindered the inspectors, but he also covers the formation of the weapons inspection team and process. He also covers many of the people involved and if you watched the lead up to the latest Iraqi war then you know all the names involved in this book. It seams like the years change, but the main experts are all the same.

The most interesting parts of the book for me covered the inspection process. I expected and heard a lot of about how difficult the Iraqi's made it for the inspectors. A constant peaty and nagging version of a cat and mouse game that would make even the most patent man scream in frustration. What I had not read before was the different ways the Iraqi's made it dangerous or how often the implied physical harm was around each corner. I kept wondering just how much these guys got paid given all the difficulties of their jobs, was it really worth it? The author also gives us a good review of the success the UN had in uncovering weapons in the first few years. The Iraqi's did seem to be somewhat cagey in their hiding of the weapons, but to be fair some of the discoveries were almost embarrassing for the Iraqi's. My toddler could have hidden some of the information and weapons better then these guys. It left one with the impression that the Iraqi's were in part a military organization filled up with incompetent relatives of Saddam that merely did as they were told with very little thinking.

Overall the book was interesting if not a bit long winded. The author could have cut out about 25% of the book and still got his point across, but in a much more readable fashion. He slipped into minutia of detail that was dull and not needed. I half expected his meal menu's and bathroom break details. It was also a bit humorous, given what we know today, with the last section of the book that was devoted to the breathless urgency of the Saddam threat. As we have seen, Saddam's only weapon of mass destruction was famine and poverty. At the end of the day the unstated story up to this point is that in the realm of removing weapons from Iraq, the UN did it's job. The book is interesting, but do not be surprised if you find yourself skipping a page here and there.

Hidden behind a seemingly specialised subject, Saddam's Secrets, lies the extraordinary story of one of this centuries greatest political transformations - that of the United Nations evolving from a forum of bitter rivalries into an arbiter of morals with the power and will to punish wrongdoers on a global scale. By setting up UNSCOM and appropriating a military force under its light blue banner, the United Nations (UN) heralded a new era from which it roared a resonant political focus. The events that led to this are detailed and analysed with Tim Trevan's aquiline eye and hawkish wit. The author unfolds the unique and bizarre story of the multi-faceted battle of two determined and abstractly united foes in a fragile world...

The premise is quite simple, as was my understating through CNN and the BBC that Saddam and his evil regime had lost the Gulf war and would be divested of the weapons of mass destruction it had accumulated and would not be capable of threatening its neighbours ever again.

The organ tasked to deliver this mission and the hopes of a `new world order' was UNSCOM. It would have to find out how much weaponry the Iraqis ever had, where the remaining arms were concealed and then destroy any that were warranted as offensive. This was logistically a mammoth task however unlike many other limp-wristed UN gestures; UNSCOM was comprised of determined and formidable political negotiators and uncompromising and belligerent inspectors that cajoled the UN Security Council for unequivocal support.

UNSCOM needed to be this robust as Iraq in the other corner had an array of illegal punches and spoiling tactics that would brashly dispose of lightweights. Iraq had only mouthed agreement to the full disclosure of its capabilities under its terms of surrender. Like a poisonous dance between Mr and Mrs Mantis, Iraq and UNSCOM spun political protocol and legalistic diatribe to mesmerise the watching world into lending support or disallowing advantage as a fickle referee. If UNSCOM dictated the tune then Iraq would be left honourless and emancipated without its chemical, biological and nuclear apparel. If Iraq out-manoeuvred the worlds will then UNSCOM would expire and `peace and security' would ensure its fame as the mother of all political platitudes, and so by default the UN credo.

The loaded situation produced a colossal detective story with the tedium of painstaking evidence gathering, conspicuous surveillance and brilliant hypothesis with an array of monstrous characters to divert suspicions. Saddam Hussein, Tariq Aziz, Dr Germ and the various other agents of death and destruction are described with the non-fussed detail of reality yet emerge almost apocryphal by their scheming and morality. Some events like the `car park siege' are completely fantastical. The lapses of Iraqi memory and excuse making are so ridiculously hilarious so as to question the authors' sanity.

However this was real history, it is a story that we have already seen, we had formed our opinions and we believed it was over. The baddies were shot down by the Anglo American alliance and that was that. Tim Trevan however hand-holds us through the nuances of real-politick. When we thought it was over, Tim was still there fighting the battle with UNSCOM... and now its over for him: IRAQ is still a threat. Saddam Hussein is still a dictator. The world seems still gullible enough to believe that decent and righteous humanity will one day vanquish all that is bad.

What Tim Trevan gives us as his parting shot is the most prudent observation of politics as a necessary evil since Machiavelli opined to the unknown prince. Real time.

If you want a cynical political advantage over your enemies, read this book and don't tell them about it, especially Saddam.

Hidden behind a seemingly specialised subject, Saddam's Secrets, lies the phenomenal story of one of this centuries greatest political transformations - that of the United Nations evolving from a forum of bitter rivalries into an arbiter of morals with the power and will to punish wrongdoers on a global scale. By setting up UNSCOM and appropriating a military force under its light blue banner, the United Nations (UN) heralded a new era from which it roared a resonant political focus. The events that led to this are detailed and analysed with Tim Trevan's aquiline eye and hawkish wit. The author unfolds the unique and bizarre story of the multi-faceted battle of two determined and abstractly united foes in a fragile world.

The premise is quite simple, as was our understating through CNN and the BBC that Saddam and his evil regime had lost the Gulf war and would be divested of the weapons of mass destruction it had accumulated and would not be capable of threatening its neighbours ever again.

