The most detailed, all-in-one source available for the post-1682 Russian monarchy. Included also are numerous charts and a very detailed index, and some interesting and gossipy appendices regarding the infighting for precedence among the present-day Romonovs.

Peter Levi is himself a remarkable figure: An English Jesuit who is a poet, art historian, classicist,and sometime archaeologist. "Light Garden of the Angel King" is Levi's account of his travels in Afghanistan in the late 1960s as he looked for remnants of Greek presence and examined the influences of Hellenistic art, and it's a wonderfully crafted piece. Spare, elegant, softly ironic, and informed by a sensitive intelligence and a deep knowledge of the classical world. Levi is able to evoke not only the age of Alexander's Bactrian conquests but the beauties and complexities of Islamic architecture and poetry and the travails of learning Persian. His travel companion here was the young Bruce Chatwin, and Chatwin's presence (and his fascination with nomads) gives this book a wonderful set of stories. The Afghanistan of the book is long gone, shattered by twenty years of invasion, resistance, and civil war, and for anyone who loves Central Asia, "Light Garden" is a reminder of a long-vanished world. It's very different from Newby's "Short Walk in the Hindu Kush" or Byron's classic "Road to Oxiana", but it is a brilliant travel book in its own right. Very much worth owning!

This book is an excellent compellation of the myths concerning the foundation of the Roman empire. It is an excellent starting point for anyone interested in exploring these myths.

This is the story of the Reverend Peter Jones,(1802-1856) (Kahkewaquonaby), a Methodist missionary and a Chief of the Mississauga.

Doanld B Smith, a History Professor at the University of Calgary, writes an important story of the conflict between the First Peoples and the Europeans in the first years of settlement of south-Central Ontario. We see this interesting man in the context of the British settlement in Canada at a time when the new nation to the south (the USA)were forcibly moving the Cherokees and other eastern tribes to west of the Mississippi. That this did not happen in Upper Canada is to an important extent due to the leadership of this one man who could interpret the Europeans and Native Peoples to each other.

This book really helped me when I was doing a report in 5th grde on the pioneer trails. It can help you too. It was extrodinary

Good drawings and great story especially if your a little kid

My husband and I plan to spend a month next summer in Grasse. This book seems to cover all the interesting medieval towns, restaurants and things to do around that area. I only gave it 4 stars because it was published in 1992. I wish it had been revised more recently.

This study Bible will serve as a useful introduction to the Orthodox interpretation of the scriptures, and many households will benefit from a copy. It is easily approachable, and the footnotes are helpful to those who are relatively unfamiliar with Orthodox theology.

Yet the critiques of others --that the OSB fails to make use of scriptural study that is prevalent within the Orthodox community, that it fails to be Patristic enough in its notes and comments-- are well grounded. Much more could have been added on the interpretation of passages by the Fathers, and it is a shame that this was not done. The book introductions are quite simplistic and often fail to consider the critical study of even Orthodox scholars on such issues as authorship, dating, audience, etc.

Still, most non-academics will find this a helpful and enjoyable volume. Its lexicon at the end, and guide to Bible reading by Bp. +KALLISTOS, are both excellent.

For those, especially, who are looking for a friendly insight into Orthodoxy through New Testament examination, it is a book worth having.

Many Orthodox scholars such as Fr. Jack Sparks, Bishop KALLISTOS Ware, & Fr. Constantine Nasr. It was overviewed by such Orthodox authorities as Fr. Thomas Hopko, Fr. Stanley Harakas, and bishops representing virtually every Orthodox diocese in North America. I find this Study Bible very useful in introducing people to Orthodoxy through the Holy Scriptures as well as a wonderful companion for every Orthodox Christian. I believe that any Orthodox family could benefit from having this Study Bible in their home.

There are wonderful notes on nearly all the verses of the New Testament, giving the interpretation of the Orthodox Church on the Holy Scriptures. It also includes a lectionary, chapters on "How to Read the Bible," and "Introducing the Orthodox Church," and wonderful articles are interspersed throughout the Bible on such topics as "Confession," "The Four 'Orders' in Church Government," and "The Transfiguration." The pages are also graced by the presence of beautiful icons.

