Campbell Books

This volume is a beautiful display of bookmaking rarely seen on the shelves of bookstores. Joseph Campbell used color plates, full-color maps, black-and-white photographs, creative drawings and magnificent charts is this scholarly book. He draws on his expertise in anthropology, paleontology, ethnology, archeology and linguistics to interests anyone concerned with mythology, comparative religion, history, and the study of man.

[Review written May 2004]

Series Review: Historical Atlas of World Mythology

Where to begin ?

Joseph Campbell, without exaggeration, is probably one of the 100 greatest scholars of the 20th century. He was a genius, a polymath, a world-travelling polygot, a brilliant teacher and a master storyteller - all in one. On top of that, he was also one of those exceedingly rare individuals who was able to stand astride the disparate realms of both academia and mainstram culture with equal aplomb ... and be warmly embraced by both. Take a brief glance at the list of his works (at the Joseph Campbell Foundation, or my own site) and you can't help but be amazed that a lone human being could cover such breadth, and such depth, in such a broad field in a single lifetime.

His influences have been far reaching and profound - George Lucas considers himself to be a student of Campbell, and openly credits him as the source inspiration for the whole Jedi Knight / Force motif in Star Wars.

Campbell's two most well known works (amongst the general public anyway) are "Hero with a Thousand Faces" and "The Power of Myth". However, among academics, his magnum opus is considered to be The Historical Atlas of World Mythology (henceforth 'HAoWM'). It is the crowning achievement of a long and incredibly prolific career - much of it published posthumously, shortly after his death.

It's a 4 volume book (actually it's 2 volumes, each with 2 parts) published in a single-spaced tri-column oversize 11" x 16+" softcover format, and it's packed to the gills with hundreds of numbered footnotes, endnotes and numbered illustrative photos & art ... all of them meticulously and exhaustively enumerated in the bibliography.

The HAoWM is stupendous in it's breadth, depth, and ambition - it is nothing less than an exhaustive documentation and analytical discourse on the entire sweep of Human mythology, across ALL peoples, nations and times ... all the way back to the earliest known traces of humanity's very existance. It's very dense, toothsome reading, and I'll try to give you a feel for why.

Campbell is a wonderfully patient and helpful mentor, but as I've already mentioned above, he's also very polymathic, and although he goes out of his way to help his students and readers to follow along by providing ample numbered endnotes and footnotes and explanatory digressions, the material is still VERY dense and far roaming ... and it requires a fairly decent amount of effort (and polymathy) on the part of the reader in order to keep up.

Taking just half (1/2) of one (1) page at random, the writer, while elaborating on some subtle & profound point or observation that he's patiently trying to get across to the reader, roams freely & comfortably amongst a huge array of topics and references ... from hardcore archeology & oral traditions (includuding his own persona travels to distant tribes in polynesia or northern japan), to philosophy (i.e., references to plato, aristotle, tribal eldars like Black Elk, etc), to world history, to psychology (i.e., references to Freudian & Jungian archetypes), to art history (i.e., paintings and commentary by people like Cezanne, and people who research and comment on said artists, like James Joyce), to epistemology, to philology (ex: hindu and buddhist terms given in Indian & Japanese terminology, just for completeness) ... and all of THAT is squeezed into HALF of ONE PAGE. It's toothy stuff, and it requires frequent pauses and re-readings and skip-aheads & skip-backs to & from to the footnotes and bibliography ... and sometimes to a dictionary. However, don't let me scare you off from making the attempt, because the effort is very rewarding and highly recommended - but it takes effort and commitment, and Campbell's exhaustive references give you most of the waypoints you need to follow along.

Like most of the more worthwhile endeavors in life & artisty, you get out what you invest in ... modest efforts are usually rewarded with modest results, and greater results usually require correspondingly greater effort. Reading Campbell is very similar.

It's a rich, fulfilling, and deeply illuminating journey of discovery.