The organ tasked to deliver this mission and the hopes of a `new world order' was UNSCOM. It would have to find out how much weaponry the Iraqis ever had, where the remaining arms were concealed and then destroy any that were warranted as offensive. This was logistically a mammoth task however unlike many other limp-wristed UN gestures; UNSCOM was comprised of determined and formidable political negotiators and uncompromising and belligerent inspectors that cajoled the UN Security Council for unequivocal support.

UNSCOM needed to be this robust as Iraq in the other corner had an array of illegal punches and spoiling tactics that would brashly dispose of lightweights. Iraq had only mouthed agreement to the full disclosure of its capabilities under its terms of surrender. Like a poisonous dance between Mr and Mrs Mantis, Iraq and UNSCOM spun political protocol and legalistic diatribe to mesmerise the watching world into lending support or disallowing advantage as a fickle referee. If UNSCOM dictated the tune then Iraq would be left honourless and emancipated without its chemical, biological and nuclear apparel. If Iraq out-manoeuvred the worlds will then UNSCOM would expire and `peace and security' would ensure its fame as the mother of all political platitudes, and so by default the UN credo.

The loaded situation produced a colossal detective story with the tedium of painstaking evidence gathering, conspicuous surveillance and brilliant hypothesis with an array of monstrous characters to divert suspicions. Saddam Hussein, Tariq Aziz, Dr Germ and the various other agents of death and destruction are described with the non-fussed detail of reality yet emerge almost apocryphal by their scheming and morality. Some events like the `car park siege' are completely fantastical. The lapses of Iraqi memory and excuse making are so ridiculously hilarious so as to question the authors' sanity.

However this was real history, it is a story that we have already seen, we had formed our opinions and we believed it was over. The baddies were shot down by the Anglo American alliance and that was that. Tim Trevan however hand-holds us through the nuances of real-politick. When we thought it was over, Tim was still there fighting the battle with UNSCOM... and now its over for him: IRAQ is still a threat. Saddam Hussein is still a dictator. The world is still gullible enough to believe that decent and righteous humanity will one day vanquish all that is bad.

What Tim Trevan gives us as his parting shot is the most prudent observation of politics as a necessary evil since Machiavelli opined to the unknown prince.
If you want a cynical political advantage over your enemies, read this book and don't tell them about it, especially Saddam.

Hidden behind a seemingly specialised subject, Saddam's Secrets, lies the extraordinary story of one of this centuries greatest political transformations - that of the United Nations evolving from a forum of bitter rivalries into an arbiter of morals with the power and will to punish wrongdoers on a global scale. By setting up UNSCOM and appropriating a military force under its light blue banner, the United Nations (UN) heralded a new era from which it roared a resonant political focus. The events that led to this are detailed and analysed with Tim Trevan's aquiline eye and hawkish wit. The author unfolds the unique and bizarre story of the multi-faceted battle of two determined and abstractly united foes in a fragile world...

The premise is quite simple, as was my understating through CNN and the BBC that Saddam and his evil regime had lost the Gulf war and would be divested of the weapons of mass destruction it had accumulated and would not be capable of threatening its neighbours ever again.

The organ tasked to deliver this mission and the hopes of a `new world order' was UNSCOM. It would have to find out how much weaponry the Iraqis ever had, where the remaining arms were concealed and then destroy any that were warranted as offensive. This was logistically a mammoth task however unlike many other limp-wristed UN gestures; UNSCOM was comprised of determined and formidable political negotiators and uncompromising and belligerent inspectors that cajoled the UN Security Council for unequivocal support.

UNSCOM needed to be this robust as Iraq in the other corner had an array of illegal punches and spoiling tactics that would brashly dispose of lightweights. Iraq had only mouthed agreement to the full disclosure of its capabilities under its terms of surrender. Like a poisonous dance between Mr and Mrs Mantis, Iraq and UNSCOM spun political protocol and legalistic diatribe to mesmerise the watching world into lending support or disallowing advantage as a fickle referee. If UNSCOM dictated the tune then Iraq would be left honourless and emancipated without its chemical, biological and nuclear apparel. If Iraq out-manoeuvred the worlds will then UNSCOM would expire and `peace and security' would ensure its fame as the mother of all political platitudes, and so by default the UN credo.

The loaded situation produced a colossal detective story with the tedium of painstaking evidence gathering, conspicuous surveillance and brilliant hypothesis with an array of monstrous characters to divert suspicions. Saddam Hussein, Tariq Aziz, Dr Germ and the various other agents of death and destruction are described with the non-fussed detail of reality yet emerge almost apocryphal by their scheming and morality. Some events like the `car park siege' are completely fantastical. The lapses of Iraqi memory and excuse making are so ridiculously hilarious so as to question the authors' sanity.

However this was real history, it is a story that we have already seen, we had formed our opinions and we believed it was over. The baddies were shot down by the Anglo American alliance and that was that. Tim Trevan however hand-holds us through the nuances of real-politick. When we thought it was over, Tim was still there fighting the battle with UNSCOM... and now its over for him: IRAQ is still a threat. Saddam Hussein is still a dictator. The world seems still gullible enough to believe that decent and righteous humanity will one day vanquish all that is bad.

What Tim Trevan gives us as his parting shot is the most prudent observation of politics as a necessary evil since Machiavelli opined to the unknown prince. Real time.

If you want a cynical political advantage over your enemies, read this book and don't tell them about it, especially Saddam.

This book was very intersting because it showed that not all of the Japanese people were in favor of the war against the US nor were they in favor of the kamakazi suicide missions.

