Source The Books

This book has been wonderful company to me both at home and while travelling. If you are absorbed by the Civil War and Herman Melville, you will love "The Civil War World of Herman Melville" down to your toes. Best of all, no matter how well you think you know Melville or the Civil War, you will learn something you didn't know before. The book is an almost day-to-day journey through the war from the home front to the battle front with a family that just happens to be that of America's greatest writer. I love this book without having been fully convinced by Mr. Garner's views on the value of Melville's war poems, and while disagreeing with his harsh judgement of Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. I do agree with the above reviewer who advises having a copy of "Battle Pieces" on hand as a pleasure enhancer.

Stanton Garner details a day by day chronology of Melville's activities during the Civil War and links them to Melville's first published book of poetry, _Battle Pieces: Aspects of the War_. Garner's prose is elegant, his sources are thoroughly documented, and his insights into Melville's art are incisive and illuminating. Readers interested in the Civil War may find much of interest pertaining to daily life in northern communities, but this book is not about the War as much as it is about Melville and _Battle Pieces_.

_Battle Pieces_ has been dismissed by some critics as a collection of poorly executed war poems by a failed writer past his prime, but Garner shows us how Melville exercises his prodigious creative talent to build a literary work unlike any contemporary product in the style of its poems and in its substantive treatment of a complex subject. By placing the poems in their historic context and linking them to the family's political views (conservative Democrats disposed toward support of the McClellan candidacy etc.), we gain insight into many otherwise hidden associations.

Garner's chronology begins with Melville's 1859 voyage to San Francisco aboard his brother's ship _The Meteor_ and continues until just after the publication of _Battle Pieces_ in 1866. Among the more interesting episodes is Melville's visit to the front during the late winter of 1864 to see his cousin, Lt. Henry Gansevoort. This leads to an evening's audience with General Grant, where we imagine Melville gaining valuable material for his work. The next day, he joins an expedition of troops scouting for Moseby's men during which he is directly exposed to the dangers of war.

Some prospective readers may be tempted to wait for the publication of Hershel Parker's second volume of _Herman Melville: A Biography_. Parker's work, written in much the same style, will have the benefit of Parker's decades of experience updating the Melville Log, so we can expect additional biographical detail. But Garner's insights into Melville's literary work give _Civil War Years_ enduring value worthy of a separate volume.

While Garner provides pertinent excerpts of Melville's poems as he discusses them, readers will want a copy of _Battle Pieces_ near them as they read.

Need to find your family in County Armagh?? This sprial bound book is for you!!! This book has proved to be very useful in research. Such a great "hands on book" Gives you the address and location of records for more research in Ireland. If you are also wanting a more in depth research on families then check out "The Book of Irish Families, Great and Small". The author also has a website Irish Roots Cafe, irishroots.com!

This work was as promised. Helped me by having all the basic Armagh info in one place. I did find some possible connections -I wish it were bigger!

Martin R. Dudley's The Collect in Anglican Liturgy: Texts and Sources 1549 - 1989 is an absolute gem. In fact, it is a multi-faceted gem, for not only does it collect (no pun intended) every single Anglican collect written between 1549 and 1989, but it takes a historical look at each one by noting the development of the collect through three distinct periods: 1549 - 1929, 1930 - 1972, and 1973 - 1989. Within each section, he notes the development and different versions of particular collects, which is quite helpful. He notes how some collects were discarded, and how others were sometimes substantially rewritten. Further, Dudley also includes the Latin collects from the Sarum Missal (one of the major liturgical sources for the Book of Common Prayer) and traces the history of each individual collect to its source. I thought it was quite interesting how many collects come straight out of older Latin liturgies, including but not limited to the Sarum Missal.

But what, exactly, is a "collect"? Dudley, in a substantial 43-page introduction, notes that we don't quite know the origin of the prayer style itself, but that "collect" most likely "means the celebrant's conclusion or summary of the prayers of the faithful" (5). It was one of three types of prayers that appears to have unique to the Western/Latin/Roman liturgical tradition - the other two being litany prayers and Eucharistic prayers - that, although they were compiled in the sixth century, are sometimes hundreds of years older. Thus, when Cranmer compiled and wrote the first Book of Common Prayer in 1549, he was working - in part - out of a much older and thoroughly Western/Latin/Roman liturgical tradition. Dudley seems to favor the earlier collects - or, he is at least more willing to criticize more contemporary collects, noting that a collect should be addressed to the Father, through the Son and that although it should be theologically substantive, it should not be rhetorically cumbersome. He thinks that some of the contemporary collects fall short on some of these issues.

Dudley does not restrict himself to the collects that have been historically used in England, but takes a global perspective, noting the development of the American collects, as well as those in Wales, Ireland, Scotland, India, South Africa, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Thus, this book is really quite up to date, for the only major liturgical development that I know of since 1989 elsewhere in the Anglican Communion is that of the Kenya - but I do not know if there were any new collects commissioned for the Our Modern Services (Kenyan BCP) in 2002. All of this, however, leaves quite a few questions unanswered, for there are a number of Anglican provinces that aren't mentioned here that are found in Central and South America, as well as throughout Asia and other parts of Africa. Perhaps these different parts of the Anglican Communion have not commissioned new collects but have only translated those from the past. However, Dudley doesn't actually say so. Rather, he hints that the book has been put together in part for those parts of the Anglican Communion - Africa, specifically - that are now putting together specific liturgies so that those particular liturgical commissions might have a solid resource for developing their own prayers in their own language, while also remaining rooted in traditional Anglican soil (41).

