Pilgrimage Books

This book is just AMAZING- I bought it with "Blessings of Guadalupe"by the same author, and i am really thrilled and impressed by the beauty of this talent; I am sure that Eryk Hanut's name will shine in the history of writing; Buy this book and you will acquire the same belief; His metaphors, sense of prose and lyricism are just matchless- Can't wait for the next book of Eryk Hanut!!

This was a terrific read for anyone interested in La Virgen. I wish all the books about her delivered like this one.

What a thoroughly delightful book. It was an informative and fun weave of history and personal journey. And funny! There were parts which are still causing me to laugh. This book is a treasure.

This book is dazzling- it begins as journalism and ends up as literature; A wonderful pilgrimage- and a wonderful read!!I can't wait for his other books!

This book is just superb! And I mean- SUPERB!!!!!!!!!Poetic,funny, acerbic- and so full of wisdom. I like his style- so irreverent and so deep at the same time. I will reread it often and will give it around.
I strongly recommend it- you got the point, right?
I met Eryk Hanut once- many years ago. I attended an opening for his artwork in Virginia Beach. I was with a friend (who was already sick and has died since)who admired and praised one of Mr. Hanut's Art pieces . She told him so and joked that she couldn't afford it; He left us and came back with the framed photograph that he had just took off the wall- and gave it to my friend. That's the kind of man he is.
Long live authors of his talent and originality!

One of those books every home needs on the shelf. By the way, read it.

I have made it a habit this year to get through many of the classics on audio book during my daily commute. I picked Pilgrim's Progress since it was one of the most influential English books ever published, and I wanted to see what it was all about.

The audio book was published by Blackstone Audio and the reader was Robert Whitfield. The reader did an excellent job and was very easy to listen to. He did some characterization with his voice that made it easy to know which character was speaking. I was a little worried about the older style English, but it gave me no problem. It probably helps that I am familiar with the King James Version of the Bible. Overall, listening to this book worked out very well.

This is the first book length allegory that I have been through and I thought it was an excellent way to teach. There is no doubt which principal each character is supposed to represent by their name, and their actions represented that well also. I can understand why so many families had this book in their libraries. As far as Christian doctrine goes, there are a few things that some would disagree with, but most of the principals taught are still generally accepted today. The path to God's presence is filled with opposition, but there is help available and the reward is worth it.

I highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to understand an important part of our heritage, and to see what an effective tool allegory is.

I love this book. It was written from a jail cell in the 1600s. This version is the original so the text is difficult to read at first but I would not want a watered down modernized version (which can be purchased). I find if I read in chunks it starts to flow nicely. The characters have names like, "Evangelist", "Piety", "Talkative", "Faith", etc. So you know just where someone is coming from. I have marked up this book with pencil just like I do my scriptures! It is like reading one long parable in story form! Cool book. I'm glad to have found it.

We've read this book to our son and he has really enjoyed it. He doesn't yet fully understand everything and we had to stop and explain a lot to him, but it is something that we plan on reading over and over again as our kids continue to grow.
I read a review that stated that a main flaw in this book was the lack of one on one relationship with Christ. I can understand what they are saying, but I think what you have to keep in mind is that while we are here on earth and in our day and age we do not physically see Christ. He was once here walking and living on this earth, but He is now in heaven. He uses other means now to maintain a personal relationship with us. For example, we can know Christ through His word and through prayer. Just as in the book, He often also sends other Christians along in our life to help us and encourage us. This book is a good example of a walk of faith. We can't see and physically touch Christ right now, but when we are in heaven we WILL see Him just as Bunyan talks about in the book. Christian persevered in his walk without physically seeing Christ and he was rewarded in the end for his faith. For now, how much greater our reward is for those who have not seen Him and yet believed!

Every christian household should have this volume to read and share with the famiy. It never fails to bring me to tears when pilgrim falls before the cross and looses the burden of sin. It is a must have for every christian library and the additional insights from Bunyan are a added blessing!! I cannot say enough good things .....

A life changing and life enhancing book. Speaks to the deeper considerations for what our right livelihood is, how it affects others, and how to discover it. I just bought it as a gift to a thoughtful young man considering what to do with his work life - now that he just finished his first job.

