Blake Books

Most of what we heard in school about the Jamestown colony stems from the self-congratulatory writings of Capt. John Smith. "Most notably the drama of his personal bravado set against combative Indians and lazy colonists."

Lorri Glover and Daniel Blake Smith listened to another voice in writing their fluid, intelligent narrative about Jamestown -- William Strachey. The little known poet "struggled to make his voice heard but lost out to Smith's larger name and greater ambition."

They retell the story of the Virginia Company's colony against a backdrop of royal endeavors such as King James sending privateers to raid Spanish ships, seeking the Northwest Passage, conquering Ireland, and the trafficking of African slaves.

This is not the first time these colonist's stories have been told, but there's nothing stale about this book. As every student knows the Jamestown colony did not fair well. Among many woes, a fire nearly destroyed the fort, John Smith recalled, "Some people faced January's bitter colds and such severe frosts with little than the clothes on their backs."

As Ms. Glover's book makes clear, the colonists had wasted much time prospecting for gold instead of farming. Those with a working memory from elementary school history may recall, most of the colonist's health was in grave danger. Many were sick and dying from drinking bad water and living in a marshy area.

The Virginia Company, in response to John Smith's rude letter, dispatched a third re-supply effort in 1609. The flagship of the nine-ship fleet was the state-of-the-art Sea Venture -- England's first dedicated emigrant ship. On board the fleet are Christopher Newport: Vice Admiral of the fleet, Sir George Somers: Admiral of the company, Sir Thomas Gates: next Governor of Virgina, and most important to the authors, William Strachey: A down-on-his-luck poet, seeking a fresh start in Virginia.

The tense description of a hurricane buffeting the fleet generates the first real excitement. "As the ship tossed wildly in the ocean, cries and shrieks issued from the passengers who looked one upon the other with troubled hearts and panting bosoms." The Sea Venture was wrecked on a reef surrounding an uninhabited island. Bermuda was known to sailors as "an enchanted den of Furies and Devils, the most dangerous, unfortunate, and forlorn place in the world." Their all-but-new vessel was ruined, but its passengers and crew had survived.

Far from being "the isle of Devils," the castaways found tame wild hogs, sea turtles, birds, and fish that they could easily kill by the dozens. Bermuda was an island paradise, "fertile, fruitful, plentiful, and a safe, secure temperate, rich, sweet, and healthful habitation for man."

Virginia's next governor, Gates, had no intentions of settling in Bermuda and organized the construction of a rescue boat. At the end of August, a crew of eight volunteers were sent in Sea Venture's jury-rigged longboat, to notify Jamestown, but disappeared forever.

As the weeks and months passed, six more Bermuda castaways died, several children were born and a marriage performed. With all the plenty, factions were forming and disobedience brewing. A group of Somer's men conspired to kill Governor Gates and his supporters, but the mutiny sputtered out after the harsh execution of rebel Henry Paine.

The authors dutifully remind us that settlement on Bermuda was temporary. For the glory of England, Governor Gates set about to convince the group to continue on to Virginia. Two small vessels -- the Deliverance and the Patience were constructed of salvaged materials from the wreck of Sea Venture and native cedar. On May 23, 1610, the colonists arrived in Jamestown.

Only about 100 out of the original 500 colonists in Jamestown were found alive -- and most of them were sick and malnourished. Over the winter of 1609-10 "some Jamestown residents, desperate to stay alive, raided graves and ate the corpses."

The food aboard the Deliverance and the Patience was insufficient to sustain the colony for more than a few days. "Gates accepted the inevitable and agreed with all speed to return to England." On June 7th, the surviving colonists left Jamestown and embarked for England.

Here the story takes an unexpected turn. Only ten miles downstream, the survivors were intercepted by a relief fleet sent by the Virginia Company under the command of Lord De La Warr. Shocked by their poor condition, he "wasted little time in laying many blames upon the gathered colonists. He found the state of affairs in Jamestown revolting, and he held the settlers responsible."

