antholgy for the ages
352438
great set put out by wwe.
I got this to see the very first summerslam which I had not seen since it's orignal broadcast on ppv.
If you remeber and liked the wwf/wwe during this time you're sure to like this. all the shows are pretty good; summer slam '90 was pretty weak; but the other four make up for this.
Great for a dose of nostalgia.
on a strabge side note; there are several instances (although none come to mind immediatly) of editing.
for instance a match will be going and the combatants are on the floor, then sudden they are in the ring, but you really dont' notice as they waited for the jump as they are going into the ring. make any sense...
I don't know if I'm getting this out right, but it doesnt really detract from the shows nor the action, just like some one occasionally flash forwarded. its just weird cause all 5 shows were the standard 3 hrs and all 5 discs are 3 hrs each so i font really see the need.
didnt notice any annoying blurring of the old wwf logo (I hate that)
but it does have the whole over-dubbed new entrance music for certain athletes. minor quibble though.
also didn't realize as a kid how much of the show is interviews; therre are at least 2-3 between matches, somethimes the same superstar (hogan) is interviewed before, before again, and after the match.
each disc has an average of about 8 matches (with some great undercard matches totally forgotten by me such as roberts vs hercules ss89; irs vs the hammer ss'91) but when I was a kid watching it seemed like there were way more matches and less talking; which is a complaint I have w/ current wwe..too much talkie not enough violence.
recommended; get out your old hogan gear and sit back and relax..take it all in brother!!!!
657434
Covering vaguely the 1300s-1600s, this exhaustive work concerns itself with how society's public spectacles and ceremonies changed over time and why. I can't say enough about how amazing Trexler's accomplishments are. Though the writing itself scatters occasionally, the information here is invaluable. Religion, sex, and politics were massively intertwined with public display through marriage, childrearing, political meetings and lawmaking, and even in the seemingly innocent displays like snowball fights between noble-born teenagers! Legislation especially touched upon facets of life like what someone could wear and who someone could have sex with. Homosexuality itself is covered in detail--how society's seeming hypocrisy between attitudes and practice can be reconciled. The very spiritual nature of Florentines, both regarding Christian and "magical" behaviors and mindsets. Jousts, church dedications, ambassadorial visits, voting days, saints' feast days, engagements, and more all combined to create a rich, thriving public world for Florentines. To learn more about how Florentines created their public world, get this book. I can't say enough about it.

Chapters cover how Florentines viewed the human body, time and space, and the transitions from one stage of life to another; rituals involving friendship and family members; public displays regarding celebrations; and especially religious and spiritual ceremonies and displays.

One thing which researchers will especially like about this book is its extensive primary source citation. Footnoted and boasting a good bibliography and index, this book will be a valuable part of your research library.
4300284
In this highly impressionistic gloss on an exceedingly messy pair of millennia, Phyllis T tickles the rosy hopes of chatty emergent types that their "conversation" marks a momentous pivot of ecclesial epochs. The hide! The hubris! Tickle draws & quarters the rambling weed that is Christianity into neat 500-year portions and hangs it all, fetchingly, on a sort of tendentious, dialectic trellis. What a pretty tracery! And to think it's all pinned in place with the cosy, suburban metaphor of the "rummage sale". Breathtaking.

As she scuds over dark depths like a water-skier, Tickle is nowhere and everywhere, all things to all persons, irenically obtuse in typically episco style, able to spin cloister, Geneva, margin, Trent, synagogue, Aldersgate, conquest, and eucharists into an utter blancmange of nutritious inclusivity. And not only that! We, now, through Tickle's epic gaze can thrill ourselves with the giddy notion that we occupy a portentous cusp. Even us. Come! Comprehend centuries with Phyllis! The welter of anathemas, the conciliar tit-for-tat, the pros of icons, the infinitesimal scholastic razor, the post-Wittenberg fracas, and the pool of plural truths will all make SENSE, and MEAN THINGS, and keep you agreeably COMPELLED.
2123856
I'm sure that few people will ever read this review, the subject being so esoteric, but for those who do, I want to say that this volume should be in the bookcase of everyone interested in the Benedictine women of yesteryear. The book is just old enough that it does not include the current renaissance of religious life and the many ministries of the daughters of St. Benedict today, whether they wear the traditional habit or do their work in denim overalls.

