3 comments about The Blackbird's Nest: Saint Kevin of Ireland.

1. This book is a wonderful combination of eloquent prose and beautiful art. Schroedel's interpretation of Saint Kevin is both inspring and well adapted for children. Our child loves it and loves identifying things in the pictures. Definitely an attention grabber for children, yet meaningful for adults too.



2. One of my two-year-old's top 5 picks--he sits through the whole thing, then says "Again!" I'm happy to acquiesce, since the story's spiritual beauty is multi-layered and just as soothing to my own soul.



3. The Blackbird's Nest by Jenny Schroedel is a children's picturebook that brings to life the story of one of Ireland's most beloved saints. Set around the time of A.D. 618, it follows the experiences of a young man who loves animals and even seems to understand their secret language. But other children bring out the worst in Kevin, and he is prone to bullying. One day though, Kevin learns a tranforming lesson from a most unlikely teacher: a blackbird. Captivatingly illustrated by Doug Montross in full color and with strong overtones of realism and facial expression, The Blackbird's Nest is very highly recommended reading.

No comments about Journals: Scott's Last Expedition (Oxford World's Classics).

2 comments about The Story of Saint Patrick.

1. Perfect for children aged 4-9. The story is told beautifully and concentrates on the character of a true saint.
   
   I'm glad saints as role models are coming back into fashion with the surge in interest in Waldorf education.



2. I love it!! It is definitely what we need our children to learn about-God's awesome love for all of us no matter where or what type of situation we are in he can get us through it all with his power that is very real. The children will know where the holiday truly came from and why we celebrate this wonderful saint.

5 comments about The Pirate Queen: Queen Elizabeth I, Her Pirate Adventurers, and the Dawn of Empire.

1. I love history and I love pirates. Thankfully history never goes away and pirates are more popular than ever. I grew up on stories of Sir Francis Drake, the most prominent of her majesty the queen's privateer, who took his letters of marquee and seized a place in legend for himself. But I never really got into the true story about the man until I was more grown up. By then I was majoring in history in college and found the stories even more interesting because I recognized them as men who had to overcome their fears before they became swashbuckling heroes.
   
   I was, however, guilty of not thinking overmuch about the lady that gave men like Drake the chance to become my childhood heroes. Her journey, her decisions, were - upon reflection - even harder and more awe-inspiring than her privateers.
   
   Called the Virgin Queen, and that must have been a hard one to deal with back in her day, Elizabeth I rose to the throne a month after she turned 25. She was the daughter of Anne Boleyn, who was beheaded at the order of her husband Henry VIII. A beheading served as a divorce at the time because the Anglican Church hadn't instituted divorce as acceptable.
   
   For a while, Elizabeth was declared illegitimate and had no shot at the throne. That struggle was only one of many she faced, as well as religious problems within the nation and war with Spain.
   
   Historian Susan Ronald brings all of the adventure and excitement of Elizabeth I's life to the pages of her book. I'm ADHD and even though I love history, I oftentimes find wading through "scholarly" approaches to material I'm interested in very hard reading. My attention span wanders and I lose track in the middle of baroque sentences.
   
   This isn't so with Ronald's book. She effectively nailed me to the pages with her engrossing spinning of Elizabeth I's trials and travails. When I first hefted the book, and it is certainly hefty, I have to admit to being somewhat daunted. But then I began turning the pages. And kept turning the pages.
   
   Eiizabeth I's struggles to right the English economy, deal with controversy over her lineage and the religious changes she made, all became drama played out in my mind's eye. Ronald painted sets with her words, and the people came to life. Reading this book is effortless, and it provides a splendid study of that time and the people involved.
   
   I'd been fascinated by the Spanish Armada and how it was destroyed in 1588, but I hadn't really felt all that was at stake if they'd won against England. The Cold War that played out between Russia and the United States between 1950s-1980s had nothing on the conflict that took place on the Atlantic Ocean during Elizabeth's reign.
   
   Although the book focuses a lot on the Queen's privateers - legalized pirates by any other name - much time is spent with her relationship with Robert Dudley, the Earl of Liecester, Thomas Seymore - who was her guardian for a time, as well as those famous pirates, Sir Francis Drake, and Admiral John Hawkins.
   
