Saint The Books

I greatly enjoyed reading this book. It not only held, but increased, my interest as I progressed through the story. "The Major" is a very credible author, and I had no trouble picturing what he described in my mind's eye. My understanding of how American soldiers in WW II fought the campaign in Normandy is now greatly enhanced. Good show!

My mother, Mrs. Glover S. Johns, Jr., who recently celebrated her 84th birthday, called me today to advise that a friend had just stopped by her home in Austin, TX. with word of this site and the fine reviews of "The Clay Pigeons of St.Lo", written by my father Colonel Glover S. Johns, Jr. We would like to thank those of you who have treasured this book - a labor of love, pride, dedication and, at times, agony - as much as we have. I want to take this opportunity to salute and thank all those who served with my father and those have shown support for my mother since the Colonel's death in 1976. My father lived "The Clay Pigeons of St.Lo" and gave the book what he gave battle and his men: his very best. It is, indeed, a timeless and monumental work - monumental in its testimonials, monumental in its anonymity, and monumental in its unheralded magnitude. Lee Johns, son of Colonel G.S. Johns, Jr. - one of America's finest Fighting Sons.

This is the best single book on American infantry fighting in World War II that I have read. Then Major Glover Johns recounts his personal participation in one of the toughest fights our GIs faced; the struggle through the hedgerows from the D-Day beaches to St. Lo. More importantly, Johns' book demonstrates the critical importance battlefield communications played in achieving victory. As a Battalion Commander in the 29th Infantry Division, Johns' ability to manage his units was directly related to how fast phone lines could be restrung after each mortar attack or how successful his radio operators were in linking to artillery support units. Despite his relative remoteness from the foxholes, you feel every attack and suffer every loss as if you were shoulder to shoulder with the heroes who defeated Hitler's vaunted 2nd Parachute Division.

This isn't rehashed third-hand research, this is war as it was fought by one of our best combat commanders. Read it.

The book deals only with the time frame from when Col. Johns (then Major) inherits the 1st of the 115th until they capture St. Lo. During this time period, we get to see how hedgerow combat was (from the battalion commanders perspective), how German Fallshirmjagers fought, and the pressures higher command applies to their combat organizations. While Col. Johns was a battalion commander, this book does give a feel for front line combat, but no where near as directly as books such as Currah! or The Forgotten Soldier.

Col. Johns tells the story of how the 1st of the 115th (his unit) led the way to St Lo. In his telling, Col. Johns uses the third person familiar to describe the events his unit experienced rather than a first person account. This is very refreshing because story takes on more of a story tellers point of view rather than that of a person telling us how great they were.

This book is a very good re-telling of Col. Johns experiences in Normandy. If there's a weakness to this book, it's the fact that Col. Johns focuses his telling on the capture of St. Lo rather than his total exerience with the 1st of the 115th. Because of this, I found the book slightly lacking because I really wanted to know what happened to the unit later in the war and also to Col. Johns!

I'll recommend this book to those who've read Beyond the Beachhead, have an interest in the Normandy Campaign, or how a battalion commander operated during WWII. Overall, I'll rate this book 4.5 stars (out of a 5 possible). The reason I can't give this one 5 is because I preferred Company Commander by Charles McDonald for telling the struggles of command in combat at the lower levels. Since Amazon doesn't give half stars, I'll give the nod to 5 stars since Col. Johns' book is a compelling read.

This memoir is unlike any other memoir of World War II that I have ever read. Johns relates the stress, the worry, the fear, the exhaustion, the humor and the camaraderie with the ease of a seasoned storyteller. For the unseasoned reader, Johns's device of telling his story in the third person will take some getting use to, but that's done after only a few pages. More telling was Johns' own reasons for using third person, "people who fight wars up close to the enemy are not the same while they are fighting as they were before and after...His (Johns) life during that time always seemed that of another person." After that, "Clay Pigeons" is a fast read. Sadly, Bantam books never reprinted this now forgotten classic. Let's hope someone will do such a service and bring this book back. It demands a reprint.

This book was written in 1955 as a summary of the changes made in the subject of Dianetics up to that time. However, it is far more than that. It is a manual of communication. What are the component parts of communication? How do you integrate these parts so that your communication (verbal, written, artistic) actually gets across. The book helped me a great deal

This book covers communication very thoroughly. Maybe that sounds boring - but really, communication is at the heart of all our dealings with other people. And the material in this book applies to everyone. It's presented in a very readable format, and I highly recommend it!