I do have a few minor problems with this Bible. Some is left to be desired in the Book of Psalms, largely because the Septuagint, the Old Testament of the Orthodox Church, was not used. (Of course, this is about to be resolved because the same group of people is currently working on the Old Testament Orthodox Study Bible using the entire Septuagint text.) It was also disappointing to see that in the Morning and Evening prayers in the back, there is no mention of the Virgin Mary. However, the notes and articles throughout the Study Bible clearly explain the emphasis which is put on the Virgin Mary in the Orthodox Church.

I would highly recommend owning this Study Bible, and I don't feel that it deserves a lot of the harsh criticism it has gotten. They did an excellent job!

This book does a good job in providing commentary notes on Bibilcal passages with an Easern Orthodox viewpoint. The right amount of information is given. It assumes the reader has no or very little knowledge so as not to confuse potential readers, including new converts, curiosity seekers, or cradle Orthodox who have never really studied their faith.

It is filled with iconograpgy throughout and the end of the book has special sections in regards to Orthodox views, prayers, and doctrines. It is done in an easy fomat to spark one for further study and research.

This study Bible should be in any serious Bible students libarary regardless of religion. The views of the East have been often neglected by the West and the East has a rich tradition the West can learn and enjoy.

This is an excellent book. It is by far the best Twain I have read yet, and I give it four stars. In this novel, Mark Twain holds the glory and romance associated with Arthurian Legend up to the standards of 19th century society, and reveals defects in both the romantic ideal of King Arthur and the faith that Twain's generation holds in scientific and social "progress." Both funny and thought-provoking, this book provides the reader with a new set of eyes with which to view the barbarism and injustice that Arthur and his knights so valiantly fought to preserve. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is the tale of Hank Morgan, a typical 19th century man who is transported back in time to the days of Merlin, Guinevere, and King Arthur. After becoming aware of his surroundings, and deciding to ignore his uncertainty about whether King Arthur actually existed, this man uses the common knowledge of his time period, his practicality, and some perfectly timed arrogance to acquire a position of great power in this land that he finds repulsive and in need of an enlightened leader. The ensuing story is the tale of what happens when the two utopias collide and this man abuses his power in an attempt to bring the "great and beneficent" miracles of the 19th century to the Age of Chivalry. I would recommend this book to any reader in 8th grade or above, but I would discourage people with passionate faith in the purity and glory of King Arthur from reading this book if they do not want to be forcefully presented with demonstrations of chivalry's inhumanities. A fairly well developed sense of humor will help the reader to enjoy Mark Twain's subtle ironies and satirical situations, and some basic knowledge of science helps in understanding some of the scenes, however this isn't vital to the book. The vocabulary is moderately advanced, the subject matter is somewhat mature at times, and the philosophical reasoning is probably beyond the reach of most Junior High students, yet I would encourage anyone who is interested to give this book a try. This novel is also great for the general public because A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court provides the reader with a main character with whom they may identify. The main character, Hank Morgan is presented with situations in which he must deal with being a stranger in a new atmosphere, being a social outcast due to his uncommon beliefs, he must avoid physical confrontation, and he is forced to use his intellectual abilities rather than brute strength to solve difficult situations. Many readers will have faced similar difficulties in their lives, and this ability to identify with the characters will definitely add to the overall enjoyment of the story. With this piece of work, Mark Twain displays his true talent for excellent writing and story telling. He incorporates enough adventurous and action filled scenarios to make the reader want to continue reading vigorously, yet he also manages to discuss very philosophical and thought-provoking topics during the lulls in the action. This book reads very quickly near the beginning and end. The action tapers off during the middle of the story, but not for long, and once it starts to pick up again, Twain demonstrates his true potential for greatly entertaining writing in the very climactic and cleverly ironic ending that brings this all-around great book to an even better close. This is definitely a book worth reading.

