Book Description
Introduce elementary and middle school students to the ancient African empire of Mali, and teach them about an amazing history--and about themselves. Mali, one of the most glorious but least known civilizations of the world, comes to life through vivid color photographs, timelines, maps...and the legends of the griots, or storytellers, who've preserved the past of Mali for millennia, handing down stories of brave kings from generation to generation.
The book is an introduction to an astonishing, little-known history, and it's a vital, refreshing educational tool, packed with suggestions for games and activities that reinforce the history lessons. For instance, readers will learn how to play the "Trading Game," a life-or-death activity for the people who once practiced it. MALI: LAND OF GOLD AND GLORY is an invaluable entrée into a place and a time that deserve more attention, especially among young people. "African-Americans were not dropped out of the sky with slavery as their beginning," said Andrew Prophett, the esteemed educator responsible for the development of Virginia's new innovative elementary-level Mali curriculum. "That is not history."
Mali IS history, a civilization worthy of being studied along with those of Rome, Greece, Egypt, China, and India. MALI: Land of Gold and Glory makes that possible, bringing to life "a land of grand palaces and gold." As the narrator-griot sings in the book. "It was called the Bright Country and that was the way it was—a bright and shining place."
Customer Reviews:
A book for children.......2007-01-12
It is a very good and informative book, but it is for children.
Mali-Land of Gold and Glory.......2006-02-25
I thought the book was very good in explaining Mali from the past. Could add what Mali is like today, make the book more in-depth about how it has changed.
Northern Malians Written out of History.......2004-03-17
I was initially excited by MALI: LAND OF GOLD & GLORY by Joy Masoff. Most impressive is her ability to bring this significant and under-recognized period (14 - 16th centuries) of African history to life for elementary school teachers and children. The combined use of age-appropriate text, voice of the Griot, and graphics make it compelling and hard to put down. All those elements and the narrative is still mostly accurate. However there are several factual omissions and errors that mislead the reader. Since the book is beginning to enjoy widespread recognition for introducing a positive and `glorious' portrayal of African history, its faults must be closely examined.
Masoff's portrayal of Mande peoples as solely responsible for the greatness of the Malian Empire is inaccurate. In fact there was much more of a sharing in this legacy with `non-Mande' peoples. Of particular note are the Amazigh peoples inclusive of Amazigh (Berbers) prominent in northern Africa, related Tamashek (Tuareg) peoples of Mali and surrounding countries to the north and east, as well as Arab peoples, and others. To better understand the role of these differing peoples consider the trans-Saharan trade. It was guided and protected largely by Amazigh and Arab peoples and was essential for the phenomenal growth of the commercial, social, scholarly, and religious traditions of Mali. These peoples were not only in the arid zones guiding and protecting caravans, they also lived in Malian cities where they assumed key roles in all aspects of urban development and governance during the Mali and Songhay periods. Though Masoff properly attributes the bend of the Niger River at Timbuktu and Gao as the locus of trade and geographically central to commercial and social advances, Amazigh peoples - so prominent in the region - are mentioned just in passing. A small but strange omission is no mention that the woman who founded Timbuktu, 'Buctou', was Amazigh and of Tamashek descent.
Another problem with the exaggerated prominence of Mande peoples is encouraging - perhaps inadvertently - an already rampant revisioning of African history along color lines - with emphasis on a black telling. US audiences have been particularly subject to portrayals of Africa as `black'. This perspective falsely racializes the continent and denies the more complex dimensions of diversity and physical types that were well represented in the region historically, and that are still there today. To her credit Masoff does not reference skin color as a means to characterize peoples mentioned in the book.
Furthermore the reader is left with the impression that the height of civilization was reached under Mali. This impression is achieved in part by characterizing the Songhay Empire which followed Mali, as entirely despotic. Though Songhay was indeed despotic under Soni Ali (for just 15 years I believe) the portrayal of a steady decline thereafter is incorrect. The historic record clearly indicates that after the fall of Ali, Timbuktu scholars led a strong revival of the social traditions. Inspired by Islamic faith and African traditions, they continued to effectively encourage leaders across the region to embrace tolerance and honor diversity. Askia Mohamed is especially renowned for leading the Songhay Empire to unite western Africa and further develop the peace-making traditions that had gained so much ground during the Malian period. This was achieved in spite of trade beginning to be drawn away from the Sahara towards sea routes to the south. The 16th century should therefore be characterized as a period of social progress despite an eroding economy.