Since the colony was very short of food, Sir George Somers volunteered to sail back to Bermuda and return with as much food as the Patience could carry. Yet another set back to the colony occurs, when he never returns. Tragically, Somers had died on Bermuda in 1610. At this point, his nephew, Matthew, irresponsibly set sail for England instead of Virginia.

This book has a happy ending, however. Gates returned to England with word that the colony was now strong enough to last after Lord De La Warr combined his group with the settlers from the Sea Venture and Jamestown's survivors. The English now believed that God wanted them in America.

Ms. Glover and Mr. Smith's source is William Stachey. "Strachey's personal observations, beginning on board the Sea Venture, offer an entirely fresh perspective on the story of Jamestown. He does so by showing how the colonies ultimate success depended on a fascinating array of adventurers -- entrepreneurs, seamen, servants, settlers, and politicians -- who daring and moving experiences in seeking out a new life in Virginia emboldened them to undertake a dramatic rescue effort that saved America's first colony."

The authors describe William Strachey as a "down-on-his-luck poet seeking a new start in Virginia." Strachey had acquired two shares in the Virgina Company and sailed for Jamestown aboard the Sea Venture in the summer of 1609.

Strachey returned to England probably in late 1611 to publish "True Reportory," his "vivid account of the Sea Venture's odyssey." It was not published until five years after Strachey's death in 1625.

Ms. Glover's book does not add any bombshell facts to what we know, but through careful sifting of long forgotten documents, a fresh perspective of the Jamestown colony is given. All the way through, the authors offer incisive details and insights that make "The shipwreck That Saved Jamestown" a fascinating read. By describing a carefully selected set of individuals and events, the authors give the colonial experience a human face, bringing to life an extended cast of villains and victims.

"The Shipwreck That Saved Jamestown" contains nine illustrations, 39 pages of notes, and no maps. The book will be of most interest to readers of early American history.

This is an interesting history of the settling of Jamestown that gives equal time to the ships that successfully reached Virginia in 1609, and the one ship that did not (the Sea Venture) which was shipwrecked off the coast of Bermuda. Those aboard the former ships found themselves in dire straights after arriving in Virginia. Those who sailed on the Sea Venture found themselves in a land of milk and honey. The contrast could not have been greater. Eventually the two groups were reunited, but any joy was short lived.

The book begins with the chartering of the Virginia Company in London, whose mission it was to find funding for the expeditions. When the Company had difficulty raising money or finding Londoners willing to settle in Virginia, they had to get creative. Colonizing Virginia became "God's calling". Most of the time, though, it must have seemed to the settlers that God had forsaken them.

I thought that the writing was a little repetitive in the early chapters, but once I got deeper in the story, I couldn't put it down. This is not your sugar-coated, school book version of events at Jamestown. I was stunned over and over again at the brutality and the suffering that took place.

Definitely recommended.

Looking back at history, it often seems as if there was some sort of destiny at play, as if things could not have turned out otherwise. That this view is deceptive is one of the lessons in _The Shipwreck That Saved Jamestown: The Sea Venture Castaways and the Fate of America_ (John Macrae Books / Henry Holt) by Lorri Glover and Daniel Blake Smith. Tiny contingencies can make huge differences, is another lesson. And yet another is that a horrendous disaster like a shipwreck may not be such a disaster after all. The authors, both professors of history, have thrown light on an important part of colonial history that other books pass by. It might be that other writers who cover the period are uncomfortable with the way this episode shows how closely the British came to failure in their efforts to make it in the New World, and how vastly different the American adventure could have come out if it were not for a few ill winds.

