Frances Yates was first recommended to me more than a decade ago and I'm sorry that I waited so long to read her. THE OCCULT PHILOSOPHY IN THE ELIZABETHAN AGE challenged many things I thought I knew about the Renaissance and Reformation, and it more than whetted my appetite for Yates's biography of Giordano Bruno.

Beginning with the strange figure of Raymond Lull, a 13th-century Spanish mystical philosopher who could read both Arabic and Hebrew (an unusual accomplishment for a Christian of his or any other time), Yates traces the influence of the "occult philosophy" on Western Christendom through the Italian and continental Renaissance to Elizabethan England. "Occult philosophy" seems to me be the wrong terminology for the Hermetic/Cabalistic spiritual science that inspired some of the greatest minds of the age, if for no other reason than that it rather discredits the whole enterprise from the outset. Part of Yates's design, after all, is to remind us that there was a time when science and religion were not at loggerheads with one another, a time before "the connections of the psyche with the cosmos" were cut off at their roots.

In the first part of the book, Yates sets the stage with brief discussions of the thought of Lull, Pico della Mirandola, Johannes Reuchlin, Francesco Giorgi, and Henry Cornelius Agrippa, and she offers a new interpretation of an engraving by Albrecht Durer. At the heart of what Yates calls Christian Cabala were two central ideas: that the name of Jesus is the Tetragrammaton, the "ineffable name" of God; and that there is a unity of truth behind the appearance of things accessible to those afflicted (or blessed) by "inspired melancholy".

In the second part of the book, Yates examines the influence of Christian Cabala on English philosphers and poets, including John Dee, Edmund Spenser, Shakespeare and Milton. The backlash against the occult philosophy -- signalling the end of the Renaissance -- is also examined.

You will walk away from this book with a profound sense of the largely unrecognized contribution made by Jewish culture to the development of modern Western philosophy and science. The expulsion of the Jews (and the Moors) from Spain after 1492 (not to mention the unintended consequences of forced conversions) takes on new meaning in the light of Yates's researches.

One weakness of this book, however, is its failure to consider the possible Islamic influence on the development of the occult philosophy in Western Europe. Lull, after all, studied not only Cabala but also the great Muslim philosopher Ibn Rushd (Averroes). While one cannot discount the enormous influence of the exiled Sephardic Jews, one should also remember that medieval Spain was home to a most fruitful cross-fertilization of Jewish and Islamic thought. Yates admits that she's no Hebrew scholar, but a knowledge of Arabic might also have been of benefit here.

Another weakness is Yates's rather prosaic and unengaged approach to her subject matter. This is understandable perhaps in a scholar, but her reluctance to let slip her passion is our loss.

As the title states this book sets out to find the philosophical roots of Elizabethan culture of the late XVI and early XVII century. The question posited by Dame Frances Yates is : What was the underlying Philosophy of the Elizabethan age and she points unmistakably to the occult philosophy i.e. Hermeticism tempered by Christian Neoplatonism and Qabbalah. Origins of the Elizabethan culture are traced straight to the Medici court, Marsilio Ficino and Pico della Mirandola. Yates being no believer of the operative work of magic, still provides enough food for thought for the student of Renaissance humanism, history of ideas or budding hermeticist. Although this book grew out from a series of lectures on "Inspired Melancholy" it still manages to tie in such diverse subjects as historical background of Ben Johnson's The Alchemist and Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus (Henry Cornelius Agrippa seen as the inspiration for the character), philosophico/magical/religious meaning of Elizabethan poetry (Spencer, Raleigh), the dramas of Shakespear (specially the Tempest and King Lear) and content of Durer's famous print Melencolia. The strengths of Frances Yates writing is precisely the ability to show the unifying idea behind these seemingly diverse works of art and philosophy. An important part of this book is connected to the destiny of the exiled Spanish Sephardim jews who spread the medical writings of Avicenna and rich literature of Iberian Qabbalism.

Yates history provides an alternative view of English history at the time of Tudor and Stewart dynasties most importantly in their relation to Ecclesiastical powers and politics of continental Europe.

