Europe Books

I came to this book after reading several books on the Caucusus -- Yo'av Karny's 'Highlanders' (2001) being the best -- and a couple on Chechnya -- Khassan Baiev's memoir 'The Oath' (2004) the most profound of those. Admittedly, I came to Tishkov's work skeptical: he is Russian, after all. For those of us perhaps a little too eager to see local resistances to 'imperial' power and statehood as liberatory struggles, Tishkov engages us in a real marvel of anthropology, teasing apart threads, and questioning assumptions. Like Baiev, albeit in a very different way, Tishkov's professionalism, his belief in the rationalism of the anthropological method, carries this book. It is certainly possible he may have carefully selected and then edited his informants' words, but to what end? Throughout the book I was successively impressed by his unwillingness to engage in "a debate over the truths of who did what during the Chechen war." This is not to say that Tishkov avoids pointed commentaries about either Russian hubris or Chechen entrepreneurial violence, but it is to say that he does a profound job in helping his readers understand the precarious nature of war and peace, especially in a cultural climate where "even the slightest of differences can be used to justify violence."

This is a very good book about the Chechen War written from the viewpoint of the fighters. Most books on this topic are written by Liberals apologists for terrorism, who sympathise with the rebels and blame Russia for the terrorist acts committed by Chechens. Others are by extreme Conservative Christians who just hate all Muslims. Chechnya went from being a struggle for independence to a Holy Jihad. If you want to hear the real story from the voices of the Chechens, here it is! This book is easier to read then Wolves of Islam, and I reccommend reading both!

Tishkov presents a blanced, well researched account of the two Russian-Chechnyan conflicts. Filled with interviews of both Chechnyns and Russians, the book gives a factual account of the war mixed with personal stories of the survivors. Highly reccomended if you want a down the middle view.

Following the tide of change that resulted in the breakup of the Soviet Union, the people of Chechnya proclaimed their independence in November 1991. Inevitably, many events took place between the newly formed nation and the Russian Federation, leading to the invasion of Chechnya by Russian troops in early December of 1994. A conflict that Anatol Lieven, the author of Chechnya: Tombstone Of Russian Power, has referred to as "the greatest epics of colonial resistance of the past century". Thus, for the next ten years, one bloody war after another reduced a thriving country to rubble; the Chechens enduring unimaginable suffering with no end in sight. To date, the struggle for self-determination has somehow, develop into an "Islamic" guerrilla war. Chechnya: Life In A War-Torn Society is not an account of the war; rather it is a reflection on a Chechen society forced into a never-ending, cruel and traumatizing war. The author of this scholarly text, Valery Tishkov, is currently the director of the Institute of Ethnography and Anthropology at the Russian Academy of Sciences. Therefore, his views on the conflict can be deemed authoritative and to some extent, biased.
In the first five chapters, the author seeks for the answer by explaining the historical context of events such as Stalin's atrocious deportation of the Chechens to the lifeless steppes of Kazakhstan during World War II, which the Chechens suffered in silence, undoubtedly created bitterness in their memories. Yet he asserts that it is not a reason for the unending conflict. Nor, according to Tishkov, do ethnic, tribal, or religious disparities explain the tragedy of this war. Tishkov however places the core of the problem in the early stage of Boris Yeltsin's presidency when rivalries between factions paralyzed the operations of the government in dealing with the Chechen crisis. He perceives the bloodshed as the result of unresponsiveness and puzzlements on the Russian leaders when the Chechen crisis first emerged and the reluctance to deal with General Dzhokhar Dudayev, whom the author introduces in chapter six, while the situation is still in control. All through the book, Tishkov observes the first war and its aftermath through the eyes of fifty-four Chechens whom he and his associates interviewed at length. These "informers" have infused his account of the war with an exclusive directness and subtlety. Their recollections offer a distinctive ethnographic description and analysis of the war, the outcome, and what precipitated it.
According to the survivors and Tishkov, the Chechens success in the first war can be attributed to the use of "guerrilla warfare", with tactics such as ambushes and attacks on the enemy's lines of communication which the author of Resisting Rebellion, Anthony J. Joes, stated as one of the vital strategy for insurgents to succeed. Tishkov goes on to express his admiration for the Chechen fighters' ability to overcome the psychological fear and intimidation and master the techniques of guerrilla warfare. Nevertheless, in chapter seven, when they staged and recorded their attacks, Tishkov portrays the exhibitionist behavior of the Chechen fighters as acts of terrorism. The author fails to realize that it is one of the ways that terrorists can get their objectives across to a wider audience. In his book Terror In The Mind Of God: The Global Rise Of Religious Violence, Mark Juergensmeyer, the noted sociologist and the Director of Global and International Studies, explains it as a theater that terrorists use to conduct terror for their audiences whom they are trying to terrorize. Yet, Tishkov fails to mention the atrocities that Russian troops committed on the Chechens that provoked the situation in the first place. On the aspect of religious, from chapter eleven to the rest of the book, Tishkov emphasizes the negative influences of Arab outsiders in the conflict, such as the al-Qaeda terrorist's network, whom he feels is using Chechnya as a stage determined to turn it into another Islamic state similar to the Taliban of Afghanistan. Tishkov's Chechnya: Life In A War-Torn Society is a recommended book since it does not try to venerate or condemn either side of the conflict but to expose how the war-monger parties in both Moscow and Grozny have made the erroneous political decisions that brought war to the Chechens and terrors to the citizens of Russia. Last but not least, the reader of this book must approach it with an open mind and not to form their judgments prematurely. Such as, in the view of some Westerners, the conflict is being about a small brave nation fighting against an imperial monster, or, in the view of Russia, an armed coup d'etat in Chechnya led by General Dudayev, resulting in the rise of an aggressive paramilitary regime that challenged both the Russian state and its armed forces. Nevertheless, it is a conflict that for Russia, according to Joes, who ranks it as one of the most disastrous counterinsurgent experiences on record, with the full implications of which have yet to manifest themselves.

Unlike many other books on Chechnya, this one offers a unique ethnographic account and analysis of this war and of what preceded it. Although very academic, it offers 'direct voices' of Chechens (mostly) that either suffered the war or have escaped it and now live elsewhere. The book does not attempt to glorify or condemn either side but, on the contrary, demonstrates how hawkish parties in both Moscow and Grozny have committed acts of political shortsightedness that dragged the country into war.

While this book is not going to satisfy anyone whose opinion has already been formed, especially anyone who views this conflict in terms of a small brave nation fighting against an imperial monster, it is more scientific and balanced than any other book that exists on this subject in English. It also takes a stab at Western preconcieved notions such as a failure to recognize ethnic cleansing of Chechnya in 1991-94 when the city of Grozny has been cleansed of non-Chechens who were forced to leave the republic or killed, their appartnments having been taken by the militants.