The authors start with a review to show that England before 1609 had nothing but disasters as they set up their outposts across the Atlantic. The effort to start a colony in Jamestown was a decidedly commercial one, but it was yet another disaster. The Virginia Company had to supply food to the settlers, as they could not supply themselves. It did whatever it could to squelch all the bad news coming from Jamestown, and tried to recruit fresh settlers by emphasizing their religious and patriotic duties. Seven ships sent out faced a hurricane, and the main vessel, the _Sea Venture_, was wrecked upon Bermuda. Those that made it to Jamestown faced "a starving time" during the winter of 1609 - 1610, when extreme deprivation led to horrors including cannibalism. Starvation, disease, and Indians killed off over 80% of the settlers. Those shipwrecked on the _Sea Venture_, however, got off easy. Bermuda, reputed to be an island cursed to sailors because of devils therein, proved to be far closer to Eden than Jamestown ever would, a real paradise with mangroves, palmettos, turtles, fish, and birds that stood around waiting to be caught. Indeed, the great challenge for the leader of this crew, Thomas Gates, was to put down mutinies from the many who having lit upon a better place than Jamestown did not want to continue the voyage. Gates was able eventually to scavenge his wrecked vessel, supervise construction of two smaller ones, and proceed to Jamestown, where they found a fraction of the expected settlers, all eager to get away from their nightmarish colony. Without the arrival of the _Sea Venture_ and the supplies it carried from Bermuda, the colony would have perished, but the settlers convinced Gates it was time to give up on the colony and return to England. It was impossible for him to disagree, but as they sailed out the James River, they by chance met another relief fleet coming in from England. Back to Jamestown they went, saving it and saving England's destiny in the New World.

The Virginia Company, however, did not flourish; it was dissolved in 1624, and most of its investors never saw any returns. The preachers insisted that God had kept settlers from Bermuda before 1610, so that it could be full of goods to be taken on to Virginia, and indeed, the Bermudan colony did well and stood as a defiance to Spain. The wreck of the _Sea Venture_ not only preserved English hopes, but it had a direct effect on literature; the wreck and salvation of the vessel were well known throughout London, and were undoubtedly known by Shakespeare. Glover and Smith analyze the text of The Tempest to show how it was inspired by the wreck. More importantly, they have provided a vivid and often grueling account of the extreme difficulties the settlers faced from Indians, disease, and incompetent leadership. Jamestown had barely survived, but the authors show that after 1610 Britons never seriously considered giving up their empire in the New World.

Excellent book about the life and the era in which she lived. I admired the godly strength she had to overcome all the obstacles in her life. She is a role model for all women. You do not have to let the circumstances of life overpower you. She allowed God to be in control and with her prayer life and faith in God he allowed her to take control of the situations and be victorious. She also exemplifies the fruit of the spirit. She is longsuffering and very very patient. To God be the glory

The Tommie Waites story is essential reading for the technology generation. I believe that people will be surprised to see what can be accomplished in life with seemingly little or no resources, but an abundance of faith. I found the book to be a compelling journey of faith over materialism.

It is a simple story that is very thought provoking because of the choices Tommie Waites had to make in life and an excellent account of what life was like between those pivotal moments after World War I but before the Civil Rights movement. A time period in my opinion, that is seldom discussed and explored enough in contrast to contemporary times. It is also a story about women and how they can be inspired to strive in the face of adversity.

I loved this book!!! It took me back to a time when people really cared and when people endured to the end.

This is quite different from your "normal" naval history of the period. You are not getting the action, the drama, the blood of a great sea battle. Instead, you get the minutae of everyday life at sea on a British 74. The Splendid is mythical--a composite of various ships and sources--but it's a typical 74. Right away you are given a feeling for the role of a line-of-battle ship. At Austerlitz, Napoleon had artillery firing a weight of shot of 1462lbs. For the British invasion of Egypt, they had 40 cannon (plus 6 howitzers) firing a weight of 336lbs. In the Peninsula, Wellington had 18 cannon (plus 2 howitzers) and a shot weight of 81lbs. A 74 with carronades fired a weight of 1852lbs. Then you can contemplate, say, a 130-gun first rate. The crew of a 74 numbered 640, with 34 named naval trades (e.g. sailmaker, etc). So for a 74 to be a smooth-running and functional weapon of war is no mean feat.