I decided I ought to write a review to let people know a) this is a great book, and b) they really ought to read Fundamentals of Thought first. But I see that another reviewer has already pointed that out.

What I WOULD like to stress is that this is a book that puts a very powerful tool in the hands of anyone who is honest enough to use it without having some other axe to grind. The communication principles outlined by Mr. Hubbard can be used (easily!) to analyze and improve every area your life, and to remedy many common problems.

Are there areas in which you are waiting anxiously for someone else to communicate something or to do something you want? Are you hoping for some sort of acknowledgement that you're not likely to get? Do you have unanswered letters around, or things you've wanted to do or agreed to do but haven't yet found time for? Is there someone around who keeps talking to you or directing some other communication your way, and it's driving you nuts? Are there people around you who just don't seem to listen?

If the answer to any of these questions is "yes" (and this is not by any means a complete list--I just took these off the top of my head), or if you're having any OTHER kind of problem in life, YOU NEED TO READ AND APPLY THIS BOOK.

I would recommend reading The Fundamentals of Thought (ca. 1952) before reading this one (written in 1955). In any case, it answers just so much that some people simply cannot take it. Beware the dogs of the manger. Now, this book is really dynamite, frankly, and equally frankly, I would recommend some of the Basic Dianetics/Scientology books first.

In short I can only say that after reading this book I have understood things and changed conditions in my life in areas that I never dreamed was possible. It has to do with very basic principles in life and existence - I am sure it will touch some basic issues in everybody - if they dare to look at themselves and their surroundings.

When you look at my copy, almost every page has large portions covered in highlighter. If I had to make a list of 10 lifechanging books, this would be in it. It gives simple (but not easy) explanations on how to bring the Spirit into your life by obedience, and goes trough the path you might expect as you do so. Almost every page has incredibly profound wisdom in it. Trust me, it will take you a lifetime to fully live up to the knoledge this book brings.

This book teaches us how to use the Gift of the Holy Ghost among other things.
Explains how the light of Christ is in us all, is amplified by baptism and the Gift of the Holy Ghost until we are baptized with Fire!

Excellent read.

Pontius take us through the things we must do (which we already know but are not doing) in order to have the Holy Ghost as our constant companion. As you study the gospel further and more deeply, you will find it so logical and simple to understand. Pontius' book is a good addition to the religious library for that person seeking for a deeper understanding of having your calling and election made sure as well as becoming the type of person you know you can be.

A must read for one and all.

I turned 50 in 1987 and decided I wanted to learn more about making my calling and election sure. So I entered into an intense study of this subject over the next several years. And then in 1997 I discovered Pontius' book on "Following The Light Of Christ Into His Presence". It had all the answers I had been looking for and I have since faithfully followed the precepts I learned with amazing results. For anyone who wants to make a spiritual advance in their eternal progression I highly recommend this book.

How does one review a life-changing experience? I was skeptical at first, but knew in less than a chapter that I would owe more to John Pontius by the end of his book than I know how to convey. Its message is simple and powerful, its presentation straightforward and engaging. This book belongs to a very small and select group: Texts that I feel honored to have read.

WARNING: If you are accustomed to reading lesbian romance novels, reading this book may cause extreme bouts of euphoria.

If you have read THE SECRET KEEPING, (which you'll want to do before you read its sequel), then it won't surprise you to discover that FORTUNE IS A WOMAN is not your ordinary romance novel. In fact, there is nothing even remotely ordinary about this book, and thank goodness for that! Francine Saint Marie's second novel is a rich, absorbing, and powerfully evocative tale of love, sex and (more than two) modern women. This book will sweep you off your feet, take you on a wild and unexpected ride, and leave you dangling precariously off a giant precipice. Fortunately, though, you won't have to wait several months like I did to be rescued, as the third book in the trilogy, THE STOLEN KISS, has finally been released.

FORTUNE IS A WOMAN is one of the most enjoyable books I have ever read, and this is no doubt due to the fact that its style is every bit as engaging as its substance. The language is exceptionally fluent overall, the prose vivid, tight and polished, and the dialogue so eloquent and sharp-witted it begs to be read over and over again. The author possesses, in addition to her golden tongue, unfettered imagination, and keen intellect, a special gift for developing larger-than-life characters, and allowing the reader access to their very depths. It is easy to get lost inside these women.

