The image on the cover of this book is an artist's rendering of a genuine Egyptian face; painstakingly reconstructed; through the techniques of forensic anthropology; from the skull of Natsef-Amun — an Egyptian priest who died around 1100 B.C. When the reconstruction was completed in 1989; Natsef-Amun's distinctly Negroid features came as a surprise to some Egyptologists.Were the ancient Egyptians black? Some experts say yes. If so; then Western civilization may owe its existence to black Africans.In Black Spark; White Fire; award-winning journalist Richard Poe explores new and controversial evidence from linguistics; archaeology; and anthropology; suggesting that Egyptian explorers may have landed in Greece 3 to 4;000 years ago; reared cities and pyramids; established cults; and founded royal dynasties. In the process; the spark they lit may have kindled the fire of Western Civilization.Black Spark; White Fire solves the riddles to these questions and more:• Why do so many of the cities; mountains; and rivers in Greece have names that are not Greek; but Egyptian and Phoenician?• Who were the mysterious "Minyans" who built pyramids in Greece; some 2;000 years before the Golden Age of classical Athens?• Did an Egyptian army once march across Russia leaving colonists in the Caucasus?• Did the first Egyptian pharaohs come from Nubia — a lost civilization deep in the heart of Africa?With all the suspense of a mystery thriller; Black Spark; White Fire follows a slender trail of clues that leads from the highlands of Ethiopia to the barrows of the Russian steppes. It pieces together the forgotten story of an Age of Exploration that ended nearly 3;000 years before Columbus — a time when Egypt ruled the waves; Africa was the seat of learning and power; and Europe a savage frontier.
#164156 in Books Zenith Press 2009-03-15Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 1.04 x 6.50 x 8.72l; 1.05 #File Name: 0760335176272 pages
Review
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Flesh on the BonesBy GrognardStudents of the American Civil War are often steeped in the great works of Shelby Foote; the Shiara's; and a host of America's best historians who have focused on one of the most dramatic and precarious eras of United States history for almost a century and a half. Often the value of their works is found as much in the humanity; the details; and the realities of the struggle that tell a student as much about the nature of the conflict as strategic overviews. In this respect; when an author follows a new character and explores a new vein in that complex national disaster; it is doubly rewarding. Often an author will choose fiction as the literary form to inform of the personal consequences of an event because documentation of private affairs is hard to find and seldom complete. When a Civil War historian manages to display new characters; new viewpoints; and new theaters; with a gifted grasp of the humans involved; and do it with the accuracy and evidence one looks for in formal historical studies; that historian has accomplished something difficult and rare.That credit goes to Larry Gordon in his work; "The Last Confederate General". He manages to follow a complicated man in a complex personal and military world and make it not only informative but rewarding; both for its overview of a rarely studied field of the war and for its perceptions of a distinguished character trying to serve his family and his society in the middle of a cataclysm. This study makes a very worthy contribution to the genre. I give it four-and-a-half stars just because I have yet to read the perfect book.David Brown1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO EVERYONE WITH EVEN THE SLIGHTEST INTEREST ...By david vaughn"WOW" WHAT A VERY INTERESTING BOOK - CONTAINS MORE FACTS THAN THE HISTORY BOOKS I WAS TOLD TO READ IN HISTORY CLASS AT SCHOOL. GEN. VAUGHN IS AN ANCESTOR AND WANTING TO LEARN EVEN MORE ABOUT SUCH AN IMPORTANT MAN THAT IS VERY RARELY WRITTEN ABOUT. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO EVERYONE WITH EVEN THE SLIGHTEST INTEREST IN THE CIVIL WAR.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. The Last Confederate General: John C. Vaughn and His East Tennessee CavalryBy Fred SchildkampOutstanding book of a man that led an interesting life. With his family background as a start the book follows his experiences. The author did a great job in researching for the book. General Vaughn suffered personally as many did but with his family being taken hostage and eventually released with the exception of his father. The author did a very good job in bringing this man's life to view. I feel it is a must for anyone who is interested in the Civil War or about the life of an interesting man.