One of the best books I've read that describes the nature of work and the human condition. Whyte captures so beautifully the emotions I feel as an independent consultant who spent time inside some large organizations. These days I feel that need to be "part of something", and just as strongly feel the need to use my own voice and find my own way should I go back inside an organization. Whyte describes this tension of wanting to be a part and wanting to express who you are inside an organzation brilliantly. I can't imagine anyone who hasn't struggled with these fundamental questions. It was affirming to know that my conflicts with those desires are not unusual.

Each of us will likely reach a point in our professional lives when we ask ourselves what is the value of what we're doing. Some may ignore the impulse and go on with their routines with little adverse effect, while others may feel they are on the edge of a precipice with no path marked toward fulfillment. Author David Whyte, who is both a professional poet and a Fortune 500 consultant, certainly has the experience to write a book about self-discovery, and his most pervasive theme is one of pilgrimage toward our real selves. What makes Whyte's book essential reading is how he is able to translate this journey to our working lives. For many, work is a means to ward off fears of poverty, but the author illustrates how work at its best can be joyful, a "hidden trove of imaginative treasure that we hope can give us self-respect, independence and the ease we desire". At the same time, the harsh reality is that most companies deprive us of time and spaciousness and cause us to lose our creative spark, even ourselves.

Using his life as a guiding post for the reader, the author reveals many of the questions, crises, and turning points in his own search for meaningful work suited to his nature. He candidly discusses the life-changing encounters in his life, as well as the family memories and formative experiences that shaped his own psyche. More specifically, Whyte discusses his stint as a naturalist in the Galapagos Islands and the key role his ancestors have played in shaping the structure and form of his creative work. This emphasis he places upon our inheritance from those who have gone before us is probably the most inspiring message he conveys here. He cites his inspirations from William Blake's paintings, Rainer Maria Rilke's poems, and from the way poet John Keats lived his brief life. Keats believed that truly great people have the ability to accept that not everything can be resolved, that they can thrive in uncertainty. Such dependence on what Keats called the "holiness of the heart's affections" is what Whyte feels needs to be valued now.

Keats' concept of negative capability is the crux of Whyte's thesis, that one should follow one's calling and be guided by one's desires and aptitudes in spite of the uncertainty. Choosing or working at a job or career one is not suited to by nature is a mistake many make due to blinding factors like keeping up with the bills or placing emphasis on what others think. Whyte shows why and how to get back in touch with one's nature and get back on track and why it is so important for people to do so. This is not a stepwise manual toward self-fulfillment. Rather, it's a book of the author's own decisive path, and as such, certain sections of the book will be more relevant than others. Fortunately, Whyte knows firsthand what the corporate world is like and shows how he got back to writing poetry and what the costs and benefits were of doing so. Now he works in the corporate world, using his poetry self to help those who have left behind their creative, inner selves to regain them. It appears he has found the best of both worlds.

I was "moved" and inspired by this book which was a gift from a respected Executive Coach. This books assists all that want to deepen their connection to their life's work or find out what their life's work is. The author states that far too many people trudge through a mediocre work life - scrambling through day-to-day "busyness" towards exhaustion. Rather he encourages more time for self-reflection and analysis. While many most often want to get away from work - it's where many spend the majority of their time, and it's where many spend much of it wishing they were somewhere else, doing something else. Many overlook how work can actually be our greatest opportunity for discovery and growth - and author explains how. The Chapters include the following:

1) Setting out with firm persuasion
2) A stranger at the door
3) From Powerlessness to participation
4) Ambition, Horizon and Arrival
5) A short Sea Crossing
6) From Exhaustion to Wholeheartedness
7) Arrival and Authenticity
8) When the real you wants out
9) Escaping the Prison of Time and Work
10) A voyage through the hours of the day

I don't often pick up books that threaten to be more touchy-feely than substantive, as the title of this book and its first few pages implied to me. But I read it upon the advice of a friend.

David Whyte has one foot firmly planted in the practical with the other firmly planted in the spiritural and, by the end of the book, you have an idea about how you might achieve a similar posture. One of the reasons Mr. Whyte can pull this off is because he is both a genuine artist--a poet--and has substantial experience in the nuts-and-bolts corporate world. In fact, he has billed himself and sold himself (lucratively, apparently) as a corporate poet.

