Francis Books

I must confess that I don't know much about Ancient History. That is why I am really enjoying Osprey's Essential History series. This book is a better one in the series. It is well written and laid out (unlike The Punic Wars, which looked like it was assembled in a tornado). The colour maps and diagrams are placed close to the corresponding text.
Of course it only skims the surface of Caesar's conquest of Gaul (modern day France), but that is all I want for now. It nicely sets up the next book in the series: Caesar's Civil War.

Osprey's Essential History Volume 43, Caesar's Gallic Wars 58-50 BC, covers the series of wars in wars in Western Europe that made Julius Caesar a household name in ancient Rome. Kate Gilliver, a British academic who took in PhD in Roman military theory, uses Caesar's own commentaries as the basis for her synopsis, but tempers that biased account with input from other sources to provide greater balance. Indeed, military readers will be pleased with the sound use of military analysis in order to add value to this account; unlike many other historians who attempt to detail ancient campaigns, Gilliver remains focused on the primary elements of the conflict and does not become distracted with archaeological minutiae. The campaign maps provided in this volume also add greatly to the narrative, since most translations of Caesar's commentaries lack effective maps to demonstrate Roman operations. Overall, Gilliver's account should be pleasing to academics and military professionals, for shedding greater insight into how, why and what Caesar accomplished in Gaul.

Caesar's Gallic Wars begins with a short introduction, a chronology, and a section on the background to the war. The section on the warring sides is 12 pages long and notes that, "the Gallic warriors fought as individuals, " but "the might of the Roman army lay in the strength of its formations, and that was based on unit morale, discipline and training." The heart of Gilliver's narrative - the sections on the outbreak of the war and the main campaigns of 58-50 BC, spans some 35 pages. The narrative is greatly aided by seven maps: the campaigns of 58 and 57 BC, the battle against the Helvetii in 58 BC, the battle against the Nervii in 57 BC, the campaigns of 56 and 55 BC, the campaigns of 54 and 53 BC, the campaigns of 52 and 51 BC, and the siege of Alesia. The final sections include portrait of a soldier (Caesar's centurions), the impact of the conflict (loss of life, slavery, destruction, food supplies, religious and social changes), portrait of a civilian (Roman merchants), how the war ended (Roman triumphs), and conclusions. The section of further reading is overly-brief, and considering the author's academic background, should have included pertinent journal articles from relevant historical and archaeological texts.

Gilliver makes a number of interesting and often understated points about the military aspects of the Gallic Wars. First, the Romans had a technological edge in field artillery and siege warfare techniques that hurt the morale of Gallic opponents. In particular, the scorpion was a very effective anti-personnel weapon for which the Gauls had no equivalent. The Gaullic oppidum, or hill forts, had seemed resilient to attack in tribal warfare but they were easily reduced by efficient Roman siege methods. Second, the Gauls were accustomed to tribal warfare where rival armies disbanded during the winter months, but the professional Roman armies were capable of staying together year after year. Rome's ability to conduct a sustained military presence in conquered Gaullic territory undermined the Gaul's hopes that they could ride out an invasion. Third, the Roman army was virtually unbeatable in conventional battles and the only effective means of resistance was guerrilla warfare. Gilliver notes that other than the heavy losses inflicted on Sabinus' legions during the revolt of 53 BC and the repulse at Gergovia in 52 BC, the Roman army generally dominated combat operations throughout the wars. Although Caesar's campaigns may not seem like Blitzkrieg-style operations to the modern mind, Gilliver notes, "for the Gauls, the intensity of Roman campaigning and particularly the speed with which their lands were reduced to provincial status must have been a terrible shock." A fourth military point that Gilliver makes concerns the inability of the Gauls to form a common defense against the Romans; indeed, Caesar was particularly adept at playing upon tribal rivalries to divide and conquer his foes.