Although the project was supposed to last only a few months, Asahi shimbun were absolutely deluged with responses and they eventually printed 1,000 out of 4,000 letters received. Not only does the book give the reader a personal glimpse of what it was like to be a foot soldier, housewife, high school teacher, etc.,it is also organized in a way that details the events of the war from the first settlements in Manchuria to the occupation and even how people feel about their role today. It's a great way to get the full chronology of events as well as all the personal depictions.

I was shocked at how the footsoldiers were treated by the officers and was surprised to read tales of killing superiors in battle, much like "fragging" occurrences in the Vietnam war. Throughout the book there are gut-wrenching stories of combat, but there is also an underlying thread of humanity; officers finding ways to keep their soldiers alive, a vacationing zero pilot who convinces a group of admiring boys not to join the military, a young soldier who secretly puts some of the bones and ashes of other soldiers into the empty boxes so the families have something to pray to.

I sat down to read the first chapter at 6 pm but I couldn't put it down. I finished it at 2 am. My best friend teaches high school history and I'm going to copy off a few of the best stories for him to use in class. This is a must read... for anyone.

This book does a great service in helping us see the Japanese in WW2 as more than mindless fanatics.It is an compilation of letters written to the editors of one of Japans largest newspapers, the Asahi ("Morning Sun")Shimbun during the 50th anniversary commemorations of the end of World War 2.The stories are primarily from military participants or family members of military personnel and most are very frank and gut wrenching. I got the sense that many of the ex military men were trying to come to grips as to why they were fighting- and the answers are not what this American reader has come to expect. I have always thought that the Japanese were brain washed sub-human fanatics when it came to fighting, but many of the stories reveal compassion,caring and a full awareness of the situation they were in. They speak of heartless, cruel and inhuman superior officers who thought nothing of leading entire battalions to death in their quest for glory, but they also realize that these officers were just the products of a military system where cruel treatment of recruits was a tool to instill blind obedience to superior officers. I still don't think that this is a good excuse for the many atrocities that were committed by Japanese forces during the war, but it goes alot farther in helping me to understand how such atrocities,e.g., Rape of Nanking, Bataan death march, arose. The letters from family members are particularly poignant as they recall fathers, brothers, uncles and sons who were never seen again.I was very moved by several letters from family members who had childhood memories of the deceased soldiers that really drove the point home that war is such a terrible waste(hate to sound like a cliche). The Japanese lost more than 2 million people during the war, and it would be hard not to find a family that didn't face tragedy. I gave this book to several friends who said it completely opened up their minds about what they thought about the Japanese during World War 2.While we all agree that Japan was not right for its war of aggression and the pain and suffering it caused to millions of Asians, Americans, British,Dutch and Australians, we can now hear for the first time the voices of the Japanese participants and learn that they too cried and suffered and felt deep guilt for what they did.

The first shocking chapters of this book give us a picture of a military culture whose sadistic norms were so out of control that it's almost incomprehensible. Sometimes I wonder if the allies did Japanese soldiers a favor by killing them so they could escape an army with an absolutely sick sense of discipline. One soldier wonders how many trainees committed suicide to escape punishment: just for breaking a firepin on a rifle! On Japan's surrender, an army nurse recalls soldiers turning on and beating officers who were screaming, "Forgive me, forgive me". Another soldier remembers suffering trainees whispering, "Bullets come from behind in a battlefield". I grew up hearing Korean stories about Japanese abuse that I never thought to be true until now.

It's certainly not surprising that such an army of the walking dead would commit atrocities as a norm rather than as an exception. One story recalls using prisoners as targets for new recruits who were so scared that their bayonets were shaking. He recounts how they drew a red circle around the prisoners' heart, not as a target, but as the one place you were NOT allowed to stab so the prisoners would suffer as long as possible. Many of the tales of wartime heroism are simply acts of decency in defiance of unspeakably cruel punishment.

Was such ferocious sadism unique to Japan, or does this teach us about other great cultures as well? Many admire the samurai, the Zulu, the Spartans and other great warriors reknown for superhuman conduct. Perhaps this sadism is the cost of such greatness - the natural reaction of humans being held to an inhuman standard?

Nevertheless, as the war drags on and unrealistic notions of superiority fade, the stories inevitably become more human and share much more in common with the horrible sufferings of all people from war. It was a war where both the innocent and guilty suffered from the fanaticism of the strong.

The editors reveal that they did not publish articles that were simply long nationalistic rants. Interestingly enough, this coincides with the fact that almost no articles were written by or defended those who perpertrated this plague of barbarism. It may very well be that the anti-war bias of the editors has robbed us of a look into the psychology that gives birth to atrocity.

"The trance state is actually the real perception of mankind. It is just that it has been consigned to oblivion by a grand-scale cover-up strategy."--Holger Kalweit, German psychologist and author of Shamans, Healers, and Medicine Men

A masterpiece of scholarship! Indeed I have found no other single text today that confirms my own musings on this point: The oldest and wisest are the shamans of every culture. Why? It is because as we healers of every tradition realize, "The psychotherapist listens, the shaman speaks!" In other words, the shaman has knowledge based upon the ability to see via the mind's eye in trance the aura and soul travel multi-dimensionally to correct the dysfunction at its source: the energy field. This skill separates the true medicine people from the charlatans in fact. So, when are schools, licensing agencies, and insurance companies going to start distinguishing between the two medics with a test focused on who can -- and cannot -- see into the invisible realms of spirit? I can't wait to watch the fireworks on that day that this legislation becomes a reality in our modern world ... can you?