In short, this book will please you if you are looking for a balanced account or if you have an open mind and are not already set in condemning the Russians. After all, these are Chechen voices too.

The emotion that produces Vishniac's work,in the Eastern Europe Jewish comunnities a few years before the II World War is hard to put in words, because it's really a world that vanished not because of progress but because someone, with hatred, erased it from earth.
I feel grateful to Vishniac cause he allows us not to forget.

This book moved me a great deal. The black and white images convey such innocence in the children. The simplicity of the beautifully produced photographs juxtaposed with children's songs and rhymes (in Hebrew, Yiddish, and English) gives the impression of viewing the images in a gallery. The photographs, the narrative, and the publication itself are of very fine quality. And the message is unforgettable.

This is a powerful book. In its pages we find starkly beautiful black and white photographs of children laughing, crying, playing, studying, working, in the course of their daily life... unaware of the horrific nightmare that will overtake them soon and destroy their world.

The children's eyes look at you with all the innocent curiousity and wonder of eternal, universal childhood. You look again and apprehension grips you: in a few short years after being photographed, the future of many of these children will be brutally terminated in an unmarked mass grave or a crematorium. The poignancy of this harsh reality is driven home when you read editor Mara Vishniac Kohn's dramatic description of her father's desperate, futile efforts to use his photographs as a means of arousing the conscience of the world and inspiring action to save these children and their families. We learn that Roman Vishniac sent these photos to the White House, only to recieve a perfunctory note thanking him for "the excellent pictures you sent the President."

I must express my heartfelt compliments and appreciation to the editors, Mara Vishniac Kohn and Miriam Hartman Flacks, for the way in which they have presented these precious images-- accompanying them with the lyrics of appropriate Yiddish children's songs, in the original Yiddish and English transliteration and translation, rather than the standard dry caption text. I am especially grateful to the editors for including the music and annotation for these wonderful songs.

This book belongs in every home and library.

In a haunting collection of black-and-white photographs, Roman Vishniac records the lives of Jewish children in Eastern Europe in the early part of the century, before the start of the Holocaust. The text is a series of children's songs (in Hebrew with English translation), which are touching and show how much children are alike whether they're from one side of the world or another. But the shadow of the Holocaust, while never shown, shades readers' appreciation of the images. This is a book I will not soon forget.

I am an amateur photographer. 90% of good photography is in finding the right subject. These photos are stirring.

As a distant relative of Oliver, I was surprised that I had never heard his story. What amazes me more is the fact that countless people like Ras never recieved recognition. All in all, however, the story is one of the best I've ever read in my life.

When I was a little boy, I grew up hearing about my Uncle Oliver's story and some of the wondrous adventures he had and shared with us. Finally I am able to read a accurate accounting and in-depth look at my family's history and its impact on my life.

When Oz's brother, Danwood, (my father), died, Oz became my father and mentor. Over the years, I would talk to him and feel his story come alive.

Before I took my turn as a warrior protecting my people, as a young Marine, I went to see Oz in California to talk about my turn in combat. His words to me gave me strength during my time in hell. Bakite ishin, "hit me if you dare," was his gift to me that protected me along with my heritage and my father's spirit.

Oz's spirit live on within these pages. His gift of life for his children, wife, and his relatives is one of struggle, within his own roots, happiness, and glory. To many in the Native American community, his life is one of the Ogitchidaa, (warrior): one who defends, protects, serves his family, community and their way of life. Now in this time of mourning over the World Trade Center disaster, his story can provide a special insight into a way of strength and overcoming the hardships of life.

My uncle's gift to me lies within those simple words,Bakite Ishin. They continue to give me the strength and insight to survive in today's world. I sit here now putting a Native American publishing house together with my wife. We suffer and endure for the people of our lives and heritage. Our first book, "Freddie Came Home & Other Coyote Tales," reflects the courage of my uncle's spirit and life. Our struggle with life, whether it be in business, traditions, family or community is supported by my Uncle Oliver's legacy. He truly gives hope to the world and to the people.

Bakite Ishin. Hit me if you dare. Words of the old ones in our proud heritage. Words for people to stand up to, to be proud of, and to stay strong. Che-Miigwech, Uncle, Che-Miigwech

This is a gripping tale of a real American hero surviving behind enemy lines in WWII. It is a definite must-read. Kudos to the author for bringing this story to print!

I met Oliver Rasmussen in the 1950s when I was a U.S. Navy apprentice and he was a chief. He was short, dark, rugged, didn't talk much and there was a kind of legend about him. He had walked down out of the Japanese hills at the end of the war and had quite a story to tell. But he didn't.

He also did strange things-going without food, making marathon runs (long before they became popular), and peeling paper matches to get two lights out of one. He didn't waste words or anything else.

Rasmussen had given a press conference after his ordeal in 1945. The media kissed it off as a joke with headlines like, "Aviator Wandered Around Japan." So he stopped talking.

I left the Navy in 1955 after a four-year hitch but I never forgot the mystery of Rasmussen's sojourn in Japan. In 1997 I was retired and decided to find him and ask him about it. I found his widow, Esther, living in California. She told me that in the late 1960s a friend asked her husband if she could tape his story. He agreed with the idea that she would write a book so he could "leave something for his children." But the book never materialized. Chief Rasmussen died in 1980 and his friend died not long after, without starting the project. The tapes were delivered to Esther Rasmussen who kept them in her garage for seventeen years, but didn't listen to them. Esther loaned me the tapes. The book they produced makes an exciting read, with plenty of tips on how to survive in the wild.

As Chuck Yeager put it: Rasmussen went down in Japan and I went down in Nazi-occupied France-a couple of bad places for Americans to visit during World War II. But both of us knew how to trap and hunt and live off Mother Nature. That helped. We were country boys-combat fliers, but still country boys. When our planes went down and we found ourselves in the wild, we knew what to do.

This book is about my uncle Oliver (Oz). I wish some reader has an "in" with Steven Spielberg. My uncle survived in Japan for 60+ days, undetected. His skills, stamina and heroism deserve legendary status. In our family he has that and more. I hope others find this book of interest. Heroes come few and far between, this book is a real heroic tale.