   Ronald's book is an armchair historian's dream and a keen, mostly unbiased, look at one of history's most famous and most daring women. If you've ever been interested in pirates or English history during a most dangerous time when history could have flipped in any of several directions, THE PIRATE QUEEN: ELIZABETH I, HER DARING ADVENTURERS, AND THE DAWN OF EMPIRE is definitely a book you should pick up.
   
   Although almost 500 pages long, take heart in the fact that the book is heavily documents and several of those pages are reference. The layout of the book, wide margins and easy-to-read typeface, also make it extremely attractive in this time of microscopic fonts.



2. Definitely not as dry as straight history textbooks or as fanciful as the title might make you think, it takes fact and presents it in an interesting way.



3. I don't know all the literature on this era, but I expect that Ronald's achievement is not in unearthing new information, but in putting it all together. The general works on Elizabeth and this period present pirates and piracy in piecemeal fashion and Elizabeth's benefits as serendipitous. This book shows that piracy was wed into her foreign policy as much or more than her marriage possibilities, which garner considerably more attention in books for the general reader and in film.
   
   The author brings together the internal and external politics of England, the economy, the religious issues, the excitement of discovery, the role of court favorites, and shows piracy as a thread running through it all. The book has provoked my thinking and given me a whole new yard stick by which to measure this period. While Spain is plundering the new world for gold and Africa for slaves, England is plundering Spain and finding benefit in the slave trade. This explains why English colonists were late (compared to Spain) in arriving in their "demarkated" hemisphere.
   
   It is for the editing and not that writing that I give this book 4 stars and not 5. The frequency of ambiguous phrases and incomplete concepts hinders a smooth read. These are not things a writer, who knows her material inside and out, can easily spot.
   
   For instance, p. 289, allusion is made to the storm raging and "driving the Francis, the Sea Dragon, the White Lion and the Talbot out to sea" meaning Drake could only offer the Roanoke colonists the Bark Bonner. 4 boats seems like a staggering loss, but there is no explanation or follow up. On p. 312, when Drake captures Don Pedro who will not submit to ransom, the author quotes from sailor's testimony from a law suit over Drake's estate 20 years hence. While this suit is beyond the scope of this book, the attribution of the quote, without explanation, suggests that there might be a reason to think a ransom was paid.
   
   The story is compelling, and if you don't get too hung up on the detail (loose ends like those above occur every 20 pages or so), you will enjoy this rendering of the Elizabethan world. It gave me a whole new perspective from which to view all else about this period.



4. I agree with one of the other reviewers that the writing style is kind of amateurish and that the writer frequently re-crosses the same ground. However, I liked how the author followed Elizabeth's difficult and dangerous task of navigating her weak nation through treacherous times with the help of her pirates. I found her habit of constantly translating the value of everything into modern day values (dollars and pounds sterling)irritating. Also think that readers looking for alot on sea battles or naval nuances will be disappointed. Not a bad book but not a great one either.



5. The essence of any writing goes back to the basics: who, what, where, when, and why. Ronald does well on all but the most important: how. There is a "story" in "history." George Santayana said: "Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it." It is the story of how something was done--or not--that can give us the perspective to make different choices when faced with similar challenges.
   
   By cleaving to the academic viewpoint of chronicling all the who, what, and when, we are presented with everything we need to regurgitate on an exam to prove that we studied, but Ronald hasn't made us wiser. Every time the story is about to pick up, Ronald halts it abruptly with an inventory of booty, or a list of persons involved with a given enterprise. This book is like driving with one foot firmly pressed on the accelerator pedal while the other foot just as firmly presses the brakes.
   
   The book ends, appropriately for the author, with John Dee's list of 13 criteria for creating the "Petty Navy Royal" and a list of "typical treasure" carried by the flota back to Spain. Ronald undoubtedly knows the subject matter.
   
   Historians such as Joseph Ellis and David McCullough have raised the bar by bringing history to life. By being part of the experience, we learn much more both about history and ourselves. In this way, studying history makes us better people. It was McCullough who said: "No harm's done to history by making it something someone would want to read." Wanting to read history is the first step in the journey; a lesson Ronald should take note of.

