Francis Books

I grew up reading the Famous Five in Denmark. My classmates and I would fight over them in the library. I used to hole up in my room with the Famous Five and wishing I was part of their adventures! I had every one of the books but unfortunately they were given away when I left home. I'm now in the process of collecting them all again.

I read all of Enid Blyton's books as an American child living in Pakiston in the late 1960's. I loved every one of them. I am now trying to find another children's series by Blyton called, "Mallory Towers" a schoolgirl series. There were six books in the series. END

I am german and have read probably all Enid Blyton Books around, they are very popular in germany. My favorite serises of hers was the five friends, it is about friendship, it is mystery, it is catching and it makes you want to read..like all of her books this one is a great present for any occassion and a TUMBS UP! I wish more of her works were available in the United States.

I have read most all of Enid Blyton's books, esply her adventure series of Famous Five, The Five Find-Outers and dog, and also her three boarding school series. Most children outside the US read a lot of her work. Her work is not only creative, thus appealing to children, but it establishes fundmental concepts of right and wrong, and a simple code of ethics. Some would call it old-fasioned, maybe. But in this world of violence, Ms Blytons books are a breath of fresh air. Wish they were available in the US!

This book was good on so many different levels. First of all, I loved the flavor of Key West that runs all through it. Many times I felt as though I were there--even though I have never seen the Keys for myself. Knowing that the author spends several months a year there, tells me that most of these places actually exist. Secondly, the characters were so vivid. I loved Keely, Punt, Jass, Gram, and Beau, and I'd love to read a sequel to find out more about them. I found myself deeply involved in their adventures, and I was often rooting and frightened for them. Last, a great deal of suspense ran throughout the novel. It might have been the pervasive, malevolent presence of Jude; the fire; the body; or perhaps the suspicions of the police. All of these things kept me reading frantically. I would recommend this book to anybody who enjoys a well-written, compelling novel.

In this latest novel from author Dorothy Francis, readers are returned to Key West to consider a different heroine and supporting cast than in "Conch Shell Murder." This time it is Keely Moreno, foot reflexologist, who faces death, romance, and the daily stress of living in paradise. Despite the fact that her abusive ex husband lives on Kew West as well these days and could be ignoring the restraining order against him, Kelly has made a new life for herself and is doing rather well.

That is until on a visit to a patient's home for a scheduled appointment, she finds Margaux Ashford dead from a gunshot wound. While the list of suspects for killing the wealthy woman is long, no one else's gun was used to fire the fatal shot. That fact, as well as the fact that she found the body make Keely the number one suspect in the eyes of the police. Knowing how the local police operate and being not at all impressed, Keely, with a little pushing from her friends, decides to investigate the case herself by asking the suspects, many of whom are her patients, where they were at the estimated time of death. As everyone knows, asking questions can get one into trouble fast, which is exactly what happens for Kelly.

Written in the same style as her cozy, "Conch Shell Murder," Dorothy Francis shows her love of Key West. Lush descriptions of the area abound, as do the characters that populate her novel. Many of them are amusingly eccentric and one gets the feeling they are based on real people the author has known. The list of suspects is long and often entertaining as their various eccentricities are covered. At the same time, underneath it all is a tight mystery that provides a rich and enjoyable read for adults of any age.


Book Facts:

Pier Pressure
By Dorothy Francis
Five Star Publishing
http://www.galegroup.com/fivestar/
2005
ISBN # 1-59414-271-8
Hardback
$24.95 US
ARC-Scheduled Release Date 01/21/05


This entire review previously appeared online at the Blue Iris Journal Blog.


Kevin R. Tipple © 2004

Keely Moreno, now free from an abusive ex-husband, is living in Key West and building up her foot reflexology business. Things seem to be going fairly well until she arrives for an appointment at her wealthy patient Margaux Ashford's house to find her dead of a gunshot.

The police are very interested in Keely because she found the victim. They question her quite often, but there are plenty of suspects to go around.

She and her friends decide to try to solve the murder, because they aren't convinced the police will look at all the possible suspects. Other things begin to happen, including a fire and another death. Each of these events is in some way related to Keely. This doesn't help direct the police to other suspects.