During the middle ages the Christian church increased in political power and cultural authority. "The Christian East & The Rise of the Papacy: The Church AD 1071-1453" is the fourth volume of the acclaimed 'The Church in History' series, and covers such topics as the reformation of the papacy, the crusades, scholasticism and its impacts on the Eastern Orthodox church. Also exploring theological and spiritual trends that helped the Byzantine Commonwealth maintain its identity even as the empire itself crumbled. An informed and informative work, "The Christian East & The Rise of the Papacy: The Church AD 1071-1453" is very highly recommended to any Religious Studies shelf, as well as the non-specialist general interest reader who wishes to learn more about the history of the Christian Church.

SVS Press has publishes another invaluable volume for the church historian in "The Christian East and the Rise of the Papacy" by Aresteides Papadakis, since it focuses on the much-neglected area of Byzantium. Papadakis' essential thesis is that the final split between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches did not come about in 1054, with the mutual anathemas, but in 1204, when crusaders sacked Constantinople. The factors that led to this were a stronger papal control over the church, and an imperialism during the crusades, wherein Eastern Christians were the victims more than Muslims were.

In the 11th century, the clergy were appointed by feudal lords in Western Europe, which resulted in all kinds of simony and corruption. "It was undoubtedly lay control of ecclesiastical structure that made possible the purchase or sale of virtually every clerical grade the general rule by the tenth century. Simony became in fact unavoidable once clerical offices began to be treated like secular appointments." (p. 23) Most priests were married, and the church property simply went to their children. Further, the papacy itself was a puppet of the German emperor. A reform movement emerged in response to these abuses, led by Peter Damian and Leo IX. First, they wanted to enforce mandatory celibacy to prevent church property to pass into the hands of the priests' children. Second, they wanted to make the papacy independent of secular political control by electing the popes through conclaves made of cardinals. The College of Cardinals, which survives to this day, was Peter Damian's idea. "Significantly, the belief frequently expressed by medieval authors that the college of cardinals was the pope's supreme advisory body and, as such, was an imitation of the ancient Roman senate, was first articulated by one of the most uncompromising of the early Gregorians, Peter Damian." (p. 35-36) Finally, they wanted to end lay investiture.

In the context of the newly-powerful papacy and a suspicion towards Islam, the crusades were launched. The ostensible purpose of the first crusade was to re-capture Jerusalem from the Muslims and help the Christians of the east. Unfortunately, this is not exactly what happened. The papacy wanted to bring the Eastern Christians under its control, evoking the Donation of Constantine and historically specious arguments. Many in the western church saw the easterners as traitors. After the first crusade, parallel Latin jurisdictions were set up in areas where there were no Latin Christians before. This continued through the crusades in the Middle East (to say nothing of the Northern Crusades). Papadakis does not neglect to note that the idea of violence in the Western church had deep roots. "The theoretical justification for just war or even holy war outlined above- expressed for the first time by Augustine- was to have a lasting influence on the ethic of warfare in Western Christendom...Later papal reformers, insofar as they viewed their opposition to feudal power as a struggle against heretics and schismatics, or even excommunicates, were to find in these ideas a number of useful weapons...The belief that the Church had the power to authorize violence against heretics was in fact expanded to include pagans, as pope Gregory I's encouragement of such activity for the purpose of evangelization in the sixth century illustrates. This principle of forcible conversion may have inspired Charlemagne's later campaigns against the pagan Saxons." (p. 80) Many on both sides, however, still thought that some form of reconciliation was possible.

With the sack of Constantinople in 1204, any hope for re-union was effectively destroyed along with the city. The purpose of Fourth Crusade was to conquer Muslim Jerusalem via an invasion of Egypt. Instead, the crusaders diverted to Constantinople and took the city. The sacking was brutal, even by medieval standards. It did not happen in a vacuum or in a fit of mob rage, however. The constant rhetoric that people were hearing in the west was that the Byzantines were heretics, schismatics, and traitors. "Such observations came to be viewed as Gospel truth by the end of the century. They had become so popular by then that the diversionary assault on Constantinople, when it finally did come, was accepted with little hesitation. The fatal attack was rationalized by everyone involved by the belief that the Byzantines were already heretics. For the fourth crusade apparently the schism had been in existence for some time." (p. 103) Although there were attempts at reconciliation after 1204, in the Councils of Lyons and Florence, they ultimately failed. In addition, though Constantinople was eventually returned to the Byzantine Empire, the sacking of the city so weakened the Empire that they were unable to withstand the Turkish assaults in the 15th century. "Conceivably, the systematic Ottoman occupation of Asia Minor and the Balkans would not have been so effortless had the empire been able to maintain its territorial unity and strength after the fourth crusade." (p. 410) Although the Christians in the Ottoman Empire were allowed to exist and practice their religion, theological/cultural development would come to a halt, and they would be cut off from communication with their Western brethren until the fall of the Ottoman Empire. Highly recommended for students of church history.

The period covered in this book is 1071-1453, the final "decline and fall of the Roman Empire". In 1071, both of the Byzantine Empire's deadliest enemies launched their initial attacks - the Turks at Manzikert and the Italian Normans in Greece. The Norman onslaught was intimately connected with the relationship between eastern and western Christianity and caused such a decline that the Empire could not resist the Turks.
In the West, the Saxon kings of Germany had demanded that the Pope restore Charlemagne's title as "Roman Emperor" and grant it to them. Consequently, these "Holy Roman Emperors" (the title actually originates later) interfered in the papacy in order to maintain their claim to be Roman Emperors, forcing their choice of German prelates on the church. Eventually the German Popes asserted themselves and claimed universal authority over all of Christianity and all Christians. They also established the rule that the Cardinal-Bishops, previously a less powerful set of advisers, would be the sole electors of successive popes.
In the middle of the eleventh century, a papal legation attempted to force the Patriarch of Constantinople to be subject to the Pope. The Eastern Church's position is that the Pope was one of five patriarchs, equal in power and independent, differing only in that the Pope was owed a higher degree of respect since his city was the founding city of the Roman Empire. Further, the government of the Church was instituted by the human race for human needs by the Church Councils and the Pope was not an infallible king. The legate (Cardinal Humbert) excommunicated the Patriarch and several other high officials.
This schism was not recognized as being irreparable at the time, but every attempt at reconciliation ran into Papal demands for submission.
Indeed, a friend of mine who is in the Roman Catholic clergy stated that the Catholic Church would welcome the Orthodox back into union and would only impose the "magisterium" of the Pope "lightly" - the very sticking point of the past millennium.
The Normans used these differences to arouse hatred toward the Empire during the course of the Crusades, eventually resulting in the diversion of the Fourth Crusade into the conquest of Constantinople, a catastrophe from with the Empire never fully recovered. The Fourth Crusade and the treatment of the Eastern Church by its western overlords solidified the schism.
The Crusades were devastating for not only the Orthodox, but also for the Copts (Egypt) and Nestorians (Syria, Persia and farther east) who had been quite numerous and had thrived under Muslim rule. The Crusades established the idea that Christians were the enemy of Islam and so these communities were subjected to severe persecution and were vastly reduced in size and influence.
The one permanent success of the Papacy in the East was the union with the Marionites of Lebanon, who are henceforth loyal Catholics.
The supposedly all powerful Papacy suffered itself from schism, first moving to Avignon, then splitting into two (Avignon and Rome) when the return to Rome was attempted and, finally three (Pisa, whose second and last Pope was John XXIII, whose Papacy was so controversial that the Catholic Church avoided this once popular Papal name for 500 years until a Pope decided to ignore him as an anti-pope and take the name and number for himself) before the split was finally healed. This split and the conciliar movement (Ecumenical Councils as a church "Parliament" to balance the Papal monarch), which was spawned then, were part of the background of the Reformation. Ironically, the theory of Papal absolutism resulted in, first, a separation from the non Latin Church and, second, in a substantial civil war and separation in the Latin Church itself.
The Eastern Church turned more metaphysical during this period. St. Gregory Palamas championed the idea that experience of the divine was possible for human beings. For an excellent discussion see The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church.
The West went in the opposite direction - Scholasticism, the idea that Theology could be derived from Axioms in the manner of geometry, prevailed.
In addition to the comprehensive coverage of the Greek and Latin Churches, there is fairly good coverage of the Slavic and Armenian Orthodox Churches.
The people at St. Vladimir's Press informed me that this book and Imperial Unity and Christian Divisions: The Church, 450-680 Ad (Church History ; 2) will be reprinted in the winter of 2007-8 and volume 1, part 1 of this series Formation And Struggles and volume 3 Greek East And Latin West: The Church AD 681-1071 (The Church in History) have appeared in the fall of 2007 with the rest of the series to follow.

