Shaw Books

Shaw Livermore, Jr., who passed away in October 2007, wrote _The Twilight of Federalism_. His father, Shaw Livermore, Sr., wrote _Early American Land Companies_. If at all like his son, the senior Livermore must have been a wonderful person also.

Just thought everyone should know that the author of this book, Shaw Livermore, died, at age 80, at 5 AM this morning (Sunday 10/21/07) at his home in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He was retired from the University of Michigan as Professor Emeritus of American History.
He was my friend and I `ll miss him.

Bernie Klein Ann Arbor

I really enjoyed this book on how to save money traveling. There are a lot of good creative & uncommon tips. My website www.couponcorner.net is also listed in this book as a good resource for saving money at restaurants. I was given a copy of this book by the author and I really liked it!

This guide for family travel is a must-have for both parents and grandparents. I wish I had read it prior to a recent spring break visit from my son and family. We went to Disneyland. What a mob scene! Many of the suggestions in this book would have been fun and more meaningful to all of us, as well as less costly and much less stressful.

Authors Judith Waite Allee and Melissa Morgan draw on their own experiences traveling with families plus much research. Their ideas can turn a cross country trip into daily adventures and take the stress out of travel with children. It is overflowing with ideas and resources to make travel educational and fun, whether a long trip or day trips around your own town.

Practical tips for all aspects of travel, from planning and budgeting to extending the memories and learning after the trip are included. Involving children in the planning stages of the trip is in itself a learning project and helps bond families and create a shared history. The book is packed with ideas on where to start.

Allee and Morgan discuss funding your trip and traveling on a budget. Children can participate and learn from this experience too. Budget travel does mean you can have rewarding experiences and lots of fun. Another chapter covers earning money on the road to extend family travel.

Grandparents will find many ideas for traveling with grandchildren, creating special memories without spending a lot of money. The authors mention a couple with an RV taking their young grandchildren across town to a park for the night. The boys still talk about that "camping trip" ten years later.

Even adults traveling without children will get some excellent ideas for enriching their travels. For example, the authors mention that Lake Champlain has a bike path that goes all the way around it. What fun to park your RV or car, head out on bicycles and see museums and historic sites around the lake or do sections in a series of day trips. The area is rich in history; the French and Indian War, the Revolution and War of 1812 were all fought in this area.

Both families and individuals can find volunteer experiences of all types. Some take less than a day while others are longer and could even involve travel overseas.

The Resource Section is extensive. Educational Travel on a Shoestring makes an excellent gift for families. While you are at it, get one for yourselves, both for ideas when the grandkids visit and ways to add interest to your travels.

Writing a "book" review on a play that one has not read may seem a bit presumptuous. However, my wife and I saw the US premier of this play at Houston's Stages Theater a few weeks ago and can attest that it is some of the finest entertainment we have seen in many a day. I hope that many people will read it, that college English classes will study it, and, most importantly, that numerous theater groups will stage it.

Historical. Hilarious. Poignant. An exhaustive list of appropriate adjectives would exceed Amazon's page limitations.

The play has a large cast of memorable characters including a semi-blind theater seamstress and a bear. The scene is a barn in England in 1601, and Queen Elizabeth seeks diversion from the impending beheading of her lover in the company of William Shakespeare and his band of actors. The dialogue is both scholarly and witty, with many echoes from Shakespeare's plays.

But the driving force for the drama is the point/counterpoint exchanges between "King" Elizabeth, who feels compelled to shirk her womanly feelings for the good of her country and the actor Ned, a 17th century drag-Queen. More than that I will not tell.

See it if you can, but, until it plays in your area, read the book.

In 1601, Queen Elizabeth I was forced by duty to condemn to death a man widely believed to be her former lover. On the night before the execution, she demanded that William Shakespeare's acting troup, The Lord Chamberlain's Men, perform a play to distract her from the heartbreak that would occur in the morning. This much is truth. Timothy Findley takes these historical facts, blends in a few "what if's?" and creates a powerhouse play about men, women, fantasy, death, and ultimately, love.

After a performance of Much Ado About Nothing, Queen Elizabeth goes backstage to talk with the actors, and finds them all mourning the iminent death of the Beatrice of the evening, their terminally ill leading "lady," Ned. Ned has lived all his life as a woman, and does not know how to face his upcoming death with the courage of a man. Elizabeth, by contrast, has had to destroy her feminine side in order to rule England successfully. Realising this, the two strike a bargain: Ned will teach Elizabeth how to be a woman, if she can teach him how to be a man. What follows is a heartbreaking journey of self-discovery in which Elizabeth learns how to mourn, Ned learns how to die with grace and how to live with love, and William Shakespeare finds the greatest play never written.