This is a wonderful book that will stimulate a fundamental rethinking of the view of European Political and intellectual history.

Writer of this review is the translator of the book into Serbian .

Dame Frances Yates had an incredible impact on the study of early modern magic and occultism. Although she wrote on other subjects, her primary legacy is in this field, particularly her books _Giordano Bruno and the Hermetic Tradition_ and _The Art of Memory_. For anyone interested in the occult Renaissance, these books are both absolutely required reading.

As a scholar, Yates had some bad habits, and these are most obvious in _The Rosicrucian Enlightenment_ and, to a lesser extent, _The Occult Philosophy in the Elizabethan Age_. In these books, we see her habit of beginning with a "What if?" proposition, then repeating it in stronger and stronger formulations until it has become an accepted fact.

_The Occult Philosophy_ has this problem to some degree, but the primary problem is that Yates tries to deal with a subject on which she is not qualified to pronounce: Kabbalah. As she asmits, she is not a Hebraist, and her only access to Kabbalah comes from reading some of Gershom Scholem's work. Of course, she cannot be faulted for writing on the subject before Kabbalah became a large and accepted field of study within Jewish Studies, but Yates here displays her usual tendency to overstate her case.

A related problem is that she can be rather offhanded in her treatment of figures peripheral to her obsessions (i.e. anyone not John Dee or Giordano Bruno), and this can lead her to distort matters by repeating others' second-hand analyses.

Having said all this, bear in mind that it's Frances Yates we're talking about here. Stacked up against her best books, _The Occult Philosophy_ looks pretty sad; stacked up against almost anything else in the field, it's drop-dead brilliant: it's very well written, charming, stimulating, and extremely accessible. If you like Yates, read this book now, just take it with a little grain or so of salt; if you haven't experienced Yates yet, DON'T buy this --- read _Giordano Bruno_ NOW!

Yates had her faults, certainly, but she almost singlehandedly invented a field of study. This is an important part of the Yates corpus, but by no means its core.

I was surprised when I first read that this book was out of print and I am thankful that I bought it when it was first published.

Over the years, I have found it to be a valuable reference on the subject of Taliesin and Bards in genereal. There is controversy regarding the legitimacy of many of John Matthews' writings, but I have not yet been disappointed with his writing or research.

There has been rumour of this book being republished in the next year ot so. I hope this is the case as it is a book Iwould reccommend to anyone interested in knowing more about Taliesin and the Bardic practise.

The Matthews' Taliesin gives two unique contributions to our understanding. One is John and Caitlin's own translations of about thirty of Taliesin's poems, providing the greatest collection of Taliesin writings available in print in modern translation. The other is John Matthews' extensive demonstration of his understanding of the 6th century Taliesin as a "shaman", similar in social function and mystical abilities to shamans of ancient times in Siberia, the Americas and elsewhere.
John Matthews takes the exact opposite view of Taliesin from the scholar Sir Ifor Williams. Where Williams is interested only in the provably historical works of Taliesin, court bard, Matthews excludes these from his exploration. Matthews engages the reader's attention with Taliesin's timeless mystical works, and with Irish and occasionally Welsh texts that he sees as relevant to the understanding of pre-Christian shamanism. He interprets most of Taliesin's poems as cosmological myths.
Newcomers should beware of Matthews' errors on matters peripheral to his focus. He says "Gildas" when he should say "Nennius". He writes "Owain Gwynedd" when "Owain of Rheged" would be correct. He speaks unclearly of a sixth century "separation of the Welsh and British languages", when he means the separation of the unified fifth and sixth century British language into Welsh, Cornish and Scots Gaelic that surely began only in the seventh century after the merger of the Celtic kingdom of Rheged with English Northumbria. But none of this need deter the reader from diving into the rich understanding of Taliesin the mystic which this book provides.

I am surprised that this book is "out of print!" When I read this book, in '93, I was compelled to finish it in a few days, although I had little time to read. Taliesin is an epic adventure in Mythology, Legend, Oral Tradition and many other areas of interest. I recently loaned it out and my friend devoured it! Anyone interested in The Mysteries, History, Celtic Lore, etc. will find this book worthy of searching-for. Also, you may want to grab a copy of "The Mabinogi And Other Welsh Tales," by Patrick K. Ford.