A clear and well-written history of the major interaction of East and West at the height of the largest and most divisive split in the Church.

Excellently written. Provides a wealth of information on the events surrounding schism of the Papacy and the East.

Aristeides Papadakis' "The Christian East and the Rise of the Papacy" is a fantastic work that deals with the subject of the Roman papacy trying to assert itself and its authority over the whole of Christendom.

The book is exhaustive in detail and meticulously notated. It took me quite some time to read because of the complexities of the subject. However, it is one of the best church history books I've ever read and an absolutely essential read. It tells the story of church history from the Eastern perspective and shows why the Eastern Orthodox Church resisted (and continues to resist) the papal claims of universal authority.

The Eastern Orthodox Church has always been conciliar in nature and refutes the "infallibility" claims of the papacy. He draws on Nicholas Cabasilas' view about the idea of papal infallibity as being a flawed concept. He asserts that the College of Cardinals can't give to the pope that which they don't possess (infallibility) and draws on the eastern view that a group of bishops ordains a bishop and can only invest that person with authority that they themselves possess.

It is an idea that is discussed at length. The book also shows a lot of the internal workings within the Byzantine empire and the Slavic kingdoms and how they dealt individually as well as collectively with the papacy. A truly amazing book that should be read by anyone wanting to see the view of the papacy from an Eastern perspective.

Jaroslav Pelikan's third volume in "The Christian Tradition" series, entitled "The Growth of Medieval Theology" covers the development of doctrine in Western Christianity during the years 600 AD to 1300 AD (Eastern Christianity during this time period was covered in Volume 2). As such, it covers the development of the doctrines and practices that would one day lead to the splitting of Western Christendom through the Protestant Reformation. Anyone impacted by those events - and that would be all Christians in the West today - would benefit greatly from reading this volume.

Unfortunately, this time period is one of the least understood and most disparaged periods of Church history. Most view the early Middle Ages (approximately 600-1100 AD) as a time of little development and great corruption. The years 1100-1300 AD, on the other hand, are seen as a time of too much - and illegitimate - development. Whereas both stereotypes have some basis in truth, Pelikan's book shows that these views are simplifications that do not truly cover the more nuanced truth of the matter.

The major influence on this time period in the Church is St. Augustine. In fact, it would not be far from the truth to say that the Church during this time was simply working to process Augustine's theology. Every debate was held under the assumption that one had to show how one's views conformed to Augustine's; if unsuccessful, then the argument was lost. Of course, today it is easy to see how this myopia could lead to problems, but at the same time, Augustine's thought was so comprehensive that it was quite a firm foundation for 1,000 years. Pelikan does an excellent job in relating the various debates and issues of the time, and how Augustine's teachings formed the basis for it all.

What I admire most about this series is that Pelikan is able to remove himself from modern presuppositions and enter into the minds of those who lived in the time period under study. Much of the preconceptions of the Middle Ages are not ours; and as such, their arguments can seem simplistic and lacking. But Pelikan is masterful in explaining not only the arguments of the theological debates of the time, but also the assumptions and beliefs that formed the foundation for those arguments. This allows the reader to comprehend debates that are sometimes far removed from our own times.

This is the third of five volumes of the late Jaroslav Pelikanâ(tm)s classic series on the historical development of Christian doctrine. Combining the highest degree of historical scholarship with the pedagogical skill of a great teacher, Pelikanâ(tm)s work still stands as the standard source when approaching the question of doctrinal origins.

In this volume, Pelian explores the development of doctrine in Western Christendom from the close of the patristic era to the height of medieval scholasticism. In this period, the Western Church, beginning with the theological synthesis of St. Augustine of Hippo, developed an outlook on the Christian faith that differed in fundamental ways with theological currents in the Christian East. The collapse of the Western Roman Empire, the use of Latin instead of Greek, and the increasing claims of the papacy all were hallmarks on this era where the Christian West began to assert its own unique theology.

Pelikan begins with the book with an historical exposition of the Augustinian synthesis and its understanding of the Catholic tradition. The Western Church no less than the East claimed loyalty to the tradition of the Fathers but saw it though an Augustinian prism. So pervasive was the influence of the great Bishop of Hippo, that it seemed natural to add the clause "and the Son" to the Creed when speaking of the Holy Spirit simply based on St. Augustine's own writings on the Trinity. Not just on the Trinity, but on every key aspect of the faith, St. Augustine of Hippo was a towering figure. His ideas on salvation, the nature of the Church, and the Sacraments would dominate Western thinking for centuries to come and the earlier Fathers would be interpreted through the synthesis he created.

Then turning to the period at the end of the patristic era, Pelikan explores how Western theologians began to extend the Augustinian synthesis in the face of new challenges. Among the theological challenges facing Western Christendom were semi-adoptionst views, the blurring of the line between the doctrine of the Trinity and tritheism, the role of faith and works in salvation, the nature of the Sacraments, and the position of Mary in the divine economy.

