Richards Books

How captivated I was with "Power of a Woman"!

I found the ruthless nature of the twelfth century shocking, wrought
with not only loveless, but murderous marriages! I understood that
alliances (marriages) were the crucial scaffolding on which the survival
of a clan depended, but I did not realize that royal issue became
betrothed as infants, and that the female of the match went to live with
future in-laws in order to be more completely absorbed into the social
intricacies of that clan. Simply, the toddler was held hostage in the
face of present and future intrigues. Shocking indeed.

What particularly fascinated me in this telling saga of noble, military
and religious life during the Middle Ages was the description of how
Eleanor developed her own spin on Chivalrous Love. What a creative way
of compromising three conflicting demands: an individual's yearning for
love and intimate recognition, the passionate and artful culture of
courtship and restraint, and the absolute necessity of loveless,
politically-sanctioned marriage.

I enjoyed the book immensely, and am astonished that the author was able
to write from inside such a particular, feminine persona as Eleanor of
Aquitaine. I was immediately hijacked by the voice of Eleanor, and
became a willing victim of her extraordinary prowess. What a dame!

Robert Fripp's novel/faux memoir has much more multi-layered depth than any of the dozen or more Eleanor books I've read. The characters are richer, the stories and themes have many more angles, and the Eleanor who saw more and aimed higher than the powerful people she played with, really comes through at age 80. It's not the most 'pop' or easy of the books, but it's the richest in its vision, much of it coming from Fripp's journalistic rigour as a former CBC series producer for "The Fifth Estate". He sees very far, in many directions--as did Eleanor.

"Power of a Woman" brings us an "autobiography" of Eleanor of Aquitaine that is accessible and entertaining! Eleanor was Medieval Europe's most interesting woman. In an age when women were considered a necessary evil, and expected to bear sons and be quiet, she defied tradition. She married two of the most powerful men in Europe, and birthed several more. She went on Crusade. She ruled vast territories. She created a definition of love that survives to this day. Telling her story in Eleanor's voice, Robert Fripp shows us Medieval Europe through her eyes: Crusades, wars, enmities, alliances, eternal subterfuge. Fripp's vision brings the very stones and glass of cathedrals and castles to life. History becomes a tapestry which Eleanor works, stitch by stitch. At eighty-one, she hasn't much time. We feel her urgency, the ache in her knees, the chill in her bones. Will she finish before she dies? Her sorrow of lost love, lost children, lost time is as real as the triumphs of her extraordinary life. Eleanor emerges as a woman of great wisdom, dearly won. A real woman, with a strong sense of her place in this life and the next. What a great read! This is so gripping. I got so totally caught up in this story one night that I woke up with images of Eleanor in my mind, and Kate Hepburn's voice in my ear. I love this story."

Reading this book aloud to my legally blind companion was
immensely fun and educational. We gained many details of Eleanor of Aquitaine's life which I feel other biographers missed, especially her deeply personal feelings around Thomas Beckett. We are brought to ponder Eleanor's emotions in many various contexts. I loved how [the author
explains] her relationship with Richard the Lion. And all so vividly expressed from the mouth of a very wise and passionate woman!

Through diligent research, and artful pen, Robert Fripp brings
Eleanor of Aquitaine to life. I am absolutely amazed at his stunning ability to know the heart of a woman.

"Power Of A Woman" is gripping in its wealth of detail. It makes me feel like I am in the midst of all the action. Of all the books I have read, this is the only one that makes me experience what it must have felt like to have lived during those troublesome and exciting times. Such a wonderful and exciting book! "Power Of A Woman" is more than just a book, it bring the people to life in a fresh, new way and contains a wealth of exciting information on its people and the times in which they lived. I highly recommened it to all who want a historically accurate book!

Lady Shirley Cassidy
Dublin, Ireland

The book gives a short and concise overview in cytology with a lot of pictures. You can learn the most basic skills in cytopathology, and even an experienced cytopathologisk can use the book to refresh some basics. Cervix is described in 23 pages. The respiratory tract is described in 11 pages.

I am a practicing cytopathologist and use this as handy reference book. I is very useful for my day-to-day practice. The text is very concise and the pictures are very good. I wishe the second edition will come soon.