Gilliver also makes the interesting conclusion that Caesar used the wars in Gaul to build himself a fortune (from the sale of slaves) and a military reputation, both of which were necessary to further his political ambitions. Caesar's campaigns succeeded in neutralizing all effective resistance to Roman occupation, but it took several more generations to pacify the entire countryside. Operationally, Caesar was also quite brutal - even by Roman standards - and he strove to inflict (or claim) maximum losses upon the enemy. Gilliver notes that a Roman general had to kill at least 5,000 enemies in order to gain a triumph in the capital. Furthermore, Caesar used cruelty to weaken the will to resistance in his foes. In 52 BC, Caesar's troops stormed the oppidum of Avaricum and massacred all 40,000 inhabitants. In 51 BC, Caesar eliminated one of the final Gaullic holdouts at Uxellodunum but, "instead of massacring the defenders, Caesar cut off their hands and set them free, to serve as an example of the punishment meted out to those who resisted Rome." Caesar was also capable of military "stunts" like bridging the Rhine River and brief expeditions to Britain, both of which captured the Roman imagination but provided no tangible strategic benefits. Gilliver's account of the Gallic Wars is excellent in every regard and is a model synthesis, particularly given the restraints of limited ancient sources.

As I say in my Amazon's AYA page I'm a history buff. Caesar is one of my favorite characters. I've read his "Commentaries" and "The Civil War", Suetonius' "The Twelve Caesars", Plutarch's "Lives" and a score of contemporary books about his life.
In my periodic searches I've found Kate Gilliver's "Caesar's Gallic Wars" and the excellent review of it from Dr. Forczyk and decided to give it a try.

I wasn't disappointed. This is a great resume of the Roman conquest of Gaul. In only 96 pages the author gives a very concise, clear and accurate picture. Maps of the campaign and specific battles are wonderful. For the first time I was able to visualize the enormous distances covered by Roman Legions in such a brief time period and the strategic difficulties they had to overcome.
Ms. Gilliver starts with a synopsis of the events preceding the campaign, continue with a comparison of Roman and Gallic mentality and attitudes on regard of war. Then describes the campaign itself and finally gives an evaluation of the impact on Gaul and Rome.

Osprey's edition is very well done, first quality paper and reproductions and a dynamic presentation of the text.
This book may suites as an introduction for neophytes or as a graphic resume for students and researchers.
Reviewed by Max Yofre.

I trust this is the one compiled by his son Eric.

Anyway, this book seems to read like McLuhan always wanted it: short, digestible bursts of prose.

The Playboy Interview is fantastic. I always generally enjoyed McLuhan in a dialog scenario more than his writings, though his writings definitely tend to have more moving moments of clarity and epiphany.

McLuhan was not the first to open up the field of media study with the focus on the media rather than content. But he was the first to see that ALL human artifacts create their own context of effects, and McLuhan remains unsurpassed in the breadth and depth of his understanding. No field of human endeavor goes unaffected by media environments, and this generous collection is well suited to the serious inquirer, whether new to McLuhan or revisiting him with the onset of the latest manifestations of the electronic age--the web and internet

Measuring the impact of Marshall McLuhan on media studies is akin to measuring the impact of media on man. Modern man's entire scope of understanding is impacted by and funneled through media forms, and the field of media study is almost entirely funneled through the groundbreaking work of Marshall McLuhan. He may not be the least appreciated genius of the 20th century, but he is at least among the most niche-appreciated; for a man whose theories have practical, everyday applications for just about every human on the planet, he is rarely discussed outside the circle of communication and media students, academics, and researchers.

That's where a compilation like this one can come in very handy. For the new McLuhan reader, this generous collection offers enlightening snippets from nearly all of his major works, as well as some informative profile pieces. It's a great introduction to McLuhan specifically, and to media studies in general, and should nicely pique the interest for further study.

Where has this scholar been hiding? Shapiro has written a tome on disabilities and the education of teachers and students--the book has sources, resources and is written in a way that engages the reader immediately. a must have for those involved in education

Dr. Shapiro has written an excellent book on an important topic -- how to successfully promote positive attitudes toward students with disabilities.