Eve Darian-Smith's book, Bridging Divides, does a good job of getting to the core of English questions about identity. Using the Channel Tunnel as both symbol and monument, she constructs a good argument on the changing face of the way the English view themselves. She says that land, or more specifically, how we experience and relate with our land, serves as the foundation for the principles we choose to organize ourselves by. That is to say our social order, or as she says, our legal code is a function of the landscape around us. And it is this code in particular which forms the identity groups of people use to label and differentiate themselves by.

The best part of her book comes as she initially puts forth her research on the matter by detailing the importance of the English Garden in history. She covers it's evolution and it's meaning over time reflecting upon concerns such as gender, property law and sensory engagement.

But the book weakens as it moves through the history of the tunnel itself, a progress she calls "repetitive and boring." But she arrives at the end of the book by pressing the correct questions drawn from the study: which histories will the English choose in the future, and which sorts of new identities will these new histories reveal?

Some of her logic fails to overcome opposition arguments, such as her comments regarding Foucault's differing opinions on territory and power. She does succeed in using a solid amount of research to support a streamlined argument. However, the folks she chooses to study tend to be those who have made the most fuss over the matter of the tunnel. She mentions in passing that there is a huge block of people which do not see the tunnel as a threat at all, but still goes on to quote unverifiable interviews with (sometimes nameless) townspeople who clearly have a bone to pick. The strength of her study, the research, is severely diluted because of this unfortunate narrowness of focus. If the English identity is so widely at risk, that risk should be felt far more widely than the retired Conservative mayors and MP's that she relies upon.

Though it gets to be a little think at sometimes, and goes crazy with the details, this is an excellent analysis of the issue or sovereignity and nationalism in the new Europe. Great anthropological study with LOTS of outside resources.

This book is a collection of letters, and articals written during the time of the second world war. Dion Fortune and her "Society" conduct diffrent meditations geared twords ending the war. A diffrent meditation, or focus is given monthly, or weekly to her students.
I found the book a bit dry. Yet if you are interested in seeing proof of how focus and conviction can change the world, this is an excelent title. One thing I learned from it is, You don't have to be political (voteing,protesting) to change your world. Just use a bit of magick.

For years I have tried to find this book, but to no avail! Now that it is once more available, I immediately got it and have found it to be everything I was told it was, and more. Dion Fortune again shows her timelessness and ability to reach across the years and influence the minds and actions of a world that is vastly different than the one in which she lived. Although it was originally written many years ago, I was quite amazed to find it applicable to the present day and time, and relevant to those both involved in the occult world, as well as those not occult oriented but still interested in making any small change in this world. To me, this speaks of an ultimate truth that exceeds time and outer conditions, for it is enduring throughout the effects of both! The book is informative and proves that we are all connected, and that we may through our focused solidarity join together to bring light, understanding, and stability into being for all. Dion Fortune did just this during a dark and dangerous time in our Earth's history, guiding and leading many through a series of meditations aimed at securing the British Isles, and even the world, against what could have been a terrible outcome. Through reading this book, one learns how to become a channel or conduit that allows higher spiritual forces to come through and be played out in this world. It is a pivotal and timely book that will reach out to those touched by our present day global situation, providing an informative and reasonable way of allowing us to work in conjunction to make change a reality. The book shows both instruction and method in a very clear and understandable way, making it usable for the novice and expereinced alike. Anyone interested in the evolutionary progress of our race and planet should invest it this book, for there are seeds of potential in the teachings that will lead to a deeper understanding of how the inner world works, and how we might be able to increase our awareness of it. In addition to Dion Fortune's text, Gareth Knight, one of this day's most respected and foremost spiritual instructors, has written an interesting synopsis of world events as they were happening alongside the work of Dion Fortune and her group. It is quite amazing to see the outer and inner correspondences, and once more proves that all is connected, and that we only see played out before us a very small part of what is termed "reality," which is really only a tip of the iceberg, being the final effects of a long chain of inner events. I highly recommend this book for the collector, the silent inner worker interested in service to humanity, or anyone just interested in how the power of thought and mind might be effective to produce tangible change and improvement.