Dr. Harper is author of Tranceformers: Shamans of the 21st Century and the DVD Science of Soul: The End-Time Solar Cycle of Chaos in 2012 A.D.

Jeremy Naydler has rescued the deep wisdom of Egypt - experiential insight into the deeper reality and how we can travel there for initiation and empowerment - from the Egyptologists. For all of us who have long suspected, or remembered, that the palace tombs and pyramid texts of Egypt are about much, much more than funerary arrangements, here is ringing confirmation that the Egyptians traveled beyond the gates of death while very much alive, not only to bring back first-hand knowledge of the afterlife, but to enter into sacred union with the gods and enthrone their power in the body, and so acquire the spiritual and sexual potency to marry the worlds. Shamanic Wisdom of the Pyramid Texts is a splendid melding of fine scholarship and passionate engagement with themes that are vitally important to us today. It is must reading not only for lovers of Egypt, students of shamanism and religion, and modern practitioners of soul travel, but for all of us who hunger for the real history of humanity's encounters with the more-than-human

First of all, Naydler's book is an outstandingly thorough and convincing argument that the Ancient Egyptian religion was a shamanic practice designed to bring on mystical experiences.

After several trips to Egypt and many hours spent inside of the ancient culture's temples and tombs, I was overwhelmed with the grandeur, scale, scope, artistry and FEELING of these sacred places. It was obvious to me that these folks were deeply steeped in mystical tradition. So I came back to the States seeking as much information as possible about ancient Egyptian religion. After many months of exploring the continuum of possibilities, I have to confess that I was very disappointed. On one side of the continuum were the extraordinarily dry and uninteresting and disconnected books such as "Religion and Magic in Ancient Egypt" by Rosalie David; and on the other end of the continuum were the strange, seemingly unfounded and ungrounded books such as "Initiation in the Great Pyramid" by Earlyne Chaney. I was NOT looking for a book that simply confirmed my assumptions, instead I was looking for a book by a scholarly enthusiast. Naydler has fit the bill. His work uses as its source material the ancient Egyptians' own writings - the Pyramid Texts - so his work is grounded in reality. Yet, Naydler is also clearly a true believer in mystical experience as brought on by shamanic practice. Thus, his work has reinserted some of the passion into the scholarly landscape that clearly drove the Egyptians to erect such magnificent monuments. Bravo Jeremy Naydler.

I must also tell you that I was initially disappointed to discover that this book does not contain a full translation of the Pyramid Texts. After discovering this fact I bought my own copy of a full translation of the Pyramid Texts, as translated by R.O. Faulkner. Then as I would read a passage in Naydler I would go to the source material. What I was very pleased to discover is that while Naydler has not translated every passage for us, he has paraphrased all of the information where a direct translation was not provided. What is more, in his interpretations he often includes much background material on ancient Egyptian religion or on shamanic practice that is extremely helpful. So, in other words, Naydler's approach is a net win for the reader. My appreciation for Naydler was certainly enhanced by having Faulkner's translation of the Pyramid Texts right next to me at all times. Incidentally, I chose Faulker because of Robert Bauval's whole-hearted endorsement of him due to Faulkner's interpretation that the ancient Egyptians were more a star cult than a sun cult. Any time spent at all in the temples and tombs of ancient Egypt clearly demonstrates their obsession with stars much more so than the sun (also a star, by the way).

In addition to the above praise I must state that I very much appreciated that Naydler included a 3-D rendering of King Unas's pyramid and indicated always where a certain passage was written relative to the architecture of the Pyramid.

It is my sincere hope that this book hits the button on mainline Egyptologists and gets them to rethink the thinking and beliefs of the ancient Egyptians.

Originally published in 2005, this book is some 480 pages thick. Some 330 pages are filled with regular text (including 131 figures), 85 pages with small print footnotes (including 4 figures). That makes the footnotes equalling more than a fourth of the regular text, part of them may be forgiven...

The author is taking neither the pyramids nor their texts as funerary or funerary only respectively. The focus is on the pyramid of Unas, with many references to other pyramids as well. He is not alone in the knowledge that the pyramids were used primarily/only for spiritual purposes, not tombs or referring solely to the afterlife. Instead as an initiation or renewal of initiation of a pharao for the well being of the entire kingdom. Hence, the hyroglyphs and vignettes are not describing the so-called afterlife of the pharao, but induced "near death" experiences of very much alive pharaos.

For a better overstanding of ancient Egyptian religion, Jeremy Naydler reasons to take the learning on ancient Egypt away from the realm of Egyptologists with their modern scientific attitude of culture references and give it to the mystics. Of any ages, as the Europeans of classic, medievil and later Imes up to the end of the 18th century hadn't been conditioned yet to belittle the ancient Egyptian religion and the knowledge of the latter representing the very roots of all the "world religions". The way of overstanding is the phenomenological approach, already taught by early 19th century Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

The (universal) mystical message being: "Unless you make yourself equal to God, you cannot understand Him." Naydler goes further by suggesting the shamanic roots of the ancient Egyptian religion. Which makes perfect sense, I may say, as in: How else than ancient Egypt representing the "missing link" between shamanic religion and organised/world religion? Also the related so-called Egyptian Book of the Dead and Coffin Texts are to be seen in the light of this mystical reading of the pyramid texts.