5 comments about Greene on Capri: A Memoir.

1. I can only conclude from other reviews that Shirley Hazzard is an acquired taste, but would add that it's worth giving a go. She is a supremely old-fashioned writer, which I think some find mannered or awkward. It's odd, because I find her prose illuminating and exciting to read - each word is measured and beautiful. Her novels are luminous things of beauty, particularly The Bay of Noon and The Great Fire. She's just won Australia's top literary prize - very well-deserved. If you have time and patience, for her books need careful reading, they are richly rewarding. It's only an inexpensive paperback, go on, try some, you never know, you might like it!



2. Shirley Hazzard brilliantly evokes Capri in this easy-to-read portrait of one of the 20th Century's most influential British authors. This book melds literary biography at its best with personal memoir, and Hazzard's friendship with Greene offers important insights into not only his work habits and travels, but also his interpersonal relationships. As to her prose style, Hazzard may be a part of the "old-school" authors--long, serpentine sentences and frequent digressions--but there is only enjoyment to be found in the quiet island life she chronicles. Anyone interested in Greene, Hazzard and the beautiful isle of Capri itself will delight in this book.



3. I read Shirley Hazzard's book prior to visiting Capri for the first time in 20 years, and took it with me to read on the flight to Italy. In fact, the book made the journey with me to the island. This is an excellent portrait of Graham Greene and the information Ms. Hazzard adds concerning Capri certainly whetted my appetite and increased my anticipation to get to the island to see the places she mentioned.
   
   The book is written in a beautiful style. One hears Ms. Hazzard's voice in her writing and shares her experiences. I must confess that I really did not like Graham Greene very much as a person but I understand a great deal about him and what drove him. I was most touched by what Ms. Hazzard had to say about Harold Acton, so much so that I re-read that part of the book. Mr. Action was such a wonderful scholar and writer with such a wonderful presence that I would very much have liked to have known him. I will never forget the last visit of Ms. Hazzard to Harold Acton when he said he regretted not being able to see Naples one more time. Since I was reading this in Naples I was able to understand what he meant all the more.
   
   Someone else I enjoyed learning about was Ms. Hazzard's husband Francis Steegmuller, and some of the books he wrote. In particular the discussion about Mr. Steegmuller's book about Flaubert in Egypt sparked my interest to read it. Another book mentioned by Ms. Hazzard that has my interest in The Viper of Milan, historical fiction on the war between the dukes of Verona and Milan, which sounds like quite an exciting read.
   
   So this is a wonderful book that gives us a unique perspective on a great writer - Graham Greene - but also gives us a glimpse into the island of Capri and the people who came to live on this paradise of a place over the years, some who came and left and others who never did. I gained insight into places of the island, such as the Villa Jovis and the town of Capri, and met some interesting people, chief of whom is Ms Hazzard herself. I highly recommend this book for the superb memoir that it is and also for the excellence of the writing.



4. Really no more than a very, very long New Yorker sort of profile blown up to book size, GREENE ON CAPRI A MEMOIR is an irresistible sort of book and pure opium for those of us who like to read about people with so much money they can afford to live on several continents at once. Shirley Hazzard writes so creamily that it was only after several chapters that I started asking myself, where is all this money coming from? For none of the characters, save the distantly observed fishermen, have anything to do with their time but sit around all day at one of Capri's many colorful cafes, sip aperitifs, and cap each other's quotations from the Brownings.
   
   It's a form of literary sleight of hand that at its best is positively alluring, but when the illusion falters for even a minute a certain distast sets in. All travel writing is sort of alike, and there are two sorts of readers, one who loves nothing better than a book about Capri, and the other, who would rather undergo a Brazilian body wax without anesthesia than have to read a book like this one. Beyond this certainty, there are a few other problems with Hazzard's book. One is the problem noticed by most reviewers: that she really doesn't care much for Greene, so you ask yourself, then why write a book about someone who you just can't stand? The feeling creeps in that she was fascinated by his bad manners and his egotism, but that she was too drawn to his fame (the way her husband, Francis Steegmuller, became known as a permanent barnacle of the fame of Cocteau) to resist.
   
