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In Three Volumes. ... Read more

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This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishings Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the worlds literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

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The 18th century was a wealth of knowledge, exploration and rapidly growing technology and expanding record-keeping made possible by advances in the printing press. In its determination to preserve the century of revolution, Gale initiated a revolution of its own: digitization of epic proportions to preserve these invaluable works in the largest archive of its kind. Now for the first time these high-quality digital copies of original 18th century manuscripts are available in print, making them highly accessible to libraries, undergraduate students, and independent scholars.
Western literary study flows out of eighteenth-century works by Alexander Pope, Daniel Defoe, Henry Fielding, Frances Burney, Denis Diderot, Johann Gottfried Herder, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and others. Experience the birth of the modern novel, or compare the development of language using dictionaries and grammar discourses.
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The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to insure edition identification:
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Bodleian Library (Oxford)

T185781



London : printed for the editor, and sold by Mess. Scatchard and Whitaker, 1784. [4],83,[1]p. ; 8° ... Read more

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This volume is produced from digital images created through the University of Michigan University Library's preservation reformatting program. The Library seeks to preserve the intellectual content of items in a manner that facilitates and promotes a variety of uses. The digital reformatting process results in an electronic version of the text that can both be accessed online and used to create new print copies. This book and thousands of others can be found in the digital collections of the University of Michigan Library. The University Library also understands and values the utility of print, and makes reprints available through its Scholarly Publishing Office. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

More Than Mere Cultural Engagement
Mahan's book is nothing less than a marvel.He has done for modernist poetry what Begbie has done for music, Siedell has done for modern art, and (some will say) Johnston has done with cinema: he's given the church an articulate, brilliant, scholarly model of how to engage culture.A serious Christian, Mahan doesn't simply come to poetry with a particular worldview and offer commentary from a distance - instead he demonstrates that there are specific ways in which poetry is uniquely suited to unpacking the Christian gospel and the Christian life.An Unexpected Light is not without problems, I suppose, but they're minor.It really is essential reading for several groups of people:

(1) Anyone who has a low view of modernist poetry: As a group, analytic philosophers tend not to be very fond of poetry;and certainly not modernist poetry, which can come across as simply unclear.I say this from personal experience as such a philosopher.Mahan gently, but powerfully, shows that such a view is utterly mistaken (and mistaken in important ways). His posture isn't at all defensive, he simply models an approach to the poetic text that demonstrates how important poetry is for our understanding of theology in general, the gospel in particular, and the evangelistic task broadly construed.
(2) Anyone with a high view of modernist poetry: Mahan's careful, patient, yet enthusiastic reading of the poets is infectious to those who need convincing of poetry's value, but for those who need no convincing, his scholarship shows just how deeply its significance runs.Certainly, the chapter on Geoffrey Hill shows Mahan's powers as a scholar at their highest.His reading of Hill is informative, subtle and convincing.
(3) Pastors: Chapters 1 and 5 are fantastic, easily worth the price of the book, will give pastors a vision for what cultural engagement can look like, and will revitalize their own personal reading (it also helps model how their reading relates to both their evangelistic efforts and preaching).It also adds a layer of theological sophistication to a missional understanding of the local church's worship.(In this respect, I'd suggest reading these chapters alongside Begbie's Resounding Truth or Theology, Music and Time.) Chapters 2-4 will be hard-going for anyone who isn't trained in the close reading of texts, but will repay the effort expended.After reading chapters 1 and 5, the pastor will likely be able to make immediate use of the chapter on O'Siadhaill's "Gossamer Wall" in their preaching.
(4) Campus ministers:Whether parachurch staff, university employed, or volunteer, Mahan's model of engagement with the poetic text cannot fail to be an encouragement and example to those whose labors center on the university campus. To many, the mindset of the artist can seem impenetrable and totally foreign and even profoundly mistaken.Reading this book is incredibly helpful in helping the reader both to understand and (more importantly) to appreciate the artistic mindset. In addition, Mahan is a sure-footed guide who shows the reader how to see the themes of the gospel where they can seem obscured.And these are essential skills and instincts for the evangelist - especially when the mission field is the university campus.