Unless teachers and parents plan for the social as well as the physical and academic integration of students with disabilities, the concept of inclusion in regular education classes will not work. Students with disabilities will be rejected, teased, and ignored.

"Everybody Belongs" is a sensitively written, practical book for making inclusion work. Shapiro's ideas are based on years of experience and a detailed, insightful understanding of the relevant research and the history of disabilities. It is also based on a keen understanding of schools, teachers, and children.

Professor Shapiro has provided a first rate addition to the disability literature in this wide ranging and very readable volume. From the need to change attitudes to the historical roots of the oppression of persons with disabilities to the unique problems of special education and many practical suggestions, Shaprio's work is impressive in scope. He has written both a textbook for the field of special education and a reference work useful to all scholars examining disability issues. This book is also a "must read" for policy makers, both in and out of education. As a graduate student in the cultural and intellectual history of disabilities, I expect to make repeated and substantial use of Shapiro's book in the years to come.

Steve Alcorn's short but fully realized novel is conceived as two parallel stories, one in 1928 and the other in 1540 (just two years before Juan Cabrillo landed in California in 1542, opening California to the modern world). The stories are set in the same physical location, a canyon downstream from where the St. Francis Dam collapsed in 1928. The protagonist of each story is a young girl of about 12 years old. Each girl has interests and intentions which were probably unusual for her culture.

Aside from the thriller-type page-turning dramatic aspect of both stories, I found the historical aspects interesting. For example, it certainly was fun to read about a time when gasoline cost just ten cents per gallon, and people needed to use blocks of ice to keep their food from spoiling. Also, it was a politically innocent time when you could just go out and dig up Native American skeletons and no one would think of you as doing anything but Archeology.

The story line from 1540 was fascinating since it presented a lot of information about the Chumash Indians, which are usually presented so matter of factly. Even though the book is short, by the end you have a very good picture of the details of Chumash daily life, which Alcorn somehow makes interesting, and a fairly rich imagining of Chumash spiritual life as well.

Aside from the anthropology, the best part of the book was the dam disaster and its aftermath. The preamble to the disaster, and the dam collapse itself, are related with an extremely light touch. You might expect that a novel about a civil engineering disaster to be filled with a dull engineering back-story. But then you might also expect to guess the endings of the stories of the two girls. You would be wrong in both cases.

I can honestly say that when Everything In Its Path arrived on my doorstep from Amazon, I started reading it right away, even though I was already reading a novel I had been looking forward to reading for eight years: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I actually found Alcorn's novel about the St. Francis Dam Disaster of 1928 absorbing and involving right from the star and I finished reading it before I read another page of Harry Potter's final adventure.

I think Everything In Its Path would be a good book to read to your older kids, although much younger children might be troubled by the flood and its devastation.

This is a well-crafted, well-researched young-adult novel. Kate is an inquisitive fourteen-year-old in 1928 Southern California, and Singing Bird, a brave Chumash Indian girl in the same place four hundred years earlier. Through their interwoven stories, the reader is drawn into the culture of the Chumash tribe in the mid 1500s and into the lives of several people affected by the St. Francis Dam disaster of 1928 that killed five hundred.

At its heart, however, this novel is about finding courage in the face of self-doubt. Dutiful and conscientious Kate yearns to be an archaeologist like her academic but disengaged father. Seeking his approval, she hopes that she can prove to him that she is worthy to be his apprentice. While on spring break with him in San Francisquito Canyon where he is excavating Chumash remains and artifacts, she worries that the dam above them is unsafe. But Kate hesitates to share her concerns with her father in case he will dismiss her fears and think less of her.

Singing Bird, who is with her tribe in a summer camp, mourns for her father who recently died in a fall. Yet, she must carry on for her mother's sake and help out in the camp--gathering plants, weaving, preparing food. And with her gift of vivid, prophetic dreams she helps her tribe in other ways, too. But the dreams upset the arrogant leader and priest who think she is attempting to take away their authority, so Singing Bird hesitates to speak of her dream that a flash flood is going to race through the canyon and kill her people, fearing the consequences of the leaders' disapproval.

