Richard the Lion Hearted is slaughtering Saracen captives and plotting to seize Jerusalem without the slightest hope of being able to hold it once teh crusaders return to Europe and the Fools Guild desparately attempts to introduce reason into the equation. A key to the entire region is the city of Tyre--easilly defensible, rich, and with strategic value, Tyre is ruled by Conrad and his wife Isabelle, Queen of Jerusalem. A strong ruler like Conrad, one who planned to stay in the holy land rather than simply fight there, could be a key to peace with Saladin and a continued Christian presence in Palestine. But the forces against Conrad, perhaps including his own queen, are powerful indeed. Could fools Theophilos and Scarlet the Dwarf hope to cobble together a motley of self-interest that can create a peaceful middle-east?

Author Alan Gordon gives an intriguing spin to a fascinating and horrible period of history. The old Byzantine Empire is struggling but has not yet had its heart ripped out by the fourth crusade. Richard is the master of battle but is also a master of gratuitous violence. And the misnamed King of Jerusalem (because the crusader states had lost that city) is dead leaving no clear heir and too many claimants. But THE WIDOW OF JERUSALEM is not merely interesting as a historical view. Gordon makes the characters, including the historical nobility and the fictional jesters and servants, come alive. The mysterious death of a young woman propells Theophilos and Scarlet's band of trainee fools into an intrigue that will alter the control of this land, and the hearts of many.

THE WIDOW OF JERUSALEM is written as a recounting of a story by Theophilos to his wife Claudia. Although this style tends to distance the reader from the story, in this case, it worked, allowing Gordon to introduce occasional side-notes of levity into the telling. Fans of historical fiction who have yet to make the acquaintence of Theophilos and the Jester's Guild will definitely want to do so. Gordon fans will be overjoyed to see Theophilos and Claudia in action yet again.

The Fool's Guild turns out jesters and troubadours and sends them out in the world to entertain the various classes. They are also brilliant intelligence gathers who work behind the scenes to try and maintain the peace and when that is impossible influence the nobles into situations that will settle hostilities. Theophilus, a very good Fool, is sent by the Guild to Acre in the year 1191 to help his colleague Scarlet the Dwarf end the Third Crusade and bring peace to the region.

The two Fools divert supplies meant for Richard the Lionhearted sending them to the city of Tyre whose leaders are allowing the refugees displaced by the war to live in a tent city outside the walls. The Queen of Jerusalem Isabelle and her husband Conrad, the Marquis of Montferrat supply them with food whenever they can. Scarlet who is devoted to his queen urges her to marry Champagne when her husband is murdered. When the crusaders return home Theophilus goes with them but he has to return years later and to finally figure who was behind the conspiracy that led to Conrad's death.

Readers will be amazed by what the Fools can accomplish as spies working behind the scene to maneuver political events. Theophilus is a fascinating character who operates on different levels with different people. His skills as an entertainer enable him to spy on the nobles when they are plotting something because they underestimate the intelligence of a Fool. WIDOW OF JERUSALEM is a fascinating look at the various players who have a pivotal role in the Third Crusade.

Harriet Klausner

Having enjoyed the three previous novels in Alan Gordon's series, I eagerly awaited The Widow of Jerusalem, and it didn't disappoint. In fact, I think might be his best work yet. Theophilus the Fool, with his usual wit, tells us a story of murder and intrigue--one of history's actural mysteries--set in Tyre during the Third Crusade. That the story is told as a flashback to thirteen years earlier doesn't detract at all from the reading experience, because the transitions from 1204 to 1191 are handled so skillfully. And that I wasn't persuaded to believe Theophilus's theory on whodunit in reality didn't lessen my enjoyment of this novel a bit. Gordon does an excellent job of bringing the late 12th/early 13th centuries to life, and his humor never fails to make me laugh out loud while reading. I highly recommend this novel to those who like real history in their mysteries.

The seller, Last Century Used Books, were really great to buy from. They sent notice the order was received and the date shipped within 24 hrs. The book is brand new although I bought as "used book". A tiny book jammed packed with wonderful "fruit".

This book is so inspirational. It was given to my mom as a birthday gift and I have enjoed it contents so much. There is one passage that really touched meand it says This is Maturity: To be able to stick with a job until it is done; to be able to bear an injustice without wating to get even; to be able to carry money without spending it; and to do one's duty withoutbeing supervised. Godliness with contentment is great gain.

this book was given to my father, when it was found he had cancer....then passed on to me, when he died. It has given myself and my children much comfort.

