Fredric Bastiat was a 19th century French law-maker, economist and author. He wrote a number of highly technical works of economic theory, books that are still considered valuable contributions to free-market economic thought. But his least technical work, a pamphlet called The Law, has proven to be perhaps his most enduring from a modern political standpoint.

Written in 1850, just two years after the French Revolution of 1848, the Law is part treatise and part polemic, an appeal to the French people reminding them of the proper sphere of the law and government and begging them to turn away from their descent into socialism. The Law is also a summary of much of what Bastiat considered to be important from his own work; at the time The Law was written he was very sick, and he would be dead within a year of its publication. As a French patriot, Bastiat was deeply moved by the disintegration he saw in French society.

As the last vestiges of the class-society were replaced and the new "democratic" order was being instituted, the State was more and more being used as a means by which groups of citizens (special interests) could plunder one another through taxes, transfer payments, tariffs, etc, committing what Bastiat calls "legal plunder." As he saw it, the law was being perverted into a so-called "creative" entity, through which controlling groups would seek to enforce their particular agendas at the expense and through the pocketbooks of the people in general.

Bastiat argues that the law should be properly viewed as the formal embodiment of Force. That is, human laws should be the organized and formal construction of justice. Just law, he says, is nothing more than the organization of the human right to self-defense. This is a surprisingly narrow definition, perhaps almost too narrow to be truly useful. But I can imagine that Bastiat wouldn't have seen much moral value in the philosophy of pragmatism; he certainly would have made a bad present-day politician, a "flaw" which I find highly admirable.

Bastiat is revered by many modern libertarians as one of the founding fathers of their ideology, and rightly so. But it seems to me that his work is more accurately anarcho-capitalist than libertarian. To say that Bastiat is arguing for "limited" government is a gross understatement. In fact, Bastiat seems instead to be arguing for the abolition of most all of what today we would call The Government. Many libertarians, for example, probably wouldn't argue the abolition of all forms of taxation on moral grounds. Personally I appreciate his definition of plunder as "...tariffs, protection, benefits, subsidies, encouragements, progressive taxation, public schools, guaranteed jobs, guaranteed profits, minimum wages, a right to relief, a right to the tools of labor, free credit, and so on, and so on..."

Obviously although Bastiat may not share the views of modern libertarians in every respect, they have much to respect in him. And of course, the average economic and social liberal won't care for him at all, as he makes a special point of going after the vast majority of liberal sacred cows. But more surprisingly, the Religious Right should be wary of taking Bastiat on as too great of an ally. Although Bastiat and his book have been instrumental in forming many right-wing/libertarian ideas about free markets and the proper role of government, Bastiat argues forcefully against the use of the law as a tool for the shaping of moral values. Jerry Falwell and Bastiat are notably out of step with one another. I can imagine that Bastiat would not have much use for the Congressional institution of days of prayer, or for teacher-led prayer in the public schools he so despised, for anti-drug and pro-abstinence programs, or for the ministerial functions that many politicians have sought to usurp.

Conservatives have an unfortunate habit of revering political figures. But as Bastiat says, "There are too many 'great' men in the world--legislators, organizers, do-gooders, leaders of the people, fathers of nations, and so on, and so on. Too many persons place themselves above mankind; they make a career of organizing it, patronizing it, and ruling it."

Bastiat didn't believe in the inherent value of rulers of men. Many conservatives hope that their sons will grow up to be leaders in a political sense. Bastiat believed that we would be better served if more people sought to be useful, productive, inventive and moral, instead of trying to lead all the rest of society. Society will function much more desirably when we relinquish the desire for power over our fellow men, and instead seek power over our own actions.

Although Bastiat's views on law and government may be too simplistic and dated to be implemented literally in a modern society, I believe that there is still much instruction to be had from this book. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in developing an understanding of the roots of modern libertarian thought.