But events force Kate and Singing Bird to trust their convictions despite their uncertainties and the opposition surrounding them. Using intelligence, foresight and their leadership skills, they courageously protect those they love, and--justifiably proud of their accomplishments--gain self-confidence. I found 'Everything In Its Path' to be an engaging, entertaining read with some nice, surprise twists. History came alive through Kate and Singing Bird's experiences and their stories blended beautifully.

Just after midnight on March 13, 1928 the recently constructed St. Francis Dam gave way, releasing a 160-foot-high wall of water down San Francisquito Canyon. The torrent swept huge pieces of the dam, some weighing thousands of tons, more than a half mile downstream. Four hours later the water thundered into the Pacific Ocean after erasing nearly everything in its 50-mile path. By morning, more than five hundred people were dead or missing. It was the worst American civil engineering disaster of the twentieth century.

Everything In Its Path tells the story of Santa Paula archaeologist Randall Thompson and his daughter Kate, who are excavating a Chumash Indian site in San Francisquito Canyon. As the dig progresses, Randall is puzzled by remains buried beneath a layer of silt. Kate explores the town of Castaic Junction and the dam's powerhouse, getting to know the real-life residents. Then she makes an alarming discovery: the dam is leaking!

Intertwined with Kate and Randall's story is that of the prehistoric Chumash settlement. Tribe member Singing Bird is tormented by dreams of water, and her village being swept away. But leader Lone Wolf belittles her premonitions, and threatens her if she speaks out. As storm clouds gather, Singing Bird must decide whether to submit to Lone Wolf or try to save the tribe from the awful event she foresees.

Across the centuries the two girls' fates are drawn together, culminating in a remarkable discovery as they struggle to save their loved ones from a force that will sweep away Everything In Its Path.

Professor Lewis R. Gordon (Temple University) has outdone himself in this groundbreaking introduction to Africana existential thought! In addition to a breakthrough in Africana studies, Fanonian and DuBoisian students and scholars alike will appreciate the fruit of Gordon's labor. I would highly recommend anything written by Gordon; his style and method are very endearing to the reader.

If you are at the least familiar with Prof. Gordon's work, then you should need no prompting in purchasing this text. If not, then I wholeheartedly recommened "Existentia Africana" for anyone with an interest in race theorizing along existential lines. Gordon draws influences from such existential theorists as Frantz Fanon, W.E.B. DuBois, Jean-Paul Sartre, and bell hooks to paint a very coherent and useful picture of modern Africana existential thought. Buy it, and read it, you won't be dissappointed.

Sylvia Wynter has said that it is the challenge of the writer to create new "forms of life." Lewis R. Gordon has done just that with "Existentia Africana." With chapters such as "Can Men Worship?", "'What Does It Mean to be a Problem'?", and one of the most moving sections, "Writing: Words and Incantation", Gordon pours out his soul in trying to explain to the reader why in the year 2000 black people in Africa and the African Diaspora are still regarded as problem people. The author is a writer, philosopher par excellance, a jazz musician, a product of both Jamaica and black America, the academy and the realm of grassroots political activity. Discussing persons such as Frantz Fanon to Angela Davis to Jean-Paul Sartre to W.E.B.Du Bois to Naomi Zack to Josiah Young to Abbey Lincoln and to others, Gordon's words and incantation force the reader to confront the meaning of black existence from Jamaica to the United States to the UK to Africa to aboriginal Australia. Gordon differentiates between the European movement of thought "Existentialism", versus what he terms a "Philosophy of Existence/Existential Philosophy." A Philosophy of Existence addresses issues of freedom, anguish, dread, and responsibility in a way that does not limit discourse to European thought and thikers such as Sartre, Heidegger, Jaspers, and Simone de Beauvoir. Dear reader, please read on if you are willing to confront these serious and pressing issues of our times.

