Everyone who takes English history probably remembers 1066, William of Normandy, the Battle of Hastings, and King Harold; essentially the date, the location and the leaders of the combatant armies. Some may remember that the fight was over the right of succession to the throne of England after the heirless death of King Edward the Confessor. A few may even remember that Edmond Halley's famous comet made an appearance just beforehand, creating great consternation that was immortalized in the Bayeux tapestry. For most, Harold's reign seems almost a foot note, hardly more than an intermission before the main event of the Norman conquest. With William and his successors come castle building, classic knighthood, feudal society, all the "romance" of the middle ages. Harold is so often treated as a cipher to all of this that the true drama of this transitional age is often lost on the student. Harold is just "the loser."

Ian Walker's book brings this period more into focus. He approaches his subject by examining, not only Harold's own life and career, but that of his grandfather and father, creating a sense of the venue for the events of the Conquest. Harold is no longer just "the loser." He is a powerful and intelligent warrior, dealing as often in diplomacy as in bloodshed, able to play the chess game of power politics in a very turbulent time. He was in fact "the last Anglo Saxon king," and his time, like the withdrawal of the elves from Tolkien's Middle Earth, is the end of an era. His predecessor Edward was the last of the line of Alfred the Great, the king who had wielded the tiny Anglo Saxon kingdoms into the one kingdom of England. William and his successors would turn the island into a developing nation state striving for a place in a world among other rising nation states.

I found particularly interesting the author's approach to the period as one of a family biography. Harold was not just a famous figure in history, he was a member of an ambitious extended family. Like the Borgias in a later time and place, Harold's father and his grandfather played major roles in English political life during the years preceding the Conquest, as did he and his brothers in their own time. Walker follows these careers, because it is the net created by their liaisons that defined the period. Pull out any of these lynch pins, and the history of the era would have been vastly different. Interesting too were the careers of Harold's children, who went on to carry the family into succeeding generations of international leaders. I have often wondered what the fates of descendants of famous people have been. What did happen to Cleopatra's surviving children for instance? At least in this instance, more is documented about Harold's children which gives a sense of closure to Walker's book.

Thoroughly enjoyable and informative study.

This is a great book for anyone interested in the mysterious and obscure events of England in the year 1066. Walker does a great job, trying to bring Harold Godwinson to life.

This was an excellent, intense account of a unique king's biography. I read this book to get more info on William the Conqueror, but now I'm obsessed with Harold II. A must-read for history buffs.

When King came to our campus to lecture about this book, I was naturally interested in attending, but believed I knew the story already. (A man had been brutally murdered in a small Texas town because of his skin color).

I am glad I went on impulse because both the presentation and the book throughly examines intersections of race, gender, ecconomic status while imploring all of us to work together for the proverbial betterment of human society. What it lacks for in volume it more than makes up for with substantive content and heart-wrenching insight.

Alternating between detached reporting and personal narratives, this story chronicles the best and the worst of human condition. Just because it is easy to simplify things into a 'soundbyte binary' does not mean the action effectively generates learning, indeed such labeling effectively stops the process.

Without dilluting Byrd's saga, the author also recounts her complex feelings during the investigation. Briefly living among the residents of Jasper Texas in order to complete the book, she learned good people come from all backgrounds and there was no shortage of townspeople (including the law enforcement) who roundly condemed the act.

this Book is very much on point to me.it's no secret here in the United States we have come so far but we have so far to go.this is a Friendly Reminder of a time not so long ago.this Book details that&so much more.truth be told as much Hatred that still goes down you couldn't tell if it was 1898 or 1998? truth be told not much has changed overall.James Byrd should have been front Page News all over the World.Much Props to Dennis Rodman for Contributing to the Byrd Family a Story that went almost unnoticed by the Media.

This book was many things to me. Disturbing, insightful and educational. The book depicts the Mr. Byrd's death so vividly that at times I felt myself being dragged behind the truck. I had to put the book down many times but I was unable to stay away for long. The author did a very good job of exploring the backgrounds of the men convicted of this heinous crime. You must be made of stone to be left untouched after reading this book.

Yet again, J Ridley takes the reader on a remarkable journey, guiding you through the maze of factual background without ever letting your hand go. His mastery of the English language and notable training as a barrister make him the best narrator of the century.

