I haven't read the first two books in the triology and I was hoping for an invasion by Picts or Scots. However, the story moves through post-Roman Gaul and even Brittany (called Little Britain in the book). Helen Hollick knows she has no skill in telling stories of battles, which are glossed over in a page, so the story is not weighted down by forced writing. Helen Hollick's research into post-Roman horses lets the story down as the horses the Artoriani cavalry rode would have been pony-sized. One doesn't need stirups if one's feet scrape the ground as one rides a pony-sized horse.

Three stars and an extra one for the setting.

Leigh Southern

The third and final book in this Arthurian trilogy - see below for the other two books. It took me a while to finish this one because I enjoyed it so much. How did that work? Well, whenever I was putting the book down, I would flip ahead some pages and see what would be happening, flip ahead a few more, etc. So I have to leave myself enough time in between readings to "forget" what I had read so I could be more surprised in what was coming up. Did it work? A little. Well, perhaps a lot - even though I knew what was going to happen (both from my knowledge of Arthurian literature and in what I had skimmed ahead), there were many tears that I shed at the end of it. Very very good trilogy of books.

In 468 AD, Arthur Pendragon rules over a relatively peaceful Britain. However, to the king, pax is a pox, so he agrees to lead his Artoriani fighters to help the Romans defeat invading barbarians in France. He leaves Queen Gwenhwyfar to run the country and defend his crown.

While Arthur plays soldier on the continent, the Queen has to deal with several threats to her spouse's throne. Adding to the growing danger is the word that Arthur died in battle. As his absence on the home front lenghthens, Gwenhwyfar struggles to abort the attempts of several individuals, including relatives, from usurping the throne. As Arthur recovers with the nursing help of a former lover, he hears rumors that his beloved queen died. It will take more than magic to bring this couple back together atop of the British throne.

The third book, SHADOW OF THE KING, in Helen Hollick's Camelot series is as great as the two previous novels (THE KINGMAKING and PENDRAGON'S BANNER). Fans who enjoy the Arthurian epic need to read these three tales because they are some of the best ever written about Camelot. With novels more like this trio, Ms. Hollick will become a legend in our time.

Harriet Klausner

I enjoyed this book; the way John Matthews weaves the stories is wonderful. A refreshing change from his usual scholarly writing method. However, I couldn't help but feel that the idea of the monk writing the stories was perhaps taken from "The Way of Wyrd", by Brian Bates..
Perhaps it was an idea that both writers had independantly.

John Matthews is a poet and a scholar. In this translation, Mr. Matthews successfully invokes the spirit of the bard, taking these ancient Welsh tales and turning them into a readable, intelligable and excellent writing. The Song of Taliesin is so skillfully done, I recommend it to beginners, middlers and experts alike. Seek this book out if you have any interest in Celtic myth or culture.

This is a book I have bee waiting for for a long time. Both John and Caitlin Mathhews' more (overtly) scholarly books have hinted at the possibility of more primitive, more whole versions of the Celtic stories that we have - and here John fascinatingly reconstructs them. My favorite is 'The Battle of the Trees', which takes hints from the medieval poem 'Cad Goddeu' and fleshes them out into a prose narrative, creating in effect a 'Fifth Branch of the Mabinogi'. The character of Gwydion is as wily as ever. The excitement of reading these stories, as a Celticist in training, was not only in their elegant and evocative narratives, but in seeing where fragments had been stiched together seamlessly. I'm not sure that the Irish stories worked as well as the British/Welsh ones, but the marriage of scholarship and vision is astonishing, from the story born from the poem 'Preiddeu Annwn' 'The Journey to Deganwy' to the wonderful version of the story of Branwen.
Highly recommended to those who are familiar with Celtic literature and those who are just discovering it.

If you buy this book expecting to introduce your children to Arthurian myth, you will probably be disappointed. This book keeps only young Arthur, Merlin, and the barest outline of the beginning of the story of King Arthur.

If, however, you are looking for a reasonably fun, short story for a child who is past "Hop on Pop" but not ready to read anything much more complex, you will be very well pleased. The story is simple, but reasonably engaging, the vocabulary is also simple, and the illustrations are decent. This is the first "Hello Reader!" book I have bought for my 2nd grader for use in home schooling, but it will definitely not be the last.

