history

As a long time fan of the show I was delighted to see this book come out, and am looking forward to the updated edition in April of this year. Loaded with little known facts, behind the scenes information and personal interviews with the actors and others connected with the show, this book is a must have for any Bewitched fan. Best of all Pilato doesn't just concentrate on the main cast, he is careful to include plenty of great information on others as well, including clients, mortal guest stars, and of course, semi regular characters. Even if you're not a huge fan of Bewitched (though I don't see how anyone could not be) you'll find this book a wonderful resource, and a welcome addition to your library!

"Bewitched Forever" is a fitting tribute to one of America's classic, magical, and most beloved series. It is evident that Herbie J. Pilato's devotion to Elizabeth Montgomery and "Bewitched" are matched only by his vast knowledge of the show and it's cast. The poignant forward by Montgomery's former husband and "Bewitched" director William Asher is icing on the cake to this wonderfully entertaining, informative, and extensive look at "Bewitched." As a lifelong fan of Elizabeth Montgomery and "Bewitched," I highly recommend "Bewitched Forever." Thank you Mr. Pilato for your efforts in creating such a wonderful piece for a most beloved and deserving actress and classic series.

Pilato does a great job covering BEWITCHED. Buy this book if you like the show. Was there really an episode where Adolf Hitler appears at a party? Anyone remember the cartoon movie TABITHA AND ADAM JOIN THE CIRCUS? Did you know all b/w BEWITCHED episodes have been colorized? Anyway, stop reading this and buy this book!

I have the 1996 hardcover edition of this book and do not know what revisions have been made to this latest addition, however I imagine the text and content will be very similar.
I have found this book to be an excellent source of information on skyscapers in general and the buildings featured in particular.
It has a very easy to read format, witch follows the developement of the skyscraper, with two pages at a time dedicated to one building. This makes it ideal for flicking through and just reading here and there at what ever catches your eye. There are also small gerneral interest and overviews pages troughout the book that help to explain the developement of these buildings.
Not a lot of technical details also make this an easy read and ideal for younger readers.
This is one of the best books I have seen on the subject and I have no reservations recomending this book to anyone even remotely interested in these large buildings.

(The following review is dedicated to the brave men and women who lost their lives on 9/11/01.)

At first glance, the aptly titled "Skyscapers" pictorial has the guise of a tall building. With an impeccable presentation, the book faithfully maintains the original context of each building represented with beautiful black & white photos. It gives the reader a nuts-and-bolts perspective: Judith Dupre, et al, along with the enigmatic architect, Philip Johnson, the unparalled book takes the reader on an incredible journey. From the pioneering Reliance Building in Chicago to the defunct World Trade Center in New York City, from the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco to the Ulm Cathedral in Germany--it never ceases to amaze me, the enormous contributions these towering marvels have made in our behalf. They're magnificent places where people gather to work and make an honest living. And, they're magnificent places where people gather to worship and reflect upon life's mere existance. All things considered, this book will inspire any aspiring architect to reach for the sky. At home, it proudly sits atop my desk. If you're an architectural buff, this is the book for you.

I wish to call attention to Judith Dupre's _Skyscrapers_(New York,Black Dog & Leventhal,1996) which on first glance one might relegate to the coffee table. Designed to accommodate photos of very tall buildings, the book itself stands a foot and a half tall and like the structures it represents, is likely to tower over the other volumes on the shelf.A model of exuberant and elegant design, this book is also athoughtful historical survey which focuses on 50 significantstructures including the Ulm Cathedral (the world's tallest spire), the Washington Monument (tallest masonry tower) and the Eiffel Tower. Naturally, the buildings of NYC and Chicago which Dupre calls, "the two great laboratories of skyscraper design" take center stage, but the book should appeal broadly because of its appreciative sense ofthe ancient and universal inclination of city builders (since Babel) to put up towers. (The tallest buildings in the world are now going up in the Pacific Rim nations.)Dupre also had the good sense to allow her interview with Philip Johnson to serve as the introduction. Johnson, one of the master skyscraper builders (represented here by his AT&T headquarters and "Lipstick" building in NYC and the magnificent NationsBank Center in Houston), maintains an agreeable sense of detachment toward thismonumental and at times, pretentious artform. He points out that "there is no economic need to build skyscrapers anywhere... There is never a relationship between the cost of these buildings to their utility...[not even in Manhattan.] Skyscrapers will always be fancy,they will always be expensive, they will always be extra. It's pride. Towers are for power." He speaks more affectionately of his tiny "Gatehouse" built in 1995 than the AT&T building with the conspicuous Chippendale top. At 90, he says he is in mid-career and yearns tobuild a colossal statute along the lines of the Statue of Liberty.Author Dupre is respectful of these great towers, but not uncritical.She points out that the building New Yorkers would most like to see torn down is the huge and utterly misplaced Pan Am building. And she points to other inappropriate constructions. (Frank Lloyd Wright'sstriking Price Tower in Bartlesville, Oklahoma is so impractically designed, that it is useless as office space.)This book will have great appeal to students from engineering, and related disciplines who have wandered into an urban studies courses; but as author Dupre points out, it really is for all those "who like to look up when they walk down a city street." At around $20, it isalso a bargain.Jim WunschEmpire State Colleg