In reading this book and the pyramid texts with it, Naydler invites us to actually learn from the Egyptians. For example that they considered a progression of Imes (time) a degeneration of history and human society. Considering the loss of a large section of society of mystic knowledge, but ever more constructs of separations ever more severely persecuted, they were perfectly right. As were the ancients from Mesopotamia, India, Persia and Greece who all adopted this view until the modern global society reversed that philosophy, bribed by technical advancement in most areas.

The author is only slightly repetitive. He obviously uses the progressive Imes frame of ancient Egypt without diving into that issue. Yet, he uses the Western rendered versions of ancient Egyptian names other than Khufu ("Cheops"). Likewise he provides occasional references only to modern Western derivations of ancient Egyptian sources such as the Christian concept of the ladder of virtues into heaven. Other references he leaves out, obviously not to overstrain the reader. (Some 150 pages are devoted to disconnecting old synapse links of faulty believes about the pyramid( text)s, before even starting with them.) For example he mentions the "running with the bull" by the pharao, but doesn't reference the later Spanish tradition of this. (Read about the connection in Egyptian Romany: The Essence of Hispania.)

Definitely too much would have been the gender concept. Mystics eliminate all constructs of separations, all dualisms. The gender construct is no exception. Yet, today's mainstream is blinding it this intensely that Naydler would have lost the very most readers. Many references to gender bending are still included, some of them unavoidably so as they are part of the pyramid texts. We hear about the male pharao drinking the milk from the nipples of "Isis" (female) and Horus (male). Even though metaphorical, there is such a thing as male lactation. The pharao's bones transform into ones of falcon godDESSES. In spiritual and sexual prowess, we are told, he merges with Min (male), depicted with an erection. A godDESS named Mowe is defined as possibly being the personification of semen, while Atum (male god) takes the form of Mafdet (female). And the pharao says to Ra (male, as much as "he" may be male with no concept of gender): "I will love you with my body."

I concur with Naydler that the pyramid texts have to be seen as mystical for the LIVING pharao, not funerary. Yet, he fails to mention that mystics do not believe in the construct of death anyway. In other words, when the pharao really passes on, the texts are largely valid the same way, other than that certain rituals to be performed by a BODILY living pharao cannot be performed anymore. This train of thought would probably have confused the non-mystic reader too much, who has to get convinced that the ancient Egyptians didn't "deny death" in these supposed funerary texts. As the thought behind this current orthodox Egyptologists' approach is wrong indeed.

The upper line is: This is a very good, in fact a very informative and important book. Be sure not to leave it at that, but to read further progressive/mystic/African centered books on ancient Egypt, her strong influence on the later ancient and the modern world, as well as books on mysticism in general and Egypt specifically. A good start is The Mystical Journey from Jesus to Christ, but also other books by Muata Ashby, such as Egyptian Yoga Vol. 1:: The Philosophy of Enlightenment which references e.g. Ani's Book of the Dead in a mystical context.

Shirin, the Christian lover and wife of Chosroe II., shah of Persia (+ 628 AD), really enjoyed three lives: one historical, one in the literary imagination of Islamic poets, and finally one in the Western, romantic reception of the oriental literary tradition in the 19th century. By tracing all three of these lives, the author opens a true and little known treasure box of near-eastern history, which will enrich feminist history of religion, literary studies, and general interest in the history of the near east alike.

Against a concise background chapter on the political and religious situation of Persia in late antiquity, the author first accounts for the scant historical traces of Shirin's life, a woman in a world dominated by male potentates and religious leaders and the struggle for dominance between the Byzantine and Persian empires; the discussion is detailed and takes on several controversial issues of interest to specialists.

It is fascinating to follow the author's account of how the historical figures of Shirin and Chosroe were transformed into archetypes of love in popular mythology and by the literary genius of poets such as Firdausi or Nizami, who dealt with eternal themes of true and impossible love, of jealousy and treachery. Additional discussions of pictorial representations in Islamic art document the important place of the Shirin-topos beyond poetry. These themes also cast their spell on Goethe, who became familiar with the literary Shirin through the work of Hammer-Burgstall, an Austrian orientalist. Here, Baum does not only discuss an interesting chapter in Goethe's later work, he also emphasizes the inspiration the West drew from the encounter with Islamic art, which is not the least of the benefits of this wonderful book.

This book performs a valuable service. It is the first monographic study of Shirin, the Christian wife of the Persian-Sassanian shah Chosroes II, who lived at the end of the 6th and at the beginning of the 7th centuries. Baum presents the historical background of this famous woman and her effect on later poetry and art in four chapters.
The first chapter gives a brief yet sound introduction into "Persia in Late Antiquity" (pp. 3-17); it is also an ecumenically balanced overview of Syriac Christian history in that period.
Chapter two explores Shirin as a historical person (pp. 19-61). In the center is her life on the Persian court in the framework of her relationship to her husband Chosroes II. In fact, one learns a lot about Chosroes' reign itself, his alliance with Byzantium, and Persian imperial intrigues. The author also clarifies the myth that Chosroes had been married with the daughter of the Byzantine Emperor Maurice. About half of this chapter on Shirin's influence on Chosroes as queen of the queens focuses upon Sassanian politics concerning East and West Syriac Christians, i.e. the Church of the East and the Syriac Orthodox Church. This is an invaluable and historically rich chapter that clearly demonstrates how politics shape ecclesiastical history, and - in the context of the present topic - how Shirin shaped politics.
The following chapter three (pp. 63-83) traces the development of the various myths of Shirin and analyzes how the historic person entered literature and the arts. While Christian authors after the 14th century rarely mention her, Islamic writers had developed their stories already a century after her death. Among others, Baum describes the image of Shirin in Firdausi's "Book of Kings (Shahnama)", in the "The Tales of the 1001 Arabian Nights", and in Nizami's verse epic "Chosroes and Shirin". He shows how the latter was received and modified by later Persian, Indian, and Georgian authors. Furthermore, he analyzes the birth of the entirely unhistorical story of the love between Shirin and Chosroe's supposed architect Ferhard, which was adopted in Turkish literature: Ali Shir Navai's epic "Ferhard and Shirin" spread through miniature paintings from Asia Minor through Afghanistan, Persia and India.
The last chapter four (pp. 85-91) discusses Shirin's rediscovery in Europe by the Austrian Orientalist Josef von Hammer-Purgstall and its influence on German literature, especially on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's "West-östlicher Divan".
On occasion, the reader might wish for more references in the notes. But there is no doubt that this booklet investigates a wide area of literature and synthesizes it with great profundity. It serves as a valuable source of information to the reader. The book jacket describes the author as historian, theologian, and philosopher, who lives in Klagenfurt (Germany); this is correct, despite the fact that Klagenfurt is in Austria.

