I was introduced to this book by a fiction writing teacher to whom I'll always be grateful. It's a fresh, ingenious selection of ritual and sacred poetry from around the world, translated with irreverence and raw attitude. If you're used to the vague New Age-isms of what usually gets thought of as "ritual" and "sacred," pick this up and get a jolt--Rothenberg finds incredibly powerful language in places where it wouldn't occur to most people to look, and he's not afraid of crudeness and hilarity. Amazing stuff. A friend of mine has worn out copies of both the first edition and this one, and I don't blame her.

Back in the 1970s I discovered this book. It became my companion. Its rich poetry, its multitudes of rituals and images have inspired my batiks and paintings for the past thirty years. What variety and life!

As we begin to see this earth suffer the effects of our presence here, these poems -with roots in every continent- speak together of this planet as a sacred place. One perhaps we might still come to treat well. Read a few aloud, sit in your garden this spring and read a Navajo corn song, stir, stir ... This is well researched, carefully and lovingly translated; it should accompany any studies of native cultures worldwide.

In an age when revolutionaries come from different family trees, how do you look at the legendary Leon Trotsky, and his theory of "permanent revolution," that colonial countries can move directly from capitalist governments to workers governments? Jack Barnes, Socialist Workers Party national secretary, examines this issue in an article based on a 1982 speech.

Their Trotsky And Our, by Jack Barnes, is a timely reprint twenty years after it was first published. Based on a talk before 1000 working class fighters from the United States and around the world, this talk was earth shattering for those who looked mainly to Leon Trotsky. It reclaimed the political perspective and the strategic centrality of the worker and farmer alliance in the fight to defeat capitalism. And it re-knit ties with Bolshevism and the Communist International in Lenin's time. This enhanced rapprochement with genuine communists of the day: the Cubans and other serious fighters world wide.

As James P. Cannon, a founder of the U.S Communist Party, a delegate to two congresses of the Communist International and later a founder and a central leader of the Socialist Workers Party and the Fourth International said : "It is not a new movement, a new doctrine, but the restoration, the revival of genuine Marxism as it was practiced in the Russian Revolution and in the early days of the Communist International." Thus "Their Trotsky and Ours" places Trotsky where he belongs in history as the twentieth century's greatest Marxist-Leninist, second only to Lenin.

This document is a summation of the lessons of history of revolution. In its way it is in line with the Communist Manifesto, with the fundamental documents of the Comintern, knitting together the history of world revolution, and of its Marxist vanguard in particular. This is not just about Trotsky and his contributions, butabout how the Cuban communists fit into the continuation of Leninism, of what lessons we can learn from the crushed revolutions in Grenada and Nicaragua and the revolution led by Thomas Sankara in Burkina Faso.There is so much, how Lenin's understanding of the importance of reaching out to farmers is true today, how new currents of workers searching for communist answers will keep emerging as they did in Cuba. This book rejects the sectarianism that characterizes many who call themselves Trotskyists for the genuine Leninism that Trotsky was recruited to and fought to continue. It tells how Trotsky learned Leninism, and how Trotskyists have learned like Trotsky did, not to be Trotskyists, but to be communists. For many, this pamphlet will take them back to the founding documents of the Communists International. For others this will take you to the continuing revolutionary politics of Fidel and the other Cuban communists. If you are serious about changing the world, you need to read this, study this, and follow the links this important book takes you to revolutionists throughout history and around the world. Rather than looking back at history, this book willtake you forward to see where new revolutionists, new currents of revolutionists, new revolutions will come in the future.

You are certainly off the beaten path if you are reading this review. But trust me, you're in a good spot. It was an unintended and yet happy serendipity that I bought Fermor's "A Time of Gifts" at a used book shop at the far end of Crete, in Paleohora. It wasn't until later that I appreciated the coincidence. I thought my prep school education and university BA in ancient history and German grounded me pretty well in things European. After reading Fermor, I realize I "don't know jack". This is a great book. The writing is fine, the content superb. It is wonderful for all the adventures and carefree wanderings. Yet this story is poignant: not only for the glimpses of what is to come in WWII, but also because Fermor passes through a world that is gone forever. His journey would be impossible today. Read it and keep it. Happily, I came across the second book, "Between the Woods and the Water" in another used bookstore, the Green Apple in San Francisco.

This book should be in any traveller's library. Wonderful writing and a joy to read again and again. Why are the books descibing this epic journey out of print? It's a crime.