This is one of the most informative books I have ever read, it gives you a real understanding of exactly what the Shirley Dolls, etc., are worth. You can tell that the book is written from the authors heart, and I think that is what makes this so special. The pictures are absolutely beautiful. I would buy another book of this type if another one comes available because of the incredible talent the author has in explaining exactly what these dolls are actually worth and the absolute love Mrs. Mancuso apparently has for the dolls...

Read from cover to cover, easy to read and very interesting.

This book has a little bit of everything, and I am sure others will love to read over and over again.

I am a huge Shirley fan, and I buy every book on Shirley Temple.
By far this is the best one yet. Blows the rest out of the water.
Very well written, informative and super pictures. A must for all fans.

Awesome and amazing! Need I say more! This book is fabulous as was Volume One! The pictures are incredible and the information is extremely helpful. This author did a fantastic job creating this price guide for all the Shirley fans in the world who just can't get enough! It has been quite a while since an author has done a new Shirley price guide and it was much needed. But this Author's version was much different than the other price guides as it shows everything and anything that is out there...old and new! Shows us Shirley fans that there is still a high demand for our loved Shirley and her memorbilia. Highly recommend! A++++++

This fun book contains a hundred and one lists organized by number. For example, the chapter known as "Four" includes the following: What are the four voyages of Lemuel Gulliver? What are the four conic sections? What are the four sections of a symphony orchestra? etc.

Chapters are: Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen, Eighteen, Twenty and Twenty-Four. What makes the book more than just a quiz generator is the lengthy explanatory text, anywhere from three to eighteen pages. These pithy essays entertain and inform, and add greatly to the volume's enjoyment. Some questions are really obscure -- what were the five rivers of the classical underworld, anyway? -- but even the easier ones can leave you scratching your head and cursing your memory. Didn't I used to know allthis stuff? Then, after you knock yourself on the head and shout "Of course!", you will have the pleasure of reading a well-written essay by a co-author or one of a small number of contributors. There is also a fourteen page suggested reading list, organized by subject, that includes music and URLs. Rounded out with a good index, this is very nicely done and lots of fun.

I just finished reading it cover to cover and found it a truly enlightening and FUN read. I have loved these type of books since my first purchase of "An Incomplete Education" many years ago, as well as Charles Panati's books. The format of "What are the Seven Wonders of the World?" lends itself nicely to reading it on short breaks. I was amazed at how much I could learn in so little time. At last, I finally understand the intricate history (and relationships) of all of the Kings and Queens of England - and it was absolutely painless. There's too much good stuff in the book to mention it all here. If you love trivia, or wish to expand your horizons in order to becomes a modern day Leonardo (Da Vinci), this book is for you. I can't wait for the next volume.

Now, please excuse me -I have to keep my audition appointments for "Win Ben Stein's Money" and "Jeopardy"!

This is a wonderful book. Great for all the trivia buffs out there. Seven Wonders is filled with a variety of questions and interesting answers. I would love for the authors to compile another like this one. This one is on my top 10 list of great trivia books. Highly recommended to all.

M. A. Maqtedar Khan, Ph.D, the author of American Muslims: Bridging Faith and Freedom belongs on a presidential "spin team," for spin and blame is what he does in this book.