Francine Saint Marie's books are the crème de la crème of this genre, and FORTUNE IS A WOMAN is a bold and ingenious work of art, a masterpiece of lesbian fiction that will stir your sensibilities and warm your blood. It is a book to be devoured, and savored, at once. So what are you waiting for? Treat yourself!

No, Francine! You can't leave us waiting several months for the third one! The ending knocked me down and left me hanging - upside down!
Keeping Mr Right is somehow different from The Secret Keeping and it took me while this time to get into it, once I did, it was like drowning. I don't understand how this writer achieves it but her writing, and her thinking, is just so captivating and enthralling. Time after time I found myself gasping at her use of language. It's funny, it's fast, it's clever, it's sad, it's beautiful, it's . . . And I'm in love with Lydia Beaumont! I can't really explain it but I've never read anything like it before. How long do I have to wait?

I bought this book because I found the first in the series, "The secret keeping", an absolute masterpiece. I started this one kind of carefully, not wanting to have high expectations, as they're a sure path to disappointment. Well, I could have rested easy with this book!!

Mamma mia, can this writer write! The same as with the first book in the series, I found "Keeping Mr. Right" extremely original, I can't think of anything remotely similar to this --especially in lesbian fiction, with this mix of intelligence, literary fluency, and complete regard and trust for the readership's mind. What an awsome treat!

Hats off to you, Francine Saint Marie. Gotta say I hate you a bit for the ending, though :-) You better hurry up with the third book in the trilogy!

Remember the first time you fell in love with a book? How you couldn't put it down? Remember sneaking it under the covers at night and reading by flashlight until morning? That aching for more when you finally finished it, and those wonderful butterflies?

We give five stars to Saint Marie's masterfully written sequel to "The Secret Keeping." Be you straight, bi or gay, this is a fascinating love story. Told with a golden tongue.

While my review may be a short one, thank goodness "Keeping Mr. Right" wasn't ....!

Risky and risqué. Bawdy and eloquent. This is a courageous and beautifully written novel. And, very, very sexy!

I can hardly wait to read more of Ms. Saint Marie's offerings!

Dear Joan
Another Dear Joan

What an exciting and fast paced adventure story! This was a series of books that were not easy to find until this collection.

Dan Abnett creates characters that has substance, flaws and strengths in the face of great conflict. This series surrounds a character by the name of Colonel Commisar Gaunt and his men in their struggles not only to retain their humanity but to fight an almost insurmountable enemy.

Maybe think of the TV show "Band of Brothers" in a furturistic Sci-Fi setting.

I didn't play the Warhammer 40K board games until after I read these stories. I enjoyed them so much I started to build models after the characters in these stories. This just added another layer of enjoyment for me that I could share with friends.

Following The Founding, this second omnibus of the Gaunt's Ghost's series tops the first in the amount of action and storytelling. With a fourth book that pushes the omnibus from a normal 700 pages to a whopping 1000 pages, The Saint is a big book.

HONOUR GUARD
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Honour Guard begins at the end of a city fight. Gaunt has been disgraced and is sent on his final mission: a trip to recover the remains of a saint. What began as a simple recovery mission becomes an epic road trip, culminating with a mountain battle against thousand of enemies. Faith and prowess decide the outcome.

THE GUNS OF TANITH
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A planet calls out for help, and the Ghost's answer. An industrial city on a planet with toxic clouds has been taken by the enemy. The only way into the city is a dangerous air drop in the dead of night. The Ghosts must face not only the enemy, but the air itself. Even worse is the fact that the enemy has spread into the very fabric of the city, appearing out of nowhere to battle the ambushed troops.

STRAIGHT SILVER
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A battle that has reached a stalemate is the Ghost's next destination. The forces of good and evil have locked horns on a world where trench warfare rules. The Ghost's must adapt to these new conditions, or face death at the face of the overwhelming amount of enemy artillery. The only chance of victory lies with the Ghost's as they must make a suicidal behind enemy lines mission.

SABBAT MARTYR
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The final fight in the Ghost's assigned star system, a holy world is besieged by enemy troops. The world cannot fall due to one fact: a saint has risen to lead the troops on the planet to victory. But even as the Ghost's are sent to protect the world, the agents of evil have sent a group of elite assassins known only as "The Nine" to remove the one thing holding the defense together: Gaunt himself. Only the Ghost's faith in their leader and the saint will lead them to victory as they facing unwinnable battles and unbeatable enemies.

