posted 05-11-2006 12:27 AM            

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Rumor has it there's a book called "The Hundred Years War in France" by M.D. Backes.

I haven't been able to locate this book, and since the rumor is based on the introduction to the book "Timeline" by Michael Chrichton, I'm wondering if it's a real book, or even a real author.

posted 05-11-2006 01:43 PM            

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"It's worth noting, speaking of authenticity, that despite the lengthy bibliography of physics and history that he appends to the novel, the quotation that appears as the book's epigraph is from M.D. Backes's The Hundred Years War in France—a totally fictional book invented by Crichton for the sole purpose of setting up his ersatz version of history."

from http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?z=y&pwb=1&ean=9780345417626

posted 05-11-2006 06:50 PM            

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Aha!

Thanks for clearing that one up...

Odd that they were selling a copy of a nonexistent book on Alibris a few years ago for $300...

Well, maybe not so odd, considering the other internet scams out there.