It was my dream when I read about this book, having an idea about the major Cytopathology book 'The Art & Science of Cytopathology' I thought that the book is informative but I can't imagine whether all Cytology information could be included in such mini text. It was difficult to me to buy this book because it is not available at home country book stores at the same time no master card facilities. I made a request to my colleague in America and I received the book after three days mail. When I went throuh the pages I found information enough and I used it as an excellent review for the paper I introduced in Uk at the IBMS congress on 'Giant Cell Carcinoma of the Lung. It is my pleasure to comment on a book written by an expert scientist Richard DeMay a pioneer of Cytopathology and really it is a great honor for me to tell this story from Sudan, and it is a real baby for the baby 'DeMay R.M of the Father of Cytopathology George Nicolas Papanicolaou.
Mutaz Ali

Although concise, this so-called "baby DeMay" is far from incomplete or immature, and can serve as an excellent cytopathology resource for a pathology resident. (A staff pathologist with occasional responsibilities in signing out cytologic specimens may also find it useful.) But for the cytopathology component of general pathology boards, this book is arguably the only resource one requires, and is certainly a valuable component of a residency library.

I like to call this book "baby DeMay". It's very well organized, great pictures, and a whole lot easier to haul off the shelf than the Big Daddy DeMays. Excellent as a quick reference and/or a study tool.

In comparison to other,better selling guides, this book excels in that it keeps to the topic at hand, namely, Reiki. The descriptions are thoughtful, the illustrations and photographs beautiful and appropriate. A great book for beginners, as it doesn't bring in confusing and conflicting viewpoints as I have seen elsewhere. Those who already know Reiki, and have other books, may wish to add this to their collection just to see how such a book should be done. Perfect for use during discussions with clients.

This book is a beaurifully written resource about the practice of Reiki, an energy healing method. I recommend it to any one who is interested in alternatives to traditional Western medical practice.

Richard Ellis has recently published a new book which at present is only available through UK distributors. You can find it at Amazon.co[m].uk

The new Title 'Reiki And The Seven Chakras' offers us a unique perspective of the practice of Reiki by drawing on the authors personal experiences and conclusions coupled with an in depth step by step journey through the seven chakras.

Highly recommended

for more information go to www.practicalreiki.com

As a student Reiki, I was referred to this book. As a now Reiki Master, I recommend it to students, or anyone wishing to understand this great Universal Healing Energy that we all have. It has short chapters, that are in depth, with illustrations. It is not the end of all of Reiki knowledge, but Richard Ellis has packed as much as he should have into this easily transportable book. It is sturdy, and has flaps, built into the book, at either end for bookmarking. A great tool for Reiki Masters, and an easy to understand book for newcomers to Reiki.

Richard Ellis' fine introduction into the world of Reiki was just the beginning of a change for my family and myself. It was clear, to the point, and unpretentious; allowing me to understand the world of Reiki though this was the first time I was reading about it.

"Practical Reiki" motivated me to get initaiated as soon as possible, so you can imagine my elation when I found that two Reki Masters reside in Istanbul where my younget son lives. This informatiuon came to me several days before my wife and I were on our way to visit him and spend our holiday in Istanbul. The three of us were duely initaiated and I moved on to the second level while my wife and son decided to wait before they did the same. I can sincerely and unequivocally say that this experience has changed our lives.

I am aware that I have written little about the book. This is because I didn't feel the need to get into any details that the reader will undoubtadly realise by himself. The title says it all: "Practical Reki," this book does not stray into topics that Reki afficionados can only understand. It is a book for all and any who wish to enter, or at least get a glimpse of the wonder that Reki offers. For me it was an inspirartion, a beginning, a stepping stone into a new and fulfilling world.

Thank you Richard Ellis NAMASTE

Of his many books and writings, this is the one Rose himself said "contains the secret." No serious spiritual seeker's bookshelf should be without it. But don't leave it on your shelf--read and re-read until the "secret" becomes self-evident. Then pass it on.

It's a small book, but packed with philosophic insights that will keep your mind churning. Not a bunch of theory, either, but based on real experience.

Here's my review:

The highest human skydive in history began in 1960 at 102,800 ft. From an open gondola dangling under a weather balloon, a man sweating inside a crude space suit stepped out and, while falling through near-space, became the only human to break the sound barrier without a vehicle.

Rose has a similar perspective. I believe this book will be out of reach for most people. I don't understand it all. But then, I'm not enlightened.

For someone (like me) who has followed a system, or, no system, on their own, 'The Psychology of the Observer' will be welcome.

Rose offers a practical approach to reaching a realization of "the Absolute state of mind pointed to by writers of enlightenment."

This is a very thin book, like the air from where the author is writing.