Hi i wrote the review above by J. Harrison. My E-mail has now changed to harrow_jeremy@mpx.com.au, so if anyone wishes to contact me because they also had a relative mentioned in the book then it would be greatly appreciated if you contact me.

This is a great book outlining the efforts of many soldiers, nurses etc. I bought this book because my Grand Father John Elton was in the 2/22nd battalion and featured in this book. I warn you though do not buy this book if you think it is like a story it is all based on factual events and it is not meant as a story book. I would have to say if you have a relative who also features in this book contact me. jezzaharrison@hotmail.com

This is a highly specialised work of academic history, so it isn't for everyone but the style is much fresher than the usual and the author, Andrew Warmington's obvious affection for the area means that it should appeal to anyone interested in the history, topography and popular culture of Gloucestershire.

Refreshingly, too, to my mind,he doesn't bother to hide his bias; he makes it perfectly clear that the Parliamentarian side was that of the vast majority of the people and that the Royalists - especially Charles I himself - were worthless people.

As well as covering some familiar ground in terms of seeing the tumultuous years of the Civil War and Commonwealth period through the eyes of a local community, the author extends his coverage to the Restoration period.

Warmington also has a great eye for the human dimension, and there are plenty of characters and local flavour in the book, from the insults tht gentry hurled at each other when a pre-election compact broke down in 1640 to the football match that was to be the cue for an anti-Rump riot in Bristol in 1660.

The amateur psychologist will probably enjoy his account of how the Civil War government of Gloucester struggled to cope with the political fighting caused by the demented paranoia of Colonel Massey, the city's governor.

This is also a solid work of historical research in a county with relatively poor documentation; the author has clearly gutted the state papers, family records and printed newssheets of the day for local references and has managed to pull together a strong narrative of events throughout the 32 years of coverage.

Coningsby is an interesting political-romantic novel set in early nineteenth century England. In much of the first part of the book, Disreali introduces the main characters and the political and social background against which the action in the later parts of the book will be played. In this book Disraeli covers several topics. He explains the state of parliamentary politics of the day and the changing social and political situations of the nobility and the rising manufacturing class. As the title character, Coningsby, develops his political philosophy, Disraeli gives an insight into his own core political beliefs. Through Sidonia, one of his main characters, Disreali makes a pitch for the rights of Jews, a group to which Disraeli is linked by consangunity, though not be religion. To make it all entertaining, Disraeli takes Coningsby and his lover through a long and chaste romantic quest, in which they finally overcome the obstacles placed in their way by their families. The book, ultimately, provides a triumph of love over hatred and pettiness. The strong points of this book are its pleasant story line and the ability to tell a romantic and political tale without including the moral failings, without which so many modern authors seem incapable of expressing themselves. The weak points are found in its age and storybook ending. The repeated references to so many details of political life of his day and the simililarities of characters to prominent people, which may have been amusing to the readers of his day, are lost on most contemporary readers. The ending, in which all the injustices inflicted on Coningsby by petty people around him are reversed through acts of self-sacrifice which set the world right, introduces a sense of fantasy which makes the book seem just a bit too much to believe. Overall this book is a worthwhile read

An excellent book that explodes some of the myths about Scotland. it features the things that Scots should rightly be famous for and aren't, and similarly the things that we are famous for and shouldn't be (including inventing the kilt!).

The book takes us through a number of things, Macbeth, the kilt, tartan, Bonnie Prince Charlie, the Scottish enlightenment and a load of other stuff in short easy to read chapters that are pretty self-contained. You can easily read a whole chapter in a single sitting, even if you are a slow reader. The style is very engaging and I finished this book faster than I would normally have done because I alwasy wanted to read one more chapter before I put it down.

Don't miss it.

