Reviews (4)

Make Rapport a Priority
Though I read this book in 1995, after reading Colin Powell's "My American Journey," and Storming Norman's memoir, it was nice to pick it up again, eleven years later.
Open memoir
Baker's memoir is open and honest.He has put together an excellent narrative analysis of the foreign policy of the Bush administration.In years to come the usefulness of this book will probably decline as more scholarly work appears, but Baker's story continues to be charming and detailed.

Politics of Diplomacy:Revolution, War and Peace, 1989-1992
Soon after becoming secretary of state, George P. Shultz noted that � unless you do something about it, in the job of secretary of state you will spend 100 percent of your time on the Middle East. � �Every Secretary of State becomes a Middle East expert very rapidly, whether he wants to or not,� he also stated.. These observations remain valid today, when Warren Christopher has virtually become Secretary of State for the Middle East.Baker had a similar experience.Page one of his memoirs tells of Saddam Husayn�s invasion of Kuwait, the single most dangerous moment of Baker�s three-years-plus as secretary of state.Of the book�s thirty-four chapters, fully fifteen concentrate on the Middle East, primarily the Kuwait war and the Arab-Israeli peace process.Read more

Subjects:  1. 1989-1993    2. Biography    3. Foreign relations    4. History: World    5. International Relations    6. Politics / Current Events    7. Statesmen    8. U.S. - Contemporary Politics    9. U.S. Foreign Relations    10. U.S. Government    11. United States    12. Baker, James Addison    13. Diplomacy    14. Revolutions & coups    15. USA    16. c 1980 to c 1990    17. c 1990 to c 2000   

Reviews (50)

Incredibly Informative
It was a great book, and I highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys 19th century England, history in general, or 19th century English authors.
INTERESTING AS WELL AS ENTERTAINING
As someone who has always loved old houses, antique furniture, Austen novels, Trollope, Dickens, PBS historical dramas -- in short, as a person who has always believed she was born in the wrong century and on the wrong continent, this book really opened my eyes.Be glad you're alive now and not then.If you wonder why photographs of Victorian people all look so bad, well, reason is their horrible diet, poisonous houses and clothes, and the cold, the bugs, the hygiene.Think about the plumbing, think about the smoke and soot.Add to that social conventions that stifled absolutely everybody.The novels take on a whole new life when the background details are revealed.I highly recommend this book.

Good reference book for the 'Pride and Prejudice' ilk
If you like reading books set in late 18th or any part of 19th Century England (Trollope, Austen, Dickens, etc.), this book is a very good reference.Indeed, almost half of it is a glossary.I'm not sure all the literary citations are accurate, but that is not the point.If you find yourself in the middle of a thickish plot and it seems important to know why a barrister is referring to the Lincolns Inn or whether a Bishop outranks a Duke or whether a guinea is worth more than a crown or what a beadle is and why he would rat someone out, this book will do the trick. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 19th century    2. England    3. English literature    4. English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh    5. Europe - Great Britain - General    6. History    7. History - General History    8. History and criticism    9. Literature and society    10. Manners and customs in literature    11. Reference    12. Education / Reference    13. Social history   

Reviews (24)

