Rating: 
Summary: A New Explanation for the 535AD Catastrophe
Review: That the Earth suffered catastrophic weather conditions starting around 535AD and lasting for many years thereafter, is becoming a scientifically accepted "fact." As explained in "Catastrophe: a Quest for the Origins of the Modern World," these conditions weakened the Eastern Roman Empire; created horrendous living conditions in the western part of Great Britain that were remembered and later incorporated into the Arthurian legend; contributed through drought in the America's to the fall of the Teotihuacan civilization in Mexico; and through flooding to the collapse of a major center of civilization in Yemen. Almost wherever in the world that there was significant use of writing in the 6th century AD, from Constantinople to China, references to this catastrophe have shown up in contemporary documents. Many such documents are cited in this book. In the 20th century, the occurrence of the catastrophe and its worldwide impact has been confirmed by the analysis of ice-cores from Greenland and Antarctica and by the study of annual growth rings in wood from across the world that can be safely dated to the 6th century. The author of "Catastrophe," David Keys, has a theory about the event - or closely related events - that caused of this catastrophe. I found his theory plausible and frightening. Plausible because of the way he lays out his facts, and frightening because there appears to be no reason such dramatic and devastating events could not happen occur again - in the next thousand years or in the next ten years. Mr. Keys is an excellent writer. He certainly makes this book fully accessible to the non-scientist. He also is apparently quite well informed about both the historic and archeological record from around the world during the 6th century and for a long time afterwards. In fact, most of his book consists of plausible - usually directly climate related - explanations for all kinds of civilization collapses, barbarian migrations, and shifts in economic and political power in different parts of the world following the "event" of 535AD. These explanations are fascinating, and, as just mentioned, always plausible. On the other hand, I doubt that they can all be right, and wished that author had given a little more credit to happenstance and the decisions of individuals in shaping the "origins of the modern world."
Rating: 
Summary: Twisted History
Review: This book is a history of the world in 535 and following, the time of the "darkening of the sun", a event described in every part of the globe where written records existed. I remember reading about this long ago, it is believed that there must have been a volcanic blast that sent a black cloud around the planet and blocked the sun for a period of time. The conclusions reached by the author here are far fetched, in some cases ridiculous. I am an avid reader of history and it is difficult to get a accurate descriptions of events and understand human motivations in the past, the further back you go the more this is true, yet David Keys has a definite answers for everything, solving great mysteries with simple, clear cut answers. He offers the real reason for the collapse of the Roman empire, why Islam expanded to become a major world religion, the true reason for the Nasca lines in South America and even has all the facts about the holy grail and what the whole legend really means. Simplistic explanations with historical events twisted to suit a new version of history. I gave this book 2 stars because it is packed with interesting little details such as descriptions of the Avar civilization and the Turks, the Khazars as a Jewish empire, Javanese "Book of Kings", the Frankish empire and the Visigoths of Spain even if I believe the author's conclusions to be ridiculous.
Rating: 
Summary: What a load of ****
Review: This is a MUST read for any serious Climatologist, Archaeologists, Historian, Scientist and Serious Reader, an original work of research. What it does is provide a detailed view of the mechanisms that come into effect post a global catastrophe. It provides us with big picture framework to help explain how our current global cultural structures arose. It might not be 100% accurate in all details but provides a reference framework for all future work in the field. This book provides us with the example of one of the missing elements in such notable publications as 'Genes, Peoples and Languages' by Luigi Lica Cavalli-Sforza ISBN: 0140296026 (USA: 0520228731). A Shortage of Knowledge:
Currently we have only fragmented, selective interpretations on 3 kYrs bp (3,000 years before present)., less than 2% of modern humankind's history, (-120,000 to -150,000 kYrs bp). Even in this 2% of our knowledge, the author shows how much detail was missed due to the lack understanding and appreciation of the crucial impact of dramatic climatic changes. The repercussions on civilisations ranging from Mongols, China, Byzantium, Yeminie Civilisation, Celtic Europe and Latin America is discussed in detail. The books also refers to and provides clues to hitherto FORGOTTEN towns (Opone, Essina, Toniki, Rhapta-mid Tanzania etc) that existed along the East coast of Africa on the Indian Ocean and traded ivory etc with both Roman and Byzantium cities until their collapse following the collapse of agriculture and diseases. One wonders what DNA testing of global Ivory figurines would reveal.