One can only hope that Mahan will produce more work along this score.The church needs it desperately.

Luke Potter, University of Notre Dame ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Fascinating
This book is a fascinating look at ten Christian mythmakers, that is authors who have used the power of myth to convey Christian truths in a new way. The narrative begins with John Bunyan and his seminal Pilgrim's Progress, continues through George Macdonald, G.K. Chesterton, Charles Williams, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and finishes up with Madeleine L'Engle, Walter Wangerin, Robert Siegel, and Hannah Hurnard.

Professor Hein begins with a short biography of the author, and then proceeds to explain the author's work, examining its theology and significance. I found this book to be quite fascinating, with the author giving me a look at these masterpieces of Christian literature in a way that I had never thought of before. If you are a fan of any of the authors above, then I highly recommend that you get this book!

If you enjoy these authors, this book is a must read!
I had the privilege of taking courses under Dr Hein in the early 90's at Wheaton.He is a very knowledgeable teacher and has great affection for the people he is writing about in this book.If you have any interest inthese authors, this book is a must read.I wasn't aware that he hadwritten this book when I came across it looking for books on GeorgeMacDonald and C.S. Lewis.As an Economics major, I somehow ended up takingfour Lit. classes from Dr Hein because he is such a good instructor andpassionate about his subject matter.

Good overview of ideas of the writers
Christian Mythmakers is a good overview of some of the thoughts and ideas of various Christian fantasy writers.While the chapter on John Bunyan is basically little more than a summary of Pilgrim's Progress, the rest of thebook is interesting and thought provoking.The chapter on Charles Williamsis a "must read" for anyone interested in or confused byWilliams' work. ... Read more

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Henry VII is less spectacular than his descendants, but not less interesting or even exciting. The first of the Tudors has been less written about than any (except Edward VI). He supplanted a dynasty and subordinated an aristocracy; he collected a treasure and created a fleet. But he created also the engine of monarchy. He did this because his desires were never at odds with his intentions: he possessed an equilibrium greater than any other Tudor-even Elizabeth. That fixed equilibrium of his mind released a very high industry and decision. In his later life his methods a little overcame him; his suspicion, his caution, his acquisitiveness escaped control. It was then that by certain general measures and especially by one little particular act he prepared the way for the destruction of that engine of monarchy he had created. The reign of Henry VII was the seed of the future, but it was already worm-eaten. Charles Williams was one of the finest-not to mention one of the most unusual-theologians of the twentieth century. His mysticism is palpable-the unseen world interpenetrates ours at every point, and spiritual exchange occurs all the time, unseen and largely unlooked for. His novels are legend, and as a member of the Inklings, he contributed to the mythopoetic revival in contemporary culture. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

His Initial Majesty
Henry VII, that relatively unknown king who is dwarfed in popular history by his descendents, through the nature of his court invented the concept of "majesty".This relatively compact volume may not be as rich in historical detail as the tomes written latterly, but it fully captures the essence of this man, the first Tudor king.Written in 1937, this work brings to my mind and was probably influenced by the historical biographical work of Lytton Strachey. From exiled obscurity to success on the battlefield to building England's place in Europe, Henry is a contained customer.

Statecraft was his metier, as he formed key alliances through the marriages of his children, playing a close hand on the European stage.His interesting relationship with the Spanish ambassador De Puebla is well displayed and examined, as well as the problematical issue of Catherine of Aragon.