Jasper Ridley's bio of Henry VIII, if nothing else, suggests to me that executioners must have had a steady employment during early 16th-century England. In Ridley's biography, England's formative king is essentially a psychopath, and the country became Protestant, not because of any doctrinal attachment to the Reformation, but as a consequence of political machinations and goals on Henry's part. This, in fact, is one of the book's great strengths; Ridley is rare among biographers in his thorough attention to and excellent summary of the thicket of political events surrounding Tudor England, and this book does an excellent job of explaining these intricacies. Especially fascinating was the depiction of the conflict between Henry and Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. Henry would have probably gotten the papal annulment that he wanted to dissolve his marriage to Katharine of Aragon, if only Charles had not effectively controlled the pope and been such a bitter enemy of Henry's; then Henry would have found no need to break from the Catholic Church, and history would be entirely different! For a Renaissance monarch, Henry seems more to resemble one of the 20th century's bloodthirsty dictators in this book. While the depiction initially surprised me, Ridley backs up his claims with such excellent documentation and use of primary sources (which I was able to check), that he definitely has a point! A fascinating bio.

Ridley paints a picture of a King who is as ruthless a tyrant as any 20th Century dictator. Henry VIII is shown as a ruler who forced his ministers to do his bidding and then executed them to satisfy public opinion, once his policies began to loose popular support. He would stop at nothing to get what he wanted, including breaking with the Pope in Rome and reforming the Church in England with him as the head, when the Pope refused to grant him an annulment from his wife, who could not give him a male heir. Thereafter, Henry played Protestant and Catholic factions against each other, so that he could remain in complete control as an arbiter; alternatively burning influential Protestants as heretics and Catholics who refused to recognize him as Supreme head of the Church of England as traitors. Ridley's picture shows us a king who would stop at absolutely nothing to get what he wanted, including turning society and 1000 years of religion completely upside down! A fascinating look at the Stalin of the 1500s!

I purchased 2 of these Bibles for my sons. The price was great. I saved [money] on each Bible compared to the price I would have paid for the same Bibles at a book store here. It is a perfect size for little hands like kids have. I rate this #1 kjv version only.

I just bought my second bible of this type. I left my last one inside my jacket pocket back home in the states when I left for missionary service in Brazil. Due to the cost of shipping and all I chose to just purchase a second one through Amazon.com and have it shipped to me direct in the field. (Yes they will do that!!!) I call this little bible my Soul Winners Bible because it can be with me all the time and ready when I need it. At home in the states I take it to work in my shirt pocket or tuck it away inside my clipboard. It has both the Old and New Testaments so I'm not caught without the passage I'm looking for when I need to show someone a prophecy or reference from Isaiah or Proverbs etc. Just a note to those who want to Win Souls for Christ and aren't sure how to organize themselves properly...
1)Get a new clean bible like this one that hasn't been marked up with highlight pens and notes yet.
2) Get a box of colored paper clips and some colored highlight and underline pens.
3) Get several tracts at your local Christian bookstore and do some study.
4)Take the relevant verses and Highlight them and Mark the pages with the colored paper clips. I would recommend you use a system like this one: Red (Blood of Christ) = Salvation. Use Red to mark specific salvation verses from John and Romans... Black= Sin (For all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God...) Blue=Water in the River of Eternal Life Use Blue to mark your eternal Life passages. Yellow= Caution U turn ahead. And Green= Grace Eph 2: 8-10
5)Study the Passages and the tracts and do some earnest Prayer for the Lord to send people whom you can minister to.
6)It is good to pass out tracts... but doing so is not a substitute for building relationships and sharing the gospel and "Giving your personal Testimony..."
7)If you don't have a personal testimony or are not sure how to talk about it... Pray about it and talk to your pastor. He will be able to give you advice on a more personal basis and help you in discipleship.

God Bless you each and all...
Until our Lord comes in the clouds and we meet Him in the air
Your Brother in Christ
Mr. Maranatha
(...)

My beautiful wife gave me this bible for my birthday. It's the perfect size for my doctor's bag, which I take to church. The bonus is that it's "self-pronouncing." A most welcome suprise in that it's not mentioned in the description. Thanks Hon!

In the Time of the Drums is an excellent story of the Gullah heritage. It tells of a people who have not forgotten. Young Mentu is told of a time by his grandmother Twi, when he will be "strong-strong." Twi, a wise, respected elder of the community, leads her people home. Mentu is "strong-strong" as he passes the heart-felt beats, and stories that can't be forgotten to descendents, and to us.

Siegelson has a mastery of words that is incredible. The rhythm of the words becomes immediately apparent as you read and it is definitely something you'll want to share right away. Brian Pinkey does a wonderful job, as usual, and the lines of his drawings echo the rhythm and lyricism of the story. I think it is interesting and appropriate to the story (you'll understand after you read it) that althought the story is based in historical fact, it is not limited by it. If you are an african-american parent, buy this book. If you are not an african-american parent, buy this book. I will be watching for the next by Kim Siegelson. Signed, a Children's Librarian in Oklahoma.

