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Rating: 
Summary: Harwood's prejudices
Review: Harwood brings to the fore very valuable information about the name Yahweh that Yahwist hail as the sacred name extracted from theories about YHWH. His information that Yahweh was a female goddess would be more acceptable if the overall focus of his book was not anti-god and anti-Jesus. Scholars know that Yahweh was a borrowed name and confess that Ehyeh (pronounced "I-AH") was the original saced name now in the KJV as LORD. Now, scholars and Bible researchers cannot quote Harwood's work unless at the same time they give credence to his hate-mongering about Jesus. With one stroke of the pen Harwood wipes both Yahweh and Jesus into the trash, which is his purpose. For those of us looking for historical facts on God and Jesus his book is not a resource. Atheist will dance and the Agnostics will swoon, Harwood has destroyed the Gods at least in his mind. Perhaps he could have accomplished his goal (converting people to anti-god), if his book was a bit more scholarly. Now, even those with brains will read, grin, and then thow it away with other novels.
Rating: 
Summary: A fascinating, but angry analysis.
Review: I have read this book twice and keep returning to it for reference; however, something about it bothers me each time. I am fascinated by Harwood's "methodology of history" applied to Biblical texts normally evaluated with inductive theological methods. Unfortunately, the author approaches his subject with undisguised anger for the perceived frauds perpetrated on him by the religion itself. I am sympathetic to Harwood's goals of opening out the study of Biblical texts to honest historical analysis, but his venom may have marred his objectivity. MAY HAVE... I simply don't know. I will keep returning to this book and I am glad to own it, but I would grade it higher if it was not so emotionally-charged. Perhaps Harwood's promised "Fully-Translated" Bible will be less angry.
Rating:
Summary: A fascinating, but angry analysis.
Review: I have read this book twice and keep returning to it for reference; however, something about it bothers me each time. I am fascinated by Harwood's "methodology of history" applied to Biblical texts normally evaluated with inductive theological methods. Unfortunately, the author approaches his subject with undisguised anger for the perceived frauds perpetrated on him by the religion itself. I am sympathetic to Harwood's goals of opening out the study of Biblical texts to honest historical analysis, but his venom may have marred his objectivity. MAY HAVE... I simply don't know. I will keep returning to this book and I am glad to own it, but I would grade it higher if it was not so emotionally-charged. Perhaps Harwood's promised "Fully-Translated" Bible will be less angry.
Rating: 
Summary: Best I've ever read
Review: If there were six stars I'd give it that.
Note: It is not for the faint of heart. Fundamentalists will hate it.
Mr. Harwood is neither sparing nor delicate in his presentation of the facts. But he is witty. I laughed out loud many times. Very very educational.
Rating:
Summary: Best I've ever read
Review: If there were six stars I'd give it that.
Note: It is not for the faint of heart. Fundamentalists will hate it.
Mr. Harwood is neither sparing nor delicate in his presentation of the facts. But he is witty. I laughed out loud many times. Very very educational.
Rating:
Summary: Not a very good book at all...
Review: Its an interesting read, but far from scholarly, and I certainly would never use it as a reference in a scholarly discussion. However, the humor makes it worth the price. But back to criticism...
One of the frequent quotes cited from Harwood is on the physical appearance of a historical Jesus. He paraphrases an impossible to verify 'work' of Josephus. But even the Testimonium Flavianum, which is another Josephus passage of far more credibility has proven itself an unlikely source of extra-biblical Christian evidence, and probably a pious interpolation. Yet in Harwood's mind this and far less compelling conjecture is good as gold. I'd recommend the interested reader find a decent translation of the meagre texts drawn upon by scholars and would-be scholars and make their own judgement. Still, unless some great archaeological discovery is made in the future, there's very little to be added to Abrahamic scholarship that isn't composed as simple polemic.
Rating:
Summary: Generally well written but marred by insufficient support
Review: The definitive book on the history of the Bible that explores the true authors, cultures, politics and settings of both the new and old testaments. Harwood sheds light on the sources and revisions that led to the modern Bible. The depth of detail is impressive and his scholarly treatment is overwhelming and convincing. I found out everything I wanted to know and more in this one book; more than any number of others that I read. However, the validity of Harwood's findings is severely threatened by his barely hidden opinions. Apparently he was a solid Catholic until he began his thesis on mythologies contemporary to writers of the Bible. In discovering how derivative the authors were, he apparently lost his faith and takes no pains to hide it. This guy is angry at Christianity in general and Catholicism specifically. I don't blame him, but the material would have been even more convincing if his subjective viewpoint had been even slightly veiled. Still, I wish everyone would read this book; it could change the Christian world
Rating: 
Summary: Good material, poor approach
Review: The online synopsis describes this text as "utterly scholarly," yet it is the non-scholarly approach that disappoints me most about this book. While Harwood presents many interesting historical perspectives and facts about the Bible and its authors, he has several habits which make the book nearly unbearable. First, he often presents his own historical theories as fact, with little more than a footnote to let the reader know that what they're reading isn't widely accepted as the truth. Second, he often paraphrases translations of Bibilical/mythological passages to further his own arguments, making certain texts seem much more similar than they otherwise might through his chosen wording (a practice which he acknowledges in the foreward). Finally, he uses completely unscholarly language at many points, littering the text with slang, such as "tupping" for sexual relations. In summary, I'm very interested in the material that Harwood is trying to present -- but I was very disappointed with his approach
Rating:
Summary: great
Review: This is a FANTASTIC book!
Rating:
Summary: great
Review: William Harwood is refreshingly candid in this historical treatment of the bible as mythology and propaganda. It will shock and offend those not ready to deal with stark historical realities and frank observations. This book is free of the euphemisms and niceties usually superimposed on biblical material. As a student of history myself, I put 'Mythology's Last Gods' on my must-read list for anybody with serious intrest in biblical history and literary criticism. This book lays bare closely-guarded facts that various clericalist heirarchies have hidden from the view of their flocks for centuries in place of dogma and articles of faith. Harwood has undertaken a monumental task - necessarily an uphill battle - but with this book, at least done much groundwork. Love it or loathe it, you will not look at the bible the same again after reading 'Mythology's Last Gods.'
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