This is an excellent choice for any Shakespeare fan, and for any lover of theatre. Powerful, enlightening, heartbreaking and uplifting, Elizabeth Rex is an exquisite journey for the heart, with beautiful dialogue, strong characters, and fascinating arguments. A must-read.

I am thirteen years old. I am not a reader, but I found this book in a library and it looked interesting. I opened the book the next day and started to read it. Well, I couldn't stop until I found out what happened, so a day later, I was finished. I don't know why this book isn't being published still. It is so good, and now I want to find more books by the author. Thank you Mr. Roger Schachtel( the author) for turning me on to reading.
Carol Brodsky

If you like to read or if you don't like to read, GET THIS BOOK NOW! It is so exciting, it is true, it should be a movie or in a tv show of survival stories. I wish history could be taught from books like this. Go to a library NOW or buy it used on Amazon, but buy it.

Lukewarm Christians beware... this one lays it on the line. Real stories from the life of Denny Nissley, hell-raiser turned fireball street preacher by the power of God. Plenty of good stories here. Right from the start, you figure out this is no ordinary Christian. Example: While in Bible school, sneaking out at night to face great danger on the streets of Dallas, talking to people about Jesus. Tons of great stories -- Mardi Gras, spring breaks in Florida, preaching in a Colorado restaurant and others -- will have you ready to bust out.

Fear No Evil - is actually 191 pages, and includes pictures. It's not an ordinary biography because Denny Nissley is not an ordinary evangelist! I guarantee, you will hardly want to put the book down because first of all, you won't believe the amazing adventures Denny Nissley has had, and secondly, you can't even begin to image what's going to happen next! Each chapter stands on its own, the whole book is a quick read. His stories are well told, humorous and fun to read. For Christians who want to win souls for Christ, this book is a must! Truly inspirational! I'm definitely a fan of both the book and Nissley's ministry, Christ in Action. I knew it was a winner when I heard people talking about the book and everyone agreed - THEY couldn't put it down either!

David Watson candidly shares his journey from "life to life" in a comforting and encouraging manner. With the Lord as his travelling companion, Watson reveals the most important pursuit given to humanity - to seek God's face.

David Watson's honest reactions as he fights cancer are not just for those who are dealing with illness. They are for all of us who struggle with fear and faith. As I read this book, I remembered another David's difficult times recorded in the Book of Psalms. That David always ended an emotional cry by looking into the face of God and trusting. In the depths of crisis David Watson finds a love relationship with God which does not deny a difficult reality, but which carries him through. This book has greatly encouraged me.

Seems like the definitive readily available book for serious treatment of Norway's folktales. None of the dumb-it-down treacle that is so often pitched at kids, even includes notes re where the tale was collected, how common such tales are, etc. Not necessarily tales that will amuse your 4-year old, but an interesting window into what interested folk in earlier times. Highly recommended.

I've owned a copy of this 1964 publication for quite a while; my paperback copy is of the 1973 third printing. It is a personal favorite among a shelf-full of folklore volumes. I no longer remember whether it was an impulse purchase, or I needed it for one or another undergraduate or graduate class, and if so whether it was in Scandinavian Literature, or Germanic Mythology, or Folklore Studies.

And that should give you a clue that Amazon has used guesswork in rating it as suitable for 4 to 8 year olds. (Yes, I've reported / complained about it; maybe, against precedent, this will change soon.)

Not that there aren't stories in here quite suitable for reading to young children; there are some. But the book is heavily weighted with historical and theoretical introductions, and elaborate notes to the stories, many of which are either aimed at adults, or chosen to illustrate traditional beliefs as much as to entertain. The volume was an early entry in the University of Chicago Press "Folktales of the World" series, well-produced volumes which featured forewords by the distinguished American folklorist Richard Dorson, and were generally edited by specialists from the nations covered. (It was officially number 5; but number 1, Kurt Ranke's "Folktales of Germany," did not actually appear until 1966!) Unfortunately, most other volumes in the series seem to be out of print; "Folktales of Ireland" (Sean O'Sullivan) may be the only other exception.

