This is an excellent study of Carthusian life. Perhaps precisely because he is not a Carthusian monk(the author), but rather a journalist and a man of faith who has stayed at several Charterhouses around the world, Robin Bruce Lockhart has been able to maintain an informative balance between detachment and insight, and thus keep the very secrets he purports to reveal.

He reveals: fundamentals of monastic and eremitic spirituality, a history of the Carthusian order, a life of its founder, St. Bruno, a summary of Carthusian vocations and charisms, a dash through the network of 24 Charterhouses around the world today (18 for monks, 6 for nuns, mainly in France, Spain, and Italy, but also in Germany, Switzerland, Brazil, Portugal, Slovenia, and the U.S.), a description of present Carthusian governance and bureaucracy, a sample of an individual monk or nun's regimen of prayer and work (definitely not for anyone who likes eight hours' sleep: Carthusians sleep from 8 to 11.45 p.m. and from 2.45 to 6.45 a.m.), and, to top off this exclusive compendium, a terrific bibliography.

Reilly, Ace of Spies is by R.B. Lockhart who claims to have met the great English spy as a child. His father, Bruce Lockhart was intimately involved in some of the major missions carried out by Reilly. This is a good book for those wanting factual information on Reilly and the author has restricted himself to telling only anecdotes which can be backed up by facts. Nevertheless, some of Reilly's greatest missions are skipped over because they could not be confirmed (such as his work behind German lines in WWI). This is a pity as his "greatest mission" - as claimed by the book - is his failed mission to overthrow the Bolshelviks in 1918. Still, one can't quibble. It's a pity that a new version has not been released - one written post-Soviet Union and where the GPU and KGB files were available - so that the mystery surrounding Reilly's death may have been cleared up. Still a very good book and one that certainly wets the appetite to read more about Reilly.

Behold one of the true forces shaping the balance of power of the early 1900's. You will not find this in your history books. Enter into the fascinating, mysterious world of Sidney Reilly, the number one field agent in the British secret service and the man who was the real life model for Ian Flemming's James Bond character. His was the world of passion for power, high intrigue and brutally daring exploits that must have insipred the writers of the "Mission Impossible" television series. Witness perhaps the greatest British folly of all in backstabbing their own man who was poised to spare the world the brutal insanity of Lenin and Stalin. Then read how he brought down Russia's "the Trust", the most devious intelligence organization ever devised.

AN EXCITING STORY OF A VIRTUALLY UNKNOWN SPY-GENIU

This book is again in print in an updated edition available from Cistercian Publications. Lockhart affectionately provides a window into the secluded lives of the Carthusians that both illuminates and informs the reader. However, as a student of history, I was disturbed by a number of errors that marr this fine book. The following is not an exhaustive list, just errors that caught my attention. Lockhart provides erroneous dates for the life of John Climacus (c. 579-649), not 379-449 as stated on page 16. Also, Lockhart says that Climacus wrote "the ladder of paradise" when the title is best translated as "the ladder of divine ascents". Lockhart makes two references to Lao Tzu, one giving his date as about 800 BC, and the other as Lao Tzu providing this quote, "Christians have no monopoly of mysticism." Something is certainly amiss here. Lockhart says that, "it was probably Pope Innocent III who first referred to the Martha and Mary analogy..." (125). Instead, the analogy between the contemplative (Mary) and the active life (Martha) goes back many centuries before Innocent's time. John Cassian is especially praised in this book, having a chapter all his own. However, Lockhart mistakenly refers to Cassian as a saint, "Cassian - or St John Cassian as he was to become ..." (27). Cassian was never officially canonized as a saint in the catholic church. This has to do with Cassian's 13th conference and saint Augustine. Columba Stewart analyzes this issue thoroughly, and convincingly, in his wonderful book "Cassian the Monk", where he argues that Cassian needs to be approached on his own terms, not filtered through a hard line Augustinian interpretation around the issue of grace and free will and Pelagianism. Not being more informed about the Carthusians, why I read this book in the first place, I hope that the chapters dealing with Carthusian history are more diligent in factual accuracy. Still, this is a good book, and brings the Carthusians into a greater light for the rest of the world to understand and give thanks for the dignity and service that their lives bring for all of us.

As the Carthusians have traditionally kept as much out of the public eye as possible, it can be difficult to find information on such basic issues as where they are located, how they select candidates, and the particulars of their daily lives. This book, though not as detailed as one would like, provides a good introduction to the Carthusian Order and the people who join it. I hope that the publisher will consider putting it back in print, as this is one of the few books on the subject in English.