Consider: "There are few Muslims who reject democracy." Really? Perhaps that is why democracy has not spread so rapidly in nations rules by Shariah? Perhaps that is why nations that have implemented some semblance of democracy (like Turkey) are under siege from Islamic terrorists? Please, Mr. Khan, you can do better than this.

Consider: "We are too eager to blame others for our condition." Really? Khan, in this book, blames (1) American culture, (2) American foreign policy (past and present), (3) the World wars, (4) the holocaust, (5) colonialism, (6) imperialism, (7) slavery, (8) racism, (9) the plight of the Palestinians... Where does he stop? He doesn't, but mainly, he blames the Jews. Over and over and over again, he blames the Jews for just about everything. It appears this man is viciously anti-Jewish.

But not once does he mention the destructive doctrine of Wahhabism that has infected Sunni Islam. Everyone is to blame for the "intolerance" shown toward the American Muslim. Everyone and anyone, that is, except for those who murder in the name of Islam.

Read the book for entertainment purposes. Just don't take him seriously.

I approached the book with the fear that this was another apologetic attempt by a Muslim intellectual to ignore the realities of the Muslim World and focus only on the ideals of Islam. But I found Khan willing to discuss the underbelly of the Muslim World. In the last chapter of the book -- An American Muslim Perspective of the Muslim World -- he examines the authoritarian regimes of the Muslim World and the failure of Muslims to reform their societies from within.

In the first chapter, American Muslims, Khan admonishes American Muslims for living in America yet remaining focussed on "home" which is no more their home. His ideas about how American Muslims should live and interact in America are revolutionary and liberating. I hope Muslims in Britian would also read Khan's book.

I was also impressed with his willingness to challenge the current understanding of Islamic laws that undermine women's rights. His scathing commentary on America is a treat to read. Khan is a wonderful writer and writes with a puishing logic as well as biting sense of humor as well as irony.

A treat and must read.

This book is a very important and timely contribution to Islamic thought. It not only advances a genuinely compassionate understanding of islam but also provides a scathing critique of the wide spread authortarianism and growing extremism in some small pockets of the Muslim world. The book is a combination of Islamic philosophy and political analysis. It seeks to reinterpret Islam based on a rational approach to the Quran while providing excellent analysis of the politics of Islamic activism in the West and the Muslim World.

Three chapters stand out and deserve special mention:

The chapter on Islam and Democracy is an outstanding discussion of the compatibility of Islam and Democracy and provides a constitutional theory of the Islamic state.

The chapter on American Muslims is a passionate attmept to guide the American Muslim community in amore liberal direction.

The seventh chapter deals with the agonizing experience of September 11th. This chapter provides an understanding as well as critique of the radical tendency among some Muslims. It contrasts this tendency with the compassionate and peaceful dimensions of Islam and then advances a framework for a dialogue of civilizations between Islam and the West.

As John Esposito, the famous scholar of Islam says, this is a must read for Muslims and Non-Muslims alike.

I pray the Muqtedar Khan is rewarded in this life and the next for his bold and reflective, compassionate and passionate work.

Afzalunnisa Begum
Duluth, MN.

A masterful description of small unit action in WWI. Its amazing how articulate Rommel is in describing preparations for attack, use of terrain, change of plans on the spot and other details involved in executing battalion level orders. At the end of each battle sequence is an Observations section in which the lessons to be drawn are dispassionately stated.

From this book its clear that during WW1 Rommel acquired most of the military characteristics that made him one of the best commanders of WW2. His emphasis on reconnaissance, deception, and surprise as well as his trademark "feel for the terrain" (fingersptizengefuhl) were all developed at the battalion level in this earlier conflict.

Another real plus in this book are the maps (actually Rommel's hand sketches) showing terrain and lines of attack.

Anyone who is interested in Rommel's military operations should start here. As a WW2 follow-on, I'd recommend Ronald Lewin's Rommel as Military Commander...for its detailed battle accounts and excellent maps. Fraser's and Irving's books are also good, but operate at a more general level and suffer from a lack of battle area maps.