In mis-characterizing Songhay, excluding mention of Gao as the capital, and not identifying the prominence of Amazigh/Tamashek influence - the Malian Empire has been artificially and unnecessarily pumped up. If the full character of Songhay and prominence of Askia Mohamed had been revealed, it would have only served to further credit Mali for the sustaining force of its great traditions - which was and is its real and enduring impact.
Building on this point, there is a general over-emphasis in the book on material wealth and material achievements. Yet the peace-making traditions of this era are the most enduring and substantive aspects of the historic legacy in Mali today. For instance, the current success with democratic governance in Mali has been directly attributed to popular association with Malian traditions as much as or more than to the influence of contemporary western notions of democracy. Many states and regions around the globe boast a legacy of material wealth and power, but few - even in Africa - combined wealth with a social tradition and literary heritage emphasizing tolerance, peace and justice. In your book there are references to the warmth of contemporary Malians, but this characteristic is not connected well to these historic and living social traditions.
Exploring misrepresentation of culture further, the photo caption for the men on camels wearing turbans is wrong. They are described as 'Berber' yet clearly they are Tamashek/Tuareg. One reason this distinction is important is because peoples indigenous to Mali (in this case Tuaregs) are characterized as peoples seemingly `from somewhere else'. Though related to Tuaregs, Berbers live primarily in Northern Africa not Mali. Another small but important point is that the caption beneath the photo of Tuareg boys says that they keep their face covered for religious reasons. In fact turban use is not at all related to their Islamic faith rather it is a cultural custom.
Also unfortunate is an exaggerated and negative characterization of the desert as a `sand box' - as if nothing grows or flourishes there or anywhere in Mali these days. But today agriculture is the main pillar of the southern Malian economy. Though drought and desertification are prominent and catastrophic forces, an agro-pastoral economy is active in the northern Malian Sahel and Savanna today. Young people and educators in the United States should not be led to view the Malian arid zones, or deserts anywhere as a sand-box/wasteland, rather they are rich and diverse ecological zones where many species including humans and their ruminating animals have learned to thrive - though often on the edge.
Despite flaws this book has great promise. It requires only small revisions so that the next edition is more inclusive and historically accurate. Meanwhile the accompanying curriculum guide should be modified so that educators are aware of the problems and able to dispel myths of Mande over-representation in historic and present-day Mali.
I couldn't teach Mali without this book!.......2003-03-10
This book was instrumental in teaching Mali to my third graders! The pictures are beautiful and the information is given at times through the eyes of a griot. The students loved social studies time! This book is the one I used daily in the classroom, and tied all of my activities to it. It makes our changing curriculum easier to adjust to!
Mali: Land of Gold and Glory.......2003-03-06
I am an elementary school teacher in Hanover County, Virginia. I love my curriculum, especially Social Studies, because I get to take my students on imagaination journeys to faraway places such as Greece, Rome, and now Mali. When our standards were changed recently to include the empire of Mali, we were all scrambling to find good resources to use to help our students understand what life was like in this great empire. Thanks to Joy Masoff, we found an excellent one in this book. My students enjoyed learning about griots, the camel caravens that brought goods into the market places of Mali, and especially about the great mansas: Sundiata and Mansa Musa. Her new book is very child-friendly, with colorful pictures, interesting activities, and easy-to-read descriptions of what life was like there. It is definitely a book to check out!
Amazon.com
The author of Inside Edge updates the behind-the-scenes saga of professional figure skating to include the results of the 1998 Olympics in Nagano, Japan. Beginning with the 1997 U.S. championships in Nashville, Brennan chronicles the ambitions, achievements, frustrations, and personal hurdles for the American skaters in a pivotal year that culminated with the Olympics. The year's drama is palpable, including highlights such as the competition between the two top-rated women, Michelle Kwan and Tara Lipinski, along with the ever-increasing athleticism of the men. Along the way Brennan makes detours to check up on recent favorites from the past such as Tonya Harding, Nancy Kerrigan, Oksana Baiul, Brian Boitano, and Scott Hamilton. And always rinkside are the stories of coaches, choreographers, parents, and fans who have transformed figure skating into one of the world's fastest-growing professional sports.
