Nostradamus

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Some incredible things but he can be patchy - Rated
Despite having come under a good deal of criticism in recent years, Nostradamus remains an intriguing figure. This volume contains his complete works, including the famous "Les Propheties" (or 'The Prophecies', for non French-speakers) of 1555. Entertainers like Derren Brown have recently demonstrated how easy it is draw people into finding similarities within predictions, despite offering them little more than a haze of vaguery. In truth this is sometimes the case with Nostradamus. For example, much has been made of his supposed prediction of Germany's power-crazed WWII Führer but, objectively speaking:

"Be wary of a little German chap sporting a silly moustache"

does not necessarily demonstrate an uncanny level of foresight- one could just as well argue that he was trying to issue an advance warning regarding the Bavarian accordion-player Hans Hagenschnatzel! However, even the most critical of thinkers would surely have to concede that some of Nostradamus' prophecies seem to go beyond mere statistical probability. His prediction of the Kennedy assassination is simply beyond belief:

"The great man shall be struck down in the day by a thunderbolt. And from a knoll of grass shall this bolt be unleashed."

Aside from this, there are many notable prophecies that have since been fulfilled- including the Wall Street Crash, the nuclear attack on Hiroshima, the unfortunate death of Pauline Fowler on Eastenders and the surprise result of the 1991 World Indoor Bowls final. I'm going to have to be brutally honest though and say that some of claims are just a load of old cobblers. I've been using his lottery numbers for for the past three weeks now and I haven't had so much as a sniff of a jackpot. If the best he can manage is four numbers and a (worthless) bonus ball, I'm going to try my hand at tarot readings instead.

Two out of two right, with more, one hopes, to come! - Rated
Mario Reading's first two Nostradamus prophecies for the coming hundred years have already been proved date perfect: the first female presiding Episcopalian bishop, Katherine Jefferts Schori, has been appionted in the US, triggering a 'Crisis in the Protestant Church'; and North Korea have detonated a nuclear device, triggering the beginnings of what may turn into a serious cross-border 'North Korean Conflict'. As this book must have been written in 2005 for a publishing date in 2006, it certainly bodes well for Reading's future prophesies, surely? While we must all hope that no one attempts to assassinate President George W Bush or any other major world leader during the next two years, Reading's further prophecies concerning Global Warming, the British Monarchy and Al-Qaeda make for equally fascinating reading. A wonderful book, and well worth a five star rating.

Authoritative text on Nostradamus' prophecies - Rated
Everyone seems to know at least something about Nostradamus' prophecies, although this knowledge is often hazy, frequently second-hand and never fully based on the evidence. Mario Reading has done us all a favour by re-examining the original texts and offering what must surely rank as one, if not the, authoritative translation.

To begin with, he provides a short biographical sketch of Nostradamus' life and times, which not only establishes Nostradamus' place in society but also firmly helps to dispel some of the myths about his person.

We then turn to the prophecies. The original French text is provided alongside the new English translation. This serves to show not only the frequently puzzling ambiguity of the original text, but also the care that has gone into providing an authoritative translation. By using a new technique that is often alluded to, but obviously never fully disclosed, the author is able to draw out references and meaning between -- as much as within -- the prophecies.

By providing a new, authoritative translation of Nostradamus' complete prophecies of the future, Mario Reading has cut through the thicket of much of the more speculative Nostradamus industry that is out there. I am certain that one of the prophecies, as yet undiscovered (or falsely translated), will in future admonish us all to read only this book about the prophecies of Nostradamus.