Burke Books

This excellent piece of historical research and narrative, exposes a considerable level of knowledgement on political, religious and philosophycal matters around the time when Occidental Civilization started the economical, social and artistic processes that developed our society of today. The writing, precise and well informed, goes directly to those facts, and the relations between them, that brought European culture of XIV to XVII centuries, reach the brightness of mankind. Not being a palette of beautiful paintings by italian and flemish masters, but a wise linkage of events taken place on the different areas of Europe, this book represents an important reference by any person dedicated to the study of those times.

This excellent piece of historical research and narrative, exposes a considerable level of knowledgement on political, religious and philosophycal matters around the time when Occidental Civilization started the economical, social and artistic processes that developed our society of today. The writing, precise and well informed, goes directly to those facts, and the relations between them, that brought European culture of XIV to XVII centuries, reach the brightness of mankind. Not being a palette of beautiful paintings by italian and flemish masters, but a wise linkage of events taken place on the different areas of Europe, this book represents an important reference by any person dedicated to the study of those times.

I read this book in grad school, and it was one of the most enjoyable and accessible books I read. It is not a biography of Louis XIV but an extensive study on the image-making of the king. The use of the negative-sounding word "Fabrication" in the title makes the cover look very intriguing as it may imply to some that Burke has uncovered much deceit surrounding Louis' image. Actually, Burke uses this term to mean the process and constant renewal of the representation of Louis XIV (10-11). Burke includes chapters on the following subjects: the types of persuasion used (medals, festivals, allegories, etc.), a brief background on Louis' "sunrise", the organization of Louis' image-making system (academies, etc.), the royal image from the time of "personal rule," image-making through victories, reconstruction through peacetime, Louis' "sunset," differences between the ideal and the real, antagonistic images (loyal subjects making gentle fun or giving hopeful advise and actual enemies of the king), the ways in which Louis' image was perceived including the "targets" of Louis' image-makers, and a comparison with rulers before, during, and after his reign. Strangely enough, the Third Reich is not mentioned in the latter chapter which would be a glaring omission to me had it not left the door open for me to write a term paper making such a comparison.

Burke presents a very thorough study examining such things as the changes in medal inscriptions through the years of Louis' rule to a look at what was meant by "public" during this time (pp. 131 and 152). The many photographs makes for a very interesting and enjoyable book. There is also appendixes on the numbers of medals and portraits created during the different decades of Louis' reign. It is a case study of image-making which, if taken as that, is an excellent, complete study. Do not expect a complicated thesis from this work. Burke, for example, does not pursue very strongly the idea of "charisma" (introduced on page 11)and how much "charisma" is tied to personality and "fabrication." One petty complaint is Burke's tendency to throw in French words and phrases. Most often it does not detract from an understanding of the study but, in certain cases, it can be very frustrating. Two of the worst examples are when Burke is describing how the king was surrounded by the gentlemen of his chamber "even when he was..." [the rest being in French] (91) and when Burke mentions a man who found himself in court for remarking "in brutal simplicity, that..." [the rest being in French] (167). But I won't knock off a star because I do not know Francaise.

The theory that ritual, pomp and circumstance can serve to enhance political power is not a new one. This book, however, makes the case that Louis XIV, in everything he did, worked to style himself as an absolute leader, a god-like ruler. From his artistic and architectural programs, to sumptuary laws, and official celebrations, Louis XIV's goal was always to assert and enhance his power. This is an enthralling book that gives insight to the era of Louis XIV as well as perspective on the use of symbol and ritual to create and maintain power.

I gave this book to a friend who was still suffering years after her abortion. She found the book very therapeutic. Just telling women who have an abortion to get over it is not working. Women need to have a way to heal after an abortion both physically AND emotionally. This book helps women work through the pain in a totally non-judgmental way. I highly recommend it to others who are suffering following their decision to have an abortion.

I have been really hurting since my abortion. I was truly looking for a book that would not make me feel worse about what happened then i already felt but that could offer me hope and understanding. I decided to purchase this book after I had been referred to it. I am half way through the book and haven't been able to put it down. The author really acknowledges the pain that I and others have gone through on behalf of the choice they made. I can't tell you how many times I have felt like I was going crazy because people couldn't understand why I was depressed about the decision I made. I cant change what I did but at least this book offers me the solace and peace that I have been looking for since. Hopefully, in time things will become easier. I definitely recommend this book!