One of the greatest tome's on legal philosohy ever written; and by a Frenchman no less!! "Legal Plunder," the act of government taking from one person or group and giving to another person or group, only fosters negative feelings, class resentment, and condems the lowest class to professional groveling. Overall, Bastiat argues, a government that practices legal plunder under the auspices of equality and social necessity deserves not to be in power and people must have the courage to fumigate these corosive thoughts from public discourse. A book which deserves to be in the rooms of every high school civics class, "The Law" is a work that will last forever.

Bastiat's The Law is a liberal's nightmare. Written over 150 years ago ago, it clearly defines what is wrong with socialism and explains (actually Bastiat accurately predicted) why socialist programs breed their own corruption and defines "Legal Plunder" in the clearest of terms. Don't be put off by the age of the book; the writing is more clear and more concise than almost any current book.

Here is a quote, "But how is this legal plunder to be identified? Quite simply. See if the law takes from some persons what belongs to them, and gives it to other persons to whom it does not belong. See if the law benefits one citizen at the expense of another by doing what the citizen himself cannot do without committing a crime."

I have given away at least a dozen copies of this book; I believe the book is that important. I can think of no higher personal endorsement.

The Information Technology Control and Audit's book provides a step by step and an up-to-date information of information audit in today's complex and fast changing computing environment. I have gone through chapter by chapter and I found that this book is like a tour guide for the new people who is entering in IS area. It provides a thorough guidance on the audit process in an IS environment, control in system development process, application risks and control, operational controls, using tools and techniques in IT operation review, many more topics related to IS audit. In addition to the people who are already in the IS area, this book is like an audit bible where you can find all the information you need to refer to regarding an IS audit. Besides, this book also talks about the legal issues in IS auditing today and in the future and its impacts to IS auditor's role in assisting management and legal counsel. Not to forget the appendix's section, which consists of some, useful IS audit case's study, a bibliography of selected publications for information technology auditors, professional standards that apply to information technology, glossary, and a sample of audit programs. These gives us a reference where to find both standards and guidelines related to information technology established by professional organizations in addition to a better understanding of IS audit that is covered in the first several chapters. I strongly recommend this book to everyone who wants to know or need a deeper understanding of IS auditing.

I personally love this book because of the following reasons: 1. This book is very easy to read- compared to the other books I have read, this book presents the contents in a very clear and concise way. 2. A very through book- the book provides people with detailed information about IS auditing. It covers most areas in which an IS auditor will utilize in his/her practice. 3. An informative book- the book provides people with different valuable tools, techniques as well as guidelines in addressing the audit, control and security problems. In addition, the book provides numerous research resources and case studies.

However, the format of the book may be improved by the following suggestion: the book should use different font size to distinguish different level headings.

IT Control & Audit is a great book to give you well-rounded information in IS Auditing. I personally found it useful in helping me gaining knowledge about IS auditing field. Review questions are included after each chapter to help the readers understand the material better and enforce their knowledge in answering those questions. The book also covers some of the most important subjects in IT field, information security and controls. Added with cases study, sample audit programs, and information about career development in IS Auditing etc., this book is a must have for everyone who wants to delve into all aspects of IS Auditing. If you can only have one book about IS Auditing & Control in your shelf, then this should be the one.

Let's start off by saying that this book is not for everyone. This is, however, a beautifully written book that should be read by anyone that intends to go into relativity physics.

Professor Thorne wonderfully combined the history development of Black Holes, along with enough ancedotes to satisfy science seekers. There are tons of diagrams, background stories, and enough to keep the reader going.

However, it may be too complex of a book for the layman. It is very hardcore, and may be a little slow for casual readers, with enough details to confuse a reader the first time through.

The book also demonstrates the futuristic predictions and applications of Black Holes, from being a power plant, to wormholes in space. It was easily understood.

Bottom Line: If you're into physics, or have a lot of time, go out and buy this book, because it's worth every penny. This gives a good background history on the slow progress of Black Holes, and includes ancedotes from Hawkings to Landau. It is highly recommended if you want to learn more than just "What is a Black Hole?" As others have suggested, "Gravitation" by Thorne, Wheeler and Misner would be a more complex book if you have the background for it.

