Walsh Books

This book made me laugh (I loved the author's "mental notes") and it made me cry (little Christian's teeth marks)! It opened my eyes to realize that God's grace and mercy are gifts worth sharing with all of my friends and acquaintances, and gifts not to be taken for granted. This book shows how God is with us in every rise and every fall in our lives, and how He is beside us even when we don't realize it. Thank you Sheila for a great book! (please note: I read it straight through...I just couldn't put it down!)

My wife recommended that I read this book, stating that she thought every one should. I was hesitant at first, but after laughing and then crying my way through it, I believe she's right. Everyone should. I was deeply touched and reminded again of the importance of all the relationships around me, not just the one's that make me feel good. Of the need to look below the surface to find the true person. Thanks to God for using Eleanor and Sheila to remind me of what is really important in life - others.

This book is wonderful. My child took it out from the school library several times so we could try different recipies. I've decided to buy it since we both enjoy it so much.

Not just a great collection of recipes, this book has many wonderful little-known facts of American culinary history, such as the rise of "victory gardens," how the Caeser salad came about, and the origins of a ton of classic american dishes. It doesn't just give you the facts in list fashion: the author does an excellent job of summarizing the relevant time period and explaining why certain foods were preferred by people and how they came to be. I'm in my 30's and I love it just for the history! A+++!

My children love this story! The retrievers of the teeth are wonderful characters. The story makes for good storytelling as well.

I just love everything Annick Press puts out, and this book is no exception. The illustrations by Michael Martchenko (who also did The Paper Bag Princess) are vibrant and eyecatching, and reflect the whimsy of the storyline. A girl steals her uncle's teeth to show her friends, and then has a lot of trouble retrieving them from the fish that grabs them. Kids will love the way Walsh pokes gentle fun at authority figures like policemen, mayors, dentists, and so on.

As the mother of a 10 year old daughter who loves both cooking and social studies, I was very impressed by the authors' creativity in combining both into one excellent volume. The choice of recipes were very appropriate, from the standpoint of preparation by a child, what youngsters like to eat, and what the region is known for. What makes this kid-friendly cookbook unique, though, is the interesting information about the states that preceeds each entry. I found myself reading through the pages to learn fascinating information about the history, local customs, etc. without even needing to cook anything that day. It gives you something to pass the time while your meal is in the oven, too! Truly a great book--I highly recommend it!

As the mother of a 10 year old daughter who loves both cooking and social studies, I was very impressed by the authors' creativity in combining both into one excellent volume. The choice of recipes were very appropriate, from the standpoint of preparation by a child, what youngsters like to eat, and what the region is known for. What makes this kid-friendly cookbook unique, though, is the interesting information about the states that preceeds each entry. I found myself reading through the pages to learn fascinating information about the history, local customs, etc. without even needing to cook anything that day. It gives you something to pass the time while your meal is in the oven, too! Truly a great book--I highly recommend it!

The historical fallout of the actual Military/Chivalric Orders has been both good and bad. If taken out of the context of the current trend of political correctness, the influence of these organizations was objectively and long-term more good than bad.
For example, the first of all Orders, the Knights Hospitallers, of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem (also known as the Knights of Malta, where they built and defended a fortress against one of the most famous seiges in history), essentially invented and administered the first organized hospital in history. They also conceived and implemented the first ambulance service and were the first to realize that patients with contagious disease should be quarantined. They considered their patients (the sick and the poor)their "liege lords," and it is hard not to admire the fact that they took an oath to serve them upon becoming knights of the Order.
The Knights of Malta, no longer of any militaristic attribute, save under obligation if called upon to defend the Church against enemies of religion (largely a ceremonial oath), continue this tradition of serving the sick and poor in the modern world, including AIDS wards and hospitals in the Americas. One wishes for a little more explication of the peaceful and charitable attributes of the chivalric orders in Walsh's book, but it is otherwise excellent. The typeface alone transports one into the Middle Ages! Highly recommended for any history buff.

Many are genuinely surprised when they learn that monks and monastic orders were not always dedicated to peaceful pursuits of prayer and public service. While the prevailing image of monks today is that of cloistered, contemplative people, with the occasional order who sends their members out into the world to work in non-profit, community service activities, this has not always been image. Indeed, for well over half the history of the Christian church, monks were far more than this. They were the professors who ran schools, keepers of the libraries, some of the greatest landlords (which made them feudal lords to serfs), governmental administrators for the territories around their monasteries, and, for a brief but significant time, they were soldiers, defending their powers and lands as fiercely as any other soldier.

There are many monastic orders whose names come down to us today - the Knights Templar, the Teutonic Knights, the Knights of Malta - whose purpose was more for war than for peace. In the name of the Church (and therefore, by extension, of God), they fought Crusades and other battles trying to secure the borders, or expand the borders, of Christendom, against the Muslims in the south and east, and Huns and barbarians to the north.