The females of nearly all religious orders have historically received far less notice than their male counterparts. Few bishops were interested in them, few rulers bothered to notice them. As a result, the sources of information about these women are far less prolific. Their abbeys and priories were much poorer because they received far less money or help from the outside. Monasteries of men included many priests who could be sent to neighboring parishes to help out and who received a salary that was given to the monastery. Since women could not be ordained, their principal income was often derived from the parents who sent their daughters to the community's school to be educated. They did not receive nearly as much in lands, benefits, or money donations or inheritances, either.

This book is a straightforward presentation of such matters and is exactly what the title says; it does a detailed and excellent job. The sources the author uses are exhaustive. Hilpisch follows in the tradition of great Benedictine writers and compilers from virtually every century since Benedict wrote The Rule--all 15 centuries of them. Speaking as a Benedictine nun for many years, I hope that another such writer will complete the historical record of these women.
4480592
This is a curious, compelling study that is likely to generate as much controversy for its style as for its amalgamation of historical, cultural, literary, operatic, biblical and theological traditions.  Rougement traces the "courtly love" tradition from its orgins among 12th century troubadors in southern France through the high Romanticism of 19th century opera to the modern-day consequences of a love that is based on Eros, delusion, and selfishness--a passion that lives for passion, and whose only consummation can be death (for were it to endure, to be exposed to the glaring light of day, it would no longer be romantic passion).  Rougement's scholarship is solid, his interpretations provocative, and his proximity to his subject  uncomfortably "close" for someone bearing the mantle of cultural critic and scholar.  In fact, it's impossible not to feel the conflicted emotions of the author himself.  On the one hand, he presents himself as the enemy of "Eros" and proponent of "Agape," as the critic of immature, romantic passion and the defender of mature relationships based on a realistic "dialogue" between two unique, complex individuals.  On the other hand, he reveals the heart and soul of an incurable romantic, someone who has been love's thrall, who has been swept up in the dark rapture and sublimely lyrical death wish that is Wagner's "Tristan und Isolde."  But far from being a liability, that underlying tension provides the book's argument with an energy, vitality and, yes, "passion" that is lacking in similar studies of this fascinating topic.  At times I was suspicious that the author might turn out to be an idealogue, tedious moralist,  or Christian "fundamentalist," given the zeal and curiously evangelical flavor of many of his sentences.  Not to worry.  His intellectual kinship is with Kierkegaard, though he finally falls short of the "leap of faith" and spiritual "marriage" achieved by the melancholy Dane.  As proof of the foregoing, I defy any close reader of this text to leave the book more repelled than enticed, entranced, and ultimately entrapped by the Tristan and Isolde myth.  Rarely have I read a work in which an author so convincingly argues against himself.
4829802
This book has been mis-categorized.  It is NOT a book on sociology or social science, but one on history; specifically, the history of human sexuality.
This is a collection of articles, covering the period from Ancient Greece and Rome to Byzantium and the Latin West, and it includes a range of topics which all cluster around the subject of marriage.  Students of medieval sexuality will be happy to learn of a new articles by a number of heavy hitters in the field:  James Brundage produced a new piece on "Implied Consent to Intercourse"; Suzanne Wemple provided a short piece on Germanic women that can serve as a companion to her book-length work; John Baldwin included a summary of his book on the range of discourse on sexuality found in 13th century France.  In addition, to round out an otherwise often neglected field on Byzantium, Laiou offers an outline on sex, consent, and coercion in the East.

As a student of medieval sexuality and an instructor of undergraduates on the topic, I'm always hunting for new material that is accessible to the more casual student while still produced in a manner that meets rigorous academic standards of accuracy.  I was incredibly pleased to find this text, and plan to use several articles in my fall syllabus from Laiou's compilation.  For those more generally interested in the topic, none of these pieces is written in a manner that would close out a more generalized public interest, and each provides a wonderful bibliography for follow-up study and research.
4695094
This is an excellent book for the ordinary people on the ancient theme celebrated in song and story, mentioned in the title. Have you never wanted more from life? Why, and what hope have you? The book is a series of stories from the life of Christ expostulating and illuminating the final causes of these events. Ellen does not spare her opinions. She serves as our preacher. Each story is illuminated by a full color repro of a painting by John Steel, or Harry Anderson, with spot illustrations by James Converse. The art is a feast for more than the eyes.
4769261
This CD lasts a long time which is nice.  It covers all kinds of medieval and renaissance music, from what sounds like gypsy and/or peasant fare to military, courtly and more beatific spiritual and religious sounds.  It brings to mind sinners, saints, many earthly fools, and a few sinners who thought they were saints.  A good listen, helped by an insert with lyrics, that unfortunately doesn't always identify the languages of the song.  But that doesn't distract from the listening pleasure and the temporal evocations.
1373119
In "Another Word a Day" (is anyone else irritated that we cannot use italics for titles on reviews here?) Anu Garg devotes 52 specialized chapters to sets of five words each. He focuses on a common theme for each chapter, such as Numeric Terms, Fishy Words, or Words about Books and Writing (and having deployed the quotations for the book title, I must leave the chapter titles unadorned).

