This book gives somewhat of a Arthurian anthology as it begins in the early writings of Geoffrey of Monmouth and others, then works its way through some of the more well known stories, most notably Knight of the Cart and Gawain and the Green Knight. The translations of the individual stories aren't always the best, but this book is a good compilation for casual readers of Arthurian lit looking for a sampler.

James Wilhelm's "The Romance of Arthur" is an outstanding one-book resource for any student of Arthurian lore. Wilhelm's introductory notes are concise but helpful, and the selection of material is both varied and quite entertaining. There are not only widely familiar and vital core works such as The Knight of the Cart, The Romance of Tristan, Malory's Le Morte Darthur and the Prose Merlin, but more obscure masterpieces such as The Saga of the Mantle, the Rise of Gawain, and the Alliterative Morte Arthure--the last highlighted by some of the most powerful literary battles since Homer and a particularly moving scene of Arthur on his deathbed. An unqualified recommendation for any Arthurian library.

I originally got this book for a course, and it was my first taste of medeival lit. (beyond Beowulf and Canterbury tales, at least - but who didn't read those in twelth grade?). I found it an intriguing, well chosen compilation which showed the major evolutions of the Arthurian saga from the blood-thirsty early chronicals to the flowery romances and chivalry more commonly associated with the legend. The selected excerpts were of just the right length for reading in one sitting, and the introductions helped greatly in understanding them. Despite the fate of most books assigned for a class - I truly enjoyed this one.

I'm torn in reviewing this item, only because the subject is so damn interesting that any modern scholarship is appreciated. However, for me, Safranski is one of those writers who either suffers from poor translation or simply a wooden style. Very few authors can get in my way of enjoying a philosophical biography the way Safranski can (I felt this with his treatment of Heidegger as well). He would benefit from a more transparent prose to go with his fascinating subjects. However, this is a book that attempts to chronicle the life of that wildman of thought, Schopenhauer, and even a rough attempt is indispensable. The facts are here, copious, and surrounded by pertinent details of Arthur's time, and for that reason alone it's probably a must have for fans of this philosopher. For a more biased but better written account of his ideas, I'd probably recommend Magee's "The Philosophy of Schopenhauer".

arlodriver is rightly concerned with the wooden style displayed in this book and the volume on Heidegger. The fault, however, is not Safranski's but rather that of his translator, Ewald Osers, as Shelley Frisch's fine rendering of Safranski's biography of Nietzsche conclusively proves.

Like particle tracks from an atom smasher the Kantian heritage splits into a multiplicity of outcomes of which Schopenhauer's line, beside the Fichte to Hegel sequence vociferously denounced by the philosopher, is the clearest and yet most mysterious. As if attempting to recover from the sudden ambiguity of the conceptions of the noumenal yet reinstating its foundations in the distractions of Hegelian dialectic, Schopenhauer in his brilliant grasp of all the fundamental issues recasts the Kantian basics into his own more streamlined perspective of the breakthrough, or breakdown, of transcendental idealism.
This biography tells the exciting tale of this exile in the generation of Hegel, where the unity of the original discourse suffers its passage through the rapids in the disintegration of a creative era of philosophy, the mirror image of Marx. The story told by Safaranski evokes perfectly the strange charm surrounding this irrascible and one-pointed genius, whose absurd dismissal by too much modern thought as some eccentric antique only shows philosophy has lost its way, and forgets the clear strains of his melody streaking a host of successors, beginning with Nietzsche, whose intoxication with the dangerous elixir of the noumenal exteriorizing as a concept of will, like a rock star on drugs, is a harbinger of the reversal of the source, in a tragic finale. Schopenhauer remains a great test of one's understanding of Kant, for he dared a further critique, with a result that demands a clear vision of the original critiques, without mesmerization of the texts. He also saw the direct connection, obvious, yet elusive, with the greater traditions of the Indian yogas and Upanishads as the European Enlightenment moves instinctively to grope beyond its victories to compensate for its limitations. Each will follow here, because he must, in the void between Hegel and Schopenauer, seeking the unity from a bifurcation, to which the philosopher bore constant witness, through these wild years.