From the introduction: "And the robot forgot his curiosity about his Designer, and projected phantoms of false hope, and monsters of desire. And darkness was projected as light." Whenever I hear of a suicide, I'm saddened; had that victim only known, while walking through the shadow of the mountain, that just beyond is the instant of Vision. Opportunities to benefit greatly are not common in life. This American human being has focussed in every word, caring, careful study, and rare experience. This slim volume approaches an ageless dilemma from a fresh and timely perspective. Its third section, "The Practical Approach", comprises 22 pages of intense helpfulness. "Do not ignore the forces of adversity.... Be concerned chiefly with identifying their effects for the time being, and in circumventing such effects.... The solution shall always remain paradoxical." I've owned this book for years and reread it frequently. As I gain experience, it gains wisdom. Like Ouspensky, Rose is a treasure.

When we reach the point of determination, either through inspiration or disillusionment, to "First know thyself," we're faced with the great challenge: How??? I believe there are two basic approaches to this objective which have been laid out for our times: the quietistic teaching of Ramana Maharshi and the forcefully direct teaching of Richard Rose. Neither can do more than point the way for us to make our own journey, but both point to the same thing: Zen in its purest form, the awareness beyond thought. One does it in terms of dhyana, or subsidence into mental nonactivity; the other in terms of ch'an, or nonaction through action.

You can get a feeling for both approaches from "Profound Writings, East & West" which is also published by the TAT Book Service. Then if you're drawn to explore the second approach, you'll want to study "The Psychology of the Observer." It would help to read and absorb some of Rose's other writings first, particularly "The Albigen Papers," the "Meditation" booklet, and "Energy Transmutation." Let's assume you've done this, or that you feel impelled to jump directly into this book. What will you find?

The first half of the book is titled Psychological Directions. Rose begins by discounting the trend of modern psychology, which is to ignore anything that can't be reduced to physical observation. And here Rose lays out the first guideline for self-definition: "We are not that which is seen. We are basically the observer. In matters of self-observation the view must never be construed as the viewer.... This is where all psychologists miss the point in the business of evaluating the mind. Even if they admit that there is a separateness, or entity called the mind, their view of that mind is with the mind. Through the ages only the mystic was able to come up with an answer as to the real nature of the mind. We might even say that the untutored LSD addict may have a clearer view of the nature of the mind which we ordinarily believe, or accept as being our thinking process, - because he gets a glimpse from beyond our conventional thinking processes and limited sensory input. Candy cannot be described in terms of candy. All definition requires a description or reference to things which a thing is not. The mind must be viewed from outside the mind."

So there you have it. But how do you go about finding such a view? Proceeding from an analysis of Delusion, to Self-Delusion, and then to Defining the Self, Rose lays the groundwork for a description of the structure of the mind - not for the purpose of giving you something to believe but as a roadmap for letting you know that you're not the first person to make the trip, and that there are recognizable mileposts along the way. Each of these entails the observer's jumping to a more encompassing view of the mind's workings, which occurs through a process of triangulation of opposites. Rose states that this progression is the same for everyone's journey to enlightenment, and his testimony is that it is not an endless trip with an infinite number of steps. If fact he diagrams the trip, which is synonymous with the structure of the mind, as a series of three interlocking triangles, and he labels the diagram Jacob's Ladder. When you come to this, I think you'll agree that the analogy to the biblical reference (to Jacob's dream in the book of Genesis) is staggering in its simple brilliance. And if your response is like mine, reading this material will produce shivers of joy in your neurological system.

The second section of the book is a reprise of the above information in the form of a public lecture. Here Rose was aiming at direct communication with other minds, in a give-and-take format not possible in writing. This approach will give your mind new data points for understanding the material, and here Rose broaches the subject of Method: "We have talked about a system of meditation that is like holding a mirror up to the mind, which leads to a state of being in which there seems to be no mind or mirror, no separateness and no comparison. And perhaps for some this wilil seem like a workable system, and some will try to save themselves the trip involved in the system by announcing that they believe everything that I have said. They may go about quoting me, and other authors on the subjects of enlightenment and Zen... [but] Zen is not a doctrine or a philosophy, but a way of life aimed at finding an explanation for that life, and should never be anything that is offered as an explanation of life alone. Our purpose is to find, and then to explain. My purpose here is not even to tempt you with ideas of that which you may find. I outline the trip because I feel that the individual is entitled to some type of roadmap of the 'Way,' from someone who has made the trip and then decides to open his mouth up widely and announce that the trip has a golden objective. My purpose is not to extol Zen or any special system. My purpose is to outline a system which will prove itself as it goes along, and which will reward us at any point along the line, by finding for us a more disciplined and skillful mind. And a mind that is more aware of itself."

