Charles Williams Books

What a wonderful opportunity we've been given here. We may never get to see our very own lives as we experience 'life' written in newspapers or in history books yet in this book we read not 'fiction' although the book is equally captivating as many novels often hope to be because along with Grace, an American, and her children we, too, can almost participate in their own experiences living deep inside China between 1934 and 1974. It's all here. And, yes, I agree with another reviewer: "The [original] small press editor of GRACE IN CHINA, Randall Williams of Black Belt Press in Montgomery, Ala., deserves praise for recognizing an important, memorable book that deserves both critical and popular acclaim. Since a small independent press doesn't have the resources for extensive publicity, "word of mouth" will have to spread the news." It is a rare glimpse into what few Americans saw for themselves after 1949, especially during China's Cultural Revolution. (More reviews are on the hardcover's site.)

This is the very readable interesting story of Grace Divine, an aspiring opera student from Chatanooga, Tennessee, who married a Chinese engineering student, moved to China in the 1930's and raised a family. It is the story of the Japanese occupation, the civil war in the 1940's, the political changes of the 1950's, the Great Leap Forward, tne Cultural revolution amd various and sundry changes in China during the 40 years from 1934 to 1974.

All told in the most interesting and contiguous manner. The book is historically interesting - telling how a courageous woman raised her family through it all. An inspiring true story which should be read not only for inspiration and enjoyment, but can also be used as a reference book for those who want to know more about China during this period.

The Naxos production of Great Historical Shakespeare Recordings offers the listener a unique and superbly presented compilation of some of the greatest recordings of Shakespearean material dating from the very beginnings of the recording era. Here you will find Shakespeare being recited by such legends of the stage as Henry Irving, Ellen Terry, Herbert Beerbohm Tree, John Barrymore, John Gielgud, Sybil Thorndike, Hugh Cassohn, Laurence Olivier, and many more. Also included are performances by such unlikely but gifted Shakespearean performers as Charles Laughton, Edith Evans, Laurel and Hardy, Bransby Williams, Dylan Thomas, Sarah Bernhardt, and others. In addition to Shakespeare enthusiasts and scholars, Great Historical Shakespeare Recordings is highly recommended to students and the non-specialist general listener who would enjoy sampling the variety of impressive performances over the past several decades.

Of especial interest to students of the theatre and certainly to actors is a Naxos collection of (NA 220012) on two CDs or tapes.

The first one gives us the voices of such Shakespearean luminaries as Herbert Beerbohm Tree, Arthur Bourchier, Lewis Waller, Frank Benson, Johnston Forbes Robertson, John Gielgud, Sybil Thorndike, Lewis Casson, John Barrymore, Laurence Olivier, Henry Irving, Edwin Booth, and Ellen Terry. The last three are preserved on cylinders and the Booth one is scarcely audible. All of these readings are in the grand style, and it is instructive to compare the "Once more unto the breach" of Waller and Benson with that of Olivier. Terry's youthful delivery belies her age, but too many of the readers came to the recording session far past their prime. Still, this is living history and utterly fascinating as such.

The "Miscellany" is a mixed bag indeed. We have pairs of actors such as Noel Coward and Gertrude Lawrence in "Private Lives," Fred Terry and Julia Neilson in a poorly chosen scene from "The Scarlet Pimpernel," John Gielgud and Edith Evans in the marvelous handbag scene from "The Importance of Being Earnest," and even Laurel and Hardy recording in London. (Strange bedfellows indeed.)

Solo "turns" are performed by Tree as Svengali, Bransby Williams imitating Irving in "The Bells" and several (then) notable theatre personalities in his monologue "The Stage Doorkeeper," Henry Ainley reading "The Charge of the Light Brigade," and Charles Laughton reading (of all things) The Gettysburg Address (from the film "Ruggles of Red Gap").

The last foreign-language selections will not be of great interest to many listeners and of immense interest to students of European acting styles. We have Sarah Bernhardt reading "Phedre," Jean Mournet-Sully as Oedipus (in French), Constant Coquelin, the original Cyrano, racing through the Ballade of the Duel, Feodor Chaliapin reading a poem in a language I cannot identify, and Alexander Moissi doing excellent readings from "Faust" and the "Erlkoenig."

The notes are brief but informative and were written by David Timson, whose "History of Theatre" is also available on Naxos and reviewed on its appropriate web site.