Book Description
* Updated with the latest on Tara, Michelle, and many other skaters-including the intriguing months following the 1998 Olympics
Respected sports journalist Christine Brennan tells the riveting tales of the world's best figure skaters during the most intense year of their young lives. The story opens with the 1997 U.S. national championships, when Michelle Kwan, the overwhelming favorite for the 1998 Olympic gold medal, leaves the rink in tears. Enter Tara Lipinski, a seventy-five-pound jumping machine--soon to become the youngest world skating champion.
Chronicling the year leading up to and including the 1998 Olympic Games, Edge of Glory offers portraits of the famous and infamous, the hopefuls and has-beens-Nancy Kerrigan, Oksana Baiul, Tonya Harding, Elvis Stojko, Todd Eldredge, Ilia Kulik, and many more. Edge of Glory also takes the reader behind the scenes of the sport: the aggressive sports agents, the career-fostering coaches, the eager reporters, the choreographers, and the attentive, stern judges. Ultimately, Edge of Glory is about the athletes themselves. What drives these skaters to a profession that promises retirement at such a young age? How do they survive in a sport where one fall decides it all? What do they fear? And, most importantly, who will win, and who will lose?
Customer Reviews:
Fine book.......2006-08-22
This is book is a nice book, but it seemed to focus on Tara Lipinski and Michelle Kwan, along with the Tara-Michelle thing a little too much. Skaters listed in the front are supposed to be the ones the book focuses on, although some of these skaters get only one paragraph of writing about them. In the final part, "The Olympics", the whole thing was basically about Tara's win and Michelle's silver. There was a little bit about the mens' event, but I found it confusing.
My other complaint about the Olympic section is that it mentions nothing about Elena coming back from 'Skate in the Head', or Artur/Anton (I forget which one) becoming the first man to win two Olympic gold medals with two different partners. I am not a big ice dancing fan, but not a single ice dancing couple was mentioned, which annoys me. Overall, it's a great read that could be even better.
Olympic Gold or Living Forever.......2004-02-29
Christine Brennan wrote in Edge of Glory that Tonya Harding has more raw jumping talent then anyother female ice skater in US history. For all practical purposes, Brennan is calling Harding the most talented female ice skater to ever live.
Brennan also recounted how Harding used CPR to save an old man's life.
If I had to choose between an Olympic Gold Medal and Brennan's description of Harding, the medal wouldn't have a chance! Gold medalists are a dime a dozen. Some of them go on to big careers in fast food places.
When a world class journalist like Brennan spends such words on a genetic parasite like Harding, the earth momentarily stops spinning on its axis. Harding would live forever even if the assault on Kerrigan never took place.
Most of the book is excellent but some of the trivia about Kwan's career bored me to tears. I also wish Brennan had given more details about Nicole Bobek's reasons for breaking and entering.
my thoughts.......2004-02-12
although i found this book engaging and enjoyed reading about the lives of these skaters, i personally felt that the anti-taraism was uncalled for. Having had the opportunity to have met both Tara and Michelle, I know that Tara did have her ways of coming off as arrogant, but so did Michelle. She is not as sweet and even tempered as christine made her out to be. It's a wonder why she doesnt mention the reason to why her past dress maker [Marie Talbot] stopped making her dresses. Her comment about her scores in the kiss and cry area [apparently she felt that she deserved a higher score regardless of her mistakes] . Dont bash on one skater and make the other skater come off as the nice one, they all have their ways of being arrogant.
A great tale from behind the scenes in skating.......2003-07-18
Did you know that Tara Lipinski's mom got in constant battles with her daugher at the rinks?
Did you know that Tara would go on "frenzies" and do unbeliveable amounts of triple triple combinations at her practice rink until she got them right? (this is what caused her hip surgery).
And did you know that Nicole Bobek was a chain smoking teen at one point?
Well you will know all of this after reading this book. I would have to say that this is one of the many views from behind the scenes, but one of the best. Christine B. gives a detailed look at how it all happens on the road to the Olympics.
Different skaters are profiled in this book as we learn about the skaters, coaches, endorsements, and many other things. Most of all we learn about americas 2 leading ladies (at the time) Michelle Kwan, and Tara Lipinski.
This author will tell it like it is so be prepared...and shocked.
