Stuart Books

Here is investigative historical scholarship of the highest order, ranking with J.J. Scarisbrick's remarkable Henry VIII. Written in good, clear prose, every chapter of The King's Cardinal is packed with subtle observations and deductions from existing documents.

Wolsey is an interesting figure for many reasons. He was butcher's son who rose to the highest offices of church and state, the kind of career we usually associate with the modern era rather than with a time when feudal titles tended to be requirements for all important posts in government. Wolsey's capacity for work was breathtaking and his talents were considerable. Most interestingly, here was a man who understood the demands of realpolitik as well as Machiavelli yet maintained a genuine concern for humanism, enlightenment, justice and fair dealings in society.

There is surprisingly little reliable evidence for details of Wolsey's life, yet a substantial body of his correspondence and observations of others during his years in power survives. Thus, this book is less a biography of the controversial Cardinal than an analysis of important acts and policies while he was in power.

Gwyn strips away, carefully, layer by layer, many myths and misunderstandings that have accumulated over five centuries and managed to cloud understanding of Wolsey. Most importantly, he makes it clear that Henry ruled and Wolsey served, sweeping away the image of the younger Henry as playboy king who handed over most serious business to his Cardinal/Chancellor.

Gwyn makes it clear that it was Henry's bull-headed demands for progress on the divorce, "the king's Great Matter," coming at a time when Wolsey had many other important issues with which to deal, that were the cause of his downfall.

I love Wolsey's words in a final interview with Sir William Kingston, keeper of the Tower: "Therefore, Master Kingston, if it chance hereafter you to be one of his [Henry's] privy council...I warn you to be well advised and assured what matter ye put into his head; for ye shall never pull it out again."

Here is a book for all lovers of scholarly history and biography, for all serious students of English history, for students of foreign policy and statesmanship, and for all those who want to understand how a first-rate scholar goes about his business.

A Kingdom Not Of This World by Preston D. Graham, Jr. (Senior Pastor, Christ Presbyterian Church, New Haven, Connecticut) is a profoundly presented, persuasively argued treatise against the common tendency of current historians to perceive religion as subordinate to nationalism in the American Civil War, with theology and the Church being used largely to justify political aims of the North and the South. A Kingdom Not Of This World challenges such perceptions with meticulous research, studies of primary resources, and emphatic presentation of the power of religious beliefs held in their own right, quite distinct from the 19th Century political controversy over slavery and states' rights that threatened to destroy America. A Kingdom Not Of This World is a unique and invaluable study which adds depth and focus to Civil War Studies and Church/State Studies supplemental reading lists and reference collections.

I have read many books on this subject and this is by far the best. It describes all the exiled Jacobite Kings from James II to Henry IX in great detail. It discusses their way of life, their personalities and their motivations. It gives details of all the people that had an efect on their lives and fills out the individuals by telling us of their real characters. All this in an approachable easy read. If you have any interest in these Kings at all, then this book is a must.

Anne Stuart is one of my favourite writers, has been since I picked up To Love a Dark Lord and then Moonrise. She is the Queen of the Gamma Rogue, blackhearted heroes with even blacker souls. She can make these bad boys so compelling so that you would think Robert Palmer wrote SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE about them!!

Her tale - Kissing Frosty - is a much lighter hearted Stuart showing she is a deft hand with humour. Written in 1996 is it a holiday tale I am so glad they reprinted. Megan McGraw is tired of the nomad life and wants a man, a home and a baby. She runs a healthful restaurant in a small town called Waston's Hole, and next to her is Nadjia, running a new age shop. They are facing eviction from their shops because the owner of the building wants to put in a high priced shopping complex. So on the night of the Winter Solstice, Meggie challenges Nadjia to summon up her true love. They use the giant snowman as a poppet, pinned the picture of the current heartthrob actor, and conjure their spell. And much to Megan's surprise, 5 days later the actor turns at her bean sprout restaurant!! Only problem, he is accompanied by John James O'leary, a blackheaded screenwriter that sends her temper and her pulse in orbit. It is a fun tale that will have you howling out loud. I mean with lines like "he was using his mouth like an instrument of the devil, seducing her into a brainless mass of bean sprouts marching toward destruction. Oh, Lord, and she wanted to go!!" Stuart keeps this one rolling. I am only sorry it was so short.

The much longer THE BOSS, THE BABY AND THE BRIDE is a reprint of Day Leclaire's 1994 short story. Reed Harding is hard on secretaries, going through 12 in less than six month. But suddenly he has Angie (Angel?) Makepeace has become secretary number thirteen, and soon begins to take over his life - after all she is his guardian angel!! It is a funny story that charms you as well.

This is one of those works that has sort of drifted off into the black hole of library shelves. It is the history of the Koster Dig, located in the lower Illinoise Vally, near St. Louis. The dig, located on what was the Koster Farm, is a teaching site which has been used by hundreds of students over the years. The author has given us a wonderful picture of the workings of such an excavation site, has given us some wonderful insight to early human life in North America. The book is very well written, informative and very well organized. It is a science book, a history book and just a very good read. Hate to use the phrase "page turner," but it this case it fits well. Those interested is our history and those interested in the science of archaeology will love this one. Highly recommend.

Cada una de sus historias envuelven en un ambiente que estremece, conforme se van leyendo, tales como la de "Espejo, Espejo", "Estacas", etc. Y una vez que se leen, no se olvidan.

Everything was as stated. A perfect transaction handled promptly!

"Language" can not adequately convey the importance/value of this book to those who seek to understand the "original meaning" of the United States Constitution. When I purchased this book, I was concerned that, upon close examination, I would discover that its purpose was to justify much of the Supreme Court's illegitimate jurisprudence over the past 100 years by misrepresenting (i.e. taking out of context) various historical documents. I quickly learned that this was indeed NOT the case. The Editor-in-Chief, Thurston Greene sums up the content of the book quite nicely in his preface, "It is strictly factual. There is no commentary, no speculation, no theorizing, no argumentation. Not a word that was written after the constitutional cake was baked . . . This book is a tool for the curious, for all those who realize how much more there is to know . . . ." Well said sir, well said.

Stuart Brannon moves on, intending to go back home to Arizona and see what has become of his ranch. On the way, he gets embroiled in yet another drama - this time at Paradise Meadow, a booming mining town mayored by Dixon Rutherford, one of the outlaws from Hard Winter. Brannon's friend Peter Mulroney is jailed for a crime a did not commit, and Rutherford seeks to drive schoolteacher Rose Creek out of town. Once again, Brannon cannot merely stand by and do nothing where injustice runs rampant.

His attempt to help the townspeople overthrow corruption is not without complication, however. Rose Creek questions Brannon's faith, tipping him into internal crisis and making him wonder if his belief in God is pure and without contradiction, after all.

Bly gets better and better. A man who believes in God and old-fashioned chivalry, without apology; a woman strong enough to stand up for what she believes is right, although she may not understand the One who gave her the steel to do so; a rollicking adventure with a hint of romance that doesn't turn out quite as one expects it to.

...That's just what this book is! True, I may be partial due to the fact Mr. Holt is my Senior English Teacher, but the poems and essays are wonderful. Many of the poems give such rich detail that one might think they are there with the author as he narrates the action. One of my favorite poems, "Jesus Wept" seems rather humorous on the surface, but as I read it over and over again, it shows the somber truth of human nature. This book is perfect for anyone who has a serious understanding of poetry.