This book is rich in illustration and in story. The book resonates like a powerful drum beat. The author tells a tale that seems passed from generation to generation. This is a great read for Black History Month. This is a book you will read again and again to your children. The suggested age for readers of 4 to 8 is really too limiting. Children of all ages will enjoy and be moved by this book.

This is THE original 1909 edition. Contains Scofield's "Rightly Dividing The Word Of Truth," a MUST read for gaining a real insight into fundamental scriptural truths and freeing oneself from the bondage of superstitious and fallacious oppressive religious hocus-pocus biblical interpretations.

In no field of human activity has there ever been, nor will there ever be, so much oppression and manipulation as in the field of faith and religion, whereas this is precisely THE field where one should be able to truly emancipate oneself from the bondage of fellow human co-miserants.

All the goods our recent and modern civilization owns, it owes it to the reform and the reformators. With the reform gradually came political freedom, moral and spiritual emancipation, the cultivation of intellectual pursuits and arts, the dawn of economic freedom and the rise of capitalism, the italian renaissance, etc. Forget about the french revolution, which brought nothing but bloodshed and decapitations, the tyranny of collectivism and ... the dictatorship of Napoleon.

The soul and the conscience of man is the heart and the centerpiece (the holiest of holies if you wish) of human achievments.

To come back to the Scofield Reference Bible(s), there are ONLY two legitimate versions, the 1909 version (first publication) and the 1917 version (second, only slightly modified, version). These are the original legacies of C. I. Scofield and were reverently left untouched untill the mid-sixties. The NEW Scofield Bibles are not only awash with new added-on modern theological interpretations, but they also dilute the original work and emasculate it from its original fundamentalist strength. Beware. Avoid them is my only advice.

C. I. Scofield was the first to introduce what is still known as THE (Scofield) Reference Bible, prophesied the re-birth of the State of Israël and the return of Jews to their homeland. Since that time many have tried to follow in his footsteps, sometimes with the attempt to improve on his work, but no one has reached his level of dedication and logic.

Scofield's premise is that the Bible has but ONE Author, not many authors, and that all its books form one big collection of books, all given by the same Author, a collection which complements itself, with some parts throwing more light on other parts of that same collection of books, namely the Bible as a whole. It is on this premise that his, at that time unique, innovative system of chain references was developped.

This is probably THE best Bible you'll ever get on the market (probably only rivalled by the notes of J.N. Darby's annotated english version and his introduction to his french translation).

My advice is get your hands on anything you can that's written by C. I. Scofield, from "Rightly Dividing The Word Of Truth" to "Prophecy Made Plain", up to his "Scofield Bible Correspondance Course," which constituted the building blocks out of which sprang "The Scofield Reference Bible."

You'll be enriched with an Everlasting Treasure and feel like you're being more and more intimately acquainted with an Author you'll long to meet on a daily basis, for evermore. In His Presence, Eternal Life will finally look like a very desirable thing.

This bible has everything! Help sections, where to find it, cross reference, how to use the bible and more...The price is out of this world, for this much valuable information. Buy it, you will not regret it!

The Scofield "King James Study Bible," published by Barbour, is a reprint of the 1909 Scofield Reference Bible. This edition is a real bargain, if you'd like a Scofield, but aren't interested in a leather binding.

Differences between the 1909 and the 1917 versions are small, but they are there...so if you're looking for a copy in order to participate in a study group, you might want to check with the pastor or group leader. Page for page, the actual Bible text and notes hardly differ, and the pages correspond one-to-one between editions. This 1909 version lacks these features:

It does *not* have the dates in the center column.
It does not have the "Panoramic View of the Bible."
The intro to Paul's letters lacks the section called "The Two Silences."
The intro entitled "The Jewish-Christian Epistles" is shorter.
"Use of the Index" is missing (but relatively unimportant).
The back cover says it includes color maps. This is an error. There are NO maps, color or otherwise, and no illustrations.

It *does* include "Where to Find It" in the New and the Old Testaments, a Calendar for daily reading...AND it's a red-letter Bible. It has the full 259 pages of Scofield's glossary, index, "Righly Dividing the Word" and many other helps, aside from the notes and chain references in the text. Barbour uses nice quality Bible paper and a good strong binding. Scofield virtually invented the "study Bible" as we think of it, and this is a wealth of information, conservative but fascinating for all points of view.