Rommel's Attack is a great first person account on the activities of a junior military officer, trained on the concept of problem solving and overcoming the obstacles that he finds as he accomplishes the task that present themselves to him during combat in the Great War. In a war that has been defined as a defensive engagement, Rommel is consistently able to overcome these defenses, attack effectively, and achieve his objectives. This book is a great account on one military officers utilization of his leadership ability, coupled with the effective incorporation of those around him into an effective fighting organization. Rommel also incorporates numerous sketches of troop movements, obstacles overcome, and his battle plan intentions that add to the readers ability to learn from these writings. While many see warfare of today as much different from that of the Great War, it is important to remember that conflict still requires one group to overcome another and the thought process utilized by Rommel (and explained in this book) is still as useful today as it was then. This is a excellent book for those interested in then military, but should also be a must read for those who work with others at difficult task or objectives.

This book will teach young leaders the fundementals of small unit leadership and the importance of talking the battle to the enemy. Outstanding descriptions of battlefields and tactics used; will break the minset that WWI was only trench warfare.
You will see the development of Blitzkrieg type tactics being formulated and the basis for modern warfare used to this day.
Great read for military or non-military people.

"Beating the Odds" by George Burnell is the exciting autobiography of a youngster growing up in Nazi-occupied France during WWII. In 369 action packed pages, the author traces his journey from Strasbourg, France in 1939 until the end of WWII in May, 1945. "Beating the Odds" is a real page turner that reads like a novel full of twists and turns. As an adolescent French Jew, George with his family lived in constant fear of discovery by the Nazis and moved frequently to ellude them. Despite these risks, he manages to join his Uncle David, a Dentist, and others in the French Resistance and narrowly escapes with his life. This fascinating memoir gives the reader an interesting and unique perspective on WWII in France and I highly recommend it to you.

How well I remember World War II, but only from the safety of my childhood in the United States, unlike Dr. Burnell whose youth during the occupation of his beloved France is the subject of this memoir. It provides us with historic data that is particularly relevant as our own country faces another major war. As a Jewish family working with the French Resistance, life for young George life became a series of escapes, moving from city to city to avoid execution. George's beloved step-father died for his heroic efforts, but mother and son managed to survive the ordeal. This easy to read book is written with sensitivity and intelligence during a period fraught with atrocities that one should never forget. I couldn't put the book down.

A young boy wanders from one vivid experience to another to another, just like kids do. His childhood had unique exposures to Nazi terror and horror, to be sure. But throughout those grim days, there remained that irrepressible insouciance of youth. There was even hero worship when he became involved with the French underground. He brings us right along with him as he becomes a man.

This author described what was, more than anything else, a normal, adventuresome boyhood. Although I was expecting something more like "The Diary of Anne Frank", this book was more reminiscent of "Huckleberry Finn".

Hopefully, it's no surprise to you that American Mega-Breweries have been less than ethical in the representation of their products and in their business practices. If you were unaware of this, I'm going to level with you... it is true. And you should also know that there is no Santa Claus, Clinton did inhale, Elvis is dead and no one could have possibly slept with as many women as Magic Johnson claims he did. No matter how comfy you may make yourself by believing the unbelievable, harsh veracity is better than obstinate naivete.

When I saw a book about indescretion in the American Brewing Industry... well, I chocked it up as just another dissatisfied customer. Just another guy who was irritated at the brewing industry... fed up with the same boring stuff from mega-breweries, year after year. Another guy... well... like me. This assumption turned out to be wrong, but I still liked the book.

Two points were evident as I began reading Beer Blast : The Inside Story of the Brewing Industry's Bizarre Battles To Get Your Money by Philip Van Munching. Van Munching has been around the brewing industry his entire life and he isn't afraid to tell you about the seedy side. Also, he's a very entertaining writer. Along with his worldly understanding and privy information, Van Munching has a rare wit and sarcastic edge to his writing. Like a seasoned ringleader, he calls out the clowns and narrates their escapades and foolhardy, cutthroat behavior. He spotlights the circus that is the modern American brewing industry and makes it more exposed than Pee-Wee Herman in an adult movie theater. Once in a while he takes a covert jab at the typical American beer drinker for empowering these brew-twits to begin with, but it's all done with a wink and a nod, and is not to be taken too seriously.