The book describes a day in the life of a ship--a very ordinary day. Many authors might have chosen Trafalgar or the Saintes, or a day with lots of action and interaction. That approach has been used often. But here, it's just an ordinary day. So you see the details of holystoning the decks, breakfast, punishments, mending sails and ropes. You follow the activities of the ordinary seamen, the skilled tradesmen, the officers, surgeons, chaplains, etc. Everything is carefully organized--it must be, on a densely-packed 74. If you thought that the world of a 74 revolved around the ship's bells (e.g. 3 bells) you'd be partly correct--pocket watches were becoming more common at that time.

You get a fine appreciation of the life, and by and large, it's not one that you might envy unless scrubbing the heads in a rough sea appeals to you, and if you're an officer, the life may not be a whole lot better. There are instances related in the book of an officer arriving a few minutes late on deck (not during a battle) and being court-martialed for it. There are appendices full of details about ships' stores (Puttock Plates, 1 Cwt, iron shovels, 18 lbs, etc). An interesting and usually unthought-of component were candles--below decks was a dark and rather airless place indeed, and you read about efforts to improve the situation. So this will make a fine addition to your history bookshelf--it's a well-told tale.

This book covers ground familiar to sea-story readers, but does it with an interesting twist. The ship is imaginary, but typical, with the events of a routine day covered from a to z (or 4 AM to 4 AM). It is well done, and will be of particular interest to beginners in the field.

Using a wide variety of sources including Regulations and Instructions, published memoirs, journals, and excepts from a generous list of court-martial records, the author combines this wealth of data and recorded experience to narrate one twenty-four day of a fictional 74-gun ship-of-the line, the Splendid, to illustrate the daily routine of a 74's officers and crew. The day takes place on 14 June 1810 and follows in outline the actual activities of the Conqueror (74) to Port Mahon in Minorca, tasked to resupply the Channel Fleet blockading Toulon.

Within this framework, divided into 4-hour watches, the author discusses in considerable detail the ships organisation and routine, personal attitudes, sleeping, measurement of time, washing the decks, the difficulties of washing clothes, the strong emphasis on cleanliness, drill, the sick, punishment, food and eating times, gunnery, the problem of alcohol, so that the reader learns what each section of the crew would be going during each watch.

The reader gains the strongest insights into this world through the extracts from court-martials. The author uses these to clarify the organizational structure, problems of discipline (with the trigger often being abuse of alcohol or a breach of social etiquette) and to explain exactly what happened on board ship, and often record complete conversations. In the author's words, they also help to explain "who was where, when and why - and whether they were meant to be."

Particularly interesting was how dark it was on board, even in daylight, and that most crew members lived in a world of gloom where identifying the person next to you was often very difficult.

This is a very comprehensive and exhaustive study of life at sea, full of both anecdotes and facts. Included is an inboard profile and plan map of the decks and holds of a 74, as well as lists of ships complements, slop stores, boatswain, carpenters and ordnance stores. There is a lot of jargon, but this is always in context and stimulates the reader to research further afield.

This title is thoroughly researched and written in a easily written style which uses its goldmine of factual detail very effectively to take the reader on board a '74'. I enjoyed this book very much.

"Taking Care of Business" is a steamy anthology by some very talented authors. This quick read will entertain with its yummy hero's and sassy heroines.

LuAnn McLane's "Driven" pairs up romance writer Maxine with suspense writer Ian. Ian needs to add a sex scene to his upcoming manuscript. Well he's got writers block and his agent thinks he needs to get away and brainstorm with sexy writer Maxie. Well, Ian goes and when Maxi and Ian get in the same room...all bets are off. Will Ian be able to admit he can love and Maxine is the lady for him?

Patricia Ryan's "What Happens in Vegas" Jay Douglas has come to Vegas for a reason; He wants to see the end of Eddie Flynn. Eddie Flynn sics sassy, sexy Libby Thatcher to spy on him. Jay and Libby each have their own problems but these problems fade when they're in each other's company. Than again it's too hard to concentrate on anything else. When secrets are uncovered will they be able to hold on to the passion or will it disappear?