The true secrets of universe can only be understood by a deep understanding of highly complicated mathematical and physical concepts. For mere mortals like me, books like these offer a good taste of such pleasures. Kip Thorne, a relativist of very high caliber (coauthor of the classic textbook "Gravitation"), takes the reader through a exciting journey through the history of modern cosmology starting with Einstein's Field Equation.

Unlike most popular physics books dealing with such a topic, he actually spends (relatively) little time dwelling on Einstein's work itself (just a couple of chapters) -- there are several books that deal with relativity itself (I'm talking books for the layperson). Instead he quickly starts talking about the "Legacy" of Einstein's great theory. We are led through drama of 20th century cosmology as different solutions were found for the Field Equations which challenged human reason and intuition, ultimately leading to the great crisis: the black hole.

As the author himself is a very active and very highly respected member of the scientic community, the book is full of very interesting (and sometime illuminating) anecdotes about various luminories (I love the one about his bet with Stephen Hawking about the existence of Cygnus X-1 black hole).

If you are a layperson (as far as modern astrophysics is concerned, probably most are lay people) interested in science in general and astronomy in particular, I'd strongly recommend this book (heck, I'd recommend it for any one who's even mildly curious). This is one of the best books in its field (if not the best) that caters to the lay readers (not unlike Richard Dawkins's "Blind Watch Maker" for evolution).

I thought not. I was wrong. The reason: Kip Thorne. I really enjoyed the reading of this book because it offers the theoretical face of the so-called "Black Holes Mechanics" and a very important and delightful part, the history behind the theorems. The book begins with several chapters dedicated almost exclusively to the bases of the Special Theory of Relativity and the General Theory of Relativity, which describes the gravitation field in almost any place of our universe (if you get the book you will see why I say "almost"). Thereafter, the text covers the most important aspects of stellar implosion, which, in fact, brings Black Holes into existence. Once you are immersed in the very topic of the holes, the author studied profoundly their properties with informative boxes, spacetime diagrams, lots of references about discoveries, people and, the great difference with others books, an outstanding and thorough historical background. By the end, the author presents the most excitement predictions about the future use of Black Holes and the yet ill-understood Quantum Gravity Theory (predictions like backward time travel and wormholes). Finally, Kip Thorne closed the book with an excellent glossary of exotic terms and a list of principal characters that appeared throughout the text. I can say, without any doubt, that this is one of the most illustrative and complete books I have ever read, and in my opinion, is a book that every "Black Hole serious student" might have in his/her shelve. If you are looking for a less technical book, I suggest you "Black Holes: A Traveler's Guide" by Clifford Pickover. Nevertheless, if you want a higher challenge, get the book "Gravitation" by Thorne, Wheeler and Misner.

I must admit that I love Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe series. The characters are always memorable, the story interesting(and based partly on fact), and the battle scenes very exciting. This isn't the first Sharpe book I've read, but it's the first in chronological order, and that made it even more of a pleasure to read. Richard Sharpe is only a private in his early 20's in this one, and his tough but likable personality and incredible bravery are fully intact, so you'll be cheering for Sharpe in no time. Obadiah Hakeswill, Sharpe's nastiest enemy, and one of Cornwell's best characters, plays a significant role in this book which makes it even more interesting. Just like the other Sharpe novels, as soon as you finish it you'll immediately want to read the next one. So be warned: Sharpe becomes an addiction very quickly. But hey, and addiction like this is a good thing, right?

It is commonly believed that Cornwell has never been behind a bad book. The Sharpe series was universally excellent, even his contemporary thrillers were good, and A.Mack is not known as a lover of contemporary thrillers. The writing is excellent on this work. The charachters and the action is portrayed superbly. When I first bought this book I had read most of the Sharpe series and had also read the Warlord Chronicles. Cornwell wrote the books set in India after most of the books which were set later, when Sharpe-watchers had given up on new Sharpe material, and it did not disappoint. It needed to be written because Sharpe often described Hakeswill and Captain Morris in the Peninsula, and readers wanted to hear about Sharpe's days in India, about which he was reticent in the Peninsula. Indeed the only objection which I have is to the cover. A different edition has a picture of an elaborately carved rifle on the front, and I believe this to be superior to the one displayed.