While the threat posed to modern society by religious fundamentalism has been underscored by the events of September 11, "The Tailor-King" reminds us that suicidal craziness is not limited to some extreme readers of the Koran. This book is about the Anabaptist Kingdom that appeared in the prosperous North German city of Muenster in 1534-35, with disastrous results for everyone involved. A century later, from 1618-48, the Thirty Years' War would be the ultimate expression of European Christian religious and political madness and it is ironic that the treaty that ended it, the Peace of Westphalia, was signed in the City Hall in Muenster, ushering in an era of peace and prosperity on the continent.

Muenster is a solid, bourgeois kind of place and in the 16th Century it seemed equally so. An important trading centre, it showed its considerable wealth in its merchants'mansions and warehouses, its churches and impressive cathedral. The beginning of the Reformation saw the city split into Catholic and Lutheran interests, but it continued to function until a group of Anabaptists, regarded as heretics for their insistence on adult baptism, gradually seized control of the town. Eventually they drove out the majority of other believers and the ranks of Muenster swelled with Anabaptists from other areas, particularly Holland. A charismatic leader, a former baker named Jan Matthias, was one of these. He had been called to Muenster by Jan van Leyden, another Dutch Anabaptist, and a group led by a wealthy local merchant. Together they declared war on the local Prince-Bishop and were rewarded with a siege of their fortified town. Deemed heretics by pretty well everyone, Catholic and Lutheran, the Anabaptists were determined to hold out, seize the countryside and establish a New Kingdom of Zion.

Anthony Arthur describes the Company of Christ as starting off as a well-disciplined, effective organization and he gives us some background on the Anabaptist movement, which was divided into pacificists (Mennonites and similar groups) and the militants. As the siege wears on, the Company of Christ takes some strange directions. From a city council, it moves to a Council of Elders and then to essentially a religious dictatorship.. Property is to be held only in common, criticism is rewarded with summary death. All the church towers are destroyed. Jan Matthias challenges the Bishop's army to single combat, with foreseeable results, and Jan van Leyden takes over. He now makes polygamy obligatory and arranges to crown himself King. The people starve, when their leaders are not personally murdering them, and those who try to leave are killed by the Bishop's soldiers outside. The whole thing comes crashing down when the Anabaptists are betrayed and the city taken. Jan van Leyden and the other most senior leaders are tortured to death and their corpses put on display in cages that are still to be seen on St. Lambert's Church in Muenster. Interestingly, the cages are original, but the church itself is not.

This book is only 244 pages, but although Mr. Arthur has looked at many sources it is clear that he has had to make an effort to flesh the book out. There are some diversions into Freud and theories that the Company of Christ was a sort of proto-Nazi organization and a long digression into the biblical story of Judith and Holofernes. I doubt that the Anabaptists were particularly Nazi-like, but exhibited many of the characteristics of a totalitarian system, more similar to Chinese Communism in its most irrational phases. And irrational it truly was-reading this book, one cannot reconcile the good burghers of Northern Germany, with their dull but solid reputation, with this lot of passionate crazies. It is a fascinating story even though one senses the whole time that it can only end one way. Of particular note is the enthusiasm with which people are put to death, often in very imaginative and quite unpleasant ways, and by both sides. The Anabaptists, as they roll onwards into madness and calamity, are treated by the author with more sympathy than the Establishment figures opposing them. Receiving particular scorn is the Prince-Bishop, Franz von Waldeck, who is portrayed as incompetent, venal and luckless.

It may seem strange to us today that adult baptism, with its element of free will, could be the subject of such rage between Christians but one need only look at the fine points argued by religious fanatics today with deadly passion to understand that the more things change, the less they do.

This is a good, original story of radicals in the Reformation movement taking a town over and transforming it into a theocracy.
Munster had a uneasy alliance of Catholics and Lutherians who tolerated each other. The radical Anabaptists took over the town
and forced Catholics and moderate elements to leave the city. The Prince Bishop which ruled Munster opposed them. Two Jans
transformed the city into a Nazi like state. I agree with the review that the final chapter was a stretch in how it related to modern movements. Arthur wanted to say that history repeats itself. The final chapter could have been cut down. Also in the beginning, more focus could have been given the Anabaptist beliefs. A good short read.