Some of these issues, as Pelikan skillfully details, would continue to occupy the theological concerns of the Western Church for centuries to come. One of the areas where such concerns would meld to form a more comprehensive view occurred as the Western Church began to develop its theology of the divine economy. Within Western theology, salvation had since St. Augustine emphasized tended towards a transactional theory of atonement which differed from the idea of theosis that was holding sway in the East. However, the exact nature of the transaction involved was left nebulous in the writings of the great bishop of Hippo.

An idea that had begun to hold sway in the Western Church was the ransom theory whereby Jesus gave His life as a ransom paid to Satan who was then unable to hold him in the bondage of death. New speculation began in the eleventh century with St. Anselm who asserted instead that no ranson is owed to Satan but instead satisfaction to God's honor. Although St. Anselm's theories met some opposition (notably Peter Abelard who backed a theory of Jesus redeeming us by His moral example), the idea would eventually begin to dominate Western thinking and be held as the logical consequence of Augustinian theology.

Pelikan focuses in on St. Anselm's satisfaction theory of the atonement as setting the stage for all discussion on the matter in the Western Church for centuries to come. The theory would continue to be developed in various ways but Western ideas on salvation became uniformly cross-centered. The cross was the turning point in human history and the fact that the crucifixion had been for the salvation of mankind demonstrated that Christ was the Lord of history and His sovereignty was absolute.

Pelikan then turns to the matter of how the grace won by Christ was made efficacious for men. Here special attention is focused on two developments within Western Christianity: the role of the Communion of Saints - especially the Virgin Mary - in the divine economy and the role of the Sacraments in communicating grace to us. Although the core was something imported from the Church's earlier Catholic tradition, the Western Church would further develop the particulars into a distinctive theological consensus.

In examining the issue of devotion to Mary and the Saints, Pelikan notes that such practices had long been established, but the West began to develop them in new directions. What began to set apart the Western understanding of Mary's role in the divine economy was the emphasis placed on her as mediatrix. This was not to be understood as mediating in the sense of Christ who mediates between God and man through His sacrifice on the cross, but in the sense that she brought Christ to us through the Incarnation and can bring us to Christ through her intercession. Still, it was subject to excesses and this new attention paid to Mary would lead to the elevation of devotion to saints in general as the excesses of popular piety became a seriously debated issue in the Church.

Pelikan then explores how debates over the exact nature of the Eucharist led to the evolution of the theory of transubstantiation within the Western Church. Theological arguments over the nature of Christ's presence, whether the presence was objective or subject to the believer's faith, and other related issues all led to the adoption of the language of substance and accidents in the presentation of the emerging doctrine. The concerns over the Eucharist opened up the discussion for the nature of the Sacraments in general. These disputes included the definition of what constituted a Sacrament and the numbering of the Sacraments. As time went on, a general agreement of a Sacrament as an outward sign conferring an inward grace and the numbering of seven (Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation, Penance, Ordination, Matrimony, Exreme Unction) would be the consensus.

Pelikan then describes how the Western Church, with its development of doctrine and ecclesial polity, would more and more see itself as upholding the one true faith of Christ in a fallen world. The patristic consensus of earlier centuries was viewed entirely through the prism of Augustinian theology and even this Augustinian view was interpreted through the later developments of St. Anselm and others. Thus later developments within the Western Church (known as the Catholic Church) were projected onto the patristic writers and the interpretations of the Eastern Church (known as the Orthodox Church) were viewed as deviations even though the latter were often closer to the original intent of the Church fathers themselves. The truth of the developed Catholic consensus was challenged not only by the Eastern Church but by various spliter groups that developed in the West to protest the corruption of power and worldliness within the Catholic Church and also the rise of the dualist Cathari. Responses to such challenges often were to deem them as heretical on the basis of their challenging the papal authority. Even the Eastern Churches, which stayed faithful to the original version of the Creed delivered by the Councils of Nicea and Constantinople, were deemed as at fault for not changing the Creed to include the fillioque added centuries later by the Western Church.

Pelikan also delves into the relationship between Catholicism and non-Christian religions. There was renewed contact with Judaism in this period that reached far beyond the triumphalism of earlier centuries. Much of this contact was frequently between Jews and Jewish converts to Catholicism. There were still, however, limits to how far this dialogue could proceed and some in the Church were always wary of a "Judaizing" tendency among Catholic so engaged. The rise of Islam as a world power also necessitated a response and here Western theologians joined their Eastern counterparts in seeing it as a Christian heresy that mixed truths of the Catholic faith with errors accumulated elsewhere.

Perhaps the greatest challenge to the Catholic Church was the recovery of the works of Aristotle. The East had long been familiar with the philosopher and even Islam had its take on his work, but the recovery of his philosophy shook the intellectual community within the Catholic Church to its foundations. Here was a perfectly integrated worldview - perhaps the most sophisticated yet devised - that was completely without Catholic influence. Pelikan explores how theologians grappled with this new synthesis while trying to maintain the brand of Augustinian theology that had become the standard for Catholic theological discussion.

The greatest example of this was the new synthesis achieved by St. Thomas Aquinas in the Summa Theologica. Aquinas' towering achievement left in tact the Catholic docrine by stripping it of much of the platonic influence in the Augustinian synthesis and expressing it in terms of the Aristotelian view. The essential Augustiniansim of the system was maintained but its new outlook more clearly integrated it with the study of nature. The new syntheses led to further theolgical development as new areas of intellectual investigation opened up but the new approach was not without its critics. The often slavish reliance on Aristotle by less talented interpreters than the great scholastics of the thirteenth century would eventuall ossify much of Catholic theology and lead to the undoing of much of its achievements.

The development of Catholic doctrine in the medieval period is remarkable as it was derived from the Catholic tradition of earlier centuries but in many ways is totally different. Unlike the East, the Western Church was not hesitant about taking theology in new directions in response to internal and external influences. Jaroslav Pelikan's account in The Growth of Medieval Theology (600-1300) makes clear how the Western Church could change elements of its faith and practice in sometimes significant ways while, in its eyes, truthfully claim to maintain the tradition as had been handed on to them. For anyone interested in how the patristic Catholic consensus developed into the medieval Catholic consensus, there is no more detailed explanation than in this book.

Jaroslav Pelikan, once again, provides readers with a thorough, pluralistic view of the major theological thoughts and innovations of the period. The work, which thankfully does not ignore the Eastern church and therefore gives a truly comprehensive picture, is based on quotations from major theologians, and neither is speculative nor dilutes the writings by trying to fit them into a modern mold.