I received a copy of this book back in the winter and promptly lost it when it slid behind a rather ugsome desk I was in the process of tidying. Now that I have ousted the book, I am enjoying it. More to the point, I'm learning a great deal about a diverse, interesting collection of words. Mr. Garg succeeds in large measure by making the process entertaining. I suspect that the most ardent agelast would at least chuckle to himself at some point and that even erudite readers will run across words they had either forgotten about or hitherto not encountered.

Mr. Garg offers definitions parsed out by parts of speech, delves into a bit of etymology without lapsing into morbidly detailed fact-finding, and includes examples of how each word has been used in the current lexicon. He augments the text with an abundance of quotes and pithy sidebars.

In short, a book that provides nutriment in spades for those folks, myself included, who are interested in words and their usage and history.
475222
The wonder is that the components of this book were written by a host of contributors, many working more than a thousand years ago and centuries apart. Yet, in the careful hands of its translators and editors, "The Plantagenet Chronicles" brings us a cogent record of two and a half critical centuries. On the whole the original contributors managed to avoid self-consciousness--although self-righteousness was another matter. Many of the Chronicles' entries began life as personal letters. Great events of the day mixed with gossip and the trivia of local events. Thus the maiming of a horse took a share of ink and precious parchment from one of the most momentous events of the twelfth century, the murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket. To read this exquisite compendium is to imagine monkish figures bent over quills in poor light, huddling beneath their cowls. They nurse the warmth of guttering candle-flame fanned by winter drafts in a dark scriptorium. Add the sound of wind, a scratching quill, an island of flickering light in a darkness of damp stone, and the vision is complete.

"The Plantagenet Chronicles" grew, story by story, layer upon layer, until men such as Ralph of Coggeshall and Ralph de Diceto had compiled a curious mixture; several centuries worth of major and minor events in medieval France and England. And what centuries! Unceasing violence and prayer, fear and the clash of mortal enemies, life under the spiritual and temporal threats of priests and overlords. Here is the failure of King Henry II's and the German emperor's crusade, brought down because "God despised [the armies], for they abandoned themselves to open fornication and to adulteries hateful to God..." On the other hand, when monkish opinion detected the Almighty's favor, the Chronicles bring us entry upon entry of the blood-stained heroics that built Henry II's Angevin empire, a swathe of the richest land in Europe stretching from the Scottish border to the Pyrenees. Then comes that curious, love-hate relationship between the king and the queen who bore his sons, the subtle, driving Eleanor of Aquitaine.

If much of "The Plantagenet Chronicles" leads us through the building of King Henry's empire, the closing chapters tear that empire down: the book draws to a close after the barons forced the Magna Carta on King John, just after the fates of France and England were finally severed and torn apart. The temper of the Chronicles is constant: immense events interweave with and surrender space to the mundane and the trite. Thus the chronicles end with the portentous death of King John and a priestly gutting of his character. But the last line belongs to local color, to the guts themselves: "His intestines...since he was rather fat, were interred in Croxton Abbey."

"The Plantagenet Chronicles" is a wonderful source-book. Its text offers strong doses of human foibles that thread through a rich tapestry of superb, well-chosen illustrations.