The Tailor King is a masterful account of what happened both inside and outside the ancient walls of sixteenth-century Munster when Protestant religious fervor transformed otherwise intelligent and rational men into irrational creatures capable of unbelievable brutality. Readers beware - the graphic descriptions and concrete imagery bring the sixteenth-century fully alive. The characters in this book could easily populate a wide-screen, action-filled film. The author's meticulous research and gift for storytelling combine to create a rare pairing of erudition and page-turning readability. Like the narrator who seizes the wedding guest in Coleridge's "The Ancient Mariner," the author seizes the reader's attention and does not let go. His calm journalistic voice only heightens the "you are there" quality of the book. And his occasional strokes of subtle dry wit surprise and delight. This is living history at its engrossing best. The carefully annotated illustrations, culled from archives and museums in Germany, highlight events in the story and are a unique bonus. A well told story from first page to last!

This was the first Michener book that I have read, but since he is so highly regarded, I will assume it is not his best work. Although he does present many of the major problems facing our nation today, I often had trouble understanding which side of the issue he supported. He seemed to contradict himself throughout the book on several issues. While the book might be considered somewhat thought-provoking, I found many of the questions posed to be rhetorical and the "1,2,3" answers were too vague and simplistic for such complex problems. This book was a lifetime of observations, not solutions.

It is hard to take issue with a man who is so deadly with pen and paper as Mr. Michener. His views are so compelling I find it difficult to counter them when in disagreement. Although basically liberal in output, he is by no means "knee-jerk" nor "tax and spend"; indeed I would surmise to say that he probably voted for as many Republicans in his lifetime as he did Democrats. This book is not a typical Michener work; instead it is a simplistic yet well thought out essay on the problems we all face and ignore. Perhaps his failing health affected his writing; or perhaps his aim was to keep it concise for the masses; either way I found myself wanting more. However, all in all an informative work that should be read. Ideal for introspective teens who realize there is a world around them. Should be read with "The World is my Home" to gain a better understanding of his views in later life. Again, highly recommended for insightful teens and young adults.

THIS NOBLE LAND My Vision For American by James A. Michener

Mr. Michner was a true USA Patriot for his whole life and died a true USA patriot. I could not sum up his work for the USA any better than that. James was 90 years old when he wrote this dream as to what he wanted his country the USA to become starting from his death when he wrote this his last book. What this book really is an open letter to Americans with the blueprint of a utopia, which he realized, was not possible with humans and their different inspirations, but he continued to have hope right to his last breath.

The things that he writes about has been achievable and he gave a blueprint to use to achieve his suggestions. Considering the situation we are in now his ideas would have been good if implemented. They should be implemented if our 'elite' permits it. Our elite is now is the small number of people who now belong to the moneyed part of our society. These people have 80 percent of the wealth. We have reached the stage of our society where the money is king and the elite, which have the money, are leading us.

Money used to be used for cover over our heads and food. It is now power and elects our leaders, good or bad. Before that we elected our leaders for their ability as a hunter or provider. Then there was a relative short time when we had a democracy where elected them by votes of who we thought could lead us down the road to freedom and prosperity. Now our leaders talk a good democracy, but their actions are something else.

Michener starts out by explaining our tax system and provides suggestions for replacement after telling us how bad it is. He starts by telling his submitted tax declaration took 48 pages, this was in 1995. American tax declarations really haven't changed much since then. If anything they are more complex now. Read his thoughts on taxes they will be eye opener.

How do we get work for everyone in American? We are not headed in that direction now. Mr. Michener has a few ideas some have been tried in the past by countries in the world with varying degrees of success. Mr. Michener has put a lot of thought into this.

I want to quote Mr. Michener here, "Our government must stop passing income tax laws and other laws whose only purpose is to siphon even more wealth into the hands of those already rich while penalizing those at the lower end of the economic scale."

For any kind of 'trickle down' system to work the elite have to give more to the humans who need it and will spend it on food and clothing to prevent a revolution of those who are not participating in the American bounty. And these are the people who spend and cause our economy to grow.

Mr. Michener addresses the condition of our society and where the blacks fit in. This is really worth reading for all colors. He is dreaming about a classless society.