Keely finds herself in some sticky situations. Can she and her friends find the murderer without her becoming the next victim?

This is the first book by this author that I have read. It definitely won't be the last. I really enjoyed Keely, and the Key West location was very refreshing. I felt like I was on vacation while reading this book.

Keely and her friends and family are such fun characters. You never know what might happen next. I can't wait to read another book in this series. I highly recommend this book.

In Key West, Keely Moreno is the only foot reflexologist on the island; she takes patients in her office but for special clients she makes house calls. When Keely arrives at Margaux Ashford's house, she finds her client dead from a bullet, a gun in her hand. The police question Keely extensively but won't say if the rich civic minded woman was murdered or committed suicide. Keely is friendly with the children of Margaux's husband, Jess and Punt; the trio agrees to look for suspects.

The matter becomes urgent for the reflexologist because ballistics show Margaux was shot with Keely's gun and the alibi of Margaux's husband fails to check out. Keely believes her abusive ex-husband is the guilty party because she and her grandmother saw him following her despite a restraining order. When a fire burns down the house she is living in Keely thinks her former spouse has something to do with it because she spotted him in the crowd and he left evidence behind. Punt isn't at all certain he's the perpetrator and insists they keep investigating, a move that almost costs Keely her life.

PIER PRESSURE is a fantastic amateur sleuth tale with equal attention given to characterizations and the investigation. Keely is a vulnerable yet courageous woman trying to start life over after being beaten continuously by her ex-husband. Although he is stalking her, there is no direct evidence linking him to the murder so readers will wonder who the perpetrator really is and keep reading to find out. Dorothy Francis is a talented writer and this reviewer will be on the lookout for her next mystery.

Harriet Klausner

and in the Barnabas family lately that luck has turned all bad.

In the 19th century Jacoby Barnabas founded a publishing house, one that prospered and, in due time was passed along to his decendents who, for the most part carried on the business quite conventionally. The third generation was a different matter. One grandson refused to enter the business at all, another was 'to be looked after' and his brother simply disappeared. The rest managed to entangled themselves in love affairs and murder!

Enter Albert Campion (not his real name), friend of the family and amateur detective (and perhaps in line to the throne) has dropped by to take tea with the family but before the evening is over one of the family is found dead with the prime suspects being his wife and his cousin who apparently have become 'quite fond' of one another. As Campion begins to look into the matter he uncovers all sorts of things, office scandals, a long-time mistress and just how a proper businessman can vanish while walking down a London street in broad daylight.

This is the seventh in the Campion series and at this point Albert is emerging from the shadow of Lord Peter Wimsey, the character Allingham patterned him after. Albert is becoming more down to earth and focused, developing more of his own persona, although Allingham is not above making a sly reference to 'Denver' - Lord Peter's family estate.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable mystery, particularly for those who are fans of this series or of mysteries of this era. The characters are well done, the plotting is clever, and the clues are all there fairly laid out for the reader to follow.

With "Flowers for the Judge" Margery Allingham signals the change in her writing style which was first hinted at in "Police at the Funeral." Campion has matured a bit and changed from a hapless zany to someone just a bit more like a friend of the family. Still occasionally fatuous, but, more often, showing flashes of brilliance. In keeping with this, the stories themselves are shifting away from adventure tales and becoming more typical of detective stories. While Allingham is rarely very good at keeping secrets, there really are mysteries and inexplicable clues to puzzle out.

The mystery in "Flowers for the Judge," is who murdered Paul Brande in the cellar lock room of Barnabas Limited. Brande is one of the owners of this respectable publishing firm, along with his cousins John Widdowson and Michael Wedgewood. Paul, noted for running off without notice, and being a bit hare-brained to boot, leaves behind his wife Gina. He had proven himself somewhat lacking as a husband and Gina was in the process of trying to divorce him. To make this even more suspicious, her relationship with Michael, while not exactly improper, is a bit too close to be considered a simple friendship.

When the police discover that the murder weapon was Michael's car, which was used to pump carbon monoxide into the lock room, suspicions blossom. With Michael unable to produce an alibi, the result of the inquest is a forgone conclusion, and Michael is remanded over for trial. Gina and Ritchie Barnabas (another cousin) turn to Campion for help.