The world would be a much better place if more people could spend the time to study works like this one.

weaving a bird or a sta

weaving a bird or a sta

With the unbelievable success of Dan Brown's DaVinci Code, the good old Holy Grail has been catapulted into the minds and imaginations of readers worldwide. That book, an easily accessible novelization of the theories put forth in Baigent & Leigh's 1981 book Holy Blood Holy Grail, has spread wide that book's contention that the Grail is actually a sacred bloodline guarded by a secret society that has existed through the ages since Medieval times, the "Priory of Sion." That theory has been subsequently debunked as an elaborate hoax perpetrated by a strange Frenchman. Still, the theory has been given new life due to Brown, and has perked the antennae of millions who may now look at vast stretches of European history with a curious and conspiratorial eye.

But what was the Holy Grail all about, anyways? Joseph Campbell, with loving affection, breaks down the symbology of the Grail Legends and places them masterfully in context in this series of delightful audio lectures. He focuses on the penultimate version of the Grail Legend, Wolfram Von Esenbach's Parzifal. Not obsessing over the actual meaning of the Grail itself (after all it is only a symbol, and Joseph Cambell fans know well that taking a mythic symbol as a historical fact is the worst possible interpretation of a mythic symbol); rather he focuses on the fascinating milieu of the time that generated these works, the period from 1150 to 1250 AD.

Campbell has such fun delivering these lectures (specifically Volumes 3-5), that his enthusiasm and delight cannot help but infect the listener, and you will most assuredly be rapt as he tells Parzifal's story. If you get the cassette version of this series, be sure to digitize it to a CD or something because I guarantee you'll be listening to these lectures over and over again, wearing out your tapes!

To summarize, anyone truly interested in the Grail Legends would do themselves a great service by listening to these lectures. Also, Joseph Cambell fans will get to see a wonderful side of the man himself, as he derives such obvious joy telling this story, a side often touched on when seen on TV or heard in his many lectures, but presented in such a full-throttle mode here it will guarantee to put a smile on your face and add to your appreciation of this brilliant and gifted genius.

Listening to these tapes has rekindled my passion for writing and storytelling. In these tapes Joseph Campbell tells the detailed story of King Arthur and the Holy Grail. He includes fascinating details and versions of the stories that I never knew existed. He also shows how the history of England impacted the different versions of the King Arthur legend. For me, the stories and information on these tapes is more delicious than ice cream and cake.

Who doesn't want a book that reads itself aloud? "'Where's Joe?' 'He's dancing the tango,' said Mrs. Fandango.'" Of course we know where this plump, pleasant red-cheeked individual has gone this winter, but the books guessability just adds to its readaloud fun. Great for storyhours.

This is a wonderful children's book, especially for those children who know Joe! Yes, there really is a Joe who owns Joe's Snack Bar in Jericho, Vermont, and every fall he closes for the winter and then reopens in the spring. This book captures what every child must feel when Joe leaves. Even if you don't know Joe, this is a must have children's book. The pictures and rhymes say it all and more.

My one-year old son can't get enough of this book! He squeals and at the end and asks for us to read it to him again and again. The same is true for Dan Crisp's "Where's That Monkey?" I highly recommend this book!

My son got this book for his first birthday, and it is his absolute favorite. He gets it out, and squeals with delight as he sits in my lap to have it read to him. We've read it several times a day, every day for the last three months. It's adorable--you think you see the cat through the holes, but it turns out to be something else. We love it!

If you have any questions on your call, this book can help you narrow your goal. I recently experienced a call from the Lord and this book helped me to find out exactly what type of ministry I want to pursue.

Not only helps you decide if the ministry is for you, also explains the the roles and responsibilities of ordained ministers and a true picture of the sacrifices that must be made.

Please be aware that this review is on Who's Who in the Middle Ages, by John Fine, a much older volume. This book, by the same name, appears to have replaced it in Amazon's catalog, which may be why my earlier review disappeared. If it's a later edition of the earlier book, then my comments would apply to this book too.