Toni Blake's "Brushstrokes" is the story of Mia Drake. She's a starving artist...literally. So when her aunt finds a job as a painter Mia reluctantly goes to the bar and applies for the job. When she realizes the hunk from the grocery story owns the bar...things are about to get hot! Rick Rose is a no nonsense kind of guy. A love `em and leave `em kind of man. He's done relationships before and he won't do them again. But, one taste of Mia is not enough will he be able to put his past aside and grab onto happiness or will the sexy painter get away?

All three stories are short but entertaining, and all three contributing authors have created some dynamic characters and storylines. If you're in the market for a quick hot read-look no further.

It all starts out with LuAnn McLane's gem "Driven", about two authors - one who writes mysteries, the other romance - who are struggling while trying to use elements from the other person's genre in their own stories. Ian Parker especially is having difficulty adding a romantic angle to his mystery series, but his fans are clamoring for his characters to get together, and the solution is to have bestselling romance writer Maxine Mitchell help him out. Of course Ian is reluctant, having met Ms. Mitchell previously and finding himself a little too taken with her for his peace of mind. Maxine is delighted to be working with Ian Parker. Not only is he like one of her sexy and brooding heroes, he also makes her hot, and that is an irresistible combination. Only they don't start out on the right foot, and the sparks fly all over the place. A rather intriguing bet kicks it up a notch, and you will fall in love with Ian right along with Maxie. Their romance is one dynamic collaboration that will have you longing for more.

Anyone who's ever been to Vegas knows that "What Happens In Vegas" stays in Vegas. Patricia Ryan has created an intriging character in Jay Douglas, a high roller who's winning millions at the blackjack tables of casino owner Eddie Flynn. Flynn isn't too happy with Jay, and sends in sexy yet sweetly innocent Libby Thatcher to find out Jay's winning secrets. Libby is in a bind, and agrees to help out Eddie if he'll agree to her business deal. Only she doesn't count on being so drawn to Jay, and finds herself getting too involved. And Jay can't keep his concentration when Libby is in his zone. He finds himself unable to resist her, no matter how much he tries. A steamy encounter in the hot tub will definitely leave you breathless, not to mention Jay's ability to tie a decent knot. This is one resourceful hero, and Libby is a genuinely likeable heroine drawn to a man she must lie to against her better judgment. You'll be cheering for both and end the story with a sigh of contentment as they reach their happily ever after.

"Brushstrokes" is a story about longing. Mia is a struggling artist who creates heavenly creatures filled with longing, a feeling she heself possesses for bar owner Rick Rose. Rick needs his bar painted, and though Mia's artwork isn't what he had in mind, he continues to let her create her mural on the Rose Tavern's ceiling while he longs to give into his desire for her. But Rick has been burned before, and Mia is not the kind of woman to have a meaningless fling with, so he avoids her so as not to give into temptation. Only things don't turn out the way either one of them planned, and falling in love certainly wasn't part of their agreement...

Sexy, provocative, and delightful, these three talented authors show us what happens when work and play collide, and how much fun that can truly be!

Taking Care Of Business is a smoking hot anthology by three top-notch writers.

Driven by LuAnn McLane has mystery writer Ian Parker facing a stumbling block in his latest thriller. Sure he can write mystery, intrigue etc but a Sex Scene??? His agent hooks him up with romantic comedy writer Maxine Mitchell. Maxine wants to branch out in the romantic suspense genre. Sounds like a match make in heaven!! So Ian and Maxine are sent off to work together on their prospective books but end up teaching each other a thing or two about life and love. They sparks just fly off these two, can Ian live up to the challenge laid down in Maxine books??? Lord does he...