"Crossing the Unknown Sea" refers to the author's life adventure in search of a career and a meaningful life. I suspect it is because of his roots in poetry that he can write as a novelist--not by virtue of plot or character development, because there is little of that other than the plot of his own life and the development of his own charachter--but because of his ability to use words to capture subtle and deep meanings without sounding as if he were trying to do just that.

I could go on. The book as been a kick-off point for my own life's adventure for which I had already been preparing. However, it is a book well worth reading for its own sake, even if you aren't in the market for a life adventure for yourself.

For those of us who are avid world news junkies, a look at the planned route on pages X and XI of Brandon Wilson's book "Along the Templar Trail" reveals that Brandon's journey was a discovery of the complex realities of our present time, as much as it was a replication of journeys that occured centuries ago. Starting in France, the journey would proceed into historic Austria, then through former Soviet satellite nations and the former Yugoslavia, followed by Islamic Turkey and Syria, then Jordan, and finally Israel. If a common ground could be found among all these peoples, wouldn't our world immediately breathe a sigh of relief?

"Along the Templar Trail" describes the effort of two men to begin the finding of this common ground, through walking "seven million steps for peace." I wish I could have been there. But, at least I have the book to tell me what happened. Brandon tells us what happened at many different levels. He describes "a gentle unravelling of life" as the layers of the limitations of our own personal insecurities, our "walls," are stripped away as we confront the unpredictable succession of present moments that the journey brings.

For example, in Bulgaria, Brandon and his co-walker Emile (in his sixties!), came upon "two pitiful, brown eyes staring back at us." A newborn bull calf was stuck around a group of saplings, slowly strangling itself as it struggled to pull away from danger when really it needed to go in the opposite direction to unwind its chain. I like the symbolism of this scene. It seems to me that unwinding the struggles and pain, the losses, both past and present, that are encompassed in this seven million step France-to-Jerusalem slice of our world, is a fundamental reason why Brandon and Emile took this journey.

Brandon poured water from his canteen onto the young bull's head, while Emile sought its owner. A woman came running in tears. The young bull was freed from its choking snare, but it laid down motionless. The woman ran back to her farm and returned, dousing the bull with a full bucket of crisp, cold water, and the youngster sprang to life!

It's the kind of scene I've become accustomed to reading in Brandon Wilson's books. Full of life, adventure, and meaning. "Along the Templar Trail" is a great read for those of us who wish we could be world travellers -- not of the casual sightseer sort, but travellers who want to rediscover history and obtain a vision of how that history resonates with today.

Peace activism assumes many forms and Brandon Wilson's new book "Along the Templar Trail" reveals the immense power of the simple pilgrimage. Wilson shows us that walking for this gentle purpose can evolve into a peace fellowship, one person at a time, inspiring a movement that transcends culture and has the potential to grow exponentially.The stunning backdrop of his path from Dijon France to Jerusalem with his French travel partner traversing ancient crusader roads, sharply contrasts cultures yet discovers the commonalities we all share, bringing a tangible reality to peace.Wilson's intentional footsteps of a true peacewager along with his vividly detailed pilgrimage for peace will touch the common place in the hearts of his readers with the quiet assurance that peace really is possible."Along the Templar Trail" is a must read for peace activists and travelers alike.

Brandon Wilson's journey "along the Templar Trail" from Dijon, France to Jerusalem is, in many ways, something we can all identify with. I would even go as far as to say that his experiences can actually resonate with us deeply, although initially we might not realize it. That in part, is the nature of this fascinating book, and this unique travel adventure.

Brandon's journey was a pilgrimage for peace on a trail that historians generally recognize was not about peace, but was in fact about power and religious and cultural hegemony. However Brandon's pilgrimage was intended to right those wrongs.

A pilgrimage is a long, often difficult, and even perilous journey. Pilgrimages usually suggest a journey to a sacred place. They are also symbolic acts and gestures that confirm a particular belief or belief system. In a very deep sense, a pilgrimage is also a quest -- for a greater truth -- or to pay homage to that truth.

But for Brandon, it was also a very long and very real journey on foot across Europe to the Middle East.

After reading Along the Templar Trail: Seven Million Steps for Peace, I came to a greater understanding of the quest that Brandon pursued, and then I had the opportunity to find out more about the man and the impact that quest had on his life.

To hear an audio interview with Brandon, visit Travelosophy ([...]) and click on Travelosophy Talks.