The book is the second omnibus and four novels in one. I have not read the first three, but the characters grabbed on and held me all the way through. The Warhammer 40K universe is an unforgiving and inhuman place, but these are humans at their best and their worst. Gaunt and the boys are the best of the Guard and this is a great story with some good twists and turns. I highly recommend it.

This is the second omnibus in the Gaunt's Ghosts series and is just as good as the first. Abnett is my favorite Black Library author and this is an excellent installment in a great series.

Is it just me, or does it seem weird that my copy of the book is missing 49 pages? Pages 880 to page 929 are missing. It says here that the book has 1024 pages.....so does mine, except that 49 pages are missing. I'm wondering if anybody else has seen this problem? Or do I have the "worth some money mess up book"?

Audit yourself with the tech from Advance Procedures and Axioms. Run secondaries, lock scan, and other advanced tech.

I am only half way through this book, and already I have read more truth here than I've ever read elsewhere. And believe me, I've read all the self help books. L. Ron Hubbard is a true genius and certainly one of the most important teachers in this history of mankind, period. Get this book, it will change everything.

I used the techniques from one chapter to quickly recover from a fall on concrete, where I hit my head, and a personal sorrow. I handled the physical aspects separately from the fall and on the memory of both was able to resolve the pain and sorrow so now I can think about it easily--as easily as normal memories. Thank you, L. Ron Hubbard. It works. Get it. Try it. Use it.

This book is very helpful but not necessarily a walk in the park to use. It's all about weeding through various things that make life difficult and how you can work your way to a better state of mind. You have to be willing to work for it and if you follow the steps in the book, you get amazing results. If you don't do what it says in the book or only do it half-heartedly, you really don't get much out of it. I give 5 stars because it really does deliver. In using the book, sometimes you have to examine things about yourself that aren't so easy to face. Once you push through those things using the book, it's pretty beneficial.

This book is for those who are in the need of change in their lives. It isn't about money; it isn't about winning friends and influencing people. It is a self-help book for those people who want to change the conditions of their life by viewing their goals and problems and past situations that relate. It gets a person better acquainted with himself.

It was written many years ago, but the techniques work IF one reads the book throughally and applies each step. The author is deceased, and the book is not published by the author but by the
LRH Library which is run by the Religious Technology Center which is a [type of religion]corporation.

There are many references in the book where you can go for further services--however, you might search out alternatives on the Internet, because there are individuals in what is called the "FreeZone" who can deliver services, too. If reading this book makes you want "more" then shop around.

In this Handbook for Preclears the dynamic principle of existence, which is "survive" is introduced. It is an important datum, because it is what all things have in common...it is the common demonator of existence. Of course, there are degrees of survival from bare to successful, but the datum gives one a way to look at things.

That isn't the only datum that is useful in this book. It isn't a good book for someone who just skims the reading material and doesn't throughally apply the exercises. That is why I rate it a 4 star instead of 5--...

I came across this book in a Goodwill pile and paid all of 49 cents for it. What a gem! I read several chapters in the car before I left the parking lot and laughed out loud! Brought it home to my 13 year old son who finished it faster than any book I've known him to read, and just lent it to my adult (over 50) male office mate this morning. He and the book have disappeared (hmmm) so it must be reminding him of his older yellow lab. I don't know which is funnier, Jack or the cats' commentaries. I am not even a "dog person" and think this book is a lot of fun. You know that dogs must be thinking this sort of thing, and cats as well. I recommend this book to anyone, any age... it is a hoot. And I am glad to see that Jack has written another book recently!

I bought this book for my 7 year old daughter at her school book fair, along with several other paperbacks. She devoured it and kept insisting that I read it. I said ok, thinking I want to encourage her love of reading and knowing how much fun it is to recommend a good book to someone so you can then talk about it when they are finished. I did not expect to enjoy it so thoroughly, however! I laughed right out loud, highly recommnended it to my husband when I was finished, and read it to my younger son soon after I had finished it the first time. I laughed while reading it to him, too! If you've ever wondered what the heck a dog must be thinking to do what he/she does, this book is of tremendous help. I often find myself thinking in Jack-terms when dealing with our 18 month old Chocolate Lab. I just purchased the next Jack book and thought I'd take a minute to add my positive review of the first.

My 9 year old sons and I have laughed ourselves silly reading aloud this book. The author does a wonderful job of getting inside the mind of a big goofy yellow lab. Jack's "voice" could fit every labrador I've ever met. The boys could easily read it on their own, but reading it aloud is so much more fun. Even kids who don't like to read would have a hard time putting down this book.

