As the late Irish writer, scholar and philosopher, Iris Murdoch, observed, early Greek history 'is a game with very few pieces, where the skill of the player lies in complicating the rules'. It is the nature of this 'game' which underlies William Armstrong Percy's detailed examination of the origin and spread of pederasty in ancient Greece. Sparse and fragmentary evidence together with the consequent difficulties of interpretation pose particular problems for the objective historian: speculative play is inevitable, and to some extent, the juggling of sources as a means of furthering the author's historical predilections.

It is nonetheless an impressive study in which the technicalities do not obscure - for the less informed reader - the enjoyment of a closely argued and richly diversified discussion. Percy's espousal of the theory of a seventh century Cretan origin of institutionalized pederasty subsequently spread by the Spartans to Greece, is persuasive rather than compelling. As is clearly acknowledged in the Introduction, the Archaic period provides virtually no evidence: reliance is placed on later writers such as Plutarch, Lucian and Athenaeus. Historical texts survive in many versions about which scholars disagree more often than not: 'almost every detail of early Greek history, especially of Greek sexuality is open to doubt and indeed is hotly debated'. Repeated references to Aristotle's observation about the curbing of overpopulation by encouraging male sexual relations does little to advance the argument.

Percy is an enthusiast for his subject, though in no sense an apologist. The book is outstanding by virtue - as the author points out - of the paucity of works which treat fairly and without distaste of the topic of Greek pederasty, a term which he defines unequivocally from the outset as a love-bond (whether spiritual or sexual) between men and adolescent boys. The Greeks, it seems, showed little sexual interest in adult males, and indeed 'would be quick to condemn our prevalent androphilia as extremely distasteful and even reprehensible in that it serves no pedagogical purpose'.

This then is the crucial element in Percy's thesis: the link between pederastic custom and the rise of Hellas and the 'Greek Miracle', in spite of the acknowledged absence of surviving documents giving more precise testimony to that link. At the outset, he stresses that 'the Greeks we most admire almost always practised pederasty, at least before marriage.' The list is impressive, embracing poets, statesmen and philosophers. The Epilogue which looks forward to the 'Golden Age of Greek love' seeks to underline the argument that the intimate bonding of youths and older males transcended mere eroticism, quoting the Platonic dialogues, Aristotle and others who debated the spiritual versus the physical aspects of the 'erastes' and 'eromenos' relationship. In the wide, though detailed overview offered by this book, the argument is palpable.

The place of women in Greek society is perhaps understandably neglected in this study, except to argue a causal link between 'seclusion of women' and the proliferation of male love. The description of Spartan marriage customs and the attempt by Sparta 'to correlate marriage patterns and birthrates with population pressures' introduces a wider perspective, as does the reference to the 'love poetry' of Alcman and his 'sensual glorification of beautiful Spartan girls'. To the Greek mind, pederastic desire and heterosexual love were clearly not incompatible, on which point the author chooses to reserve comment. A brief reference to Sappho's poetry as 'a clear parallel in the world of females to cardinal features of Greek pederastic practice' has the odour of a starkly irrelevant concession to contemporary sexual politics. Similarly, the chapter entitled 'Situational Homosexuality and Demography' in its descriptions of 'womenless colonists', comradeship on voyages, and the 'parastates' (battle companion) smacks of modern sexology in its attempt to establish 'elements in the background to institutionalized pederasty'. Nevertheless, the case for the 'uniqueness' of Greek pederasty is well made.

The author intends the book for a wide audience and not just specialists or homosexual sympathizers in the hope 'that a true understanding of Greek institutionalized pederasty will at long last permit the educated world to confront the accomplishments of that practice honestly, without embarrassment or outrage'.