Despite the scarcity of information about early Islamic times and the Church of the East, and about historical women in particular, Baum has managed to paint a very nuanced picture of the influential queen Shirin.

This book is the first biography about the celebrate christian queen of Iran - an importand discovered wife in the history of the early middle age.

Sixty Years, Sixty Voices is important because it shows us that peace will come to the Middle East when we realize that generosity of spirit must replace power and domination--and that this is no longer a fantasy, but a growing on-the-ground reality.

Sixty Years, Sixty Voices uses the format of individual story telling by 30 Israeli and 30 Palestinian women to paint the picture of our mutual destiny. Listen carefully. Peace is possible and practical.

My hope for Sixty Years, Sixty Voices is that it will become a catalyst for other conversations between circles of Palestinian and Israeli women, and that soon more women will be involved in the peace process itself. Women respond to stress with conversation rather than anger and withdrawal, have skills in listening and finding commonalities, and patience. These are the very qualities that peacemakers need. My hope is that Israeli and Palestinian male leaders will read this book and on reflection, they will realize the necessity for women to be involved in bringing peace to the region. Maternal concern for their children is a foundation on which women make necessary compromises and build trust, on which peace can be built. That this book is in Arabic, Hebrew and English makes it especially potent as a means of connection.

The foundations for lasting peace in the Middle East are embedded in the voices of these Israeli and Palestinian women. They know war and they know peace, they know weakness and strength and they know the human heart. In a torn land they find a common ground built out of wisdom, experience and because they have walked the walk. Here they stand and speak out, if we listen there is hope.

Das Werk "Sowing the Dragon's Teeth: Byzantine Warfare in the Tenth Century (Dumbarton Oaks Studies)" enthält die bisher einzig verfügbare englische Übersetzung der Precepta Militaria. Aufgrund seiner Bedeutung für die byzantinische Militärgeschichte ist diese Ausgabe somit ein absolutes Muß für jeden Byzanz-Fan.
Im Textteil wird dem griechischen Originaltext dabei jeweils auf der gegenüberliegenden Seite die englische Übersetzung gegenüber gestellt. Für Leser, die - wie ich - dem Alt-Griechische nicht mächtig sind, ist dies meist nur bei Fachausdrücken von Vorteil, die sich nicht immer 100%-ig übersetzen lassen. Zumal Begriffe im Laufe der Zeit durchaus die Bedeutung ändern können.
Darüberhinaus enthält das Buch analoge Textpassagen des späteren Taktika des Nikephoros Ouranos, die in gleicher Weise Griechisch/Englisch präsentiert werden.
Auch werden ausgesuchte Textpassagen mit ähnlich lautenden Passagen früherer Werke verglichen und Unterschiede in der Nomenklatura aufgezeigt.

Der zweite Teil des Buches enthält umfangreiche Informationen zum geschichtlichen Kontext und die Interpretationen des Autors zu den Traktaten.

Obwohl neuere Autoren die Qualität der Übersetzungen mitlerweile in Frage stellen und zum Teil zu gänzlich anderen Schlußfolgerungen kommen, bildet doch das vorliegende Werk eine unerlässliche Quelle and Informationen aus erster Hand.

This is an outstanding book of its' type. The translations are good and the transliterations very well done. It also provides a good background on not only the texts but also the events and institutions they discuss, making the book useful not only as a primary source, but also as a historical analysis in its own right. The commentary is also eminently readable and filled with information on not only the Byzantine army itself, but also those Asiatic enemies which it faced and bested. Honestly, I have yet to find a better text on this subject.

The successful resistance of the Later Roman Empire aka the Byzantine Empire to the powerful and relentless assault of nascent Islam is not only the foundation stone of Western civilisation but also a great mystery. Why should Rome, weakened as it was by the ravages of hordes of Northern and Eastern barbarians and a series of dreadful plagues, have survived the onslaught when the its great and ancient rival, the Persian Empire was so quickly overwhelmed? The financial and military rescources of the early Caliphs were vastly greater than those at the command of the Byzantine Emperor and the military enthusiasm of his subjects was intense - witness the constant attacks by the large number of volunteer Jihad warriors from all over Islam who based themselves in what is now Syria.

Part of the answer is to be found in this excellent book which affords the reader an insight into the detail of the military adaptations the Roman Empire made to cope with its dire problem. This scholarly, authentic account is an indispensible tool for those who wish to understand why it is that, to paraphrase Edward Gibbon, the inhabitants of medieval Oxford did not answer the Muezzin's call and worship Allah in the city of dreaming spires.

