While Empson's posthumous publication, "Faustus and the Censor," first came out in the 1980's, it remains a relevant document in Christopher Marlowe criticism. The oft-disputed authenticity of Marlowe's play "Doctor Faustus," and its two versions, the A and B-texts is the main focus of Empson's book. Empson begins with the beginning - Marlowe's sources, primarily the German Faust Book. Empson discusses the possible relationship with the translator of English Faust Book, a mysterious gentleman named 'P.F.' who may have provided Marlowe with information on German and Latin texts.

Empson's thesis is that the A text is the 'original' - but that its seeming inadequacies are due to the interference of the official censor of plays in the late 1500s. Scenes missing that Empson argues were removed for reasons of state and morality are an appearance of the chorus and an episode in a Turkish harem.

The censor, Empson argues, had three major problems with Marlowe's play that required change: 1)the women Faustus consorts with must be real women - because Anglican belief did not allow that devils could consort with humans. 2)Mephistopheles must be a devil - again, Anglicanism does not allow for middle spirits. 3)Faust must be punished eternally at the end of the play; apparently, the original version when acted, left some ambiguity about this issue.

Empson's "Faust and the Censor" tends to be somewhat repetitive on supporting these points. However, the repetition is done well, so that the points he makes are continuously reinforced and consistently developed. This is an engaging piece of literary criticism - the language is familiar, even colloquial, making the book an interesting and even entertaining read - very unusual in the field of literary criticism. I don't even like Marlowe, but Empson's style and substance make this a critical work worth checking out.

i liked it that hal killed hotspur because in the movie hotspur was ugly and disgusting. everytime i looked at him i felt like i wanted to puke.

If one is looking for an in-depth study of "The Battle of Fort William Henry" with a multitude of footnotes and page upon page of sources and bibliography, this in not your book. However, if one is looking for an enjoyable, easy to read, accurate account of the battle, then this is the book.
The author begins the book with a short history of the French and English struggle for control of the North American continent which in the end leads to "The French and Indian War". Then he jumps right in with information and details of times and people and politics leading to the battle of Fort William Henry. If one recalls, this is the battle made famous in "The Last of the Mohicans" by James Fenimore Cooper (which makes one wonder: "Why would anyone use their middle name if it were 'Fenimore?'; but I digress). The author leads us through the battle and the slaughter of innocents by the French Indians thereafter.
The author uses several excerpts from diaries, letters and journals written by those involved in the battle. The title of the book, "Relief is Greatly Wanted," is a quote from one of these letter (from the commander of Fort William Henry, Monro, to Webb, who didn't bother to send help; letter is dated August 8, 1757). It is always interesting to read first-hand information such as this. The book also has a chapter on Robert Rogers and his Rangers. Also, the author gives the reader a short history of the military careers of many of the major characters and what they did after the battle. There are also 37 illustrations, maps and pictures.
As I am not an expert on the Battle of Fort Henry, I can't really say this is the best book on the battle, but I can say that the author writes in a manner that never bores the reader the way many history books do with their dry listings of dates and events. As I stated before, this is an enjoyable book to read. Unlike some history-type books I have read, this author appears to stick to the facts and not add any "extras" that may or may not be true just to make the book more lively. This book is written well enough that that isn't necessary.
In the book's "Postscript," the author writes, "Although I have drawn a few conclusions in writing, I have tried to present a battle as it was seen through the eyes of the people who were there. I'm sure that other individuals may see it in a different light." This is refreshing in a day when most writers seem to think they are right and everyone else is wrong. This writer actually admits that maybe he is wrong on a few things. And since I am a "wise guy," I'll point out an error: The author says Daniel Boone was a militiaman in Braddock's campaign. He wasn't; he was a wagon driver. Yes a trivial detail indeed, and it doesn't even concern the Battle of Fort William Henry; but, like I said, I'm a wise guy.
Also, not only am I a wise guy, I am a cheap kind of person, so I think the book costs too much. Not because of the writing itself, but because I think a paperback book shouldn't cost 20 dollars.
In the end, however, this is a good book. It is generally written well, provides a lot of information without becoming tedious and is enjoyable to read. If one has read "The Last of the Mohicans" and would like to know more about this period of time and the events in that book, then this would be a good book to read.