In the thrid and final section of the book, Rose pursues the above objective by outlining The Practical Approach. Like his other writings, The Psychology of the Observer is never prescriptive, telling you what you should do, what buttons to push, and so forth. But this last section does provide an approach for bringing the mind under control. The method is "easy to understand and easy to put into practice," as Lao-Tse said in the Tao Te Ching, "yet you will never grasp [it], and if you try to practice [it], you will fail... My teachings are older than the world. How can you grasps their meaning?... If you want to know me, look inside your heart."

This is a handbook for the advanced student, a book that the author said could take a seeker all the way without a teacher.

Dick Hamm has written an informative, insightful, and inspirational book on congregational transformation for mainline Protestant congregations. With Dick's experience in the Christian Church [Disciples of Christ] as a pastor and denominational leader, he understands the dilemma faced by many mainline congregations. In this volume he effectively communications a pathway for these congregations to experience being recreated.

His efforts at applying the work of leadership guru Ron Heifetz on adaptive change versus technical change are powerful for many congregations. He effectively weaves the concept of the perfect storm to show how congregations in many mainline denominations have been hit by a perfect storm which makes it difficult for them to transform.

Coupled with three other resources, this book makes a great guide for congregations to use to engage in a transformational journey. These resources are,

Renew Your Congregation: Healing the Sick, Raising the Dead (TCP Leadership Series)

Pursuing the Full Kingdom Potential of Your Congregation (TCP Leadership Series)

Reaching People Under 40 While Keeping People Over 60: Being Church for All Generations (TCP Leadership Series)

Here is another helpful resource for anyone who works with churches and church organizations in this rapidly changing context.

Hamm is a credible coach with decades of celebrated investment in all facets of church life. Those of us who have worked with Dick know him as a gifted leader and a serious disciple of Jesus Christ.

What makes this book so particularly useful is the way it reads. If you ever enjoyed viewing Rick Steves' Europe on PBS, you'll enjoy reading Hamm's foray into leadership for the post-modern age.

Our mid-level judicatory pastoral staff is reading the book. The conversations it generates are well worth the price of purchasing extra copies to go around.

Bill Rose-Heim
NW Area Pastor
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Mid-America
811 S. Walnut
Cameron, MO 64429
www.nwareacc.org

Richard Hamm understands church leadership from the inside out. He currently serves as the first executive leader for the broadest-based ecumenical collaboration in the US, Christian Churches Together. Before that, he was the General Minister and President of a mainline denomination. Before that, he served as a regional minister (a middle judicatory pastor, a bishop), and before that as a gifted congregational pastor and a new church planter. Dr. Hamm understands churches. He understands leadership. And he knows what makes people tick.

This book reveals both Hamm's incisive perception and his love for the church. It will be most helpful for established church leaders (both clergy and lay) who are trying to make effective shifts in the current, chaotic cultural climate. Hamm's perceptions will enrich your understanding. Recreating the Church will give you hope and help you start taking steps toward transformation.

This excellent resource for ministry in congregatons covers the bases. It is a book about context. The context for congregational ministries both empowers and limits the work of a congegation. Dr. Hamm has offered dozens of ways of analyzing the context for mainline congregations in this first part of the 21st Century. His writing is both informational and inspirational. He helps people in congregations understand the cultural and social changes that have reshaped the context for congregational ministry. When congregations use this book to understand the world in which they do ministry, they will be much better equipped to alter what they are doing to be more effective. I highly recommend this book for pastors and lay leaders in congregations. It will serve as a great conversation partner as you imagine new ways to be church in the North American context in the 21st Century.
Dan Moseley, Professor of Practical Parish Ministry

I need to begin this review with two admissions. The first is that I don't read a lot of nonfiction. This book is one that I would likely never have picked up if I was not related to the author. Which brings me to the second admission, the author is my father-in-law. I'll start with the negative. The main reason I subtracted a star is a style issue and may not even bother others. I felt there was a consistent overuse of quotation marks and italic print to emphasize words and phrases, which I found distracting. In a well-written argument, the reader can easily pick out which words are important without a neon sign around each one. And this book is full of well-written arguments.

As former General Minister and President of his denomination, the author is abundantly qualified to make these arguments. I especially enjoyed the discussions stemming from both sides of his role as GMP, the administrative and the spiritual. I believe all pastors face a little of this duality, this business of church. They must balance the will of God with the Earthly needs of the people for the church to thrive. No one would argue that the will of God is not the more important of the two, but since very few pastors have a direct line to God and most congregations do have a direct line to their pastor, the balance can be difficult to achieve.

I applaud that there is no whining in this book. It's not just a laundry list of what's wrong with churches these days, but gives specific reasons why something is wrong and details about how we can go about improving it. I would recommend this book to anyone in a position of church leadership, or those who seek to be. I believe you will find something of value in here, whether you belong to the mainline or not.