A phenomenally rich and evocative journey through pre-WWII Europe. This is one the most memorable books I've ever read. Paddy writes with vivid attention to detail and from an astounding learned perspective on people, places and possibilities in the history he lived through. (first part of a trilogy - the last installment of which is eagerly awaited!!)

"Torch in the Darkness" targets "middle readers" but is an exhilerating trip through history for youth and adults alike. The sights, smells, sounds, and tastes of Renaissance Bavaria are so graphically depicted that one cannot help but accompany Dieter, the poor boy who struggles up from filthy poverty to make his dream come true. The characters are well-rounded; the countryside and cities come alive in the mind's eye. Claire Ewart's color paintings are a gorgeous complement to Garinger's elegant writing. That this gripping story is based on a real artifact in Nurnberg, where the reader might hope to go one day and actually see it, is an added delight. Two thumbs WAY up!

Alan Garinger's book is spell binding. His story telling is reviting -- as a writer his presence is "invisible" as he draws the reader into the story. This tale is as historically accurate as it is compelling. We bought this book for our grandchildren and ended up reading it ourselves. We liked it so much we bought multiple copies for the grandkids, assorted friends and one to keep!

Great book! Taught me a lot that I did not know. I purchased this book for my kids and found myself finishing it before they did. Fantastic, authentic detail in the everyday life of the 1500's. Most books of this type gloss over what it was like to live in this era, Alan goes into great detail and gives children (and adults!) such a vivid picture that you can see, hear, taste and smell everything that Dieter does! When an author is able to grab you and put you into the subject's shoes...he is a master at his craft! Highly recommended, from a mother and two kids, 7 & 11! I am disappointed in Amazon not having this book available..it is December and I wanted to purchase another copy for our schools' library.

As an amateur genealogist and family researcher I have had many questions on the mechanics of how my ancestors made their voyage from Nassau (Germany) to Pennsylvania in the 18th Century. Most sources skip over these details. However, to understand the challenge they faced, one must know these details. Wokeck has mastered many documentary sources on both sides of the Atlantic to provide the definative answers to such questions. She also explores how these early mass migrations of Germans and Irish provided a model for the later and better known 19th Century migrations. To understand how we became Americans all of use must understand the immigrant experience. That experience began with the subject of this book: the development of the transportation of European migrants into a successful business enterprise. It began small, sporadic, and experimental and became a mass commercial enterprise which was both efficient and profitable. The text and the cited sources are invaluable. I was exhilarated after reading it. It has renewed my enthusiasm for my research at a time it was in the doldrums. Any person with a 'Palatine' ancestry should consider this a 'must read.'

Also recommended: A Tide of Alien Tongues, Marrianne Wokeck (1982)

A few years back I got curious about my family name (again). I have asked dozens of linguists about this name, and I basically got educated guesses that were wrong. When I finally found the truth, I found that there were two original Puterbaugh immigrant ancestors. Mine was named George Puterbaugh, and he arrived in the U.S. a little while before the American Revolution. The family name has many variations (Butterbaugh, Putterback, Putterbaugh, etc.) -- but they all derive from a German place name, a town named Puderbach in the German Rhine lands. If you have read this far :-) then you probably have some interest in this area of history. If you do, then you should most definitely buy and read this book and pass it on to your children. It's the only book on the subject! It's good! Just as an example: I already knew that George Puderbach arrived in Philadelphia on a ship called the "Two Brothers" whose captain was James Arnott. NOW I also know that Shoemaker and Co. were the merchants who sold old George into indentured servitude. And there is a distinct possibility that old George ran away, because he showed up very soon in nearby Maryland, the most common escape haven for such folks. And the map shows the Great Wagon Road he may have run along! If you're interested in "Pennsylvania Dutch" (i.e. Deutsch = German) genealogy, this book is a MUST!

How did tens of thousands of Germans and Irish arrive in America before the War for Independence?

How did they decide on the journey? What factors turned their heads westward instead of to the eastern settlement schemes of Prussia, or the Austrian or Russian empires? Where did they get their advice from? Who led the Germans down the Rhine? How were they collected for trans-Atlantic shipment? Which middlemen profited from (or exploited) the "trade in strangers"? What were the costs of their passage? How were they received in the valley of the Delaware?

This scholarly book addresses the earliest trans-Atlantic mass migration to North America - those immigrants from southwestern Germany and northern Ireland who arrived prior to 1775. It answers the above questions and many more.

