Henry Vaughan Books

Henry Vaughan is rightly regarded as the great mystic poet of his time. Although a firm believer in Christianity, his is not the sort of Christianity that is comfortable with the world God has made. He is more a believer, one might say, in the Fall, and longs for the angelic world which he catches glimpses of from time to time. This selection of poems is an excellent introduction to his disposition, which deal more with escaping this world than glorifying the next. Brief Examples: In "Child-hood" his love of that innocent period "which angels guard" and the impossibility of returning to that state of bliss make him ask himself "Why if I see a rock or shelf, Shall I thence cast myself down" ...."Since all that age doth teach, is ill"----And in "The Night," he speculates that there is in God "a deep, but dazzling darkness;" and proclaims "O for that night! where I in him/ Might live invisible and dim."-Vaughan was really ahead of his time and more resembles Shelley and his later disciple Francis Thompson than any poet of his age (including George Herbert). After reading this selection of poems, one feels that Vaughan was a unique sort of Christian. More to the point, one questions whether Christianity was not the mere medium through which Vaughan, in tune with his age, conveyed his mystical yearning and escapism, which is the core of his poetry and his being.

Dover editions provide the basic poetic texts without serious and extended commentary. In a sense there is an advantage in this as it encourages the reader to engage the text, and seek understanding through reading and rereading. But there is also a great disadvantage especially when it comes to complicated poetry like that of the Metaphysicals whose complex linking of diverse images , whose intellectual toughness requires explanation.
Nonetheless there is great poetry here at the usual Dover very reasonable price.
As for the Metaphysicals themselves Donne is of course at the center. But there is also great poetry from Herbert and Marvell. This is a poetry in which the heart is very much in the mind, and one must have a strong intellect to understand.
I know the challenge and delight of this poetry, and also understand how many readers find it most fascinating and great.( As did T.S. Eliot)
But I nonetheless find my own heart and mind better expressed, reflected and uplifted in the Romantics (Wordsworth especially) who will come later.

This wonderful literary study puts the reader in the mindset of the English mystical tradition and the mindset of the metaphysical poets. Reading this book made me want to read Traherne's Centuries of Meditations, which is now one of my favorite books. Both Vaughan and Milton are better-known than Traherne, but his writing is sublime in the old sense of that word.

One reviewer said that Traherne invokes the sense you get in Van Morrison and William Blake. I quite agree. Traherne is not about quietism or pietism, his paradise is without in the sense that it's a way of loving the divine by meditation on and experiencing the creation. Many people today love to experience the outdoors, but Traherne lets that experience lead naturally to a sense of gratitude and oneness.

"Centuries" refers not to the passing of one hundred years but simple means one hundred meditations. Traherne wrote his book for a female friend, dedicating it simply "to the friend of my Friend." In one of my favorite meditations he wonders why men spare no effort to obtain diamonds because they shine like the stars, but yet neglect the celestial stars, provided by the Creator for our enjoyment and far surpassing the finest cut stones.

Since most of the readily available editions of Centuries are abridgements or edited versions and not the complete text, or new modern translations, I don't know if this meditation is included in them. The complete Centuries is well worth tracking down, and this book serves as an introduction and invitation to regain this nearly-lost paradise.

Overall I really enjoyed this book, and it held some new information on Patrick Henry of which I, a professed afficionado of the man, was not aware. It is written in simple, understandable language, but it ended up becoming a little redundant as it progressed, repeating some things from chapter to chapter as if the author thought that a person would be jumping around to read only segments of interest, rather than reading through from start to finish. But I would still recommend it to anyone who asked.

What a delightful read this book has been. The author displays a clear and deep admiration for his subject, but I find no fault in that. The book reads very easily without a lot of stilted verbiage, making it a wonderful introduction of the great orator to the student.
There is not a lot of detailed analysis here, but I don't believe that was the authors' intention. This work is meant to be an outline and introduction Henry, the Trumpet of the Revolution.

The work is actually presented as three separate volumes in one binding. Part 1 takes the reader from birth to death, touching on the momentous occasions, as well as a good bit of reference to the details of life which shaped the life of Henry. Part 2 gives Henry's views of some of life's virtues, such as Christianity, patriotism and duty and gives an insightful look at the character of this great American. Part 3 concludes with how Henry has been remembered by history, and how he should be remembered.

Overall, a delightful read which I highly recommend to students or anyone wishing to gain a basic insight to a great American patriot.

It was wonderful to see Patrick Henry's Christian values and belief on the LORD JESUS CHRIST openly written about. I enjoyed it completely and would recommend it to any who enjoy studying the Revolutionary War. BUY IT!

Thank you, Mr. Vaughan, for pointing out what many if not all public schools leave out of history... the fact that it was founded on Biblical principles by Christian men. I'm not saying that all the founding fathers were Bible believing or lived a moral live but that fact that Patrick Henry was such a HUGE part of it and he WAS a Christian and moral person was impactful to our nations birth.

My daughter enjoyed the humorous bits throughout the book and I enjoyed the fresh look at history.

In his biography of Partick Henry, Vaughan complains that previous biographers were unfair to the legendary statesman. Thus, he moves to correct this historical error by bringing forth a laundry list of glowing facts about Henry. While Vaughan does have a point about previous renderings of Henry's life, he does little to paint a more accurate picture of the orator. Rather, he glosses over Henry flaws, and presents us with a candy-coated version of the man. And Henry was a man--a good man, but a man nonetheless. Unfortunately, this biography fails to recognize that.

Many readers have ended their inquiries concerning the First World War with diaries by well known authors such as Robert Graves or Siegfried Sassoon. Less well known, but easily at home with more famous Great War accounts, Edward Campion Vaughan's work provides an unpolished, but equally shocking glimpse of the World War. Vaughan's vivid, and thoroughly candid account of his experiences as a young lieutenant on the Somme during the First World War lacks some flourish -- but the details and travails he describes transcend his journeyman style. Vaughan's tools are honesty, realism, and a good hard look at the ordinary cares and hardships of a soldier. There are no elevated themes in this book - no glimpses of liberty or democracy, king or country, no metaphysical questions -- just a 19 year-old coping with leadership, war, death, the enemy and duty. That this book has even survived into reprint is miraculous considering the reluctance, noted in the preface, of his family to release the manuscript (it was thought it would reflect poorly on the author's reputation that the book details his increasing resort to drink in the trenches). This is an excellant book and a valuable contribution to WWI scholarship.

I have read much history, and much about the Great War. Nothing I have ever encountered had the impact of this small volume. The war recored here gravely wounded our civilization, and in these pages you can see that wound at its creation.

This author had a similar book out with another publisher, but it is out of print, and quite expensive used. I understand that the author owns this publishing company, so I doubt if it will disappear. Good thing too. I have gone through three copies of the old book. They keep "disappearing".
I teach people how to play slide, although I'm not at all scary doing it. This book is my secret weapon. It's simple and all in one tuning, but not too simple. They (the licks) are what musicians call "solid". By the time you work your way through the book, you hopefully have an ear, and trust me, that's what slide requires. Then you play with the licks and make them your own. Most people have figured out where to go by the time they finish. I always recommend stealing solos from harmonica players when they get through this book. I'm glad it's back.