I pastor a congregation where the primary members are older adults. We used this book as springboard for discussion of life story and leaving a legacy. I consulted with the supplemental leaders guide, which I also highly recommend, that is set up to use this book over a ten-week period. We did not take ten weeks to use this book, but used selected exercises from this book to reflect on our life stories and our faith journey. After the three evenings, there were many in the group asking for additional sessions.

This book is helpful to older adults and those wanting to assist older adults talk about their lives in two ways: 1) it provides questions and exercises to assist people in reflecting on their lives and 2) the questions and exercises encourage people to see their lives as important and see them as something that others can learn from.

I would recommend this book for use by people wanting to help older adults with a life review, for middle-aged people who feel lost in order to gain perspective on their lives and find a spark for a possible new change in direction, and for people who want to record the life stories of aging relatives for future generations.

The exercises are designed to meet the variety of learning styles that exist and not all exercises will appeal to all users of this book. The variety of exercises is great and the results of actually doing the exercises will lead to gentle reflection on life and ones spirituality.

I will be using this book again in the future.

I have used Morgan's REMEMBERING YOUR STORY as a basic guide for doing spiritual formation groups in a parish setting. It lends itself not only to personal story sharing, but to a bonding into community and providing a basis for genuine interaction. It was also helpful in relating our stories to stories in Scripture, which are quickly becoming forgotten in our information overload. This book can be a valuable source for growth ..... and preservation of our stories; we are our stories; but we can lose our stories if we don't save them. REMEMBERING YOUR STORY shows us the way.

Many older people suffer from depression or despair and often the reason is that no one takes time to hear their life stories. We used Morgan's book in our Nursing Home (especially the 100 questions at back of book) with powerful results. Many older people's lives were changed

We used REMEMBERING YOUR STORY during a 10 week class in Midlife Transitions. Some of the group were experiencing changes in marriage, others in job, and still others with illness issues. Morgan's book helped us all to find the golden thread, the "story" in our lives which not only helped discern our pattern, but also gave directions for the changes which we face, Excellent book for group process.

We have tried to connect generations in our church and had service projects and programs but Morgan's book helped connect all five generations through stories. Older people and youth listened to each other as they shared their life stories

The stories are great to read aloud to children and all of the children in my reading group were especially intrigued by the illustrations. Hope to see more books by this talented duo!

We made this book are favorit book of the year. The book teaches us new words. It is scary and humorous. In Straw we talked how can things be true if they are not believed and God. In the House of Untold stories we talked on whats fair and being writers and write are own stories. You shold read it to.
Third Grade All Saints Elementary
- The children were drawn in by the thrilling and suspensful stories, and the richness of the language. The book is an excellent primer for moral discussion, and has wonderful applications for Creative Writing and Language Arts.

I liked this book. Five good stories for kids. I liked the first and third the best.

These five stories are wonderful for children ages 6-12. They're truly intriguing and told in a casual, convincing voice. Adults will enjoy reading them to smaller children.

The stories in this book are creative and fascinating. My kids (ages 7, 10 and 13) listened spellbound and repeatedly begged for "just one more" story. The stories are scary without being gory or terrifying. The characters are interesting and just believable enough to keep your interest. Highly recommended!

Of the few scholarly books written on Deibenkorn's prolific production, this volume offers a new insight into the relationships of his previous developmental and matured California works. His clearly defined non-objective landscapes hold the seeds of the objective period to follow and an even more defined structural forecast of his late period of geometric compositions. Diebenkorn's use of color in New Mexico brings together both a broad stroke vision of the native landscape and an alternate coloration of local floral and costume. This author views the Albequerque series as his deepest expression of color beyond the sand, stone and dry botanical forms of cactus and sage as a predominating foilage. The light-hearted color canvases are of very special interest.

Of all artists of the twentieth century, few, if any, have explored the diversity of color intricately entwined within the composition structure so much as Diebenkorn.

Ray W. Clarke
Cleveland and Palm Beach

This book is something of a revelation for anyone who has an interest in American painting, but isn't an artist, academic or serious collector. Richard Diebenkorn, for me, has always been a great West Coast, landscape/colorist painter, known most recently for the Ocean Park series that became a kind of hallmark for him. "Richard Diebenkorn in New Mexico" shows an entirely different phase of his remarkable professional life; one that saw him fully committed to the dominant abstract expressionist school of the time and painting with quite a different pallette of colors than that he would come to be known for some 20-30 years later. This book is a wonderful collection of paintings, drawings and sculpture that provide examples of how the then-student Diebenkorn developed his craft over a two-plus year period in the 1950s. This is a major pleasure to read, peruse and discuss as well as a wonderful addition to any art library.