The case is complicated by other events and hints of scandal, yet provides Campion with only fragmentary evidence with which to track down the truth. Driven by the need to exonerate Michael rather than simple get him released, Campion's task seems impossible. He leaves no stone unturned in his efforts, and, in the end, risks his own life to reveal the true murderer.

I rather like the new Campion. And the change in writing style introduces considerable depth and emotional content than was present in the more light hearted romances of the past. Characters are more developed and accessible, as well. Not only is "Flowers for the Judge" a great story in it's own right, it is also a portent of more wonderful tales to come.

This is a most excellent mystery, written by one of Britain's premiere writers. Beginning with a murder (naturally) and a missing person, Campion and his companion (with the barely pronounceable first name) Lugg, set to uncover what happened. Some of the old "English/British" expressions might send one to the closest OED (Oxford English Dictionary, of course) and a line of "French", literally, at the end of the last chapter might require a "French" dictionary (for those who, like me, did not take the language in school). Otherwise, a fine book. I wish they would put the video (PBS) version of this book out, as it (the title character, Campion) was well played by Peter Davison of Dr. Who fame.

Albert Campion, universal uncle and amateur detective, is invited into the family circle of staid British publisher Barnaby. There he finds an enmeshed family system, and a series of mysteries. Twenty years before one of the brothers vanished into thin air, while walking down a London street. Now Paul has been found dead in the manuscript vault. His cousin Mike (who is fond of the widow) is prime suspect. It was his car, left running outside the vault room's ventilator, that caused Paul's death of carbon monoxide poisoning. Cousin Ritchie, the reclusive manuscript reader, offers his eccentric assistance. A wonderful surprise ending to all this, which will be welcomed by anyone who's worked in a stuffy publishing house, or endured an asphyxiating family firm.

Daniel Roke has spent his life being responsible for his siblings after the death of their parents. He is seduced by the Earl of October to leave Australia and enter to world of English racing to uncover a ring who are fixing races with an undetectable substance.
Dick Francis in FOR KICKS digs deep into the working arena of stakes racing for a look at the grueling life of a stable lad. The road isn't easy for Daniel as in the end he fights for his life.
Frances's characters are set as self-reliant beings who slough off adversity and get the job done. A great read for the thriller fan.
Nash Black, author of SINS OF THE FATHERS and QUALIFYING LAPS.

I agree completely with the other reviewers. This is a terrific suspense novel that happens to give insight into British racing, the class system and each and every character. While I have read all the Dick Francis books, this is the one that I go back to and reread every year or so. Its quiet, understated tone still builds up to suspense and excitement.

His earlier books (like this one) are the best, as far as I am concerned, and the most recent one or two are not worth reading.

p.s. On a visit to England, I took great joy in going to Newmarket and watching the horses out for practice early in the morning. It felt as if I was in the middle of a Dick Francis book. My husband and daughter, also fans, felt the same.

Intellectuals may scorn him, moderns may call him dated, but they don't know what they're missing. You can always depend on Dick Francis for engrossing adventure with just the right amount of philosophical underpinnings. Enjoy!

You have to have read a couple of Dick Francis' novels before you understand the author. In a way he stands alone, for as far as I can tell he has not overtly used other writers styles and no contemporary writer has used Francis as a primary influence. All of Francis' books follow a similar arc, from one to the next, you know exactly what you will get. But in a strange way, this is not bothersome, instead it is like revisiting an old familiar and comfortable place.

Francis' books are not in a series format. He only uses the same character for a second time once. In his first ten or so books, he uses a particular jockey to set his story around. And later he finds people of different professions that have racing interests to center stories around. This book, "For Kicks" is from the transitional phase, the late 60's, early 70's. It tells the story of Daniel Roke, a trainer from Australia who is hired to uncover a doping ring that is not being detected through traditional meathods. Its a pretty simple story, and like all of Francis' work it is refreshingly understated. With James Patterson and Patricia Cornwells mamoth body counts and terrorising serial killers, or end of the world scenarios ala Tom Clancy and too many others influencing todays reading lists, its amazing to see how much quiet tension builds up in Francis' stories.