If you need to read about Puerto Rico or are doing research, this should be your first stop. This book is the most comprehensive and well documented book ever written on the legal situation of Puerto Rico. Anybody who has anything to do with the island needs to read this book first.

THIS IS AN ENGAGING AND EFFECTIVE WAY TO PRESENT THE ETHIOLOGY OF A DILEMA THAT HAS BEEN OUT OF FOCUS FOR ONE HUNDRED YEARS. THE EDITORS HAVE CHOSEN A VARIED SPECTRUM OF VIEWS, AND IT IS THROUGH THESE DIFFERENT LENSES THAT THE ISSUE SHOULD BE DISCUSSED.

This book is the silliest, funniest and most thorough grammar guide I have ever seen. The text is written with voice and passion and the illustrations bring to life the silly sentences. Where was Cathy Campbell when I was a student? Sob.

School kids often hate the notion of grammar, but they can laugh at their fears with this book's approach, or giggle out loud if they like. Of all the grammar books out there, this one most understands how kids speak and learn. You never find a drawing of a hairy wart in Strunk and White. Nor do you get exercises that involve a district carp toss or a Venus flytrap swallowing the cat.

The approach, quirky exercises, and drawings all combine for as effective a way for the young to take on a troublesome topic that will help them throughout their lives. Don't wait for someone to assign this book at your school. Buy your child a copy and be ahead of everyone, and have fun while you're at it.

This book is a great gift for relatives or friends heading for careers in Hollywood. As an L.A. native, over the years I've struggled with how to advise without squelching the spirit. Burke provides realistic guidance while always honoring the passion and joy of the dedicated.

Going Hollywood has great insight into what it takes to make the move into the entertainment biz. Kristin Burke does a good job keeping a REAL look into what it is like-- no sugar coating. The interviews are a nice touch. If you are at all contemplating the move to Hollywood, READ THIS BOOK! You're in for a good ride!

What really struck me about this book is its versatility. I liked the in-depth, comprehensive nature of the work that blends psychology with spirituality. As a resource, this book has much to offer. I found it to be a book for all emotional seasons of the human heart with its goal very clear: to offer encouragement, self-confidence and compassion for self and others. I found this to be an especially wise book. As a therapist, the author has a broad perspective that is nonjudgmental, inclusive and highly supportive. This book is a sound, practical and inspirational guide for anyone going through adversity of any kind. I highly recommend it.

I highly recommend Adolfo Quezada's masterfully written book, Heart Peace: Embracing Life's Adversities. In the intro, he writes, "Life is a Tornado. It is a whirlwind that tosses and turns you...at the same time, at the center of it all, there is a peace that surpasses all understanding."

Holding a master's degree in journalism and counseling, Quezada writes that there was no darker time in his life than when his beloved son was killed. This book is written out of his personal journey, thereby bringing the authority and depth that only first hand experience can bring. However, this wise book goes beyond even that, to embrace the many kinds of suffering people have, making it universal in its message of hope.

Heart Peace is a gentle book that takes the reader by the hand and draws them into a fullness of understanding within their own unique hardship experience. Acting as a guide, it reminds us of truths we know in our hearts but often forget. Having also lost a child, I found Quezada's perspectives insightful, life-affirming and supportive. He addresses anxiety and fear of the unknown, teaching us that sometimes we can only control how we respond to the troubles, grief and bad things we experience. He inspires us to give purpose to our anxiety by making it manageable and useful.

An extensive, compassionate book filled with important phrases to underline, Quezada writes, "Our task is to take what is before us and break it down into bite size portions that we can chew and swallow without choking." In the excellent conclusion, he reminds us that nothing good comes from force, our strength lies in being truthful with ourselves and listening to the rhythm of God's heart. Anyone who is stressed out, going through loss or adversity of any kind will find this book an invaluable companion and resource of comfort, care and strength. It helped me in many ways, reminding me and anyone who reads it to focus on moving forward with courage, spontaneity and faith in the effectiveness of the tools God (and this book) provides.