Imagine taking a journey of 7 million steps, across 11 countries and 2 continents, racking up over 4,200 kilometers on your sneakers. Award-winning adventure travel writer and explorer Brandon Wilson invites his readers along on this amazing walking trek from France to Jerusalem, and while we may wince at the eloquently described struggles and challenges he and his companion face, we are spared the exhaustion, sweat and blisters. Instead, we can enjoy the magic and adventure of this amazing odyssey that unfolds along the ancient roads of the Knights Templar and be inspired and uplifted with these brave visionaries' endeavors in spreading messages of peace and hope where there has so often been strife.

Wilson's detailed and often tongue-in-cheek chronicles of the 5 month trek read almost like a diary and draw the reader into each scene and episode, from charming descriptions of bucolic landscapes and unforgettable characters, to tales of comical escapades and even frightening accounts of dangers lurking along the way. We are swept up as the travelers dodge murderous traffic and hostile encounters, adapt to hosts of local customs and struggle with language barriers, and we are truly uplifted by the countless poignant miracles of the "angels" the pilgrims meet all along the way,

Along the Templar Trail is written from the soul and in thoughtful, clever, and humorous style. In Wilson's own words, this is about a "...fellowship shared between pilgrims--those who travel with their feet--and those who join us with their hearts." This is the heartwarming story of an incredible pilgrimage, and it is impossible not to be touched by the vision of peace and humanitarianism at the heart of this journey.

by Zsuzsana Summer
www.arcanamatrix.com
authour of The Now Age: Demystifying Spirituality, The New Age And The Metaphysical

and Angels Abound: 111 True Stories of Angel And Spirit Encounters

In Along The Templar trail, Brandon Wilson takes us on an odyssey across 14 countries, and you feel you're walking along with him and his pilgrim companion, Emile, on each of his 7 million steps. He not only beautifully teaches us what it takes to be a modern pilgrim, but he paves the way for those inspired by his effort, to follow in his footsteps. With so much valuable and practical information of where to stay, where to eat, what roads to take, safety, what to pack, and descriptions of the different cultures he passed through, you feel you've got a wonderful travel guide as well!! In fact, this book has it all: drama, suspense,danger, moments that make you cry, and others that make you laugh. This is not a book you want to speed read through....you'd want to take your time, savor every step like you would if you traveled through exotic places and you didn't want to walk too fast and miss something important.

If you think backpacking through 2 continents on foot through foreign countries with dangers of war, fatality, and the daily challenge of finding water, food and shelter is fascinating...imagine transforming an ancient path of war, into a path of peace!!

I bought this book for my mother in law just before her trip to Italy and she loved it. She said she used it as a resource there and it was very interesting. I gave it 4 stars because it wasn't something I would buy for myself but my mother in law adored it to pieces! Great gift for any Italian or someone planning to visit Italy.

I'm glad this guide book exists. I have found it helpful and informative. I am currently living in Germany, and I find pilgrimages to be a far more meaningful way of exploring Western Europe than more traditional tours. With this in mind, I would like to respectfully suggest some revisions for future editions. First, I would really appreciate more and better maps. A simple blank map of each country with dots representing the pilgrimage locations would have been extremely helpful--- as would better directions and ideas of distances between major sites. More pictures would also be helpful. I plan on eventually visiting most of these sites, but the book on its own is not enough.

A very good book full of information. The only thing i didnt like is that they talk about certain images of The Blessed Virgin , but dont show her. Only the builing... I think more pictures of the statues at the shrine and less of the outside of them would be better. But i gave it five stars for the information. It great for that reason only.

I spent two semesters in Europe and this book was immensely helpful in deciding which pilgrimage sights to go to and then finding them! I love the little maps that are shown for the various shrines. At Franciscan University's campus in Austria, this book in particular is very popular, because it tells about the history of the place and how to find it. If you know a Catholic who is going to Europe and wants to visit shrines, then I highly recommend this book.

My brother and I both lived in Europe (in different places) and we both used this book extensively. The book unabled us to visit shrines that otherwise we would not have known existed. The book was easy to use and included the history of each shrine, directions on how to get there, where to stay and how to contact the shrine. There is also a picture of each shrine, with made it easy to choose which shrines we wanted to see. Our stay in Europe was greatly enriched by the use of this book.