I would highly recommend Francis to anyone. Its a fun world to live in for a while, where all of England revolves around the racing world... every other profesion comes second. I remember how much I loathed the idea of Francis before I first read him and I laugh now at my perception of what his books would be about. I mean, how can one author base a huge series of mysteries on racing horses? Dick Francis does so quite well.

Francis Ford Coppola was born in a great year for the movies!
In 1939 the director was born to Carmen Coppola and his wife
Italia. His parents were creative-Carmen was a musician in the
Detroit Symphony and later in the New York Philharmonic under the baton of Arturo Toscanini. Carmen would later win a musical
Oscar for the Godfather films.
Francis was a younger son to his older brother who was everything Francis wasn't: handsome and well liked at school.
His sister Talia Shire would later be a movie star in his own
films most notably the Godfather classics.
Coppola graduated from Hofstra and received a master's degree
in film from the UCLA film school. His early apprenticship in
film was under the tutelage of famed B director Roger Corman.
Coppolla emerged from nudie films and small pictures to direct
"Finigan's Rainbow" and began to emerge as a talented maverick
whose creative/artistic wings were flying in the early 1970s.
Despite arduous business and creative troubles he won fame and fortune and several Oscars for the Godfather films. His most
controversial film was "Apocalypse Now" his take on the Vietnam
conflict based on Joseph Conrad's novella "The Heart of Darkness."
Coppola's career has more ups and downs than a roller coaster
as he founded Zoetrope Films in San Francisco and went to the
mat in countless donybrook battles with studio executives.
Coppola reminds me of Orson Welles in that he achieved fame early and then had a difficult career in tinsel town. He is a
man of massive ego; intelligence; daring and creative attention
to the details/minutia of film. He was unfaithful to his wife
Ellie; grieved over a son yet emerges from this biography as a
flawed but good man. He is gregarious and honest and a good
friend. His friendship assisted George Lucas in launching his
storied career! I like Coppola's rich textured films. His screenwriting from Patton to his latest project is outstanding.
This meticulous account of Coppola's career in the Hollywood jungle will not appeal to everyone. Countless pages are devoted to business deals, legal disputes and the difficulties encountered by Coppola in making his films.
For me who loves the Godfather and FFC this is a fine book.
Anyone who seeks to explore this brilliant man's career would do
well to begin with Schumacher's fine biograpy.

I thought this biography was detailed mostly around this film. On page 262, first paragraph, I think Mr. Coppola would agree to mention the fact that "The Chief Phillips" made a life last attempt to end Willard after getting speared on the boat by Kurtz's mongrules. Overall, the book was a manificant biography of a Itailian-American film maker of our time.

...and I hope he stays that way. Francis Ford Coppola is one of the inspirations of my life. His energy and enthusiasm for what he does outshines even the projects many might deride. One thing you have to say is at LEAST he puts his all into what he does, and I'd imagine no one would doubt this. PS: WHEN is the UNCUT version of "One From the Heart" going to be issued on DVD?

I work for Francis Coppola today and know him pretty well. Michael Schumacher's book really captures the spirit and energy of this facinating and complex man. I have read most of the other Coppola books and none combines an understanding for both the human and artistic side of Francis.

This book, like no other I have read, reflects the passion, energy and chaos of the Coppola world. I can tell you from the inside there is no more exciting experience than being part of the Coppola energy. Francis loves to tackle the "impossible" and never gives up. I particularly like this book because it is clear that the author, like myself, has great respect for this whirlwind of a man.

As an admirer of Francis Schaeffer, one of the saddest things I have witnessed during the last few years is the attempts by both his own son and by other detractors to impugn his integrity or, at least, to redefine him as something he was not. Reading son Frank Schaeffer's memoir, both father and mother are portrayed negatively, Francis as a reclusive, depressed, sometimes suicidal man and Edith as a perfectionist nut. Well, perhaps the title says it all --- "Crazy for God." This book by biographer Colin Duriez, Francis Schaeffer: An Authentic Life, should set the record straight.