Our immigrant ancestors didn't just jump on a boat one day and arrive in the New World many weeks later without an entire system of personal and commercial contacts, information flows, and market forces to facilitate their passage. The huge influx of Germans prior to the Revolution followed a very complex chain of immigration which ensured that ships sailing to Philadelphia from ports in Holland carried "Redemptioners" rather than mere ballast. This book is primarily focused on their experiences.

The later and lesser pre-1775 Irish immigration differed significantly from the German experience both in immigrant composition and geographic mix between the northern counties and the southern counties of Ireland. Elements of the both the German immigrant trade and the Irish immigrant trade prior to the Revolution set the pattern for all later migration in the 1800s.

If you have Palatine, Swiss, or other German ancestors who landed in Philadelphia prior to 1775, this work is a fascinating study in understanding what they were up against - the "system" that moved them and the challenges they faced within that system.

Using both first-hand accounts and statistical analysis of diverse sources and studies, "Trade in Strangers" is an excellent way to understand early German and Irish immigration into the New World. Its focus is primarily the German immigration into the port of Philadelphia but it does mention why other destinations in America were less successful at attracting these immigrants. The smaller Irish immigration prior to 1775 is dealt with to a lesser extent and is mostly used as contrast for comparison to the simultaneous German immigration.

The elements of the system of immigration to America which were to remain constant until at least 1924 are highlighted because they were first used to channel these two early immigrant streams from Germany and Ireland.

This is a thoroughly-researched and well-written book. Historians of the American colonial experience, students of immigration, and family historians may all profit from reading this.

If your intention in Greece is to explore the wonders of the ancients, this is the best book to take. Of the several books I had with me, it was the most complete, detailed, informative and enjoyable--it was the one I came to trust and refer to the most often. Small enough to stuff into a pocket, it allows you to sit at the sites and read while looking at the ruins. The facts and suppostions were generally supported by other sources, so being able to rely on its accuracy is another plus.

This book is an excellent starting point for
anyone remotely interested in the ancient Greeks --
not merely the most famous ones of the 6th and
5th centuries B.C. Here interweave myth,
mystery, knowledge, mysticism (Pythagorean and
Orphic introductions), plus excellent explanations
of attributes and psychological aspects related
to the gods.
[here is a section from the "Introduction"]
Each site has its "myth," a term which means
a story of the life of a place, human being, or
god. All myths have meaning, and the task has
been to translate the myth into the myth-language
of our own era. For the most part, the language
of our mythology is the language of psychology.
And of course there are several styles of
psychological language: Jungian, Freudian, Adlerian,
and so on. In this case, the language goes back
to Plato and has been brought to the present
idiom through the work of Paul Diel, the late
Austrian psychologist.
Plato, the great voice of the journey of the
human soul, was the first Western writer to speak
of the idea of spiritual development, the idea
that a human being might lead his life in such a
way as to AWAKEN [my caps] within himself the
divine life. The possibility of such a discovery
makes Plato's works a psychology, or a study of
human behavior in the physical, intellectual,
and spiritual sense. Plato was indebted to the
voices of his own culture and his predecessors in
philosophy, both Eastern and Western [Orpheus;
Pythagoras]. These fragments from the past form
a living mythology which still has power to
transform lives. -- Richard G. Geldard.
*The Traveler's Key to Ancient Greece.* (1989).
* * * * * * * * *

The Traveler's Key To Ancient Greece: A Guide To Sacred Places is the ideal guidebook for exploring sacred locations that once were home to the secret mysteries at Eleusis, the oracle at Delphi, the Labyrinths of Knossos, the vast theater and healing center at Epidauros, the perfect symmetry of the Parthenon, and more! This unique and very special travel guide offers informative and expert commentary on the Hellenic world's palace and temple cultures and sites; Greek drama, philosophy, art, and sculpture; sacred geometry and architecture; and gallery collections in three major museums. Whether you are an armchair explorer or plan to be an on-site visitor, The Traveler's Key To Ancient Greece is a compelling, informative, superbly written and flawlessly produced introduction to understanding as well as visiting these sacred sites of antiquity.

Although a little weak with maps of the whole region(Carcarsonne and surrounding areas were for some reason left out completely), the guide is a fascinating journey with great tidbits and helpful hints. Restaurants guide and touring tips were particularly helpful and our sampling indicated that the author knew his material well.

The Cote d'Azur is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. As such, I was not expecting to find a guidebook which would add much to what has, over time, become common knowledge about the region (beautiful people, chic casinos, jet setting etc). David Burke's book, however, was a revelation. The author has obviously done his research, producing a guide which is short on cliche and long on detail and other useful information. Burke has tried to point the reader to the lesser-known delights of the Cote d'Azur, while at the same time not neglecting the old favourites. I presume that the same is true for the other regions covered in the guide. This is a book for romantics and explorers alike.