This book, as noted above, is a real gem. I highly recommend it for all who are interested in Anglican liturgy - on a global basis, whether more ancient or more contemporary - as well as for those who would like to read and pray a different type of prayer. Collects are formal, and in many ways quite majestic - they are for a community, and are therefore not merely homespun. There is real theological depth in these prayers, and Dudley's work of collecting them is a great service to all.

About two years ago, when I began working with the Synodical Commission for Worship on a revision of our Church Year and Liturgy, one of the questions we asked was how we would be able to make the best use of the historic collects (opening prayers) of the Church Year in our new scheme.

This book made it simple.

Collected together for reference and comparison, Dudley's volume made it simple to research the history of the Collect in the usage of the Anglican Liturgy, from the Latin collects of the Sarum usage to the 1979 revisions and even into the late 1980's, this book covers the entire spectrum of opening prayers from throughout the Anglican Communion.

At the price this book is offered at, it is almost a sin not to have it on your bookshelf. It is a truly indespensible resource for the Anglican cleric, or any cleric of the Western Rites with an interest in liturgical prayer.

Mr. Haythornthwaite have produced a splendid work of the colonial wars of the British Empire, the term "colonial wars" in this book is use only to define the British Colonisation during the Victorian period and not to all European colonisation of other regions of the world. The author have try to compress the largest amount of information into the smallest possible space without missing key facts of WHO, WHEN, HOW and where.

This work cover the earlier campaings of the XIX century to the conclusion of the South African War in 1902(Anglo-Boer War). The text is divides geographically,the first chapter is dedicated to Great Britain(British Army, Royal Navy,British Ministries and Commanders), then we start with the Indian Subcontinent, Africa and the Mediterranean, the East, the Americas and the Atlantic, and Australasia and the Pacific. In every Chapter we find a brief explanation or outline of the military operations, the opposite armies with many period photographs, drawings, maps and diagrams. One of the final sections is dedicated to the biographies of some leading and often colourful military figures, like Banden-Powell, Wolseley, Kitchener and Frederick Roberts. You can also find the victorian enemies, the Mahdi(Mohammed Ahmed Ibn Seyyd Abdullah), Nana Sahid(Lead the mutineers in 1857). At the end there is a fascinating and useful Glossary of period and technical terms.

This is not a complete work but a valuable reference tool for anyone interested in history, both military and political in the wars of Colonial Conquest of the British Empire.

This is an impressive source of much of the very many little wars that surrounded the British Empire at the end of the 19th Century and the beginning of the 20th.

It has an impressive Geographical Listing of conflicts and, relatively speaking for a sourcebook, a detailed history of the genesis of the conflict, political developments, the course of the wars and the ultimate outcome. Some like the Boer War, are pretty well known. Others, like the Candy Expidition in Ceylon and the Northwest Rebellion on Canada are less known.

There is also a good description of the various incarnations of the British and Imperial Armies (Indian, Australian, Canadian etc.) in each segment. It even goes down into the detail of the colonial regiments in obscure local areas of the British Empire, such as Fiji and Ceylon. The outline of the original home county regiments of the British Army is also a good quick reference (for when you are reading Hopkirk and you need to reference to see who exactly were the 44th Regiment of Foot).

The weapons section on colonial armies is not that exhaustive but it does have good references for those that want to know basic terms for weapons such as a "screw gun" and the what weapons were vouge at what time. Opposing Armies such as the Zulus, Pathans, Afghans, and Boers get their pride of place as well.

The glossary is good with a plethora of Indian terms and native Indian terms that were subsumed into the vernacular of the Imperial Soldier.

The one area that it suffers is the biographical section where the list of personalities is a little limited. Most of the people left out will be described and mentioned in many of the imperial conflict chapters but it would be better to have for example, more Napiers and Roberts in pantheon of Imperial Heroes and rougues.

It is quite and accomplishment as the efforts of one person. Although I can think of ways it could be bettered, I do not know of any other effort available out there today on the subject.

I read this one eagerly. As a Canadian I always had heard about the executions of Canadian POWs in Normandy by the SS. By reading this very detailed and well researched book I understood what happened right from the time of the invasion all the way through the post-war trails.
I really recommend this book!

Howard Margolian's book is a well-written and -researched book that explores the conflict between the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division and the 12th SS Panzer Division, particularly the issue of murdering Prisoners of War by the Germans. By documenting several previously uncredited murders, Margolian has revealed the full extent of the SS atrocities. Each incident is treated with respect and by using forensic evidence he has made a plausible reconstruction of the events. A credit to scholarship.

