Chartres Cathedral: Illustrations, Introductory Essay, Documents, Analysis, Criticism (Norton Critical Studies in Art History)

Book Description

The Draw Super! series offers everything comic book fans need to start drawing their very own adventures. With lessons geared towards beginning artists ages 11 and under, each book teaches readers a specific genre or style and features:

-More than 30 easy-to-follow demonstrations, each done entirely through the use of illustrations -- the language the audience speaks

-Simple drawing techniques using simple lines and basic shapes such as circles, triangles and squares

-Some of the most popular subjects, including superheroes, villains and monsters

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Sights Once Seen: Daguerreotyping Fremont's Last Expedition Through the Rockies
Robert Shlaer
Manufacturer: Museum of New Mexico Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Photo Essays | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0890133395

Book Description

Little is known about the fifth and last western expedition of the celebrated explorer John Charles Frmont. The great effort to survey a transcontinental railway route across the 38th parallel ended short of success in the snows of Utah in 1854 but involved a meticulous photographic documentation-in daguerreotypes-of the route from the Mississippi westward. It was believed that a central railroad across the country would favor abolitionists in the great debate then raging in the country over slavery. Solomon Nunes Carvalho was hired by Frmont to photograph the expedition-the first time a western expeditionary survey had been systematically documented in photographs. Tragically, the daguerreotypes were destroyed by fire, and Frmont's fifth expedition was lost to history. Author and daguerreotypist Robert Shlaer remarkably has reconstructed the expedition in 120 original daguerreotypes. Using Frmont's maps, expedition documents, and Carvalho's diary accounts, Shlaer recreates the lost expedition across America's most breathtaking landscape using photography's first and most venerable method of daguerreotypy.

Book Description

Engagingly written and thoroughly researched, this paperback edition of Stories That Changed America examines the work of 21 investigative journalists and public figures whose reformist writings changed America forever. Profiled here are such outspoken muckrakers as Upton Sinclair, whose The Jungle inspired the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act; Lincoln Steffens, who uncovered corruption in both city and federal governments; and other notables such as Rachel Carson, Betty Friedan, Malcolm X, and Ralph Nader.

Book Description

and of the Radioactive Midnight Sun is the story of Lt. Sean Michael Flynn as he tries to survive his first year in Alaska. With romantic notions of Jack London and bush piloting, Lt. Flynn requests a transfer to Eileson Air Force outside of Fairbanks, Alaska. He is a bit unnerved at how easy the transfer goes through. From a rugby game on a frozen river to living across from Santa's Village to a baseball game under the midnight sun to soaring over the wilderness in an F-16, this is an hilarious trial-by-many-errors account of what it takes to become a true Alaskan.

Customer Reviews:

An excellent, hilarious read for anyone thinking about moving to Alaska.......2007-02-21

I was stationed at Eielson at the same time as Sean but mainly knew him from his hilarious and entertaining (and eventually banned) columns in the base newspaper. I found the book by accident years later while stationed at Elmendorf AFB in Anchorage, AK. Sean's account so perfectly encapsulates life as a Cheechako in the interior of Alaska it has to be a must read for anyone thinking of moving to, or even visiting, the heart of the last American frontier. Sean's newspaper columns were the topic of conversation every week in what was probably the most read USAF base paper in history - and his book is an ongoing laugh-fest with a style all his own, though very reminiscent of great humorists writers like Dave Barry. His experiences, while typical of a young, single guy (as I was at the time), give a true picture of what Alaska is all about. You don't have to know about Alaska or like the military to find this book a fascinating and eminently enjoyable read - but if you've ever been in the military, visited or thought about visiting Alaska - this is a book you can't pass up!

An all-American guy's refreshing and honest look at the Last Frontier.......2005-10-26