Patricia Ryan's "What Happens In Vegas" has a mysterious high roller Jay Douglas taken the Gold Dust Casino for millions. Owner Eddie Flynn sends Libby Thatcher to get the scoop on Jay. Libby feels helping Eddied out is the only way she can get him to finally buy her dad's restaurant. Jay is distracted every time luscious Libby appears on his radar. Lilly as much as she is attracted to Jay, the good girl in her doesn't like that she is lying. Watching these two will warm any heart and make you wish that it would all work out.

Toni Blake's Brushstrokes has Artist Mia Drake turning to her great Aunt when life in the big city doesn't work out. Mia gets hired to paint hunky bar owner Rick Rose establishment. It was supposed to be a simple paint job but once Mia decided Rick's ceiling needed her sensual angels everything changed. Rick couldn't believe what was going on in his bar but one look at the scene above him he is intrigued with the woman before him. Add some hot and steamy scenes with paint and brushes, you will be reaching for a big fan yourself.

Taking Care Of Business is a hot read for anytime of the year. LuAnn, Patricia and Toni each wrote a compelling and tantalizing story. It's a keeper.

Everyone is affected differently by Parkinson's Disease. Some have it worse than others. For some, progression is slow, for others it is more rapid. Some people do not manifest tremors. Many don't face upper body problems, speech or swallowing problems. There are many myths associated with Parkinson's. It is very individual. Living with Parkinson's is a learning process, and one has to keep a positive attitude. Many people are living well and independently with the disease. It doesn't necessarily have to be a nightmare world. There are adjustments to be made, and it can be an inconvenience, but the challenge will reap rewards.

This book is for anyone involved with Parkinson's disease, but especially those diagnosed at an early age. I was diagnosed in my early 40's and found this book to be a great source of information and support. People diagnosed at an 'early' age have additional issues to deal with such as young families, employers and a medical treatment plan that must span many years. This book offers quotes and thoughts from many who have endured. Although the book was written a few years ago, the support offered is timeless.

I had the honor of having a couple poems included in this book
and am aware of the huge committment made by the authors to
assemble; organize and edit this rarely explored topic. This book looks at a horrible, progressive neurological disease from
an unique perspective; that of those afflicted at an early age; (and their caregivers) who face ignorance and lack of understanding as well as the physical and mental problems commonly associated with the disease.

This is not some dry, statistical analysis but an indepth look
at a nightmare world few people truly understand. It is filled
with useful knowledge and organizations and is a must-have for
anyone suffering from or caring for those with Parkinson's.

I can't stress enough how much this book sheds light on a topic
rarely discussed in this depth. Doctors, nurses and anyone in the
medical field are missing something special if they don't make the time to read this book.

Bill Harrington

THIS NOVEL WAS ABOUT A PRESENT DAY WOMAN WHO READS A JOURNAL OF AN ANCESTOR OF HERS. THERE IS NOT ONLY A ROMANCE GOING ON IN HER LIFE NOW, BUT SHE FINDS OUT ABOUT A BEAUTIFUL LOVE STORY THAT HAPPENED IN THE PAST. THIS BOOK WAS VERY WELL WRITTEN, VERY INTERESTING.

I truly enjoyed this book. It was fun following Joletta to the different places she went and people she met; tracking possible clues from old family journals in search of a formula that may or may not exist. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a book that combines a little mystery and intrigue with a hint of romance and history.

I picked this book up on a lark. I have never regretted it. This is one of my truly favorite books. Jennifer Blake carefully interweaves the old story of Violet with the modern one of her great grandaughter Joletta. The mystery grabs you and holds you till the end. Having been to New Orleans once, this book always makes me want to return if only to walk into a small perfume shop and find a hidden garden....Enjoy!

Francis Grierson shows his admiration, respect and devotion for Abraham Lincoln. While there are several interesting anecdotal stories in the book, overall is merely praises Lincoln without allowing the reader to draw his own conclusions.

This is a must read for any scholar of Abraham Lincoln. It goes way beyond the usual historical perspective of his political finesse and acumen and delves into the deep spiritual and mystical inner nature of one of our most revered presidents. Political Science buffs don't be turned off by the title. It's a darn fascinating read.