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is an intriguing novel written by Mark Twain. This is a fantastic book for the high school level reader, but would be entertaining to adults as well. I am a freshman in high school, and I enjoyed many attributes of the plot and writing style. In this novel the main character, Hank Morgan, is mysteriously transported from the nineteenth century in Connecticut back to the fifth century in England. During his time in medieval Britain, he keeps a journal which is what most of this book is. The preface and afterwards are both the narration of Mark Twain who writes as if he has found Hank's journal, and is merely writing it down in a book. As the journal starts out, Hank is introduced to King Arthur and after narrowly escaping death and becomes the country's most powerful advisor. Hank introduces many modern wonders to this feudal society. He is hailed a magician, being able to perform wonderful "miracles" and "magic", when it really is only modern science. It is very entertaining to read about how the feeble-minded people of that time react to these feats. In the end, there is a tremendous battle with many exciting episodes leading up to it. If a reader is partial to battle scenes of high caliber, this is a book for him! Of course, Hank has many other battles as well. Once of his biggest enemies is the Church of England. The big question the reader asks themselves during this book is "Will Hank return to his time and if so, how?". It was exciting for me to ponder this question throughout the novel. During Hank's travels through medieval Britain, he meets many people. The people he meets who think a government ruled by the people in Britain (his ultimate goal) would be a good idea, he sends to Camelot where he has schools set up which teach people about modern governmental ideas. Schools were also set up to teach people how to produce his wonders of modern science. These few enlightened people remain loyal to Hank until the very end. I thought it an entertaining notion that people who were trained from birth to believe in one thing, could realize it's faults and begin to believe another things. I really enjoy this book because it brings a lot about human nature into question. It discusses the vast differences of beliefs, manners, and life styles between one hundred years ago and fourteen hundred years ago. I also thought the differences between classic Arthurian legend and Mark Twain's perspective of the time were very interesting. Hanks training of these idealistic people he runs across plays into the large political aspect of this book. Since Hank's ultimate goal is to transform Britain into a country ruled by the people, he starts factories producing modern goods which greatly changes the lives of the Britons. I enjoyed the descriptions of the people's reaction to these modern products of science thirteen centuries before they would be invented. Throughout the entire book commentary and philosophizing concerning the comparison of the fifth century feudal system of Britain and the nineteenth century democracy of the U.S. by Hank Morgan is common. This political aspect is typical of Twain's works. It gave me great pleasure to read this aspect of the book and to comprehend it's meaning. Through Hank Morgan, Mark Twain is able to depict vivid images in the readers mind. Whether it be a person, scene, or sensation felt by Hank Twain describes it in a way which puts a solid picture in the imagination of the reader. I have not seen the movie of this novel, but I have heard it isn't very well done and it is nothing compared to the book. I believe this is because Mark Twain paints such a realistic picture in the mind of the reader, it is nothing compared to what some director can film. From Mark Twain's great descriptions and writing style to the unique ideas presented, the novel A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is a fantastic novel. There are so many aspects of it to enjoy, and it is just an all around entertaining book. I give this book four out of five stars and I recommend it to any one interested in fantasy, especially if they want a different perspective on King Arthur.

Well, the perfect companion to La Morte d'Arthur...

Twain completely dissects the "good ol' days" of Arthurian Britain by exposing the vicious social practices of the time: white slavery, le droit de seigneur, confiscation of property in event of suicide, the complete lack of impartial justice, the degrading influence of the Church on the mass, etcetera etcetera etcetera...

The Arthurian legends are wonderful tales, but they are a mythic literary production; Twain deals with the brutal reality of daily living in the Dark Ages, and points out that the good ol' days were not so good, anyway.

As for its applicability to modern America, I am not fit to judge. Perhaps it's there. But "The Connecticut Yankee" is a wonderful tonic for those prone to romanticizing the past. Twain seems to agree with Tom Paine that the English nobility were "no-ability", and simply the latest in a series of robbers.

And, of course, the book is stuffed with wonderful Twainisms... My favorite is his observation that a conscience is a very inconvenient thing, and the significant difference between a conscience and an anvil is that, if you had an anvil inside you, it would be alot less uncomfortable than having a conscience.

Twain also mentions the beautiful mispronunciations of childhood, and how the bereaved parental ear listens in vain for them once children have grown.

You'll never look at castles the same again...

I'm a Stephen King fan and I liked "The Talisman" a lot. I liked "Black House" and I think most Stephen King fans will too.

One caution up front. As Amazon's description of the book makes clear, the villain in this book is a serial child killer who eats his victims. There may be more than a few people who find this idea so disturbing that even my mention of the theme bothers them. It probably will not help these people if I say "it's just a STORY, it's almost comic-book stuff, it's not THAT graphic, they don't MEAN it."