I'm both surprised at and in admiration of just how much Percy's study relies on ancient texts, and considering the trickiness of doing just that, he's pulled off a wonderful work. The arguments for a Cretan institutionalization of pederasty/pedagogy are compelling, but equally of interest are the associated discussions of different cities, regions, and customs throughout archaic and classical Greece.

if this book is anywhere near true, men have been missing out on a lot of action for almost two thousand years

mind boggling if true

jimmy

My used copy of this book has a quote that refers to Percy as "our cool Dostoevsky," which begins to make sense after reading The Second Coming. I'd previously read The Moviegoer, and while I enjoyed it, it seemed more psychological than the Southern literature with which I was familiar.

The Second Coming did little to change this, incidentally. It's told from the perspective of two people in different stages of losing their minds. It's exceedingly dry and hard to read at some points, but at others it flies by. There is little "redemption" in the Christian sense to speak of until the very last page of the book, but one still walks away feeling cleansed in some way. It's odd, and hard to review.

As another reviewer has noted, the characters do seem to be devoid of emotion at points, but I prefer to believe that this is on purpose--as Percy points out, both believers and unbelievers have lost their way in the South, and, as Allie and Will are caught in between these two groups, it makes sense to have them confused and emotionless at times.

The Second Coming was good enough to make me want to check out some more of Percy's novels, but it wasn't earth-shatteringly good. It's still worth you're time if you're interested in psychology, the South, or religion and how they relate to individuals.

One of my all-time favorite novels; I've probably read it four or five times. Percy is a writer of intense depth and subtlety. He embraces existentialism on his own terms (Southern, Catholic, ingenious...) and gives the reader clues about finding authenticity in his or her own life. The most amazing part of this book is the ending, which gives us a sad hope in a world that has been made flat with smiling, jocular hopelessness. Read this book, then read it again.

Do not think of Walker Percy's work as Southern literature. I say this not because it isn't Southern literature, but because hardly anybody seems to understand what Southern literature is. Percy, himself, noted this.
Think of Percy's work as good books that deal with the South, but more importantly with people -- with what it means to be human.
The Second Coming is one of my favorite novels. It deals with the existence of God, the fecklessness of modern life, and any number of other banal, overworked subjects that you might find in any other contemporary novel, but they are enlivened by Percy's malicious wit (he called himself malicious, though his doing so was simply an instance of his peculiar malice, which is not really malice, though its sting is the same). The response to the question of God's existence is a toothache.
Percy writes in a straight-forward, ironic manner, but where normal irony is double-voiced, Percy's is triple-voiced. One must always ask oneself if one is really getting the joke even when one is laughing out loud.
Don't think of Percy as a Southern writer because you can't help but shortchange him when you do so. He presents himself with a Southern drawl, and a casual wit, but behind this is incisive social and psychological commentary, and behind this is yet another layer.
The Second Coming is a fine novel -- a good love story if you can stand the fact that the lovers are a mental patient and a horny widower. Percy tells fine jokes, and tosses you on your rear every other page. This is enough, but it is not all. You can enjoy this novel if you just want to be entertained, but if you are willing to look for it, there is an undertone of malice that isn't malice, and yet deeper, a still, small voice.

Having read extensively in the past about both Ford Motor Company and General Motors, I was very interested in getting to know the other member of the "Big Three" (sadly, today we can only talk about the remaining two after Chrysler's incompetent Bob Eaton surrendered the company to Daimler Benz).

Although the book is centered in Walter P. Chrysler the author finds it hard not to get carried away by much more imposing personalities in the early automotive business, mainly Henry Ford and William C. Durant (founder of GM). They are mentioned 52 and 53 times respectively.

Both Ford and Durant are much more interesting personalities than Chrysler himself and if not for anything else, the book is worth the read just to get to know Mr. Durant. The reason he is much less known today than his other two competitors is that he resisted the temptation to change General Motors name to Durant Motors (he could have done it but decided the GM trademark was too valuable), later in his life he did found a company called Durant Motors but it didn't survive long. If there is an epic to be told about the automotive industry in the USA it is Durant's: he founded General Motors, was ousted from the company, founded Chevrolet, bought his way back to GM control, was ousted again, founded Durant Motors, lost everything after the crash of 1929 and if not for the monetary help his friends (including Walter Chrysler) gave him at the end of his life he would have lived his last days in abject poverty.