This is a typical Dover clip art book, with lots of illustrations haphazardly placed throughout the volume. There is a brief explanation at the beginning, and then you wonder what these pictures are all about. Most of them derive from Wm. Henry Pyne's "British Costume" of 1805, which was beautifully reproduced in full color seven or eight years ago for a very cheap price. The Dover book is OK, but if you want to know more about the subject matter then you should look for the other book.

Mr. Burr brings up some great points. Unfortunatly, many of the "contradictions" he lists are not contradictions at all. For example, one "contradiction" Burr lists in his book involves the genealogies of Christ. In the New Testament, there are two genealogies of Christ. One is in the book of Matthew, chapter 1, and another in the book of Luke, chapter 3. If you look at them, they look completely different. They don't even agree on Jesus' grandfather. The fact is, however, that these lists are not contradictory, but instead complementary. The genealogy in Matthew is Joseph's family line, while the one in Luke is Mary's.

There are many cases like these. The he doesn't back up his claims...

This book is basically a laundry list of contradicitons in the bible. I like the book, and thought it would make for a very good conversation starter the next time a religious group knocked on your door, but I really wish the author would have backed up the contradictions with some discussion and historical perspective.

An amazing little book, still raising eyebrows and upsetting fundamentalists 150 years after its publication. While the author is not a scholar and never claims to be, he offers a number of cases where the bible might contradict itself. No attempt is made to put things in context, or to put a spin on them. Just verse for verse contradictions. The Preface is an eye opener, and I have to say this little volume has aged very well. Thought provoking for those who can't be spoon fed their faith.

The author made several comments that were maddening to me. One was "Firearms are commonplace in the USA" when referring to William on a ranch for vacation. Firearms are not commonplace in the US. I don't own a gun, no one I know owns a gun.That is an unfair comment.

The author also explains that with her affair, Diana didn't take seriously her marriage vows, yet in the paragraph above, Charles and Camilla have arranged to spend Sunday's together. Double standard? Or is it an author kissing up to the next monarch and going after someone who can't defend herself. The author writes that she had had discussions with Diana, I am sure where ever Diana is now, she regrets ever speaking with this woman.

Don't waste your money as I did. I am done purchasing anything by this author.

Once again Ms. Seward has went out of her way to misrepresent her subjects. Much as she did in "The Queen and Di."
Her attemps to make the Spencer family look beneath contempt have backfired because her readers know otherwise. For instance she wants us to think that members of the Royal family do not have affairs with the hired help when of course it is common knowledge that they do.
In fact those incidents go back as far as King William III and an ancestor of Camilla Parker Bowles, 16 year old Arnold Van Keppel, who was the King's homosexual lover.
Seward's sources are, for the most part, non-existent.
The general public knows as much about Princes William and Harry as Seward does because just about the only accurate information in the book has to do with their birth places and dates, schools attended and what is already known about them from other sources available to all. Thus she has deliberately manufactured a load of nonsense in order to cash in on the popularity of two young men who deserve a better chronicler.

This book is good but at the being its all about di and slowly she drifts out as you read along but its good and worth geting

The Origin of Finger-Printing Bound With Classification and Uses of Finger Prints by William J., Sir Herschel, Edward R. Henry.

This book isn't fresh. It rehashes what any high school history student could tell you, General Douglas MacArthur wasn't the man that brought the Korean "Conflict" to it's logical conclusion. It puts a focus on the man that turned the war around, General Matthew Ridgway.

In the beginning of the book, it gives an informal quiz which I feel it has nothing to do on how you raise your child. The guiz lists factors that may put parents at risk for being too overinvolved or an overprotected parent.

Chapter 1: The "too precious" epidemic
Chapter 2: The Children Who Mean Too Much
Chapter 3: The Perils of Being Too Special
Chapter 4: From Adoration to Seperation
Chapter 5: The Vows of Love
Chapter 6: Learning to be a not too Precious Parent
Chapter 7: Adolescence: A New Beginning
Chapter 8: The Perils of Being a Too Precioous Adolescence
Chapter 9: The Too Precious Child Grows Up

This book also includes references and recommended readings

This book is full of scenarios which the authors discusses why that child is "too precious." While I did agree on some of the things they had to say, I didn't like the way the book was written. I felt the authors didn't do a good job of discussing on how we can avoid a child from being "too precious"