This is the wonderfully affordable paperback version of Volume VII of Charles Oman's definitive study of the Peninsular War. In it, the Duke of Wellington, at the head of an Anglo-Portuguese-Spanish Army, crosses the French border as part of a larger Allied coalition campaign to end Napoleon's reign as Empereor of France. Wellington's campaign is paced by the on-again, off-again negotiations between Napoleon and the Coalition. A series of victories by Wellington's Army over the forces of French Marshal Soult are therefore never quite decisive. Wellington's Army, in addition, faced formidable challenges conducting an offensive inside France over difficult terrain and against a nominally hostile population. However, Wellington's task is made easier by Marshal Soult's seeming inability to manage his army in close combat, and by the slow wasting of what had once been a veteran French Army, as enthusiasm for Napoleon begins to dwindle.

Oman's mastery of his subject and of his prose is complete. The narrative flows smoothly. His retelling of the second siege of San Sebastian is remarkably vivid, capturing both the heroism and the horror of the final Allied storming of that fortress. His account of the confusing multi-day Battle of the Nive is clear and easy to follow. Oman highlights the remarkable tenacity of British and Portuguese infantry battalions that withstood a series of French counterattacks at unequal odds. Oman's narrative of the campaign across southern France is clearer than any other studies this reader is familiar with.

The primary focus of this book is the confrontation between Wellington's Army and the French Army under Marshal Soult. However, Oman does not neglect the campaign in Catalonia or the political background to the last nine months of the Peninsular War. Oman includes a nice concluding essay about the fates of the more prominent generals after the war, as well as an acknowledgement of the messy end of the conflict in Spain.

In this volume, the last of seven, Oman assumes that readers are already familiar with the history of the Peninsular War up through the fall of 1813 and the Battle of the Pyrenees. Oman does not recap the story, nor does he reintroduce personalities from earlier volumes. There is just a slight sense that Oman was pushing to finish a project that had already taken nearly thirty years.

This volume and series are highly recommended to dedicated readers of the Peninsular War and the Napoleonic era. The casual reader without background in the conflict may find this volume the wrong place to start.

Sir Charles Oman's comprehensive seven volume history of the Peninsular War is the yardstick by which any other history of this theatre must be measured. It is exhaustive in detail and in breadth of coverage. If it happened, it is in one of these volumes. Napoleon may have considered Spain a side show, but as results turned out it was a bleeding ulcer. French losses here, combined with the 1812 campaign, placed a strain on the Empire which could not be overcome by even the best generalship. Any true student of the Napoleonic Wars should find these books and read them. They are essential to a complete understanding of the conflict.

I used the first edition of this text many years ago in grad school. I thought it was the best I had ever seen, and I had looked at many of the texts available at the time. It combined clear, well written text with outstanding illustrations by Demarest, whose specialty was neurological illustrations and drawings, if I remember correctly. Neuroanatomy can be a technical and difficult area, but Noback and Demarest's book made the subject, if not actually enjoyable, then far more approachable and accessible. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, after having had to slog through many less readable texts as a grad and undergrad. I also found it very thorough and also up to date in terms of the current research. I used to it study for my neuroanatomy comprehensive exam rather than the text we were assigned at the time (which I don't even remember the title of at this point), and I'm sure I did better than I would have had their great text not been available.

This reference has been a widely used university text introducing the human nervous system. Chapters on neurophysiology and neurodevelopment are followed by a consideration of sensory and motor functionality, and examination of components of the central nervous system.

I bought this book for the illustrations. Gennady Spirin's illustrations are truly breathtaking and inspirational (for artists). Well, in a few words, this book is a work of art.

This is a very charming book. Not only is there Chekhov's fine story about a lost dog getting involved in a circus act, but the illustrations are wonderful. Surely this is the way 19th Century St. Petersburg looked!

My daughter first found this book in the library when she was six, and it quickly became one of her favorites.

These are powerful lectures on what constitutes a religious revival, how to encourage or promote a religious revival, and what can be done to maintain a revival experience in the life of the Christian and in the life of the church.

Charles Finney understands a religious revival to be the work of man, when we renew our first love with Christ. A religious revival is a new beginning of obedience to God. It results in the backslidden person or church returning to its first love (Jesus), and in the conversion of sinners. God is involved in the revival process insofar as he providentially arranges for men and women to be encountered with the truth of the gospel. Yet a revival cannot take place without the cooperation of the penitent sinner, he or she must repent of their sins and seek the Lord with all their heart (Jeremiah 29:13). This understanding of a revival shows that Finney emphasizes the work of man right alongside the work of God, which would be anathema for Calvinists.