The Best Book About Today's Israelis
A student gave me this book. Now I assign The Israelis in my university sociology class and students -- Jews, Christians, Muslims and Buddhists -- love it. It's lively, balanced and fascinating. The best book about contemporary Israelis I know.
Six Stars
What a lovely book! On returning from my first trip to Israel not long ago, friends and colleagues were stunned at how totally I -- a liberal secular non-Jew -- had fallen for Israel, and especially for the Israeli people. No doubt I sounded goofily infatuated trying to explain the resilience, toughness, crusty directness, the kindness, the wit, the incredible Israeli smile -- see, there I go again.
An excellent book on the lives of modern Israelis of all kinds.
I first read The Israelis about a year ago, and I enjoyed it very much.With the recent events in and around the country (the Hamas election victory, Ariel Sharon's new political party, his incapacitation) I decided to read it again.I started by looking up a few facts for a discussion group, and became so involved that I read the book a second time from cover to cover.I've discussed the book with friends from Israel, and all but one of them feel that it is an accurate view of modern life.The one person who didn't agree said it was "skewed," with not enough weight given to the various Orthodox communities and beliefs (she is Orthodox).The impression I had of her comments, though, were that she wasn't unhappy with the boook per se, but rather with the current path being taken by Israelis, and that this boook is promoting this path.My feeling was that it wasn't promoting, just reporting it as accurately as possible.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Ethnic Studies - General    2. General    3. Jewish Studies    4. Middle East - Israel    5. Political Science    6. Politics/International Relations    7. Sociology    8. Asian / Middle Eastern history    9. Current Events / General    10. Israel    11. Social history   

Subjects:  1. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 10-12)    2. Examinations    3. History    4. Juvenile Nonfiction    5. SAT & PSAT    6. SAT (Educational test)    7. Study & Teaching    8. Study Aids - Test Preparation    9. Study Guides   

Editorial Review

Why do otherwise intelligent individuals form seething masses of idiocy when they engage in collective action? Why do financially sensible people jump lemming-like into hare-brained speculative frenzies--only to jump broker-like out of windows when their fantasies dissolve? We may think that the Great Crash of 1929, junk bonds of the '80s, and over-valued high-tech stocks of the '90s are peculiarly 20th century aberrations, but Mackay's classic--first published in 1841--shows that the madness and confusion of crowds knows no limits, and has no temporal bounds. These are extraordinarily illuminating,and, unfortunately, entertaining tales of chicanery, greed and naivete. Essential reading for any student of human nature or the transmission of ideas.Read more

Reviews (48)

First 100 pages good, but the rest of the book was slow
I recommend Edward Chancellor's "Devil Take the Hindmost" instead of this book.I enjoyed this book for first hundred pages (financial speculation), but I was not interested in the later sections of the book.

Hilarious...
This author retells three famous stories of speculative markets in Europe.The book essentially consists of sober accounts of how deranged a place can get amidst speculative fervors.The first two stories involved a good idea that goes horribly bad when the people in control do not completely understand the dynamics of new systems when they are implemented.The third story is about silly, unadulterated greed and the sheer obliviousness of masses to a mania.I recommend this book to those who do not want to run straight off the cliff with the lemmings during the next market crash.

Google at $400.00? Hmmmm - maybe there are more chapters to write?
Keep this book within handy reach for any time that you're getting a bit too smart for your britches. How otherwise intelligent and rational folk get themselves into these troubles is truly fascinating and instructive. The writing here is, of course, rather archaic to modern sensibilities (originally published in 1841) but the stories are interesting and very readable. It's tempting to read the tales as history but when I see Goggle trading at over $400.00 I scratch my head and wonder. And when I hear the president cutting taxes, increasing spending, and still assuring me that my Social Security payments are secure, well, I think there might be a few chapters still waiting to be writing in the book. A good read. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Delusions    2. Early works to 1900    3. Impostors and imposture    4. Occultism    5. Popular Culture - General    6. Psychology    7. Social History    8. Social Psychology    9. Sociology    10. Swindlers and swindling    11. Controversial Knowledge & Mysteries    12. England    13. History / General   

Reviews (1)

Useful and Educational
This book is used as a companion to my high school Modern European History AP class.We read philosophers which correspond to the time periods we are studying and have lively debates in class.The book gives enough background information to put each writer in historical context, and condenses each writer's work and ideas neatly and concisely.Some of the more difficult vocabulary is defined in footnotes, which can be helpful to students.If you're looking for an overview or comparison of different Western philosohers, this is a great book, but if you're looking to go in depth with any particular one, you may want to purchase a full version of the text you're interested in. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Civilization, Modern    2. General    3. History    4. History - General History    5. History Of Civilization And Culture (General)    6. History: American    7. History: World    8. Literature, Modern    9. Modern - General    10. Sources    11. Translations into English    12. World Literature (General)    13. Cultural studies    14. History / General    15. Literature: History & Criticism   

