Virginia Books

Helen Konz has done a magnificent job of researching material for her novel. She then tapped her imaginative mind and wove a story of tragedy and triumph from that historical cloth. As well as learning some history I did not know I thoroughly enjoyed her fictional characters and their development. This book, and the other two in this series, would be a wonderful addition to any school library. The history of our nation's founding, told in such an entertaining and interesting way, is a story many would enjoy.

Helen Konz has the gift of telling a story and making you feel like you're there. The characters are very believeable.

I had so much fun adding my imagination to historical events that I've written and self-published two sequels. Young adult and adult readers tell me that the books have rekindled their interest in our nations's history. That makes me feel that I've written something worthwhile.

The book was interesting, exciting, gripping and fun to read. I love the way things worked out. Helen Konz has a great way of telling stories.

This encyclopedia is a wonderful source for reference material and provides itself as a valuable study aid aswell. For Catholics and non-Catholics alike the contents of this encyclopedia help to solve many questions about the faith. Everything in this encyclopedia is relevant to the Catechism and the Holy Scriptures. With this book you will be asking less questions and finding many answers.

I work at a Catholic Church - and I am constantly referring to Robert and Virginia Broderick's book for answers to questions that often baffle me. Not once have I had to turn a visitor or caller away. This is one of the best Catholic encyclopiedias around - written with lay-people in mind. It is easy to understand, and, literally, warms the hearts of the readers. There are 150 pen-and-ink (liturgical) drawings by Virginia Broderick - one of the greatest Catholic artists alive today - illustrating many of the entries her late husband explains. The drawings alone are worth much more than you'll be paying for the encyclopedia. My suggestion is to buy more than one copy --- and pass the extra one around. It will surely edify and entertain anyone who loves the Catholic Church. Once I pick the book up,I find it VERY difficult to put it back down! I especially love studying Virginia's art. She's a contemporary genius! (Dan Paulos, artist)

This is the third most must-have book (Behind the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church)for any Catholic or person curious about Catholicism in general. It has the Imprimatur and the Nihl Obstat, the official "go-ahead" of the Catholic Church for books; in other words, nothing in this book misrepresents any of the official teachings or goes against matters of faith and morals. This book is a wonderful resource of knowledge that augments the Catechism in a way that is easy to understand. The Catechism lays down the blueprint of what Catholics believe, this book helps flesh it out. It explains in more detail things put forth by the Catechism. I use it all the time in my research and it has proven to be invaluable.

I would recommend this book to anybody who desires a reference book covering Catholic subjects. It is a superb companion to the Catholic Study Bible and/or the Catholic Catechism. The book clearly and thoroughly defines pertinent terms and concepts.

I am amazed that there are only 3 reviews of this wonderful book. I LOVE this book. It affirmed many of my beliefs regarding the celebration of femininity. So many wonderful suggestions for connecting to our daughters from infancy through adolescence -- remembering and reviving the ways women have honored their daughters for centuries. The simple gesture of brushing your daughter's hair will take on new meaning. When my daughter was younger (she is currently 17!), this book was a wonderful guide. I gave this as a baby shower gift a few years ago and recently crossed paths with the mother. She expressed how grateful she was to have the book -- how she wished HER mother had had such a resource. By the way, if you are thinking about a gift for a mother of an adolescent girl, buy the author's other book: Embracing Persephone -- a must-read for a mother of a middle school or high school girl.

I came upon this book by accident. I was searching the library shelves for books on adolescents for a reasearch paper on troubled youth, and all of a sudden a little pink and purple colored book came falling off the shelf. It turned out to be one of those little moments where you could sense destiny happening before your eyes.
What started out as a research paper for school, turned into a major life changing moment. I can't help wishing that my mother could have read this book before I was born...how different my journey into adulthood would have been!!!
This is an inspiring book that can help parents raise their daughters with dignity, and a sense of self, in a world where Brittney Spears seems to be of high influence, kids complain because they have only ONE pair of [expensive] shoes, and expect not only a [expensive] Nintendo Play Station, but other holiday/birthday gifts as well (what ever happened to begging for the simple pony)?
In fact, I would not only recommend this for parents, but for anyone who is looking to make peace, and mend relationships with their own parents. It helped me to understand myself and my childhood a whole lot better. It's a wonderful, wonderful book. Every young girl should be under its influence.