Sean Michael Flynn didn't save the world when he went to Alaska; he didn't feed the bears or teach the Eskimos and he didn't climb the highest mountain. But that's not what he set out to do. Flynn was stationed at Eielson Air Force Base in the Alaskan Interior, and while there he decided to make the best of an opportunity to do things most people never get a chance to do. Here he delivers an immeasurably entertaining trip through his first year on the Last Frontier, filled with first-hand experiences written with a wit and humor that would make Dave Barry proud. (At times he made me laugh unlike any writer has been able to do since Lewis Grizzard. Yet is humor is refrshingly effortless...Flynn isn't the class clown, but he's the guy you know who can tell a story that'll leave you rolling on the floor.) Flynn never tries to be a hero, instead using a self-deprecating manner that lets you know he's 'one of us'". His "likeability" makes this a truly refreshing read. You'll really begin to enjoy the time you're spending with him (and that's not easy to accomplish with the written word.) He'd never say so himself, but the reader can tell that Flynn's an all-American guy-next-door...the kind of guy that other guys would like to hang out with and girls would like to take him home to their parents. In this book, he conveys that although the real Alaska might not be everything it's cracked up to be, in many ways, that's one of things that makes Alaska so much more. What's great about this book is everything that it's not---it's not a book about someone who goes to Alaska to communicate with the bears, or live off the land, or become a bush pilot, nor is it one of those books about someone who goes to Alaska to try to find himself. But in the end, that's exactly what he ends up doing. An absolutely fantastic read!

A must read if you get orders to Eielson!.......2004-06-24

Having been stationed at Eielson during the same time as Flynn, I can vouch for his accuracy in the descriptions of the whole "Interior of Alaska" experience. I'm thankful that he wrote this, because now when people ask what it was like up there, I just tell them to buy the book. Overall I liked his stories and his range of topics, but sometimes they seemed to drag on a bit, especially when they dealt with his lack of female options. He more than makes up for that, with poking fun at a sometimes stuffy US Air Force, and his quest for becoming a sourdough. A great book to pick up when you think life in the lower 48 is tough and you need a chuckle.

Puts Alaska on your "must go" travel list.......2004-03-20

Well-written, insightful, educational, and entertaining. Funny without making fun of people. Really brings Alaska and its residents to life, providing a fascinating glimpse of the state unavailable to most visitors (i.e., way beyond the typical 7-night cruise ship experience.) I began reading it because of my interest in military history (the author was stationed there as an Air Force officer), but the quality of writing and greater focus on non-military experiences was a pleasant surprise. I now want to quit my job, pack my bags, and head immediately to Alaska.

A smooth, entertaining read.......2004-02-23

Sean's style and story-telling ability flow quickly, easily and smoothly. You're happy to go along for the ride, and during the trip you learn so much about one of the smallest, most unique cultures in this American sea of cultures, and about one of the most beautiful yet challenging places on the planet. Things you could learn only by living them. But just as importantly, you laugh as you watch him grow from cheechako to sourdough. A must-buy for anyone into reading humor, or about the military, or Alaska. Get it now!!

Book Description

Every holiday season for ten years, Billy Romp, his wife, and their three young children have spent nearly a month living in a tiny camper and selling Christmas trees on Jane Street in New York City. They arrive from Vermont the day after Thanksgiving and leave just in time to make it home for Christmas morning -- and for a few weeks they transform a corner of the Big Apple into a small town that might be the setting for a classic Capra film.

One neighbor strings a power line from his basement to their festively decorated van; another provides them with a phone line; still others drop off spare keys to nearby apartments so they'll have a place to take a hot shower. The local meter maid "forgets" to ticket them for parking violations; Broadway producers turn up with theater tickets, and the Romps return the city's generosity by giving trees and wreaths to homes in need. It's a unique and inspiring story -- and this lovely, lovingly illustrated little gem of a book is a wonderful celebration of one family and the warm, wide circle of friends who have created a Christmas tradition all their own.

Customer Reviews:

I was so disappointed.......2005-09-26

I was so looking forward to reading this book. Rather than describing in detail how they managed their family needs in an incredibly small space (and what about school for the kids?) it was a Hallmark version of a prepubescent daughter's first altercation with her dad. Yes, it's a quick read and could have been a fascinating story. Too bad it wasn't.

A must for December book clubs.......2004-04-13

When looking for a light book for my book club to read in Decemeber, this was recommended by three librarians and two book stores.One thought it was out of print, but hurrah--it's not. I ordered in through the used book section so all our members had little initial investment. A friend is now ordering it for her book club in Wisconsin.

i have met this family and visited them in greenwich village.......2003-12-13

i received this book a couple of years ago and was enchanted by it. i live in NJ so for the last 3 years have gone to "jane street" to see this wonderful family. the first year i brought my book with me and the entire family signed it and were absolutely lovely. the next two years i have welcomed them to nyc and brought them cookies, popcorn, etc. they are a joy to manhattan and all mankind. a marvelous family who arrive in their trailer on jane street the day after thanksgiving ever year since 1988 or 1989 (forgot which!)---if you are in new york during this period in time - go pay them a visit; fanatastic family!!!!!!

