Well, perhaps not definitive London, but a good collection nonetheless. Like most modern histories of London, the books pays only cursory attention to the period prior the Norman Conquest; there is a simple reason for this -- not much exists text-wise to give account of life, history, etc. prior to this time. The Oxford Book of London, edited by Paul Bailey, is divided into three sections: Part I, Twelfth to Eighteenth Century London; Part II, Nineteenth Century London; and Part III: Twentieth Century London.

Part I includes observations and rememberings of monks, poets, diplomats, clerics, and royals (being the major divisions of literate people during the 12th to 18th centuries). Included are visions of Chaucer and Shakespeare, Nashe and Donne, Jonson and Herrick, Hobbes and Pepys. The texts include passages from person diaries and newspaper headlines such as 'A Whale in London' circa 1658. All sides presented, as a perusal of headlines will show: "A Revel! A Revel!' balances 'An Absolute Hell on Earth'. Here you will be introduced to (or reminded of) Wat Tyler, Moll Flanders, John Boswell; you'll walk the streets as seen by Mozart and Haydn.

Part II narrows the focus a bit, and when most people think about 'Old London', it is in fact this period of time to which most of them harken back. The nineteenth century saw London's explosive growth and true development as an imperial world city. In 1834 Thomas de Quincey published 'The Nation of London'; excerpts are here. Wordsworth and Blake wrote of London during this period, as did Keats and Thackeray (his 'How to live well on nothing a year' is wonderful). This is also the London of Dickens and Sherlock Holmes, perhaps the two visions of London that endure most. The rise of popular press also took hold during this period -- the true miracle here of this section is that it does not go on for a thousand pages.

Part III is a similar miracle. London is established, in many ways a city of unparalleled urban blight (Jack London--hmmm, where do you suppose he got that name?--called it a 'vast and malodorous sea'). Shaw's post-Victorian London images remain firm in our minds, as does E.M. Forster's; T.S. Eliot describes London as an 'Unreal City', yet, for the fire wardens during the war, the city was far too real, and far too flammable.

One is inclined to agree that London is in many ways the 'Capital of all Capitals', to quote Steen Eiler Rasmussen (1937), and yet, while there is hopefulness in the latest visions of London, there is also a sadness and an underlying fear that perhaps the best days are behind.

A parable is a fictitious but true-to-life story designed to teach a specific spiritual, philosophical, or life lesson. Parables comprised about one-third of all of the teachings of Jesus as recorded in the Gospels. Jesus crafted his stories to confuse His opponents, confront the uncommitted, and teach his followers. Understanding Jesus' parables is essential to the revelation of His life-transforming message. Ideally suited for contemporary students of the New Testament, Parables In The Eye Of The Storm specifically addresses this necessity with a chronological study of Jesus' parables and is a highly recommended addition to personal reading lists.

Dewitt Bailey has sorted out the various patterns of British military firearms of the 18th Century in a clear concise manner for the first time. Much of his material is based on primary research and appears in print here for the first time. No collector of Revolutionary War firearms can afford to be without this book. A bargain at twice the price.

Memphis, TN is a beautiful city, not without its slums, but the people are still gracious and 'southern'. The Peabody Hotel is a lovely part of the history of Memphis, and this little book, "The Peabody Ducks" is for young and old. It is bound to make you smile.

Joanne Brady

Great book to carry along on your weekend camping trip! Directions for getting there, things to do, what's nearby, and which campsite is the best for whatever you like to do. Phone numbers for advance reservations, and (did I mention!) campsite numbers so you know what to ask for! We carry it along and add our own campsite comments for return trips. Any one who camps the state parks of Pennsylvania will not be disappointed with this book!

This is the first time I have seen a book dedicated to exercise and bone. Usually bone books are about medication, biology, etc. and then they pay lipservice to exercise. The authors are to be congratulated on providing a very readable, beautifully illustrated and yet authoritative text for those of us doing Master's degrees, Honors degrees, or even PhDs in the field of bone research. I imagine that graduate students all over the US are eternally grateful for having all this information in one place. It really clears up those comples issues such as how to interpret DXA scans, why results of different exercise studies differ and the problems of stress fractures, amenorrhea etc.

It even has research suggestions for a wide variety of students - see the later chapters.

My boyfriend is a fitness leader and he loves it because it provides evidence-based exercise programs for women and men of different ages and abilities.

Well done authors - thanks from the bottom of my heart!

Although the truths conveyed in this book are deep, the author has explained faith in the simplest way possible. Pillars of Faith is a must for Bible teachers who seek to make faith real to their students. So practical is the author's approach to the subject of faith, that anyone can understand and receive spiritual nourishment from the content of this book. Brian Bailey challenges every Christian to go from faith to faith, until we become pillars of faith!

This is a great source for beginning genealogy of pre 1776 Dutch inhabitants of New York and New Jersey. Contains many great 1936 era photos of Dutch houses.

If you are researching a family that originated with the 17th and 18th century Dutch colonies in America, please do not miss this book.

This is one of the richest regional background sources for genealogical research available. Bailey did a wonderful thing in preserving on paper the house histories of the areas mentioned in the title. Too many of these houses are forever gone. Just as wonderfully, she researched and wrote family histories of the people who owned and occupied the houses.

As a professional genealogist, as well as an architectural historian, she used primary sources, such as wills and deeds, as well as secondary sources, like local histories and biographies, to document the lives of each house's owners and residents. As a clear and clever writer, she made what can be a dry topic readable and enjoyable.

This book is so useful to calculate the prenatal chart. Generally many times the birth time is wrongly noted. With the method given by the author the astrologer can rectify the birth time and go for much more accurate predictions. This is a very useful tool for the astrologer.