Finney also stresses that people need many revivals. If our love grows cold, or our hearts become crusty, it is because we need to remember the height from which we have fallen and repent and do the things we did that led to our first revival. Finney contends that we need to be reconverted, or a person who was once a revived believer could end up in hell.

He points out that a revival can be expected when God reveals to His people that the time is right for one. Also, when the Christian community and the clergy are united in their intense desire to see a revival that will bring about the salvation of the wicked, an awakening can be expected. Finney would also point out that the church would need to be open to God doing it any way He wants.

He goes on to mention that in order to promote a revival, Christians should confess their sins one by one. Finney regards this as absolutely essential, since we committed them one by one, they need to be confessed and forsaken one by one. Moreover, it will do no good to merely confess them or to trust that over time, God will grant repentance unto life. God has mandated that we all repent of our sins of omission (things that we neglected to do, such as prayer, Bible reading, giving, self denial, etc) and our sins of commission (slander, lying, cheating, hypocrisy, and envy, among others).

Beginning with page 342 of Lectures on Revival of Religion, Finney gives advice to Christians on how to respond when someone asks "What must I do to be saved?"

His advice is to tell the sinner to change his mind about sin, to confess his sins and vow to forsake them, and to believe the gospel of Christ, that He died for us and rose again, and to submit to God completely.

Unfortunately, it seems that Finney believes that a person may need to be reconverted again and again. It is hard to know if Finney is suggesting that a Christian may backslide to an unsaved condition and may need salvation again, or if the expression "reconvert" is merely an expression of being reconverted to a totally sold out lifestyle for Christ. Probably both, since Finney shows contempt for the idea that a person can be "once saved, always saved." If this assessment is true, it would put Finney's understanding of the security of the believer in sharp contrast with Edwards, who would only assume the integrity of a revival experience if the person is faithful to the end.

I should also say that Finney has a plain way of speaking (these lectures were delivered extemporaneously and transcribed), and he is also quite funny, especially in the lecture about the wrong things to say to a sinner on the verge of accpeting Christ.

I recommend not only reading this book, but following Finney's steps in promoting revival in your own life (pages 31-44). But watch out for his erratic theological pronouncements (the need for Christian people to be reconverted again and again, his radical emphasis on man's role in salvation, and in his denial that revival is a supernatural work of God. Get past the theology and take his advice on the practical side of living an awakened life for Jesus Christ.

As a trained lawyer Finney's is very organised writer and the Title says Lectures. This is a clearly written and a very powerful book. Finney sees revival the way a farmer sees crops. You prepare the ground (heart), you plow (pray), plant seed(Word of God), you water (repent of sin) Trust God to give the growth. Not a book on over night jack in the bean stalk growth. But a timely book now as when first written. Read Finney auto Biography to more clearly understand the Second Great Awakening in America. The first being 1740-1750's Johnathan Edwards and George Whitefield's ministry. This book when read with Bible in Hand will do no harm and possibly much good. It is one of a dozen or more great books on religion that has had a great impact on my Christian life. You will be stirred if you read it. It is not perfect but written by a man trying to be perfect even a s God is perfect. A great Book on Sowing and Reaping. Note: Finney was not a get salvation lose salvation preacher. He did begin to believe it was possible for a man to chose to forsake Christ after having been converted. This required a active choice of unbelief not an accidental falling away or by sinning to much. This doctrine was a result of his seeing fruit that he thought was once gathered seeming to fall away back into unbelief. This Book will be a great blessing to who read and to all who read it like the Bereans searching the scriptures to see if it is true. W.A. Criswell wrote of one of his books "Reading this book is like eating fish, if you come to a bone you can't swallow, just chew around it." So take advantage of this reprint Buy, Borrow it from some one who has it. It will stir your soul and provoke you to good works for Christ.

McClintock's first historical non-fiction fully engages the reader in the politics and personalities that defined the most important four months in the history of the United States, the months between Lincoln's election and the firing on Fort Sumter. Although clear that the ultimate decision for the war lied with Lincoln, McClintock provides insight into the significance of other key players, from Democratic leader Stephen Douglas to Republican party leader William Seward. However, more than just a politcal history, letters and quotes from common townspeople provide a complete view of the perceptions of the time. As an avid reader of history, I can safely say that this work combines the detail of Shelby Foote with the adventure of David McCullough. Bravo McClintock!