The editor of this volume, Reidar Christiansen, an important Norwegian folklorist, drew on both earlier published collections and archival sources to illustrate a wide variety of genres of oral narrative in Norwegian tradition. He includes: Historical Legends (#1-#11, with sub-divisions); Legends About Magic and Witchcraft (#12-#20); Legends About Ghosts, the Human Soul, and Shapeshifting (#21-#23, again with sub-divisions); Legends About Spirits of the Sea, Lakes, and Rivers (#24-#30); Legends About Sprits of the Air (#31-#32); Legends About Spirits of Forest and Mountain (#33-#60); Legends About Household Spirits (#61-#66); and, finally, Fictional Folktales (#67-#82). The translation, by Pat Shaw Iversen, is, with some minor exceptions, extremely readable.

Some pieces are anecdotes about supernatural beings, illuminating, but uninspiring if read in bulk for amusement. Some of the legends are extremely well told, and nicely localized in terms of Norwegian landscapes. The concluding portion is made up of first-rate wonder tales, mainly Norwegian variants of international fairy tales, told with unusual complexity and skill, which are closest to what the Amazon age rating would suggest.

It is a rewarding book for adults, and probably for teenagers, and perhaps late pre-teens; anyone buying it for small children will not be so happy with it, with the exception of those comfortable with retelling the tales, or with drawing inspiration from them for your own. (Which is great, if you happen to be a small-scale Tolkien...!)

Some Norwegian folktales, although rarely identified as such, are surprisingly well known. According to my own completely unscientific survey, those which are remembered and recognized by their origin tend to be a couple of anecdotes about Trolls, bridges, and Billy-Goats, which is a shame, given the actual variety and sophistication of the tradition. (Of course, some of the best may tend to be lumped in with their fairly close counterparts elsewhere.) Those who enjoy the present work may wish to turn elsewhere for more stories; the seriously curious will look for more examples of beliefs and legends.

Unhappily, what one will generally find are either retellings or shorter selections, more or less obviously chosen for children, and often directly or indirectly based on existing translations; I will mention one partial exception below. The most nearly comparable collection with which I am familiar is an old George W. Dasent translation, drawn directly from a great nineteenth-century collection by P.C. Asbjornsen and Jorgen Moe, "Norske Folke Eventyr." (First edition 1843-44, expanded edition 1852; also given as *Folke-eventyr* and *Folkeeventyr.* My apologies for anglicizing the spelling of Norwegian names at this point, and most other places; I'm not going to trust that everyone else will read this in Unicode!)

The Norwegian original is a long-established classic in its native country. Dasent's translation (1858; expanded 1859; third edition 1888) was known to, and cited by, Tolkien, under its original title of "Popular Tales from the Norse." It was available for decades in an illustrated version from Dover Publications, under the title "East o' the Sun & West o' the Moon: Fifty-nine Norwegian Folk Tales from the Collection of Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe, With 77 illustrations by Erik Werenskiold, Theodor Kittelsen and Others" (1970). The illustrations in the Dover edition -- taken from a 1936 three-volume edition of "Samlede Eventyr" [Collected Fairy Tales] -- varied from almost ethnographic (compare photographs in Janice S. Stewart's "The Folk Arts of Norway" [1953, 1972; third edition, 1999]), to whimsical, to weird, many displaying some combination of these traits.

The strengths and weaknesses, and distinct character, of the Christiansen/Iversen volume can be illustrated by a brief comparison.

The Victorian translation, stripped by Dover of some of its original (racist, and otherwise quite obsolete) introductory material, has many pieces not found in "Folktales of Norway," but there is overlap -- over a dozen instances. In some particulars, Dasent's translation is better than Iversen's renderings of the same passages. For example, in one story (#53a), Iversen has a white animal referred to in the title and in a critical moment as a "tabby," which, of course, implies a patterned coat, and in context makes no sense. In this case, Dasent had a more general colloquial term in the text, and a properly incorrect word in his story title. (Sorry to be opaque, but why spoil the tale -- which includes a species identification error beyond even Pepe LePew! -- for those who haven't read it?)

Some differences may be in part due to variations in the underlying Norwegian texts (subjected to varying treatment since they were taken down in regional dialects), others to Iversen's attempts to provide completely new renderings. On the whole, Iversen's judgment seems sound. "The Red Knight" is much more intelligible a designation than Dasent's "Ritter Red," which, by incorporating an un-translated title (that looks like a loan-word from German), makes it sound like a personal name.