Michael Walsh argues that the Knights Templar may well have been the first Christian 'order'; while Benedictine orders, Franciscan orders, and other such still survive (including the Cistercian order, another claimant for honour as the first 'order'), the Templars and other military-oriented orders have ceased. Perhaps this is because military might is, in most of the modern world, now the exclusive province of the state, and private militaries even for institutions such as the Church are not only discouraged, but illegal. (The Vatican has very minor military orders, but then, Vatican City is its own nation-state.)

The bishops had need of 'police' forces that these orders served; the bishop of Rome, particularly when organised papal states were formed, needed a proper military establishment that nonetheless reflected the idealistic concerns of the church. Kings and princes would also rely on the church, the most powerful overall institution in the world, and the only one that was 'world-wide' (at least to the world that counted in their eyes), for military support; the popes relied on the final loyalty being to the papacy rather than any given crown through these orders to maintain influence and sway throughout the world. However, like many powerful, wealthy institutions, the various orders of Knights fell under suspicion, disarray, and ultimately, military defeat.

Walsh traces the history of decline and dissolution, and also talks about the mythology that has arisen around the most famous military order, the Templars. London's legal establishment still finds its heart in the same Temple the Templars built and used; the downfall of the Templars was dramatic, but its cause remains controversial. Some charges of magic, others of blasphemy and obscenity of various types, others of secret and dangerous knowledge possessed by the Templars, still float around to this day in scholarly and popular imaginations.

Walsh has presented in this text a wonderful narrative history of the military orders, primarily focusing upon the Middle Ages, around the Crusades, with preliminary history and aftermath surrounding that pivotal time. He has an appendix which lists the various military orders with brief descriptions for ready reference. There is a good bibliography and a useful index. However, what will stand out most to anyone who first picks up the volume is the beauty of the book itself, with full-colour pages throughout. Pictures of places, uniforms, buildings, artwork and maps are presented in glorious colour. Added to these are many line-art and grayscale drawings and impressions. The text is not densely packed, making reading very easy on the eye as well as interesting to the imagination.

This is a text that will definitely serve to make history interesting to those who might otherwise be bored with the subject, and make for wonderful reading experiences for those who have no such issues with history.

Great book for children just starting to like books. Our grandson 18 months, loves to lift the doors and see what is underneath and say the name of what is underneath.

This book is the most popular book in the house! my childran are 2 and 5. They have several Melanie Walsh books and I'm always on the lookout for more. I love the beautiful illustrations.

With everything from motorcycles, cars, boats, Jackie O's clothes, Star Wars artifacts, elephant dung and more finding their way into the museum, this is probably a good time to examine just what the museum is and who it is for. Art Institute of Chicago director James Cuno has assembled a veritable who's who of major museum directors to hold forth on this topic. Taken together, the essays provide rare insight into how museums are being shaped in the 20th century. With sometimes surprising candor the directors make their case for how and why the museum is beholden to the public trust. A roundtable discussion at the book's end further amplifies the issues set forth in the essays. This is an important book.

This is a compilation of essays written by directors of major art museums: Cuno from the Art Institute of Chicago, De Montebello from the Met, Lowry from the MoMA, MacGregor from the British Museum, Walsh of the Getty in LA, and Wood, formerly of the AIC. Each addresses how museums can cultivate public trust in cultural institutions, the kinds of authority museums have, and how they should manage their responsibilities. MacGregor's essay was my personal favorite; it includes two amazing stories of how art proves to be valued for its emotional power during times of crisis (specifically on 9/11 and during WWII). Walsh offers suggestions as to how museums can offer its visitors a more genuine experience through curatorial choices and placement of lighting and seats. Lowry and De Montebello write about the relationship of the entertainment industry to museums. A very accessible, jargon-free text that is surprisingly interesting.

This is a great compilation of Anglo-saxon stories. The writing is stark and blunt. It transports you back to the times of Alfred the Great, Canute, and Harold II.

This book is a collection of fictional Anglo-Saxon stories revolving around both ordinary and extraordinary people. From the first story of early Saxon conquest to the last story about King Harold II at the Battle of Hastings, the book will grip you. This is a must-read for any Anglo-Saxon buff.

Absolutely beautiful. I've enjoyed reading this book over and over again as a child, and several years later at 18 yrs of age, I decided to pick it up and read it again...and it never ceases to make me smile and cry. Yes, cry..especially at the end of the book.

This book delighted me as a young reader, and I am reading it again, over 12 years later. By a Canadian author, a story about being young, being adventurous and being in love. Who could ask for more? A must read for everyone

In trying to find a solid commentary on 1 Kings that delves into the intricacies and the theology of the text, one is hard-pressed to find a work that rivals Walsh's fine contribution. Walsh develops the narrative artwork of the text of 1 Kings, showing subtle nuances and insights into the Hebrew, while maintaining a very readable and engaging style. As an evangelical pastor who holds to a high view of the Scriptures, this commentary was extremely helpful. While Walsh and I would most likely disagree on the level of redacting, the process that led to the present text, and the authoritative nature of the book, he is very concerned with the final form of 1 Kings and concentrates on using the tools of narrative and literary criticism. This is an outstanding reference work for anyone who teaches or preaches from 1 Kings and in my mind is the best commentary on 1 Kings available, period!