The normal historical point of view for November 1860 to April 1861 is Southern. Lincoln and the efforts to find a comprise are noted but the main story is what the South is doing. This book changes that by concentrating on Northern politics and reactions. Secession and all the maneuvering for and against it, take place off stage. Except for South Carolina, leaving the Union was a wrenching process. Many Southern states resisted secession until the very end. Kentucky was not able to make a choice and Maryland may not have been able to choose. Their stories are the subject of most histories about this period.
What about the North? How did the political, personal and public opinion shape a response to the crisis? This book tells that story and what a story it is. The Democrats, badly damaged by the events 1860, try to blame everything on the Republicans. While they work to construct a comprise to save the Union one more time. The Republicans are not united nor are they sure how to proceed. A substantial part of the party sides with the Democrats in trying to find a comprise. Another large faction is ready to allow the South to leave the Union. Large numbers feel that secession is wrong but that the Federal government lacks the authority to force states back into the Union. Many question if it is desirable to use force to maintain the Union and if doing so would not destroy the Union. Added is the plea of Southern Unionists for something to stop secession.
Lincoln, Douglas, Seward stride across these pages. Each man with multiple agendas that create and destroy alliances. Each man trying to lead his political party, maintain the Union and do what he feels is best for the nation. Shifting priorities, new developments, regional pride and abrupt changes of position make this a rollercoaster ride even if we know the story.
Russell McClintock is an excellent author. He tells this story in a straightforward manner with minimum back tracking. This allows each event to be placed in the proper perspective of the time and almost makes the reader forget we know the story. While moving from Washington to Springfield to New York, we never lose the story line nor the reason for the trip.
The decisions made during this time were difficult ones. The issues were complex and the correct response unclear. This book captures that and explains it to the reader in an informative and enjoyable way.

I really like this book and I found it to be an easy read. The author made everything facinating, even the "waste management system" (toilet). I did have a problem though some pages were missing in the middle of my book (I don't know if it was my copy or if it was a publishing error)overall an excellant read that I would recommend to people @ NASA today so they could see what we could do as todays culture seems to have forgotten.

-Wilfred A. Roberge

This is the official NASA history of the Skylab orbital workshop program. Long the dream of spaceflight enthusiasts, space stations became the core mission of both the American and Soviet space programs during the 1970s. From virtually the beginning of the twentieth century, those interested in the human exploration of space have viewed as central to that endeavor the building of a massive Earth-orbital space station that would serve as the jumping off point to the Moon and the planets. Always, space exploration enthusiasts believed, a permanently-occupied space station was a necessary outpost in the new frontier of space. In 1903 Russian schoolteacher Konstantin E. Tsiolkovskiy studied this possibility and argued for the creation of a dramatic wheeled space station that rotated slowly to approximate gravity with centrifugal force. During the 1920s Romanian-German space flight theorist Hermann Oberth and Austrian engineer Hermann Noordung both elaborated on the concept of the orbital space station as a base for voyages into space. In the 1950s, Wernher von Braun also emphasized the role of an orbital space station as a laboratory, observatory, industrial plant, launching platform, dry-dock, and military facility.

Although it did not pursue a space station during the Apollo era, as the program was reaching completion in the 1960s NASA began to forge ahead with a plan to use Apollo technology to realize at least partially the longstanding dream of a space station. What NASA built was a relatively small orbital space platform, called Skylab, in 1973-1974. After initial problems with the workshop, NASA sent three crews to Skylab. During the three missions, a total of nine astronauts occupied the Skylab workshop for a total of 171 days and 13 hours. In Skylab, both the total hours in space and the total hours spent in performance of EVA under microgravity conditions exceeded the combined totals of all of the world's previous space flights up to that time.

Following the final occupied phase of the Skylab mission, ground controllers performed some engineering tests of certain Skylab systems (tests that ground personnel were reluctant to do while astronauts were aboard), positioned the orbital workshop into a stable attitude, and shut down its systems. Unfortunately, on 11 July 1979, Skylab reentered the Earth's atmosphere. The debris scattered from the southeastern Indian Ocean across a sparsely populated section of western Australia. It was an inauspicious ending to the first American space station.

