Clark Books

" Mountain Memories" gave me a deeper appreciation of the Appalachian Mountains. I thoroughly enjoyed the wonderful journey through West Virginia's mountains with Jim Clark. It was inspiring to see a person so in harmony and appreciative of nature. We would all be better off to emulate that state of being. It was also fascinating to learn about the habits of some of natural inhabitants of the mountains. Jim's vivid and moving images made me want to head to West Virginia and experience the beauty for myself.

If you are a nature lover, photographer or just enjoy natural history, this is one for the permanent collection on our book shelves and in our hearts. It is a fantastic combination of excellent writing and inspirational photography.

For those of us fortunate enough to have grown up in the "country" this book will bring back those childhood memories of the lessons we learned by just going out into nature and really looking, listening but most importantly, feeling the spirit. The author has captured in words and images those inspirational moments with nature that become a part of who we are.

He has captured the essence of his personal love affair with West Virginia looking beyond the highways, the telephone lines, and all the marks of modern living to the true spirit of what it means to really connect with the personality of each changing season and the feast of visual experiences. The author then takes us beyond the beauty of the images and into his heart when he writes about what has inspired him. He shares with us his intimate knowledge of where to look and when for those special treats nature offers up each season in the West Virginia mountains.

It should appeal to anyone who has an interest in seeing the beauty in nature whether a photographer looking for great locations to photograph or someone who would like to spend a few hours with an author who has the power to capture our imaginations in a Huck Finn style of story telling about his beloved West Virginia. The book is rich with facts about the natural history of the area with extensive detail.

This is his second book and both should come with a warning. Once you read either book you will be making a trip, as I have, to the places the author presents so beautifully in words and pictures.

If you are looking for another f/stop, shutter speed, aperture setting book on photography, then Jim Clark's second book, "Mountain Memories, An Appalachian Sense of Place" probably isn't the book for you. Actually, "Mountain Memories" isn't even a book about photography. It's really a sharing of the Appalachian area and memories of renowned nature photographer, Jim Clark. As a photographer myself, though, I can't help but write this review slanted towards the wealth of knowledge the book makes available to my fellow photographers.

If you are looking for a book that teaches you that a successful image goes much deeper than the photograph, then click on the "add to cart" button and you will soon be transformed into the heart of Appalachia as well as the mind of one of its native sons. You will also begin a journey that will transform you from a technically correct photographer to a creator of images and memories.

Jim takes you on a beautiful journey of discovery, sharing his thoughts and memories as he travels and captures the beauty that is Appalachia. I felt like I was at his side as he goes through the beauty of the seasons, painting the scenes of the birds, trees, waters and plant life of regions of the region in eloquent prose and breathtaking images. His love for Appalachia is very evident.

Although Jim doesn't mention f/stops, composition, etc. each page of "Mountain Memories" holds a wealth of information that will make you a better photographer. I've had the honor of traveling some of these trails with Jim and I've learned from him, from his workshops, and from his book, that technical knowledge isn't the only element of a successful nature image. If you don't have a passion for your subject, a desire to learn about your subject, a desire to convey a feeling, elicit a thought, reignite a memory or tell a story, you've created nothing more than a technically perfect "snap-shot". Add all these elements and you've created another memory to put into your "Mason Jar" (don't miss Jim's explanation of the magic of memories and mason jars.)

I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to be a better photographer, or wants to learn more about the region, or just wants to learn about and enjoy the beauty that is Appalachia. I think that the sub-title could have easily been "An Appalachian Sense of Peace". It will be a treasured edition to my collection that will become dog-eared over the years as I revisit again and again.