Good Christmas Read.......2003-03-23

I heard about this book in a Country Living magazine. I kept the title in my mind for a couple of years until I ran across it again and bought in on Amazon.com. It was worth the wait. The book is about a family who sells Christmas trees every year on Jane Street in NYC. It reminds you of the importance of family and confirms that everyone needs their family and even strangers can become your family. This book reconfirms the value of caring about others.

Okay.......2002-01-08

While I thought this would be a story about Christmas in New York I was wrong. The book was mostly about a father/daughter relationship gone sour, and then brought back together.

This was an enjoyable book about how the Christmas season can tear a family apart and bring them back together.

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a somewhat touching story to read this holiday season. Although, this book can be read year round.

Book Description

In the summer of 1942, 440 women walked through the stone gate of Fort Des Moines to become the first female military officers in American history. In the months and years to come, thousands of women would follow, serving in non-combat roles in order to free thousands more men to fight on the front lines against totalitarianism during the bloodiest conflict in human history, World War II. Among these women was a red-headed farm girl from Illinois, Carrie Jones LeFew.

Married to a soldier who became "Missing in Action" when the Philippines fell to the Japanese in May 1942, Carrie joined the Women"s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) for the same reason thousands of others did: to do her part to bring the war to a swift end so that her life with the man she loved could begin again. She was assigned duty at Fort Des Moines where she would spend most of the next four years of her life as she moved up the ranks of the military, eventually achieving the officer's rank of captain. Her wartime journal provides a personal and poignant frame for this story of the fort she came to love.

Today, most of the historic fort, once called the "West Point of the Midwest," has been demolished. The few remaining original buildings have been renovated and now represent the Fort Des Moines Education and Research Center, which opened in July 2004. The center pays homage to the entire history of Fort Des Moines, from its earliest days as a cavalry post which saw the first African-Americans become army officers to its role as the first home of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps in World War II.

My Mother's Fort: A Photographic Tribute to Fort Des Moines, First Home of the Women's Army Corps captures this entire history both through the words of those who served at the fort and hundreds of photographs from its earliest cavalry days to its current renovation. The book is the culmination of over three years of research, including extensive interviews with former "WACs" and others who lived at the fort, the study of every primary source available on its long history (including many published and unpublished WAC memoirs), and on-site research at the current fort. As a result, this book offers the only comprehensive history and photographic documentation of Fort Des Moines.

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Good academic introduction

One scholar's definition of "Crusade"

Brilliant intro

Useful background and approach

Not for beginners!

What Were the Crusades?
Jonathan Riley-Smith
Manufacturer: Ignatius Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | World | History | Subjects | Books
Medieval | World | History | Subjects | Books
General | Catholicism | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0898709547

Book Description

Few attempts have been made to define "the crusade" before the first edition of this book was published in 1977. Since then, a number of historians have built upon Jonathan Riley-Smith's conclusions. Their research has been incorporated into this new, thoroughly revised, third edition of a classic starting point for any study of the crusading movement.

Among other key aspects, the book deals with causes for crusading, the legitimizing authority of the papacy, recruitment, and the nature of the crusade vow and its consequences. This new edition also features a useful chronology and brief biographies of some crusaders, both real and imaginary.

Original in its conception, this essential guide is a contribution of major importance to crusading scholarship. In its clear and concise treatment of the issues, it remains an unequalled introduction to the subject for students and general readers alike.

Customer Reviews:

Good academic introduction.......2006-03-23

I found this book to be a good academic (maybe a bit boring) introduction to the subject of the crusades. It is not a garrish or sensational account of this Christian invasion of the Levant between the 11th and 13th centuries. Instead is an attempt to dispassionately classify the crusades in an academic manner while looking at the factors that instigated and allowed its continuation for 2 centuries.

One scholar's definition of "Crusade".......2005-07-05

This slender volume by one of the world's leading scholars of the Crusading period is an excellent introductory on the subject. It has little to do with the various campaigns that made up the Crusades themselves, but rather offers a coherent definition of what a "Crusade" really was.