I found this book 25 years ago as a young grad student and found it a terrific quick source of info on many famous as well as obscure medieval personages. The articles range from a few paragraphs to several pages long, if I remember right, depending on the importance of the person being discussed. It covers the 1000 year long period from the 5th to the 15th centuries of the Dark Ages, which were renamed the Middle Ages when it was realized they weren't totally dark and that there were a few outstanding cultural achievements--such as Gothic Cathedrals--said to be the most expensive artworks ever created. One of my friends who likes to put on Renaissance fair events and is very knowledgable about the field said he found it an excellent reference when he bought a copy recently. I found it a very readable, interesting, and worthwhile reference on the subject.

In Who's Who In The Middle Ages, Mary Ellen Snodgrass provides the student and non-specialist general reader with a superbly researched and presented biographical dictionary of the men and women who distinguished the European Middle Ages as a bridge between the classical world and the Renaissance. This was an era of both beauty and barbarism, of advances and dead-ends. The entries are alphabetical and the historical range is from the fifth century to the fifteenth. Each entry provides the names (and alternate names) for the person, as well as personal and historical details. References are included with each entry, and a detailed bibliography is provided. Who's Who In The Middle Ages is enhanced as an outstanding academic and community library reference with appendices covering the colleges and universities that educated many of these people; the period's noteworth events; major manasteries, abbeys and convents (including their founders and dates); invidiuals listed by occupation or contribution; as well as popes, emperors, and monarachs. Fully indexed, Who's Who In The Middle Ages is an indispensable, core reference title and an invaluable contribution to Mediveal Studies supplement reading lists and reference resources.

I've read and re-read this book, as it's always a refreshing look at the worth and dignity of a boy, and recharges me for another day of working with troubled youth.

The philosophy should be read by anyone caring for youth. The program described by Loughmiller is intensely practical, and very insightful. The concepts he pioneered are used all over the United States, and internationally.

It's an account of the concepts, mission and story of the first long term residential wilderness camp, Camp Woodland Springs in Dallas, Texas. Kids in Trouble, his second book, is also a great read.

Wilderness Road is an indispensable work on the philosophy and spirit of Therapeutic Camping. Loughmiller's approach is not a program, but an adventure of discovery. This book captures the author's enthusiasm and innovative spirit and is essential reading for anyone interested in helping troubled youth grow. This seminal work covers Loughmiller's philosophy of camp, education, groupwork, therapy, counselor selection and training, and briefly details how to set up and work with a board and sponsors.

This book has it all for the 1885 enthusiast, as well as for anyone who has an interest in John Browning, Winchester Repeating Arms, single shot rifles, and/or the beginnings of the modern gun industry here in America. Highly readable, with plenty of facts, figures, and illustrations. Well-edited, and excellent graphic presentation. A beautifully written, edited, and executed book, and one that you will read several times for the sheer enjoyment.

The quality of this book is a standard to which all others of its genre should be written to, but unfortunately too often aren't. I salute the author for a job truly well-done, and I unreservedly recommend this title to anyone who has even a remote interest in the subject matter; the cost of the book is money well-spent. The book is that good.

John Campbell is to the Winchester Single-Shots as Frank Sellers is to the Sharps. This book, and its Volume II, are outstanding books about John Browning's first gun. It covers EVERYTHING you will ever want to know about this rifle, and then some. It is a must for anyone interested in the history of John Browning, Winchester and the famous Model 1885 Single-Shot Rifle. The book is FULL of pictures, diagrams and information about the 1885, including every modification and improvement this rifle went through during its long years in production. It also gives unbelievable details about every customized option or version that the rifle was ever made into. So if you are interested in the Winchester Single-Shot and its history, this book is the one, of two, to read.

A fascinating, and largely undiscovered masterpiece purportedly addressing the Nature of Time. If you've read Grammatical Man, don't let that turn you off. This one reads like a different author

It has been a few years since I read this book. I remember the cover notes saying that I would never look at the world in the same way again and I must say that it fundamentally changed my world view. It is a very intelligent book that is wide ranging in scope but uses time as a central theme. The author convinces us that nothing exists alone and that there are clocks and cycles everywhere. I recommend to any science reader.