This work does perhaps posit that the reader has something of a grasp of early Tudor history, but that should not put anyone off.It is a very well done character painting of a complex and infinitely interesting and often overlooked king.
... Read more

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Charles Williams was one of the finest-not to mention one of the most unusual-theologians of the twentieth century. His mysticism is palpable-the unseen world interpenetrates ours at every point, and spiritual exchange occurs all the time, unseen and largely unlooked for. His novels are legend, his poetry profound, and as a member of the Inklings, he contributed to the mythopoetic revival in contemporary culture. ... Read more

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(BMJ Books) Standard text reflects recent developments in the field and includes a new section on the conditions of safe practice. Text is research-based but the emphasis is on addressing practical clinical problems, reducing adverse events, and enhancing patient safety. Previous edition: c1995. ... Read more

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John and Rae Ingram are alone on their honeymoon yacht in the Pacific, becalmed. It shoud be idyllic. . .but it's not.

On the near horizon a ship is sinking. They rescue its lone passenger, a young man who claims he buried his wife and another couple, dead from food poisoning. But suspicion gnaws at Ingram, a suspicion only too soon justified. Soon Ingram and his wife are nearly overside with the killer's other victims!

"A brilliant tour de force. . .breathtaking." (The New York Times) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Why is this Classic Novel Out of Print?
I just finished reading a hardcover version of DEAD CALM I bought from an Amazon vendor. It is a pitch perfect suspense novel with clearly drawn characters whose motivations are believable. There's hardly a missed note in this book.

John Ingram and his wife Rae are onboard a boat bound for the South Pacific on their honeymoon when they come across another vessel that is on the verge of sinking. Almost immediately, they notice a dinghy coming toward them from the boat, and the lone man on the dinghy soon tells them a wild story of how all the passengers on his boat died of botulism. Ingram is suspicious of the man's story and even more suspicious that the man refuses to let them return to the boat to gather his personal belongings before the ship sinks.

After the man settles into his cabin to sleep, Ingram decides to return to the sinking vessel. What he finds aboard the man's boat propels the remainder of this classic novel of suspense to its chilling conclusion. It's also at this point that the novel takes a very different course than the successful movie adaptation.

I'm not going to ruin it for anyone who hasn't read the book, but suffice it to say that the villain's actions are much more believably motivated in the book than in the film adaptation. Williams makes every effort to make the villain's motivations understandable and clear... even justified (at least from his perspective).

The very ending felt somewhat contrived and predictable, but not so much so that I wouldn't read the story again or recommend it. As a suspense writer who has started to have some success, I've read many of our living bestselling authors. This was my first Charles Williams novel, though.

This classic novel is far more compelling than many of our contemporary authors in this genre, and it makes no sense to me that it is out of print. By constructing a likable couple in Ingram and Rae whose love for another seems genuine and then separating them in a life-or-death situation with a believably motivated killer, Williams achieves a master's balance of complex characters, well-crafted plot, authentic setting, an unsentimental if macho style, and several clear story themes like love vs. madness, man vs. nature, and jealousy as a catalyst to insanity.

This is one novel that should be in print, and it is essential to understanding the course of later writers like John D. MacDonald, Stephen King, and Dean Koontz.

Action-adventure for the thinking man (and woman).
Of all the books written by Charles Williams, Dead Calm is perhaps the best known because of the Nicole Kidman movie of the same name.As is often the case, there are major differences between book and film.
John and Rae Ingram are enjoying an idyllic honeymoon sailing the South Pacific hundreds of miles from land or any other human beings.Suddenly their perfect world is disrupted when a young man fleeing a sinking ship in a dinghy boards their boat.
The next 24 hours of their lives turn into a battle for survival as John and Rae become separated by miles of unforgiving ocean.
Fast paced and action packed, Dead Calm merits a 5 star rating for a number of reasons.First of all, the author's remarkably detailed description of things nautical gives the narrative a very authentic feel.Secondly, the actions of the characters are explained by virtue of psychological profiles that are skillfully presented as the story unfolds.Thirdly, Rae Ingram is more than just a damsel in distress.Her actions are smart, decisive and heroic.Moreover, the plot is constructed in a way that maximizes suspense.
All in all, Dead Calm is a great action-adventure novel.Highly recommended.