This book really gave me some insight into raising my daughter. It explores the differences in the way girls and women are raised in other cultures as well as our own. It helped me to really look to my daughters spirit and nurture her at the heart of it. I gave it to a friend and now I'm purchasing another copy!

Reviving Ophelia, while necessary and in my opinion accurate, was pretty discouraging. It talked all about the problems of how girls' self-esteem plummets during puberty. And it compares girls to a tree in a hurricane who need the support of others to survive. But Reviving Ophelia doesn't give much advice as to what a parent can do.

I really liked this book because it gave a lot of concrete examples of how to make your daughter proud of being a woman. From doing the hair of a toddler to coming of age ceremonies, this book had a lot of good suggestions. I also liked that it had examples of how things are done in other cultures such as certain Native American or African groups of people.

I would greatly appriciate it if you would contact Ms. Aronson for me and pass along my email address. There is a lady in need of her help, her son has unexplained scars since he was 4 years old and fears "the big eyes" he is now 17 and suicidal. Please help us he is her only child... Thank you, Hilda S. Rubio

You have to have an open mind to read this book and know that is all based on true stories from very serious people. I happen to believe that "we are not alone" and it's wonderful to hear that the ET are here to help, inspire and heal. You won't be able to put this book down. Thank you, Virginia.

VIRGINA has given us a wonderful gift in writing this book so that those beings that need our help can come to us. THANK YOU Virgina we bless you always.

Virginia Aronson has a wonderful knack for keeping the reader on the edge of her seat. I truthfully could not put this down. She has done a great job of investigating and research which really makes this great reading -- knowing how much work went into this book. There is more to healing than we realize and I feel this book will help to open the frontier to more information regarding celestrial healings. Keep up the great work Virginia.

As far I can say, this is one of the most charming and beautiful houses in the world. Is not that this is house is grant, or magnificent; Charleston is so special, because it's got character and lots of personality. I love this book.

i stumbled across this book on a beautiful indian summer sunday afternoon....it is a treasure for those unable to physically saunter through the rooms and out to the walled garden that is charleston. all photos in colour, all rooms as they were when vanessa bell, duncan grant, family and friends lived and worked there. inspirational.

I agree with the previous reader, this is it ... the definitive book on Charleston Farmhouse. Although I think this book is more than a glimpse of the house and garden for those unable to visit, it is a surperb reference for those of us that have visited and wish to recall the house, etc. The photography is stunning, the text is informative. A worthwhile addition to any Bloomsbury book collection.

For this genre of books, 5 stars. A nice gift for a Bloomsbury fan, but it is only "nice-to-have," not required for one's library.

This book is well-written non-fiction.

Poag tells of a fifty-year geological research project on the East Coast of North America. He tells us how the findings of several natural sciences have combined to demonstrate, beyond reasonable doubt, that a large meteor impacted Earth at Chesapeake Bay, some 35 million years ago. In doing so, Poag teaches the reader about undersea sonic surveying, about core drilling to determine the structures surrounding impact craters of various types, about fossils found in seabed (and former seabed) rocks, and about how those fossils permit approximate dating of sedimentary deposits back to life's origin on earth, some 4 billion years ago.

We now know that large meteor impacts have played a major role in the Earth's evolution. Striking only 35 million years back, Poag's "Chesapeake Invader" was a relatively recent such event. In its closing chapter, his book addresses the present NASA search for the NEXT one.

The book presents an interesting first-person study of how the 53 mile-wide Chesapeake impact structure was identified. The 40-million year-old feature is not apparent from surface observation, and its unmasking forms this classic tale of scientific detective work at is finest. The author is not hesitant in issuing praise to those who knew some atypical feature was present, but who lacked the means or opportunity to categorically identify the structure for what it was. In this respect, the narrative is delightfully free of much of the acrimony that has marked so many of the works about the Chixulub dinosaur killer.