This is an interesting book for someone who has not been to Australia. Although there are variations between Aussie English and Standard Australian English, visitors will mostly encounter SAE. "Aussie" English is used in informal settings and is useful to know - but it is not as common as this book would suggest. The Australian accent may be difficult for some visitors and the use of works describing local peculiarities (beer's, local areas, etc) may seem strange at first. The section on Aboriginal languages is extremely good and gives an accurate introduction to this unique field. However, again be aware that the majority of Australians have no knowledge of Aboriginal languages and very few white Australians actually speak an Aboriginal language. The Anangu languages of the central Australian Outback are spoken by people living in communities in areas that require a permit to visit. You will hear these languages in communities that are attached to visitor centers or by Aboriginal guides to these areas. But do not assume that because book devotes half its content to Aboriginal languages that you will hear these in every day speech. Overall a good introduction to Australian "culture" and speech, but too much emphasize for a book of this kind on Aboriginal languages.

This book is a lot of fun! Our Australian friends really do talk like this.

Finally, after many years after Comcat put out a couple of B&M albums, someone is putting this series out in English. I've long heard about this series, but had never read it. It's great that they have, and I plan on getting all of them.

If there is one issue I have, it's that I wish they had reprinted them in their original order. As the the 2-part "Mystery of the Great Pyramid" comes BEFORE the Yellow Mark, its a little confusing to read them out of order. And it appears the 4th book Cinebooks is putting out is actually the thirteen story, and one NOT done by EP Jacobs!!!

I'd also love to see the Jacob's "U-Ray", the prototype standalone "flash gordon"-like story that served as a loose inspiration published as well.

Professor Phillip Mortimer has an interest in Egyptology and decides to spend his vacation in Egypt with his old friend, Professor Ahmed Rassim Bey. They hope to peacefully spend their time de-cyphering ancient papyrus scripts. Unbeknownst to them, the master criminal Olrik also has an interest in the same texts. These ancient documents hold the secret of the Great Pyramid and the riches buried within it.

The Franco-Belgian tradition of comic books began during the Second World War and charted its own distinct path. Many Americans know of the Adventures of Tintin and the stories of Asterix the Gaul. The Adventures of Blake and Mortimer are right up there in the pantheon of great European comic book series. Set in the years immediately following the end of the Second World War, these adventure stories combine a 1930-40's pulp sensibility along with beautifully realized "clear line" illustrations. With their exotic locales and dastardly criminal genius', I am reminded of the Charlie Chan and Mr. Moto movies I watched as a child. "The Mystery of the Great Pyramid" is teenage adventure fiction at its very best. Highly recommended.

Thanks so much, this was a gift for my boyfriend and he has not put it down! Thanks great purchase!

We need Blake more, now, than Swedenborg ever did. Trying to compare Blake's complaints about death being the ultimate form of persuasion in the disputes of his day, religious though they might seem to us at this late date, with the doctrines that the authors of the items in this book are willing to contemplate, tends to make our own times seem unexciting, but it doesn't have to be this way. Now that so many people have computers with printers and numerous other methods of communicating with people all over the world, the stage is set for becoming familiar with the way that ideas in books and people interact to produce greater individuality, as can be shown in the crumbling of all kinds of organizations which relied on the authority of old doctrines, as resulted from the works of Blake and Swedenborg. We have this example of people who have already devoted much thought to the attempt to study the combination of the two, and this is precisely the kind of thing which we ought to understand best.