Walter Chrysler actually made his reputation and original fortune working for William Durant at General Motors' Buick division and after he quit the corporation eventually assembled the Chrysler Corporation (mainly from Maxwell Motors and the Dodge Brothers enterprises). It was a great accomplishment in itself as he started very late (too late thought many) to matter much, and yet he climbed to the third place in sales and eventually to the second place (outranking Ford Motor from 1936 to 1951). Sure, GM (through Alfred Sloan leadership) outclassed both of them and by such a wide margin that (until very recent times) there was absolutely no comparison between the leader and the other two.

An interesting fact mentioned in the book is that the Chrysler Building at New York was NOT built by the Chrysler Corporation, but by Walter Chrysler himself so he could give it to his children. At the time it was completed, it was the tallest building in the world.

The scope of Curcio's book is very wide and you end learning many things from the first years of automotive history. In other words, it is much more than Walter Chrysler's biography. I fully recommend it.

Stop whatever you're doing. Take a week off from work and read this book! Rarely is a massive biography a pleasure to read. Usually, even the most critically acclaimed biographies are long on tedious detail and short on page-turning storytelling and exquisite style. Vincent Curcio's biography of automotive pioneer Walter Chrysler is the exception to all these norms. Fascinating, impeccably written and completely engrossing, this sweeping tale is more than just a biography. True to its title, it is also a panoramic view of Walter Chrysler's times. Don't be put off by the length, even though index and all, it is 699 pages long. Even if you don't think you're interested in the automotive industry, read this book anyway. We [...] join the ranks of critics and industry insiders who've praised it and promises you will not be able to put it down.

I picked up this book after reading Bill Vlasic's "Taken for a Ride", about the DaimlerChrysler merger. This book goes back to the beginning of the story, tracing Walter Chrysler's beginnings through the early decades of his car company. Chrysler's life, which was never less than flamboyant, is the ideal subject for a biography (why did no one write one before?), and Vincent Curcio has brought a colorful and engaging style to the story. The book's focus shifts between the company's business decisions, always daring if occasionally foolish, and Chrysler's personal life, which is wildly entertaining. My only complaint about the book is that it might have been a little bit shorter; even Walter Chrysler has trouble filling up 600+ pages. But it's a delight to read nonetheless.

"Elusive" isn't my favorite Pimpernel sequel, but it's not bad at all either.

First, the bad: While I can understand that Marguerite is a woman in love, some of her stupidity at the beginning bordered on unbelievable (I don't mean this as an offense to Margot, who is one of my favorite characters, but if you read this book, you'll understand what I mean when I say she makes a bad decision). As usual, Percy becomes a secondary character in his own books, and that bothers me. Lastly, the choice Chauvelin gives Marguerite and Percy gets to be a little too much.

The good:
When Percy is around, he really shines. He has some really great moments in this book (which I won't spoil). The reader gets an idea of some of the emotions that are going on behind the facade. Also, "Elusive" has much more of a climax than some of the other Pimpernel books, which is a nice relief. Lastly, Desiree Candeille is an interesting character.

In all, I would recommend Eldorado between Elusive Pimpernel, but it's still a good read anyway.

What a great book! It's a worthy follow-up to the original, with plenty of excitement, loads of humor, world-class table-turning and narrow escapes.

I had almost forgotten what my language could do - there are exquisite English words on each and every page (sometimes 2 or 3 on the same page!). Of course, it's that kind of romantic Sherlock Holmes kind of novel that modern people don't like to read, because they've forgotten the French Revolution; but, if you're not too proud to read Daphne DuMaurier, jump into this one. I must also add that I like the Microsoft reader - really has a rich, book-reminiscient look-and-feel.