The other review on this page mistakenly refers to this edition as the novel by T. H. White. Its not. This edition is a short adapation for young children of how King Arthur became king. Maccrone's Arthur is a young boy, and he is "tricked" by Merlin into freeing the sword from the stone. Boddy's illustrations are great.

Hey everyone out there! READ THIS BOOK! it is boring in some parts, but still good! This shows that T.H. White was an excellent author! He can spin magic with his fingers as well as J.K. Rawling and Brian Jacques! (Although they came after him!)

Spolin is a well-recognized authority on matters of this sort -- improvisation and classroom games. One of my theater professors uses this as the textbook for her class on using theater in the classroom. It's popular enough to be one of the safer buys if you're looking for this sort of thing.

As a teacher of drama to many low-income, urban, and "difficult" adolescents, this is the book that I find most useful, alive, and inspiring! Simply wonderful for anyone trying to bring the best out of young actors!

This book is great to use in the classroom. It is full of ideas and the students will love it. They get to play and act out things while learning, it's a great change of pace. Spolin's ideas and thoughts are very helpful. Get this book, your students will thank you!

Arthur Janov's book is well written, convincing and logical although if you have read his other books from 'Primal Scream' onwards the message is very much the same: that feeling can make life easier & longer. The message is also a rather lone one though after so many years; I would like to see other books on the subject by other authors

This is an incredible book, the research results are fascinating. Again and again, since 1967 Janov has consistentently demonstrated cure of neurosis (and even psychosis) by the resolution of Primal Pain. It can be the only logical way to do psychotherapy now, but still it is ignored, perhaps because we all naturally want to avoid pain. To me this is where the new science is, this is where we should put our research efforts and where we should fund therapist training. Once one understands the importance of Janov's unmistakable discoveries, it truely is mindblowing that he has been ignored. The truth is revolutionary, and that may explain the resistance. It is hard to understand why Janov's name and ideas are not more widely discussed in the wide range of psychological literature. Quite simply, he is right, and it is important because it can save the next generation of crippling emotional and physical pain. Please read it and recommend it to others.

Nearly 30 years after writing _The Primal Scream_, Janov is still trying valiantly to educate us about neurosis and its cure. In this, his most recent book, he continues to teach us how repressed feelings act as endogenous poison eating away at our thoughts, words and deeds. He also explains that we evolved with an innate healing mechanism that can cure the neurosis resulting from such repression. Unfortunately, Janov's Primal Therapy is no longer so popular, but it remains probably the most well-researched and effective psychotherapeutic modality in history. Read this and every out-of-print book of Janov's you can get your hands on if you're interested in a natural alternative to the prescription drug addiction that currently passes for effective treatment of mental illness.

This book helps you to develop a proven winning mental attitude in selling real estate. It strives to turn you into a competent professional with the right focus, the right attitude and the right purpose when it comes to this demanding profession. This book is very succinct and well written. It does not teach you all the in's and out's of real estate (e.g. investment strategies or about mortgage and financing - you will have to find these out in other books), but it does give you the 'battleplan' and a lot of practical tips and advices on how to sell commmerical real estate. The author's enthusiasm and passion for selling is very evident. His positivity should rub off on all those who read it. Good Luck!

Any broker who wants to be really good should read this book. There is very limited training for commercial real estate selling and this book fills a big gap.

This is one of the finest real estate books on the market aimed at the commercial real estate broker. I consult it often.

I have an earlier version of this book which was copyrighted in 1982. There is plenty of good information about the more common Jewish holidays with some mentions of more minor ones. Each chapter is pretty well structured with a summary of each holiday's origins, preapration steps, prayers and customs on the day, new approaches, and food affiliated with each special day.

Although there is some good information within the chapters, it is not the easiest read as the author could summarize the basic points of each holiday more succintly. Also, the author's writing style has a very dry style with little style to cause the reader to be overly intrigued. A few unusual customs were learned here and there. However, the Omer Period discussion leaves some questions. The recipes described are a nice light touch to an otherwise matter of beleif account of the Jewish Holidays. The gloassary and bibliographies are pretty good.