Robert Fripp, Author, "<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Power-of-a-Woman-Memoirs-of-a-turbulent-life-Eleanor-of-Aquitaine/dp/0978062140/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Power of a Woman. Memoirs of a turbulent life: Eleanor of Aquitaine</a>"
4088863
Appearances CAN be deceiving.  At first glance this appears to be an intruiguing coffee table book - large size, lavishly illustrated, extremely interesting, universally applicable to young and old.  But upon closer reflection one notes the vast scholarship that went into this work which was obviously a joyous task for the esteemed author.
It is arranged chronologically, starting approximately 30,000 BC (I refuse to use that absurd "BCE"). What is noteworthy is that the most important, most far-reaching, the most elemental ideas came so early.  For example, the notion of a spirit world, the idea of magic, of communicating with spirits, of matter....these are all concepts that we take for granted now since they are such a part of our evolutionary cultural psychology as humans.
Many ideas are still controversial - racial superiority, evolution, cosmology - but these have not been with us since the dawn of history.  This is an exciting intellectual quest for our heritage in the world of ideas.  What is especially gratifying is the inclusion with every two page article of particular works - one could say a mini-bibliography - with which one can delve deeper into the subject.
The work is amazingly non-parochial, putting the "human" ahead of the specific culture.  That does not preclude him from listing some ideas that have particular meaning only to certain groups, such as jihad or anti-semitism.  But even these limited application ideas affect groups outside the ones they affect directly.  What is especially appealing is the ability to pick up the reading at the next idea.  Since each is only two pages long, there is not much possibility of "losing one's place."
591755
The Way of All Flesh covers six generations of strife in the Pontifex family, and spans a period from 1750 to 1880.  However, the bulk of the story concerns the life of Ernest Pontifex, from about age 5 up to age 28, and describes his unsatisfactory relations with his parents, his school, his church, his wife, and his friends.  Sometimes we feel sorry for Ernest, because many of his problems are caused by unbelievably cruel or thoughtless people, and sometimes we're furious with him, because he himself is the author of at least half of his troubles, but either way his misfortunes make him stronger and move him steadily along the path to maturity.  Throughout, the book remains an easy read, although the writing is very witty and often rewards close examination.
Even today, 100 years after the book's publication, a reader finds many things to identify with.  Anyone who felt unjustly treated by his or her parents or teachers will find much to sympathize with here.  Anyone who has wrestled with the conflict between Reason and Faith will find much to think about here.  Given how much change the last century has seen, it's surprising how many of the issues still seem fresh and relevant, and the book definitely makes you think about them.  It is easy to see how many people have described reading The Way of All Flesh as a turning point in their lives.
A point worth keeping in mind: the characters are all described from Ernest's point of view.  Several clues tell us that Ernest exaggerates the cruelty of various characters - some of whom seem evil beyond belief, and I think it's quite clear that, at these points, we're supposed to smile at Ernest - not shake our heads at the author.  This is most obvious with Ernest's schoolmaster, Dr. Skinner, whom Ernest consistently sees as a pompous fool, but who we also know is very popular with the best students, and who shows other signs of being a much better man than Ernest believes him to be.
The footnotes in my edition (Penguin Classics 1986) are very skimpy, focusing on comparing elements from Ernest's fictional life to Samuel Butler's real one.  The failure of the notes to translate passages in French or Latin, or to explain very contemporary references, is inexcusable.  (E.g. but for the recent controversy over his Beatification, we'd have no clue that "Pio Nono" was Pope Pius IX.)  Hoggart's introduction (1966) is decent but a bit dated, not having weathered as well as the book itself!
1397839
Recent years have seen an upswing of interest, in Christian circles, in the early Celtic Christianity of the British Isles during what we call the "Dark Ages."  The Celtic monasticism an missionary activity of that time were significant forces in shaping Western Christianity.  To some believers today, including the authors of this devotional, that branch of the Church seems to offer a model which is fully orthodox, but more wholistic, inclusive, and biblically-balanced in its lifestyle than some later traditions.  How accurate that perception is can be debated; but there is no doubt that this is a fresh and winsome work of devotional literature.

The Amazon description explains the format of each of the 15 devotionals.  (Patrick, of course, is the best-known saint profiled.)  A number of the invocations and blessings are actual translations of traditional Celtic originals.  This can be highly recommended to any Christian who makes use of devotional literature.
109424
In the late 70's I enthusiastically took my recording of "18" home from college and played it for my father on my new stereo; his first-listen gut reaction was to cringe and grouse at his perceived needle-stuck-in-a-groove monotony of the piece.  Somehow, that indictment never has tarnished my perception of "18"; after a quarter century of listening, I still find myself mining riches from this utterly beautiful, labyrinthine work.  It's ambitious and challenging, harmonically as well as in terms of the instrumental settings/juxtapositions.