This novel has a great title. But, some of the intertwined characters that were fleshed out were absolutely cruel and unlikeable, others so unidimensional, that I didn't really want to know more about them, and didn't care as much as I should what happened to them. Donna and Peter deserved each other. What was there to like about Mike? I, too, was reminded of Margaret Atwood's style when reading this, but she's not one of my favorites either. To be fair, perhaps to really appreciate this book you had to have read it during the era in which it was written.

It is very easy to group all women writers into one category, especially in the UK where it seems that every woman is a twenty-something writer of tales of lost boyfriends and work stress. Marge Piercy is a world class above these writers, depite the dodgy publiscist she has who gives all her novels terrible covers! This book is an enticing tale of women surviving in a society that does not hand them anything. It's a sobering tale for those of us who feel we have a relatively firm grasp on our lives/careers in this new millenium. Spend some time thinking about the struggle women face on the most basic level day in day out and try not to cry during 'that bit'!

Like one of the other reviewers, I have reread this book at least once a year since it was first published in the UK in 1984. Unbelievably, it is no longer in print there. Marge Piercy has created the most believable fictional world I have ever read - in part I suspect because Braided Lives is fairly autobiographical - and her memoir "Sleeping with Cats" confirms this (also a great read). I learn something new every time I read the book. Jill, the main character, is rounded, complex, politically aware and self-sufficient. I wish I could write as well as Marge Piercy to urge every woman to buy and read this book - I know my life would have been poorer without reading it. It really is that good.

I was excited when I saw this book, I was hoping for a comprehensive guide to the history of the chicken, my favorite land animal. Don't get me wrong, it is a nice book great pictures, great vintage art but in no way complete. Great for someone who has a slight interest in chickens, or loves country.

The Complete Chicken: An Entertaining History Of Chickens by Pam Percy (who has been raising chickens as a hobby since 1986 on her five-acre property near Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is a fascinating and detailed history of chickens in recorded human history, ranging from their domestication and use as egg layers and a source of food, to popular culture features such as the animated movie "Chicken Run." Full-color illustrations and photographs, famous chicken-themed quotes, and a solid body of fascinating information mark The Complete Chicken as a fascinating, bird-themed history which is a "must read" for chicken fanciers and fans.

I picked up a copy of Pam Percy's "The Complete Chicken" and couldn't put it down. It's a great blend of humor and history--great for chicken aficionados and chicken newbies alike. I particularly like its collection of chicken paintings and other artwork throughout history. I plan to give this book to all of the hobby farmers on my Christmas list this year.

This novel is wonderfully written. Walker Percy has quite a unique way of expressing thought in the English language. Unfortunately, unique does not always mean well done. In the case of Walker Percy, however, this novel is a masterpiece of prose.

The first couple of pages take the reader into the mind of a man (Lancelot) at an insane asylum who is recollecting his crimes against his now dead wife. Percy uses Lancelot as a foil to pose many questions regarding our humanity and morality.

For example, what is the sexual act? Why should it mean anything other than a biological act between two humans? What is it that causes man to be so grievously injured by adultery if the act is nothing but biology? Lancelot ponders these questions throughout the novel as he talks to his childhood friend who has become a priest. Percy gives no answers except to demonstrate through Lancelot that Lancelot's answers are lacking. Lancelot's answers form no moral basis.

The story moves quickly as Lancelot recalls the events leading up to his crime. To that end, the clipped pace of the narrative suits the urgency of the action.

The reader will understand just what he/she is getting in this novel within the first 20 pages. I recommend it highly, but do issue a caution that there is some quite honest dialogue in the novel that includes a fair amount of profanity. Though probably necessary to develope the character, some may be offended.

Purchase the book and enjoy modern literature at its best.