The book's text is highly readable and explains in an unpatronizing manner many of the tools and concepts used in solving this great scientific puzzle. Also, the book's author doesn't allow himself to be bogged down in minutiae, an all-to-easy peril in a work of this nature.

The book is recommended to any teen or adult with a limited background in science, and to any and all persons with an interest in earth science or the scientific method in action. I liked it very much. Enjoy.

Geology is a fun science and part of the fun is due to the historical nature of much of geology - geology is all about solving ancient mysteries. Chesapeake Invader by C. Wylie Poag excellenty describes the solving of one such geological mystery. Starting in the middle of the 20th-Century, geologists began to find unusual rock formations in coastal Virginia that didn't have a garden variety geologic explanation. The plate tectonics revolution, which provided so many solutions to so many geologic conundrums, didn't unravel these weird East Coast rocks. This mystery had to wait until humans wrapped their minds around one of the last great discoveries of geology, the realization that asteroid and comet impacts are an important force in our Solar System and that the Earth is not immune from the devastation of these impacts. Poag gives the reader a good glimpse of how geologists [and scientists in general] go about solving problems. Folks who enjoy learning about impacts, but are tired of reading about the end of Cretaceous impact, should enjoy Chesapeake Invader as a welcome change of pace. [If you haven't read enough about the end of Cretaceous impact, I would highly recommend The End Of The Dinosaurs by Charles Frankel and Night Comes To The Cretaceous by James Lawrence Powell.] I enjoyed going along for the ride while C. Wylie Poag solved this great geological mystery and I recommend that you also take this ride.

For those interested in the effects of giant meteorites on the earth, this book is worth reading. It is not a novel, more like a documentary, but facinating just the same. The author details his efforts to prove the existance of a giant meteor crater under Chesapeake Bay. Along the way, he details the effects of the strike on the flora and fauna of the time. This is a real-life example of the scientific method applied to geology and paleontology tempered with human nature and a little good luck thrown in.

Creative projects for homemade Christmas decorations make this book a great gift.. If you can part with it!

This book has lovely ideas for decoarting using natural materials. I found many of the ideas could be done very inexpensively.

I bought this book for my neighbor and when it came I wanted to keep it! She had recently visited Williamsburg and came back with stories of how she loved the Christmas decorating and wanted to emulate things for her own home.
I've never been to Williamsburg myself, but this book was beautiful! The pictures were professional (I've seen books where they were not) and there were instructions on how to make the decor yourself. Well worth it! I will probaly get one for myself for next season!

Since I love boxwood growing in the yard and using the beautiful greens at Christmas, I found this book to be one of the most informative books I own about Christmas greens. The instructions on how to create many decorations for the inside and outside the home are very clear. The pictures are gorgeous. I have learned to make garlands, wreaths, centerpieces, swags, boxwood trees, and other lovely items. The book features many different types of greens to use for creating holiday decorations. I have taught many others how to make holiday decorations that are featured in this book.

Wallace Coburn was my great-grandmother's cousin and to see his work still enjoyed is pure joy to me and to our family. His books are terribly difficult (code for insanely expensive) to get ahold of now, so ANY of his poetry is a gift to read - and to get the gift of reading the works of OTHER cowboy poets who are keeping the tradition alive....well.....Wallace and his half-brother Walt (also a writer) would have been, I'm sure, thrilled!
Please keep doing what you're doing - the Old West as it once was may be long-gone, but the tradition of the cowboy poet keeps at least a small strand of that alive and well.

I've been a poetry fan, and a cowboy poetry fan, for years. Cowboy poetry climbed out of obscurity in large part because of the Elko Cowboy poetry festival in Elko Nevada. This book is a gathering of 20 years of some of the best poetry presented at this festival. Some poetry is old, some new, some from new authors, some from classic (meaning dead) authors.