Reviews (2)

Rethinking is the right word
Being an environmentalist isn't just about enjoying the outdoors or recycling.This is an in depth study of the complex interactions between humans and our world and an examination of our historical and cultural relationship with our environment.In particular, I found the discussion of our meaning for the word and our concept of nature to be particularly enlightening.There is simply no place in the world that isn't touched by human impact and noone on the planet who isn't touched by our environment and what we do to it. A MUST for anyone serious about the study of environmental study.

the result of a year-long project in critical thinking
Cronan has done it again!This volume of essays critically examines the concept of wilderness, nature, and humanity's role in the modern world.Though the individual essays are somewhat uneven, the main theme of thebook is clearly communicated, especially in Cronan's introductory piece. That is, that the concept of wilderness needs careful rethinking,particularly with our world nearing 10 billion persons. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Environmental Science    2. Environmental movement    3. Environmental policy    4. Environmentalism    5. General    6. History - General History    7. History: World    8. United States    9. Conservation of the environment    10. History of ideas, intellectual history    11. Human ecology    12. Pollution & threats to the environment   

Reviews (8)

Winston Churchill as Historian
This is a brilliant book! It is extremely well researched and written and tells a powerful and interesting story.
WorthReading
This is an intereting book, full of things I did not know about Churchill and his long history of WWII. Fascinating account of Churchill and the production of history
This is one of the best books I have read in years.David Reynolds has done a superb job of recounting how Churchill wrote his monumental History of the Second World War.The extent to which Churchill relied on ghost writers has not, so far as I know, previously been discussed.In retrospect, it should have been evident that without extensive help Churchill would not have had time to churn out six fat volumes while maintaining an active political career.Apparently, though, very few reviewers even raised the possibility that many of the words in the volumes were not Churchill's.In addition to its other virtues, Reynolds's book gives significant insights into the economics of book publishing in the late 1940s and early 1950s.Reynolds also provides a judicious overview of the relationship between Churchill's wartime performance as recounted in the History and as it actually occurred.All in all, an absorbing read. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1874-1965    2. Churchill, Winston,    3. Europe - Great Britain - General    4. General    5. Historiography    6. History    7. History - Military / War    8. History and criticism    9. History: World    10. Military - World War II    11. Personal narratives, British    12. Second World War    13. Sir,    14. World War II - Europe    15. World War, 1939-1945    16. History / General   

Subjects:  1. History & Surveys - General    2. Philosophy    3. Reference    4. History of ideas, intellectual history    5. History: theory & methods    6. Modern Western philosophy, c 1600 to the present    7. Philosophy / History, Criticism, Surveys   

Reviews (4)

Informative, but somewhat misguided
The basic thesis of all essays in "The Invention of Tradition" is that many of the mass, public traditions in various societies of the world (from Scottish kilts to the very concept of tribes in Africa) are well-crafted ("invented") constructs of the 18th/19th centuries, and are not as ancient or immemorial as they are generally believed to be. Parenthetically, the very expression "invention of tradition" is somewhat redundant, since all traditions, as products of human behavior and human imagination rather than the result of natural forces, are invented in one way or another. All of the essays in the book show how this is so, providing an excellent analysis of the origins of these traditions. As such they are very valuable contributions to contemporary social/political history. However, although the tone of the book is that such "invented traditions" were frequently almost imposed and/or used as instruments of political manipulation, it can't be denied that they also very often gave expression to very real feelings - as editor Hobsbawm concedes in his concluding essay. Thus, rather than demonstrating some sort of arbitrary "invention" and manipulation, Prys Morgan's chapter on the Welsh also shows how previous traditions in Wales were revived, reformulated and continuously adapted from the late seventeenth century on to meet various political, social and cultural challenges, thus making the process of invention seem quite "natural." On the other hand, Terence Ranger's essay on Africa is almost disturbing in that it seems to imply that almost every aspect of African politics and society today were bequethed by the continent's former European colonial masters. Hugh Trevor-Roper's chapter on Scotland is useful in that it pinpoints the exact origins of the "highland tradition" and all outer, visual identity markers used by the Scots, but the overall implication seems to be that now that the sham is revealed, the Scots should discard their kilts and bagpipes in shame. It would have been more useful if he had provided an explanation of why Scottish patriots, and others, so eagerly accepted these "invented traditions," and why they are so deeply entrenched and stronger than ever today. This goes for the entire book: it's main value may be in (unitentionally) showing how all traditions are in fact invented in one way or another, and that they become traditions because, at least at the time of their inception, they serve strongly felt political, social, cultural or even economic needs.