   Another debit is the photo selections which render Shirley Hazzard, not a bad looking woman, as the victim of a truly evil costume designer. No matter what decade it is, you see her wearing blouses with long Peter Pan style collars in which the tabs droop down practically to her breasts, a bizarre style which makes her look like a bejeweled and preening horse. It must have been Graham Greene's revenge. Probably long ago, in 1962, in Capri, he might have sent her a little CARE package from some demented designer in Antibes, and advised her it would make her look less like Lillian Hellman. His unpleasantness was legendary, the "irrational and cruel paroxysm of the playground," as Hazzard hazards. The odd thing is that Greene went to Capri at all! He was of the generation of Englishmen, she avers, that was actually blind to the beauty of physical surroundings. Perhaps they thought it unmanly. He was just there because it was "away." Her explanation isn't very convincing, but she does provide some interesting sidelights, such as the fact that Greene thought Olivier a terrible actor, much preferring the mundanities of Ralph Richardson or Paul Scofield. Hazzard also provokes a chuckle when she talks about how bad Graham Greene's own performance is, in Truffaut's DAY FOR NIGHT. "In a companion scene of the same film, a cat does far better."



5. Shirley Hazzard's memoir is touching and literally transports you to a time when writers gathered casually on islands and sipped wine wine and talked about the world. However, her friendship with Greene provides remarkable insight into Greene's character and actually left me wanting to read more about Greene, but much more about Hazzard herself.

No comments about Georgiana's World.

5 comments about Religious Nuts, Political Fanatics: U2 in Theological Perspective.

1. Vagacs does many unique and intriguing things in this little volume. He examines the collective works of U2 through the theological lenses of Walter Brueggemann to interpret their albums and specific songs. The categories he borrows from Brueggemann are the themes of hope amidst despair, social justice and eschatological anticipation, exile in a scorched land, and finally grace and resurrection.
   
   Vagacs was drawn to undertake this endeavor after attending a U2 concert, which raised a number of questions in his mind. He states: "They prompt me to ask what is it exactly about U2's music that captivates people from such a diverse demographic, not to mention geographic, diversity? Is it their consistency, or their cohesiveness as a band? Is it their commitment to the music and each other? Is it U2's concern and involvement with social justice issues? Perhaps it is simply the fact that they generate great music?" (p.ix)
   
   Vagacs believes that there are 4 categories of readers for this book:
   
   1. You are neither a U2 fan nor a Christ follower.
   
   2. You are a U2 fan with no real connection to Jesus Christ.
   
   3. You are a Christian with no real connection to U2.
   
   4. You are both a U2 fan and a Christ follower.
   
   No matter which category you are in, this book can be informative, both on the history of U2 and the progression of thought through their music, and the spiritual imagery and implications of their work album by album. No matter which of the four you are, this book will open your eyes.
   
   Brian Walsh in the introduction states: "Rob Vagacs does not come to worship at the shrine of U2. That would be a blasphemy to his own faith and a terrible disservice to the band. Rather, this book opens our eyes to light that is shining in the midst of the darkness of a postmodern world." (p.xvi) I believe it sums up the book well. This book will not herald U2 as the light, but as light bearers in a darkening world. This book will help you see light around you, whether in other people, music, or even theology.



2. Vagacs covers U2 from their early days of "Boy" to their most recent release, "How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb", and dismantles the meaning behind U2's lyrics in a way I have NEVER read about before. He does it so brilliantly... read on below.
   
   Vagacs easily intertwines the meaning of finding one's self in this world from the idea of orientation, disorientation, and finally reorientation. From U2's first release, "Boy", in 1979, they sing about faith, God, growing up, and spirituality. After this came "October" which has the most easily recognizable songs of praises to God, and one would almost think U2 was on a Christian record label. Later came "War" with the famous "Sunday Bloody Sunday" in which Bono sings, "To claim the victory, Jesus won." With these early releases, U2 knows their orientation in this world belongs with their faith in God. However later then comes "The Joshua Tree" in the mid-eighties in which they start to question things around them and further seek to orientate one's selves into society and where God and everyday social, political, and everyday life meets. It's a journey where "The Streets Have No Name", and where "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For".
   
