Hart Books

Only a handful of historians have the gift for story-telling that Dr. Nicol demonstrates in this great work. It is an academic work in popular style comparable only to the works of Steven Runciman (see especially, The Fall of Constantinople 1453 (Canto)).

In this work, Nicol organizes the post-Latin kingdom into 4 periods, the post-Latin empire restoration (1261-1282), the era of decline (1282-1321), the civil wars (1321-1354), and the final century of Ottoman incursion (1354-1453). Each section could be studied on its own though each builds on the previous sections as a coherent whole. The final chapter concerning the last holdouts after the fall of Constantinople seemed a bit rushed compared with the rest and this reviewer was hoping for more detail there. There was one map for the entire book and that makes understanding the 200 year span of changes more difficult to follow. Inside the back cover is a family tree for the last emperor, Constantine XI. Despite the minor disappointments this important work is a fine overview of the last centuries of Byzantium and a useful and enjoyable read. The book's overall value far exceeds any of its shortcomings.

Donald Nicol's account of the last 250 years of Byzantine history is accurate, well written and neatly organized. Unlike studies of earlier ages for the Empire where the Empire and the Arabs ruled the East, Eastern Mediterranean history after the Fourth Crusade can get rather complex and confusing, as not only the Empire, but the "crusading" Latins, the Islamic nomads, and the Slavic Christian Kingdoms must all be considered. A tale that could easily become entangled and confusing for the reader, Nicol superbly narrates the events and provides detailed accounts of the players. He cleverly demonstrates how entrenched the beleagured Byzantines were, with the greedy Italians to the west, the encroaching Turks to the east, the growing Serbian Empire to the north, and the festering internal decay of Imperial decentralization from within. Yet, the Empire still produced great leaders like Theodore Laskaris I, John Vatazes, Michael VIII, John Cantacuzene, and perhaps the most tragic of all medieval heroes, Constantine XI Palaeologos, who all, in better times and without so many encoaching powers from the outside, may have saved the Empire from such tragedies. But in addition to this sad tale of Byzantium's fall, Nicol also narrates the flourishing of Orthodoxy in the Imperial and Slavic world, as well as the flowering of learning and thought at Mistra, in the lower Peoloponese. This alone, was the spark that triggered the resurgance of knowledge and arts in the Italian Peninsula, less than 100 years after the Fall of Constantinople. What many, scholars and readers alike, tend to forget is that Byzantium's lasting legacy lay in its cultural achievements in the Orthodox Church, as well as providing the materials and teachers that would reawaken Western Europe into that period of rebirth so commonly referred to as the Renaissance.

Mr. Fath's collection shows impeccable taste on his part, and his knowledge of his subject and personal reminiscences of Benton make this book a must-have for Benton fans. I see copies on occasion is Austin, but they're hard to find. Highly recommended.

This book, although currently out of print, is a must have for anyone interested in the lithographs of Thomas Hart Benton. It catalogues the works and has additional comments by the artist himself on each work. Good luck finding a copy.

When we think of Protestantism in the 20th century, we usually think of the dichotomy between liberals and evangelicals. In this book, Dr. D. G. Hart has carefully focused our attention on an overlooked group of Protestants: confessional Protestants such as those in Presbyterian, Reformed, Anglical, and Lutheran congregations. The value and richness of this book is in the fact that Dr. Hart reminds us that confessional Protestants are the true heritage of the Reformation of the Church in the 16th century. Both liberals and evangelicals come from the Pietism and Revivalism of the 18th century that was opposed to confessional Protestants. This will be a welcome edition to your library. It stimulates thought as a history, but additionally it will encourage those American Protestants who long to see the church return to the preaching of the Word, administration of the sacraments, and an appreciation for the visible church of Christ. I will quote from pg. xxx1. Dr. Hart writes: ...Confessionalism cannot produce immediate results the way pietism promises, through either the imminent inauguration of God's kingdom on earth (the liberal Protestant preference)or the speedy end of human history in divine judgment (the evangelical hope). But confessionalim's longer perspective on the flow of human history, thanks to its understanding of the institutional church, often yields as much wisdom as pietism produces results." Well said!