This book provides an enlightening look at Diebenkorn's early biomorphic landscape drawings and paintings. It's full of quality images and incisive analysis, and gives a thoughtful overview of his formative break-through years.

This book accompanies an exhibition of Diebenkorn's works painted in New Mexico in the early 1950's. Wonderful illustrations make it a valuable addition to the literature on the artist. Now, you really have to be an all-out Diebenkorn fan to consider that these early works measure up to what was being painted at the same time in New York by the likes of Pollock, De Kooning, Rothko, Kline and Guston. Diebenkorn became great when he started the Ocean Park series in the 1970's, but here, he only reveals himself as a good colorist. The merit of this catalogue lies, in my opinion, in the high quality of the illustrations, albeit of minor works, and in the sensible text written by a leading authority on the artist.

This excellent collection represents the works produced by Richard Diebenkorn during his tenure at the University of New Mexico from 1950-52, comprising some of his most exciting abstract images. The companion exhibit at the Harwood Museum in Taos, New Mexico once again confirms Diebenkorn's stature as one of the most influential and important abstract painters of our time.

A very good primer on progressivism, liberalism and conservatism. Not a light read.

Richard Hofstader is one of the foremost US Historians of this century even though his career was less than half as long as Arthur Schlesinger's and included no service to an incumbent President. His work is especially noted for interpretations reflecting a multiethnic more urban America and also lessons from social theory. Immense prestige within the scholarly community was complemented by books that are readable and more `popular' than most histories. Almost all College Graduates, at least through the 70's will have read one or more of his books. Continually historians and others have been stimulated by discussions of "social Darwinism," "anti-Intellectualism" and a "paranoid style" in American politics as well as his `take' on American Political thought and the Progressive era.

Interests in American intellectual history and in American historiography are central to this study. Insights on regionalism and politics in the academe add to the book. The Morningside and general New York intellectual environment are also evident. There is even some insight into the student rebellion of 1968 and its consequences.

My own enthusiasm is partly personal; I attended Columbia as a History major starting in the same class as Hofstader's son Danny (although I graduated a year early). Many of the personalities mentioned, as well as guest speakers at the Graduate History Lounge like Hannah Arendt and Phillip Curtin were part of my experience and some of Hofstader's books enlightened History and Government courses. However, any historian and especially students of the US should find much of interest.

David Brown does an excellent job in this "intellectual biography". There is probably no way it could be authored with the more exciting style of Hofstader himself. Nor will it find so broad a readership as books like "The American Political Tradition". It is a shame hat so many of Hofstader's works are out of print although this does reflect some further evolution in interpretation as well as new themes and approaches. Times have changed and the numbers of PhD's has boomed with ever more narrow studies and perhaps fewer stimulating interpretive books for the `educated reader'. As education has become increasingly more like job training and history as well as language and other substantial general education and critical thinking courses have reduced places in education intellectual and public discourse have eroded.

Brown reinforces awareness that history is not dates and facts, that it is not neutral, and that it is an evolving effort to understand our own day and its origins. Intellectual history and analysis of historiography, together with the better comparative histories, are the source of more realistic and better understanding - a more than welcome and mature improvement over ideologues and shallow discourse prevalent today. Education in general and the study of history in particular, is no absolute assurance against stupidity of leaders and public discourse. Yet without the study of history such foolishness is common.

If you went to college and/or graduate school in the late 1950's or 1960's, chances are very good you read at least one of Richard Hofstadter's (1916-1970) books. Particularly "The American Political Tradition," "The Age of Reform," "Anti-Intellectualism in American Life," and "Paranoid Style in American Politics" were ubiquitous on college reading lists. And this was for good reason: Hofstadter many believe was the most incisive and insightful American historians of the first two-thirds of the 20th century. Coupled with his perceptive and innovative analytical abilities were writing talents that made his books fascinating to read.

Until now, there has not really been a full-scale biography of Hofstadter. This book, by David S. Brown, fills that gap very nicely. Brown has well handled the central challenge of writing about Hofstadter--how much attention should be devoted to the books and how much to the man? Someone who was born in the 1960's, as was the author, might well wonder what all the excitement was about. Brown's excellent discussions of the various Hofstadter volumes will clue such readers into his approach, prejudices, accomplishments, and contributions to the writing of American history. One also gets a pretty solid feel for Hofstadter the man as well. Brown has interviewed many who knew Hofstadter: his students (such as Dorothy Ross) and his colleagues at Columbia. He scoured oral history collections and published recollections as well. One of the most effective dimensions of the book is that Brown incorporates discussions of some leading historical interpretations that appeared at the same time as Hofstadter's books--some agreed with Hofstadter, others took issue with various of his positions, and an interesting dialogue resulted.