A very inspirational account of men who are happy with their vocation to the Roman Catholic priesthood. It is a welcome breath of fresh air in contrast to so many other books which proclaim priesthood in a negative light (and wrongly so!). In this book you will encounter men who have struggled, men who have had fascinating experiences, men who have rejoiced, both young and old. I would recommend this book for any priest, seminarian, or for anyone considerding a vocation to the priesthood, as well as for those who feel that priesthood is dead! It is not! Read about these extraordinary lives!

The text is very honest and encouraging. Was recommended to me by a Roman Catholic priest. The book makes life as a priest sounds exciting. Lots of good advice for discernment and life in general from first hand experience. Shows that obedience and celibacy are blessings to welcome. I most definitly agree with the publisher's review. It offers reasons to become a priest and reasons to stay a priest. As a young man myself, it offers an appealing alternitive lifestyle. Only complaint: there were no "simple" parish priests. All were truly extraordinary, as the title implies, however, I would have liked to read about a priest who is happy with one role in the Church - pastor of a parish without the additional responsibilities of vicar, vocations director, etc. However, it does remind us that priests are called to fill multiple roles in the Church at one time. Truly an uplifiting book and definitly recommended for anyone who wants to understand the Priestly ministry more fully. Example advice from the text: If you are too busy to pray, you are too busy. I know that is advice I need to follow. I hope for similar books in the future.

If you have come to believe the Catholic Priesthood is about to become part of the dustbin of history, then reading this book may cause you to think again. This is a refreshing and inspiring look at 33 men who are living lives that are personally satisfying and which bring a dimension of service to the world which is diffferent from any other. Particularly interesting are the differing, yet singular threads which run through the stories related. This is well worth reading.

The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a fiction novel that took the world by storm. Nick, Jay Gatsby, Tom and Daisy Buchanan, Jordan a tangled mess of social relationships, some intended for love, some for friendships, others stemmed from old running love. Nick lives on West Egg, near the Gatsby mansion, Gatsby a man whom Nick comes to know well, as well as possible.

Gatsby throws huge social gatherings that people come to even if not familiar with the man Gatsby himself. Nick goes to these gatherings and soon meets Gatsby and becomes friends of leisure. When reading of these lavish parties of Gatsby's F. Scott Fitzgerald makes you feel as though you have been there and wish to stay one second and leave the next by feelings of discomfort. But yet you will want to continue to read to see what is in store next.

Gatsby throws these gatherings in hopes of meeting Daisy once again, for in the past they were lovers. Tom, who is Daisy's husband, is also Nick's old college buddy, is clueless of Gatsby's intentions with Daisy. Which Tom himself is not so faithful to Daisy. Nick agrees, not so whole heartedly, to help Gatsby and Daisy meet. As all of this falls into place Tom continues to see a mistress by the name of Mrs. Wilson, a woman who is married to a mechanic living in a dreary place. Meanwhile Nick starts to fall for a flirtatious and wildly mannered Ms. Jordan Baker. The parties continue to exist, and the company continues to fall into a social web of deceit and denial. As this all takes place you feel for Gatsby because of his longing for Daisy, but are struck by a weak appalling feeling for the way he seems to go about his business.

As the story continues to fall into place some find true love, some find old love, while others find the truth. The plot thickens as a death occurs causing an uproar of suspension of motive and a scandalous cover up causing suspension and tension among the old acquaintances.

F. Scott Fitzgerald throws twist and turns at you in this novel just when you think nothing else could happen. He has quite the talent for hooking a read and slowly reeling them in to feel every slight bump and jerk before reaching the shore, or the end. Which leads to another misfortunate death in the novel that was a great mistake, but yet made a great ending to a great novel that will have you intrigued from the first page to the last.

There is a reason why this is required reading in advanced literature classes throughout the country. This is without a doubt one of the best tales ever told. It should be used as an example to any aspiring writer of what great writing can be. The thing that makes it so great is Fitzgerald's ability to formulate characters, both large and small, and his ability to have them interact in a manner that is at once both imaginative and realistic. This makes the story, which in and of itself is not more amazing than other books, more amazing because you are compelled to believe the plausibility of a story that is incredible. Even if you are not a literature student you will find this book an enjoyable read that is intellectually stimulating, yet easy reading for those reading to relax. Many have copied this story directly and indirectly because of the lesson it teaches (that in the story about life and that about creating a story) and many will continue to do so in the future.