Again, the goal of the Season Of Our Joy was to explain the meaning behind the Jewish Holidays. Jews who have an extensive foundation of their reglion may be able to get more out of Waskow's analysis. But those individuals who are trying to renew their interest in Judiasm may be a bit lost.

I love the discussions of the connection to natural cycles. For years I felt disconnected from Judaism, and was fed by earth-based European pagan and Native American spiritual practices. Seasons of Our Joy helped me in beginning to explore earth-based practices within Judaism

After almost a decade of living with this book, it remains my favorite for entering the Jewish cycle of observance and celebration. I return to it over and over as a source for creative, meaningful and deeply spiritual ways of participating in Jewish life. The guidance given in this book penetrates the practices and rituals, to allow me to embrace the essence of Jewish spirituality. The book gives an historical context for the days of observance as well as innovative approaches to their celebration. It is a treasure and I give it as a gift when people convert to Judaism, become a bar or bat mitzvah or when they seek a deeper understanding of Judaism.

I re-read this book recently following the tragic events in New York on 11th September 2001. Some media reports have been suggesting that the crash of a B25 bomber into the Empire State Building in 1945 has close parallels with the WTC terrorist attacks, but the circumstanes and facts were very different
The B25, being flown by an ex B17 pilot who took extraordinary risks flying visually in thick fog, became lost and hit upper floors of the ESB at an acute angle and at a speed probably close to stalling, under 100mph. The plane weighed about 20 tons and the fuel tanks were under half full. Obviously the kinetic and explosive energy involved in this accident was much less than that suffereed by the WTC. Nevertheless there was a serious fire and substantial damage to the ESB, and the three plane crew and a dozen office workers were killed
The book is certainly worth reading but suffers from over-dramatisation of the events in the B25 during the final flight - of which there were obviously no surviving witnesses

I read this (library) book many years ago and have been trying to obtain a copy ever since. I can't agree with Blair (review above/below?), the pilot wasn't tired, he was extraordinarily arrogant and broke just about every aviation rule in the book in a doomed attempt to pick up his commanding officer from another airfield, in absolutely atrocious weather. If I remember right he was a highly decorated war hero named Colonel Smith. His actions cost the lives of many people, not just those in the aircraft but also many in the building - the story of the elevator operator that plummeted 78 floors after having the cables severed by one of the engines hurtling down a corridor is amazing - she went on to become a grandmother! Amazon.com, PLEASE find me a copy of this book!

On a foggy morning in July 1945, the B-25 Mitchell bomber Old John Feathermerchant, which had just returned from Europe, took off from what is now LaGuardia Airport in New York City, headed for Boston, Massachusetts, but instead, it crashed into the 79th Floor of the Empire State Building. A new novel? No, not exactly. The true story of the Old John Feathermerchant--the B-25 that crashed into the 79th Floor of the Empire State Building in July 1945. The pilot was tired, the crew had just returned from Europe and was headed home. All aboard were killed including a Navy Corpsman. It has concise reports and eyewitness testimony. Arthur Weingarten's 1977 book is concise and accurate. It's a good book. I should know. I read it back in the 1980s. Why didn't I read it sooner?

In this work we hear from four Christian authors, each of whom has very different beliefs about what Christians should think of warfare. Ausburger argues that the Christian cannot morally participate in war in any way, even as a noncombatant. Hoyt allows Christians to serve as chaplans and in other roles, but not as soldiers. Holmes adheres to the 'just war' philosophy. Brown believes that Christians can even support preventive wars or crusades. The pacifist arguments of Ausburger and Hoyt are rejected by most Christians. If adhered to historically, Christian Europe would have been become Muslim, and the gospel of Christ could not have been shared with the world. It seems unlikely that God intended his people to be eradicated for the faith. I prefer Brown's position. Although the just war philosophy does have its appeal, it is too limiting. Under its guidelines, the allied nations could not even have have fought on to total victory in World War II. In the nuclear age, the just war has no place whatever. Each Christian must come to his own conclusions about the justice of any particular war, and not be limited by hard and fast rules from times past. This book is only an introduction to the subject, but it is a good one indeed.

Each of the four authors writes an essay defending his position, and then the other three respond, making for an interesting dialogue.