PS- This book gave me two of my greatest ambitions- to visit India, which I have subsequently done with my latest girlfriend, and to drink three bottles of wine at one sitting, as Morris did, which I have just embarked on the process of achieving....

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After having read the Starbuck serie (Civil War) from B. Cornwell, i had great expectations. To my great delight, the same feeling of plunging in the middle of an historical battlefield seized me after a few pages, making me forget about (every bloody thing I had to do in) my new house for a few hours.

SHARPE'S TIGER is the first in the serie (of about 12) in chronological order. Even though Mr. Cornwell does'nt write them this way, if you want to appreciate the historical flavor and Sharpe's career in Her Majesty's army, you want to read them chronologically.

The reader looking for nice fancy figures of speech will be left unsatisfied. Political correctness is also left in the closet. It is blunt, direct cannon-fodder daily life we are looking at and it is written that way

You may disrespect these incompetent officiers, having bought their grade, you will probably hate Sgt. Hakeswill, the potence saved maniac. you will feel pity for Mary and the destiny traced for her.

One thing is sure, we will all finish that book with the smell of gunpowder floating around us and a smile in the historical note about general Wellington

All rights reserved to The Reviewer Provided by courtesy to Amazon.com

Graves writes with the sparse, absolutely precise prose of a Latin scholar. This alone makes it worthy of recommendation; the style 'classic' on its own. Claudius is an engaging figure. Born with a number of physical birth defects, he survives in the rarified and frequently lethal atmosphere of the imperial court. He lived in the time of the great Augustus, the brutal and lacivious Tiberius and the totally mad Caligula. The malicious thread of Livia, Augustus' consort and a woman who was surely an early incarnation of Lucretia Borgia, runs through the three reigns. With a host of engaging cameos, the book is essentially describing a tragedy, the slow descent of the first true superpower of the West into self-destruction. If you accept that the USA is the sole remaining superpower, then many of the horrors and follies of the recent past and present are illuminated through this book. For the desparate attempts to regain the Eagles of the Roman regiments lost in Germany, read the rebuilding of the US Armed Forces after Vietnam. Meditate on the real dangers to freedom when a state is perceived by its citizens as the best. Notice how the power of the chief executive is always increasing, and always more ill-used. And how an appetite for spectacle and violence can keep even an educated population subjugated and uncaring of the worst excesses of the ruling elite. This book is really, really important. It is probably the most accessible discussion of power and how a Republic can turn into an Empire. And how an Empire can tear itself apart.

I first found "I, Claudius" in my school library when I was 15, and 7 years later it is still my favorite book. This is Roman hstory from a unique yet accessible point of view. I believe Graves wrote it based on his translation of Suetonius's "Twelve Caesars" (which is quite an enjoyable read in itself,) and as Suetonius seemed to be the "National Enquirer" of Roman historians, 'I, Claudius" and its companion piece, "Claudius the God" are not only replete with fascinating trivial bits of the Roman Empire's history, but wonderfully full of human interest aspects. This book makes two-thousand-year-old history live and breath today. The 14 or so hour long television adaptation is also marvelous, although I was glad to have read both books beforehand because it made the intricate palace/power/family relationships easier to decipher. Overall, a perfect ten by which one can judge all other historical reality-fiction.

There isn't a single negative comment that can be raised against Robert Graves' magnum opus, the "I, Claudius" series. The work is sublime, transcendent, spectacularly well-written...and always engaging. Every page is dripping with humor and intrigue, kings and pretenders, savages and aesthetes. This is the quintessential work by an amazing classicist, scholar and man.