The truth behind the tartans!
Hugh Trevor-Roper's contribution to this book is priceless.In his chapter "Invention of Tradition: The Highland Tradition of Scotland", he details for the reader where the supposedly "ancient" costume of Scotland came from.The kilt was invented by an English Quaker about 1726 to allow his Highland workmen to more easily move while smelting the iron ore he was extracting.The kilt was thus an expression of the Industrial Revolution rather than an ancient freedom of the heather. The real stuff of legend
The principle argumentative thread running through each of this book's essays is that the traditions Europeans hold dear about their respective cultures date back merely to the turn of the 20th century.Far fromlegendarily old, things like Scottish tartans and the English monarchical love of pomp and circumstance date back only to the Victorian era.More tothe point, many traditions aren't even native to the land which celebratesthem.Tartans, the book concludes, are actually northern English ideas,and the "British" love of pageantry comes more from India than fromanything deeply rooted in the gardens of the House of Windsor.Read more

Subjects:  1. Anthropology - Cultural    2. Archaeology / Anthropology    3. Cultural And Social Anthropology    4. Customs & Traditions    5. Folklore    6. History    7. History: World    8. Manners and customs    9. Origin    10. Reference    11. Rites and ceremonies    12. Social Institutions    13. World - General    14. Anthropology    15. History / World    16. Sociology    17. World history   

Reviews (12)

Historical foundation
I would strongly recommend this book to anyone wanting a historical perspective of the development of psychoanalytic theory.This book takes you through different offsprings of psychoanalysis beginning with Freud's contribution.It also offers a comparison of each new theory with classic Freudian psychoanalytic thought so you have an idea of which aspects were further developed and which ones were "trashed."It's a good foundational book for anyone beginning an interest in psychoanalysis.

"and Beyond" could have been a good read....
This could have been a valuable reference.The front cover lists 39 names, some well known, others so obscure as to invite interests to learn more.Try to find these 39 when opening the book.Only in the Index.At least two pages, as chapters, should have provided insight into the thoughts of these 39 names who appeared under the caption, "A History of Modern Psychoanalytic Throught."However, Chapter headings only cover Freud, Sullivan, Klein, Fairbairn/Winnicott, Erikson/Kohut, and Kernberg/Schafer/Loewald/Lacan--and that's it.Eleven theorists.
Pschoanalysis in Layman's terms
Very good book for someone who is just learning about pschoanalysis.Good examples of clinical application and a very common sense approach to psychology.A much easier read than other texts such as The Freud Reader.Good stuff. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1856-1939    2. Freud, Sigmund    3. Freud, Sigmund,    4. History    5. Movements - Behaviorism    6. Movements - Psychoanalysis    7. Psychoanalysis    8. Psychology    9. History of ideas, intellectual history    10. Psychoanalysis & psychoanalytical theory   

Reviews (5)

Information Galore
Very up-to-date information, thoroughly discussed and analyzed.The book is laid out by subject, so it's easy to go back and find information.It is basically a complete description of the Roman World of Paul's time, right down to the tiniest detail that we have available.The only downside is the sheer density of it.But if you can muck your way through it, this book is simply groundbreaking in its analysis of the world that Christianity was born into.

