Bailey Books

Among several thousand books in my home library, including, of course, the Short Cultural History and 3-volume A History of Japan by George B. Sansom (1883-1965), perhaps the last great comprehensive historian of Japan writing in English, his The Western World of Japan: A Study in the Interaction of European and Asiatic Cultures is one of my all-time favorites. Part of the reason is surely because I can think of no other work quite like it on the subject. I cannot describe it any more eloquently or accurately than the flyleaf blurb of my 1965 Fifth Printing edition:

.....This masterwork is not only an account of the cultural influence of the West upon Japan; it is also a study of the way in which cultures interact. It reveals the process by which the intrusive civilizations of the West, since even before the Christian era, have affected the Asiatic peoples in general and the Japanese in particular, first only slightly and spasmodically, and then with increasing power.

.....The first part of the book traces the early cultural relations between Europe and Asia. Against this historical background the second part shows how Japan reacted to Western influence from the days of her first contact with Europeans down to the time of her entry into international life in the nineteenth century.

.....Historians will recognize instantly in this method the challenge both to Japan's own mystical and myth-ridden historiography, and to the West's narrow and self-centered preconceptions, which have prevented its historians from seeing that the institutions finally adopted were, if Western in shape, thoroughly Japanese in color and substance.

.....And philosophers will recognize instantly the challenge thrown at Toynbee and Spengler when the author offers evidence of the way in which a society can decay and renew itself without changing its essence. He questions whether any of the chief civilizations of Asia will, even if they voluntarily follow a Western economic pattern, submit to Western precept in political, social, or religious life.

*** This is a great book by a great scholar and you will enjoy it. Trust me!

I think it's important to know the history of one's town, especially if it's the town you grew up in. Many people are often unaware of the colorful pasts of their own town. That's why it's so great to have a publisher like Arcadia Press around. Their specialty is publishing books about regional history and I was pleasantly surprised to see that the city in which I live is the subject of one of their outstanding books.

I've always known that the City of Westland, and formerly Nankin Township had a long history and was an area that featured a large population of Indians back before settlers arrived in the early 1800's. As a kid my friends and I rode the nature trails in Hines Park which had names like the Tonquish Trail. Chief Tonquish was a Potawatomi Indian who was the leader of the tribe that lived along the banks of the Rouge River. As more settlers began infringing on Indian lands it led to skirmishes between the two factions. In one violent episode the Chief and his son were killed. A marker stands today at the site of Tonquishe's burial site.

As with all of Arcadia's books, fantastic archival photography is included and it's always amazing to see these very old photos. Included is a photo of the Reverend Marcus Swift, one of the area's earliest settlers who came to the area in 1825. Swift is buried in Newburgh Cemetary, the oldest cemetery in the area. One of the most famous buildings in all of Westland is the Nankin Mills building first built in 1863 and still standing today. The build was purchased by the Ford Motor Co. in 1918 and used by them until 1947. However most modern Westland residents remember it as the Nature Center which opened in 1958 as a local wildlife preserve. This was a frequent field trip destination for local elementary schools throughout the 60's and 70's.

I was surprised to learn so many facts about my town which I never knew. Such as that it was Henry Ford who built the one room school house located at Farmington Rd. and Ann Arbor Trail, and later had a larger, full elementary school added on called Perrinville, which is where I went to school. One of the great success stories of Westland is the Westland Mall. Built in 1965 the mall continues to thrive at a time when other area malls have gone out of business or are struggling.

This was a great trip down memory lane for me to revisit so many of places and sites that I frequented as a child and to learn about the history of my hometown.

Reviewed by Tim Janson

"What's Going On in Our Schools?" is an excellent source of information for law enforcement officials or anyone interested in finding out what our schools are faced with today. For any aspiring School Resource Officers like myself, this is a stepping stone for your career in collaboration with Mr. Bailey's course. Lastly, I would recommend this book for parents who would like to prepare their child for some of the issues that face children of today in our education system anywhere!

Addie was afraid a lot... That's the beginning of this marvelous book. It goes on to explain all the things she is afraid of. Then, at a key moment in time, Addie "looks inside herself.." and finds that she is brave when she needs to be. I found this book in the library and brought it home to my very own "Addie" (not that's not her name, but boy did she fit the profile....). Now she tells me when she's scared that she is going to find the brave place inside herself, just like Addie. Now I'm buying her her own copy. The great thing about the book is that it doesn't have a magical ending. Addie doesn't suddenly stop being afraid of everything, she just learns that there is more inside her that she thought. A great book for everyone, and a must read for ALL the Addies of the world!