   Thus soon came that moment when some criticizing "religious nuts" misunderstood U2's creative side for thinking they lost their faith. It was a time during three very different U2 releases within a short period of time between 1991 to 1997. We had it all from the great ground-breaking "Achtung Baby" to "Zooropa", and lastly to "Pop". This was the representation of what we call disorientation in life. The sex, the drugs, and the rock and roll... yet somehow if you REALLY listen to the music and get past all the hype of Bono dressing as the devil, Mr. Macphisto, and etc... during Zoo TV, Pop Mart--- the lyrics are VERY honest in seeking God amongst all the evils and temptations of our world. Also hasn't anyone ever stopped and realized that Mr. Macphisto is Mephistopheles from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's book entitled "Faust" about a man who sells his soul to the devil for all the riches in the world. Furthermore, Bono at that time of U2's career had read "The Screwtape Letters" by the Christian writer C.S. Lewis. I also suggest reading in the bible, James 4:7, "Resist (mock) the devil and he shall flee from you." Bono was mocking the devil, not trying to be the devil. "Pop" ended with a great song "Wake Up Dead Man" in which Bono longs for Jesus to wake up in this world and do something... it's a Psalm of lamentation in a well-written form. On "Achtung Baby"-- we get to wonder if Judas will ever be redeemed by Jesus and receive eternal life-- really listen to the words of "Until The End of The World". The best line of the song is "With waves of regret and waves of joy, I reached out for the one I tried to destroy..."-- was Judas in waves of regret praying Jesus would forgive him for kissing his cheek and giving him to the cross for his crucifixion; and yet in waves of joy I think Judas knew Jesus would forgive him. After all, Christ died for all our sins, and I like to think Judas is forgiven.
   
   Lastly, we come back to finding ourselves in our world of chaos and indulgences. U2 released in 2000, "All That You Can't Leave Behind" in which we find ourselves getting reoriented with ourselves, and stopping to realize that all worldly things are the things that we can leave behind. You can't take your riches and your selfish needs into heaven when we die. And their latest release, "How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb" begins with a song "Vertigo" in which Bono imagined in his head as he wrote the song a virtual night life of dancing the night away, and not finding anything substantial until he sees "the girl with crimson nails has Jesus round her neck, swinging to the music...", and it is here that he realizes His love is what is teaching him "how to kneel". Atomic Bomb ends with a great little not well-known number called "Yahweh" in which is sung "take this heart and make it break" as the very last line of the song. In the bible it is written that only when we let our hearts break and be opened anew can we find God again. God seeks out the meek, and it is the meek who shall inherit His riches and His glory and His grace. Only in this reorientation can we renew faith in God.
   
   In this book, Vagacs takes you on the journey of life, and you take on this journey with you "all that you can't leave behind" which is faith, love, grace, forgiveness, and God. I highly recommend this book to any one who is a U2 fan, or is seeking a little meaning into God and faith.
   
   Love and Peace or Else,
   The BoNo FReaK (-;



3. My first introduction to the 'theology' of U2 and its applicability to modern worship contexts came from the book 'Get Up Off Your Knees : Preaching the U2 Catalog' by Raewynne J. Whiteley. This book is addresses some of the same material, and is a good companion to Whiteley's book.
   
   Vagacs makes the apt point that music of U2's sort is the poetry of the modern age. Adults young and old don't tend to learn poetry, but they do remember song lyrics, and many of these song lyrics contain deep, meaningful, spiritual content. Vagacs taps into the categories of biblical interpretation and meaning-making of Walter Brueggemann (one of my personal favourites), and looks to the medium of modern rock and roll ('potent poetry' that 'allows the artist to express raw emotion and high intellect simultaneously') to be a means toward an 'alternative universe of discourse'.
   