The research is solid; the writing flows very well, and the narrative is quite interesting. A helpful bibliographic essay, "The Search for Richard Hofstadter," concludes the volume and is quite useful. For anyone interested in the development of 20th century American historiography, or who is just curious about what was going on in this country's political history, Brown's book is a valuable and stimulating introduction.

I have read an except of this book, and a few reviews of it including all those heretofore posted on 'Amazon'. Thus what I have is an 'impression' of the book, and not an in-depth understanding.
My impression is simply that it is a very good book. One reviewer Ronald Clark says that David S. Brown meets the challenge well of narrating both the story of the life, and the content of the books, or the intellectual development.
This seems to me the key thing in a book of this kind. I recently read an excellent detailed biography of an important intellectual figure which went into every possible aspect of the daily life without confronting the ideas and the intellectual development. It simply did not do the job.
Brown sees Hofstader as not simply a committed liberal, but as a political thinker who was able to react to the changing challenges he met throughout his life. He was an intellectual whose thought involved reacting to events, and not simply fitting them into a predisposed pattern.
He has been faulted for misunderstanding and not doing real justice to ' conservative thought'. This may well be the case. But then again his major years of working and writing were years of such great Liberal predominance that this is in some way not surprising.
Hoftstader is credited with being the most savvy and moderate of the 'New York Intellectuals' especially in regard to his relation to and support of the Democratic Party.
In telling of the life Brown tells of Hoftstader's tragic loss of his first- wife, his successful second marriage. The father of two children, a son Dan from his first marriage, and Sarah from his second he seems to have been an excellent and responsive father. His son Dan speaks highly of him and of his irrevent sense of humor, a quality not especially felt in the books.
My sense is that this is a responsible and respectable work from which one can learn much about an important American intellectual.

Richard Hofstadter obeyed the unwritten rule: tenured liberal arts academics who teach at an "elite" university should make sure they are of great value to the Democratic Party. It is wise to place one's wet finger in the air to see which way the prevailing ideological winds are blowing. Was the admittedly great scholar a raving Left-winger? Nope, the reality is that Hofstadter may have been the most conservative member of the Columbia University faculty. Alfred Kazin even referred to him as "a secret conservative." There is little doubt, it must be added, that Hofstadter would have never had such a prominent and rewarding career had he been even slightly more right-wing. I suspect had that been the case, he would have been doomed to barely earning a living at a third tier school. The famous historian was a indeed a proverbial knee jerk liberal. He admittedly was no longer a Communist, but his secular faith in "New Deal" liberalism was near dogmatic. Furthermore, communism was possibly less dangerous that anti-Communism. Hofstadter was at best an anti-anti Communist. Republicans were deemed to be paranoid and reactionary. Left-wingers may occasionally get a little goofy, but they are essentially well meaning. It is those right-wing buffoons who are supposedly crazier than jay birds and warrant intense scrutiny. Thankfully, Hofstadter's commitment to rational thinking was sufficient to reject the radical left's attempt in the 1960s to take over Columbia's campus. The enemy was not always to the right. Sometimes it does reside on the left. These leftist students were nihilists, although perhaps unwittingly so, and not true reformers. If nothing else, Hofstadter deserves credit for realizing that a nonnegotiable line had been crossed. Biographer David S. Brown hits the nail on the head: "Hofstadter's selective use of the paranoid style brings to mind David Potter's earlier criticism of the status thesis. Like status, paranoia is a slippery concept that belies strict categorization and can be used indiscriminately to pathologize political opposition." "Always looking for the enemy on the right," continues the author, "Hofstadter never suspected liberalism's vulnerability to self-destruction."

Richard Hofstadter also inadvertently harmed the American Jewish community. His unrelenting focus on anti-Semitism in some conservative circles blinded him to the far more dangerous threat posed by leftist extremism. One wonders what Hofstadter would say regarding Columbia University's current pervasive Jew bashing. David S. Brown's book is well worth reading. Conservatives should make sure to obtain a copy. It will almost certainly help them to better understand the inevitable collapse of our once great universities.

David Thomson
Flares into Darkness

Gillingham does it again. John Gillingham, again,provides us with another superb account of a remarkable ruler of England.

I was sceptical getting started on this biography. Certainly, the early parts were fact-laden, slightly uninteresting and slow going.

I am very glad I did not give up.

This is one of the few strictly historical books that restores one's faith in objective research and non-agenda, non-ego driven truth finding.