The Good the Bad and the Ugly.......2002-11-13
I am a huge fan of the sport of figure skating, so when this book came out, I had to read it. I found that it was very interesting and read the whole book in a few hours. While some people do not care for the format of the book (Brennan jumps around from chapter to chapter writing about various skaters), I did not find it confusing. Brennan does a very good job of brining insight about what goes on "behind the scenes" where the cameras and lights do not shine so bright. I thought that Brennan was not biased with her writing, rather she did not attempt to "cover anything up" or fluff up reality. She told the stories and facts like they are, whether or not they gave a favorable impression on the skater. I also enjoyed how she focused on many different skaters and covered a broad range. Some of the major highlights include Tara Lipinski, Michelle Kwan, Nicole Bobek, Elvis Stojko, Michael Weiss, Rudy Galindo, Ilia Kulik, Todd Eldredge, Alexei Yagudin, Evgeny Plushenko, Alexei Urmanov and Lu Chen. Brennan did a good job of blending both the past and the present. She told of how the skaters got where they are today, as well as writing about the current competitions and issues surrounding the skating world during 97-98 season. I had hoped for a better quality photo section in the book. The hardcover edition has a small black/white section of photos. This is my only true complain. This book is a must have for any skating fanatic.
Book Description
Gold in the Water is the highly acclaimed and mesmerizing tale about the remarkable two-year journey an elite team of swimmers takes to the Olympic Games. P.H. Mullen creates a fascinating world of suspense and emotion, where the human desire for excellence rules and where there are no second chances for glory. Above all, Gold in the Water is about the triumph of the human spirit.
Customer Reviews:
Water is gold.......2007-08-23
Very nice book about swimming as a sport and the people, swimmers and coaches and more, in and behind it. One of few great books about swimming.
Just about the best book ever.......2006-10-23
Seriously inspiring, got me through a lot of long practises.
Great motivating story that will inspire you do follow your dreams..........2006-06-20
P.H. Mullen's Gold in the Water is a story that i first came into contact with a couple years ago. It is a fast paced true tale about average men trying to accomplish their goals. Reading the story over and over has helped me get through the hard times in and out of the pool. You don't need to be a swimmer to appreciate this story, but it does help. As I am in film school now, this is one story that can inspire more people then Remember the Titans with the Olympic power of Miracle. I encourage every athlete, Olympic fan, parent, or anyone who has a goal to accomplish to buy a copy of this book and one for their coach or mentor. It is a book to read over and over again.
Gold in the Water - Extraordinary Story!.......2005-10-24
As an athlete and the parent of a swimmer who's "Gold" is making it to the NCAA Championships one day, I believe this book is one of the few that truly captures the highs and lows of the swimming world. P.H. Mullen brought tears to my eyes with his compassionate, yet brutaly realistic retelling of SCA swimmers going for the gold. This story helps you appreciate what happens everyday with every swimmer who truly dedicates themselves to being the best! The emotional and physical sacrifices made by swimmers all over the U.S. are not paralled in very many other sports. This book should be read by every athlete who has a dream!
The Essence of Swimming.......2005-01-03
If you are not a swimmer already, you will want to be after completing this book. If you are a swimmer, then you will be thankful that someone has captured the essence of what those elite athletes at the other end of the pool do while you slog it out at 5 AM in the morning.
Mullen does an unbelievable job capturing the unrelenting workouts, the devastating highs, the excruciating lows, and reality of what happens when you stick your neck out there to pursue a dream.
Finally, as a competitive swimmer, Mullen is able to capture the awesomeness of these Olympians and at the same time showing that these people are indeed mere mortals. Most of the Olympians that I have seen train and have had the opportunity are much like Tom Wilkens: hard working, determined people who love their sport and are very approachable.
Book Description
From the most storied school in college football history . . .The Gold Standard -- abandoned by most of the world in the 1930s -- has been an article of faith in South Bend, Indiana, for almost a century. Mere winning records and second-tier bowl games? Not good enough for Fighting Irish fans. No college football program has produced more national championships, more All-Americans, and more Heisman Trophy winners than Notre Dame. But recently, not so much: no national championship since 1988, only one All-American since 1994, and a combined 11-12 record in the 2003-2004 seasons. So out went Tyrone Willingham, fired just three years into a five-year contract, the first Irish coach ever to be dismissed before the end of his deal. In came Charlie Weis, a forty-nine-year-old Notre Dame grad with no head coaching experience but four Super Bowl rings as an assistant coach. Weis proved, in the space of a single season, to be a football maestro with a hard edge, a brilliant mind, an affinity for detail, and an uncanny sense of how to motivate people. He returned a program mired in the blahs to its rightful (and historic) place among college football's elite. This book takes you inside a season unlike any other in Fighting Irish history -- and inside Weis's master plan for restoring the Gold Standard in South Bend.
