John Murray has told a straightforward, poignant tale of twenty-four of America's best who went into the fire of combat for their country when called without looking back, and paid the ultimate price on the battlefield. As a contributor to the book, I can say that all of us owe John Murray a debt that we cannot pay. Our war dead must be remembered in the collective memory of our nation, for if they are not, we as a people are not worth much. Whether or not you agree with the war, of for the cause for which that war was waged, those who died are our own, and they fought for us as a nation without thought of reward or recompense. They selflessly gave their lives so the United States could continue as a free nation, and they deserve to be remembered and honored as long as the flag of the United States flies over its sovereign territory. This volume tells the personal story of the twenty-four members of the West Point Class of 1964 who gave their lives for their country, of which my brother was one. In straightforward prose, Murray tells of their character, their motivation, and their mission, and he tells it throught the words of these men's families and friends. For him and for us who contributed, it was sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes joyful, remembering, again, our loved ones who chose the profession of arms and went into the fire at the behest of their nation. On a personal note, Thank You, John, for the book you wrote and the time you took, and for you service, also. Napoleon valued what he called the Sacred Fire in his officers, which was the indomitable will to conquer or die trying. These twenty-four heroes definitely had it, and it inspired others who followed, such as myself, to take up the profession of arms, follow the drum, and serve when my country called, becoming a better man for doing it.

This book is a collection of four different works of Saint Augustine. The table of contents is as follows:

"Christian Instruction", introduced and translated by John J. Gavigan

"Admonition and Grace", introduced and translated by John Courtney Murray

"The Christian Combat", introduced and translated by Robert P. Russell

"Faith, Hope, and Charity", introduced and translated by Bernard M. Peebles

Index

The supplemental materials in this book consist of fairly short introductions to each work written by the translator of that work, footnotes that explain translation issues, references to other works, including scripture references, and finally, a shared index.

Each of the four works which comprise this book will be discussed in turn.

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The title of the first work, "Christian Instruction", leaves the reader to wonder whether the work is intended to instruct him in Christianity or to be an instructor of others in Christianity. The answer is: yes. To quote Augustine himself, in his discussion of it in his "Retractions":

"I...completed the work in four books. The first three of these help to an understanding of the Scriptures, while the fourth instructs us how to present the facts which we have just comprehended."

Of the "books" alluded to by Augustine, the first prescribes the proper attitude for the study of scriptures, specifically from the perspective of "faith, hope, and charity". The second prescribes a program of education, central to which is knowledge of language: both the general knowledge of language as a system of signs, and specific knowledge of Hebrew and Greek. The third prescribes a system of hermeneutics or interpretive principals and rules. Finally, the fourth is essentially a discussion of rhetorical methods of persuasion and their application to teaching Christianity to others.

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The second work, "Admonition and Grace", was written because a number of monks had been disturbed by an a letter of Augustine which they thought so exalted the importance of divine grace as to leave no place for human free will (and responsibility). The specific question they asked was:

"Why are we preached to, and given commands, in order to have us avoid evil and do good, if it is not we ourselves who do these things, but God who effects in us the will and the deed?"

To the immediate question, Augustine in reply developed the doctrine that while man of his own free will could do no good without grace, he could recognize his own evil, and in that power lay his responsibility:

"Whenever you fail to follow the known commands of God and are unwilling to be admonished, you are for this very reason to be admonished, that you are unwilling to be admonished...You are unwilling to have yourself shown to yourself, that you may see your own deformity, and seek one to reform you, and beg Him not to leave you in your ugliness of soul."

Not content with having answered the question at hand, Augustine went further, and discussed the ultimate origin of sin, and the state of man and the fallen angels before their respective falls and the nature of those falls. Going further yet, he discusses grace with regard to Mary and the elect, and still further, ultimately ending in a theodicy.

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The third work, "The Christian Combat" is a short, muscular work "written in a plain style for brethren not proficient in the Latin language". Its end is to lay out how a Christian should live, and to identify heresies that Christians should avoid falling into. As befitting its audience and purpose, it is simple and direct. The basics of Christian belief and scriptural justifications for them are quickly described, then then warnings are given a series of heresies that must be rejected.

The points of Christian belief covered are the nature of evil (Manichaean dualism being explicitly rejected), the governance of Providence, salvation through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and God as the Trinity.

The list of heresies to be rejected is actually the bulk of the work. Each begins with a "Let us not heed..." introduction, followed by a description of the particular heresy, and then a justification (generally scriptural, sometimes logical) for why it should be rejected.

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"Faith, Hope, and Charity", the fourth and final work in the book, is also known as the "Enchiridion", or handbook. It was written in response to a letter containing a list of questions pertaining to Christian doctrine.

"Faith, Hope, and Charity" begins by discussing is a wide-ranging work, as its origin might suggest. Most of the work is loosely organized around the apostles' creed as a framework for explaning the faith. As such, it discusses belief in God, the goodness of creation, the nature of sin, the origin of sin, God's grace and Christ as the means of man's salvation, the church, the resurrection of the dead, the relation between providence and free will, hope and the Lord's prayer, and finally charity as the crowning principal of the commandments and the true good at which man should aim.

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For my part, the work that really stood out was "Grace and Admonition". The subtlety and power of Augustine's solutions to the problems of grace and free will make truly impressive reading. Several times, I went back to the beginning and started reading again - not because I didn't understand it, but because I was so floored by it, that I simply had to read it again right away.