This story is well told in this very fine historical study. The book was published through the Government Printing Office by NASA in 1983. It is now out of print, but available on the second-hand market. For those who do not need a physical copy of it on their shelves, it is also available for downloading free of charge by NASA at http://history.nasa.gov/SP-4208/sp4208.htm courtesy of the NASA History Division.

This book has become one of the foremost referenced text for healthcare professionals on the causes of low back pain. It helps the reader to understand "Structural Findings" on x-rays/MRIs and to correlate those with "Functional Findings" of restricted flexibility and soft tissue pain.

This book is widely accepted by Doctors of Chiropractic and other physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists.

This is a MUST to have on the Bookshelf of any healthcare professional who routinely deals with the management of lower back pain.

This is one of the books in "Back Pain" that any spine care specialist should read. I personally feel fortunate to have done it. Six years ago, after finishing reading it( the 3rd edition, 1992), I was basically converted from a GYII physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Resident with little interest in taking care patients with low back pain, because of the lack of knowledge and skill, to someone who started considering a career as spine care specialist. Now, I am a fellowship trained spine interventional specialist, board certified by the American Board of Phyiscial Medicine & Rehabilitation as well as by the American Board of Pain Medicine, practicing interventional pain management and spine care at the Physicians' Pain Specialists of Alabama, Mobile, Alabama. I am very thankful for this book because it helped me in moving the most important step towards becoming a spine care specialist. The authors did a superb job integrating things such as history, physical exam, spine mechanics, spine impages (X-ray, MRI, CT) together with clinical correlates. It is such an rewarding experience after reading this book to realize that I have achieved the ability to coorelate the spine image findings in X-ray, MR or CT with its spinal anatomical structures and then infer them to their specific clinical presentations. Most of the Chapters were well written, especially those on" Pathology & Pathogenesis of Low Back Pain", "The Site & Nature of the Lesion", "Lumbar Spine Imaging", "Differential Diagnosis of Low Back Pain", "The Three Phases & Three Joints" were extremely well written and informative. It has more lumbar spine images than any other spine care books that I have come across.

It was with great enthsusiasm and excitement that I bought the 4th Edition(1999), hoping for new thoughts and updates, especially in "Diagnositc & Therapeutic Techniques " as the previous edition was 7 years earlier. However, to my surprise, I found little change in this Chapter. I was also a little disappointed by the inferior paper quality of the 4th Edition in comparison to the 3rd Edition. Even though a few more recent referrences were added to the 4th Edition, the core contents of the two editions are about the same. Therefore, my advice to readers is: One is enough, whether it is 3rd or 4th Edition. You need at least one.

Charles W. Mayo, the son of the famous Charlie Mayo, wrote a compelling autobiography that was surprisingly frank for the time it was written, and is still topical and thought-provoking today. He gives the reader both personal recollections and history as well as a surgical-suite view of operations and approach to patients when a general surgeon did everything from plastic surgery to appendectomies. He eventually specialized in gastroenterology and his descriptons of exploring the colon for cancer before colonoscopies and MRI meant taking the intestines out and going through them with the fingers. His index fingers were permanently clubbed after doing this for years. He lightly touches on the Mayo family, and goes into surprising detail about his struggles with the Mayo board. The legacy created by William Worral Mayo and Mother Alfred, the Catholic nun who formed the first hospital in Rochester, is also mentioned. It seems as though Charlie and Will Mayo have received almost all of the attention of the current Mayo Clinic, but it is interesting to hear about the genesis of the organization. The take-away message: powerful individuals with a driving force can move mountains and create groundbreaking approaches to vexing problems. Can the legacy be maintained and renewed without their inspiration?.

This is the only book about the Mayo family whick will tell you of the sad & happy times at the Mayo mansion & the legacy it left. The book is autobiographical & was written by Dr 'Chuck' Mayo without consent from the Mayo Board of Governors. He speaks frankly in regards to the workings of the now famous Mayo Clinic. The book is easy to read, with many photos of his family. He wrote of his love & concerns for his family, their strengths as well as their weaknesses. Other books on the Mayo Clinic are more like text books, & don't allow us a glimpse into the life of people who have become well known. This book is not a text book.
Unfortunately this book is out of print. I had lent to someone years ago & they failed to return it. I was fortunate to find it at a flea market, I knew its value more than the seller.
I recommend this book if you want to get to know the family of Mayo. Dr Chuck died on July 28th, 1968.