One day those who have fought against Stalinism from Warsaw to Vladivostok, from Beijing to Hanoi, and beyond will realize in the Caribbean there has not only been the struggle Fidel and the Cuba revolutionists have led against Moscow-oriented bureaucrats to strangle their revolution, but that in Grenada Maurice Bishop the leader of that country's revolution was a heroic fighter against Stalinism. When they do, people will need this book, because this book provides a revolutionary Marxist analysis of Bishop's struggle for the Grenadian revolution, and how that revolution was defeated by the Cord faction. In the end, we find that Stalinism in Grenada and US imperialism had the same enemy, Bishop and the revolutionary power of Grenadian working people. This will open the door to the precious lessons we can learn from Bishop and his struggle have to teach us.

While this book is not always available on Amazon, it is always available from BooksfromPathfinder, an Amazon Z store that you can get to by clicking on New and Used further up this page!

Part of the classic New International series, this book contains several articles that are extremely valuable for anyone attracted to a revolutionary perspective.
The Second Assassination of Maurice Bishop tells the full story of the Grenada revolution, which burst on the scene in 1979 and opened up a new world of hope and change for the Grenadian people. The article explains how the revolutionary leadership placed itself at the service of the masses, and did everything in its power to make them the masters of their own destiny. The betrayal and downfall of the revolution is explained in a blow-by-blow account of the battle within the leadership, which culminated in the 1983 victory of the Stalinist Bernard Coard faction and the assassination of Bishop and his comrades. The U.S. then invaded the island and obliterated the remains of the Grenadian revolution. A sad story, but such a valuable lesson for revolutionaries!
Another article in the book, The 50-Year Domestic Contra Operation, reviews the history of the U.S. government assault on the democratic rights of working people at home and abroad, dating back to World War I. It explains how democratic rights have been won by workers and their unions fighting against the bosses and their politicians in office. This government looks after the needs of the wealthy rulers, and in doing so has repeatedly sought to strip the workers of their rights, and is doing so even more in the twenty-first century.

This issue of New International tells the story of how the deep-going and popular revolution which came to power in Grenada in 1979, led by Maurice Bishop, was destroyed from within by a Stalinist faction within the ruling New Jewel Movement. When the US invaded Grenada in October of 1983, the revolution was already dead at the hands of Bernard Coard and his associates. This is extremely important to understand because you can easily get the idea that any small country that dares to defy the power of the American empire will always go down to defeat. The invasion of Grenada was certainly a big blow to the liberation struggle in Grenada, but learning the lessons of how the defeat could have been avoided, and understanding the deadly role of Stalinism within Grenada, will make it more possible to succeed the next time around.

Aside from the title article on Grenada, the issue has a fantastic piece on the sordid history of US government spying and disruption campaigns against labor, civil rights and revolutionary movements; and how, with the right strategy, we can defeat and expose such efforts, as was done in a landmark lawsuit won by the Socialist Workers Party against the FBI in 1987.

Dear Nicole & John, Thank you so much for your book. As the counselor at St. Mary's I stress the importance of naming your feelings, knowing they are all O.K. and then deciding what to do with them. Your book is an added 'tool' for me. Our librarian will be reading your books to the children in grades K-3. Thank you for remembering Littleton at a very sad time."

Dear John & Nicole Clark, Thank you. We have been feeling much like the 'Little Dragon' these past weeks. Just as all the ocean creatures helped 'Destiny Dragon' to work through her feelings, they have helped us to do the same. We have shared this book with each other as well as other Teachers and students in our school. Your book has helped us begin to heal."

This is an incredible picture book with vibrant illustrations and a story that teaches children effective ways of dealing with emotions such as anger, fear, and grief. The book comes with an amazing pair of 3D glasses that could be called 3D goggles. Put these glasses on and hold your breath as you look at the incredible life like underwater coral and sea creatures. This is a one of Picture Book recomended for adults and children alike. A++++

I have met these two people on three different occasions and they are exactly like you'd expect an Alaskan couple to be. They are rugged, friendly, and know their gold!!! This book was so interesting and well written that I have passed mine around to family and friends who love Alaska as much as I do. I'd give anything to work along side Dexter and Yonda for a while - I know I'd never leave. I am really looking forward to their next book.