"I, Claudius" recounts Imperial Rome (from Augustus to Nero) from the perspective of a stuttering, half-lamed, studied dim-wit, the Emperor Claudius. Using Suetonius and Tacitus as his main sources, Graves constructs a marvelous narrative of the precocious and turbulent time that was Rome's imperial birth, childhood and adolescence. Certainly, Octavian (later Augustus) was the father of Imperial Rome, but it is with plots and debauches of subsequent rulers that Graves' story really comes alive.

At the close of the first book, we're presented with the death of the completely deranged, self-styled god, Caligula, and the rise to power, as long prophesied, of Tiberius Claudius Drusus Nero Germanicus (Claudius), the "fool" of the ancient Claudian family, the stammerer...and, at long last, the Emperor of Rome!

Reading Tacitus and Suetonius, it's easy to see why Graves would be inspired to fictionalize such a history. The pages...these so-called histories read like tabloid sensations, military annals and superstitious prayer books all rolled into one. Graves does a marvelous job of capturing the essence of one of the most famous periods in Western history.

Livy, Tacitus, Suetonius, Pollio: eat your heart out. Graves wins the day!

I have read all the books in the SUDDEN series both by Strange and Christian. They are unparalleled in Western fiction, and Strange is by far better than Christian. I like Sudden The Law of The Lariat, Sudden at Bay, The Range Robbers best. I have my own private collection of Sudden books and those of Louis L'Amour, Zane Grey and J T Edson, and several others. Some are double copies which I may send to genuine lovers of westerns. Pity these books are out of print. They surely help in character-building.

When I was in my teens, I read every book in the 'Sudden" series that I could lay my hands on. These were easily the best Westerns that have been written so far, especially the ones written by the original author - Oliver Strange.

I cannot believe that such a well-conceived and well-written series of books is not being published any more. It reveals a lack of literary judgement on the part of the publishers, and that is putting it mildly.

I sincerely hope that some good sense will prevail and the world will once again see these endearing books which will bring everlasting joy and unforgettable memories to every teenaged boy who reads them.

I feel terribly sad that I did not preserve these books carefully - I don't even have a single one now to show my son.

The Sudden books by Fred Christian are okay, not as good as the originals by Oliver Strange. It is sad that some people cannot look past the "political incorrectness" of the language and just enjoy the stories. They are the best westerns that I have ever read, as good as Louis L'Amour. I read them all as a teenager and am lucky enough to have kept them all. My son also loved them. James Green, Sudden, is a hero in every sense of the word. If you like westerns you could not help but love these stories.

This book, The Count of Monte Cristo, is an engrossing tale of loyalty, revenge, and obsession that can still teach lessons today. Edmond Dantes seems set for life: the young man is now the captain of a ship, his best friends are his father and his boss, Morrel, and he is set to be married to a beautiful girl named Mercedes. But two men, Danglars and Fernand, are jealous of him for different reasons (Danglars for his job, Fernand for his fiancee). This jealousy comes in the form of a conspiracy so that both will be benefited: a letter is written saying that Dantes is a Napoleonic agent (he is not). He is further crossed by the ambitious magistrate de Villefort, who destroys the only piece of evidence because it implicates his father and sends him to prison, using the Napoleonic phobia of the time. While there, he meets the brilliant yet enigmatic Abbe Faria, who teaches him several languages and they collaborate on how to escape. The Abbe has an attack, he tells Dantes to leave without him, so he does. But before the Abbe dies, he tells Dantes about the magnificent treasure of Monte Cristo, and then the adventure begins as Dantes gets the treasure and lives extravagantly for a while, then he comes to pay vengeance to his enemies and rewards to his friends. This book is quite long, but I could not imagine it being shorter: it is the perfect size for the story. This is one of the best books of all time for a reason, and I would highly recommend it to anybody interested in adventure.

The Count of Monte Cristo is the best book I've read in quite a long while. I wasn't expecting it to be. Frankly, I tend to have low expectations for 19th-century European novels in regard to sheer readability. Like vegetables and trips to the dentist, they tend to be more good for you than simply good. Add in the fact that the unabridged version is over 1000 pages, and I felt sure that the Count would be a somewhat difficult companion.