Comparing this book with other similar books convinced me that this is one of the better collections. Similar in tone to the 15 year old book from the same publisher, this book is real cowboy poetry with no new-age political stuff snuck in. (Yes, even in Cowboy poetry, authors occasionally try to fool the readers with political rants and vague, high-falutin' literary allusions.)

The poems are divided up in chapters on horses, ranching lifestyles, humor, family and nostalgia. Most are less than 2 pages but bursting with humor, wisdom and wistfulness for days and people gone by.

If you're new to cowboy poetry, give this collection a try.

For over 20 years now, cowboy poets have been gathering in Elko, Nevada every January -- sometimes timing calving season so they can make the trip -- to share poetry, music, and fellowship. This book celebrates last year's 20th anniversary of that gathering, which, in 2000, was named by the US Senate "The National Cowboy Poetry Gathering."

Contained between the book's two covers are some of the most eloquent, emotional, humorous poems you'd care to read. Ranchers and cowboys (and cowgirls) write with an honesty and straightforwardness that's hard to resist.

The book is divided in six sections: Hosses, Jest fer the Fun of It, Reflections of a Lifestyle, Family & the Community of Cowboys, Lookin' Back Down the Trail, and Characters. I cried real tears over some, and laughed out loud over others. All of them sang with the sounds of the range. In some poems, I could hear hoofbeats and feel the rocking lope of a cow pony. In others, I could smell the campfire where the tall tales were told.

In searching for this book's title to write my review, I saw that there were lots of other collections of cowboy poems. This book has made me want to read more of the gems these gritty and witty folks have to offer. These poems are truly national (and international -- some of the writers wrote of Australia and other lands) treasures.

Fans of Cowboy Poetry might imagine the perfect event: "the greats" all gathered: the best from long-ago, Henry Herbert Knibbs, Bruce Kiskaddon, Badger Clark; talents from the recent past, Buck Ramsey, Sunny Hancock, and Larry McWhorter; and the modern masters, Wallace McRae, Jeff Streeby, Dennis Gaines, Andy Wilkinson, Dee Strickland Johnson, Yvonne Hollenbeck, Pat Richardson, Joel Nelson, Red Steagall, Paul Zarzyski, Debra Coppinger Hill... Cowboy Poetry: The Reunion, edited by poet Virginia Bennett is a fans' dream come true, with selections from those and dozens more of today's top Cowboy Poets under one cover.

The publisher notes that the anthology was released "In honor of the 20th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering recently celebrated in Elko" and the majority of the seventy-five poems by seventy-five writers are from those who have graced the stage at Elko. Along with those mentioned above, Elko favorites Waddie Mitchell, Mike Logan, Colen Sweeten, Red Steagall, Georgie Sicking, and Chris Isaacs are included, as are Wylie Gustafson, R. W. Hampton, and Tom Russell, excellent writers better known for their music. But appearance at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering was not the basis for inclusion in this book. Quality and authenticity were the obvious overriding criteria.

This volume is a model of well chosen poetry, a satisfying survey of Cowboy Poetry as practiced by many masterful writers. Few of the poems have been anthologized previously, and the many new pieces from familiar poets offer the serious enthusiast new words and worlds to ponder. Humorous and serious pieces are gathered in chapters such as "Hosses," "Jest Fer the Fun of It," and "Family & the Community of Cowboys." There's a good representation of classic poetry and among the modern gems are Buck Ramsey's "Skysailing," Rod McQueary's "Remembering a Middle-Aged Bronc Ride," Larry McWhorter's "The Retirement of Ashtola," Darin Brookman's "Tempered Souls," Georgie Sicking's "Doctoring Worms," Linda Hasselstrom's "Priests of the Prairie," Andy Wilkinson's "We Were the Horseman," Doris Daley's "Love is Blind," Mike Logan's "Behold a Pale Horse," and Ross Knox's "Memories."

Editor Virginia Bennett's passion for poetry and the "family of poets" is as ardent as her commitment to ranching life. Her dedication comes through in the book's carefully considered selections, and her inspired introduction uncovers the beating heart of the art of Cowboy Poetry: "For cowboy poems have a life of their own. They are built with words that are spawned not only from labor, but also from an occupation with which the poet's very existence is linked. A cowboy or rancher lives where he or she works, and what they do in their work determines their survival. Therein can be found the essence of cowboy poetry and the explanation for why its popularity grows."

