Pennsylvania Books

A fascinating and little-known story of the Frenchman Charles Mayrena, who enters Vietnam in the French colonial period and proclaims himself 'king' of the Sedang Tribe in central Vietnam. It's the old story of the westerner trying to make his fortune in an Asian culture, the n'er-do-well bum who gets caught up in the fantasies of his own self-styled importance. Of particular interest is the timing of the publication of this book in comparison to the publication of "Bright Shining Lie." Hickey's book came first, but should have gotten as much attention as "Lie." Hickey is a noted and much published ethnologist. Here he spins a tale of which movies are made, as the adventurer Mayrena gets deeper and deeper into political trouble in a hostile environment, and ends up dying of a suspicious snake-bite in Indonesia. It's all true. A very good read for the serious Vietnam history collector.

Raymond Van Dam by means of patristics has taken Cappadocia for his own with this excellent history. From the beginning Van Dam cites the need for scholars of early Christain fathers to push their knowledge and utility beyond the theological realm and into the arena of social history. In most of the chapters, Van Dam is able to narrate in impressive detail the battle of cultures and creeds in this province during the fourth century. He also reveals information on the quality of life of the Cappadocian lower classes by reading closely the petitions of Basil and Gregory of Nyssa. Each chapter does not always find fluid integration in the next, but the book as a whole expresses marvellous insight and understanding of the life in a border province, the fortification of a Christian ethical world, and the complex relations of Christian fathers with Roman emperors sharing varying degrees of Greek Culture. This volume stands as the first of three in what seems to be an refined and thoughtful historical enterprise.

Dr. Penn's work here truly breaks new ground. His observations on ritual and christinaity have immediate implications for today's world and the relationships that we build under the aegis of modern day faith communities. I wouldn't be surprised to see some radical changes throughout the field stemming from the work presented in "Kissing Christians".

Kitchen Culture in America provides a review of popular representations of food, gender and race and uses everything from television to ads and magazines to examine how women's roles have been shaped by the practice of consuming and making meals. From 1895 to 1970, this provides examples which argue that 'kitchen culture' instructs women in acceptable social behavior patterns.

I recently used this text in a university class; my students and I value this work a great deal. It's great to see a medievalist criticize Aries appropriately, without throwing out the baby with the bathwater. This is essential reading for anyone interested in the history of childhood.

John C. Unkovic sure is an awesome writer!!! He is great!!! Five stars!!! A++++

Professor Cazelles' commentary and translations of these hagiographic romances bring to life a part of literary history ignored, for the most part, until quite recently. Her 70+ page commentary at the beginning of the book helps introduce the topic of sanctity to her readers, and the various motifs of female sanctity in the 13th century are examined with reference to various hagiographic tales within and without the text. Comparison is drawn with male sanctity throughout the work, and I feel that I not only learned about "The Lady As Saint" from the book, but also got a fairly firm grounding in "the man as saint."

Cazelles also compares the saintly lady to the lady as portrayed in Courtly romance. This comparrison brings to light some surprising trends and similairities, and is explored in fascinating depth in the work.

Cazelles translations are excellent. When more than one extant poem exists commemorating a saint's life, Cazelles provides a verse translation of the copy thought to be most widely known during the period, and she provides prose translations of each of the other forms of the poem. Her translations are vivid and lively, and make these violent, exciting lives even more enjoyable to read. If one is interested in studying the Middle Ages, this book is a must read. It is well researched, well written, and illuminates an important aspect of Medieval culture.

My mom grew up on Lake Carey. We would go out there in the summers and visit with family and swim in the lake. This book brings back lots of happy memories. It also is packed with things about the area's history I never knew. Well done!

I was raised in Lancaster County, but I have not lived there regularly in over thirty years, but I do enjoy visiting family and old friends. I bought this book to keep current with a wider set of recommendations. I am very impressed with the large number of listings, the accuracy of those I know, and the number of hard to find establishments included, and, especially, the list of purveyors of homegrown, healthy foods in small towns and the countryside I want to try. This is the best book of its kind I have seen.

This ghost town is completly gone. This book will help you find it and some of its interesting history. It was one of the first electric coal mines.

Author of "Hobo Finds A Home" editor "Of A Predatory Heart"