The Man Who Lived Too Much

Book excerpt: History is a slippery thing. While it pretends to provide a somewhat clear picture of past events, the veracity of written and oral histories is suspect as not being entirely complete nor true and faithful in reporting what actually transpired in the past. The reality of the phrase, “History is written by the victor,” frequently skews what ends up being recorded. Thus, although it has exceptional, rare shining moments, what passes for history throughout the ages is more or less an artificial exposition on warfare, human bloodshed and savagery written by those who survived to tell their version of what happened. This book is a novel of science fiction and fantasy overlaid on the rich tapestry of an historical reality. It examines the fragility and duplicitous nature of what passes for history today. It suggests a unique remedy for laying bare the elusiveness of truth provided by a group of unbiased, immortal Watchers, who observe and record the unvarnished and undistorted doings of mankind throughout the ages with all its warts, thorns, and imperfections. The words of the venerable old church hymn provide a context for the narrative presented here: “Angels above us are silent notes taking, of ev’ry action; then do what is right.”