A wonderful story of relationships: significant others, familial, and community.

A moving story of advenure, hardship, learning and sharing. I was very moved by this touching story of love and sharing.

A delightful series of stories told by a husband and wife team who have made searching for gold in Alaska's wilderness their life's work. It is humorous,sad, thought provoking,and LIFE. A true love story. The authors share their triumphs as well as their failures on their journey to the Eldorado Gold Mine. It is a light and enjoyable read.

I would suggest this as the third book by Dorothy Day that you read-- after "loaves and fishes" and "long lonliness", however, the introduction to this book justifies the purchase for anyone. The introduction is lengthy (over 25 pages), and is written by two people that know the movement (they run Casa Juan is Houston). The book by Day is very touching.... but not an introduction to someone unfamiliar with her work. Often I suggest that someone new to Dorothy Day read the introduction, and then "Loaves and Fishes", and then returns to this book.

Many of Dorothy Day's sabbaticals from the Catholic Worker houses are chronicled in "On Pilgrimage," which was also the title of her long-running column in her monthly newspaper, The Catholic Worker. Ever the journalist, Day would record the most minute aspects of her trips--usually by bus and with a jar of instant coffee and prayer books in her small bag--and give her newspaper readers insight into the social struggle in the South, in Okie migrant camps or Indian reservations. Her compassion and observer's eye didn't conflict; she wrote about injustice with passion, but felt compelled to temper her anger at issues such as the mistreatment of black tenant farmers. Her distinctly Catholic perspective on poverty (indeed voluntary poverty was her lasting contribution to 20th century Christianity) and suffering as well as her feisty personality are evident in these essays detailing her trips. Even though efforts have begun toward Dorothy Day's canonization, she will never be a plaster saint...not as long as these warm and utterly realistic accounts are read. She comes across as a committed Christian who believes in the essential dignity of every human being, oppressed and oppressor alike. The only fault with her pilgrimage essays is their essentially hurried nature. Dorothy Day could be careless with punctuation and transitions in her efforts to get her thoughts on paper. The essays when she's visiting her daughter and attempting to help with the growing number of children are my favorites. Dorothy Day continues to be one of my prime spiritual mentors, precisely because of homey, faith-filled essays like those, where the grandchildren are climbing on her lap and preventing her from writing. The real woman--warts, moments of exhaustion and all--is in these pages.

This remarkable volume draws from Dorothy Day's 1948 diaries, first published that year by the Catholic Worker, and thus presents her many concerns, joys and reflections in that immediate post war era. Fortunately we also have here in this fresh reprinting some sixty years later an excellent and comprehensive and lengthy introduction which places in context these personal reflections. As mentioned elsewhere, these saintly, scholarly and comprehensive introductions are well worth the slight price of the whole book, while Dorothy's thoughts and prayers fill us with priceless and eternal peace, compassionate consolation and strength for these long, lonely times.

Dorothy writes beautifully, and well, with great insight and merciful compassion for the oppressed and the poor to whom we are unquestionably sent by the Gospel to share the very real good news of our liberation. We read her words as if from a different time and place, a different culture, and yet we see our own time, now sixty years later, and the present bitter enormous fruit whose coming she astutely and prophetically cautioned us would ocme should we not repent and convert and practice compassion as God commands.

Please read this book, with the excellent introductions, and discover why many believe her canonization process must inexorably advance, not to bury her words but to give them the authoritive power which may finally have them listened and enacted. Discover as well here her comfort for your soul, a strong straight path to peace and to prayer opened by the words and witness of Dorothy Day, companion on our long journey back to God, with her serving us and our Church as prophet, storyteller, guide and very good friend.