I can overlook that Percy basically stole Machado De Assis' "Don Casmurro," but only because the latter tackles such difficult issues, and is a VERY difficult read. And yet, Percy pulls it off. Just as we begin sympathizing with Lancelot, we're sprung forward again from our LAZ-E-BOY recliners and are reminded of the reality of his actions. I kinda wish Percy hadn't written the book in Second Person, as if WE were the therapist or something, but if THAT'S what it takes to reassure us that WE'RE not mad, so be it. A very uncomfortable, un-pretty, DISTURBING read -- worth the effort, but hard to recommend to anyone else.

After I read this book I had no choice but to immediately consume Walker Percy's novels. Reading Lancelot was like having the top of my head blown off and surviving the experience more awake and alive than ever. In an era where no one is really sure what they believe anymore, Percy sets out an interesting test. If you discovered clear evidence of evil, what would that tell you about the existence of good and maybe even God? I strongly suggest you take this journey and pay very close attention to the parallel travels of the main character's confidant, a priest-psychologist who is himself in crisis. If you do so, the ending will make the hairs stand up on the back on your neck.

Walker Percy is a great writer and thinker (ie., Thanatos Syndrome & Lost In The Cosmos) but I must say I just couldn't relate to this particular peculiar book. Honestly, I read it all, and kept waiting, waiting for something... at the end I was disappointed. I could not get into the armageddonish or rather apocalyptic mode of this book... it takes place in the future which is actually the past though? Help me, please. I honestly kept thinking that one has to be from the deep south (of the U.S.A.) to fully appreciate the racial things that are going on in the book... and since I'm not, I want to be fair and say the book is O.K. Percy rocks, but in this particular case, he did not rock MY world? Maybe I need a Lapsometer treatment?

Walker Percy died over a decade ago, leaving a small but dedicated readership. A dilettante whose interests ran from medicine and psychiatry (Percy was an M. D.) to semiotics, philosophy, and religion, we remember Percy for his slightly cantankerous (but never malicious) outlook on modernity and the human condition.

"Love in the Ruins," written in '71, imagines a U.S.A. in which prevalent (and sometimes contradictory) trends run to their illogical extremes -- political association becomes fragmented to the point of neo-tribalism, mainline churches become secularized to the point of banality or fixated to the point of intolerance, and psychological treatment grows increasing manipulative. Into this world he drops Dr. Tom More, "bad Catholic" and the inventor of the Ontological Lapsometer. The Lapsometer measures the degree to which a soul has fallen, the degree of estrangement and alienation it has attained. One particular sickness it detects is angelism/bestialism -- the tendency to go from spirit-like abstraction to animal appetite with little moderation. Like all technologies, the Lapsometer becomes a means of social and spiritual manipulation, and Dr. More and his device set in play a story that leads the world to the brink of apocalypse.

By turns desperate and hilarious, this readable novel holds up well today. I also recommend "Lost in the Cosmos," which contains many of the same ideas, but in more of a tragi-comic essay form.

I always considered Walker Percy our greatest living writer until his death in 1990, and now there is that rather messy problem of figuring where he fits in the cosmic scheme of things. That problem would make him smile no doubt. Philosopher, physician, scientist, and moralist, he brings remarkable depth to this parable of clinical depression set in a time when America has lost its greatness, perhaps from internal decay or perhaps external attack. There are passages here that strike home with too much realism since the horrors of September 11.

The protagonist, Dr. Tom More, sets out to restore balance to the human soul through his remarkable invention, the Ontological Lapsometer. But is this the quest of a madman or a savior?

There is an altogether too eerie prescience in the opening pages, and while one should not expect Nostradamus, consider these lines:

"These are bad times.

"Principalities and powers are everywhere victorious. Wickedness flourishes in high places.

"There is a clearer and more present danger, however. for I have reason to believe that within the next two hours an unprecedented fallout of noxious particles will settle hereabouts and perhaps in other places as well."