As yet there is no good general introduction to the 18th-century book London trade, and after John Feather's excellent _History of British Publishing_, I knew of no single place to send students interested in the subject before the publication of William Zachs' new book. One of its strengths is the accuracy of its title: it really IS about Murray and the later c18 London book trade, and not simply a portrait of Murray. As a result, it provides the best general introduction I know to the circumstances of retail bookselling and publishing, not just in London but in the British Isles, as well, during the important period when these two trades were in the process of separating, and I think it belongs in every one's institutional collections, as well as in the personal libraries of those interested in the history of the English book trade. My own understanding of the circumstances of London bookselling and publishing of the century has been considerably improved by reading this book.

This book is ideal for anyone interested in or studying this topic. Everything is explained well and easy to follow, with interesting cases to demonstrate the use of geology in forensics. Near enough every area of forensic geology is covered, and there's a handy glossary at the back in case you get stuck on any of the more technical language. I couldn't have got through my university dissertation without it!

This is a wonderful little volume, with an excellent "ideas per dollar" ratio. Eatwell's essay alone is worth the purchase price. This book serves as an excellent gateway into the fascinating and dynamic world of the theory of games.

In this study, John Murray examines Gulliver's Travels within the context of recent social constructionist theory. Murray evaluates the social and psychological implications of brainwashing within the context of the narrative. His thesis challenges popular theories of behavioral and ideological conformity by concluding that in spite of being socialized within the host-societies, Gulliver's decisions are his own. Gulliver's self-knowledge enables him to navigate an alternative field of choices at his own discretion, choices which, as Murray suggests 'differ from the expectations of his hosts, and which contradict the idea that he has been successfully brainwashed.' Murray's study is a valuable contribution to a growing corpus of modernist readings of Swift's Gulliver's Travels. Readers of Murray's lucid study will come away with a renewed appreciation and understanding of this literary classic.

Also recommended: REDEFINING THE SELF: SELECTED ESSAYS ON SWIFT, POE, PINTER, AND JOYCE

John Dewey's HUMAN NATURE AND CONDUCT is a book that has the potential to change the world for better. This book establishes the guidelines for social psychology and helps people solve their problems and get rid of their hangups. It is a must read for anyone and everyone who needs to find meaning in life.

J.B. Murray's abstract art leaves a vivid, immediate impression. Padgelek clearly explains Murray's African-Islamic and Evangelical Christian influences, an analysis which expands previous studies of this self-taught, visionary black artist. Padgelek's biography of Murray goes beyond academic analysis, to include Murray's overriding mission in his art-- a visionary experience of the Holy Spirit. Murray's essential sanity and commonsense within his religious context and 'calling' are sensitively treated. Although his work is primarily abstract, Murray often filled a painting's space with haunting, human faces and figures, as seen in the book's many illustrations. Padgelek adds to our appreciation of a unique talent. An excellent book!

I first heard of this book in a 1927 review of it by Dorothy Parker (available in the 1944 edition of The Portable Dorothy Parker, as well as subsequent editions I believe, including the 1973 one). Parker's review is beautifully apt. She says, "I think that the Journal of Katherine Mansfield is the saddest book I have ever read. Here, set down in exquisite fragments, is the record of six lonely and tormented years, the life's-end of a desperately ill woman. So private is it that one feels forever guilty of prying for having read it." Mansfield suffered from a heart condition and later tuberculosis which kept her in a constant state of physical misery for years. Even worse for her was the constant torment of never being able to achieve enough as a writer to satisfy herself. Parker is completely right: I can't think of who could capture that constant, acute sorrow better than Katherine Mansfield. As Parker said, "She was not of the little breed of the discontented; she was of the high few fated to be ever unsatisfied."

If you've never read her short stories (she never wrote anything else), please do, and I would advise you to read them before you read her journal.

The book itself seems like it could be published as a stream-of-consciousness novel (it's impossible to follow at times but no worse for it. It seems to make perfect sense - even the numerous cryptic little notes). It's full of little pieces of stories never finished. Mansfield's body of work was so small (something that upset her deeply) that these little fragments would be enough to make any fan of hers need to read this journal.

She is most often compared to Chekhov, and it's not difficult to see why. I truly believe that Mansfield innovated and practically invented the English (language) short story. Besides Chekhov (whom she often mentions in her journal) I've never read anything quite like her, particularly not anything that predates her.

What else you need to know:
1. Mansfield was born in New Zealand, the influence of which can be seen in short stories like "At the Bay".
2. Her husband, J. Middleton Murry, published her journals, causing some to accuse him of taking advantage of her.
3. You must read this book.

A veritable treasury of inspiring and heart-warming stories about 32 of the greatest and most beloved saints of the Church. Each biography is short enough to be read at one sitting, yet each is complete in itself and contains a wealth of little-known facts of Catholic history and tradition. In addition, the author has richly supplied the book with captivatingly interesting and informative footnotes. Plus, it is written with a holy flavor and exudes an attitude of real faith. Based upon classic and reliable sources, this book makes excellent inspirational reading for people of every age group. Especially should young people learn those famous episodes from the lives of the saints which every Catholic should know by heart. Here those timeless stories are recounted in a straight-forward yet charming manner: The flowering of St. Joseph's staff, St. Peter's victory over Simon the Magician, St. Christopher's bearing the Christ Child across the river, St. Patrick healing his little sister when he was a child, and the miraculous appearance of roses inside the cloak of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, etc. In this single volume are to be found the lives of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Sts. Peter and Paul, St. Christopher, St. Jerome, and St. Augustine; St. Cecilia, St. Agnes, and St. Monica; St. Patrick, St. Bridget and St. Bernard; St. Elizabeth, St. Louis and St. Thomas Aquinas; St. Teresa of Avila, St. Francis de Sales, St. Vincent de Paul, St. Alphonsus Liguori and many others. Inspiring and unforgettable stories. 495pp. PB. Imprimatur.