The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, was published by Simon & Schuster Inc. in New York in 1925. The book is about the American Dream and the failure of the attempt to reach its illusionary goals, especially the Gatsby's. The attempt to capture the American Dream is central theme to many stories of all times. For Gatsby, the dream is that one can acquire love and happiness through wealth and power. F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896 - 1940) was born in St Paul, Minnesota. He was an American short-story writer and novelist. The Great Gatsby is considered as Fitzgerald's finest novel.
The story was set in New York and Long Island in 1920's. Nick Carraway is a young man working as a bond broker in New York. He is used as the narrator throughout the story. Nick acts as an insider as well as an outsider. He eyes everything that is happening in between, but has no intention to interfere. I think he chooses not to lose anybody close to him in the story. This arrangement makes it easy for Fitzgerald to give the audience detailed inside information and to back out as an outsider as needed. The core character, Jay Gatsby, is a character that longs for the past. He devotes most of his adult life trying to recapture it and he finally pays his life as the price in his pursuit. When he was young in the military, Gatsby fell in love with the beautiful Daisy, but he could not marry her because of the difference in their social status. So he left her to acquire wealth. When he got the wealth legally or illegally, he moved near to Daisy, who has already married to another wealthy man, and threw extravagant parties every week hoping Daisy might show up one day at the party. Finally, he set up a meeting with Daisy through her cousin Nick. Fitzgerald uses Gatsby's personal dream to symbolize the larger American Dream where all have the opportunity to get what they want.
Nick is a multi-functional character to the author. He uses Nick as the approach for Gatsby to Daisy. The author naturally arranges all these. Gatsby cannot accept that the past is gone and done with. Nick once attempts to show him the folly of his dream, but Gatsby innocently replies to Nick's assertion that the past cannot be relived. For Gatsby, his American Dream is not material possessions, although it may seem that way. He only comes into wealth to fulfill his Dream, Daisy.
Gatsby believes that he is acting for good beyond his personal interest and that should guarantee success. However, he is terribly wrong. He is so determined and so blind that he would do anything to get Daisy, even covering her up for the fatal accident. His dream never comes about and he ends up paying the ultimate price for it. The idea of the American Dream still holds true in today's time, which is wealth, love, or fame. But one thing never changes about the American Dream. That is everyone desires something in life and strives to get it. Gatsby is a good example of pursuing the American Dream.
A society naturally breaks up into various social groups over time. Members of the lower statuses constantly suppose that their problems can be solved if they gain enough wealth to reach the upper class. Fitzgerald believes in his story that many people interpret the American Dream as being this passage to high social status. They believe once reaching that point, they do not have to worry about money any more. Though, the American Dream involves more than the social and economic standings of an individual.
It seems that the more Gatsby tries to obtain, the less he ends up with. The saddest part of Gatsby is the funeral, which symbolizes the ultimate failure of Gatsby to ever achieve what he has wanted. The women he loved and died for was not present. None of the people who frequented the parties over the summer showed up. Wolfsheim, whom Nick believed to be a close friend to Gatsby, refused to attend. The idealism conflicts with the materialism and is torn apart. However, it is his father who lives at the bottom of the society, who is the most natural and native person in the story, whom Gatsby has never mentioned about, finds his way to his son's mansion for the funeral. What greatness of a father's love is in contrast to the love that Gatsby died for? That is the love of eternity. The father loves his son no matter his son is rich or poor. At this moment, both the idealism and materialism are eclipsed by the truthfulness and naturalness. And that is why Nick was tired of the life there, the carelessness of the people, and the corruption of the society in the American East. He decided to head back to his origin, to the more natural and traditional American Mid-West.
Gatsby possesses an extreme imbalance between the material and spiritual sides of himself. Fitzgerald uses him as a portrait of the ultimate failure of the American Dream in that individuals tend to believe wealth is everything. Maybe what Fitzgerald wants to say is that a nation cannot operate solely on materialism. The spirits of individuals are the true composition of a nation.