Customer Reviews:
On his own players now..........2007-10-16
This is a book written before the facts were in. Not only is Coach W destroying what great progress Tyrone was making, but it is heading way, way down in the wrong direction. Weis did manage to take ND to two BCS games, but both were undeserved berths - the team was wiped all over the field each time.
Year one, Weis did fine... 9-3 - using Tyrone's players. Year two, not so bad, though easier schedule 10-3 overall.. again using Heisman Candidate Quinn... another Willingham recruit. Now this year, 2007, Charlie stands on most of his own scheme and own players. What do we have? 1-6 through first 7 games. One of the worst offenses in the country, if not the worst. Probably the worst defense. Lies to media and players. Five players have left the school. Players have been charged with crimes. Plenty of "going on 4th and 6 from your own 22 yard line" in the first half. Also, plenty of suing Doctors for your hogie addiction.
Bring back Coach Will!.......2007-10-04
Hi My name is Ambrose, I like to wear pink polos with the collar popped. This is an okay book but I think ND should bring back coach Willingham. He has a better book and was a good coach until they fired him. My favorite part of this book is when they talk about us almost beating USC. Notre Dame is a great program and this book is all about it. A. Wooden
What a joke........2007-09-20
Notre Dame hasn't won a bowl game in twenty years. They've been embarassed by top competition for the last five or ten years. They have the lowest ranked offense in the Division 1-A this year, with a grand total of -14 yards rushing through week 3. They have, perhaps, the worst offensive line I have ever seen a prominent program allow onto the field. Charlie Weis lied to QB Demetrius Jones (promising him the starting job, then handing it to Claussen), then threw a temper tantrum and refused to release Jones from his scholarship when he transferred. Where is the "decided schematic advantage" promised by Weis when he took the job? Where are the recruits? A lot of teams have to play underclassmen, but they manage to score an offensive touchdown within the first month of the season.
Oh, and Charlie Weis likely was the benefit of the Patriots' systematic and illegal cheating.
Haha.......2007-09-19
What a joke. 0-3 with -14 yards rushing? I guess this is Willingham's fault as well? Before becoming a dynasty they may want to think about scoring an offensive touchdown this year. Geaux TIGERS!! Remeber them ND fans?
Easy Money for Tim Prister.......2007-06-20
Want to know an easy way to make a few hundred thousand dollars? Write a book about Notre Dame football being great. There are plenty of idiots who will believe the book and forget Notre Dame's humiliating record against tough competition and its therefore-undeserved appearances in BCS games.
Charlie Weis a genius? I remember the books about Tyrone Willingham being a genius who returned the Irish to their glory:
Return to Glory: Inside Tyrone Willingham's Amazing First Season at Notre Dame
Tyrone Willingham: The Meaning of Victory
A couple of years later, Willingham was the goat, and Weis was praised for winning with Willingham's recruits. Any Irish graduate or fan who looks at the Notre Dame 2007 schedule should know that the post-Quinn era isn't going to get off to a smooth start, so maybe this piece of ludicrous fiction is more palatable than the looming truth.
Customer Reviews:
Routiers, Raiders, and the menace of the Condottiere.......2006-09-19
A good introduction to the warring mess of the Italian Warring States era of the 14th Century, Saunders is very much in the tradition of Tuchmann in sweep and historical detail. If you enjoyed "A Distant Mirror" then you shall surely enjoy this read as well. No one can duplicate Tuchmann, but the technique of using a rather obscure historical personage as a counter point to explore the history, social habits, military strategy and artistic acheivments of a particular era, when done well, yeilds a good narrative treasure for the reader. Saunders delivers!
John Hawkwood, an English Freebooter who participated in the great cheveauches which wasted great parts of France migrates to Lombardy and realises the potential of selling his mercenary services to the courts of Milan, Florence, and the Papal League. Even when reading it is virtually impossible to keep track of the alliances, counter alliances, intrigues within enigmas that underly this era, but the end result -- a frothy, earthy bloodfest, is a delight for the reader. This is really a case studies for Machiavelli type of book (Althought the events in the book actually predate Machiavelli by about 50 yrs).
