This book documents a lifestyle that we can only know through writings and recollections, mostly by English expatriates and scholars. The houses themselves are gradually falling into decay, which is shameful, but which appears to be the fate of so many great architectural treasures of the past. I was charmed by the magnificence that one can sense (through the photographs), however dimmed by present squalor, and resolved that if I could, somehow, I would try to recreate the feeling; I know that's quite silly but even so it would be marvelous to have a fountain right by one's door and great trees growing inside one's living quarters. I loved the black, red, and white horizontal stripes and the mother-of-pearl-inlaid furniture, the inlaid Arab designs, the 20' ceilings and the beautiful arches. I also loved the recollections of Isabel and Richard Burton, and Jane Digby, these people were triumphantly confident and strode through life with none of the fright and nerves that we contemporary readers seem to have...and rightly so. I loved this book, and hopefully it will assist in the preservation of the great houses of Old Syria.

Brigid Keenan's informative and highly recommended text comprising Damascus: Hidden Treasures Of The Old City, is enhanced throughout with 214 illustrations and photographs (171 in color) by Tim Beddow. This superb introduction to the architectural grandeur of Damascus incudes descriptions of individual houses and the people who built and lived in them. The amazing photographs reveal the facades, courtyards, alleyways , fountains and amazing interiors behind unassuming walls will delight students of Islamic culture, architecture, history, and lifestyles.

After studying the Book of Esther in so many different educational settings, I had never learned so much about the story as I did from this book. I especially admire Hazony's logical analysis of the sequence of events through a careful study of the language and subtlety of the text. He brings the world and milieu of ancient Persia to life, while at the same time making the story as interesting as a modern tale of power, greed, and heroism. Aside from that, Hazony proves to be not only an excellent writer and scholar, but a truly wise thinker as well. The lessons he takes from the story are ones that I would hope inspire our leaders today.

In this beautifully organized book, the old story of Mordecai and Esther's successful plot to defend their people from destruction is given new perspective. Recognizing an intolerable evil in the new vizier, Haman, Mordecai takes decisive action when he calculates he has a good chance of succeeding. The book analyzes from the original text the political situation in ancient Persia and the predicament of the Jews. Explaining the motivations of the participants in this extraordinary twisting of fates, the author breathes new life in a story whose details many people take for granted. Realpolitik, idolatry and faith are interwoven themes in all history and play a major role in the Esther story. The lesson to be learned is that one must recognize evil and take a proactive, though thoughtfully planned, stance against it. The sense of empowerment one learns from this commentary makes this required reading for any student of history, especially those familiar with the Megillah. A pity this sense of empowerment was so lacking in the Holocaust period.

I first encountered this book while researching a term paper on the public games of the Roman Empire, and I liked it enough that eventually I acquired my own copy through Amazon. Davis herein did not formally cite his references or include a bibliography, so the book's value is more that of supplying a mental roadmap of and feel for the setting rather than as a formal scholarly work. (Davis covers himself on that score in his preface, however, by outlining generally the sources drawn upon, emphasizing the major Roman writers of the period.) Davis wrote at least 2 other books in this vein: _A Day in Old Athens_ and _Life in Elizabethan Days_. I can say definitely that while the latter has a similar structure, _A Day in Old Rome_ scores over its Elizabethan sibling in that herein Davis has confined himself to a real city and real historical characters rather than creating a composite setting to better illustrate his points.

As the author says in the preface, the book describes Imperial Rome on a spring day in 134 A.D./C.E., as seen if the reader were magically transported there and provided with a competent tour guide. That date was picked because the Empire was architecturally near completion, the Empire was prosperous but not yet decadent. Davis deliberately avoids unusual events; he's tried to construct a run-of-the-mill day; the emperor Hadrian isn't in the city until he formally arrives in the last (13th) chapter.

Chapter 1, "The General Aspect of the City", gradually shifts from speaking *about* the city and the surrounding countryside to a viewpoint from a height near the Campus Martius, to obtain an overview before descending into the city. (Nice touch: English translations of place names are provided parenthetically when the names are introduced, providing a flavor of how a contemporary would have heard them, e.g. Ostia, "River Mouth".) Davis' details are interesting; readers may not have realized how advanced Roman architecture really was, wherein impressive buildings were mostly concrete with marble facades, and cheaper buildings were of brick or building stone - not wood, with its increased risk of fire.