All four make compelling cases, partly because the New Testament does not directly address the issue of what a Christian or Christian community's response to war should be. The history of the Christian church will show how very differently popes, rulers, and Protestant communities viewed involvement in war.

Augsburger makes a compelling case for pacifism. What is attractive about pacifism is that it so brilliantly proclaims to the world a different way, the Way of Christ Himself who eschewed violence against those who mistreated him. The community then places its faith only in God for its protection. This position thus is naturally connected with the refusal to be politically involved, which it has historically accompanied in the Mennonite and other pacifist communites.

Hoyt says Christians can serve their country, but only in non-combat roles, as the Christian is bound not to perpetrate violence to another human. I must admit I was strongly attracted to this - and I'm sure this probably has reflected the views of many conscientious Christians once drafted. But this breaks down, because it sets up a double standard.

Holmes presents the classical doctrine of "just war". The problem with this is that a "just war" is hard to come by. Acting completely in accordance with it requires that no military forces attack territory or citizens belonging to the aggressor -- only retaking territory the enemy has taken -- thus being purely defensive. Reality tends to make conducting a "just war" impractical and unwise -- the Allies would have stopped at Germany's borders in World War II.

Brown defends the ideas of the "crusade" and the "preventive strike". This may sound offensive and did to me, but Brown is capable. But the problem lies in the Christian's justification of the particular crusade or strike. And, of course, how is this different from how the world conducts its warfare?

There are two fundametal realities that we confront as Christians facing war: One reality is that there are unscrupulous, evil, and aggressive rulers who need to be checked. The other is that war is an incredible evil and can do nothing but wreck the conscience -- which is especially troubling for the obedient Christian who knows that human life is made in the image of God. So how do we trust and obey God in the midst of war? The state "bears the sword"; can a Christian thus be part of such a state? If so, how should the state bear it?

I continue to struggle with the answers, but heartily recommend this to someone needing a beginning point on this.

I think most Christians' views on war are determined largely by their culture and only secondarily by their understanding of the Bible. Many Christian people seem to be unaware of other views, or have dismissed them too quickly. I am disturbed by the enthusiasm for war amongst many Christian people, and would hope that Clouse's book might be a small corrective to this.

This topic is worthy of thinking through, because it relates to our understanding of the relationship between the Old and New Testaments and also to the character of the God who is revealed in the Bible.

The four writers each present persuasive cases. If this makes you uncertain about your previously held views, it will have been worth reading the book.

Highly recommended.

This is an interesting collection of Clarke's short stories. Being written by one of the best science fiction authors of our age, the least someone can expect is to have great fun reading them.

Some of the stories, though, are really short, therefore they don't have much development, being just interesting concepts and mind teasers.

The longer ones are mostly the struggle of one central character against some hazard or life threat, based on scientifical facts used to develop the whole plot.

Since Clarke wrote those stories between the sixties and early seventies, it's also interesting to see what expections people related to science had thiry or forty years ago, and notice that science developments had taken a totaly different turn, now mostly applied to our day-to-day life.

In all, this book is less complex than other Clarke books, like "Songs from distant Earth", or "Rendezvous with Rama", and easier to read, but not more enjoyable. Read it to complete your Clarke-knowledge.

Grade 8.0/10

Although it's not Arthur C. Clarke's best short story collection, there are some good stories here. A lot of them are merely harmless, playful ditties that Clarke probably had some fun coming up with (The Food of The Gods, Love That Universe, Dial F For Frankenstein, The Longest Science-Fiction Story Ever Told, Herbert George Morley Robert Wells, esq., etc.) that don't, perhaps, have that much lasting literary value, but they are still ACC, and good. A lot of these stories are notable and fun to read due to their surprise endings. You will marvel at Clarke's ability to do this. Some of the best cuts from this book include the title story (which has launched quite a scientific following), Reunion, and the multitple award-winning novella A Meeting With Medusa which is an undeniable Clarke classic that almost makes the book worth buying on it's merit alone. A Clarke fan will want to own this book.

I love to read a good short story. My favorite is the type where the end is so surprising that it changes your point of view about the entire story. A second reading shows the story in a totally different light. This book is filled with such stories, and is a rare pleasure to read.