The book is particularly good at describing the schisms in the Church at the time and one is tempted to ask the question how the church held together so well in the face of this schism and needed another 100 yrs plus, before it eventually fractionated into Protestantism.
Interested in Tuscany? Read this book first. Study a Tuscany guidebook. Re-read this book. Visit and re-visit Tuscany.......2006-02-11
Yes, The Devil's Broker is a thorough history of fourteenth-century's preeminent leader of brigands, outlaws and freebooters, John Hawkwood. It must encompass, therefore, The Hundred Years War, the Treaty of Bretigny, no peace in a devastated France, decades of British Free Companies raiding and ransoming French and Italian municipalities, the Pope and Curia moving back to Rome from Avignon two or three times, and the ruinous papal schism.
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Here is also a marvelous source on reliquaries, sleeping attire, size of beds, weaponry, battle tactics, camp life, diet, armor, Chaucer, worth of money, indulgences, forced loans, and interdicts, to name a few subjects.
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The author left this reader confident that she had included all relevant content surrounding the period and Hawkwood. The research is exceptional. If documents do not support connecting events together, the author states as much. Read the notes along with the manuscript to gain more insight. She wrote the entire book with skill so to be readable information, with a small caveat.
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My minor criticism is that sentences in the early chapters seemed overlong, and both fractured and run-on. I didn't seem to notice the problem later in the book. Perhaps due to outstanding content or I learned how to read at the author's level of writing.
The Devil's Broker: a brief review.......2005-08-24
Fourteenth century Italy was a maelstrom of political intrigue,military turmoil, and populated with deceiving and fascinating characters. Frances Stonor Saunders' new book uses Sir John Hawkwood, an English mercenary, as its center to create a world both thrilling and repugnant. To state that this is a book one "cannot put down" is risky, but it is nonetheless true. It is a captivating and well written account! The book moves rapidly through the era yet it does not sacrifice detail and description, but contains enough of both to hold the reader in its grasp. The character of Hawkwood is deftly interwoven into the fabric of medieval Italy. Although he was English he was a survivor. That was no mean feat as Sauders so impressively relates. It is superbly written and recommended most highly.
Portrait of a Freebooter.......2005-05-24
In the cathedral of Florence is a large fresco of a surprising figure. It was painted in the fifteenth century by Paolo Uccello, as a measure of respect to a Florentine fighter. Oddly, the figure is that of an Englishman, not an Italian, and one who fought for Florence simply because it was paying better than any of the many other sides during his tumultuous times. Sir John Hawkwood died in 1394, and in _The Devil's Broker: Seeking Gold, God, and Glory in Fourteenth-Century Italy_ (Fourth Estate), Frances Stonor Saunders tells what she can of his life. It must have been a tough task to get this history together. Hawkwood was a military leader in a turbulent continent, and "long cultivated an aura of inscrutability." There are two brief letters he wrote in 1394, which happen to be the oldest extant letters in English, but he was, as Saunders admits, a man of few words. This is necessarily an incomplete portrait; we can't tell too much about his relationships with his family nor with those (sometimes on opposing sides) who hired him. Saunders has, however, thoroughly steeped herself in details of the history of an extraordinary time, and delights in laying them out at length. She mentions several times the famous work covering the same period in another fashion, Barbara Tuchman's _A Distant Mirror_, and anyone who enjoyed one will enjoy the other.
Hawkwood was born in Essex in 1320, and by the time he was forty, he was poor and unnoteworthy, and had a criminal record. Perhaps he had no other options than to become a mercenary soldier, a freebooter, and by luck or skill, he became the best there was. He was ready to be hired to the side that had the best offer for him, and to go over to the opposite side if it beat the first offer. He was amoral and greedy. When a pair of friars greeted him with "God give you peace," he snarled back at them, "God take away your alms." In peace, a soldier for hire has no trade. During Hawkwood's thirty year career, "...popes and princes would cringe before his approach, denounce him as the Devil incarnate, and rush to hire him nonetheless." As the head of his White Company, he had a reputation as the ablest military commander of the middle ages. The climax of his ruthlessness and cruelty came in the destruction of the Italian town Cesena in 1377. He happened at the time to be working for Pope Gregory XI. Gregory had been in France, and was returning the papacy to Italy, the subjugation of which was his obsession. Gregory took no steps to distance himself from Hawkwood's slaughter of 8,000 civilians who had given up their weapons because their cardinal told them to. Hawkwood was particularly fortunate in his final battle, where his troops had to retreat back to Padua. His army had been defeated, but he managed the "swift and precipitous flight" of the retreat so adroitly that it won him more fame than his greatest victories. It was greeted as a miracle, but it wasn't his first one. In combat against Verona in 1386, he had confronted the problem of poisoned wells by dipping into them the unicorn's horn he happened to have, and the water was purified.