DG Hart explains how there is more in common between evangelicals and mainline Protestants than confessionalists. He does an awesome job in tracing why confessionalists are less popular but more faithful to historic Christianity than evangelicals and liberals. He's a sharp historian who is slightly out of the mainstream, but demands as much respect as a Noll or Marsden. A must read for thoughtful Christians and those who study religion in America.

I've added this to my list of "must buys" for prospect research training and reference. It's a plus that the book is the collaborative effort of four professionals from different backgrounds.

I highly recommend this book for those who are getting started in donor prospect research & major gifts. It is very useful, especially for the novice.

I just saw a performance of "The Man Who Came to Dinner" and it is at the extreme of cultural literacy. The ideal audience for this work is someone proficient in the society of the time period. If you know who Admiral Byrd, Booth Tarkington, and Katharine Cornell are, you'll love catching all the names that Sheridan drops!

What could be said in this review? The brilliance of this magnificent drawing room comedy speaks for itself! Undoubtedly an American classic, "The Man Who Came To Dinner" has it all: Outrageous characters, a hysterical plot with many twists and turns, and enough solid one liners to keep a person laughing until next Christmas!If you don't love this play, you obviously don't love a good time.

This book is incredibly well organized and put together. Each section is extraordinarily written and as a whole the book is a Manga instructional classic. As Christopher Hart says, "It all starts with an artist and a pencil" and this book guides you through from the start of the creative process to the finished product.

Fantastic all-inclusive book that advanced my drawing techniques in Manga character sketching as well as drastically changed the way I drew video game characters. The book
is full with examples of the various Manga in a range of dispositions, moods, temperaments etc. Not only does the book give a good background on the characters, but goes into special affect, setting & environment and concludes with a great section on computer imaging.

This is the story of Captain Voss who circumnavigated the globe in 1901. He was the first to circumnavigate in a canoe as well as the smallest vessel at the time. The voyage took 3 years, 3 months and 12 days. It's informative, educational, exciting and loaded with humour. This is one of the finest books I've read and I guarantee you'll enjoy it.

The story of the Tilikum (a 38 ft dugout canoe) that sailed around the world from 1901-1904 is one of the most interesting stories you will ever read. Captain Voss makes his journey easy to read with lots of humour and adventure. The book features 3 stories but the most interesting is that of the Tilikum. Order the book, you won't be disappointed. The Tilikum can now be found at the Martime Museum in Victoria Canada. There is another book out of print by Norman Luxton's daughter that is currently not available. I have one of the few copies. The original manuscript written by Norman Luxton can be found in the museum archives at the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies. Happy reading!

another treasure from amazon... it is full of beautiful works of art, and it comments on each one...holy treasure...

I was with Megan last summer when this book was in the final stages of production. I was impressed with the concept when she was explaining it to me and I was intrigued to see if it would live up to my expectations. It far surpassed them!

The book is a wonderfully simple idea - but so very effective.

It contains an introduction, which gives a very informative explanation about iconography. Following this introduction there are 31 full colour icons. These icons have short explanations and prayerful reflections upon them.

I should recommend this book both as a tool for the study of iconography and more importantly as a deeply spiritual medium for prayer.

Michael and Ellie put into words much of what you already know, but fail to keep in your conscienceness. This is a good workbook for life. There is something of vital importance to each and everyone in these pages. The material is organized to permit easy reading whether you have a large chunk of time or several smaller slices.

A true refresher course in common sense. A must read reminder of all the things we know but have lost through time and complications of life. Fun to read, share, and most certainly apply.

My son is two and he already loves to hear this story from start to finish. The colors are bright and cheerful and Merwin is really funny. The vocabulary is appropriately challenging for kids 4-8. I am buying a copy to send to my 5-year-old nephew for his birthday.

I read this book to my 4 year old and she loved it! She got a real kick out of the fact that none of the adults could see through Merwin's disguises when it was so obvious to her who he was. The humor is very silly and perfect for that age group.