Colin Duriez is sympathetic toward the Schaeffers and deeply appreciative of the time he studied under Francis, yet at the same time he is engaged in writing an authentic and carefully researched biography, of telling "true Truth" (to use Schaeffer's nomenclature) about this extraordinary man. While noting Frank Schaeffer's very subjective memoir, and even quoting from it on occasion, he acknowledges that it added little to what he already knew (little, that is, that can be documented, that actually squares with reality). What he takes issue with is Frank's contention that his father kept up a "facade of conviction" in his latter years, something he says is not borne out by the evidence. And that's about all we hear of the strange memoir until near the end of the book where, in a footnote, Duriez cannot seem to restrain his feelings, noting that "he [Frank] is at times in error over fact or interpretation . . . in his unashamedly subjective and at times bizarre memoir." That's a restrained critique by a historian.

But enough of what the book is not. What it is is the best biographical treatment of the man and his mission that has yet been written --- scholarly, without being pedantic or lifeless; sufficiently nuanced, without chasing every thread of the man's life and work; sympathetic, and yet not avoiding the truth about the man's weaknesses and struggles. If you want to feel what animated Francis and Edith Schaeffer, to be caught up in the emotion of what they felt, read Edith's Tapestry and L'Abri. (Set aside sufficient time for their combined 906 pages, however!) But this is the biography for most to read, as it is concise and yet comprehensive enough not to miss any important detail of their story.

In eight chapters and a total of 208 pages, Duriez covers Schaeffer from birth in 1912 until death in 1984 from cancer. Along the way he speaks of his conversion, his years as a pastor, his involvement with the separatist movement and subsequent divergence from it, the L'Abri years, and the latter years of films and more political involvement. What emerges is a portrait of a man who, like any Christian, matured in faith and whose understanding of scripture and culture developed. And yet, looking at Francis Schaeffer's whole life, there no sense that he was a wholly different person in 1975 than in 1955. What comes across is his integrity and consistency. And while Duriez acknowledges Schaeffer's occasional anger or impatience, and even his depression, none of this does anything to damage his reputation. They endear him to us, demonstrating his humanity and his honesty (as these failings and struggles were acknowledged by him to those who knew him).

For most who are familiar with the Schaeffers and who have, perhaps, read Tapestry and L'Abri, much of what is written here will be familiar and unsurprising. What Duriez's succinct book does, however, is provide a kind of condensation for those much longer stories. I found myself drawn back into memories of some details contained in those books that were not included here, a very helpful effect. But the book is more than a revised Tapestry. It also contains excerpts of fresh interviews with the daughters of Francis and Edith Schaeffer: Priscilla, Susan, and Debbie. Once again, there are no surprises, and yet it is helpful to hear their memories and to hear the respect they had for their parents. Then are many other interviews as well, with L'Abri workers like Os Guinness and Dick and Marti Keyes, and perhaps going back farther than any other, with Hurvey and Dorothy Woodson (who actually had a L'Abri in Italy in the late 1950s). Dorothy said that "When Mr. Schaeffer would talk to you, there was nothing else in the world that was going on. He was totally focused on you and what you were talking about. . . ." Great comment. And that's how it goes. Real insights are given into the character of the man. Much is there to emulate.

I recommend Francis Schaeffer: An Authentic Life. If you think you already know him, this summary study of his character will sharpen your appreciation for him. If you don't know much about him, you'll meet someone you want to know better. And if all you've read is Frank Schaeffer's Crazy for God, remedy ignorance: get the "true Truth" here. (taken from www.outwalking.net)

Introducing Francis A. Schaeffer
Francis A. Schaeffer was perhaps the most influential Christian apologist of the latter twentieth century. His fame was such that even Time magazine reported on his "mission to intellectuals" in 1960 and noted his passing in 1984. Yet few individuals today, even among evangelical Christians, know who he was. He studied the changing culture of the sixties and seventies and tried to make it understandable. But like many of the best known cultural icons of that "Age of Aquarius," only those who knew him or where influenced by his diverse ministry still remember him. It is largely they who keep his many books in print. The Swiss alpine study center (L'Abri) founded by he and his wife Edith remains a destination for individuals seeking answers to life's many troubling questions. There, or at its branches in England or the U.S.A, individuals are encouraged to challenge the relativism of our postmodern age by asking if there is such a thing as truth (i.e., truth spelled with a capital "T") or merely many truths.
Colin Duriez's new biography, Francis Schaeffer: An Authentic Life, is a brief, straight forward, chronological biography particularly suited as an introduction to the man and his important intellectual contributions. It is not, as claimed by its author in the Preface, "a comprehensive biography." Those already familiar with Schaeffer will find nothing new here. It has all been said before in other books about Schaeffer and L'Abri. Those looking for a discussion and assessment of Schaeffer's ideas or methodology will be disappointed. That must be found elsewhere.
Duriez's biography of Francis Schaeffer is a glowing tribute to a teacher by a devoted student. But saying so is not meant to diminish its value in any sense. It is well-written and a pleasure to read. For the newcomer to Francis Schaeffer, it is the best introduction available in print, well worth the price and highly recommended by this reviewer, who, like Duriez, is a great admirer of Scaeffer and former student of L'Abri.