I used this book (an older edition) on my first trip to New York City and I found it very succinct and helpful. If you don't want lengthy descriptions and lots of historical background, this the book for you. It gets to the point about some of the "must sees" and "shouldn't miss", as well as warning you about some cultural differences. The Essential series is also great because it's thin and lightweight, yet some color pictures so that you can recognize some of the sites you're searching the skyline for.

It is perhaps ironic that only in the days of modern instant communication and political spin doctoring that much more is becoming known about the role of "Grub Street" in the war effort of 200 years ago. Napoleon's own contribution to spin is well-known, so here Simon Burrows examines the efforts made by French emigres to shift opinion both within France and outside to the restoration of order through the turbulent 1790s. The papers began with the mass exoduses from France of 1792-3 and this is the story of the sometimes hand-to-mouth existence of a relative handful of publishers who tried to keep various papers going. Although at this time, the London times was already becoming established, the émigré papers were more akin to modern magazines, relying on subscription income and mostly being produced at fortnightly or longer intervals with circulations of less than a thousand. However, having started as a mix of culture and politics, the papers increasingly moved towards pushing particular political lines as the factions jockeyed for power in Paris. Given the private nature of these operations, a surprising amount of material has survived and it is possible for Burrows to paint clear images of several proprietors, especially Mallet du Pan, although many of those involved remain shadowy figures, as do their links with the Bourbons. Having dealt with the rather complex (and sometimes rather Byzantine) business angle, Burrows goes on to explain the propaganda war and sets out a framework upon which doubtless more will be written. The book is a joint publication between the Royal Historical Society and Boydell & Brewer, publishers of Elizabeth Sparrow's book: Secret Service, so it is interesting to see several of the minor characters from Sparrow's work also showing up in this, revealing the links between the open and more clandestine émigré efforts. The newspapers themselves were also translated into English to keep British opinion with the émigrés as Britain struggled with the costs of war in the 1790s. The author gets a little ahead of himself in the propaganda section taking the story up to 1810 before returning to the detail of the 1790s, which can mix up the national policy considerations with rivalries amongst the various émigré factions. Nevertheless, the failure of the émigrés to form any kind of cohesive unity is clear and like today, various papers followed their own viewpoint. As with so many aspects of the period, the competing ideas and factions shift to a direct focus on the new regime of Napoleon Bonaparte following the coup d'etat of November 1799.The British government begins to take a greater interest in several papers and arranges substantial subscriptions to keep the favoured papers going, while at the same time, Bonaparte's regime seeks to close down any free press in the territories it controls and limit criticism from elsewhere. The struggle reaches its high point in the libel case brought on behalf of the Consul against Peltier, publisher of L'Ambigu (A title itself reflecting the mixed reaction to Bonaparte) in late 1802. The British government had tried to keep the lid on the press whilst preserving its freedom in the period immediately following the Treaty of Amiens, but the pressure both of Napoleon's efforts to suppress adverse comment and the confusion in emigre ranks caused by his invitations to return. Some émigré papers were favourable, while others become even more opposed to the French government. The journalistic output of this period provides an extra angle to the breakdown of relations between Britain and France within a year of Amiens. Then the British government increasingly supports the anti-Bonaparte papers as tools of propaganda across Europe and even into the American continent as the now Imperial French regime tightened its grip on its own press. Napoleon's struggle with the Pope also became a key part of émigré reporting and the journalistic background to several key events provides a new angle on them. The book concludes with an assessment of the creation of the Black Legend of Napoleon. In noting its origins amongst the émigré press, Burrows demonstrates how this extreme attack actually stifled a more reasoned critique of the Bonapartist regime and thereby allowed the romantic notion to come to fruition both in the reign of Napoleon III and today's revival. Further reading would include The Right-Wing Press in the French Revolution 1789-92 (WJ Murray) from the same publishers and British Periodical Press and the French Revolution, 1789-99 (Stuart Andrews). Although this is book is expensive, it is a hopeful sign - the cost is higher because this is on a short run, but at least some publishers are prepared to print worthwhile material and there is more in this book than many of the standard popular histories of the period. An illuminating and worthwhile, if rather complex, read, which shows there is little new in the press of today.