The tanslation of the texts are well done, but that is not the best thing about this book. It is the commentary that follows the translations (about half the book). The author does an excellent job of describing, in modern language, the items detailed in the translations, providing examples from Byzantine warfare to illustrate. The reader finally gets a detailed impression of Byzantine warfare in the age of its greatest triumphs.

This is a wonderful book. It is full of the imagery and feelings that in turn, delight, amuse and sadden. Naomi Nye has compiled a collection of writers from various countries within the Middle East. Although the writers come from many countries and competing nationalities, there is a common commitment to peace. Since the poems are translated,rather than presented in the original languages, the reader does not have the benefit of the natural rhythms of the languages the poems were taken from. What the translations lack in terms of rhyme is more than made up by the poets' use of Metaphor. One poet talks about "drinking in the melancholy of morning". Another talks about being passed by trains with eyes looking back at you. The language is effective and persuasive. Many of the poems deal with loss. They deal with the loss of loved ones, the loss of time, the loss of relationships, but more importantly, they deal with the loss of basic human rights and something as basic as a homeland. The book has many fine paintings that supplement the text. They are all very well done and add to the feeling of the book. The reader of this book will not only read, but will also have an experience. All the senses except hearing will be involved. I recommend this book to anyone, particularly to Young Adults.

I bought this book from amazon.com, fell in love with it & wrote the following review for The Capital Times, Madison WI's afternoon newspaper:

That this exquisitely beautiful, painfully direct and ultimately joyful book, "The Space Between Our Footsteps,'' is published under the imprint of Simon & Schuster's Books for Young Readers is an example of how badly we adults need to learn the lessons we try to teach our children.

The poems and paintings of more than 100 writers and artists from 19 countries are loosely grouped by theme,without a condescending preface or explanations of how to feel when we read or view them...This book is an ideal gift for anyone old enough to read "The Diary of Anne Frank,'' and to know that just as, for Anne, life went on as war went on, so it does today. It is for anyone who thinks he or she understands the conflicts in the Middle East, and for anyone whose life needs a sudden rush of beauty.

(Lin Seagren teaches in Stoughton WI and for the UW-Extension.)

This book has room in its heart for the passions and longings of writers from all of the Middle East. It offers readers, in beautiful poetry, the longings for place, for a loved past, for a more secure future, felt by Lebanese, Syrians, Israelis, Turks, Palestinians, Iraqis, Saudis, Egyptians, and more. Meticulously designed and printed, it offers art from across the Middle East that illuminates these poems and helps us learn with our children important lessons about that part of the world.

We are living in a time where being Arab, Muslim, or Southeast Asian makes one a "terror suspect." In this age of fear and ignorance, it is more important than ever for educators and readers of poetry to take a look at Nye's touching portraits of Arab and Arab American life. If these poems reveal the beauty, intelligence, and vitality of Arab and Arab Americans, then -- to the seething reader from Denver, CO-- you may find Nye guilty of being truthful: All human life is precious, and all human beings are capable of exceeding our expectations.

I first fell in love with Nye's poetry through "The Words Beneath the Words" and recommend all of her works. Educators, activists, lovers of poetry, please read and share Nye's work. They are more important then ever in creating peaceful relationships for the future.

The Splendour of Iran is a three-volume book which I worked on for six years, commissioned by Booth-Clibborn Editions. Athough my name appears as the general editor on all three volumes, I don't know why Amazon refuses to give me proper credit and mentions only the publisher's name as the producer of this book. In any case, having given all my author's copies to different friends, I have started buying more copies from Amazon to give as gifts. I have also used it for a class I taught in America on the culture and art of Iran, and the students have found it very useful because not only can they look at the beautiful pictures in it, but also read the texts, all of which have been written by specialists, in a language that non-specialists can understand.

Dear Sirs,

These are great books if you are interested in Iran and its rich culture. Three volumes will give you exellent imagination of what is Iranian culture from Ancient Persia...
I would like to thank all the authors and photographers of the books. All of You did great job. And this is good price for such books!

This three volume collection is simply stunning. The three books are all rather large and well laid out. Each volume deals with a specific part of Persian history. The information within covers a broad spectrum and is well illustrated. This is the kind of book one returns to over and over to seek out more information.

A delightful, yet comprehensive account of a magnificent civilization which has endured great many upheavals and turmoils.
This is a must read.

This is a great book for history and religion buffs, especially considering the recent discovery in Jerusalem of a Bone Box that may have belonged to James, the brother of Jesus Christ and the main character of this novel. It is told through the eyes of an enamored disciple and blends intrigue with historical fact in relating the story of the religious sect in Kumran, a sect responsible for writing the Dead Sea Scrolls. This book is captivating, readable, and very interesting. I give it five stars.

The main character of this novel is James, the brother of Jesus. This is hot because his bone box (ossuary) has recently been found in Jerusalem.

Here is what is written on the back cover and on the book's web site:

Jesus Christ had a brother, James, as told in the New Testament and by Jesus' contemporary, Josephus.
A purported ossuary of James was recently discovered.
The inscription on the ossuary reads, "James, son of Joseph, the brother of Jesus".
Regardless of the authenticity of the ossuary, the controversy sorrounding it
led many to learn of James' brotherhood to Jesus,
his immense role in early Christianity and his likely connection to the Dead Sea Scrolls -
all of which were intentionally obscured by the Catholic Church.

Through the eyes of an enamored female disciple, This novel,
The Star of Apocalypse, uncovers the obscured and momentous story of
James [Jacob], the brother of Jesus [Yeshua].