Nothing could be farther from the truth! Edmond Dantes' adventures kept me fully engrossed from beginning to end. I was disappointed to turn the final page, left longing for more.

If you've seen a movie version of Count of Monte Cristo, expect surprises. I had seen both the Richard Chamberlain and Jim Caviezel versions before reading the book (mmmm . . . Jim Caviezel), but neither were entirely true to the storyline or the mood of the original.

Edmond himself is a thoroughly satisfying and seductive hero. (The reader must take with a grain of salt the numerous references to his drug habit; at the time, opium was unfortunatly de rigeur for a Romantic hero.) The secondary characters are equally engrossing, from the admirable Maximilian Morrel to the villainous Danglars; and the ingenious machinations by which Edmond contrives to reward the deserving and doom the guilty make the chapters fly by.

I would encourage everyone to be sure and get the unabridged version of this masterpiece. It is by no means slow or ponderous, and the thought of what must be left on the cutting room floor to reduce this book to half its size makes me wince.

If you enjoy literature, then you must read The Count of Monte Cristo. In this book, a young sailor named Edmond Dantès is arrested on false charges of treason. He spends the next fourteen years in prison trying to figure out how to exact complete revenge on his enemies. Once he gets out of prison he begins his quest for vengeance. The author, Alexandre Dumas, portrays this struggle for vengeance by mixing action and serenity together. By using both, Dumas makes the character seem like a real person. Throughout the entire book I felt like I knew Edmond Dantès feelings. Dumas' writing style made Edmond Dantès come alive. Instead of being on the outside watching in, I felt like I was in the middle of all the action. By making the reader feel like a part of the book, Dumas gets the reader involved in the plot; this makes the reader not want to stop reading. The Count of Monte Cristo continually makes you think about the characters and the plot. As the reader, I observed a great battle of intellect between the main characters, and this strife makes the book enjoyable to read. You constantly wonder who will get the upper hand. This book, with its many levels, will make a reader lose him or her self in the book. I read the abridged edition, which sometimes made me feel like I had missed an important detail or event. Other than this small drawback, I enjoyed the book thoroughly. I recommend The Count of Monte Cristo to anyone who enjoys reading books with an entertaining story and believable plot.

The story of the last of the Romanovs is one that still keeps audiences interested, whether the focus is the revolution or the Mad Monk. This is the last gasp of old style royalty that the 20th Century was to experience and despite Massie's tendency to somewhat romanticize his subjects, the domestic tribulations of Nicholas and Alexandra make an interesting and illustrative foil for the civil strife that was going on outside the palace. It is fascinating to read some of the anecdotes recounted in this book that show the Tsar and his family to be, in many ways, an ordinary family, yet at the same time probably the wealththiest family in the world at the time. The dispair and extreme poverty of Russian peasantry is very lightly treated here, but then, this is the Romanov's story and like royalty everywhere and at all times, they were isolated from direct confrontation with unpleasant sights and sounds.

Whatever else, this is a great story - of love, family tragedy, political blundering, inepept military decisions, court intrigue, conspicuous consumption, religious meddling, hypocracy, self deception, and hope - all part of the opening act of the new century. The old world of Tsarist glitter passes and the new world of Bolshevik drabness begins - and Nicholas and Alexandra are, with their family, caught in the middle.

"Bloody Nicholas". "Alexandra the German". These and other epithets were used to descibe Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra, the last Tsar and Tsarina of Imperial Russia. However, Massie brings to light and to life, the personal, human side of both Nicholas and Alexandra and their families.

With unusual and fascinating insight, the lives of Nicholas and Alexandra are explored in the context of their backgrounds, upbringings, experiences, and the very public role which birth had conferred upon them. The impact these influences had upon them personally and the resulting impact upon Russian and world history is laid out in a poignant, tragic tale which will leave only the most jaded reader unmoved.

Massie's writing style makes you feel as if you were actually there listening to and observing the Imperial family. His sources include the letters between Nicholas and Alexandra, letters from them to members of their families, and the memoirs of people who knew them personally and/or worked with them closely, such as tutors, close friends, ambassadors, and government officials.