He addresses large company and their employees, but he was not privy to our 'evil' system which has came to the attention of our government now. Large and small companies were or are stealing from stockholder and employees both equally and sharing in the downward movement of these companies. The government is acting 'very slowly' to correct these problems.

Mr. Michener, who taught in grade school up to post doctorate level in the university, was very interested in this subject. He went to elementary school when the children said a 'pledge of allegiance to the USA' before they started class. We have gone on 'dumbing down' our children in the last few years in spite is Mr. Michener's warning. I cannot write all of his recommendations here. Read his book!

I am running out of space and time, but Mr. Michener's comments on the USA family should be read and digested.

His health care section should be read by everyone in the government that has anything to do with the health laws. He put a lot of thought into how to improve our system, which is getting worse it, could. Most of the western countries have better health systems than ours. Why is this, just the smell of money?

This is getting to long to hold attention so I will close for with the recommendation to read, THIS NOBLE BOOK, MY VISION FOR AMERICA, by Mr. Michener, whose last thought was for the United States of America.

Roger L. Lee

This book is based solely on the speculations of the author, that obviously has little or none scientific research to back him up. "How does nature know how the statistic quota for an occurrency has been filled?" Koestler asks himself, not understanding the fact that the statistic distributions designed to calculate probability follows certain patterns in nature - not the other way around. Closest at hand for Koestler was to label these occurrencies as paranormal - as guided by a higher power. Arthur Koestler loved science, but science did not love him back.

A very enjoyable read. Having read other works of Koestler, I am amazed at the broad range he covers in his writing. In this book, Koestler deals with how and why coincidences happen, from psychology to subatomic physics. You'll be surprised...

Reveals the hypocrisy of the so-called 'skeptics' of paranormal events. Uses statistics to show that many psychic events do occur with regular freequency. An excellent read for anyone who wants an objective presentation.

Levine and Cureton present an interesting portrait of college students in the mid-1990s. Their findings concerning students' perceptions of racial issues are particularly troubling and worthy of additional study and thought. (For reasons that are not clear to me, the chapter entitled "Multiculturalism" deals almost exclusively with racial issues, and does not consider gender (dealt with elsewhere in a very limited way), sexual orientation, religion, or any of the other diverse cultural issues that true multiculturalism attempts to address.) They present a lot of information, but give one very little idea what to do with it, except in the most of general of terms. (Like another reviewer, I would have liked to have seen the last chapter expanded significantly.) And I was concerned throughout that the information (gathered largely between 1993 and 1998) may now be out of date. Even so, the authors make the important point that educators must look beyond their own perceptions and experience and attempt to see the world as their students do, if they hope to provide an education fitted to the demands of the 21st century.

I finished this book just after reading Making the Most of College by Dr. Richard Light. Both books offer interesting glimpses at today's college students (although most of the data in Hope and Fear is from 1995 and prior), but from different perspectives. Light focuses on personal narratives and Levine and Cureton more on compiled statistics. Both are well written and insightful.

This book also compares well with Millennials Rising by Strauss and Howe, which details more generational mores and trends than just college happenings.

The best chapter of this book is the last with the summary suggestions. So often authors point out faults, problems and weak areas, but Levine and Cureton put forth a very proactive, innovative and interdisciplinary plan for the necessary curriculum and pedagogical revolution.

I recommend reading the last chapter separately, otherwise it loses some of its appeal and clarity. I found myself re-reading the last chapter and even taking notes!

This book earned four stars instead of five because much more could have been written in regards to the summary suggestions. The early chapters are but supporting facts to what could/should have been a lengthier tome on college curricula and teaching styles.

Still this is a very worthwhile read and a helpful look inside college life, both in and out of the classroom.

This book is a quick and fascinating read. It provides insights into today's college students -- and how they are different from those of just 10 years ago. I recommend this book frequently and have found that those who read it enjoy it and find it very helpful. The authors occasionally tend to overstate their case on a few points, but this is an otherwise fine book.