This book does an excellent job of showing that Francis Schaeffer was someone that attempted - and sometimes failed - to practice what he preached. Though Schaeffer had bouts of anger, depression, and slowly began to drift towards some of his earlier fundamentalism, he also attempted to live his life valuing each individual.

This book is excellent for anyone attempting to see the "man behind the message." It is valuable to understand why Schaeffer wrote what he did and, more importantly, why he became politically active later in his life. I would recommend this book to anyone wishing to understand exactly who Schaeffer was.

I think it is safe to say that, of all theologians contemporary or ancient, few have had as profound an affect on my life as Francis Schaeffer. Though I've read little of what he wrote, though he died when I was only a young child, and though I have never heard even one of his sermons, I know that my faith has been shaped by him. He was, after all, a major influence on my parents and on so many of their friends. Shortly after their conversion, my parents went three times to various European L'Abri locations, spending upwards of a year at them. In so many ways Schaeffer shaped their fledgling faith just as they later shaped mine. I am indebted to him as I am to them. And in this I am hardly the only one. Though it has been almost twenty five years since his death, Schaeffer's impact is still felt throughout the Christian church.

Despite my indebtedness, and despite his influence over me, I know so little about Francis Schaeffer. Though widely admired, it seems that few people have taken on the challenge of documenting his life (his son's recent attempt notwithstanding). It was with great interest, then, that I turned to Francis Schaeffer: An Authentic Life, a new biography written by Colin Duriez, who has previously written accounts of the lives of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.

The publisher's description aptly summarizes the content. "From his working-class childhood in Pennsylvania, to the founding of L'Abri, his personal crisis of faith, and his latter years as a compassionate controversialist in the worldwide spotlight, all the eras of Schaeffer's life unfold within these pages. But Duriez, who studied under and interviewed Schaeffer, also takes a deeper look, revealing those distinct life phases, as well as Schaeffer's teachings and his complexities as a person, within their historical context so that contemporary readers may better understand all of who Schaeffer was--and why he still matters today." Duriez depends largely on oral history he gathered--upwards of 150,000 words of it, to describe the life of this great Christian.

I find that there are at least two kinds of biographies. There are some where the reader closes the cover and feels as if he now knows a lot about the book's subject; then there is the occasional sublime biography where the reader closes the book and feels as if he truly knows the subject. While I wanted this biography to fit in the latter category, I feel that it fits instead in the former. This is not meant as a critique as much as an honest assessment. Though the book has undoubtedly increased my knowledge of Francis Schaeffer, my respect for him, and my understanding of his impact on the church, I do not feel as if I really know him, as perhaps I did with Jonathan Edwards after reading Marsden's great account of his life or with Whitefield after enjoying Dallimore's two-volume masterpiece.

Yet the book stands on its own merits and it stands well. It is thorough without being burdensome and grapples well with the complexities of Francis Schaeffer, his life, and his ministry. It describes a man who had a unique gift for teaching and a deep, reverent love for his Saviour.

The best and, to my knowledge, the only full-length biography of Schaeffer available today, this one is well worth the read. I do not think it will stand in history as the definitive account of Schaeffer's life, but it is still a very good account and one that will bless you as you read it. If you have been influenced by Schaeffer or if you have sought to understand his ministry, you will want to secure a copy for yourself.