As a consumer health librarian I can say that this is the absolute bible when it comes to selecting health-related materials. Not just a list of books, this is a wide-ranging source of well-written, well-considered reviews of almost all types of materials (books, CD-ROMs, databases, pamphlets, magazines/newsletters, Spanish-language materials, and more) for the layperson, plus selected sources written for the health professional that would be helpful in the well-stocked consumer health library. There is an extensive section of reviews of complementary/alternative therapy materials, something the faint-of-heart might not have wanted to tackle, but Rees accomplishes it with aplomb. Conspicuous by its absence is a list of consumer health videos, but this would be a huge task in and of itself!

Rees knows his stuff (more importantly, he has known his stuff over time--this is the 6th edition of this book [2000]) and he doesn't play it safe: many of the books he reviews are concerned with controversial theories or therapies, but he reviews them impartially. Most public libraries, all medical/hospital libraries, and many academic libraries can benefit from owning a copy of this book, for collection development purposes and also for patrons to browse. The interested layperson, either a patient or family member, would do well to consult this book when looking for the best books/other materials on your particular topic.

This is the source that medical librarians turn to when developing consumer health collections. The absolute best starting place for selecting consumer health titles!

If you'd like to discover a great way to write, as well as to actively understand and explore the writing of others, this book is for you. Well-known for encouraging and celebrating all people as writers in her best-selling Writing the Natural Way, Gabriele Rico expands on her principle that everyone can be not just a respondent but also a creator of language and ideas. In Creating Re-Creations, Rico explicitly states that "creative acts do not belong only to the very few."

A "re-creation" is a writing experience where you hear a poem or piece of prose read aloud twice. You can either have someone else read to you, or you can listen to Rico's lilting voice read aloud on the CD included with the book. The first time you "simply listen, [are] receptive, enjoy the melody of it." The second time you cluster, jotting down words and phrases you may hear, along with whatever else comes to mind. Afterward, you write your own poem, paragraph, or vignette of any type. The results (and examples are plentiful in the book) are a unique combination of response and creation.

As the book demonstrates, Rico has experimented with re-creations in a multitude of arenas with many different types of writers. The focus is for us to be "participants in [our] own configuration of meaning," creating (yet transcending) "what came before." This engaging, improvisational process honors, as Rico says, "the diversity of the human mind."

It is evident when reading this book that re-creation is an evocative, fertile method for exploring the mind's meaning-making powers. Rico's insistence that there is not one right way to re-create gives us permission to experiment with it in order to foster our own expression. As Rico reminds us via a quote by Charles Johnston, "expression is not an appendix to knowing but the process by which something becomes knowing." Such inspiring quotes, a Rico trademark, are sprinkled throughout the book, as are many find poems and pieces of prose.

While a book centering around one writing strategy may seem unusual, the flexibility, power, and generative quality make re-creations more than just a strategy. Re-creations are central to significant questions and writing and learning: What is the importance of creative expression and poetic understanding? What is meaning-making? What is creativity? Who is creative and why? And finally, Who chooses who gets to be not only the meaning-makers, but also the creators?

Creating Re-creations is a beautiful book. Ms. Rico's ability to show us how to tap into our own creative minds is mystifying. The book itself is a creative masterpiece. Her use of beautifully written "vignettes" is so inspirational to all. The cd included was a magnificent idea, bringing words to life!

This book by Scott Jeffrey is a Gem! Not your usual book on learning/finding/developing Creativity in your life or business! I underlined so many pages and going back to re-read the book! If you are serious about being more creative in any endeavor and have an open mind to want to learn how, then I truly recommend this book "Creativity Revealed" You will get more out of it than you can imagine...You will see what I mean!
Thanks Scott:)

I really enjoyed this book and for a more detailed review, visit my blog http://waynehastings.blogs.com/offtheshelf/2008/07/creativity-revealed---a-review.html. I found Scott's book to be a tremendous kick in the pants to my own creativity. He does a fantastic job of giving the reader context and also practical advice on creativity. I would recommend this book to anyone.

This wonderful book shows the spirit and the beauty of the artist herself. Books like this never age and are so appreciated in this fast changing world. Not only does it contain many wonderful drawings and portions of poems, but the process is shown, as well as information on Beth Van Hoesen the artist. A thoughtful gift.

This book features drawings by Beth van Hoesen and is a great gift when you want to send somebody more than a card. The drawings are well done, beautifully colored and pair up appropriately to a Walt Whitman poem, Her drawings of animals show more about the animals then mere photographs - they seem to reach inside the animal's personality and display it for the world to see. The rabbit on the cover is just the beginning of the beautiful drawings. Buy many copies of this book, so you can send it to friends and keep a copy for yourself.

This is a great book for any ancient historian. The author does a thorough survey of the methodology of ancient history and the nature of history itself. He presents a point of view on why we study ancient near eastern history that is very thought provoking. You don't have to be an Assyriologist to appreciate this book.

This is a fantastic survey of the problems (and joys) of writing histories of the ancient Near East. This book rewards both novices and scholars in the field! The author is obviously familiar with the most up to date scholarship in Assyriology. The treatment of issues relating to intellectual history and the role of women in antiquity are expecially satisfying. Accessible and brief, the editors of the series are to be commended for inlcuding this treatment of the cuneiform world!