Of course I can't be completely positive about anything. Ol' Phil is more than marginally partial to Heineken and it shows in an ugly, stagnant way. He and his family are responsible for bringing that particular Dutch swill to America... a crime our country's legal system has no applicable sentance to serve him. He amusingly admits that corn meal is used in brewing Heineken, but then goes on to rail about how Jim Koch was wrong for saying they brew Heineken with adjuncts. What is Corn Meal if it isn't an adjunct? I laughed. He also says that the purpose of the Reinheitsgebot German Purity Law was to keep foreign beer out of Germany. Well, not if the foreign beer avoided brewing with cheaper, barley expanding adjuncts! Like say, oh... for example... corn meal like is used in brewing HEINEKEN.

Despite this, and though I'm sure the stories he tells are embellished for the sake of entertainment, at the core, there is the undeniable truth that brewing companies are selling an image, and what you are buying is a beer. They simply think that you aren't smart enough to know the difference and with most American beer drinkers, they are right.

The quality games and propaganda wars American brewing companies have been waging with each other for years are enough to fill a book, so I'm not surprised that someone did write a book about it. What did surprise me was how intriguing a read it really was.

If you want to learn how to make beer in your basement, you'll need to find a different book. On the other hand, if you want to learn how "The People" are manipulated into changing their buying/drinking habits, then you need to check this book out. Written with an insider's view, Van Munching shows that beer not only is big business, it's a fun big business. From the early Revolutionary War days to the present, the growth and decline of many breweries are chronicled. It was fascinating to learn how the "Giants" came to be, and discover the true parentage of supposedly local brews. It is written in an easy to read style. Even if you do not drink beer, and are involoved in marketing in any way, this would be a good book to study. It tells "How" to market successfully, but even better (and much more humorously) how not to market.

This is terrific reading, not only for beer lovers and marketing buffs. Philip van Munching, grandson of the man who first brought Heineken to the United States, has written a non-fiction book that contains all the ingredients of a first-class thriller: megalomanic dynasties, a fatal car accident the evidence of which was tempered with, mad-gone advertising gurus, and conglomerates trying to take over the hood ("get your girl in the mood quicker, and get your jimmy thicker with St. Ides malt liquor"). Along the way, the reader learns quite a bit about marketing. That is what the Ivy-League-trainined marketing whiz kids at Anheuser-Busch, Miller, and Coors, apparently never did. Instead, they squandered away hundreds of millions of dollars in their futile attempts to win one of the most fiercely fought business wars of the last twenty five years: the war for the American beer market. Van Munching knows how they did it, and he tells it with wit and an incredible insider's knowledge. Great story, great writing, great book!!!

Blessed By Thunder: Memoir Of A Cuban Girlhood is a compelling autobiography of a Cuban childhood amidst the drama and struggle of Cuba's revolution and consequent relative isolation from the western world in general, and the United States in particular. Flor Barriors grew up in a family embittered by their treatment at the hands of Castro's government. After requesting to leave the country, her family was ostracized, and eleven-year-old Flor was sent to a rural work camp where she picked tobacco and sugar cane for two years. Headstrong and defiant, with a spirit unbroken by daily hardships, she found wisdom and comfort in the older women in her family (two grandmothers and a nanny), each of whom taught her about the power of spirits and the magical ways to seek healing. Finally able to leave Cuba, Flor was uprooted and living in exile, but used the lessons learned from the women in her family to heal her losses and make her way in a new life far from home. Blessed By Thunder is a remarkable, engaging, candid, vividly recounted autobiography of an unusual girl in unusual times.

Blessed By Thunder is a stunning achievement and a heartfelt story about what it is to grow up too quickly, what it is to lose your home and your country and to find yourself in the land of magnificent promises and deferred dreams... America! Flor Fernandez Barrios has written an exceptional memoir that recounts shocking stories of the layers and layers of betrayal and deception the Cuban people have endured through Castro's four-decade-old revolution. As the child of Cuban exiles I devour books about that mysterious jewel of an island called Cuba...so near and yet so far.... We are Blessed by writers such as Fernandez Barrios who has pierced the exotic veil of this intoxicating neighbor of ours and who has laced her stories with wrenching details of how ordinary lives have been touched by this larger world event. Her memoir is elegant and deeply provoking and her stories stay with you long after the book is done. ~ Juana de la O

I thank God daily for the decision my parents made when sending me alone out of Cuba . Since my parents thought that they could say they were going on vacation, they had also packed to leave with me but the militia was too wise for that and held my mom's and dad's visa at the docks since they had not left everything to the government.At the precise moment they decided to send me alone (8-05-61)on the last cargo ferry that left Havana with sugar,under the care of Pedro Pan Operation. I was starting fourth grade that September of 1961 and I would have gone through the same ordeal Teresa went through. I admire Flor Teresa for the loyalty to her parents and family, for her courage of making the best of the moment and for her maturity at such young age. I believe that young as well as old will get teachings from this book. Teachingsof survival, of meeting with your goals, of distinguishing what is right from what is wrong and of giving a value to the simple things in life. As an adult Flor Teresa must be an extraordinary human being.