As our tour guide, Davis doesn't jump straight to the famous "sights" that would crown a tourist's visit, but works his way inward and upward to the heart and heights of the city, beginning with chapter 2, "Streets and Street Life", a good example of the kind of detail provided. Davis not only mentions that most streets were too narrow for two vehicles at once, and that traffic laws banned most wheeled vehicles between dawn and 'the tenth hour'. (Note the time given in Roman style, only parenthetically translated to 4 pm.) From a pedestrian's point of view, most streets were worn slick, only main roads being kept clean, with special stepping-stones inset against the rainy season. We even get samples of Roman flyers posted on walls (actual text, noted as found in Pompeii, from 'to rent' notices to announcements of upcoming gladiatorial combats) and graffiti, as well as descriptions of typical street processions and crowds' behaviour in public.

Chapters 3 through 6 come in off the street, dealing with "Roman homes", "Roman women and marriages", "Costume and personal adornment", and "Food and drink". Housing covers the gamut from insulae (tenements that ought to be "islands" with space around them to prevent the spread of fire) to great houses of the wealthy, including on the low end the expected rental price in sesterces (with a parenthetic conversion into U.S. dollars where each money amount is mentioned, a convention followed throughout the text). Example of nice touches of detail: the Calends (July first) was the regular moving day, when deadbeat tenants were evicted. Furnishings being skimpy in the slums of Rome, details about higher-class housing treat Roman furniture in more depth, although expected furnishings are covered for the low-end insulae as well.

"Roman women and marriages" focuses on betrothal customs, marriage ceremonies (when there were any), and divorce, which was easier in Empire days than it would be for many centuries after the Empire's fall. A couple of stereotypes are drawn: that of a frivolous woman who might collect gladiators and suchlike, contrasted with the tomb enscription of an archetypal 'good woman' by her mourning husband.

A bit of trivia about costume: the word 'candidate' comes from 'candidati', "extra-white" - office-seekers used to specially bleach their togas so as to stand out in a crowd. Basic things in life never really change.

Chapters 7 and 8 cover the social orders (slaves receiving an entire chapter). Davis then moves on to professions, education, and commerce before finally arriving at the fora, the Palatine and the centers of government, and the imperial war machine. The courts, baths, and public games are covered before Roman religion is addressed. A separate chapter on "pagan cults" ends with the most disreputable cult of all, from a Roman point of view: Christianity, including Roman popular beliefs about how debased Christian practices were. (For a more detailed view, set a couple of decades earlier, see Barbara Hambly's well-researched mystery novel _Search the Seven Hills_.) After digressing to "the Roman villa" and the grand finale of the Emperor's return to Rome, a final note on where people are in the Roman night ends in the catacombs, with a brief flash of the Christians through their own eyes, holding services while keeping a lookout for watchmen.

NOTE: The paperback edition before me reproduced the colour plates in black-and-white, unfortunately, but otherwise the book is unchanged. The old hardcover edition illustrations consisted of 1) black-and-white line drawings, 2) occasional photographs, and 3) colour plates of illustrations painted by Von Folke, reconstructing various landmarks in their heyday and showing (for example) a scene from a chariot race. (Incidentally, Davis in a footnote commends Lew Wallace's novel _Ben-Hur_ on its accuracy, adding the caveat that Messala, being of high rank, would have considered driving his own team beneath his dignity.)

This is one of those rare history books that should never go out of print. It tells you so many of the details of Roman life. Did you ever wonder what Romans wore under those togas? They wore a tunic, which is a thing like a night shirt. Upper classes were allowed (encouraged, actually) to wear a purple stripe down their tunic (wide ones for Senators, narrow ones for Equites), and that's how people knew if you were or were not upper class (I mean besides all those slaves running after you). It's a very complete picture, describing houses, tenements, public eating houses, the public baths, schools,what a Roman banquet was like, the pots and pans in the kitchen, and even sandals. Did you know the proper number present at a Roman banquet was 9? Why? The couches held three people and there were three couches, ergo 9 people. That was tradition. Just about everything you'd want to know about day-to-day Roman life is in this one small book. It's great. You'll love it. I've got to have "A Day in Old Athens," now. By same author.

I have a very old paperback of this with a copyright of 1956. This "Doubleday Anchor Original" is a bold and interesting book for the laymen. Though my copy is not and should not be used for a scholary tool. It is a step in that direction.

I 've read other translation of the scrolls but find them not as appealling or poetic or powerful. This translation shows the intense care and knowledge of it's subject. It's very important to keep good writings like this available to all believers of those that think they can honer the traditions of true caring for creation and God. This book is very connected to the Essene Gospel of Peace of Jesus Christ by Edmond Bordeaux Szekely. I read these constantly together. The question is why do important writings like this go out of print.

