I've know Johnny France since he was a young man. Without his dogged determination, these two killers might not have ever been captured. Don Nichols is still in prison and most likely will never get paroled. This book tells fascinating tale almost too strange to believe in these modern times. Great reading!!

Beneath some of Montana's grandest mountain peaks lurked a preditor. Caught in the crosshairs of Don Nichols twisted logic was Kari Swenson. The idea of a mountain bride, stolen from a remote wooded trail. Most amazing is how the Nichols' not only managed to elude the persistance of Johnny France, but stayed one step ahead certain death in the Montana winter of 1984 with just the packs on thier backs. You wont be able to put this one down!

For an unbeliveable insight into the sexual practices of the surrealists this is the one for you. A must for every bookshelf especially if you like donkeys. Don't ask just buy and read. Your favourite surrealist personalities come to life. Breton shows his sexism completely, others their unending love for humanity, sexuality and life in general. A true incite into the human psyche. A must for all psychological dramatists

One gets the impression both from this book and his previous work, 'The New Knighthood' that Malcom Barber rushed himself into print as a reponse to the current trend of explaining every Christian mystery through the Knights Templar. This volume concentrates on the last years of the order and its infamous destruction by Philip IV of France. It is a privilege for the reader to be granted access to such meticulous research, detail and scholarship for this is no vague account. Taking in every contemporary source he provides almost a day by day narrative, no mean feat when dealing with the early fourteenth century.

Barber's argument is that the Templars were suppressed as a result of the avarice and arrogance of Philip la Bel rather than in response to any nefarious pratices of their own. Philip, in successive revenue drives had set a precedent by attacking the Lombards and Jews, merchant communities made weak by their immigrant status. Philip expelled both groups under trumped up pretexes very similar to the formula that was used to rid himself of the Templars. And of course his motive in all three cases was to lay his hands on those communities' assets. The French crown was the main power in Western Christendom at the time and the Pope was entirely its pawn, particularly since his predecessor in trying to resist Philip's will had been violently siezed in Rome by his men. The Templars had had an ambiguous role since the loss of the Holy Land, their wealth and untouchable status was all very well under the justification of the Crusades, but rapidly began to provoke jealousy and discontent once back in Europe. Thus follows Barber's theory, that anxious to annexe their assets, Philip invented the outrageous charges of blaspehemy, sodomy etc, and with a succesful propaganda campaign, sustained pressure on the Pope and confessions wrought under torture, he was able to seal their fate. As Barber progresses we are shown the shocking inactivity of Grand Master Jaques de Molay and his naive faith in papal justice throughout the crisis until the fate of the Order was sealed and de Molay symbolically burnt. This is a famous story, and Barber provides us with the definitive version. An excellent account in all respects, grounded entirely in fact and a treasure for anyone geninely interested in the Knights Templar.

I own many books on the Templars, but very few deal primarily on their downfall on the Friday 13th, and the grueling, protracted trials afterward. The Templars have always fascinated me, an order founded on a vow of poverty that rose to become one of the richest and most powerful organisations of their time, a religious order, yet it was politics and money that sealed their fate and brought about their destruction.

Very well written, it is rich in detail, but in a witty narrative that keeps the reader enthralled and forgetting they are reading history, which is usally dry and stale. High Recommended. Anyone interested in the Templars needs to add this one to their collection.

When I was assigned a Humanities term-paper on the something having to do with the Medieval period, I chose to research the Templars, specifically their trial and destruction, I found a myriad of books on the subject, but most had to do with the history of the Order itself and only mentioned, in passing, generally how their destruction was brought about. Thus it was with great relief that I found such a detailed examination of the topic in Barber's "The Trial of the Templars." Furthermore, his writing is witty and concise. It was a refreshing change from the often dry, and verbose nature of several of the other texts I used in my research as well. Even if one is not researching for any particular report, I still recommend reading this book for its own sake. You won't be disappointed.

In the story of Puss In Boots, a miller dies and leaves one of his sons nothing but the cat. This cat turns out to be quite clever and earns the favor of the King for his master. The cat also obtains land and a castle for his master and gives him the title of the Marquis of Carabas. The King becomes so impressed by the Marquis that he offers his daughter's hand in marriage, and the simple miller's son becomes a prince. The use of clever illustration makes this book an effective piece of folk lore. "Narrative Expectations: The Folklore Connection" discusses the basic pattern of a folktale. The article states that every folktale begins with the main character of the story being no different from or more special than any other character. Then, out of nowhere, the character is boosted into a "supernatural world" and all of a sudden he is moved up to higher society and viewed as a hero (67). This resembles the plot pattern of Puss In Boots, with the Marquis being the average character who becomes a hero. This jump to a higher level of society out of luck is strangely enough realistic in the twenty-first century. With things like inheritance, lotteries, and the stock market, a person of today could easily go from the poor miller's son to a "prince." However, this is not a common occurrence. The article also states that folklore "functions in part as an informal system for learning the daily logic and worldview of the people around us (71)." The author chooses not to use human characters to represent Master Slyboots and the rich ogre. He could have done this easily with illustration by making Master Slyboots a servant boy and the ogre a Marquis. Instead, he uses an informal style, placing animal characters in the book. This represents a higher level: Using animals in contrast to humans in order to show the differences in people as a whole.