I recommend that anyone experiencing the loss of a friend or family member buy and read this book. Whether it's for yourself or a child, it brings a sense of understanding of death, and the knowingness that no one ever really leaves for good--they just aren't necessarily around in the same way that they once were. The price is right for a simple book that helps to explain the subject of death which has become rather complex and frightening over time. Well done to the author, Ms. Eloise Edmonson!

The Baileys, Betty Jane and Martin, have put together an important text on a little known and less understood population at the centre of a very volatile portion of the world. I recall several years ago seeing a spokeswoman from the Palestinian people on the Larry King Show, and was intrigued about half-way through when she challenged my assumptions - this woman, who looked Arab and spoke Arabic (among other languages), and was an official spokesperson for the Palestinian cause, was in fact a Christian (and not only that, but was my 'kind' of Christian, an Anglican). This cast a new light on the entire conversation, and from that moment forward, my perceptions of the events and people in the Middle East changed - I would not go so far as to say it changed my opinions or beliefs in the matters, but it did make me question my long-term ideas, and made me always mindful that the situation there was broader and more complex than most assume.

The Baileys write with a personal affection for the people and the region of the Middle East. For the context of this relatively slim volume, the Middle East includes not only the traditional nations surrounding Israel and Saudi Arabia (the context in which most Westerners think of the region), but goes as far north as Turkey, as far west as Morocco along the African coast, and includes the peripheral states of Iran and Sudan.

In the first section of the text, a general overview of the situation, the Baileys are joined by David Kerr and Riad Jarjour, who each contributed a chapter. Kerr writes about the Western view of Eastern Christianity (often an overlooked subject, even in seminary and graduate education); Jarjour discusses the future of Christianity in Arab-dominated cultures. The authors give an historical timeline for Christianity in the region, as well as an overview of ecumenical cooperation in the area, particularly through the MECC - Middle Eastern Council of Churches.

The second section looks at particular churches in the diverse realm of Christianity in the Middle East. This includes several varieties of Orthodox - Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and various minor groupings; it also includes Catholic and Protestant/Evangelical churches, mostly implants from various missionary periods from the West. However, there are various Latin Catholic Churches that have existed since prior to the East/West split, who have remained in association (if not full communion) with the See of Rome. Each section also has contact information (often physical address, internet information, and telephone contact information as appropriate and available).

The third section looks at the region nation by nation, examining the situation of church/state issues, as well as general cultural issues involved in the Christian churches' functioning, often in minority status with little or no official protections or authorisations. Each national chapter looks at composition of the Christian population, interfaith relations, historical circumstances and contemporary situations.

There are literally millions of Christians in the Middle Eastern region, many of whose histories go back far longer than any Western Protestant Church, and have pedigrees as long as an institution in Christendom. They provide an interesting set of case-studies in historical and cultural development, as well as serving as witnesses to a broader definition of what 'to be Christian' can mean.

This is an important book for anyone who wishes to be well-versed in current affairs.

Raising a child can be tough - especially when the child is inquisitive and instinctively rejects any attempts to avoid answering a question. Thus Pam found herself trying to actually explain world politics to her three year old, and the idea for this book was born.

Bailey, then three years old, proceeded to write the story of that conversation, and her mom helped it get published. Bailey is now sixteen, and working on another book.

A beautifully written and heart warming story with lots of twists which keeps you enthralled until the last page.

A young adult novel intended for ages 8-12 by award winning author Linda Salisbury, The Wild Women of Lake Anna is the story of an eleven-year-old girl, Bailey Fish, sent from Florida to live with her grandmother Sugar in Virginia. While she adjusts to her new life and deals with a bully on the school bus, her grandmother investigates the source of pollution in Contrary Creek, which used to be mined for gold. The bully's father is out to get Sugar, but she is not intimidated because she is proud of her lineage of strong women, and tells Bailey stories about them, including one who was a spy during World War I. Inspired by Sugar's stories, Bailey makes a discovery in Sugar's attic and decides to become a "wild woman" herself, and search for the former gold mine for her school project. An unexpected discovery awaits her in this upbeat, cheerful tale of individual empowerment.

This is the wonderful story of a high-spirited youth's adventures through WWII. Like the fun loving youngster he was, the story is mostly fun reading but turns to grim sadness in the excellently crafted combat narratives. The story takes you from Buck as a youth in prewar America with an hilarious missed love-life opportunity to a seasoned warrior forcible relieving the Officer of the Day on his own bridge when he didn't follow the Admiral's orders.

The early part is a matter-of-fact telling of a different America where his grandfather had to sell pencils to live and a youngster who split his meager pay to send to his grandmother. His war starts in the Mediterranean with landings in North Africa and Salerno. You later experience with Buck the Battle of Leyte Gulf with its Kamikazes and sail into Tokyo Bay, all the while getting into regular trouble because Buck loves his shore time. What a story!