Excellent!
I wouldn't write a sermon without it!Great insight to the world and social condition of the early Church.I find that it helps bring the then and there to the hear and now.

An Excellent Introduction to New Testament Sociology
Biblical scholar Wayne Meeks wrote the first edition of THE FIRST URBAN CHRISTIANS in the mid 1980's. He collected not only scriptural information, but also historical and sociological information to reconstruct the world of the earliest Christians. At the time it was considered to be groundbreaking research. Today this work is considered by many to the standard bearer of sociological studies concerning first century Christians.Read more

Subjects:  1. Ancient - Rome    2. Christianity - History - General    3. General    4. Religion    5. Religion - Church History    6. Social History    7. Early Church    8. History of religion    9. Religion / Church History   

Reviews (4)

Foremost book in the field
I had the previous version of this book as my text at USC. This version is a huge improvement over the last one. This one covers all the new advances and adds emphasis on the use of coding to communications channels. A complaint I had of the last version was that it under-emphasized coding gains and Eb/N0 vs. BER performance figures. This book has overcome many of those difficulties. It is still a bit ponderous in places but then it is the only book that covers the material in this much detail, truly a Bible of the field. It is a great graduate level text and a must-have book for any comm engineer. Charan Langton complextoreal.com

very useful for both beginners and experts
a very detailed book for getting into Galois field arithmetics, cyclic codes, convolutional codes, ... As a very beginner I had no big problems understanding the content. I am not the type of guy who could understandjust by reading the theory - this book gives a lot of very useful examples,so you could call it fun reading it!

Excellent applications-based approach to Error Correction
Lin and Costello produced an excellent text which is targeted towardsengineers as opposed to mathematicians. The mathematics behind errorcorrection can be extremely intensive and, with other texts, I quicklybecome lost in complex proofs. Lin and Costello present error correction inmethod, with plenty of good examples, which those who need to know how toapply it can understand and the gory details of the theory are not asimportant. I used this book as my introduction to error correction and itcontinues to be a great reference book. The only drawback in it is since itwas published in '82, it stops at convolutional coding and does not covertrellis-coded modulation or turbo codes. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - General Information    2. Computers - General Information    3. Engineering - Electrical & Electronic    4. Error-correcting codes (Inform    5. General    6. Information Theory    7. Questions & Answers    8. Science/Mathematics    9. History of ideas, intellectual history    10. Technology / Telecommunications   

Reviews (10)

Classic work
Mark Mazower breaths life into a place completely swept away by the conflicts of the 20th century. Masterfully written and eminently readable despite its size, Professor Mazower's work provides a depth of details and real context to all the cross-currents of culture and politics at play, of which he clearly has a profound understanding. While he does show a sympathy toward the much-maligned Ottoman Empire, the effort successfully argues that the commonly held perception of the Empire in the 18th & 19th century as a decrepit, dysfunctional state was not deserved. He brings to life the lost Turkish presence, as complex as it was often ruthless, the once thriving predominently-Jewish city the Greeks have willfully buried and forgotten and the substantial Slavic component in the surrounding provinces that dated back to their arrival in the 6th century. He handles the volatile period between the tragic dispossession of the local Turks and the arrival of the horribly tormented Greeks of Asia Minor with great sensitivity by focusing instead on the tragedy of individuals rather than faceless masses. The final chapter is devoted to the Nazi annihilation of the Jews and the city's subsequent metamorphosis into a completely Greek metropolis consciously revising its identity in the older Hellenic context.