Another amazing aspect of this reprint is its place of honor now in the Eerdman's Catholic Publishing House Ressourcement series of Retrieval and Renewal in Catholic Thought. The theological strategy of Ressourcement holds that in order to discover where we are and how best to proceed we do well to investigate deeply our earliest ecclesial writing, to return to the Sources. Thus in this series we encounter authors who are specialists in Patristics, such as the great French Jesuit scholar, theologian and writer the Reverend Father Henri de Lubac, including the first of his four volume Mediaeval Exegesis. The well known Jean Danielou and Georges Bernanos also appear here, as well as then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger's In the Beginning...: A Catholic Understanding of the Story of Creation and the Fall (Resourcement).

The only woman and the only American represented in this series is Dorothy Day, in this present volume, amongst this august company of French theologians and a present Pope. This alone should convince you of the serious and great value of this book. Never mind the dubious Reagan Diaries; read these very real Dorothy Diaries, once more, in peace and prayer for compassion and conversion as a nation and as a person.

I find it as impossible to offer you a representative sampling from this multi-faceted work, as impossible as offering you one typical wave from the changing sea in all her ineluctable modality, yet we might discern an underlying theme from this passage written in her diary in April:

"Whenever I groan within myself and think how hard it is to keep writing about love in these times of tension and strife, which may at any moment become for us all a time of terror, I think to myself, 'What else is the world interested in?' What else do we all want, each one of us, except to love and be loved, in our families, in our work, in all our relationships? God is Love. Love casts out fear. ( . . . page 123)"

...Reading Mr. Lourie's books truly brings history to life, and adds present day perspective to the tales they've read in their social studies books. In this book particularly, my children were able to relate to the Lourie's children, on a family vacation, traveling such an historic route. How lucky those children are to have a father who can bring to life the stories of Sacagawea, and how lucky are we that he writes it all down for us to share! My young neighbor brought the book to school and her teacher used it as she taught about Sacagawea. Our whole family is anxious to read about Mr. Lourie's next journey!!

Not only is Peter Lourie a talented writer, but now, after reading On the Trail of Sacagawea, my kids think that his family is much more exciting than ours! Or, to put it another way, this book has inspired us to think more creatively about the kinds of trips we'll be planning in the future. Why go to Disneyworld when we could be out exploring the real world? My entire family thoroughly enjoyed this book. Reading about Sacagawea's world some 200 years ago, and the present day journey shared by the Lourie family, gave us all something to think about and to discuss. The book provides a valuable glimpse into our history while at the same time it illustrates how really rewarding family experiences can be. I recommend this book to every parent who is eager to have something of substance to talk about with his or her child, and who would like to enourage reading and a sense of wonder and excitement about the world we live in.

My two daughters loved seeing the author's children included in this adventure. Lourie's photographs are amazing. They depict the wild terrain, the rivers and the mountains, that Sacagawea covered with Lewis and Clark in 1805-1806 on their way to the Pacific. From this book, I learned details about the expedition I had not known before. It's a great introduction to Sacagawea and the monumental feat accomplished by the Corps of Discovery. After reading ON THE TRAIL OF SACAGAWEA, I will keep my eyes out for other books by author Peter Lourie.

I enjoyed these very unusual and unpredictable stories, and never could figure out what was going to happen. I really liked this book.

Hemingway, Steinbeck, and now George Thomas Clark! Like Steinbeck, Clark derives many of his characters from California's great Central Valley. He brings alive people from all walks of life and makes you feel like you are living, suffering, and celebrating the daily lives of this varied cast of characters. It is obvious to this reader that Clark has lived a vivid lifestyle that enables him to imagine the turmoil he so vividly depicts.

Wild, funny, sad, moving - a supberb collection of short stories. Who the hell's George Thomas Clark? I want more.

They often say good things come in small packages and this book illustrates that. Seldom do we find a detailed history of the skirmish line and the fighting that took place there. Bliss had the misfortune to own a fine farm between the lines during the battle of Gettysburg. From his barn and buildings, the Confederates could fire at the Union line on Cemetery Ridge. If the Union held the farm, they would have advance warning of Confederate attacks and restrict their skirmish lines freedom of movement. Both sides understood that it was necessary to hold the Bliss Farm and for thirty-two hours, they fought to do so.