This book is a superb reference for students of theology and history, and definitely "fills in the blanks" for anyone with a limited view of medieval theology. Pelikan's writing is surprisingly readable, though it is sometimes cumbersome to have to keep checking the "marginalia" and separate listing of sources to ascertain who wrote what. It is purely a scholarly work, and not likely to please those looking for engaging narratives, but is invaluable for those with a serious interest in the subjects.

This third volume of Dr. Pelikan's history of the Christian Tradition is, as expected, yet another treasure-trove of knowledge and scholarship. It is full of surprises and detailed analysis of the various theological controversies of the years between 600 and 1300 in the West. However, this volume wasn't as apprehensible or as satisfying for me as the first volume dealing with the Early Church. Since I would be more willing to question my own understanding than Pelikan's exposition, I believe this work merits a second reading. Still, for me, the real significance of medieval theology remains a mystery.

I suppose the greatest surprise of this volume was the theological diversity of an age that is usually mislabeled as monolithic and intellectually stagnant. Pelikan details the various controversies over such things as grace/free will, the Real Presence, church authority, Mary, salvation, etc. that took place during the darkest of the Dark Ages. However, because of the lacunae of historical context, it is unclear to me whether the theological dissidents actually had any influence or following in the church as a whole or were merely lone cranks whose theories were debated and discarded in the isolation of the monasteries or universities. We are given the various sides of a debate without being told how they were resolved by the Church. Perhaps a reading of the volume on the Reformation will reveal what influence, if any, these medieval controversies had on future religious developments, but because Pelikan rarely informs us about what the church- as an authority- actually_taught_during this period, I am left ignorant about what effect these debates actually had on the medieval church and the development of doctrine. Though he does mention one or two councils that condemned a certain theologian's theories, it seems like this book is more of a survey of questions raised than questions resolved and doctrines defined. I wanted to know what gospel the church- under the authority of Popes and bishops- was promulgating as truth during the Middle Ages, but I didn't get it. Still, this volume is a fascinating overview of intellectual ferment in the medieval church.

Pelikan's "The Christian Tradition" is a remarkable series that describes the manner in which Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox christians have interpreted the teaching of Jesus and the manner in which the doctrines of this "one, holy, catholic and apostolic" faith developed and diverged over twenty centuries. Thus, one learns not only what the various christian churches teach today but how and why these teachings differ. While scholarly, "The Christian Tradition" is clearly written and readable. Highly recommended.

The USS Macedonean (originally HMS) is largely forgotten today, but her legacy is intertwined with the early days and wellfare of the young American republic. She was the first English warship to be captured by the American Navy, and was instrumental to putting an end to the Barbary pirates, and even had a hand in the reopening of Japan to the world.

It is only fitting therefore that a book would be written about her. De Kay's book, "Chronicles of the Frigate Macedonian" is an extremely entertaining read, one that well worth the time. There aren't many single ship biographies out there about the American sailing navy, which makes this book a solid gem.

Chronicling the Macedonean from her construction in a shipwayd in england, to her (What was left of her) final destruction at the hands of a fire in 1922, De Kay weaves a entertaining account of the ship, her glories and her more tarnished incidents. The true cast of character is diverse, ranging from the honorable John carden, who lost the Macedonian to the USS United States and never commanded a ship again, to Commodore James Biddle, who's own tenure as captain was filled with sickness and death on the ship, to "Commodore George DeKay" who successfully used the Macedonian to bring much needed relief to an Ireland suffering from famine.

The Macedonian's history was filled with political intruige, madmen, jealousy, courage, an death. De Kay chronicles it all in vivid color. If you enjoy C.S Forester, Patrick O'Brian, or Naval History, I'd strongly suggest this book.

You don't often find a biography of a ship. Especially a ship which has a history as rich and varied as this one. The lives, careers,countries this ship saw. Wonderful history. It ties time together and does what few teachers can, makes history live. With a broadside!

The USS Macedonean (originally HMS) is largely forgotten today, but her legacy is intertwined with the early days and wellfare of the young American republic. She was the first English warship to be captured by the American Navy, and was instrumental to putting an end to the Barbary pirates, and even had a hand in the reopening of Japan to the world.

It is only fitting therefore that a book would be written about her. De Kay's book, "Chronicles of the Frigate Macedonian" is an extremely entertaining read, one that well worth the time. There aren't many single ship biographies out there about the American sailing navy, which makes this book a solid gem.

Chronicling the Macedonean from her construction in a shipwayd in england, to her (What was left of her) final destruction at the hands of a fire in 1922, De Kay weaves a entertaining account of the ship, her glories and her more tarnished incidents. The true cast of character is diverse, ranging from the honorable John carden, who lost the Macedonian to the USS United States and never commanded a ship again, to Commodore James Biddle, who's own tenure as captain was filled with sickness and death on the ship, to "Commodore George DeKay" who successfully used the Macedonian to bring much needed relief to an Ireland suffering from famine.

The Macedonian's history was filled with political intruige, madmen, jealousy, courage, and death. De Kay chronicles it all in vivid color. If you enjoy C.S Forester, Patrick O'Brian, or Naval History, I'd strongly suggest this book.

Fascinating account of how the capture of one ship from the British during the War of 1812 boosted national morale and elevated the United States in the international arena. De Kay skillfully illustrates how the US's leaders shrewdly manipulated the Macedonian's psychological power by sending her on highly visible missions. As a result, the Macedonian was there for over 100 years' worth of some of the US's most fascinating history, and captained by some of the most colorful officers in the United States Navy. De Kay masterfully ties the Macedonian's history with our history. Excellent!

During the War of 1812 many early land battles ended terribly for the United States. Our soldiers were volunteers who lacked the training to sustain the fierce attacks of the seasoned British troops who had just defeated Napoleon.

America needed a boost of confidence to thwart those in the land who would capitulate to the British rather than fight what they saw as a loosing battle.

In a short span of several weeks, two sea battles took place against the British. These intense conflicts with cannons blazing and men fighting as they never fought before, resulted in victories for the U.S. Navy.

This turn of events brought the British government great shame in their own country and gave the Americans much to celebrate.

In the first battle, the British ship sank, but in the second the Macedonian was captured by Stephen Decatur and his brave and dedicated crew.

When this ship was brought to America's shores the people were greatly motivated to try and fight everywhere to save their country. the War of 1812 is often called the second American Revolution and could have marked the end of this new form of government.

The defeat and capture of the Macedonian was so grand and uplifting to the U.S. Navy and the American people that it remained in service and was kept as a reminder of our strength for about 100 years.