Reading Chet Raymo is like taking a deep, cleansing breath and exhaling slowly--one is filled with inspiration and joy. More than learning about the wonder of the night sky and beyond, you become part of it. This is my fourth Chet Raymo book, and I look forward to another.

This book requires a certain level of knowledge. Knowledge about astronomy, e.g. star constellations and star names, about chemistry, e.g. atomic structures, and about biology. Further more, a spiritual sense for nature and existence combined with a questioning but open mind should be part of the reader's characteristics. If you have all this, you will love to explore this book, just like me. You will find questions you are asking yourself, too, as well as new hints and new perspectives to look at "things" written in an almost poetic language. And, that's the best, you learn. Even though theories about quarks or the beginning of the universe and our existence are hard to understand, you will get an idea about it all with this book. Theory is presented in an easy to read way and written in a wonderful descriptional language using parabels and comparisons to create pictures in your mind. I am already halfway through and I do not want this book to end. It is going to be one of my very favorite books.

"For Beauty's nothing but the beginning of Terror" - page 13
This is such a beautifully written and illustrated book. Each chapter gently reveals us through our science, religion, poetry, and history. Now I know why whisperings of Magic began in the night so long ago and continue to present times.

I read this book for a college course on Ecocriticism and was totally spellbound. I read it in one sitting and it made me crave for that feeling you get while standing under the stars--realizing how small you are--and how infinetly wonderous at the same time. Everybody should read this book, it is beautiful and important for understanding humankind's place within nature.

"Soul" is one of my favorite books of all time. Raymo is to astronomy what Thoreau is to naturalism. This book will stir the wonder in anybody and renew your appreciation for the wonders of the sky.

This is an exciting, inspiring, well-written book that I couldn't put down. Written in a logbook style, it tells what happens when the author catches the Iditarod bug. A very satisfying read.

Don Bowers wrote it with so much heart, it's amazing! If you love sleddogs, Alaska and the Iditarod - it's a must to read it (especially if you want to run the Iditarod once)! Even if English isn't your mother tongue - you will love it! I laughed but also cried while reading the book. It really touched me very much! Don Bowers was killed by an air-crash in summer 2000 and even if I haven't known him personally - my eyes went wet when I heard about it! I wish I could have meet him once...... (sorry, about my bad english, but even with this english it is easy to read his book)!

As a fellow US Air Force Academy Grad, I was thrilled by Don Bowers' adventure! Spending years as an Iditarod pilot, Don finally decides to run the race. He shows the true human effort behind running the race, not as a champion, but as a man willing to give his all to prove his determination and the love for his dogs. Unfortunately, Don Bowers died this year doing one of the things he truly loved: flying airplanes. This book is a tribute to the man and the sport that took over his soul. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves mushing or for anybody with an adventurous heart. It's a true uplift from the everyday drag of modern life. It will yield to the wanderlust of even the most rigid of people. It shows that some people out there still pursue their dreams, no matter how crazy they may seem. Farewell, Don Bowers! May your book be a tribute to you and the sport that you loved!

Subtitled, "An Iditarod Rookie Musher's Alaska Pilgrimage to
Nome", the author, Don Bowers, shares his 1994 and 1995
experience in running a team of sled dogs on the 1,100-mile run from
Anchorage to Nome in the race that has been sometimes called the
"Last Great Race on Earth." He was 48 years old, a bachelor,
with no previous experience in dog mushing. However, he was a pilot
who lived Alaska and had worked as a volunteer in previous races. He
knew many people who had run the race before him and they all
encouraged him to do it.

Every March, since 1967, between 50 and 80
dog sled teams set out on the trail, which can take up to three weeks
to complete. Most are not competing for the front-runner prize.
Merely finishing the race is a personal goal for many. The trek is
difficult, requiring stamina, endurance and the ability to make quick
decisions in constantly changing conditions.

The temperature can
vary from 40 degrees above to 65 degrees below zero and there are
storms and flooding, drifting snow and heavy winds. In some places
the trail plunges down 200 feet or more, twisting between trees and at
the edges of steep drops. At other places, there are long empty
stretches over slick icy rivers. The sled often spills, the dogs get
tangled and sometimes they find themselves miles and miles off the
regular trail.