The merits of The Great Gatsby need not be discussed here. What does cry out for attention, however, is the collection of masterful essays herein that illuminate Fitzgerald's greatest novel, among them the brilliant explication "The Romance of Money" by Malcolm Cowley. Anyone wishing to delve deeper into the rich symbolism and thematic interest of this novel would do well to pick up a copy of this Scribner publication. Buy a unmarked, used copy if you can and save some dough in the process.

This book is truly a work of art. The plot, the characters, the similes, and the quotes are superb. The story is about Jay Gatsby,the man who did everything to achieve love. But he still failed. The theme is illusion. This is a great classic which reflects upon the lives of American people. It is not at all slow and boring. U will definitly enjoy this book. Mark my words

F.S. Fitzgerald had successfully depicted the glamorous lives of the American upper class during the 1920s. The story centers on Jay Gatsby, a millionaire, whose past is a mystery, but with his tremendous wealth, he is able to attract everyone into his life circle. However, his entire motive is to win back his old lover, Daisy; his loyalty of love eventually leads to his tragic ending.

A relatively unknown set of books here in the states, but unfortunately so. The Famous Five series tells of the adventures of Georgina (George), her dog, Timothy, and her cousins Julian, Dick, and Anne.

Five Go Off In A Caravan is one of the three that ties for my favorite Five book. I love them all, of course, but this one is just chock full of humor, good food, fun, and excitement! It's summer hols again, and the Five are traveling in a pair of caravans. They make camp in an area that is also occupied by a circus! They make friends with a circus boy named Nobby and his mischievous chimp, Pongo, who becomes a source of much hilarity. But something sinister is going on in the camp and the children are sure that it concerns Nobby's "Uncle" Dan and his unpleasant friend, Lou the acrobat. What are they hiding and can the children bring them to justice in time?

I could only remember the word "caravan" from one of my favorite childhood book titles and after doing a search for this word was delighted to re-discover the titles of this and other "Famous Five" books. My grandmother must have picked these up for me when she was visiting the U.K. and I have such fond memories of reading these books that I plan on purchasing and re-reading them as an adult. Highly recommended!

One of the best in the series, and one of my personal favorites. This time, our five friends: Julian, Dick, Anne, George and Timmy of course, set out on a holiday in caravans each drawn by a sturdy little horse. The trip starts off peacefully enough, but of course an adventure soon appears...this time from the circus camp located near where the five are staying. Why are Lou the acrobat and Dan the clown so eager to be rid of the five? Be prepared for the usual hair raising adventure filled with nasty tempered criminals, secret passageways and a lot of scrumptious sounding food. Pass the tomatos please! This book stands out thanks to the strange circus folk the five befriend along the way including a couple of circus dogs, a hilarious chimpanzee, and even an elephant who loves to play cricket!

I read this book as a child and loved it.
I am pleasantly surprised to see it still in print.
"Francis and Clare, Saints of Assisi" is immensely readable and entertaining enough for an elementary school reader.
Helen Walker Homan provides a nice introduction to two quite human saints: a nice Catholic primer in the development of faith.

The reading level of this book is challenging enough for my 10 year old son, and enjoyable for us to read aloud together. This book brings to life the story about St. Francis, and made us feel like we knew him personally. It showed my son that saints had real lives, they were children who played just like kids do now, and they chose to serve God. My son and I both enjoyed reading this book.

It is a delightful story of the saints of Assisi intented for the young people, written by Helen Walker Homan and illustratd by John Lawn. The oft-written story of these saints becomes alive in 12 short chapters in simple language, readable for young adults. I am sure that a lot of research and exploration have gone into this work. The early 12th century Assisi becomes alive with the castles, market places, taverns and churches. The saints become normal and real, like the everyday people we meet. At the same time their sanctity and uniqueness in history are well brought out. Indeed it is a well-written book for beginners.