The story that unfolds about this ship brings so much rich history about the United States and its people that it is well worth getting excited over.

This is a well-written text dealing with the movement of peripheral outsiders into primacy in the London metropolis. Hancock spends a great deal of time supporting his thesis, though occasionally he does get bogged down in lists and facts. This is not merely an economic history of late eighteenth century trans-Atlantic trade, but an in-depth examination of how a select group of outsiders made their way into the depths and heights of London's metropolis society. Hancock's narrative style makes this an interesting and engaging read. I would recommend this text to anyone interested in how outsiders gained prominence in the London middle class and how those same outsiders became landed `gentlemen' in the late eighteenth century.

"Citizens" is a vivid, readable portrait of a group of men who, by virtue of their merchant enterprises, helped to shape the destiny of the American colonies in the 18th century. The author, while not stinting on historic detail, manages to squeeze in enough lively anecdotes about the men, their times, and their lives, to make "the Associates" human -- and utterly fascinating.

David Hancock has written a striking account of the careers of twenty-three very successful London merchants who invested together in several particularly challenging and rewarding branches of British overseas trade in the eighteenth century. His masterful study is based on intense and imaginative research in Britain, the continent, the United States and the West Indies. From his rich findings, he has developed a thoughtful and probing treatment of topics such as the wholesale slave trade, the Scots element in the City of London and the large government contractors in the Seven Years War. His achievement is most impressive.
Jacob M. Price, University of Michigan (from the dust jacket)

"Citizens of the World" is perhaps the finest study ever written on a mercantile group. Hancock moves gracefully from the counting house to the country house, from slaving to art collecting, in reconstructing the lives of the Associates. Beautifully written and extraordinarily well researched, "Citizens of the World" represents an outstanding scholarly achievement.

Peter Coclanis, Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (from the dust jacket)

This fascinating book has something in it for almost everyone interested in eighteenth-century history. Business historians will find keen analysis of the techniques that a remarkable group of entrepreneurs used to propel themselves from the periphery to the center of Britain's imperial economy. Cultural historians will acquire new insights into what it meant to be British at the moment that identity was being forged. Students of British and American history in general will discover how intricately social ambition, commerce, war, and slavery interacted in the construction of the first empire. And anyone at all who admires intricate argument, imaginative research, and stylish prose will find "Citizens of the World" a delight.
Fred Anderson, University of Colorado at Boulder (from the dust jacket)

Winston sets forth in his 5th book of the study of the Second World War in describing the dominance of the Allies in all theaters. This book was first published on September 1, 1951. One month and 26 days later Mr. Churchill will again be Prime Minister of Great Britain.
Winston goes into great detail of the Allies gaining control of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Churchill's travels to Quebec and to Washington again showing him as the ultimate World Statesman. His descriptions of his meeting with FDR at Cairo in preparation for the Teheran Conference begins to show the independence and direction of the U.S.A.
During this time period Winston was gravely ill in December of 1943 and convalesced at Marrakech. He proceeded to his duties and started to plan along with the U.S.A. for the plans of the D-Day invasion.
Also Churchill describes the US advance in the Pacific along with the Allies effort against the Japanese in Burma.
We end with the fall of Rome and the preparations on the eve of D-Day. Winston will always get 5 Stars from me. He's a bit of a windbag but I still like his style!!

Volume 5 of Churchill's great WWII series covers the time frame from June 1943 to the eve of Overlord (Allied cross-channel attack) June 5, 1944. North Africa had been cleared. India had been protected from invasion. Australia/New Zealand were free of danger and the Stalin's Army was driving Hitler out of Russia. The U-Boat dangers were greatly lessened and shipping increased. The Germans were also being driven out of Italy and Hitler's tyranny was doomed. The ring was truly closing.

`Closing the Ring' deals primarily with the main conferences that were taking place. Quebec, Cairo, Moscow and Teheran conferences set dates and time tables that were difficult to accomplish but got everyone working on the same page.. Churchill endeavors to clear up misconceptions about his reluctance regarding Overlord. He was always in favor of the cross-channel effort but desired to use inactive forces to gain greater footholds in Hitler's underbelly. He desired to get some landing craft earmarked for Overlord, to use forces that were standing still in North Africa, for quick capture of several Aegean islands and then into Italy. FDR and his military advisers waffled back and forth delaying landing craft until many opportunities were lost. According to Churchill, one of the greatest failures, in spite of victories won, was not bringing Turkey into the War and the benefits that would have been gained. The Allies were kept out of the Balkans thus allowing the Russian Army to fill the void of the retreating Germans. At Teheran ,Roosevelt was making deals with Stalin in the absence of Churchill. He and his advisors continued to place too much trust that Stalin would do the right things for Europe and especially in the Balkans.

This is an important volume as Churchill finds himself at times almost like a third wheel as FDR continues his courtship with Stalin. Churchill's insights were for the most part right on target, or at the very least in the ball park. He felt that there was more than one way to win this war and seemed at least to be trying to find ways to quickly bring this war to a close. Well worth reading and learning about this terrible time in history from Churchill's inside view.

I've read all the volumes in this set and closing the circle is one of the best. Churchill is an excellent writer and when you read this volume, (and all the volumes) it is as if he were holding a conversation with you. His attention to detail is amazing and the correspondence between himself, Roosevelt and Stalin is absolutely eye opening. It gives one the feeling of being behind the scenes and sitting in on the conferences at Yalta, Russia and the middle east. Absolutely engrossing.
It gives one an entire new understanding of WWII. I would recommend all six volumes to anyone interested in WWII .

As with the other volumes in his monumental history, Churchill's language is sparkling and, from a literary standpoint, practically genius. The man really knows how to turn a phrase, to use the English language to its best advantage. As literature, this book is wonderful, and I recommend it highly. As history, it may be less important. Everyone acknowledges the work's idiosyncracies; it's Churchill's view, not a balanced attempt to cover the whole war. To be fair to WSC, he knew what it was, and made no pretense about it. But, after the USA came on to the European scene in mid-1943, Britain's position of authority declined, so there's less for Churchill to describe or represent. He's reduced to saying innumberable times "We were forced to accept our Ally's view." The reader, especially one who has read the first four books, can tell that he's no longer so engaged by the magnitude of events. He covers a year here in only 2/3 the space it took him in any previous volume. Maybe he's just exhausted, but whatever the reason, *Closing the Ring* lacks the grandiose-ness of the previous entries.