This is a history of that fight or as the book says, a "small epic" hidden inside a much larger story. This is not a battle of brigades but of companies. Forty, fifty or a hundred men working their way forward in small rushes trying to take the farm. On the other side, forty, fifty or a hundred men defending the farm. Fences, trees, the bliss home, wood piles, outbuildings and over all the bank barn become landmarks in a recurring series of battles.

This is not the straight lines advancing, but small groups of men working forward seeking small advantages that accumulate into victory. We seldom get a glimpse of this type of Civil War fighting which makes this book more rewarding and increases our understanding of what combat was like.

The book has sufficient maps to make the fighting understandable. A series of illustrations introduce many of the men involved, putting a face to the name. The addition of maps and photos of the site in 1992 give us points of reference to find the remains of the farm during visits to the area. Appendix F tells of the fate of the Bliss family and shows the cost of war for the civilian population.

This well-written book covers an unknown subject with insights into the small scale fighting of the skirmish line. It is a valuable addition to your Civil War library.

"Captain Lynch left his company (Company B, 106th Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Brigade)... and went forward to ascertain the cause of the line giving way and finding the enemy in possession of the house (barn) and pouring a flank fire upon our line of skirmishers (he) reported to Captain Sperry that the Bliss (barn) would have to be retaken or our line retire.
Captain Sperry then ordered Lynch to retake the farm buildings, and thinking there was a small contingent of the rebels occupying the premises, Lynch moved northward with only his company. The Confederates in the barn 'The whole 16th Mississippi..., allowed him to advance very close to them and demanded his surrender,' which Lynch and his men refused to do. The Southerns then opened fire and drove Company B back to their picket reserve some 500 yards away. in this brief clash, the Pennsylvanians suffered twelve casualties, including one officer killed."

Elwood Christ research into the little written part of the battle with-in a battle is very well written. The Bliss Farm stood in the way of two armies on two hot and bloody days (2nd and 3rd) of July 1863 at a small Pennsylvanian town called Gettysburg.
Included are very good maps and photos to help the reader understand the battle with-in a battle.
For anyone who has walked the ground the farm occupys a dominate postion between Seminary Ridge and Cemetery Ridge. It is south of the town and just west of Emmitsburg road.
Control of this farm is essential in the Confederate's attempt to dislodge the Union troop's on Cemetery ridge.
There for control of this farm is vital to the outcome of the battle as well as maybe the war!
As part of Anderson's division staff you notice that there is very little cover between the tree's in which you stand (Seminary Ridge)and the short but long ridge in front of you. In fact maybe the only thing you see is an Orchard and some farm buildings. You must decide, what should you do as Lee has ordered you to attack!

This volume is a must for both the Gettysburg enthusiast
and the student of Civil War small combat actions. The
author tells the little-known story of the struggle for the Bliss
Farm at Gettysburg in vivid prose augmented by choice
illustrations and photographs. The reader may or may not
agree with the author's conclusions, but the book is certain
to create debate and discussion!

