Living History Books

The central thesis of this book is that the enormous conversion to protestanism among Guatemalans during the past 40 years can be traced to the destruction of traditional communities as a result of war, violence, and migration. The adoption of a new religion provides converts a sense of order and identity. This book, carefully researched and beautifully written, provides a compelling argument in support of the thesis. I would highly recommend this book to all readers who are interested in Guatemalan history and social studies.

I bought this book for ideas on paint colors for my 1920s Spanish Colonial home. It is beautifully done, full of design details and the gorgeous colors of Provence, the south of France, that derive from the paint colors, the food, the gardens, pottery and the surrounding dry, burnished mediterranean landscape. It is the perfect inspiration for any California home or a richly hued coffee table book!

I purchased this book as a gift for my mom. She moved to Los Alamos in 1951 and has really enjoyed reminiscing about the housing and people she first met. A must read for the Los Alamos oldtimers, a fun walk down memory lane.

This book is by far the most beautiful and informative book I have ever owned. It is also the biggest and heaviest book I have ever carried out of a store. It is full of wonderful prints of quilts of all kinds and from history as well as today. The text is fascinating as you read about the truth of the history of quilting, about quilts done by the people of different modern cultures and about the trends and exciting things happening in quilting today. I am sure this book will bring hundreds of hours of enjoyment both in the reading and in the gazing again and again at the prints

Fay Chung was born into a middle class family of business owners of Chinese origin in the then highly segregated Salisbury, Rhodesia. Chinese at the time belonged to a class inferior to whites but superior to native Africans in the racial hierarchy. Educational opportunities open to Asian girls were very limited however, Fay was able to complete her schooling and attend the University of Rhodesia. This was quite an accomplishment at the time for a non-white, especially a non-white female. After completing her degree, instead of settling down to a comfortable existence, using the experience she had gained teaching domestic workers at the University night school, she decided to fight for a job teaching under privileged but highly motivated African students at a high school in one of the largest African townships (where my father was one of her students). This was a highly unusual move for a woman of her racial and social background and indeed a risky one given the volatile and turbulent political climate, Ian Smith had just declared UDI and the African Nationalist movement was on the rise.
After completing further studies in the United Kingdom, Fay took up a teaching post at the University of Lusaka. She united with fellow Rhodesians in exile, joined ZANU and became politically active. She was forced to leave Zambia when her life was in danger and moved first to ZANU bases in Tanzania where she gave birth to her daughter, and then to refugee camps in Mozambique where she used her education and skills to help establish schools and training programs for the thousands of displaced children and youth. These refugee camps and schools had very little resources and equipment and faced the daily threat of attacks by the Rhodesian air-force and army however both the student and the teachers were extremely dedicated in their mission.

I found this book extremely fascinating for a number of reasons firstly Fay's role in the liberation struggle was a rather unique one. Being a non-black, middle-class, educated female would have guaranteed her a comfortable existence in Rhodesia, however her strong convictions and staunch belief in racial equality led her to answer the call of her conscience, forsake all comfort and security and was prepared to sacrifice her life for her beliefs.
The book also provides interesting insight into divisions amongst African nationalists based on tribal and ideological differences resulting in the formation of two parties ZANU and ZAPU and later a third, ZANU Sithole. She also provides an eyewitness account of the power struggle and tensions within ZANU with older veteran politicians, young intelligensia, and the military wing (ZANLA under the leadership of Tongogara) forming factions which led to the Nhari and Vashandi rebellions within ZANU.
Fay also brings to attention the important and often unrecognized role played by female freedom fighters in the liberation struggle, as well as the unfortunate exploitation of female freedom fighters by the older military commanders.
Later chapters highlight the years of hard work put into education programs for the war veterans providing them with an accelerated education to compensate for the lost years and skills allowing them to reintegrate into society, development of teacher training programs and the hard work involved in meeting the objective of primary and secondary education for all.

Very interestingly she also looks at the combination of factors which are often overlooked which led to the collapse of the Zimbabwean economy including the change of government in the United Kingdom from the Thatcher led Tory government who facilitated the Lancaster house agreement to Tony Blair's Labour party with no commitments to the land redistribution program in Zimbabwe. The diversion of the flow of donor funds from western countries to former Soviet republics instead of Zimbabwe. The Economic Structural Adjustment Program (ESAP), changing international political climate highlighted by the fall of the Soviet Union, majority rule in South Africa and the global recession. As well as unemployment of educated youth, lack of investment in Zimbabwean industries, rampant corruption amongst the new powerful political elite
The final straw being the payout of billions of dollars to the war veterans leading to the fall of the Zimbabwe dollar followed by the land invasions. Whilst agreeing in principle that land should go to land less peasants she is highly critical of the mechanisms of redistribution and procurement of multiple farms by the political elite. Whilst not agreeing wholeheartedly with her support and defense of ZANU-PF and its policies I appreciated her point of view.

In summary: an intensely fascinating read and an essential book for those following Zimbabwean history.

Poor Leo lived as an orphan in the care of St. Michael's Abbey. As far as he knew, he had no relations in this world and no family name. He was mocked by the other boys at St. Michael's for his apparently low birth, and his rebellious nature attracted the frequent reproofs of the his guardians, the monks. But the abbot held a secret that no one else knew--that 15-year-old Leo is the legitimate offspring of an ill-fated couple who married in secret because their families were feuding. As such, Leo is the heir of two baronies--Wardlock and Tremoine--both of which remain locked in a bitter grudge.