The first "movement", Pulses, is a tightly encapsulated microcosm of the entire piece, with each following section developing and expanding the themes stated therein.  The cumulative effect is much like watching a chrysalis metamorphose into a butterfly.  I've watched PBS science shows that used "18" as audio backdrop to footage of cells dividing, stars forming in nebulae, etc., and I just marvel at the elemental qualities of "18".
3833873
I came upon Ms. Macaulay when I was searching for a female writer born on August 1 to use in my Writers Wit citation for that date. The book sounded interesting because according to the womans biography, she struggled at times with whether she would live a secular life or a Christian one, and her work reflected such a conversation.

The book obviously takes place in Turkey, throughout the Middle East of a much earlier time. And obviously, neither men nor women could easily travel there today.

Information Ive adapted from the back cover tells the plot in a nutshell: The narrator, Laurie, relates the story of herself, her Aunt Dot and camel (whom Laurie borrows from time to time), and Father Hugh Chantry-Pigg. They are traveling from Istanbul to Trebizond to spread Christianity; Laurie is perhaps more devoted than her Aunt Dot, though they both seem to fade in and out on that matter. Along the way this troupe encounters spies, a Greek sorcerer, an ape, and Billy Graham with a busload of evangelists. The novel is part travelogue and part comedy of manners, a bracing meditation on the perils of love, doubt, faith, and spirituality in the modern world.

This novel is considered by many to be Macaulays finest. I found it interesting, but I must confess that it would have been more entertaining had I ever traveled to that part of the world myself . . . and if Id studied more ancient history; many of the references were lost on me. And I believe her wit to be a bit anachronistic, perhaps understandable to the British and/or those who lived as adults at the time she wrote this book. I have the hard copy if anyone should want to borrow it! Let me know.
3376369
`A bonzer (p. 288) discussion of the strange but dinkum (p. 289) pedigree (p. 224) of the naughty (p. 202), nice (p. 212), and, sometimes, obscene (p. 217) English language.'

Word Watching is a delightful collection of 48 short essays (plus an Introduction and an Afterword) on selected lexicographical examples.  Some are curious, some are profound, some are funny and each of them is interesting.  Words are, as Julian Burnside reminds us, a source both of pleasure and power, and can be deployed for good or for ill.

In `Doublespeak', Julian Burnside suggests that George Orwell would be disappointed to find that slick political language is as powerful now as in 1933: `it can hide shocking truth, it can deceive a nation, and it can hand electoral victory to the morally bankrupt.'  And, of course, there are plenty of examples: who can forget `an incomplete success'?

There's a chapter on the lexicography of animals (`Beastly Words').  Amongst other things, I learned that venison was originally any animal hunted for meat, or the meat of any animal so caught.
You could, as I did, read this book from cover to cover delighting in his discussions of various topics including  `Naughty Words', `Obscene Words', `Haitch' and `Terminal Prepositions'.  I met some old friends amongst the `Collective Nouns' and met another one in the original meaning of `a bouquet of pheasants' - a group of pheasant as they break cover in front of the beaters.

Some of the essays explore curiosities in odd corners of the language; others illustrate how words can shift between languages.  The language we speak continues to evolve: new words are coined; others change meaning while some slip out of common use.  The use of `so' as an intensifier ( as in: `I am so not going to the party') takes some getting used to but, as Julian Burnside says, it works.

`When I use a word, Humpty Dumpty said in a rather scornful tone, `it means just what I choose it to mean - neither more nor less.'

I really enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to anyone with an interest in English.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith
1306219
This is a difficult book to review, particularly because I've not finished it. It represents the classical Medieval style of biblical commentary structured on a tripartite view of the "historical, allegorical, and moral" meaning in each passage under consideration. The historical commentary is arguably somewhat limited by today's standards since the Medieval scholars didn't have access to the kind of archaeological or data-processing tools we have today; however, St. Gregory's profound and expansive knowledge of Scripture and tradition often reveal fascinating details about people and places which aren't readily available elsewhere or widely known. The allegorical and moral commentaries are sometimes so far-fetched as to be almost comical, leading this reader to suspect that St. Gregory was at times challenging himself to see how far he could string out his allegories. He often provides some very insightful and well-grounded moral or spiritual advice, undiluted by any hint of postmodern sappiness, of course. I find his style refreshing for this reason. The book is huge, however. I would be surprised if more than a handful of dedicated modern scholars have ever finished it. Overally, I think the Moralia on Job is most valuable for giving the reader an intimate appreciate for how the Medieval Church approached their faith, often leading to striking and instructive contrasts with the way in which modern Christians do so.