An extra bonus in this Henty book is that it includes both the English preface and the American one, which Henty wrote to the 'lads' who would read this book. In With Lee in Virginia Vincent Wingfield is the main character, one who lives on a plantation run by slaves, but who is strongly against being cruel to slaves. When he clashes with the overseer over Pearson having whipped a slave, Vincent never imagines it will cause such trouble. Soon, though, Vincent gets involved in the fate of the slave he saved, Tony. Will Vincent be able to help the man escape from the wicked Jackson? What about Tony's wife, who Jackson is selling for revenge? This book draws you right in plantation life in the 18hundreds, you will feel happy with the knowledge that 'your' slaves are safe, and will never even consider that you are doing wrong by keeping slaves. Vincent enlists as a volunteer after Virginia secedes and accomplishes many deeds of bravery. This is just another in a long line of thrilling books writing by George Alfred Henty, don't miss reading a single one!!!

This book is definitely one of Mr. Henty's masterpieces. It gives a clear view of the South's situation and why the Civil War was fought. I highly enjoyed this book, both for its content and the way history is mingled with a gripping plot. I can't tell you too much because I might spoil it, but it is about a young Southern man who joins the Confederate army and distinguises himself through his many adventures.

I really loved this book written from a rare Confederate view point. The author beautifully portrayed virtues such as honor and courage in the young hero, Vincent. They say these books are written for teenage boys, but I'm a twelve year old girl and I couldn't put down the book for three days. It is probably won of the most exciting books I've ever read.

I found this book comforting after my Dad passed away. My 21-year old cat passed away shortly after Dad died and the book helped me with that as well. In addition to seeing loved ones Rebecca also talked about seeing many birds in heaven. All of Gordon Lindsay's books a great!

As a student of the Bible, God's infallible word, I rejoice to read of Rebecca's time in heaven. This is a down to earth (no pun intended) journey of life for each child of God; a looking forward to according to Scripture.
Whether you have been separated in "death" from a loved one, or will be, inspiration and hope abound in this book. It is a woman's sharing of her life beyond. I believe God has permitted her to return to let the rest of us know that His promises are yea amen..
I will read it over & again. It is a gift you give yourself and everyone you care about.

Next to the Bible, it is clearly the most wonderful, inspiring book I've read. I have purchased and given away many copies to those who seek a prospective of what heaven is like. Since we lost our only son, the book continues to be a major source of comfort and hope. It coincides with the great love and forgiveness I believe exist in heaven. It's a wonderful vision of heaven. I never did like the idea of floating on a cloud -playing a fiddle , especially since I don't know how or really want to do either. Ideal for those who grieve , for those in good health, those who's health is deterioating or anyone who has longed for a "peak" into what heaven is probably really like. It does not conflict with scripture. It's a "must" book to read and to give to others. I have re-read the book many times and I'm not an avid reader. I would pay 3 times or more present cost of this book. It's a book you too will read over and over again as you think of those you've loved who have "graduated" to a better world. The book strengthens and inspires our faith that indeed a loving God presides over another world where there exist birds,tree's, adventure,no separation from those we love, forgiveness and actual mansions in a "real place" called heaven. The book first published over 150 years ago, stirs my soul and hope each time I re-read the "the remarkable vision of Rebbaca Springer" Very highly recommended as the best book I've read.

This is a concise, well-written paperback (it's also orange =P) book that's easy to carry and user-friendly. Lacks the fluff and "entertaining" anecdotes; it very straightforward... Even so, this book accomplishes what it should accomplish, tells you everything that you need to learn, from the Greeks and beyond, all in outline format. It's accesible, and comprehensive. It even has quizzes at the end of each section to test yourself on. It's an entirely worthwhile buy for anyone serious about learning history.

I'm using this book for an advance placement European history class and it is great. The book covers the facts-plain and simple, from the Greeks to the present. Every sentence in this book is useful-not just boring bable as in other text books (i.e. A History of The Modern World). Great study guide for any history class-recommmended for all historians! And the best part: it's small and it's paper back.

This bok really helps a lot whether you are in an AP European History class as I am or if you are in a reglar World History Class. It takes difficult concepts and documents and greatly simplifies them making understanding tough material a breeze. It really helps doing homework or studying for a test. A great book for anyone that has a tough time with history concepts.

I found this to be a truly great book. However, it took me a while to get to this point because, as soon as I got it home, my wife fell in love with it and I couldn't tear it away from her for a long time. The historical perspective combined with the "love interest" capability make it both fun to read and remarkably useful. It is a reference work to be be cherished and used for years.

My small business is planning to give dozens as Christmas gifts to our clients.

Bought this book as a gift for my wife. She spent 2 hours revieweing all her friends' and relatives' birthdays and found most of them to right on the money. We had a dinner party and it was great fun to read everyone's information. A great entertaining book!