   It isn't simply in the lyrics of U2 songs that the call to fulfilling a moral purpose, a gospel statement if you will, comes into being. Bono has taken upon himself the task of educating and drawing the media spotlights to issues of world poverty, hunger, and financial mismanagement that is a somewhat ironic stance for a 'pop star'. However, no one else seemed to be stepping up to the plate. Bono was honoured with the Bill and Melinda Gates by Time magazine, not for fame and fortune, but rather for turning fame and fortune into a force for good in a specific, savvy and increasingly effective way.
   
   There are elements in U2 songs that all Christians can find familiar - hope and despair, faith and doubt, longing and desire, dealing with injustice and finally finding grace. All of these things, from lamentations to psalms and proverbs, have parallels in both biblical and U2 lyrical words. Vagacs deals with the idea of the postmodern (an idea he admits is difficult to define, particularly in so short a work), and demonstrates in many ways that U2 is a postmodern embodiment of many biblical themes.
   
   Vagacs includes a litany inspired by U2 lyrics, merged with themes and words from the gospel of Mark. Vagacs also includes a discography, source lists, and a recommended readings list. These are handy things for those who might want to further their study, or incorporate U2 into actual worship services.
   
   Vagacs includes a glossary of terms at the start, rather than at the end. This is both for U2 fans who are not theologically/philosophically trained, as well as for those theological types who don't have a wide exposure to modern popular/rock music. Vagacs states, 'My hope is that this book will be of interest to U2 fans, offering them perhaps another perspective on U2's lyrics. I would also hope that those who are Christian, or religious, would recognize that the marriage of theology, faith and popular culture is not only possible, but relevant and fruitful as well.'



4. I read One Step Closer first and found it a great book. Easy to read with a lot of insightful commentary.
   
   Then I read this book and just did not like it at all. It reads like a college term paper and is nothing but quotes from other authors. I just don't see how that qualifies as a "new book".



5. I have read just about every book on U2. This is shorter than gems like 'One Step Closer' or 'Get Up Off Your Knees', but the best by far. The author starts with a little personal insight into his love for U2, and then uses his credible background to spin out well organized, well written chapters on various theological topics in U2. One chapter in particular, "The Babylonian State of Zooropa", was about the most philosophical insight into Bono's lyrics I'd ever read. Ever. It even inspired me to teach a lesson at my church based on "Zooropa" and "Pop" (which are the 2 most underrated albums ever, as the author even seems to recognize).
   
   I applauded how much and how wonderfully this little book executed in its perfectly short length. It was small; a quick read with very much insight and thought provocation. Buy it NOW.

No comments about Burghley: William Cecil at the Court of Elizabeth I.

3 comments about Salaam Brick Lane: A Year in the New East End.

1. Mr. Hall's work on London's East End is beautifully written and truly makes you feel as if you are a voyeur into a world that few of us have ever experienced. The author shows a genuine sympathy for his neighbors on Brick Lane in the East End and weaves their stories into the broader tapestry of the neighborhood's history as well as that of England as a whole. Without being preachy or condescending, you feel like you know and understand the characters that Mr. Hall met in his time there; the landlord running a sweatshop in his basement, the Indian "auntie" interviewing him on behalf of his future wife's mother, and the list goes on. This is what makes the book such a pleasure and it goes so quickly that in they end you wish Mr. Hall had spent even more time on Brick Lane.



2. When confined to observation and its presentation, good journalists tend to make good writers. Hall is one such journalist/writer. His clear and precise style comes very handy when reading about a complex and intricate world of London East End.
   
   His own discovery of East End is told through the lives of people he meets and gets to talk. It's not a distant and cold narrative, though. On the contrary, he is directly involved in the intricate fabric of immigrant society through his American-born Indian fiancee. Yet he manages to limit the account of his personal story to the amount that relates to people he observes.
   
   Overall "Salaam Brick Lane" is an honest and clear account of a short slice through East End.



3. I enjoyed reading this book except that I am not from England and found the "Englishisms" to be a little overwhelming. But, aside from that I found the historical information very good reading and very profound in some areas.
   Compared to Monica Ali's Brick Lane this is a larger scope of the area but in reading both books I found that one does complement the other because the characters in Brick Lane never get to see much or learn much from the area.

No comments about When Summer's in the Meadow.