Beautiful writing, simple, clear. A good translation too, with one warning: for whatever reason all internal quotations are left untranslated. So, while Schopenhauer himself is, mercifully, presented in English, Goethe is left in German, Plato - in Greek, and so on and so forth. Some of the quotes are paraphrazed by Schopenhauer himself, but many are not, so, unless you can read German/Greek/Latin, you're in trouble, that's a rather annoying flaw.

Otherwise it's a great reading, highly recommeneded. Keep in mind that this book is actually a collection of excerpts from Parerga and Paralipomena, so unless you don't have time to read it unabridged, it's better to get the original full book, it's great though, of course, it's five times as thick (but the quotations ARE translated there; I'm talking about Payne's edition, but it seems that's the only one there is, so there's no chance of committing an error here.)

arthur schopenhauer had a more accurate and realistic outlook on life than his student, friedrich nietzsche, who i also have a great deal of admiration for. which is not to say that going on tirades against life and intellectualizing everything is the way to go, but which is to say that anyone who recognizes the basic facts of existence is hardly going to reply with a tremendous "YES TO LIFE" as nietzsche so ridiculously and psychotically suggested. is schopenhauer a decadent, as nietzsche claimed? by his standards, yes, but let's remember that by nietzsche's standards he himself was a decadent of the worst kind. he had very few interpersonal relationships that were successful, he was an utter failure when it came to women, he was filled to the brim with bitterness and contempt for religion, and he was for the most part a solitary neurotic, who tried to conceal his own fear of life as some sign of nobility or superiority. i disagree with schopenhauer's supposed 'renunciation of life', but i am in decided agreement with his firm and unyielding belief that ultimate satisfaction and total happiness, those absurd myths which themselves bring terrible unhappiness to those who imagine they exist, are fictions created by society. both philosophers contradicted themselves constantly, but of the two i would say that nietzsche was by far the more hypocritical and blind to his own failings while so harshly critical of the failings of others. nietzsche preached the virtues of creativity and self realization as the highest possible goal man could reach for, and yet he attacked everything strange, odd, interesting, as 'decadent'. there is no better way to discourage creativity and perpetuate bourgeois values than to contemptuously dismiss everything unusual and unique as 'sick'. and all that 'will to power' BS gets pretty tiresome after awhile, especially considering that nietzsche himself was utterly lacking in any kind of power whatsoever, save that of the intellectual type. nietzsche dismisses with disgust everyone and everything that doesn't strive for worldly influence and domination, and yet three sentences later he will admit openly that the universe is basically subjective and that all meanings and goals are equally legitimate and equally relative. if that's the case, as i believe it is, why not enjoy ourselves and stop stressing about things like 'power' and 'greatness' that don't really matter in the bigger picture? anyone with the slightest experience of life will immediately agree with schopenhauer that our 'inner wealth' is what really matters, not the accidental and meaningless distractions of the external world. if this is decadence, roll in the decadence! this book is a must.

I have to disagree with the other review I read on this work. I prefer Schopenhauer's 'pessimism' (which by the way, is written with great wit and humor and had me laughing quite a bit) to Nietzsche's destructive, puffed-up idealistic gas. This is not because I think pessimism is a good thing taken by itself, but rather that there are a great many things in life that SHOULD be avoided. I will say, however, that I think those who enjoy Nietzsche will have a true appreciation for this book (Nietzsche was deeply unfluenced by S.). He discusses an array of subjects, such as the emptiness of those things commonly pursued by the masses (money, status/position, vanity, sensual pleasure, etc.), and those most commonly ignored by most (temperance, good health, character, individuality, and developing one's mind). It is an eye-opener for people absorbed in their careers entrenched in the politics and daily grind of life.

Though riddled with hard-nosed realism and misanthropy, the book was positively entertaining and enjoyable. His style is fluid, prosaic, and imaginitive, unlike most German philosophy. In lieu of modern world events, it is probably more relevant a work today than ever before.

I really looked forward to seeing this book. The subject matter is dear to my heart and a quick glance through the illustrations promised a great deal. But, despite some interesting interviews with ex-employees and some great Roy Cross artwork, much of the dialog is rather bland and insipid and it actually became a bit of a chore trying to get to the end of the book. Part of the problem is that there are some bits of Airfix history which really aren't worth celebrating but which the author has presumably felt duty bound to include to the detriment of the overall package and it's also very frustrating to find references in the text to kits which aren't illustrated in the book. A few more reference photos would have been nice but please, why the grubby looking cover?