The insights gleened from these sources portray not vicious, callous rulers concerned only with their selfish ends, but rather two well-meaning and personally kind people whose personalities, education and limited perspectives ill-suited them for the roles into which they were born. Add to this the impact of the then untreatable disease of hemophilia which afflicted their youngest child, their only son and heir to the Russian throne. This does not excuse them from the disastrous role they played in the fall of the Romanov dynasty, but rather helps us to understand why they acted as they did.

One cannot read this work and come away without a profound feeling of sadness. The "what if's" string on endlessly, most tragically in the contemplation of their five innocent, young children who were brutally murdered along with their parents by the Bolsheviks because of hatred for their parents, and a merciless political desire to ensure the monarchy never returned.

This work will appeal to many: to students of Russia, history, royalty, political science, public relations, and of course, those interested in a story of romance in a privileged, elite world.

The Author, Robert Massie, happened upon the writing of this book through his research to find out how others dealt with hemophilia. His son suffers from the disease as did the son of the last tsar of Russia. Wow...I happened upon this book by first seeing the english production of the film nicholas and alexandra. The movie was excellent but the book exceeds that of course. Read this book and obtain an understanding that people even in power are to be pitied. These poor souls were first the victims of their sons disease, Rasputin, the mystic but resourceful priest and the changes that Russia inevitably was to go through. This history of a country and a ruler, his wife and his family has often times made me wonder about their horrowful fate. These people did not deserve what they received in the end and I hope you draw this same conclusion after you read this novel. As the trailer notes state..."A larger than life drama, so bizarre, so heartrending, and above all, so apocalyptic that no novelist would have dared invent it"... Read it, you'll agree.

This novel has ideas, romance, violence, adventure, mysticism, and politics, so it can't be boring even if some reviewers complain about its slow start. Set in the middle of Nero's tenure in power, in the First century AD, it tells the story of Vinitius, a Roman military officer from a Patricious family with good standing at the court. He has the friendship and protection of Petronius, the Arbiter of Elegancy, a sensual, rich and cultivated man with much influence in court. Vinitius falls in love with the beautiful slave Ligia, who is a Christian living with a Roman Patricious family also converted to Christianity. Through his obsession with her, he gradually discovers the new religion and realizes the moral pit in which his culture has been decaying. Then Nero sets Rome on fire and Vinitius finds out that he'll have to rebel against the State in order to gain love. He is baptized and suffers persecution. Then he has to rescue his beloved from the Colliseum, just when she's going to be throwed in to the lions. The end is mystical and completely beautiful, and that's when you understand the title, which means "Where are you going, my Lord?", and is pronounced by St. Peter as he is fleeing Rome.

A very entertaining and rewarding novel, it is also a fictional testimony of the early years of Christendom. My favorite character is Petronius, a liberal, magnanimous and "cool" Pagan Roman who finds disgrace for protecting those he loves. very recommended.

Given that Mr Sienkiewicz won the Nobel literary prize for mainly this work, that alone is a pretty good bet for reading it. Written in the 1890's, this book is seen as one of the world's first "bestseller" novels, and is definitely an epic of, well, epic proportions.

Unfortunately, the book does suffer slightly as a result of the translation, as noted by an earlier reviewer, so if you can read Polish, do get the original version. Nevertheless, although the book starts off a tad slow, think of the beginning as a push off from a cliff, because after that it's as fast paced a thriller as money can buy.

A basic exposure to Roman and Christian history will make the book really come alive. Although certain "facts" are not correct, or have been omitted, remember that the book is meant to be fiction. The historical events are merely a platform for a passionate love story between a pagan Roman and a Christian girl. However, it is the seeming impossibility of this love, together with descriptions of the nearly moronic Roman "royal court", keeps you reading well into the night. The emotional roller-coaster makes you, the reader, feel exhausted.

Definitely recommended, and one of the most enjoyable books I've read.