These are the sorts of detail that Saunders obviously loves, and her book is enriched by digressions that examine the ways of life during this part of the middle ages. One of the players in the political and religious warfare was Saint Catherine of Siena, an anorexic who had frankly disgusting habits of pious degradation, but used them to become the only woman of power described here. Mystically married to Jesus, she was given by him his foreskin to wear as a wedding ring. Among the many engines of war described here was the stone-throwing trebuchet which had a throwing arm of fifty feet; it was called the _cacciapreti_ or "priest breaker". Rotting animal carcasses were often used instead of stones, and pigs were deemed to be of the best aerodynamics. In discussing Hawkwood's marriage, we learn about advice given to wives on the art of catching flies to keep a vermin-free home, and the religious proscriptions on sex for married people, which would have reduced couplings to less than once a week, in the approved male-dominant position only. It is a strange, confusing, and distant time, but the wealth of detail Saunders has given reminds us it was a time of greed, warfare, starvation, religious orthodoxy and controversy, and cleverness without wisdom. As Dickens said, of two other periods, the times were very like our own.
Average customer rating:
- Thy gold to refine
- Incredible - It'll change you forever.
- Best of the series!!
- Painful to read
- The Best of the Work and the Glory Series
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Thy Gold to Refine (Work and the Glory, Volume 4)
Gerald N. Lund
Manufacturer: Bookcraft Pubs
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Contemporary
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| Literature & Fiction
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Family Saga
| Genre Fiction
| Literature & Fiction
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General
| Fiction
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ASIN: 0884948935 |
Product Description
In Thy Gold to Refine, volume 4 in the series The Work and the Glory, the story of the fictional Steed family enters one of the stormiest and yet most inspiring periods in Church history. Picking up where volume 3 left off in the summer of 1838, this book finds the Steeds, (all but daughter Melissa and her family) happily reunited in Far West, Missouri, only to be thrown into a maelstrom of intense and tragic events: the election-day battle at Gallatin; the siege of DeWitt; the Battle of Crooked River; the issuing of Governor Bogg's extermination order; the Haun's Mill massacre; the fall of Far West; the incarceration of the Prophet Joseph Smith; and the expulsion from Missouri. Characters whom readers have come to know and love from previous volumes return here, including Joshua Steed, who, although reconciled to his family now, finds that his commission in the Missouri state militia forces him to be alighted with those opposing the Mormons. Once again author Gerald Lund skillfully recreates dramatic scenes from Latter-day Saint history, transporting readers back in time to witness soul-stirring events and to meet unforgettable people. Readers of The Work and the Glory may well find that this new volume -- with its powerful account of endurance and faith refined by the fires of affliction &is the most engaging and moving installment in the series so far. 17 disc box-set
Customer Reviews:
Thy gold to refine.......2006-02-03
Incredible continuation of the Steed family sojourns into the West during the mid-1800's. What a writer, he combines history and a fictional family with wonderful precision and believability. Very enjoyable reading.
Incredible - It'll change you forever........1999-08-18
I had never before understood the true hardships that the early Saints had gone through, as well as the ramifications that their faith has on me, as a Saint today. I am free to worship as I please because of their sacrifice - a sacrifice I did not understand until I read this book in the series.
Best of the series!!.......1999-03-24
This is by far the most emotional volume out of the series. It takes you into the persecutions of the Saints and does not let you forget the pain and suffering they endured. It is also an emotional time for the fictional family, which still brings me to tears when I read it. I love this series!! I highly recommend it!!!