Grab this book and fill your glass to the brim with crushed ice and whatever distilled spirit you favor. But if you notice the vines growing across your windows, you might want to get the shears or perhaps refill your glass. Either way, you will be hooked by this book, a real treasure of American literature.

The "Gilgamesh Epic" records a story of a world-wide flood and pre-dates Genesis. So some claim that this invalidates the Genesis record. But P.J. Wiseman presents an interesting theory in this regard in this book.

He believes that Moses did not WRITE Genesis but rather TRANSLATED it from ancient stone tablets written in Cuneiform script. The tablets each would have been originally written by eye-witnesses of the particular events, or those who received their information from eye-witnesses.

He breaks Genesis into parts according to the phrase "These are the generations" (KJV; "This is the history" - NKJV; "This the account" - NASB; NIV; Gen 2:4; 5:1; 6:9; 10:1; 11:10; 11:27; 25:12,9; 36:1,9; 37:2).

He compares the use of this phrase and the structure of each section to the stone tablets written in cuneiform script. Many of these tablets have been discovered and they date to the third millenium BC.

Wiseman's theory is that Genesis is translated from individual tablets which would have contained the material before each occurrence of the above phrase. So the narratives of the creation of the universe (Gen 1) and of the Garden of Eden (Gen 2) would have been written on one tablet by Adam as these events were revealed to him by the only Eye-witness of the events, God Himself.

The narratives of the Fall and subsequent events would have been written on another tablet by Adam as an eye-witness of the events. Adam then passed each of these tablets on to his descendant Seth. Seth then recorded the events of Gen 5 and passed the tablets to his descendant Noah. Noah then recorded the events of Gen 6-9 and passed the tablets to his descendant Shem, and so one until Joseph. Joseph then recorded the final chapters of Genesis and placed all of the tablets in the library of the pharaohs. Moses then, while in pharaoh's court, would have had access to these tablets. He then translated them into his native Hebrew.

The above theory "fits" with various evidences in the Scriptures. For instance, it would explain such passages as Exod 6:3: "I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name, LORD [YHWH], I was not known to them." But the Tetragrammaton appears in Genesis, making for an apparent contradiction. However, this problem is easily explained if Moses translated, but did not write, Genesis. While translating, when Moses came across the name for God in the cuneiform tablets, he used the Name God revealed to him to translate it. So the Name YHWH was not known to Abraham and other Genesis figures.

Also, note that in the Bible Genesis is never said to be written by Moses, whereas the other four books of the Torah are. For instance, in Matt 18:4-5 Jesus refers to two quotes from Genesis. He introduces them with the general phrase, "Have you not read...." But in verse 8, when referring to a passage from Deuteronomy, Jesus specifically attributes the statement to Moses.

In addition, Wiseman's theory is consistent with the relationship of Gilgamesh and Genesis. There are some similarities between the two, yet many important differences. More specifically, if Genesis was translated from stone tablets written by the main characters of the events, then these tablets would pre-date the writing of Gilgamesh. Meanwhile, Gilgamesh was based on oral transmission of the events.

So the record in Genesis would be the accurate record; whereas Gilgamesh would be a somewhat "twisted" record. Being based on oral traditions passed over centuries, the latter would be expected to keep some of the main points intact but alter many of the details.

Wiseman's theory also fits with the archeological evidence of the character of the ancient cuneiform, stone tablets as compared to the Genesis narratives. There are many similarities in the writing structure between them. He summarizes all of the evidences on pages 144-148 of his book.

He concludes by stating: "These twenty-four strands woven together make a cumulative muster of evidences, so exceptional both in character and importance, that they establish the antiquity of Genesis as a contemporary record of events upon a sure foundation. This foundation is the internal testimony of the book itself, supported by the external corroboration of archeology."

I don't know if I agree with all of Wiseman's ideas. But I do find them interesting.