This new translation of the "fairy" story first presented by Charles Perrault (1628-1703) in his Tales of Mother Goose in 1697 was illustrated by Fred Marcellino and translated by Malcolm Arthur. It was a 1991 Caldecott Honor book (that is, a runner-up to the Medal winner) for best illustrations in a book for children. The youngest son of a recently deceased miller receives a cat as his inheritance. He feels that he will soon die of starvation (after he has eaten the cat) since he has no other possessions. But, the cat convinces him to get him boots. The cat proceeds to find a fortune and a position for his young master.

I regularly visit school classrooms and read aloud to children from Kindergarten through eighth grade. Finding books that appeal to more than one grade level is a challenge.

I have found that the pictures in this version of 'Puss' appeal immensely to kindergartners through third graders. (Fourth and Fifth grade children also like it, but are often embarassed to say so in a classroom setting!). Children who often have a hard time sitting still for a story have sat transfixed as I read this book, holding the pictures in front of them all the time and giving them lots of opportunities to check out the wonderful use of light and color. The illustrator uses a lot of wonderful yellow that is very appealing to young children and seems to draw them into the book. I love reading this book out loud both to see children's reaction and also because I love the detail and color in the pictures.

Reading this book aloud has also sparked some beautiful art work from young children.

This is a wonderful book for academicians to use for research on a little known and less understood culture of the middle ages. It is full of very good and accurate information. But, it is seriously flawed in that it needs a good editing. If the publishers are considering a second printing, I hope they will first submit the manuscript to a professional editor.

THE CATHARS by Malcolm Lambert, is very informative and extremely well documented with primary and secondary material. Mr Lambert was a Reader in Medieval History at the University of Bristol in the U.K. until 1991 when he retired to write.

Lambert says although some think the name Cathar is taken from the Greek word for "pure" it was probably applied by outsiders in reference to a Satanic cat ritual. The Cathars called themselves "perfects" and as far as is known they did not engage in rituals involving cats. In fact, they were vegetarians who avoided animal products. They were persecuted for their belief that Jesus and Satin were brothers, a belief considered heretical by the Catholic Church.

Persecution of the Cathars took many forms, the most violent occurring in France. In the 12th and 13th Centuries, the Capet family (Louis to Phillip the Fair) was in the process of uniting France under it's rule. The southern region, known as Languedoc, was resisting the Capets. At the same time, several Popes (Boniface, Innocent, etc.), were threatened by German Emperors from Frederick Barbarossa to Frederick II. The French Kings offered their protection to the Popes and in exchange, the Popes "authorized" the Capet family to subdue Languedoc, a Cathar stronghold. Their joint venture is known as the Albigensian Crusade.

Later on, the Popes sent church "inquirers" known as Inquisitors to investigate heresy in Languedoc. In reality, "untold numbers of persons" were probably not burned, but many died or were imprisoned. Of the more than 5,000 persons known to have been interrogated by the Inquisitors in Languedoc, about 50 were burned at the stake. Lambert says everything else is speculation since most of the records were destroyed.

In Italy, the Ghibellines were allies of the German Emperors and enemies of the Guelphs who supported the Pope. Although Frederick II had sworn to root out heresy, his "rooting" was lax. Many of the Ghibbilines were Cathars, and since they kept a number of Italian cities friendy to his cause so he had no great incentive to destroy them. When Frederick II died, both the Ghibellines and the Cathars were at risk. Some were burned, but many escaped to Bosnia. The Cathars in Bosnia lived a relatively peaceful existence until Islam crushed the Balkans in the 15th Century.

According to Lambert, the Cathars probably would have died out eventually anyway. They did not believe in sexual reproduction. Also, most people became Cathars owing to family connections and did not really understand the "dual-God" aspects of the religion. The Cathar theology was confusing anyway, and as people became educated, they fell away from Cathar teachings.

Lambert says the Cathars did not take vows of poverty as some have suggested. They were from all walks of life, nobles to maids. The attraction of Catharism lay in it's emphasis on simplicity in this life, and the emotional comfort the 'perfects' offered regarding death and the next life. In an age when many Catholic clergy were distant and aloof, and the emphasis of the church was tithing and the aqusition of material wealth, the Cathar perfects were seen as the "real" Christians. St. Francis of Assis suggested one way to rid the Church of heresy was to preach directly to the people and live exemplary lives of love and compassion.