I purchased this excellent book while visiting New York.It covers every birthday sign from 1900 to 2001 and is written by 7 astrologers.At 864 pages fully illustrated it is fabulous value.
No dinner party is complete with out this huge source of reference as we discovered, everyone was looking up their birthday and reading it out then looking up their children ,parents and even grandparents.One of our guests became so engrossed we never heard from him the whole evening.
The entries are amazingly accurate the history and special reports fascinating, it also includes your love potential,your luck magnetism and your drive and amition.All the chinese signs are included and it even includes mystical cards.
I can really recommend the book if you have to make a speech at a birthday or special occasion it is invaluable.
I discovered this when making the speech for my mothers 79th birthday. All her history , destiny and personality were so accurate, the speech was a great success.

"117 House Designs of the Twenties" is a reprint of the 1923 mail-order house catalogue of the Gordon-Van Tine Company. This crisp reproduction is thus an accurate window into this era in United States home architecture. The wealth of detailed artistic renderings also make this a book of great charm and beauty.

Based in Davenport, Iowa, Gordon-Van Tine was a trailblazer in the field of prefabricated houses. This catalogue covers the company's products in amazing detail. We see cutaway views of homes that reveal the construction technique. We also see plumbing fixtures, lights, and cutaway views of furnaces.

But the heart of this catalogue lies in the detailed floor plans, as well as in the detailed artists' renditions of both exteriors and interiors. This catalogue contains structures ranging in size from a humble one-room vacation cottage to roomy nine-room farmhouses. Both one- and two-story houses appear. The main styles represented are bungalow and colonial revival (the latter including "Dutch colonial" designs), in many different configurations.

The exterior drawings capture many features: columned porches, sun porches, various roof types (gabled, hipped, gambrel), dormers, exposed rafter tails, and more. Equally detailed and charming are the depictions of furnished interiors. This is truly a marvelous book.

I was looking for some reference material for houses built in the 1920s, particularly pictures of various rooms, so that I can restore some rooms in a 20s house to original condition. This book not only has exterior pictures of many different houses, but also lists things like color schemes and construction methods. It also shows pictures of garages, doors, and even manufacturing methods for the houses. The pictures may be in black and white, but they're valuable references. ... this book is an absolute steal.

The AC-UNU Millennium Project has lived up to its reputation as a worldwide guiding light for futures studies by its production of this outstanding work. This year's report comprises three levels - a six-page print Executive Summary, and an 85-page print distillation of the mass of detailed knowledge found in a 1500-page CD-ROM. Together they allow a futurist to investigate to any desired level of detail the thoughts, predictions, and recommendations of the more than 1000 people who have contributed to the Project so far, including the 400 who took part in this year's discussions. In addition to detailed and updated analyses of the 15 Global Challenges already identified, the report presents the current status of the State of the Future Index (a measure of the near-term future of the human condition), comments on world leaders' talks at the UN Millennium Summit, and special sections on future issues of science and technology, sustainable development, and environmental security. The report has also greatly expanded its scenario collection, which now has over 400 scenarios or scenario sets, classified into domains.

The world of the future faces many problems. This report is an indispensable aid in organizing any attack on them.

The Millennium Project has been producing annual reports for five years. Its first report was arguably the most comprehensive, and authoritative which had been seen in the field of forecasting the future. Every year since it has got better. This year it has excelled itself, producing 1,500 pages of material (if you include the free CD bound with it) covering every important trend - from the future of women to globalization. Its panel in 2000 included 400 world leaders in their various fields, making the number more than 1,000 questioned since it started. As such it is an essential addition to the library of any manager involved in long-range planning - and, at just $, it may the bargain of the new century!

David Mercer
Director, UK Open University Business School 'Futures Observatory'

If you are interested in your health and living a very long and cancer free life, BUY THIS BOOK! It tells you in wonderful detail what makes the people of these countries some of the healthiest people in the world! Read the book to find out where in the world are the very lowest rates of cancer and why. You will most likely be VERY surprised!

This book is a clear and concise guide to some of the best food choices all over the world. The recipes are invaluable. Overall a very useful book I highly recommend it!

Lynn Gordon put a lot of thought into creating these cards. There are a lot of great ideas in this deck to keep busy on days I'm feeling blue.

One of my favorite ideas was the "fun-o-dex" index card idea! I also enjoyed her ideas for creating scrapbooks filled with funny memories or really uplifting experiences that you have photos, postcards, letters, etc. Her idea for a "Blues-Away Kit" is great! I've got a lot of decorative boxes that I can use for holding these items so it's all in one place & can be pulled out of the closet when I'm blue. You'll really enjoy this deck of cards! :)

This deck of Cards is a lovely pick-me-up on a blue day. It is a fun way of scaring away the depressions by simple ideas provided by the cards. You can do anything to make yourself feel happy, and the cards point out to you 52 ways of doing just that! I am going to collect lynn gordon's set of cards. Do yourself a favour and buy these cards...even when you are not in the mood to actually do what's on the card, just reading it will bring a smile to your face. And it makes a lovely gift!