Riley-Smith argues that a "Crusade," to be considered as such, must meet all of the following criteria: 1) it must be an open, voluntary and temporary vow to perform military service in the defense of a Christian place or people; 2) the campaign must receive explicit papal advocacy; 3) the participants must be granted certain privileges generally extended to Christian pilgrims; and, most importantly, 4) participants must receive generous indulgences against sins in return for their service.

The author's definition is rather broad by other standards. For instance, he directly rejects the notion that the Crusades focused exclusively on the recapture of the Holy Lands, with a special emphasis on Jerusalem. But he also argues that actions that had an objective of national liberation (as opposed to the liberation of the Republic of Christ) and/or were led by secular monarchs rather than the pope - the Spanish Reconquista is the most obvious example - were not part of the crusading movement, properly defined. Neither were the actions undertaken by the various religious military orders that developed in the Middle Ages, such as the Knights Templar and the Hospitallers, because those groups maintained selective admission standards and their vow was permanent, not temporary.

The issue on which Riley-Smith differs most strongly and fundamentally with other leading scholars of the period is his belief that the motivations of the Crusaders were, in the main, pure and sincere. He argues that individual crusaders were driven primarily by self-interest in the offer of plenary indulgence (i.e. the complete remission of guilt and punishment for sins both on earth and in the afterlife) with only a secondary consideration in serving the Republic of Christ; avarice and the lure of plunder in the East played no part. The prospect of eternal salvation and the defense of God's Kingdom on Earth thus propelled the various campaigns that came to be known as the Crusades; they weren't smokescreens for conquest.

One final note: "What were the Crusades?" is concise and introductory, but it isn't light. Much of the material is dense and the first-time reader may find that they need to proceed slowly through the chapters to fully absorb the arguments. Also, a good follow up book to this one is the classic overview of the Crusades by the German historian Hans Eberhard Mayer. You'll quickly see the differences in opinion between these two leading scholars.

Brilliant intro.......2004-04-30

This book IS available in a sharp looking 100 page softcover from Ignatius Press. Its the 3rd edition with new intro since its original publication in 1977. Dr. Riley-Smith, full professor at Cambridge, is THE leading authority on the Crusades.

This book is a workout for the non-specialist. Its obstensibly an exercise in definition: Few ever bother to define what exactly is a 'Crusade' and what isn't -- he shows the different schools of thought on this question and renders his own judgment. In the process he gives an historic overview, a highly sophisticated commentary on the crusade ideal (and ways the actual practice fell short), and much more. One of the best succinct definitions of the Christian Just War theory I've ever seen (as well as Holy War theories that have fallen out of favor).

If this leaves you wnating more, check out Riley-Smith's masterful The Crusades: A Short History (Yale). Also see the special issue on the Crusades by Christain history magazine form a few years ago (back issues available from Christianity Today Institute online). It is richly illustrated and includes a masterful interview with Riley-Smith among other things for a few dollars.

Useful background and approach.......2003-11-23

Thanks to Islamism, the subject of the Crusades has gained new currency, indeed urgency. This is the third edition of a very useful introduction to the crusading enterprise by a distinguished professor of history at Cambridge. Who were the Crusaders, what did they believe they were doing, what were the moral legitimations of their cause? These and other questions are addressed, and the book includes a helpful annotated bibliography for the reader who wants to learn more. A first THings review

Not for beginners!.......2003-10-12

The title and brevity of this book would give the impression that it is an introduction to the subject of the Crusades for readers who don't know much about them yet. Nothing could be further from the truth. It contains a great deal of useful, enlightening information that would put the subject into perspective, but if one does not have a good grounding in medieval history, or thorough basic knowledge of the Crusades already, much of the book is uninterpretable. The author brings up the names of various medieval European kings (Henry IV, etc.) without bothering to mention what countries they ruled and when they lived. You can't figure this information out from context, because the author jumps around in time and geography a lot, sometimes three or more times in the same paragraph. He similarly brings up historical events that to the lay reader are completely obscure, and doesn't give any indication as to what they were. I can't tell if this book was written by an intellectual who is so far into his field that he has no idea what the average, well-educated reader doesn't know, or if it is just not intended for novices. In either case, before you can reap the benefits of this book, you need to find a basic book on the Crusades and educate yourself with that one first.

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What Were the Crusades? 3ed PB
Riley-Smith Jonathan
Manufacturer: Palgrave Macmillan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OV9QP0

Book Description

Using federal funds for natural hazards research more effectively.

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