Although not given the attention it is due by the more traditional scholarly press, this small book proves conclusively that Genesis was written originally on clay tablets in cuneiform by the patriarchs themselves. The author, who visited archaelogical sites early in this century and studied the methods of creation and transmission of texts from one tablet to another has been able to show conclusively that the book of Genesis has the section ending "markers" that were used in the very earliest writings of man dating from 3000 B.C. His theory is both intriguing and convincing, and deserves greater attention than it received when it was published. If he is vindicated the traditional JEPD methodology for describing the collation and transmission of the Genesis stories will be thrown on its ear completely. For this reason the more liberal school of biblical criticism has ignored the findings of Wiseman. Conservative Christians will find in this book the sort of evidence that "demands a verdict." I highly recommend it for all students of the Bible who have an open mind for the truth, and especially for those who are interested in seeing, once again, that the Bible is exactly what it has always claimed to be.

The most important and overlooked work on the first page of the Bible. Wiseman offers a simple, and I believe accurate explanation of the structure of Genesis 1. It is amazing that both the scientific and theological communities have missed this. It resolves once and for all the conflict between the Creationists and Evolutionists. Wiseman says, "If you're looking to this 'creation account' to learn the origin of life on earth, you're looking in the wrong place. The account doesn't address the mechanics of how things came to be." Wiseman has also published these ideas under the title "Creation Revealed in Six Days" - also out of print.

I bought this book because of an enduring love affair with the literary works of Walker Percy. As an addition to the literary biographies of Percy written by Samway and Tolson, the letters serve their purpose well. As a letters volume on its own merits, The Correspondence of Shelby Foote and Walker Percy is unbalanced. Apparently, Foote didn't start saving Percy's letters until the exchange had been occurring for some time. Nevertheless, it is thoroughly interesting to observe Foote's massive ego as he lectures Percy, having the knowledge that Percy ultimately became the far greater literary star. If you've already delved deeply into the work and history of Walker Percy, you'll need this book. If not, find a different starting place, this is not a good place to begin.

This was a great read, but each of the correspondents disappointed in their own ways. Percy's letters are written in an intelligent but notably vague style; Foote's have more bite and literary polish, but at the same time display a nasty streak in his personality that remained invisible in his brilliant _Civil War_.

It's a bit sickening to watch on as Foote seduces the wife of a local doctor, and later recommends to Percy (oh so wittily) that he use pillows to prop up the crotches of female UNC undergrads so that they might better serve his wishes.

On the bright side, it is hilarious to watch Foote react to a letter from a clueless librarian accusing him of failing to mention Gettysburg in his history (she seems not to have realized that it was a multi-volume work). Even more importantly, the entire collection is thought-provoking.

Pity Shelby Foote. Most people know his as a writer of books on the Civil War. But when you read this book of letters you see that what thrilled him most was reading great literature.

The reader of this book of letters between two friends will be thrilled by talk of literature. Foote is like Herr Settembrini of Thomas Mann's "The Magic Mountain". He is so overwhelmed by humantistic learning that he finds he must educate his friend and mentor Hans Castrop, in this case Walker Percy.

It is ironic that the prodigy in this case, Walker Percy, soon eclipses the mentor. Walker Percy agonizes in his early letters about his inability to have his novels published while Foote publishes his books in rapid succession. But today Percy's "Moviegoer" and other books are still read while only Foote's "Shiloh" is really still popular. It seems Foote is stuck with Civil War fame have written his long classic on the war.

Reading Foote's letters is where I discovered Flanney O'Connor. Walker Percy and Shelby Foote spoke highly of her here. They also talk about the important of reading Marcel Proust, Faulkner, and a dozen others. Toward the end Foote begins to spew forth on the merits of reading the Greek classics. It is his description of these books and their authors that adds to one's own literary education.

The first part of the book is a little annoying because Shelby Foote threw away the letters that Walker Percy sent to him for the first many years of their correspondence. So you keep reading Shelby Foote but are not privvy to what Walker Percy as to say.