The Red Falcons of Tremoine is the story of how young Leo becomes aware of his parentage and his subsequent struggle as a bone of contention between his father's family at Wardlock and his mother's family at Tremoine. His humble and elderly grandfather, Maurice of Wardlock, embraces Leo and takes him in as his heir. But the scheming and violent Rolf of Tremoine wants his nephew for his own heir and is willing to go to any length to achieve that end.

The Red Falcons of Tremoine starts out slow, but the persevering reader is well rewarded. The characters are very well drawn, and the action is brisk and in no way predictible--until near the end. I particularly enjoyed the complex character of Rainald, the cold but loyal squire of Baron Rolf. Leo is also an excellent character--good hearted, spirited, and honest, but by no means perfect. Baron Rolf is an exceptional villain whose motivations and internal anguish are made clear. While he is somewhat sympathetic in his complexity, the author by no means excuses the wicked things he does and he comes off as more of a tragic figure, rather than truly evil.

I would heartily recommend this book to older kids above the age of 11 or so. Parents will likely enjoy reading along themselves. The author's historical knowledge is good and one really gets a feel for the life and times of 12th century England. If this kind of excellent historical fiction appeals to you, I would recommend Belisarius: The First Shall Be Last and Big John's Secret (Living History Library) as well.

"Religion in Japanese Culture: Where Living Traditions Meet a Changing World" is an excellent book addressing real-life religion in Japan, and how the "average" Japanese person approaches religion, rather than just theory and practice of a particular religion.

The bulk of the book is made up of the government-sponsored survey into the religious life of Japan including cataloging observances, devoutness, beliefs and other aspects of religion. This survey is essential to understanding the Japanese religious character and is a core to anyone studying the topic.

The remainder of the book is the religious situation today, and deals with such subjects as religion and the state, religion and education, Urbanization, depopulation and religion, and the aspects or rebirth of religion.

The book is quite academic in nature, and indeed is intended to be a textbook. It is not recommended for those with a casual interest, but is essential for those pursuing a serious study of modern Japanese culture and the role religion plays in it.

Temple was, in the words of G.B. Shaw, `a realised impossibility.' A man born and raised in the church, he rose to the position of Archbishop of Canterbury and made the broad church appeal for Anglicanism that renewed its spirit for the mid-twentieth century. Temple's general faith and theology was more catholic/orthodox, but he generally had a liberal mindset and was concerned for freedom in doctrine. Temple saw an intimate connection with God through Jesus Christ, perhaps thinking in proto-process theological terms by believing that through Jesus' incarnation, God had a real experience of human suffering and the human condition. For Temple, this communion and experience is worked out both individually and communally-he looked for both an inner unity and outer unity, the internal of personality, and the external of fellowship.

Temple's view of the church is also that of one held together in practice by the Book of Common Prayer, and that through this practice the Anglican church is able to hold together disparate and dissonant strands and traditions. Temple had a very ecumenical spirit, one that transcended the ordinary boundaries of church; Temple believed the most of the work (ninety percent, by his calculation) of the Christian vocation in the world takes place outside of official church structures and systems.

Temple felt it important to be open to new ideas and developments modernity (perhaps a reaction to having been raised in an era with the expectation of long-term stability and subsequently living in a world turned upside-down by warfare and other social change). Temple felt that freedom of churches and freedom of individuals for inquiry and development, with the guidance of the Spirit, was more important than a rigid adherence to tradition. He had a concern for the advances and insights of the modern world, and did not shy away from science or philosophy, while also resisting turning these into idols. This, coupled with his call to social action by the church and the working out of Christian faith in everyday life and action, made Temple a major ecumenical figure.

This collection of essays encapsulates much of Temple's theology, practical and philosophical. It represents a good sampling of his writing and thought.

This educational, informative and handsomely illustrated book, from the Usborne Illustrated World History series, is an excellent visual reference for young readers.
It offers an in-depth look at Roman civilization, from the founding of the city of Rome to the decline and fall of the empire to the birth and evolution of Constantinople and the city of Byzantium. Topics such as history, sociology, politics, economy, culture and religion are covered. This book is also packed with colorful pictures, detailed diagrams, realistic drawings, accurate reconstructions, and handy maps to help illustrate the points being explained and give the reader a vivid look into Roman history.
As a bonus, this book has a wonderful appendix that contains:
* A glossary that explains Latin and Latin-derived terms used throughout the text.
* A collection of mini biographies of key figures in Roman history.
* A date chart from around 2,000 BC to 1453 AD outlining relevant events and significant historical developments that took place both in the Roman world and elsewhere during this period.
* A summary of the most important ways in which we were influenced by the Romans in building techniques, travel and communications, architecture, the arts, language, law, government, literature and ideas.
* A thorough index for quick check-ups and specific consultations.
Although this book was published in 1990, so some of the information in it may no longer be completely accurate, it is still a beautiful, entertaining and complete reference for children, and a fun, effective teaching tool for adults.
Other recommended titles from this series: First Civilizations and The Greeks.
--Reviewed by Maritza Volmar

"A Rose Will Grow Anywhere" was a beautiful reminder of my visit to David Redding's church, a rustic cathedral built by Amish barn raisers.