The sad thing is that I probably had all of the models at least once! A real nostalga trip. More photographs needed. If you were/are not into Airfix then this isn't the book for you! otherwise you'll love it.

I'm cheating, really, having read the book in the UK before it hits the States. So what...we're talking the biggest-ever drain on a young boy's pocket money thru the 60s and 70s...and Arthur Ward's wonderfully researched volume sets a now somewhat older bloke's mind at rest. Yup, I made the right decision to squander my hard-earned on the minutely detailed models which would wreck my close vision forever. Painted 'em, photographed 'em, burnt 'em...as Mr Ward also reminisces..that's the way we treated our plastic model kits. The illustrations are superb...beautiful original box artwork, fabulously nostalgic photos of packaging and content. Some omissions, I think...I can't recall seeing reference to the Gangbuster prohibition cars series...maybe I missed it. It's a less expensive tome in the US...$35 instead of 30 quid...but you'll love it...his charming writing, the lovely paper it's printed on. I tried to help my 9 year old son build a present-day kit. The magic had gone for me, tho he had fun. A book's much better, when you're a bit older, even if you haven't really ever grown up.

Duncan Steel is one of the best known advocates for a near Earth observation system, and he and others like him should be listened to. Unfortunately the book is not too great. It didn't hold my attention, partly because of the intrusion of some of his opinions. If nothing else is available on the topic, this could be an okay choice. See instead "Rain of Iron and Ice" by John S. Lewis

Related titles include "Night Comes to the Cretaceous" by James Lawrence Powell and "T Rex and the Crater of Doom" by Walter Alvarez.

I liked the book, but do not rate it as highly as "Rain of Iron and Ice" by John S. Lewis and "Impact" by Gerrit L Verschuur. However, it is much better than "Fire on Earth" by John and Mary Gribben.
My chief reservation about Steel's work is that he seems easily drawn to flights of whimsy such as Clube's and Napier's contentions regarding Beta Taurid cometary impacts that have affected history on a mammoth scale. While these are captivating proposals, perhaps, there isn't enough hard scientific evidence for them clutter up what was otherwise a hitherto fine scientific presentation of a real problem by Steel. Up to the author's dalliance into the speculative, the book is a good read about a serious, overlooked, preventable threat. His admonitions should be taken seriously.

To the publisher I would appreciate it if the publisher could produce an audio adaptation of this book. I would love to listen to this while I drive to work and to let my 16 month old son listen to it as a bedtime story. My goal is to expose him to some of my favorite passions, maths, sciences, physics, geophysics, paleontology, astronomy, electronics, photonics, new science and discoveries etc. The more audio books you can produce of the above genre the more I will support you. Arnold D Veness

This Volume is beautifully illustrated. Unfortunately that is the best that could be said for it. The translation is a travesty, as Mathieu's takes it upon himself to express some of his own "artistic expressions" by inserting outdated and anachronistic euphemisms from the 60's! Shame on him for being so self-serving and egotistical to take on this poetry as though it were his own. I would compare his actions to vandalism!

This whole collection is a monument to irresponsible translation! Still, if you think this one is bad, stay even farther away from their editions of Baudelaire. Do they mean to tell us that the "New American" tradition in translation is to take a collection of poetic outcasts and write their own poems under the names of the masters?

Disregard the discaimer made by the translator that he only is trying to bring to us the true sentiments of Rimbaud. It is a mark of huburis to think that he knows better than Rimabaud what Rimbaud would say. If you want to see a real revolutionary poet in action, get a real translation of Rimbaud done in the scholarly tradition of translating the poets own words.

A successfull poet and translator once told me that using translation to voice your own poetic styles was cowardly, and I have always agreed with him.

I FOUND THE WORK OF ARTHUR RIMBAULD STIMULATING AND BEAUTIFUL THE MOVIE "TOTAL ECIPSE" MADE ME AWARE OF HIS WORK IT'S AMAZING WORK FOR ONE AS YOUNG AS 16 I'D RECOMEND IT TO SERIOUS POETS