It is fortunate for us as readers that Winston Churchill not only had the qualities of a writer, but that he also found the time to put them to such good effect. Many a retired politician has written his personal memoirs-few of them have ever done so quite as completely. In the war, Churchill used secretaries to help him cover the multitude of daily tasks he needed to get through and afterwards, when living at Chartwell, his home in Kent, he kept up the practise of using an amanuensis instead of writing himself. This allowed him to get far more work done, since he could literally do it with his eyes closed. Nevertheless, we may feel sure that the text is his own. Proud man that he surely was, there is little chance that he indulged anyone in much editing. When we see his virtually unedited copy sent from the field from India, the Sudan and South Africa at the end of the last century, we can feel sure that by the 1950s, he was a competent composer of text indeed.

"Closing the Ring" is the story of the climax of the Second World War. Although he refused to admit it, Hitler probably knew deep down what everybody else could see very clearly after Stalingrad. The once mighty armies of the Third Reich were being forced to withdraw; some of the best divisions had by then been so savaged that little remained. Berlin was being mercilessly ground down to rubble by legions of British and American heavy bombers that ended up attacking their targets almost unopposed. It was the time when madness reigned in the Fuhrerbunker and when the Allies could see the fruit of their careful planning starting to ripen. Churchill was at once rewarded by the knowledge that he had been right in thinking America invincible, and at the same time he was sadly aware that an era was passing and the British Empire was fading away in front of his eyes.

This is a long sustained narrative, written by a man in full command of his enormous personal resources. In addition, Churchill had access to a vast quantity of documentation concerning the period, because he had written much of that too! Frankly, this is an admirable work of history, told with a writer's gift for spinning a yarn and I enjoyed every word of it.

Small though it may be, this wonderful book contains a wealth of information on the Colosseum. The authors - scholars in this field - very ably guide the reader along this amazing structure's long journey through the ages up to the present, debunking myths along the way. Although details on the formidable challenges faced by those who built the Colosseum are relatively few, its history and archaeology, as well as snapshots of the lives and times of those who used it and performed in it, more than compensate. Occasionally, the authors challenge the "generally accepted" interpretations of some of the often-sparse archaeological and historical evidence and offer alternative views. Near the end of the book, useful advice for the potential visitor is provided, followed by an extensive bibliography. The writing style is clear, friendly, authoritative and quite lively. This book can be enjoyed by anyone, but especially by those fascinated by ancient history and archaeology.

This is a scholarly analytic type book that investigates not only the colliseum building itself,but the spectacles that took place inside.The book also describes why the Colliseum was built as well as how it was bulilt.The Colliseum according to my read of the book was an important propoganda and public education tool of the Roman rulers.It showed the populace that not only had Rome conquered,but that all the beasts and "savage peoples" of the world were Roman possesions for amusement.The building may have also served as a warning,"you too could end up here" and was an outlet for high risk takers to make a name and a fortune. Also alot of these gladiatorial spectacles were actually public executions of criminals,the sword of a gladiator maybe no worse than the electric chair or gas chamber!Unfortunately no work on the Colliseum has covered the gambling on an immense scale that must have gone on at these events.For one I have always thought that the Gladiatorial helmet that is always used in movies and art appears awkward. It seems as if the fancy ornate designs and rims would block not just the peripheral view but about every other one as well.The author points out that these helmets that were found in the buried ruins of Pompeii may have actually been "parade helmets",used for the pre-fight spectacle to identify and give status to the Gladiator.In the arena he may have found such a helmet in fact a great disadvantage. That's the kind of research contained in this book.In regard to the wild animal fights the author spends alot of time breaking down and analyzing the industry that was involved in transporting "wild beasts" of all descriptions from various parts of the world. It must have been a great part of Rome's GNP.The author also questions alot of the traditional source material for acounts in regard to the Colliseum and its spectacles.It seems in times past that writers may have been as prone to exaggerations as they are today.You'll leave this book with a good knowledge of "the Games" and realize that alot of them were anything but "fair contests" between men and beasts.Rather alot of stage theatrics and "smoke and mirrors".Could it be that the the Roman popes banned these spectacles not only for the brutality,but because they were just plain boring.In fact these games were continued on well into the Roman Christian era,so there may not have been an initial Christian "moral outrage" when Rome was Christianized under Constantine.Anyway,I got my tickets to my first(and last) game from a scalper who had "copped them" free from a "charity organization"On the final page I seriously believed that the Retiarius Gaius was using steroids,and someone had spilled their greasy nacho cheese on my"Gladius" t-shirt.I also had to move 2 seats over because I believed the man next to me was coming down with a case of "bubonic plaque"That's how real this book is.

This is a rather specialized account of the Colosseum, and any student intending to visit the structure should read it. It debunks some myths about the place, but shows that it is a fascinating world wonder which deserves the attention of all visiting Rome. The research seems impeccable.

All the reviews here so far were written on the tourist side, not the scholar's. The great merit of this book, in my view, is that it fits both audiences in a very nice manner. Scholars would of course expect a more exhaustive treatment, but it's striking that there are almost no other academic books devoted to the subject of the Colosseum. Many studies on this building and other amphitheatres concentrate on technical, architectural issues, but this book offers concise and clear analyses on social aspects of gladiators, the interpretations of the Colosseum through the ages (a fascinating part!) and other varied issues. Profs. Hopkins and Beard are two leading authorities in Roman History, but their text is lively, fluent, good-humored and very pleasant - I wish all scholars could write like this! Therefore: for specialists, it's not a thorough book, but very welcoming all the same.

As for the occasional interested tourist, as others here have also said, this book is as useful, appealing and enjoyable as it can be. Having been to the Colosseum myself, though, I don't agree with the advice of getting there one hour before it closes (last entrance allowed is at 3PM). Packed crowds of tired tourists with noisy kids are better to be avoided if you want to take your time inside, so get there as early as you can. Also, like the authors, I strongly recommend a visit to the nearby Palatine - but get a good guide, so that you can understand the ruins you're seeing (use Oxford Archeological Guide, Coarelli's book, or even Blue Guide Rome).

The Colloseum in Rome is arguably one of the five most famous buildings in the world but there are very few books about it. At least I have found that to be the case, as I have always had a fascination for the place. May this is the macabre side of me coming out. But it is not just the gladiatorial contests and many other blood letting contests that went on including wild animals fighting both humans and one another or the naval battles that were fought there. Yes naval battles, with real ships and the arena flooded with water. I readily admit that I find these interesting and have done for many years.

However the main attraction of the Flavian Amphitheatre, to give it its correct name is its architectural beauty. It is a building that we would be hard pressed to replicate today, even with all the modern building techniques that we now possess. A building that could fill with people and empty at the end of the games quicker than most modern football stadiums. A building that has stood the test of time. It is only vibration and pollution from modern day traffic that is now affecting the building more than the last two thousand years ever have.