Seurat's,'La Grande Jatte' spelled the limits of petti-borgeoise modernity. For the previous 20 years, the Impressionists, led by the incomparably gifted, Manet, had attempted to make images describing this class, their appearance & behaviour. However,the Impressionists were bourgeoise & inevitably more aligned to their own class, and with the simultaneous rise of the dealer-critic system. Thus the steady sequence of shows, interviews & promotional literature issuing from managed,'creative' artists became the commonplace we experience in the arts today. The new class disappeared from Impressionist art when it was absorbed into the bourgeoise.Witness Monet's shrewd disavowal of the figure as he opted for his less offensive, touristy canon of landscapes. The detatchment of Manet's barmaid at the Follies, 1882,and the inanimate, even catatonic people in Degas's pictures of this period exemplify the new class. Clark argues that the emergence of this class was a product of the rebuilding of Paris by Baron von Haussmann. The old work centre of the city was guttered during the rejig, the trades & graves moved to new peripheries, and commercial entertainments, leisure & pleasure grew in their place to cater for this new white-collar mass public. The questionable role of prostitution is crucial to Clark's claims for this class and it is on this question that Manet is pre-eminent. This era announced the rise of capitalism and the spectacle society of which Clark is a major critical voice. Prodigious scholarship, marvellous insights, with fascinating, rarely reproduced 'secondary' art works to flesh out the theme; I can't think of a better way of teasing back the past to view the present.

As a student of nineteenth century French painting, I think this may in fact be the finest book ever written on Parisian painting in the time of Haussmanization. Clark manages to offer an intelligent Marxist-based claim about class and the emerging Parisian landscape in the 60's without losing sight of the paintings themselves. While most scholars feel the genius of this book lies in his wonderful discussion of "what couldn't be seen in Olympia", I find the first chapter "Environs of Paris" equally fascinating in its discussion of Manet's Exposition Universelle of 1867. A MUST read for any lover of Parisian history or Manet.

I like to think of myself as a person who is curious about a wide range of things, especially in the realm of culture and the arts. Most art history books, however, put me right to sleep, with their endless catalogs of curatorial details about brushstrokes and paint textures and influences and provenance. These detailed analyses almost never situate the paintings in any sort of context and almost never explain WHY we should be interested in these details, other than to prove ourselves worthy connoiseurs to others in the know. Clark's book is a refreshing change from such mandarin drivel. Clark begins with a lengthy discussion of the social context of the paintings he is about to discuss and only then proceeds to extended analyses of particular paintings. Clark is interested in the larger ideas and trends of the period and, most important of all, actually USES the details of the paintings as evidence in the course of making an ARGUMENT about what the paintings mean (hint to other art historians: having an argument contributes significantly to the interest of a book or article). In addition, Clark's argument about the nature of the social changes occuring in France in the 1860's and 70's is compelling and thought-provoking (be forewarned: some Marxism is involved). I found myself actually learning things about the paintings Clark discusses, and looking at them over and over again, trying to find more in them, in much the same way as I would go back to a book or a poem after reading a good piece of literary criticism. I think this book will appeal to anyone who wants to learn more about either 19th-century French painting or 19th-century France. Clark is a stimulating and perceptive guide to this crucial period in the history of painting. Bravo!

A book of supreme importance. It grapples with the simplistic state of New Testament scholarship and shows with a clear method and a profound grasp of the sources that we can reconstruct only with care the social background of the Pauline writings. It is a "must read" for anyone involved in Biblical studies today.

An audacious book that takes to task much of New Testament scholarship. It is outrageous in its bold assertion of the correct and proper way to do social research on the NT - but it is deliciously right in so doing. One can only marvel at the author's skill in dismantling the Aunt Sallys of many a Biblical scholar.

This book, though concerned primarily with the economic life of the earliest churches, is of greater significance than might at first appear. It argues persuasively that New Testament scholarship has failed to take account of the popular culture of the first century and has, as a consequence, badly misrepresented the experiences and practices of the first Christians. The author then provides a model of how an "appropriate context" can be constructed from the diverse array of non-elite sourcs we possess from this period (epitaphs, curse tablets, dream interpretations etc) and reexamines the economic behaviour of the earliest churches in the light of it. The book also contains a concerted criticism of the "new consensus" in Pauline scholarship (the belief that the earliest Christians contained amongst their number members of the elite of their day) and, it has to be said, the plethora of new empirical data provided by the author and his rigorous critique of the consensus' method, leaves it in tatters. A rare book in NT scholarship: one that has something genuinely fresh to say.