Solid history of a complicated city
Salonika was an anachronism.Unlike most of Europe, where nations had been formed around a major city or a capital, and where ethnic and religious minorities had been absorbed, expelled, killed, or at least marginalized in some fashion, in Salonika different groups lived shoulder to shoulder for over 400 years.
great read and highly informative lesson for today
I admit I haven't yet finished this book, but I felt I have to write something. I will be honest and say that I'm not only reading this book to learn about Salonica, but to understand what is meant when it is claimed that Muslim countries have frequently been more tolerant than Christian ones. This history shows that Ottoman Salonica was a model for its time, a place that welcomed the Jews that the 'West' rejected (this is for those whose selective historical memory considers the 'West' always to have been the enlightened, tolerant place it is now). By modern standards, the Ottoman period was not tolerant, that's for sure. But those who might dispute condemnations of pre-modern Europe, saying we cannot judge the past by the standards of the present, ought not to pass similar judgment on contemporary Islamic societies; if they do, they must admit the Muslims come off far better in comparison. And by the way, Mr. Frantzman, the Turks were just as much expelled as the Greeks (they didn't just 'leave'); you seem to have this notion that only Muslims are culpable for their sins. You also forget that Mazower speaks of Christian slavers operating at the same time as Muslims in the Mediterranean, so don't be smug about that (it's bizarre in any case for a Jew to be defending the 'West' so single-mindedly, which killed more of his people than anyone else ever). Indeed, the West forced the Turks to end slavery, but this is because they had adopted modern, liberal policies, not because they were Christian or Western, which was never a barrier to slavery. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Europe - Greece    2. History    3. History - General History    4. History: World    5. Social History    6. History / Greece   

Editorial Review

Screenwriter Frances Marion (1888-1973) is the central subject of this excellent book, but mega-star Mary Pickford, journalist Adela Rogers St. Johns, bit-player-turned-gossip-columnist Hedda Hopper, and other high-powered female friends get nearly equal time. The author's skillful mix of biography with Hollywood history results in a densely textured portrait of an industry in formation and the intelligent, ambitious women who seized the opportunities it offered them for creative expression and financial independence. The text also instills new appreciation for the artistry of silent movies. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Pure Inspriration
This is a must have for any aspiring artist in this industry. Male or Female. It truly does her story justice. I learned so much about the ins and outs of such a remarkable era. Must Read!
Entertaining and Informative
With great appreciation, Without Lying Down tells the story of how women influenced the movie industry in its infancy.The author clearly admires the women she writes about without appearing to compromise her objectivity.The book is well-researched and rich with entertaining details about the world of Frances Marion.The story moves along at a nice pace and the book is well written.It was easy to imagine the challenges and adventures Frances encountered in the days when Hollywood was still taking shape.It is difficult to read the book and not feel a little sad that women don't enough influence in the stories Hollywood tells today.

A long gone girlfriend
After reading Ms. Beauchamp's biography of Frances Marion, I felt that I knew Frances...and felt a bit sad that we would no longer "hang out" within these pages.Read more

Subjects:  1. 1888-1973    2. 20th century    3. Biography    4. Biography & Autobiography    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Biography/Autobiography    7. California    8. Entertainment & Performing Arts - General    9. Film & Video - History & Criticism    10. Film & Video - Screenwriting    11. Friends and associates    12. History    13. Literary    14. Los Angeles    15. Marion, Frances,    16. United States    17. Women    18. Women in the motion picture in    19. Women in the motion picture industry    20. Women screenwriters    21. American English    22. Biography: film, television & music    23. Biography: historical    24. Biography: political    25. Film & television screenplays    26. Films, cinema    27. Marion, Frances    28. Performing Arts / General    29. Plays & playwrights: from c 1900 -    30. Social history    31. USA    32. Women's studies   

Reviews (23)

Couldn't put it down
Amazing story, beautifully written.It has all the elements of an exciting novel, and it is true, which makes it even more awesome.