The nineteenth-century collection is obviously weighted very heavily toward the (Norwegian) title category of "eventyr" -- essentially the familiar "fairy tales" of princesses and unlikely heroes, talking animals and magical helpers, known throughout the Old World. They are rendered in a style closer to Icelandic sagas than, say, to Perrault, or even the Grimms, and, although not treated in a strictly "scientific" manner by their collectors/editors, are utterly distinct from Hans Christian Andersen's contemporary inventions.

Some of the stories translated by Dasent incidentally include distinctly Norwegian material, but this is comparatively scarce -- ironic, given Dasent's interest in England's supposed shared Nordic heritage and the genius of the "Germanic race." The contents are mainly variants of widely distributed tale-types. It is in part for the localized legends and specifically Norwegian versions of the supernatural (which Asbjornsen, among others, had published separately) that ""Folktales of Norway" is so valuable.

Iversen's more modern English *might* make stories in the final section easier for some readers. On the whole, Dasent's translation, although a bit old-fashioned, does lend itself to reading to children -- if the adult is familiar with the story first, and exercises a little judgment. (Dasent warned against some items, especially two he moved to the end when re-ordering the collection; he also seems to have omitted at least one tale. My list of possible problems would be completely different.) More advanced young readers, with appetites sharpened by, for example, Tolkien, Lewis, Lloyd Alexander, or Rowling, might want to tackle it for themselves -- which I would consider less likely, although hardly impossible, with "Folktales of Norway."

Unhappily, the 400-plus page Dover edition, with its wonderful Norwegian illustrations, has been supplanted by a less expensive, but much less satisfactory, short selection ("Thrift Edition"), under the same main title, in the Dover catalogue. The full version can still be found on Amazon, at this writing, with a little searching; it is, and should continue to be, available used. But the hardcover edition to which Amazon currently has it linked is one of the more dramatically abridged modern editions (a new illustrated version of what looks like one story!). If it were not for the possibility of confusion among these different books, I might have urged ordering both Dasent and Christiansen -- but then, I'm used to thinking of the 1970s prices of the copies in front of me! -- or suggesting them both to your local library.

As it is, the next best alternative to the Dasent translation currently (and unambiguously) in print is the much shorter (192 pages) "Norwegian Folktales" in The Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library (1982), thirty-five tales selected from the work of Asbjornsen and Moe, edited by Iversen (again) and Carl Norman. This also includes illustrations by Werenskiold and Kittelsen: the introduction is on "The Norwegian Folk Tales and Their Illustrators." As previously suggested, it is at least packaged as suitable for children; for what it is worth, Amazon rates it for ages 9-12. I am perhaps too severe a judge of its merits; my choice of stories for re-translation would have been rather different, and I have sometimes wondered if some tales were selected over others because of more attractive illustrations available for them.

(Speaking of illustrations again, I have long tried to ignore the pseudo-Viking stereotypes on the cover of "Folktales of Norway" -- accepting the art was an unusually bad decision by the University of Chicago Press.)

Those with an informed interest in traditional oral literatures will certainly want to know "Folktales of Norway," and at least for now it seems to be quite readily available.

Drawing on his vast pastoral experience, including his time as Director of the Catholic Information Center in downtown DC from 1998 to 2004, Father McCloskey has distilled in this book (written together with Russell Shaw) some pointed reflections on how best to serve as God's instruments in the conversion of others.
The book starts from a twofold premise. Firstly, in our "age of the laity", the specific call of lay people is to be apostles to the world rather than crowd the sanctuary. (Father McCloskey's "Sermon for Our Times", on page 58 of the book, is a forceful invitation to avoid the risk of "clericalizing" the lay person, a danger against which para. 45 of the 2004 Instruction "Redemptionis sacramentum" by the Roman Congregation for Divine Worship called to a sane relationship of complementarity between the cleric and the lay person, each one with his complementary gifts.) Secondly, effective apostolate is not a light endeavor but (as Father McCloskey writes on page 91) an investment into spiritual growth by the evangelizer himself/herself: it "must flow from prayer and mortification and participation in the sacraments - from one's own ongoing ascetical struggle to put on Jesus Christ."
On the basis of these premises, Father McCloskey shares his insights, with the help of actual stories by converts, into how best we can help others to have a personal encounter with Christ.
The book is enriched by an appendix containing the "Catholic Lifetime Reading Plan", a list of solid works for Christian formation compiled by Father McCloskey while a Director of the Catholic Information Center.