Mostly, they prefer to travel at night when the
weather is cooler and the dogs are more comfortable. The musher wears
a single beam headlight if the night is dark. Other times the moon
and stars reflect off the snow. And, on rare occasions there is a
spectacular display of flashes and colors in the northern sky.

The
mushers stop at about 20 checkpoints over the course of their
travels. These are mandatory rest stops which often are no more than a
tent or a cabin with a place to put a sleeping bag. A few of the
checkpoints are towns with a place to purchase a meal. Mostly though,
the musher must rely on the 50 or more large bags of supplies weighing
2000 pounds or more which he or she personally packed and had shipped
to these checkpoints. This includes huge amounts of food for the 16
hungry dogs who must be tended to and rested at each of these
stops.

The Iditarod Trail was actually used as a mail route during
the boom time of Alaska's gold rush. And the dog teams of that day
did not have the advantages of modern technology. There were no
helicopters charting their progress. Or airplanes to fly their food
to various checkpoints. There was little if any shelter. And the
conditions for the dogs were certainly not humane.

I can't help
thinking of Jack London's "The Call of the Wild" and
"White Fang" which depicted the life of a sled dog at the
turn of the century. In those days dogs were whipped, beaten with
clubs, and often starved as the food they were given had to be hunted
for as the mushers went along the trail. They lived and died in their
harnesses and it was a constant fight for survival.

Modern dogs are
never beaten. The dogs are trained to respond to simple verbal
commands and whips are never used. They are well fed and rested and
checked by a vet at every checkpoint. If they are injured they are
flown by helicopter to a place they can be cared for. A musher might
start out with 16 dogs, but is allowed to finish with as little as 7
if necessary.

I enjoyed the book tremendously, even though Don
Bowers is no Jack London. This is his first book and he is not a
professional writer. He's good at descriptions of trail conditions
and details of the race. He's also good at discussing his own
personal challenges. I really did empathize with him when a virus
killed some of his dog pups. And I held my breath during his most
scary outdoor challengers. I also have a lot of admiration for his
adaptability and sheer determination to finish, no matter what.

By
the end of the book I had really accepted his style of writing, which
is probably like his personality, which tends to be introspective. And
sometimes I felt he went on a little too long about some detail. I
must say also that I yearned for deeper characterization of the people
around him. There was a woman named Lisa and a man named Andy who
were also "back-of-the-packers". They met at checkpoints
and helped each other during the long trail. I wanted to know more
about them and wish he would have included a few personal details and
a little characterization.

I did get to know his dogs though. Each
one was a distinct and interesting personality. I'll never forget
"Socks" one of the leaders, who was able to sense the trail
without any markers. Or the time the team refused to move because the
females were in heat. His love for his dogs really came through.

I
thank Mr. Bowers for writing the book and definitely recommend it. It
took me to Alaska, put me right on the sled and made me feel I was
part of it all. Quite a departure for a woman who lives in New York
City. It was a great read and I loved being part of the adventure.

I love this book. I am in my 4th year of mushing. I love the sport. This book tells you what it is like to deal with these wonderful creatures that are a special breed. The author had a wonderful insight to share his thoughts, feelings, adventures,failures, and successes. Most of us dont tell of things that we did wrong. He not only tells you about what he did wrong, but what he learned from it. I am hoping to run the Iditarod sometime in the future with my daughter, and this is a book that I will for sure have her read before we set of to THE GREATEST RACE. I recommend this book for a veteran, or a beginner, or anyone that just has an interest in dogs. I have laughed outloud while reading this book and I have cried, and had every other emotion but anger. This book is the best I have read in a long time about this sport. Thank you DON.

This is what I read as a child - over and over again as I grew up. It is a magnificent version of Bunyan's classic. In particular what I like is that Helen Taylor doesnt shorten the story as much as others do. She retains a lot of the detail and the encounters that Christian has along the way. This allows a child as they grow to learn many of the valuable lessons for the Christian life which Bunyan intended us to see.

There are many children's versions of this which are wonderfully inllustrated - this one isnt, although it has line drawings scattered throughout. But it more than makes up for it in its content. I've purchased another more lavishly illustrated version of Pilgrim's progress to show alongside this one, but actually haven't got round to doing that yet.