I read fantasy and horror to escape from reality, so I am glad to report that "Black House" has no references in it to airliners, explosions, or tall office buildings. It served me well as a welcome distraction during the last few terrible weeks.

"Black House" is not really a sequel to "The Talisman." It's an independent book with some loose connections to "The Talisman." (And almost as many to the Dark Tower series).

True, the central character of "Black House," Jack Sawyer, is the central character of "The Talisman,"--but so much time has passed that he is almost a different person. A few other characters from "The Talisman" make what might be called cameo appearances.

To me, this book felt like a "typical Stephen King novel." It did not really evoke the feelings and mood of "The Talisman." (I don't mean to slight Straub here; but I will say that the collaboration is seamless--and the result reads like King).

Unlike "The Talisman," most of events in "Black House" take place in this world. It is "about" a cop chasing down a serial child killer in one of Stephen King's black, ironic, inverted "Our Towns." More like the world of "It" than the world of "The Talisman."

(I've enjoyed trying to figure out where "French Landing" is. My guess: Prairie du Chien).

The authors imply that there may be a trilogy in the offing, with the third book taking place mostly in the Territories... but part of the charm of "The Talisman" was Jack Sawyer's strange balancing act between the two worlds.

This book has what I'll call the "usual beloved faults" of King's writing. Unlike a J. R. R. Tolkien or a Robert Heinlein, the writers never convince me that the story is taking place in a real, consistent world with well-defined rules. They're making it up as they go along, and they (and you) know it. Some of the "cross-references" to other characters and events feel like the sorts of things you get in a detective series. You know, "Lance Sterling called Edna Redstone, the librarian who had helped him solve in 'The Mystery of the Haunted Windmill." Then he drew out the pocketknife that had served him so well in 'The Secret of the Red Lighthouse.'"

What this means to readers new to King is, no, you don't need to read "The Talisman" or the Dark Tower novels first. You'll probably get the feeling that some mysterious things would make more sense if you'd read them, but it's not really true. There's no grand unified story to figure out, and it's OK to come in the middle.

For those to whom the title "Black House" instantly calls to mind Dickens' "Bleak House," the authors are aware of the similarity and work it into the story. (Whether there's supposed to be an intentional connection, I can't say--I've often suspected that if editors notice things in King's writing that are uncomfortably derivative of other books, he disarms cricitism by deliberately acknowledging them ).

When Stephen King and Peter Straub joined literary forces in the eighties, fans were expecting the ultimate horror novel. What the then Dynamic Duo of Horror delivered was something entirely different. The Talisman was an epic fantasy of parallel worlds, only touched with horror, that, in the years since the tale was first told, King has continually mapped out in his Dark Tower series of novels. Black House, unsurprisingly, is closely connected to those novels.

Now, when fans expect another epic fantasy, what King and Straub deliver is a gruesome horror novel with fantasy underpinnings. Black House has the now grown Jack Sawyer chasing after The Fisherman, a serial killer that also eats his young victims. But larger forces are at play here, forces that mean to topple the Dark Tower. The ride is harrowing (some scenes are just painful to read), but also long and, at times, painfully short. King and Straub lavish detail on minor plot points, yet, as the climax approaches, they appear to skim over some details to get the readers to the action that has been some five hundred pages in coming. But despite its slight shortcomings, Black House is a smart, literate horror fantasy that will satisfy more fans than it will disappoint. Best of all, it appears to be the second volume of a trilogy. Recommended.

The Talisman was the first book by King and Straub that I ever read. I have been a fan of both since that time. Reading Black House was like a stroll down memory lane. Old characters brought back (at least mentioned in some cases) was like visiting old friends that you haven't heard from in a while.
I thought the tie in with the Gunslinger seriers (Dark Tower) was a brainstorm. That Straub bought into the premise is a wonder.
Jack, now middleaged, is called from retirement to help solve brutal murders of children. Gradually he is drawn into crimes so gruesome that they stretch credibility. Of course, after the twin towers were laid low, can anything be doubted.
New characters, Henry, Beezer (an educated and lovable brute) Sophie, and others.
As expected, the territories play a major role in this new story, but not to the extent as in the Talisman. This is typical King/Struab...tight story, believable characters, suspensful storytelling. Don't listen to the nay sayers. Buy (or borrow from your public library) the book, read it and make up your own mind.