One might wish for a bit more of a picture of Richard's persona, but from the remove of nearly a millenium, this would be fudging anyway. The facts that there are are clearly and neatly laid out regarding all of Richard's attributes, and some of the modern fadist mythologies (so many of which have their underpinnings in a given academic's desire or need for attention) are dealt with fairly and thoroughly.

Example: Richard was not a homosexual, as "The Lion in Winter" would have a viewer believe. The evidence against it is clear and plenary. It isn't that one doesn't wish him to be, it's just that this notion has its roots in a modern attempt to overlay ancient male and political bonding customs with a template of modern behaviours and modern conclusions which would stem from modern interpretations of those behaviors.

All in all, Richard emerges from the historical record as a great warrior King, who was grossly treated following his exertions during the Crusades, and was forced to try to reclaim the lands that Phillip of France stole while Richard was away. He was therefore forced to stay away from Britain, because the Angevin and Acquitainian and Norman parts of his empire were on the continent. He did not stay away from Britain by choice or by neglect (another myth debunked), but because he was forced to by the duties of his Kingship. Also, Britain WAS part of continental Europe as well in those days. (Or vice versa, if you happen to be English.)

A great introduction to those curious about this legendary monarch. Gillingham pulls off a bit of a hat trick here. While he does have strong opinions of surrounding figures, particularly Philip and John, he lets the facts speak for themselves about Richard and does not argue one particular point of view. With one exception, his sexuality. This also one of the few times where I found the primary historians, both Arab and Norman, becoming "characters" and their presence is missed when they die or no longer are around the King. The very difficult task of giving all of the counts of Normandy, the Vexin, and the Aquitaine distinctiveness is handled incredibly well. In the hands of a less skilled author this would have been very dry reading and frustratingly convoluted. Also, bit of a heads up to the future reader: This is Gillingham's second book on Richard the Lionheart and he has written numerous articles and essays on the monarch. He has no problem using himself as a reference and he flat out lifts an entire chapter from his previous work and places it in this one. I found this shrewdly entertaining. It does benefit this volume and since the older version is no longer in print, no harm done. After reading this you come away better informed, entertained and with a desire to pick up another book on this era and this king. I can't think of much better praise than that. An essential work for a medieval library.

Richard the Lionheart's life and personality may be the stuff of legend, but they are hidden by the mists of time -- or rather the paucity of relevant documents. Gillingham does a brilliant job of breathing as much life as possible into rather arid fragments without stepping beyond what is warranted by the evidence. For his understanding of the king, he draws as much on contempory Arab sources as European ones, arguing convincingly that the Arab writers may have had fewer axes to grind in talking of Richard. Gillingham goes so far as to place his evaluation of Richard's character at the point where the evidence ends -- following his captivity in Germany -- rather than at the end of the book. Instead the book ends with a well reasoned argument that it was John (and John alone) who lost Normandy whereas Richard was winning the war against Philip Agustus of France. Gillingham also points out that, had Richard lived to complete that struggle, the empire of Henry II might still have disappeared with his death.

Inevitably, some of the work is frustratingly dry -- especially for the process of Richard's development into a strong ruler and military genius against the background of one of history's most disfunctional families. But that dryness arises from the lack of evidence, not from immersion in trivia at the expense of substance.

The book itself is a delight, with strong narrative supported by a myriad of footnotes which are where they should be -- at the bottom of the pages. All in all, a good story well told with insightful analysis based on the record.

This is the most balanced royal biography I've read to date. Gillingham begins by tracing Richard's reputation through the ages, beginning at it's peak in the 12th and 13th centuries, when he was considered one of the great leaders of his time to it's nadir in the 1950's when academics began to consider him a "Bad son and a bad king..." who spent far more time on the continent than he ever did in England, leaving it in terrible financial straits when he went off to fight in the crusades, and began to conjecture about his sexual preference. Gillingham explores and discounts these and other myths about Richard and his reign simply by letting the historical record speak for itself and allowing the reader to draw their own conclusions, rather than stating his own opinions as facts and then selectively using the historical record to back them up. He also isn't afraid to admit that he can't be sure of something when the historical evidence is either too thin or simply obscured by the mists of time, which is refreshing. The author is among the first to rely heavily on contemporary Muslim sources in constructing his portrait of Richard, because he believes they are less biased in their evaluation of Richard's character than a European chronicler might be. These sources are, for the most part, complimentary, and add great perspective and depth to the reader's understanding of Richard as a warrior. Gillingham strikes the perfect balance between academic research and popular history, making the book very readable. Whether you're interested in Richard himself, or merely seeking an introduction into reading further about his fascinating family dynamics, or the crusades, this is the book to read!