"Cowboy Poetry: The Reunion takes its place alongside publisher Gibbs Smith's other Cowboy Poetry standards, including: "Cowboy Poetry: A Gathering," "Cowgirl Poetry" (also edited by Virginia Bennett), "Humorous Cowboy Poetry," and "Maverick Western Verse." This latest volume goes beyond those classic offerings in the depth and breadth of its selections and surely will long stand as a definitive representation of the state of the art.

Margo Metegrano, editor, Cowboypoetry.com

This is a beautiful and informative book. Cynthia Norwood has gone the extra mile in having these rugs photographed professionally. She is a talented fiber artist herself and she has given us a beautiful book that deserves a place in every traditional rug hookers' library. You will want one for yourself and several to give as gifts.Creating an Antique Look in Hand-hooked Rugs (Framework)

Great Book. Cynthia did a wonderful job on research and details on old and new rugs.

This is a great book. It is written very well. The photographs are good. I am delighted to have it in my library.

Well written book and rich colored photos. Easy to understand and helpful. I like it so much that I purchased two - one to keep and one to give as a gift.

Strolling through the Mall I decided to stop in for a brief visit to the mass market oriented bookstore. Thumbing through the Civil War offerings I picked up this outstanding book. I did not recognize the name of George Walsh. He is a Yankee writing on the army whose story has been so well told from Southern superstars such as Douglass Southall Freeman, Clfford
Dowdey and Shelby Foote. Why plunk down a Visa card to purchase it?
Curiosity satisfied is the answer! Walsh writes in a personal style introducing the men and the units making up Lee's fabled Army of Northern Virgnia. Even an old Civil War buff such as I learned new things about the Victorian warriors of Dixieland who lend the forces of Lee against the enemy.
This book is an excellent survey of the war in the Eastern theatre. It is a valuable additon to my Civil War library. I highly recommend Walsh's book to anyone even casually interested in learning more about the American Illiad that is our Civil War!

"Damage Them All You Can:" Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia written by George Walsh is quite frankly one of the best accounts of The Army of Northern Virginia that I've ever read. General Robert E. Lee assembled the best army to ever, to this point in time, fight on American soil. In fact, The Army of Northern Virginia man for man, out Generaled, out fought all that the North could throw against it.

Walsh's book is a true delight to read, the principles in the book seem to come alive as you read on in the book. The prose is written with vivid descriptions and the author gives the reader insights albeit shrewd of how the battles were fought.

I got the inpression that I was there with the incisive insights the author gives the reader, from the Generals, to the commanders, right down to the trenches, told with deeply moving detail. I encourage anyone interested in reading about the Civil War or the "Yankee War of Aggression" to read this book.

I've read Foote, McPherson, and Catton's writings about this time in American History, but Walsh's account here is the best and most personal one that I've ever read, with a probing into the character and the battles that made them feel like they were fought right before your eyes.

This book is, by all accounts, for a single volume the best book written about one of the best fighting armies the Confederacy ever had... the Army of Northern Virginia. This book is worthy of a place in your library on American History.

I am the author of "Damage Them All You Can." Would you please run the subtitle of my book on your web page?
The subtitle is: Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia.
By running it you will provide the potential buyer with instant information as to what the book is about.
Thank you.

George Walsh hit a grand slam with DAMAGE THEM ALL YOU CAN: ROBERT E. LEE'S ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA. Told almost exclusively from the point of view of the Confederate side this book does a wonderful job of getting into the hearts and minds of the men who fought for the Confederacy. The stereotypes of the lost cause or southerners as a pack of racists are replaced by a very human portrait of the men (and sometimes their loved ones too) who fought and died for what they believed in. Walsh has done a very real service to the memory of the Army of Northern Virginia. The battle narratives are really good as is the analysis of Lee's thoughts, decisions and occasional frustration with his subordinates. An excellent treatment!