A Heart Poured Out is the biography of Swami Ashokananda (1893-1969), who was a prominent monk of the Ramakrishna Order and a man who devoted most of his life to developing the Vedanta Society in San Francisco. Knowledgeably written by Sister Gargi, a disciple of Swami Ashokananda since 1948, A Heart Poured Out deftly covers the breadth of Ashokananda's life ranging from his childhood in India, to his enthusiastic dedication to personal spirituality, to his independence in daring to refute some of Mahatma Gandhi's political viewpoints. A Heart Poured Out is highly recommended as being a unique and rapturously written biography of an intrinsically fascinating man.

I was bowled over by this biography of a man of God who walked among us for a time. If you have never met a living saint, you have no idea how such a one combines power and love and humor in such a way as to make you KNOW your own divinity. Swami Ashokananda was one such man of God, and if you read "A heart poured out" you cannot fail to be blessed by his uncommon presence and enlightened by his remarkable teachings. Sister Gargi's book is a masterpiece of spiritual literature.

With the decaying of family values today, it is refreshing to read about the love and strength of the O'Connor family that is depicted in E. P. Burke's engrossing novel, The Hero of Barryton.
This book, an easy, swiftly-moving read, is a fascinating saga about bigger-then-life Patrick Edmund O'Connor and his Irish clan. They come to America and encounter all forms of personal suffering and humiliation only to rise above their problems and, in the process, become an even more loving and unified family.
The Hero of Barryton will touch your heart and leave you cheering for Dada, Maggie, and the grandest family in all of Barryton!
And you don't have to be Irish to enjoy this moving and suspenseful tale. You only have to recall when family meant love, support, and immense pride.
I recommend you read this book if, for no other reason, that it will leave a satisfied taste in your mouth.

If you like the Irish (and who doesn't?) you'll enjoying meeting the O'Connor family. The patriarch, Patrick Edmund O'Conner, affectionally known as "Dada" by his family and friends, is at the heart of this saga that takes place in a Pennsylvania mining town. Bigger than life, Dada provides leadership, vitality, and strength for his family and the townsfolk. Having saved several miners after a cave-in during which he is seriously injured, Dada is hailed as the hero of Barryton. The indomitable Irishman and his family triumph over
continuous setbacks, including the supposedly accidental death of the oldest son.
When Dada is talked into running for mayor in an effort to unseat the unscrupulous Mayor Scanlon and his cronies, the mud-slinging begins and a host of secrets are revealed. Dada's youngest daughter and one of his sons become the object of gossip, but "the grandest family in Barryton" hold their heads high and carry on.
This is a heartwarming and inspiring tale of the Irish in America.

This volume of regimental histories of Georgia units in the Civil War is a gem. James Madison Folsom traveled to Virginia near the end of the war and worked directly with the regimental leaders of the units included to compile these histories, along with statistics (e.g., number of men enlisted, killed, wounded, etc.). Civil War history buffs will enjoy reading the histories. Family historians will be especially interested in the histories. My great-great grandfather was a member of the 6th Georgia Volunteer Infantry, and its regimental history is 11 pages in length. Heroes and Martyrs of Georgia provides the most complete source of information about the 6th Georgia regiment that I have been able to find.

Because of the extreme scarcity of the original edition of Heroes and Martyrs of Georgia, few historians have heard of or utilized the book. This is unfortunate, for this volume stands as one of the most important published sources on Georgia troops in the Army of Northern Virginia. Included in Heroes and Martyrs are eighteen detailed histories of infantry, cavalry, and artillery units, most of them written in the summer of 1864 by Confederate officers in the trenches at Petersburg. The author of Heroes and Martyrs, James M. Folsom, originally intended on issuing multiple volumes that would chronicle the service of every military unit raised in Georgia during the Confederacy. Wartime exigencies, including the destruction of his manuscripts at the hands of Sherman's men, and postwar poverty prevented Folsom from ever completing his project. The one volume he was able to publish through the firm of Burke, Boykin, and Company of Macon, Georgia, appeared for sale in the spring of 1865, only weeks before Appomattox. Today fewer than a dozen original copies of Heroes and Martyrs are known to exist in public repositories. This new edition of Heroes and Martyrs of Georgia contains a new introduction and index prepared by Keith S. Bohannon, a doctoral student in the history department at Penn State University and a seasonal historian at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park.