The Inquisitors became very powerful after the 13th Century, until the 16th Century. Lambert says after the Cathars and other heretics were no longer a threat, "Witchcraft fell under the purview of the inquisitors." The result was "Malleus maleficarum" or the "bible of the witch-hunters." He says the "witch craze spanned the Reformation and blackens the reputations of Catholics and Protestants alike." Burning people was not exclusive to the Catholic Church.

Malcolm Crook, author of the very interesting Elections in the French Revolution (1996), has produced a short study of Brumaire. Those already well familiar with Brumaire and the events leading up to it will probably not learn very much new reading this book. Those who would like an overview of the advent of Napoleon, as well as a précis of current historical thinking on Brumaire and the Directory will benefit from Crook's work.

This volume is obviously intended for use by university students. It opens with a brief factual recounting of the events of the coup and an examination of the varying interpretations of that event, including the Bonapartist legend, the Republican tradition, the Marxist interpretation and an overview of current perspectives. This is followed by a concise history of the Directory, a lengthier exposition on Brumaire itself and a short history of the progress from Brumaire to Consulate to Empire. 40 pages of 'Illustrative Documents' that include extracts from representative historians, proclamations, memoirs, laws, letters and other documents allow the reader to get a feel for the tenor of the times and perhaps form his own opinions of these events. These documents are all keyed to appropriate sections of the main text. Also included is a glossary of terms and a useful eight-page bibliographical essay. There are no footnotes and, at times, quotes in the text are inadequately identified. The volume is indexed.

The "meat" of Crook's book, of course, is Brumaire itself. Crook manages to produce a largely dispassionate and factual account of the coup. Naturally, a book entitled Napoleon Comes to Power is going to focus primarily on Napoleon's role in the events, but this to an extent de-emphasizes the fact that this was a conspiracy undertaken by a number of individuals who had varying interests and ambitions. Nor could Bonaparte have accomplished the change of regime single-handedly. By focusing primarily on Bonaparte the reader doesn't truly get a good feel for how a conspiracy of these diverse opponents of the Directory became Bonaparte's bid to "come to power." This is presented as the natural outcome of the coup yet one doesn't really get to know why this became so -how Bonaparte went from one element of a broader conspiracy (and a late-comer, at that) to the primary beneficiary of that conspiracy. Although Crook doesn't mention it, perhaps Bonaparte's fellow-conspirators let him take the leading role so that if the coup failed Bonaparte would be the leading fall-guy (Crook fails to emphasize the risk the conspirators were taking in the event of failure; success was not assured). Then again, perhaps it was Bonaparte's personality as a man-of-action that led him to eventually take the leading role. Or that perhaps it was the public, identifying the coup as Bonaparte's, that thrust him so firmly into the leading position.

Crook, following current trends, downplays the threat to Bonaparte in the Council of Five Hundred, referring to Bonaparte being "jostled." D.J. Goodspeed in Bayonets at St. Cloud (London: Rupert Hart-Davis, 1965, p. 147) says that several of the deputies rushed him and that the burly deputy Destrem caught Bonaparte by the collar and shook him, pushing him "to and fro." Nor does Crook mention the fistfights on the floor of the Council or the cries of "Vive Bonaparte!" from the public in the gallery. Not attempting to write a narrative history, Crook downplays the drama of the event. Crook takes no stand on the controversy over Bonaparte's fainting spell in the Orangery, whether from nervous exhaustion or from fear or some other cause. Crook also fails to make clear that the grenadiers, who cleared the Orangery and sent the toga-clad deputies scrambling from the windows, were not from the regular army but were actually Grenadiers of the Legislative Guard. These men owed their loyalty not to Bonaparte but to the Councils. They had no real self-interest in supporting a coup. This is why these troops had to be convinced, one way or another, to forget their duties as the guardians of the assemblies (Sièyes believed at one point that the grenadiers were about to seize Bonaparte).

Crook has produced a balanced treatment of the rise of Napoleon. Napoleon Comes to Power presents a clear and concise overview of the Directory and of the coup itself. The lengthy section of documents translated by Crook gives the reader a real feel for the times and affords one the opportunity think for one's self. The modest price of this volume is also a plus. A Napoleon buff who wants a good summary of the events of Brumaire or a relative newcomer who is just starting to discover the era would both profit from purchasing this little volume. As Goodspeed's Bayonets at St. Cloud is out of print and Albert Vandal's L'Avenement de Bonaparte is unavailable in English Crook's is the best book available on Napoleon's coming to power.

Crook, author of the excellent Elections of the French Revolution, presents a short, concise look at Napoleon's coming to power in 1799. Although Crook explains how the coup was organized, exactly how Napoleon, who was a late-comer to the conspiracy, managed to wind up with all the power remains something of a mystery. The book includes as a "bonus" a lengthy section of translated documents to let you study the events first hand.

Even 80 years later, it's a wonderful story, romantic, serious, improbable, true to the heart. Well written (or translated). I ran across it accidently and had a wonderful afternoon immersed in it.