This book, BLAKE AND SWEDENBORG/ OPPOSITION IS TRUE FRIENDSHIP, edited by Harvey F. Bellin and Darrell Ruhl, is a collection. Many of the articles and lectures are short. Most compare the writings of William Blake with the doctrines of Emanuel Swedenborg. Many of the people mentioned in the book were known to Blake, either at the formation of a church in 1789 in London, where Blake spent most of his life, or later, and where, much earlier, Swedenborg's books were printed due to religious restrictions imposed by the government of Sweden. Prior to reaching the age of 50, Swedenborg had been accepted as a leading member of society, who co-edited Sweden's first scientific journal in 1716, but his religious books were published anonymously. It should be noted that both Blake and Swedenborg "Self-published" (p. 6) the books for which they are known today, without commercial recognition in their own time, and that each saw instances in which society condemned people for believing more than was fashionable or proper. Much of this book is devoted to the doctrine of predestination, or however God might determine who could be considered saved, one way or another, society then being less inclined to take a comic view concerning that theological question than we are currently used to.

There are two engravings by Blake in color on the cover of BLAKE AND SWEDENBORG. The illustrations scattered throughout the remainder of the book are in black and white. On page 42 is a stark "Anatomical reference from Swedenborg's THE CEREBRUM," possibly one of the volumes referred to in the text: "In 1743-44, Swedenborg compiled a staggering four-volume treatise, THE BRAIN. In it, he was the first to discover the functions of the cerebellum, pituitary gland and spinal fluid, the localization of thinking and memory in the cerebral cortex, and the integrative action of the nervous system." (p. 42). It was then that "a new muse began to emerge, sending seismic shock waves to the very core of this objective man of the Age of Reason. The process started with a series of disturbing dreams, which he carefully recorded in a private journal." (p. 42).

The early short sections of BLAKE AND SWEDENBORG offer a lot of comparisons, with Swedenborg much more familiar "with leading scientists and scholars in Sweden, England, Holland, France, Germany, Italy, and Bohemia" than Blake, who was apprenticed to an engraver after studying at Pars School of Drawing (1767-1772), but was then a "student at Royal Academy Schools (1779)." (p. 5). The discoveries of Blake were of states of mind, now considered "mythology, personifying aspects of consciousness" or in the area of printing. Blake also "Discovered an acid-etching process for creating relief-type, copper printing plates." (p. 6).

My high opinion of Blake is due to MILTON : A POEM, BLAKE'S ILLUMINATED BOOKS : VOLUME 5, whose hero is famous for the great poem, "Paradise Lost," describing Satan more fully than most people know themselves. MILTON is mentioned occasionally in BLAKE AND SWEDENBORG, and, most importantly, for mentioning Swedenborg on pages 16, 29 and 153, where MILTON A POEM is quoted:

O Swedenborg! strongest of men, the Samson
shorn by the Churches,
Shewing the Transgressors in Hell, the proud
Warriors in Heaven,
Heaven as a punisher, & Hell as One under Punishment.

The cosmic scheme in which Blake seems to be describing the spirit world he might have adopted from Swedenborg seems most complete in "Opposition Is True Friendship" (1985) by Harvey F. Bellin, which spends pages 39-43 on Swedenborg's life and pages 43-48 on ` "A Theatre Representative of the Lord's Kingdom" Swedenborg's Theology.' "The Swedenborgian Songs" (1968) by Kathleen Raine discusses the themes of Blake's SONGS OF INNOCENCE AND OF EXPERIENCE, with attention to the poem "For Mercy, Pity, Peace and Love" which I found mentioned on pages 78, 88 (in "The Human Face of God" (1985) by Kathleen Raine), 111 (in "New Light on C. A. Tulk" by Raymond H. Deck, Jr.), 149 (in "Blake and Swedenborg" (undated, from THE NEW CHURCH HERALD XXX, London) by H.N. Morris). The Contents are divided into "Analyses of Blake's Connections to Swedenborg," "Historical Contexts," and "Swedenborgian Postscripts," but much of the material seems to be covered from the same point of view. For excitement, reading Blake alone might be better, but this view offers a deeper understanding, and the opposition which Blake expressed in his satire of Swedenborg, THE MARRIAGE OF HEAVEN AND HELL, (c. 1790-93) might free some people from doctrines which seemed necessary, or previously conformed to their idea of sanity.