Painful to read.......1998-07-21
This book takes you though the short and painful period of time the Mormons spent in Missouri, including the massacre at Hauns Mill, Liberty Jail, and the infamous extermination order issued by the governor of Missouri. Mr. Lund writes these events through the eyes of both the victims and the people causing the suffering. Terrific documentation of actual events also. Highly recommended!
The Best of the Work and the Glory Series.......1998-04-10
The book was definately the best of the Work and the Glory series. It takes you through the difficult trials of Missouri and the exodus to Illinois and allows you to emotionally connect with all of the characters as they face their difficult challeges. None of the other books in the series, although enjoyable, contain the emotional impact that this one delivers.
Average customer rating:
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From gold to glory
Jeremiah Cummings
Manufacturer: Intricate IV ;
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
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ASIN: B0006SCCP2 |
Average customer rating:
- ATTENTION ASPIRING OLYMPIC CHAMPIONS.......
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The Gold and the Glory
Mark Chapman
Manufacturer: Culture House Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 096760804X |
Book Description
The amazing true story of Glenn Morris, 1936 Olympic decathlon champion and movie Tarzan. He came from a tiny town in Colorado to become recognized as "the world's greatest athlete." He also played in the NFL and served as a naval officer in World War II and suffered from post traumatic stress disorder.
Foreword written by Bob Mathias, 1948 and 1952 Olympic decathlon champion and four-term U. S. Congressman.
Customer Reviews:
ATTENTION ASPIRING OLYMPIC CHAMPIONS..............2005-03-18
as a coloradoan, i was extremely pleased to see one of our state's greatest athlete's recognized in this well written book. this was a true account of a tremendous athlete and a very inspiring life for any young athlete to imitate. this book should be in every school library in the state of colorado if it isn't already. A++++++++
Average customer rating:
- Wonderful portrayal of colorful adventuring fellowships
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Gold & Glory (FR15 Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, 2nd Edition, Forgotten Realms)
Tim Beach
Manufacturer: TSR
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1560763345 |
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful portrayal of colorful adventuring fellowships.......2000-06-09
Here's a beautiful supplement for the Forgotten Realms - this sourcebook details the famous (and infamous!) mercenaries and heroic fellowships of the world. There are chapters on history, guidance, and maps; most importantly, there are complete details on the fascinating characters themselves; their powers, dreams, motivations, and secrets are all revealed here. A huge, beautiful display of color plates crowns this section. And, as a coup de grace, there are complete BattleSystem statistics in the back, so you can have these proud elite contingents fight in your epic battles! Highly recommended.
Average customer rating:
- Practice makes Gold and Glory
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Gold and Glory: The Road to El Dorado (Gold and Glory)
Manufacturer: Cherry Lane Music
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1575603624 |
Book Description
A beautiful souvenir songbook of full-color photos and 8 songs from the DreamWorks animated film featuring original songs by Elton John and Tim Rice. Songs include: Cheldorado * El Dorado * Friends Never Say Goodbye * It's Tough to Be a God * Someday Out of the Blue (Theme from El Dorado) * The Trail We Blaze * Without Question * Wonders of the New World: To Shibalba.
Customer Reviews:
Practice makes Gold and Glory.......2001-05-22
This easy-to-read piano/vocal score is the perfect addition to any animation or Elton Fan's collection. With the level of "Easy Piano" anyone can use this wonderful score. With such titles as "El Dorado" and "Some day out of the Blue" (main theme from El Dorado) you'll spend hours of fun practicing or even performing these Spanish/mediteranian/rock tunes. Included with the scores are lush tropical snapshots from the film as well as 3 full page spread original landscapes. A must for Dreamworks fans. Full list of Scores:
#El Dorado
#Someday Out of the Blue (Theme from El Dorado)
#Without Question
#Frends Never Say Goodbye
#The Trail We Blaze
#It's Tough to Be a God
#Cheldorado: score
and
#Wonders of the New World: To Shibalba
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- Metro Boston, Eastern Massachusetts, Street Atlas (Metro Boston Eastern Masschusetts Street Atlas)(7th Edition)
- Murder on the Ile Saint-Louis (Aimee Leduc Investigation)
- My French Whore
- My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One-Night Stands
- My Life So Far
- My New Baby (New Baby Series)
- Nixon and Mao: The Week That Changed the World
- October Surprise: America's Hostages in Iran and the Election of Ronald Reagan
- Out of This Century: Confessions of an Art Addict
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