Dead Calm
I saw the movie first, with Nicole Kidman, Sam Neill and Billy Zane, and realized I had the book, so read it. Really good book, brought this landlubber reader right down to water level in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Memorable, well-drawn characters. Action cuts from one yacht, with a madman and the new bride, to the other yacht, which is slowly sinking, with the husband and two other people aboard. The husband and wife are frantically trying to reunite in the vast, empty sea. Tension abounds on both boats.The boats go further apart, then come closer, trying to find each other as the hours pass, the water rises in the sinking boat, and darkness falls.Climax?Wow!

I wasn't surprised to find the book was out of print, but it shouldn't be, it's that good. A classic.Written in 1963.Williams born when Joseph Conrad was alive. I bought it and many other Perennial Library paperback mysteries 15 years ago for $.99 each, and was amazed to find it made into a current movie with big stars.

Exellent!
Well, I haven't read the book and would very much like to know more about it. Seeing the movie, though I missed the first 30 minutes, was very good.I thought it had a very good plot, and the characters were what made it sogood.In the movie, the way they did past and future in their lives wasvery understandable with an intense feeling of what will happen next.The book I'm very sure is good and I know by reading previous books (thathave movies made for them), that the book will be better.The movie "Dead Calm" was excellent and I know that the book by Charles F.Williams will be even better.

Dead Calm
I first saw the movie, and wanted to read the book, which I got hold of via Amazon. I'm glad I did not approach the matter the other way around, as I would have been quite disappointed (I think). Actually, there is so little left from the book, I wonder why they chose to use the title.Charles F. Williams describes the characters very carefully, and the plotis very convincing. Not being a sailor myself, I cannot rate the precisionof the nautical expressions, but that did not keep me from reading the bookin one sweep. ... Read more

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The Oxford Inklings was an informal group of literary friends who met weekly to talk about ideas and pieces they were writing and enjoy a good evening of "the cut and parry of prolonged, fierce and masculine argument."

This comprehensive guide to the lives, thoughts, and writings of C.S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Charles Williams, and Owen Barfield provides an introduction to the Inklings and a second A-Z section that contains many biographical articles, as well as entries on the group's publications, themes, and theology. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

A good place to start.
This handbook is a broad guide for the novice or casual explorer. Like any such tome, it is a great springboard for further learning. However, I disagree that it is comprehensive (i.e., all inclusive) as the title suggests. The interested explorer will eventually tire of skimming the meandering surface presented by Duriez and dive straight in elsewhere to get at the depths of the great men of the West cataloged in this handbook. Nonetheless, this handbook is a good purchase for Inklings enthusiasts.

Top-heavy "Inklings"
The Inklings were a legendary group of writers in the mid-2th century, now primarily known as the drinking gang of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. In "The Inklings Handbook," Colin Duriez and David Porter do a good job of illuminating several dark corners of the Inklings' history, but they sway too heavily in Lewis and Tolkien's direction.

The book opens with several essay-chapters: the history of the Inklings as a group and an Inklings chronology spanning eighty years. There are also some brief studies of Narnia, Middle-Earth, and some obscure Arthuriana written by Inklings members. And, of course "Theology and Fantasy In the Inklings" -- with Lewis and Tolkien in it, what else could there be?

But these essay chapters (plus the introduction) aren't enough to fill up even fifty pages. So Duriez and Porter provide an Inklings encyclopedia of sorts, with alphabetical entries detailing the lives of the inklings, their creations, several books, their friends and influences. Some are absolutely bizarre (Aleister Crowley?), but several are very useful, such as the summaries of Lewis' lesser-known books.

It's a given that when people hear about the Inklings, they immediately think about Tolkien and Lewis. It's only natural -- they are the most famous out of the whole bunch. As a result, most fans of these two authors will already know quite a bit about their lives and work.

But it's a little disheartening to see that Duriez and Porter lean too heavily on these two writers, retelling information about Tolkien and Lewis that any knowledgeable fan knows. Owen Barfield and Charles Williams are given secondary importance, and quite a few details about them and their work are revealed. But what about J.A.W. Bennett or Lord David Cecil? Barely a paragraph is given to the "lesser Inklings," no matter what they did or how much they wrote.