Excellent Book! Sr Delio brings the incarnational spirituality of St Francis, St Bonaventure, and of St Clare to a layperson in such a way as to mesmerize.

This book is well written and will appeal to non-Franciscans as well as Franciscans. The format--with questions at the end of each chapter--readily appeals to persons who wish you use the book for a discussion group. I have used one of the chapters with college undergraduates. They understood the message and found it readily applicable to their own lives. These students are all non-Franciscans; half of them are non-Catholic Christians.

The goal of Delio, a theologian, in writing this book is to define more clearly the role of Franciscan prayer in making Jesus Christ alive in the believer. To accomplish this aim, she relies on three major voices from the Franciscan tradition: Francis of Assisi, Clare of Assisi, and Bonaventure of Bagnoregio.

The book addresses specifics such as Clare's fourfold path to prayer (gazing, considering, contemplating, and imitating), and the Franciscan practices of poverty, friendship with Christ, and unceasing prayer as a way to live more deeply in Christ. These topics are fleshed out with background on the cultural climate leading to and encompassing the time of Francis, Clare, and Bonaventure and also details of their lives and teachings.

The entirety of the book is informative and inspiring, but its greatest richness lies in the author's gift for expressing spiritual concepts; example, "We pray not to acquire a relationship with God as if acquiring something that did not previously exist. Rather, we pray to disclose the image of God in which we are created, the God within us, that is, the one in whom we are created and in whom lies the seed of our identity.... We pray not to `ascend' to Go but to `give birth to God' to allow the image in which we are created to become visible."

This book is a delight. A must have for secular Franciscans of all denominations.

Freedom's Sword is a hugely impressive and thorough undertaking. At the same time, Jonas' heart and soul clearly shine through. A must read for any student of American history, government, political science or the civil rights movement.

gilbert jonas provides a fascinating first-person look at the events and personalities that shaped an important era in our nation's history. highly recommended.

This book is an exciting account of an often overlooked and very important part of United States Twentieth Century history. It is a scholarly and at the same time passionate telling of the events in the 1920's to 1950's that culminated in the civil rights movement of the 1960's. Excellent footnotes, especially helpful for those who may wish to do further study.

Because of his many years of connections with the NAACP, only Gil Jonas could have written such a thorough history of this important period in the life of the NAACP and the country. The detail is extravagant and very readable. This is a must for anyone interested in civil rights and race relations in the USA.
Murray Frank

Buell's book on environmental crisis is that rare breed of serious book. It's really important, and it's also thoroughly readable and entertaining. Every major aspect of environmental crisis is discussed, and how the crisis has played out in American politics and culture is also fully presented. It's a must read for anyone who wants to really try to imagine the next hundred years.

Well-written, intelligent, daunting. One of the best environmental books I've read in a few years, and I teach, write, edit, and review in this field.

I know of no better book about the environmental crises in the US today than this one. It is full of ideas and information but is also full of feeling and is a great read! The book also tells the often sad and outrageous story of environmental politics from the conservative "revolution" to the present and explores many of the very bizarre ways in which we Americans have attempted culturally to adapt to living with and in environmental crisis. I highly recommmend it.
Diane Dudzinski

From Apocalypse to Way of Life gives a riveting account of environmental crisis in all its many forms--as a catastrophe in progress in nature, as a threat to human health, and as a dysfunctional aspect of society. It deals with trashed ecosystems, chemical and other pollution, the extinction of species, the risks of new technologies, scary human health problems, and the environmental effects of global inequities. It gives an often amusing (sometimes hilarious) and sobering account of the various attempts to convince us that environmental crisis does not exist (or more blatantly, that it is actually good for us) that have entered American politics and culture over the last three decades.

The first time ever I saw a cannon underwater was in Northern Ireland in 1976. At the time, I thought I was looking at something that would have archaeologists jumping to for joy, but it was later dismissed as an old iron demi-culverin of no importance. The following year, however, I was asked to help recover the front 2 feet of a bronze weapon discovered off Gibraltar. It later turned out that an incoming cannonball had hit this cannon at a time when it was hot from repeated use - thus causing it to break. Only last year I was visiting St. Paul Island in Nova Scotia where we came across several remnants from early vessels - including cannon and a large pile of cannonballs.