Reluctant readers will actually clamor to read this book aloud to others because of the howls of laughter that ensue. Jack, in his exuberant love of life and canine innocence, is a most engaging character.

Jack is a yellow Labrador retriever who has many adventures. He lives with his Packleader, Tom; his Pack Lady, Charlie; and their children, Terri, Pete and Mikey. Jack often likes to talk about his adventures, which include interpretive footnotes from the three cats that live with him. The cats' names are Remy, Maisie and Muskie. They call Jack "The Big Yellow Stupid" for reasons that are not always clear.

Jack's pack has new neighbors who move in next door. He's very excited to meet their girl dog, a pretty Samoyed named Petra. Petra is also excited to meet Jack, but her Pack Lady, Letitia, is not. Letitia's dislike for Jack creates a problem for Jack and Petra's new friendship; nevertheless, Jack soon finds himself thinking about Petra a lot.

Some time later, Jack is taken for Walkies to an old flour mill where his Packleader snaps pictures for a newspaper article about how important the mill is and why it shouldn't be torn down. Meanwhile, Jack decides to go for a swim in the pond around the mill, but has to be rescued by his Packleader when the pond proves too much for him. The next day, Tom stays in bed because of a cold, leaving Jack and his apepuppy friends, Pete and Mikey, to get into mischief. Jack is able to get through the neighbors' fence with Pete and Mikey's help; a romance soon develops between he and Petra, and they marry.

Unfortunately, our two lovebirds get into deep trouble when Jack's Pack Lady finds them scavenging for food. They decide to run off to the old mill; once there, Petra has Special Messages (puppies) and it is up to Jack to provide for them and keep them safe. But the pressure is on for Jack when his Packleader comes looking for him and ends up in an accident --- not to mention the unfriendly apedogs that seem to be visiting the mill at different times. Will Jack be able to save the day once again?

I think this is a good story for fans of Jack. New readers of Jack's adventures, like myself, may find it a little difficult to understand at first. Once you read the Jackspeak English glossary in the back of the book, though, the story becomes easier to understand. May you laugh when you read I, JACK.

--- Reviewed by Sarah Sawtelle (...)

Diane Stanley, author of a series of high-quality biographies for children, does it again: Joan of Arc is intelligent and interesting with eye-popping illustrations. Of course the story is tragic, so this is not a good first biography for the young, tender-hearted child. The only thing missing is a real sense of the supernatural, what drove Joan to do what she did in the first place. If you're looking for the miraculous in your retelling of Joan's story, choose instead Josephine Poole's breathtaking "Joan of Arc."

Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc should be recommended for teens 13-16. I thought it was kind of hard to understand because I got 60% on this Accelerated Reader test. I didn't understand the Crowning of the Kings and Princesses very well. I would rate this a 6/10 in a rating.
It taught me about how some people can get so sick of things that you would do anything to save your country. This book is cool because of the pictures of the war.

Not only was this an accurate portrayal of Joan of Arc's story, it was wonderfully written and illustrated. I would recommend it for anyone who is starting out in learning of the saint. It is educational and enjoyable for a child.

Once again, Diane Stanley has brought intriguing facts and interesting tidbits to a book about a well known character, Joan of Arc, which makes the reader interested and excited about the subject, no matter what age he or she might be. Joan was born an illiterate, peasant daughter of a leader in a French village during the time of the Hundred Years War between France and England. She was highly disciplined in Catholicism, and was often teased about it by her friends. At the age of thirteen, Joan began having visions, while in the family garden, of various Catholic Saints giving her distressing messages and that she needed to act in order to save the French Kingdom. Joan was so convinced and moved by these visions that she took on a life long task of saving the French kingdom, although a woman doing this would have been unheard of at the time. She was eventually captured by the Burgundies that occupied Northern France and handed over to the English for a ransom. She was put on trial by the church for dressing in men's clothing and for acting on her voices and visitations which should have only been heard by members of the clergy. She was found guilty, although she gave clever testimony and was not easily disrupted by tricky questioning, and eventually burned at the stake. Charles, the ruler that Joan help restore to the crown, made it his personal mission to have Joan's trial declared a mistrial sixteen years after her death. This act fueled by his guilt for not negotiating for her release from prison helped her to be declared a saint five hundred years later.
This book helps the reader realize that although Joan my have appeared unstable with her visions in modern times, she brought hope and life to a battle that was hopeless leaving many French residents in despair. A note at the end of the book indicates that there have been three theories behind Joan's visions, depending on where one's personal beliefs lie.
Included within the book are pronunciations of French names and places and a map, so the reader can follow the path taken by Joan. This book provides interesting and understandable information for readers of all ages, including adults that want a short but informative look into Joan of Arc's life.

