Sumguynobuddynoes

Plutarch, priest of Rome. Details way too specific for historian.

Revisado: 02-24-25

I suspect the author made upwhat he couldn't find directly in documents. It is unusual for depictions of combat to be specific to individual actions on the battlefield. Same with many activities of individuals that do not merit such specific details to make the story so coherent. So a very lot of conjecture was created by the author consistent with his biases. like any author, he tries to make the story readable and appealing to his audience, which were Greeks and Roman's at this point. A lot of killing with no consequences because of one's title. Sometimes for the littlest thing. I am happy not to be living in that time. If you were a nobody, killing you is as difficult as pulling a weed you don't like. Very dehumanizing. But an eye opener for seeing into the ancient paradigm.

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Very cerebral look at history.

Revisado: 10-12-24

Tries to answer the "whys" of human evolution and recent history. Just because a society has great resources and environments does not guarantee human development. Hunter gatherers do not have any incentive to develop weapons if there are no enemies, housing if there is favorable environment, knowledge if there is no challenge to question one's self or overcome obstacles for needs or wants. Utopia is our nemesis. Always sought, but ties our creativity and development when found. Lots of twists that ultimately rests on the shoulders of decisions of few directing many. Sometimes there simply is contentment in ignorance of possibilities. How many limits do we experience ourselves just because "we don't know".

Very insightful. History revealed.

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Injustice of the U.S. showed bullies do win.

Revisado: 10-04-24

This rendition of the perception of reality with viewpoints less prejudiced for or against the Indians or the government during the events that slowly stole away the land, Buffalo, and lifestyle of the Nez Peirce people. Nomadic tribal culture cannot coexist with domestic settlements that slowly spread like a creeping cancer that never gives ground, but almost imperceptibly takes over what was once open land shared by whomever would wander into it. It was interesting how the white perception of tribal organization assumed an orderly hierarchy of authority and control among the Indian clans. I reality it was more of a mob that worked on concensus that did not require all to agree or even follow what the few who parlayed with the Whiteman would commit an entire people to submit to. They were not a nation, but neighboring families that found safety in numbers. Warriors were not an organized military, but a badge of bravado making a fighting man a job of the tribe. (breast beating if you will.) This was not understood then, nor does it seem that we have a full grasp on the concept today either. We put a cork on the nomads bottle so to speak. Now they are stuck, either adapt or perish. Sad.

Makes you wonder how welcoming we should be to some space aliens offering us glass beads in the future. We may get a taste of our own medicine.

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Sequal to Dune. Will not understand unless you read Dune first.

Revisado: 07-25-24

Uses flashbacks to expand on "The war of assassins" which happened when Paul was 12 on Caladan referred to in previous books.. Paul is a tyrannical emperor in order to steer humanity on to a promising path to prevent human extinction. Being nice now would bring the eventual end of the human race as Paul can see with his presient visions. He admits that he IS NOT the Quisac Sadarac of anticipated legend but hecis close to being him. Also he cannot be controlled by the Benijesuit sisters as they had intended. Many twists and turns make this an impelling read.

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Prelude to "Dune"

Revisado: 07-04-24

Jessica's betrayal of the Benijesuit sisters. The Emporor Shadam's machinations with power, almost destroying the empire with by his driven greed. Duke Leito's emphasis on honor and noble acts falling precariously close to failure, but turning to success for his people and his house. How does he seem to have such endless resources to be charitable to the down trodden of the empire on a planeyary scale, yet still have a military presence to invade a planet?

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Historian interpretation of events discussed in depth.

Revisado: 02-13-24

Periodic commentaries take entire chapters explaining how historical events are easily misconstrued and taken out of context. Though this follows a set of Russian aristocrats through early 19th century Napoleonic conflicts, it covers both a Victorian sensibility about it as well as the Russian military complex before, after, and pending conflicts. It appears to refer to actual historical military events and some characters mixed with an 19th century Victorian soap opera in novel form.

It is a philosophical treatise between the story line addressing multiple paradigms depending who is recording the historical events. How hindsight assumes obvious outcomes without realizing how much circumstances dictate the most part of the unforeseen and unanticipated future outcomes later attributed to politically correct characters who had no actual influence to the results. While the actual influences are conveniently ignored because our psychy demands certainty, and some persons just don't merit the attention due them. History is in the hands of the author. ("History is written by the victors" 1984?)

Not what I expected. Started out like a Jane Austin novel.

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Cowboys and indians.

Revisado: 03-03-23

An introduction to Afghani culture and tribal rituals makes me think of the problems the U.S. had when dominating the indigenous Americans of the North American continent. Tribal beliefs incongruous with Western civilization or even other tribes created unre solvable conflict. Like mixing clay with iron.
We found ourselves in the middle of a culture we did not understand and appreciate while the ones in charge attempted to mold the government into our image. The CIA went in with this tribal understanding but was quickly ignored by the powers that be. Had we moved cautiously while trying to work inside this unfamiliar social mine field, we may have allowed the natural evolution of their society to evolve on their own. In a culture where corruption is ingrained as a social norm, somehow we think that throwing money at the problem would result in a loyalty worthy of solving our problem. It just showed that the more money changes alliances at the drop of a hat. A problem that was a strong factor in the fall of Rome. The CIA was the most successful at carrying the show of force forward and the most direct conflict with actual Alqaeda (sp) forces. Too bad the Taliban use religion to hide behind, to justify ongoing atrocities. They are a bunch of bullies that love totalitarian enforcement of fictitious values that do not reflect the rest of the Islamic world. They give Islam a very bad reputation.

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Long! Very wordy. Focused on Jews.

Revisado: 12-15-22

Most of the book referenced Jewish modern historical history and why they were the focus of the ire of kingdoms, states and despots alike. The only true Totalitarian regimes are focused on one person who weilds constant shuffling of responsibilities of subordinates to keep them off balance until they are disposed of to prevent any realization of control and true power. Constantly hobbling the government, people, and progress to keep themselves as Supreme dictator. Though laws are in place, they do not apply to rampant oppression without justification. Haphazard arrests and executions are rampant. The population is kept afraid and isolated to maintain compliance to any direction. Intimidation is the operating mantra of e government. But the WE and THEM constantly changes where government agencies purge one another as well.
Satan would love such a place.
The most relevant information is in the last couple of chapters. Remember, it has a 1960's mindset when reading the book.

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Reminiscences of the Dune evolution

Revisado: 12-08-22

Snippets of cut chapters, initial drafts, alternate storylines before the final novel decisions. Very interesting.

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Just the right mix of suspense and intrigue.

Revisado: 11-28-22

I don't think that there was one mention of worms!

Four parallel stories that interweave. The audience is bounced between scenes to keep the timelines coinciding. The meddling Benijesuites,the ruthless dictatorship of the Corino royal family, the despicable floating Harkenan Baron and his household, the disfunctional family of the empire sanctioned Chome trading monopoly, and the struggling honor of the house a Atreides. The dukal heir Paul, the separated mother and Beijsuite concubine Jessica, the honorable Duke Leito of Caladan, and the secret mission of the Atreides special envoy Halick gone awry, all have their story lines that intersect at the end.

This book explains the reason the Atreides household was assigned to take over the Emperor Shadam's spice harvesting fiefdom on the desert planet of Iracus from the Atreides nemesis, the Harkonen's hands. Which is where the first written book of Dune starts it's story.

The Dune series builds from the fall of Earth by the thinking machines, to the eventual final true Kwisatz Hadderach where the universe comes into harmony in the last book, 100s of thousands of years later with all the twists and turns in between. What a timeline!

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