As the author states the dark ages reflects the metaphors in the Arthurian legends ( the last great Celtic king in Britain, speaking a form of Welsh P-Celtic). Climate & Source of Climate Information:
It is accepted that climate is the principal force on evolution, effecting the pulses and rhythms of crops/migrations .
We have over the past two decades, elicited clues on climate for 150kYr bp., from Arctic & Glacier, Tree Dendrochronology and cave Stalagmite water/rain content analysis (Israel). Pride & Prejudice:
Contemporary archaeology and historians seem to be confined to a blinkered rigid Western dogma of beliefs. This author due to the innovative approach has .provided a new fresh overview of these historic events..
For example a number archaeologists still struggle against the Americas 'Pre Clovis' bias to show three distinct population influences (Solutrian-Cro-Magnon-Basque, Chinese, Aboriginal-Polynesian) to the Americas.
Namely Bruce Bradley & Dennis Stanford (soon to be published by Smithsonian Institution Press), Betty Meggers of the Smithsonian and Dr. Walter Neves (Uof Sao Paulo) and Marcello Caosta Souza.
See also 'The First Americans: In Pursuit of Archaeology's Greatest Mystery' by J. M. Adovasio, Jake Page ISBN: 0375505520 and 'The First Americans: The Pleistocene Colonizations of the New World ' (Wattis Symposium -Anthropology 1999 Califo ) by Nina G. Jablonski , Paul L. and Phyllis ISBN: 0940228491. Risk & Migration Paths
As indicated in the book, at the most crucial periods Mongol nomadic herders descended on settled cultures in a panzer 'Blitz Krieg' fashion, which caused further ripples not only in China, but in Europe and the Middle East as well. Technology & Prowess:
We exist on a planet that is over 70% water (salted) with limitless solar power yet we still have droughts and deserts. Yet most still consider that our current civilisation is technically advanced ?
On observations via Nasa-ISS Farouka El Baz (Boston U) & Fekri Hassan (UCL) have confirmed river courses which used to run thro the Sahara and Yemen in Palaeolithic times, possibly precursors to Egyptian civilisation. Could the same be true for Australia ? Closer at least than Mars.
Over 250 million Yrs bp, only 4% of life survived mass extinction in the 'Permium Mass Extinction' Dr Paul Wignall (Uof Leeds UK) estimates that it took 80 k Yrs to effect (caused initially by a change of +5C which triggered a secondary methane release & thus C12 effects) and 100kYrs for life on Earth to recover. Dark Ages:
The consequences of a climatic impact on our species cannot be overestimated. The book details how fragile our technology is. How quickly did previous engineering and technical skills disappear as in the Harappan civilisation in the Indus valley - for a good source of examples see 'The Ancient Engineers' by Sprague Camp 0345320298.
Only in the last few years has the astonishing technical feats of the Amazon basin Indians been revealed, showing that they were at least 2kYrs ahead of current approach, not only in a soil productivity enhancements (880 times more than using current fertilisers alone ) but in the use of living micro-organisms (yet to be identified) to provide 'Terra Preta' (black soil ) fertility in the in Flood plains. Previous populations have now been upgraded from thousands to the millions (Prof Clark Ericson - Uof Michigan, Dr William Woods Uof Illinois & Dr Cornelius Lehman ). Other references hint at previous global civilisation collapses 'Eden in the East' by Stephen Oppenheimer ISBN: 0753806797 & Underworld Flooded Kingdoms' by Graham Hancock ISBN: 0718144007 (USA - 1400046122 ) In conclusion :
This book along with other popular references will hopefully provide the stimulus to review our current understanding of dramatic long-term history of modern human kind (defragmented) and with a greater sense of humbleness. It will help to ignite funding into the keystone of our future survival but also the understanding of the cataclysmic events of the past.
Are we a parasitical life form that is in danger of killing its only host (planet Earth).
Instead of yet another war why not invest in technology to solve root causes of famines-droughts and in space exploration. Or are we like the man falling off the top of a tall Skyscraper - after the first 100meters declares that 'so far not so bad'.
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