A beautiful book! Diane Stanley carefully traces the life of Joan from her humble beginnings to her tragic end. The book even comes with a pronunciation guide to help those of us who haven't been to France. Although the language is at 8+ year old range, my 5 year old daughter loves it anyway!

My family loves this book. It's a wonderful blending of the story of St. Valentine and the struggle for racial equality today. The children and situations in the story are believeable and real. They provide a great premise for discussing predjudice with my children while also learning how the sacrificial love demonstrated by St. Valentine can apply to life situations today. We liked this book so much that when our first copy got accidentally destroyed, we hunted down another through Amazon.com to replace it.

While I agree with all that has been said on the this page about this book, I have to add that it would be appropriate for all elementary and even junior high school students as it deals with the issues of race and racial reconciliation in a powerful way.

I love this book because it presents a powerful message in a simple, unsentimental way. The illustrations are amazing -- I'm partial because my daughter and ex-husband were models for several of the illustrations that appear in the book! So thank you, Don Tate. You did a wonderful job, as did the author. A beautiful story about something most of us have a hard time doing: loving our enemies.

simply beautiful, both visually and linguistically...powerful meaning as well...I recommend it highly.

I bought one copy of the board version of the book and loved it. I promptly ordered 10 more copies and several copies of the hardcover book for the children in my church. The hardcover has more text and is even better than the board book. Both books talk about Christ; saint Valentine - who was a Christian who suffered in jail, but blessed and converted his jailers- about the civil rights movement and peaceful resistance, about familiy values and closeness, and EVEN ABOUT HOW TO DEAL WITH A SCHOOL BULLY. Its main message is that we should not fight evil with evil, but should bless our enemies. At the last page, Marcus, the boy in the story, stretches out his hand and asks the class bully to accept his friendship. It reminded me of Christ's call to humanity to accept Him and his salvation... it's up to each person to accept. I highly recommend the book, either version.

It was Pope Gregory who began the notion that Mary Magdalene was a fallen woman and the story stuck even after Vatican 2 in 1969. This is a pre-Da Vinci code take on the historical Mary Magdalene. There have been many edits to the Bible, to church history, to the lives of key figures from the earliest origins of Christianity ... and in sorting out fact from fiction ... one must seek to understand the context of teachings first before just blindly believing anything presented to them. Mary Magdalene became an icon of the fallen dangerous women and was used to subjugate women in many levels of church politics. Her history is one of the most controversial topics in the church .... and well worth exploring to understand the intention behind her image.

This is THE MOST AMAZING book on Mary Magdalen. Susan Haskins goes through the image/personna of the magdalen from the Biblical roots to our pop-culture. The primary references are excellent, it is well put together, it is PERFECT!

Ignore my rating as I have only just begun reading this book but I did not want to alter the overall rating given to date. I have posted this 'review' simply to let it be known on Amazon that the book is back in print and is now published by PIMLICO with the ISBN 1-8459-5004-6.

It's a silly shame that this wonderful book is out-of-print when the Code Mania would sell it like hotcakes. It is, without a competitor, the best all-around book on Mary Magdalene. Buy Karen L. King's translation of the Gospel of Mary if you want an intense but engaging lesson in theology, Jane Schaberg's *The Resurrection of Mary Magdalene* if you want a solid feminist critique, or Margaret Starbird's *The Woman with the Alabaster Jar* if you are looking for New Age speculation, but it's Haskins who pulls it all together.

Tracing the idea of Mary Magdalene from the Biblical (and "heretical") sources to present-day manifestations in film and novel, she provides a survey of the changing role of women and sexuality in Occidental culture, generously illustrated with depictions of the Magdalene. She shows how the "shamed prostitute" myth got its start, examines the claims of connection between Mary and France, and provides a very funny account of the Church supported habit of "relic snatching" that accounts for Mary's "relics" moving here and there from this monastery to that church.

All in all, it is a heavy but interesting read, with no polemic axe to grind. Start here.

Haskins does an excellent job in bringing us virtually every relevant piece of useful information about Mary Magdalene. It's all discussed here -- Mary Magdalene in Scripture, non-canonical Christian literature, artwork, history, myths, and legends. An important work about an important historical and spiritual figure.