What Helen Taylor has also done is to retell the story from a child's perspective - it is Little Pilgrim's Progress. It is in essence the same story - just downsized slightly. This makes it all the more easy to read to children.

My four year old daughter pleads for me to read to her - not content to wait until next Sunday for the next installment. She wont let me stop and sits wide eyed as I read it to her.

Why would I want a shorter version when I get to spend longer reading to my child?

This book is just what I was looking for. It came in fair condition, however it is great for what we will be using it for. Thanks for having it available to us!

This is a great version of John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress.
Whether old or young it will be great reading. It is a great read aloud book for family time. I like to give it away as a gift. Every home library should have a copy.

we used this as a read aloud with our kids ages 4-11 they love it. 2-3 page chapters make it a great bed time story. We talked about christian characteristics and worldly charateristics these things are rarely taught. Great Book!

This is a great book for children to get the message of "Pilgrim's Progress" by John Bunyan. It is written so they can understand it and gets them caught up in the adventure and stories in the book. I use it to teach lessons on Sunday at my church. We read it together and then discuss what the story might mean to them and how they can use what little Christian learns in his life lessons.

For my recent compilation of pilgrimage quotations ("Ultreia! Onward! Progress of the Pilgrim") I read all 40 or so contemporary English journal accounts available about the various routes. Egan's is clearly within the first grouping of 8 or so best such books (i.e. largely those written by established authors and/or academics). Coming from Harvard's Div School just a few hundred meters from where I work, Egan's book is really one of the handful of best ones that attempts to break free (somewhat successfully here) of the linear (and often dead boring) narratives that characterize many such pilgrimage accounts, as she engages in the sort of inner pilgrimage that makes such journeys worthwhile. And she can certainly pen prose; i.e. I used 11 very nice quotations of hers in the review volume Ultreia! Onward!.

Rebeccasreads highly recommends FUMBLING as an outstanding account of the pilgrimage of a 25 year old divinity student carrying a heavy load of guilt, grief & self-loathing.

Salted in the stories of her trials on the trail, Kerry Egan offers the history of the pilgrimage from the French Pyrenees to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, giving us visions of a fable land, as well as how the journey cracked her open so that she could heal from her raw & unrecognized emotions.

Kerry Egan, back in 1999, was one angry woman. How Alex, her boyfriend, stays with her, is her compass when she's lost, bearing the brunt of her impressive rage & hopeless longing, is just as exciting as how she stumbles across the land upon which others have trod for thousands of years.

If pilgrimages fascinate you, then FUMBLING offers both the reason & the value of taking that first step on the journey to healing.

Fumbling is the best book I have read this year. It provides a personal perspective into Ms. Egan's pilgrimage while offering insight into the history and psychology of engaging on a pilgrimage.

The book is written is short chapters that make it easy to read in moments stolen from a hectic schedule. There were times when my eyes filled with tears and others when I laughed out loud while reading this book.

I think I'll read it again.

No table of contents, no index, I just had to dive in, but by the end of the first page the imagery of the words had captured me. An excerpt from the second paragraph:

"I knelt in the back of the church, my forehead on the top lip of the smooth, varnished pew in front of me. The wood was hard against my forehead, . . . .I'd been crying for a long time . . . ."

This is a story of pilgrimage, grieving and transformation, but not a daily journal. There are thirty one numbered episodes, sometimes causing a page break, sometimes just a break in the middle of the page. At a higher level the book is organized into parts, starting with Part 1 Fumbling, Part 2 Walking . . . and so on.

The episodes are a series of vignettes of the Camino experience. They are roughly sequential, but any one of them could stand alone as an essay, for example in a newspaper column. They all will bring back memories and tug the heart of anyone who has walked the Camino de Santiago.

This is a book you can read for pleasure, but certainly one you will want to read after making the journey.

Whether you're reading this on a train or on your back porch during a snow storm, be prepared for an extraodinary journey through northern Spain in the summer. For those of you planning to travel the Camino, Egan describes with vivid detail the scenary(especially the wheat), the people, and everything you'd want to know that they don't tell you in a guide book. It is of course much more than a physical journey, and as you travel with Egan it is as though you are taking a trip through yourself, only this time with a witty, insightful, and adventurous tour guide who doesn't stick to the path.