David Burke guides the traveller from Monaco to Perpignan. My trip remained inscribed in the Cote D'Azur. I stayed near Fayence, in the mountains an hour north Cannes for 10 days. I was able to visit many of the areas Burke reviewed and always found his reviews to be accurate. One excellent restaurant in Nice he recommended was Merenda a "tiny hole-in-the-wall" run by chef Dominique Le Stanc who left his post at the Michelin 2-star Le Chantecler. Throughout all of the towns he reviews he points you out to little treasures like Merenda.

The local histories and photographs got me started on my trip well before I left New York. The anticipation carried over into an eagerness to explore the country side. I'll be going back to Provence and Lanquedoc with this book in hand.

Ms. Cranford has written a delightful travel book--warm, personal, informative, and fun. The pen and ink illustrations, of which there are many, are beautiful and add to the text descriptions. Anyone who travels or wants to travel or enjoys reading about traveling will enjoy this book. A great gift for the holidays or special occasions.

TRAVELS was a very enjoyable and easily readable story with interesting hand-drawn images and a clever use of historical quotes throughout. To me it was more than just a story of a couples travels through Europe, but rather it was neat to see how a couple traveled together. What I liked the most was that The Cranfords appear to have developed a balance between "winging it" and "sticking to an itinerary"; something that I think is difficult for many people(including me) to achieve. Again, this introduction to Euro-travel is quite nice and makes for an easy read on a quiet rainy day.

I loved this book because it so personalized. Instead of just describing the regular tourist stops of, say, Windsor Castle, Ms. Cranford recounts her personal experiences while traveling, including meals, hotels, shops, taxi drivers and more. She shows the wonders and the warts of her trip. She shares lots of tips to make your own trip easier. Even if you never plan to travel, reading Ms. Cranford's book will make you feel as though you were on the trip she took. I look forward to book two in this series of personal travels.

I have perused many guide books on the Alps, but this is the best one for planning a trip. Why? 1.Instead of unintelligible maps and chunks of incomprehensible prose, this guide has clear maps and concise descriptions (plus good pictures) that help you decide which trip is right for you. 2.The author includes a great range of hikes, from day trips to 2-3 days to longer treks. Also summit climbing routes on mountains from easy to moderate difficulty, plus snowshoe hikes for winter. 3. Unlike guide books that are only about getting from point A to B, this one has a lot of really interesting information about the history, flowers, wildlife, architecture, and culture of the alps. It's a complete package for planning a great trip.

An excellent book that will appeal equally to walkers and climbers.The selection is wide and varied and the format is easy to follow.A detailed and thorough first hand knowledge is much in evidence and the writer does a great job in promoting The Alps.One suspects that there will be more books to follow from this author.I am planning to do the Chamonix--Zermatt trek this summer and Hilary`s description makes it all the more enticing.I can`t wait to get there!!

nice price for a book detailing 22 different Alpine treks. Ms. Sharp includes practical "how to" information on each trek, as well as essentials on technical peaks that are accessible along the way. Her knowledge and love of the Alps is obvious from the text, and the photos are a real motivator to get over to Europe and do them all. Printed on high quality paper, this is a useful take-along resource for anyone who wants to include some adventure in a visit to Europe. Highly recommended.

I did the Annapurna Circuit trek (Around Annapurna) last September with this book. I was my bible.
The book has very good chapters about Nepal in general, Kathmandu and Pokhara but it's strength lies in the trail maps and text.
The maps are very very detailed (you can't get lost...), they indicate where is the next steep climbing and how much time does it takes to the next village. In the text you can find recommendations for eating and lodging (that never miss...).
The book covers all the popular treks in the Annapurna region but also offer side treks for more adventrous trekkers.

The bottom line : Worth every Penny!

This guide is all you need for the Annapurna. Beats the pants off Lonely Planet. Great maps, highlights, places to stay, etc.; small and lightweight; good gear list for preparing, info on when to go; bits on Kathmandu and Pokhara. We hiked the entire circuit and used Bryn several times each day.

I found the information in the book was great help. The maps together with the estimated timings were particularly helpful in deciding the route to take.

In addition to the treks Bryn Thomas also gives useful information on places to stay.

We used the book when treking from Jomsom to Pokhara and it was invaluable.