Most children will probably have heard of the classical myth of King Midas and the Golden Touch before they read this book, but they will probably never enjoy it more. As told by John Warren Stewig and illustrated with paintings by Omar Rayyan, King Midas is silly old man who lets his obsession with gold get the better of him. Rayyan's paintings are full of whimsy and you have to study each picture carefully or you might miss Icarus falling from the sky as his wings come apart, Midas's 9 1/2 size sandals from Apollo's Feet or the bag of Leopard Chow for "Spot." Rayyan makes the things turned to gold really leap off the page at you. This is a delightful book and it is a shame that most stories from classical mythology are so dark and tragic, because it would be nice to see Stewig and Rayyan take a crack at some other timeless tales. Final Note: The mysterious stranger who grants King Midas the Golden Touch is the god Bacchus (a.k.a. Dionysus, but since the story of Midas is told best by Ovid we go with the Roman name).

The story is a classic and Stewig did a wonderful job retelling it but in my opinion what really makes the book are the illustrations. Every time I go through the book I find something new in the pictures that I missed before. The book is full of visual jokes and allusions to greek mythology (like a cereal box full of "Poseidon Puffs" and a man with feathered wings falling from the sky). It is one of the most skillfuly (and definatly the most humerously) illustrated childrens books I have seen.

This is definitely a five-star picture book. The story is well told from the start. The text and illustrations break from the stark oral tradition style so often found in books of myths--the bright, yet blended watercolors and the smooth flow of the writing create a warmth and whimsy that welcomed me into the book and made me want to read it again as soon as I was finished. Not to mention, the pictures are hilarious (my favorite is the one of the king wearing his golden spectacles)! They practically tell a story of their own and are captivating in their detail with exotic animals and mythical creatures popping up in every corner. This book breathes life into an overly-well-known tale... what a marvelous introduction into the magic of mythology for any child!

"I may have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have th heart and stomach of a King" - Elizabeth I

This quote from Elizabeth I says a lot about this book. Professor Carole Levin examines how Elizabeth I was able to use her role as a woman (where traditionally, the public viewed women as incapable, weak, dependant) to her advantage and at the same time she ruled like a "King". Levin also examined how Elizabeth was so successful in her reign and at the same time, she was not the typical "woman" of her time; she was childless, and unmarried. She portrayed herself as a "Virgin Queen" - as in she was married to her country.

It is important to note that this is not a biography of Elizabeth I but a book that gives a new perspective of Elizabeth I, that helps us to understand the overlapping of politics with gender and sexuality. Levin did an excellent job in using unconventional sources such as gossips, rumors, religious works, diplomatic correspondence that makes it a distinctive scholarly work. This book is also very easy to read, and even if you don't have a substantial backgroup in pre-modern European history, you will not have a problem in reading this book

This is a beautifully researched, well written, thought provoking study of how one of the most interesting and powerful women in history negotiated gender restrictions during her 45 year reign. Not just a standard biography, "Heart and Stomach" looks carefully at Elizabeth's use of gender perceptions and roles to present herself as the great queen that she was. I've used this book as a text in the classroom and I've recommended it to readers and scholars who are interested in all things Renaissance and in women's history. It's always a hit!

Carole Levin's study of Elizabeth I is unprecedented. This study not only gives readers who are unfamiliar with Elizabeth an idea of her life and desires, but it is explicates the problems behind a woman being a monarch in her own right in 16th century England. If one is interested in both English Monarchy and Women's Studies, this study will be enjoyed.

I received this edition as an anniversary gift, and have not been able to put it down. The cross-references are wonderful, and the translation definitions are very useful. I would recommend this highly - a beautifully bound, durable book.

When I first became a Christian I was reading the NIV, but upon comparing it to the word-for-word translation in an interlinear I realized that it was not that accurate. The reason for this is the NIV follows a "dynamic equivalence" (thought for thought) translation principle. So I changed to using the NASB, which follows a "formal equivalence" (word-for-word) principle. And the NASB did match up much better to the interlinear.

But then I began to investigate the issue of Greek text type. And my research convinced me that the Critical Text that the NIV and NASB are based on was less reliable than the Textus Receptus that the KJV and NKJV utilize. So I switched to the NKJV as my primary Bible, and have been using it as such for over a decade now.

Now I know there are many KJV-onlyists who consider the NKJV to be a "perversion" of the KJV. But I have taken the time to research their arguments and have found them to be faulty. I present my counter-arguments to the KJV-onlyists' arguments against the NKJV in much detail in the section on "KJV-onlyism" in my book Differences Between Bible Versions.

