Customer Reviews:
 Don't mistake this for a book of facts. September 22, 2007
19 out of 23 found this review helpful
The disclaimer at the start sums up this book:
"The views presented in this publication are are those of the author. The information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessments of the matters discussed and are advised to consult a professional to verify all relevant representations, statements and information obtained from this book."
The events in this book are claimed to "have been carefully chosen because they highlight major turning points in the history of the world." This is bound to be subjective, but he has ignored the inventions of paper, radar, lasers... Scipio's defeat of Hannibal (which prevented Rome from being wiped out before it became an empire), the creation of Israel, or of the League of Nations/United Nations, the genocides in Cambodia or Rwanda, the invention of the internet... etc. Instead Rodney Castleden has chosen Steamboat Willie, the Death of the 'Iceman' in the Alps, the discovery of the Niagara Falls, harpooning of the first sperm whale, and Anchorage earthquake as major turning points in history. (Why a remote earthquake in Alaska instead of the one in Shaanxi, China which killed approx. 830,000 people?)
Biblical stories, legends and myths are presented as facts (King Arthur?). I was surprised it did not give Noah and the Great Flood... no wait, what's that under "Global Warming (10,000 BC)"? ...no, actually he doesn't. This book is riddled with, "It was suggested..." or "It is said...", but by whom? It is full of inaccuracies - the Theory of Relativity has been confused with Quantum Mechanics, Confucius is confused with Lao Tzu,...
I gave it two stars, as it initially gave me doubts, made me think, then made me look things up on Wikipedia, and so confirming/learning what the current state of accepted understanding of these events are.
|