This is a delightful gem which captures the spiritual inspiration of the pilgrimage both historically and in the modern context. It is a marvelous book for those who intend their journey to be more than just a long cultural hike.

For my recent comiplation of pilgrimage quotations ("Ultreia! Onward! Progress of the Pilgrim") I read all 40 or so contemporary English journal accounts available about the various routes. Rudolph's is clearly within the first grouping of 8 or so best such books (i.e. largely those written by established authors and/or academics). He is able to convey in a fraction of the pages of other volumes many interesting and important aspects of undertaking such a pilgrimage. Though not the most quotable of sources (i.e. 7 such extracted for the review volume Ultreia! Onward!) Rudopplh nevertheless is particularly good at writing about the process of pilgrimage.

The book reads as if you were sitting in an art history lecture -- the author writes using simple, direct, yet descriptive language. While the narrative is framed around the St James trail, it is really a book about inner transformation, not a description of the external world and the landmarks one sees during the pilgrimage. In all, the book has helped me prepare my frame of mind for the bike pilgrimage I am about to embark. The best part -- it's a short and quick read!

Conrad Rudolph, a professor of medieval art,has made the pilgrimage to Santiago de Campostela and knows enough about the history of the pilgrimage and the art and architecture to be seen along the way to write a book that tells not only how to prepare for the long hike and what to take but also what is to be seen and what it all means from a historical perspective.

As I write this review, I'm wearing the boots I plan to use on my own Camino pilgrimage next week. In addition to breaking them in, I've been preparing my body, mind, and heart for the long walk to Santiago. Reading "Pilgrimage to the End of the World" was an enjoyable and necessary part of that process.

Conrad Rudolph's book on the Camino de Santiago has four parts: 1) some historical background, 2) an account of his trek, 3) a series of black-and-white personal photographs with explanations that range from a paragraph to a page or so long, and 4) a practical guide (what to wear, how to pack, etc.). Despite its brevity (only 131 pages), Mr. Rudolph's memoir is packed with useful and interesting information. The surprising revelation that the author is a rationalist only serves to make his tale more compelling, especially considering the profound effect a pilgrimage usually done for spiritual reasons had upon him.

Indeed, the Camino began as an important medieval religious pilgrimage to Santiago, alleged burial place of St. James. But it has grown to accommodate folks on quests of many kinds. What's ironic about Mr. Rudolph's journey is that despite his rationalist mindset, he walked the farthest distance of any pilgrim, faith-based or otherwise, I've read about so far. He began in Le Puy, France, went through Santiago, and concluded in Finisterre - the "End of the World" on the Spanish west coast. That's about double the walking distance from the usual starting point of St. Jean Pied de Port, a French town on the Spanish border. And I thought we religious folk were supposed to be the crazy ones...

Despite his excellent account and helpful information, I part ways with the author in one key area: his firm recommendation of an external-frame pack. He's correct about the increased ventilation it offers, since the external frame holds the pack away from one's back. But according to another pilgrim's memoir, you'll sweat no matter what kind of pack you carry. Also, there are far more sizes and types of internal-frame packs to choose from. At REI I found only one model of external frame pack for sale among the plethora of internal packs - a forlorn Kelty similar to the one the author used. Bottom line, I'd say that an internal-frame pack is a better choice (I'm taking a 4,300 cubic-inch Gregory Baltoro).

At any rate, "Pilgrimage to the End of the World" is a must-read for anyone contemplating, or actually preparing for, the Camino pilgrimage. Other helpful and inspirational books I used to get ready include: "Buen Camino," by Jim & Eleanor Clem, "Camino Chronicle" by Susan Alcorn, and "Fumbling," by Kerry Egan (also, check the Confraternity of St. James' website for lots of good info and up-to-date Camino guidebooks). If you choose to go, let me be the first you wish you a Buen Camino!

UPDATE 9/7/07: On 7/14/07 I stepped off in St. Jean Pied-de-Port (France), and on 8/24/07 I walked into Santiago, Spain. Turned out that the boots I mentioned in the first paragraph were too heavy, so I bought a lighter Spanish pair in Logrono that served me well. My internal-frame pack was the Camino standard (although the model I had was too large and initially weighted down with unnecessary stuff) - out of the hundreds of pilgrims I saw, only a couple had external frame packs. At any rate, I recommend this book as necessary reading for anyone planning to walk the Way.