In my book I quote from numerous KJV-onlyist sources. I look at their arguments against the NKJV in general along with evaluating in detail their complaints on specific verses. And I conclude that yes, there are times the NKJV is not translated as accurately as it could be, but the same could be said for the KJV. And overall, both versions are very reliable.

But the big difference between these two versions is the KJV's use of Elizabethan English can make it very difficult to understand while the NKJV utilizes modern-day English and thus is relatively easy to read. And frankly I see no reason why I should struggle unnecessary with the KJV's archaic English when the NKJV is just as accurate while so much more readable.

To conclude, the NKJV is a very readable and accurate Bible version. One can read it with confidence that they are utilizing a reliable version of the Bible. If the reader wants even more confidence in this regard, then see my Bible versions book. Along with looking at the KJV and NKJV, my book also reviews over 30 other versions of the Bible.

Nelson does a good job with Bibles, and the NKJV is easy to understand. It is also useful as a reference tool to be used with the KJV.
The Bible is God's word. He has revealed His plan for His creation in it, and those who care about what is going to happen in the long run will be glad to read the Bible.

This book touched me. the fact that it based on alot of punk rock music really got me into the book. this is easy to read and a lovely story to read following joes life as a teenager..listening 2 punk rock and chasing after girls. a typical guy thing.

and the tragic parts really brought
tears in to my eyes.

i reccomend this to anyone whos looking for an easy to read story and interested in such music.

Often when punk music and culture appear in print or on film, the effect or purpose is either to deride the scene altogether as an unruly mob of foolish and destructive delinquents, or alternately as a sad celebration of an ideal doomed to failure.

British author John King's Human Punk, however, stands out as a more genuine coming-of-age story, prominently featuring the fictional Joe Martin's punk rock lifestyle without passing judgment on the phenomenon itself.

For many teenagers growing up around the London suburbs in 1977, punk is a way of life. Joe and friends Chris, Dave and Smiles get off on listening to the Clash, stomping poseur fashion punks with steel-toed DMs, wooing bleach-blonde girls at the dance clubs, and joyriding into London to catch the best concerts. Told from Joe's perspective, the story follows the boys as they get into trouble with girls, drugs, the police, and elder punk rocker Gary Wells, who tosses Joe and Smiles in a canal with lasting and tragic consequences.

Eleven years later, in 1988, Joe returns to England after years spent working in a Hong Kong bar when shocking news draws him back to hometown Slough. On the train ride through China, Russia, and Germany, he contemplates the injustices of human society in the context of reminiscences of fading childhood friendships. By the time Joe's story wraps up in the year 2000, Joe discovers that idle decisions affect legacies, and that some wrongs should not be forgiven.

As a study of boot-boy counterculture, what makes Human Punk interesting is that it is not about punk at all. To be sure, the music and influence is there, but King's novel focuses on characterization, creating a believable band of friends who have the qualities of punk rockers but are by no means emblematic or representative of the movement as a whole. With an emphasis on the "human," King is able to portray with a natural continuity the chronicles of an anarchist, as Joe does not "turn establishment" as he ages but rather matures and develops within his punk rock mind frame.

King's novel feels like an oral account, as if the reader is along with Chris, Dave, and Smiles to hear Joe's story. This approach certainly has its strengths and weaknesses. On the one hand, it allows a more intimate and first hand understanding of life in Slough as seen through the main character's eyes, and multi-page stream of consciousness passages give a sense of immediacy to the events describe.

Unfortunately, these same stream of consciousness passages are sometimes difficult to follow from leap to quantum leap, and occasionally the chronology of events discussed in flashback are difficult to place.

American readers will find an added obstacle in deciphering the numerous Anglicanisms, which when added to 1970s punk jargon can make Human Punk read a bit like A Clockwork Orange. This challenge can be surmounted relatively easily by paying attention to context, but remains somewhat distracting.

John King's Human Punk provides a valuable snapshot of a particular cultural phenomenon at a particular moment in time. Joe's experiences blend youthful aggression with ageless compassion, fortified by a raw honesty that would make his punk idols spit with pride. The book is rough, at times sloppy, and may very well be distasteful to upstanding members of society. Just as it should be.

>This review originally appeared in a college newspaper, back in the day.

Probably the most gripping book I've read. Stream-of-consciousness/narration of life as a street kid, and later as an intelligent but scarred man. Always the football fan, and has interesting taste in music, partly because some of it describes his life. His philosophy comes through his descriptions, and his thoughts are fascinating at times. I couldn't decide whether I would want to know this guy or not, but ultimately decided, you betcha. Big surprises in this book, don't read the back first!