Excerpt from the The Star of Apocalyse:

On our way back to the Dead Sea
we camped near the cave where
I had seen the image of Yeshua
when we had first left Jerusalem.
It was the same time of year and
I walked below the same dome of starry skies,
hoping to see the same vision.
A figure appeared, and I recognized Jacob.
'Here it was that I saw your brother's image a year ago.'
'You will not see it again in this world.'
'How can you say that?'
'Let me tell you a story...'

The Synopsis:

Short:
From obscure beginnings and endings in Roman-occupied Jerusalem emerges a throng of religious zealots living in Qumran by the Dead Sea. Conflict is inevitable: with the Romans, but more significantly, within the Jewish sects, and between the Judeo-early Chrisian leadership. James, the brother of Jesus led one way, and Paul the apostle, led the other.

A fantastic read! Not only is the book historically intriguing in presenting and extending the latest compelling contraversial theories, but also an addictively smooth novel.

I see that the author's synopsis is missing from this site, which is a shame. So i will paste it.

The Time is fall, A.D. 62 at Qumran, in the Roman province of Judea.
A Jewish woman laments the death of James, the righteous leader of her sect. She is dismayed that the sect's apocalyptic hopes dependent on James' success have not materialized. Will her soul now be lost forever?

The anonymous narrator reverts to tell James' story. It starts with his appointment as successor by his brother, Jesus at about A.D. 36 and ends with James' execution in A.D. 62.

During the period of James' ministry, his doctrines and authority are continually challenged by Paul, a former persecutor of the sect. Throughout the story, the narrator warns James about Paul's activities. She follows these activities and travels in Paul's footsteps to Tarsus, Antioch and Ephesus. James is not very alarmed about Paul. Thus James' tepid actions aimed at containing Paul do not succeed. Paul becomes uncontrollable in his anti-Jewish actions. James only realizes the reality of Paul's threat at his own execution. After being stoned, James murmurs "How odd of God to choose Saul".

The narrator details her ascetic life with the Qumran community in the Judean desert. How she falls in love with James but realizes that he is unavailable, being a holy man sworn to celibacy. And how in her frustration and self search she marries Eleazar son of Dinai, a real life Robin Hood figure of the first century. She travels around Judea and Asia Minor and describes the scenic, social and religious geography of these areas. She recounts the meteoric rise and untimely death of the last Jewish king of Judea, Agrippa I, who captivates the love and hopes of the people. They believe that Agrippa is the nation's savior.

The narrator befriends Agrppa's daughter Berenice, the skeptic character of this novel, who proffers logical explanations to some of the momentous paranormal events in human history. Berenice also explains the reasons for the deadly hostility between the brothers of Jesus and the priestly brothers, the sons of Hanan, in relation to the literal texts of the Dead Sea Scrolls. She proves that Hanan son of Hanan is the "Wicked Priest" of the Scrolls and that the two families were engaged in a blood feud with no holds barred, beginning with Jesus' crucifixion.

Enjoy!

I really enjoyed the book. It's an area of history that I've seen skimmed over in class after class. For me, this was an excellent jumping off point for looking into the Iran Hostage Crisis. The research is good, and the author incorporates good primary source documentation. Yet, this book still remains a general overview of what happened, focusing more on the U.S. side of things rather than what actually happened in Iran. It's a balanced history; I was just hoping it went a little more in depth.

Very good coverage of before, during, and after this act of war.
Taken Hostage: The Iran Hostage Crisis and America's First Encounter with Radical Islam (Politics and Society in Twentieth Century America)

Farber does a very good job with this book. I was anxious to read it for its historical significance with the 25th anniversary of the hostage crisis. I was in grade school during those 444 days. I wasn't old enough to understand why our citizens were being held. I was old enough to remember other things: the yellow ribbons, Walter Cronkite counting the days each night, Mickey Mouse bumper stickers giving Iran the finger.

The book is very strong with the background of Iranian/US relations. Most Americans probably don't realize the important role people like Eisenhower (and the CIA) played in deposing Iranian despot Mossadegh and installing Mohammed Reza Pahlavi (the Shah) into power.

Farber does a nice job of explaining how it is the policy decisions of the US government that were the root causes of the hostage crisis. The main decisions being installing the Shah and subsequently providing refuge for an ailing Shah in mid-1979. An interesting parallel can be drawn today with the current war on terror. Al Qaeda doesn't hate America so much for what we stand for as for the policy decisions we make.

Farber also does a nice job of describing the troubled days of the Carter administration. Carter had to deal with almost insurmountable problems during his term. Stagflation, high unemployment, the gas crunch and finally (his ultimate downfall) the crisis in Iran.

The book reads very quickly for a so-called historical white-paper. I would recommend it for anyone who is interested in knowing a bit more about the history of Iran and the hostage crisis as well as those interested in the war on terror and some of its early beginnings.

This book is an outstandingly researched work and I applaud Farber's thoroughness. I just finished writing my final research paper for my historical methods class on the Iran hostage crisis and this text was an indispensable resource.

It is so much more than just an account of the hostage crisis. Farber really delves beneath the surface of the events and decisions related to the crisis. He paints a picture for the reader of the sentiments prevalent among the citizenries of both the United States and Iran. He goes further by describing the reasons behind those sentiments. This puts the decisions made by the Carter administration, the actions taken by the Iranians, and the reactions to both of these by the American public in a context and framework essential to understanding the hostage crisis and its related issues. Highly Recommended.