It is, therefore, with a little experience (and I do mean "little.") but plenty of interest in such matters that I took delivery of "Galleons and Galleys" by John F. Guilmartin - published by Cassell & Co - to be released for general sale on 18 February 2002.

Professor John Guilmartin is a leading authority on military and maritime history specialising on the 16th and 17th Centuries. Whilst many would describe the turn of the 20th Century as a time of revolution in terms of warfare at sea, historians like Guilmartin know how such radical changes happened in an earlier age - albeit on a different scale, at the turn of the 16th Century.

Galleons and Galleys is a hardback book measuring 10½in x 8in and packed with over 220 pages of fascinating historical detail essential to anyone with an interest in this period of maritime history. Beginning with an introduction which explains the age of the Galleon and Galley, Guilmartin then takes the reader on a journey which incorporates Warfare at Sea 1300-1453, Weapons of War 1300-1650, the evolution of European sailing ships - such as the Caravel and Carrack, to the development of the War Galley right through to the heyday of the supreme Galleon.

In a thorough and very professional piece of work, the author includes all the peripheral information such as; Warfare at sea before Gunpowder, World Trade and the emergence of major maritime powers, the gunpowder revolution and the development of naval ordnance, the rise of Swedish sea power, strategies and tactics of the day, Anglo-French confrontations and Anglo-Spanish rivalry - thus giving as complete a portrayal of the subject as one could hope to find.

With numerous famous paintings and portraits reproduced alongside line drawings of everything from the various types of ship to a description of the mould used for making cannon, this is indeed a scholarly work made all the more important because it is so easy to read and follow.

NM

This is a beautiful book, richly illustrated, so much that it seems at first glance like it belongs in the category of "coffee table" books, with nice pictures but shallow detail. Not so. The illustrations are magnificently assembled and well presented, but they accompany masterful information content. The social, political, and technological backgrounds in which the galley and galleon (and their contemporaries, the carrack, caravel, nau, etc., and successor, the ship of the line) arose and drove their evolution are set out. Examination of naval gun technology, a driving force in this progression, is here. History outside of the famous Mediterranean and English Channel scenes are here: the incursion of the Portuguese into the Indian Ocean, and the campaigns of Korea's great Yi Sun-shin. The brief episode of the Chinese navigations is mentioned, but only briefly, probably because the Chinese fought no serious naval battles and established no lasting maritime empire before their politics stifled and suppressed their fleet. For a view of naval power up to the coming of age of the northern European nation-states, this is a choice work.

The turn of the sixteenth century witnessed the beginning of a revolution in warfare at sea, a revolution caused by the marriage of artillery to ships capable of true oceanic navigation. As a result, the countries of Europe spread their influence across the globe and made the world we live in today. But the galleons which carried black powder and European hegemony across the seas did not spring "full blown from the brow of Athena." They were the result of a combination of technical and historical factors which historian John F. Guilmartin examines in his latest work, Galleons and Galleys. In concise analytical chapters interspersed with case studies, Guilmartin traces the history of ships and gunpowder across 350 years from the mid-Atlantic to the South China Sea.

Readers familiar with Dr. Guilmartin's earlier masterpiece, Gunpowder and Galleys, will recognize the format of alternating topical chapters and battle descriptions. As with the earlier work, many of the battles may be unfamiliar to lay readers like myself, but Guilmartin does an impressive job of putting the whole picture together.

The turn of the sixteenth century witnessed the beginning of a revolution in warfare at sea, a revolution caused by the marriage of artillery to ships capable of true oceanic navigation. As a result, the countries of Europe spread their influence across the globe and made the world we live in today. But the galleons which carried black powder and European hegemony across the seas did not spring like Athena, full blown from the brow of Zeus. They evolved from oar-driven galleys as a result of a combination of technical and historical factors which historian John F. Guilmartin examines in his latest work, Galleons and Galleys. In concise analytical chapters interspersed with case studies, he traces the history of ships and gunpowder across 350 years from the mid-Atlantic to the South China Sea. I enjoyed the way Professor Guilmartin (Ohio State University) developed his thesis, and I learned a lot about obscure actions like the War of Chioggia and Hideyoshi's invasion of Korea.