Duriez does have an excellent style, relaxed and flowing easily from one topic to another. His research with Porter into obscure scholarly works and undertakings -- such as Williams' translation of the Aeneid -- appears to be quite detailed, and offers quite a few interesting summaries of various books, and of people who encountered the Inklings, such as mystery writer Dorothy Sayers.

While it doesn't shed much light on anyone except Tolkien and Lewis, "The Inklings Handbook" does shed quite a bit of light on the Inklings' works and creations, including ones other than Narnia and Middle-Earth.

By far the best book on the Inklings available anywhere
This is simply by far the best book available on the Inklings anywhere, the group of people who have done more to give us a wondrous understanding of literature and hours of reading pleasure than any other group of friends in the 20th century. As always, Colin's style is easy to read and the flow is pure genius. Buy this book for all your friends and you and they will be transformed! Christopher Catherwood, author of CHRISTIANS MUSLIMS AND ISLAMIC RAGE and WHOSE SIDE IS GOD ON?

A Reference Guide for the Rest of Us
Here's a book that at first seems neither fish nor fowl, occupying a no-man's land between the spate of popular Inklings studies and the far more academic guides for the far more serious reader. But extremists tend to push us moderates the other way, and a stridently negative review convinced me this book deserved a closer look. I'd say it's the first book for people in the middle: fascinating at first glance and rewarding when one digs deeper. This is a beautifully made library quality hardback, which gives it a reference book feel, and which yet rewards casual reading. The authors adopt a unique approach, dividing the book into two sections. The first fifty pages consists of six short essays, by which readers may wander into the subject from various avenues of approach. The second section, which occupies the remaining 250 or so pages, consists of alphabetized, encyclopaedic entries on all things Inklings. To further aid the itinerant reader, bits in the essays are starred, indicating an entry in part two. Add in the comprehensive bibliography, and you've got about the most helpful reference book imaginable. This is also one of the few books about C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien which gives anything more than a passing note to Charles Williams and Owen Barfield. As an avid Williams reader, I found not only the relevant passages, but also the essay relating to Williams best poetry, based on the Arthurian legends and the Matter of Britain, fascinating and enlightening. Colin Duriez's latest book is about the friendship between Lewis and Tolkien. In The Inklings Handbook the authors allude to and celebrate the wider, if more varied friendships between the various members of the Inklings--and one more friendship: what Williams would call the "confraternity" of kindred souls who are the Inklings' readers. It's as if you walked into the Eagle and Child Pub in Oxford. Colin leaning on the bar and David at the dart board, both look up as you walk in, and walk over to shake hands. "C'mon," says Colin, pointing to little gathering at a back booth, "there's someone here we'd like you to meet."

Highy Recommended
I gave this Colin Duriez and David Porter's book a five because it does exactly what it set out to do: give readers an excellent overview of The Inklings relationship.
I have collected, read and studied the works of C. S. Lewis for the past 30 years.This book filled an empty niche in my collection as it is a clear and concise handbook of the most fascinating group of friends known as The Inklings and the complex elements of the lives they brought to their relationship.
I have been pleased to know and enjoy the work David Porter, one of the authors. His research and that of Colin Duriez is meticulous. They have included an excellent bibiography, including Charles Williams' _Outline of Romantic Theology_ and other important works of The Inklings which will keep you reading and learning about The Inklings for a lifetime. At the end of each article further reading is listed.Pauline Baines, the great illustrator, is mentioned in the Narnia chapter.The entry on Aleister Crowley is much appreciated by those Lewis lovers who also read and enjoy the works of Charles Williams.The style of the book is delighful as authors often include interesting anecdotes and quotes.The book is not overly pedantic, or ostentatiously intellectual._The Inklings Handbook_ is a must read for those who would begin to learn about the amazing alchemy of The Inklings.
You will find in this book much that is relevant in the 21st century about the spirited exchange of ideas- The Inklings as a model for living with great enthusiasm and vitality. ... Read more