Kit Carson is one of my favorite historical figures and this is my favorite book about him. Carter republishes and annotates Carson's laconic autobiography of adventures as a fur trapper, mountain man, indian fighter, soldier, and explorer. Carson went from being an illiterate saddlers's apprentice in 1825 to one of the famous men in America by the end of his life in 1868. A small, unprepossessing man, he never learned to read or write, never made any money, and was modest, even ashamed of his fame. Arguably, Carson lived through more adventures than anyone else in American history.

Carter admires his subject which is good because Kit Carson is sometimes portrayed these days as a monstrous genocidiare because of his role in defeating the Navajos and forcing them to move to a reservation on which many of them died. In reality, Carson was a relatively humane soldier who often defended the rights of the Indians and who became a good agent on their behalf. But, unlettered and overly impressed by the authority, judgments, and education of his superiors, Carson didn't possess the moral courage and confidence to challenge his orders to suppress the Navajos.

Carter's research into Carson's life is thorough. He employs the unusual technique of publishing Carson's autobiography as written and commenting on it in extensive footnotes. Some might find this irritating as your eyes must move from text to footnote constantly. Carter also publishes a large collection of photographs of Carson, examines his fame, and extolls his virtues.

To my mind, Kit Carson is the premier hero of the western expansion of the U.S. Carter's book is one of the most accurate and well-researched accounts of Carson's remarkable life.

This is a readable and scholarly work that should be part ofthe library of anyone who is an aficionado of the Old West. This bookexplained to me not only who Kit Carson was, but why he was significant. Although the author makes a good case for why Carson can be considered a hero, he also doesn't shy away from commenting on the man's mistakes. The biography seemed thoughtful, balanced, clear, concise, and thoroughly researched. Moreover, this book is particularly special because, in addition to the author's biography, it contains the complete text of Kit Carson's own autobiography, along with biographer Carter's helpful annotations to it. There are also some photos giving the biography and autobiography an added dimension. Two more points: Carson's life is exciting-- he was a mountain man, an explorer, a scout, a cavalry officer, and more! Also, this biography is only about ten years old, so you know that Carter is basing his inferences on fairly reliable, up-to-date research! All in all, I'd say that whether you're a novice or an expert on the subject, if you had to read or own just one book about Kit Carson, this should be it.

In the aftermath of 9/11, we need words of comfort. I have never seen or read such a consoling report as this book offers. Rich insights!!!

"William R. Van der Zee is one of the best religious writers around today. His biblical commentary is always incisive and pragmatic, bearing a remarkable relation to life as people know it. [...] Rev. Van der Zee writes about these weighty subjects with theological exactitude, and occasionally with wit and humour." Paul Matthew St. Pierre, in The BC Catholic, July 5, 1998

I did this study 1.5 years ago and still remember much of the information gleaned from it. This is a great way to understand differences between judges, kings, and prophets of the nation of Israel. The life of David is a main portion of the book.

This is a terrific encouragement to Christians who want to grow closer to God and to have a desire for His own heart in themselves. We have all fallen short, as did David so many times, but David kept coming back and so can we.

It is six lessons to be done over a six week period and can be used with the International Inductive Study Bible.

A Dictionary Of Scripture Proper Names is a very straightforward guidebook to the meaning of biblical names not generally translated into their English meanings. Aside from a brief preface and pronunciation guide, it consists entirely of scriptural proper names and their literal translations. From Aaron (meaning "light-bringer") to Zuriel (meaning "my rock is God"), A Dictionary of Scripture Proper Names leaves no proper noun undefined. Especially recommended for Biblical Studies reference collections and reading lists, A Dictionary Of Scripture Proper Names functions as an excellent quick reference, and may also serve to assist anyone looking for appropriate-sounding scriptural names.

This book simply lists the names of people and places in the Bible and offers a brief definition of their meaning. It is a very useful resource for interpreting the Bible's deeper meaning, because when the meaning of a name is known, it can usually be seen to relate to the context in which it is found.

This is a wonderful dictionary. Western language takes work and violence and humor and a canny sexuality and uses them to enrich the terse conversation of cowboys, Indians, loggers, and other wild folk with history, culture, tradition, puns and irreverence. It's a language that comes from Spanish and French and Dutch and Indian and cussedness.
This dictionary pauses in its definition of mayordomo to discuss New Mexican acequias in a liesurely way. The definition of dogie, and speculation on its origins, is a satisfying essay on its own.
It's a book for reading, not a reference tool--it's too hard to get out of to be resorted to on a purely practical basis. Makes you glad to be a speaking creature.

* A murder. A body in the streets at dawn. Said to have been commonplace in the early days of Los Angeles and in Denver.

This book is invaluable to me as I work in a Museum that specializes in western exploration and life. There have been very few inquiries from visitors from all over the world that cannot be found in this book. Information from the early 1800's to the present time abound in this book in very digestible terms. Excellent reference book.