loss...
A Persian friend gave me this book. I couldn't put it down, so poetic and real. As we live in times of war and devastation, this book reminds us of the power of ideologies and politics.
A real eyeopener
Reading Roya's accounting of her ordeal gives one a profound feeling of the reality of the time.It is amazing that Roya's experience had such an effect on her that the details still remain intact for her reproduce such an amazing book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Ethnic Cultures - General    5. General    6. History Of Women (General)    7. Iran - History    8. Judaism - General    9. Middle East - Iran    10. Women    11. Women's Studies - General    12. Asian / Middle Eastern history: postwar, from c 1945 -    13. Biography & Autobiography / General    14. Biography: general    15. Iran    16. Revolutions & coups    17. c 1980 to c 1990   

Reviews (4)

GreatRead, Interesting Book
Being a 3rd generation garmento, I found this book very interesting.Denim has gone from being a blue-collar item
Great Book
James Sullivan covers the history of jeans from the creation of denim to the Levi's I'm wearing today.The book is well researched; full of great information and things I never knew about the jeans industry.It brought clarity to much of what went on in the late 70's and early 80's when designer jeans came about.A fun look at America's cultural history.Really a great read.

Sticky Fingers
Regardless of what denomination Brigham Young was when he did or didn't call jeans 'fornication pants', jeans ARE sexy and--as everyone knows--sex sells. Sullivan does a great job of tracing the arc of this most iconic piece of American clothing from simple work gear to high fashion (and big business) must-have. A stylish and functional bit of Americana, much like jeans themselves; I love the blue type and design. My only complaint is that "Jeans" doesn't come with a soundtrack, but then again I guess we each have our own. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Fashion    3. History    4. History - General History    5. Jeans (Clothing)    6. Popular Culture - General    7. Social History    8. Textile And Clothing Industries (Economic Aspects)    9. Fashion design    10. History / Social History    11. Popular culture    12. USA   

Subjects:  1. Ancient - General    2. Civilization, Ancient    3. Classical Literature    4. General    5. History    6. History - General History    7. History Of Civilization And Culture (General)    8. History: World    9. Sources    10. Translations into English    11. Ancient Western philosophy to c 500    12. BCE to c 500 CE    13. History / General    14. History of ideas, intellectual history   

Reviews (8)

History of Christianity
I found this book to be a great introductory text about the history of Christianity.Gonzalez does a great job of presenting history in a thematical, narrative form that captures the mind of the reader.Very little is dry and dusty history lesson, but instead is written with ease of reading in mind.Also, one of the best things is the chronology of events for each section in the book.
Excellent historical overview
Gonzalez does it again!Like the first volume, the book covers a breadth of significant events in a manner that is readable and understandable.Well organized and indexed, it is a valuable reasource whether you are reading entire sections or just looking up a person or event.Though not in depth (hey, it's only two volumes!) the book does give an strong overview of important people and happenings.

This is a clear book
This book is much more clear and streamlined than Latourette's History of Christianity book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1500-, Modern period    2. Christianity - General    3. Christianity - History - General    4. Church History    5. Modern period, 1500-    6. Religion    7. Religion - Church History    8. Christianity    9. Religion / Christianity    10. Social history   

Reviews (3)

Top of the line!
I can not tell you how splendid this work is, I just am flabergasted! Some books are written and then some books are "written"! This book was "written"! Hands down I have to tell you this was a book that was "written" !
Intelligent and Literature-Centered
I cannot imagine a better "companion" to Victorian literature than this nicely organized book. This is an invaluable guide to anyone who would like to situate their knowledge of Victorian prose and poetry within the era's social/historical zeitgeist. Malthus, dissenters, social reforms, sexuality, class consciousness -- all here. I have found myself returning to this book many times over the years. Kudos to Altick.

A lively and thorough introduction to the Victorian period
I highly recommned this introduction to the values and literature of Victorian Britain. Replete with lively anecdotes and thoughtful analyses, Altick's work makes for an entertaining read even as it educates those just beginning to tackle nineteenth century British history and literature. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 19th century    2. Civilization    3. England    4. English literature    5. Europe - Great Britain - General    6. Europe - Gt. Britain/England    7. History and criticism    8. Literature - Classics / Criticism    9. Social history    10. World history: c 1750 to c 1900