If you liked this, do check out his other novels - especially the brilliant "Teutonic Knights" which is another epic of a young Polish knight (and of course a lovely maiden or two thrown in for good measure) and the history of middle ages Poland up to the battle of Grunwald where the Teutonic Knights were defeated.

Quo Vadis has impacted my life greatly. I have never seen a book that explores the Christian view on romance and early Christianity so clearly. It was nourishing and exciting. This is a character-driven story, and I don't see how anyone could put it down. The verisimilitude of Rome was astonishing! Hey, high school students, this is a great way to get a grip on how things worked in early A.D. Rome. Nero, Lydia, Marcus, and Petronius were unforgetable characters. This is love at its greatest! Romance the way it should be, unselfish and pure. The transformation we see of Marcus motives of love is the most piercing literature I've ever read. It has been a year since I've read it and I'm still raving about it! Hey, guys, this is a cool book for men to learn about love. I'm telling you, it is worth it!

I love the New King James Version, put out by Thomas Nelson, but I loath Thomas Nelson Bibles. This is how I happened upon the Thompson a few years ago as I was relieved to find a NKJV not made by T.N. I first bought an NKJV in bonded leather. After 2 years of very heavy use, I bought an NKJV in genuine leather, and later a handy size KJV in genuine. All three of these Bibles are wonderful in every way.

The Thompson Study system is very helpful and they've graciously spared us from a myriad of religious cliche and personal opinion. The page layout is smart. The Bible text actually fills the page and all study helps and references are relegated to the side margins. There are so many ways to use the studies and references, I am unable to number them here. The concordance is as extensive as any I've seen. The 14 maps are colorful and very well done. Simply put, it's a complete, Jesus-exalting study Bible designed with excellence.

The construction of these Bibles is equally impressive. The paper is just right--not too thick, not too thin. The print is dark and sharp. Their font is subtil and very appropriate for the Bible, if you ask me. The red words of Jesus are RED. They're not muddy brown; they're bright, deep, beautiful red. They are printed consistantly page to page, not some pages lighter or misprinted, as the Thomas Nelson folks are plagued by.

Now that I own three Thompsons, I feel about them the way a good ol' boy down in the South feels about shotguns. "I have more than I need, but not as many as I want!"

I use the Thompson NASB and it is great. I will just echo other sentiments that the layout of this Bible is great. This Bibles greatest strength is that it uses Scripture to teach Scripture. There are no notes on the page. If one wants to dig into a specific passage or specific book the references will take the student into the Bible as deep and as far as they want to go. This is my main Bible, along with the Dickson New Analytical KJV, to read and study God's words. There are too many specialty and study Bibles on the market. All the major publishers bring them out each year like boxed cereal. I too own and use some specialty study Bibles for specific purposes. These are great if you want to study from a specific point of view, like Dispensational or Charismatic, or understand what an interesting teacher of the Word may have to say like Tim LaHaye, John MacArthur, RC Sproul, or Henry Blackaby. But on a daily basis the Thompson Chain Reference is the one that can bring the best out of the student of the Word.

I purchased my first Thompson Chain Reference Bible as a new believer back in the 70's. It was and continues to be the best study Bible for those who desire to search out the Word for themselves and compare scripture with scripture. And, the extensive Bible study helps in the back of the Bible do add a rich dimension in addition to the topical chain references.

I was a little concerned about the "new" TCR's as several reviewers mentioned degradations in quality and I certainly didn't like the thin glossy paper I saw in the hardbacks in the bookstore. I was delighted today when I received my large print deluxe leather edition Bible.

The Bible I received has excellent flat, opaque Bible paper perfect for note-taking. And, the binding appears to have stitching in addition to the glue, so I'd say the quality of the binding is fine and should serve one well for years.

One caveat in regard to the large print edition--It is LARGE! Not the print (it's 9 point instead of the regular 8), but the Bible itself. It's not so unwieldy that I would think twice about using it, but if size is an issue for you, check the dimensions and choose accordingly.

I can't say enough good things about this Bible. It has my highest recommendation; you won't be sorry in choosing this Bible.