Good News, Bad News is a wonderful book for anyone seeking to share the Catholic faith, for it illustrates many reasons why non-Catholics become interested in, and ultimately convert to Catholicism. Fr. McCloskey is a gifted evangelist, but more: he is a gifted listener. Story after story illustrates that Catholic evangelization is not about coercion, but about listening to God in prayer, listening to others, then pointing them in the right direction based upon what God says and what they say. Readers will be inspired and challenged by one of McCloskey's central theses: Catholicism is about the Truth, the Truth makes demands, and when those demands are adhered to, life becomes more beautiful even if more challenging. Read this book, but only if you are ready to change your life.

The thirteenth volume in a series of impressive graphic novel anthologies drawn from classic stories and illustrated by various artists, Graphic Classics: Rafael Sabatini is a black-and-white compilation of tales of pirates, princesses, love, murder, hypnotism, extortion, and much more. The stories and their illustrators are "Captain Blood" by Carlo Vergara, "The Dream" by Rich Tommaso, "The Plague of Ghosts" by Gerry Alanguilan, "The Fool's Love Story" by Milton Knight, "The Spiritualist" by Roger Langridge, "The Valet Mystery" by Stanley Shaw, "The Risen Dead" by Jackie Smith, and a comic biography of Rafael Sabatini written by Mort Castle and illustrated by Kevin Atkinson. An eclectic range of tales with a common theme of excitement and intrigue, Graphic Classics: Rafael Sabatini is recommended as an introduction to Sabatini's timeless tales of high adventure.

I knew next to nothing about Rafael Sabatini before I picked up this latest volume of Graphic Classics. I always did love a good swashbuckler though, and I figured the creator of Captain Blood and Scaramouche was worth a look. Graphic Classics hasn't let me down yet, and this certainly won't be the last time they introduce me to a fantastic writer.

Remembered primarily for the slate of Errol Flynn films adapted from his works, such as "Captain Blood" and "The Sea Hawk," Sabatini is credited with the literary creation of the anti-hero, a rogue who's heroic nature is made heroic only by striving against those more villainous than himself. A host of pirates, charlatans and highway robbers manage to ingratiate themselves to the reader under Sabatini's guiding hand.

"Graphic Classics: Rafael Sabatini" is clearly a labor of love for editor Tom Pomplun, and he has put extra care into its quality. There is not a weak piece in this volume, and the artists are especially well-matched to the stories.

This volume contains:

"Captain Blood" - From a doctor, to a slave, to a free-booting pirate, Peter Blood's story is a bloody swath of adventure. Illustrated in a straight-forward but suitable style, Sabatini's most famous story comes dramatically to life. This one definitely makes me want to get the book and read the full story.

"Desperately Seeking Sabatini" - A hunt for the author,written by a college professor who wonders why Sabatini is not better remembered. Sabatini's story is an eye-opener. I had thought of him as a contemporary of Alexandre Dumas, not someone who was able to go see his own movies.

"The Valet Mystery" - A clever short story in the Sherlock Holmes vein, tense and with an interesting twist.

"The Spiritualist" - A comedic tale of a charlatan and the worlds beyond. Great illustrations to compliment the story.

"The Plague of Ghosts" - Another mystery, where a former con man hires his services to the police to uncover other con men. This time, a haunted castle and a bullet-proof ghost with a blazing skull. Classical art on this one really brings out the mystery.

"The Fool's Love Story" - Artist Milton Knight brings his personal flair to this story of the courage of ugly people, and how their love is no less powerful than the beautiful's.

"The Risen Dead" - A no-account rogue is finally brought to trial, although it is for a crime he didn't commit. A miracle grants him a second chance, but it is up to him to make something of it.

"The Dream" - An creepy tale of a mesmerist seeking to enforce his will upon a young lady of fortune. Her true love intervenes best he can, but the mesmerist's powers are strong.

A 2005 edition is now available. It has the year in the upper right corner of the cover. If no date visible, enter 0972732438 in the search box at the top of the page and click GO, Amazon will take you to the new edition.

The new edition is very similar to the old, with only a few minor changes. It is not worth buying the new edition if you have the old one.

This is the only book you'll need if you are ready to get off the couch and into the great outdoors---a little at a time. If you are one of those people who keep saying that you SHOULD check out those trails that all of your active friends are talking about---this is the book that will inspire you.It is so well organized. The authors have second-guessed you and answered EVERY question(about each trail)before you even leave home! They even tell you what to look for when you're out there.
Read this litte gem then lace up your walking shoes!