I have to take exception to most of the other reviews. Please hear me out.

The author, a man of Native American and English heritage, wrote an earlier book, Walking the Trail, about a several month walk tracing the infamous Cherokee "Trail of Tears" backward from Oklahoma to his home in northeast Alabama, as well as two other books tracing historic American routes. He claims his trip to England to follow the medieval Christian pilgrims' route from London to Canterbury Cathedral, described most famously by Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, was an effort to connect with his English heritage. I finished the book concluding that Ellis' so-called pilgrimage was just a way to provide his publisher a sequel to sell based on the reputation of Ellis' apparently successful earlier writing.

For a guy supposedly seeking to understand his English roots Ellis invests minuscule effort in the process. He's commits just nine days to his first trip to England: arrives in London, departs the next day a seven-day, 70-odd mile walk, spends the last night in Canterbury, then returns to London by train to catch a flight back to the U.S. Such a short trip can't provide enough material for 295 pages, so Ellis pads the book with flashbacks to his Trail of Tears walk plus a lot of material about medieval English history, customs, daily life and English and non-English Christian practices. Some of the historic material consists of pages-long quotes from other books. Mind you, the historic extracts can be interesting, but there are better sources for such things and the book's subtitle promised "a modern journey through Chaucer's medieval England."

Ellis focuses on some fairly odd people for someone saying he wants to get in touch with his English heritage. His most significant encounters are with unemployed, spike-haired, heavily pierced slackers and their pet iguana (he actually tarries an extra day to party with them), Swedish, French and Dutch tourists, an Iranian immigrant and several bar tenders. No farmers, no police officers, no teachers.

Ellis' walk is hardly a religious pilgrimage. His own beliefs are Native American/New Age (i.e., deifying created objects rather than the Creator) and he expresses scant respect for Christianity. On one occasion Ellis hurts his back when he trips in the forest and experiences excruciating pain. That night, seemingly for the first time, in desperation he prays for relief. The next morning he experiences a self-described miraculous healing. Then, rather than credit God for healing him, and perhaps seeing the occurrence as "a sign" to repent and complete the trip as a true pilgrimage of thanksgiving as medieval Christians would have, Ellis quickly explains away his healing as a fluke.

Ellis encounters some New Age nutburgers from Holland. They are lead by a Dutchman calling himself Geronimo who, for unexplained reasons, came from Amsterdam to England to practice some half-baked version of Native American spirituality in an attempt to relieve urban angst. Ellis writes: "Geronimo's teaching Native American spirituality when he has no such heritage disturbed me." But a few pages later non-Christian Ellis perceives no hypocrisy when he arrives in Canterbury and, among secular visitors there to see the historic building and its art, makes a spectacle of himself by ascending the Cathedral steps on his knees in imitation of a pious Christian pilgrim. What a jerk! Afterward Ellis celebrates the conclusion of his "pilgrimage" at a bar where people mock Christian heritage, then leaves early the next day to rush back to Alabama and his supernatural dog and ancient Cherokee holy rocks.

Ellis is a bit of a weird traveler, to boot. He lugs a 40 pound backpack of camping gear and spends a third of his nights in a tent in the semi-rural landscape, sort of like camping in the suburbs while walking from New York City to someplace in Connecticut. And he cooks on campfires several times at historic sites and just off the road in scraps of forest and farmers' fields. I've made walking tours in the British Isles and can tell you people just don't do that sort of thing; heck, most people don't build campfires anymore when they hike in the U.S. And Ellis blends into the local populace by wearing a broad-rimmed hat adorned with bird feathers, a rattlesnake rattle and sea shells. One bit of quaintness - the trip occurred in 1999 - is Ellis talking about the great pocket knife he always carries and uses to carve figures in his oak walking stick. Ahhhh, pocket knives.... remember when we were allowed to carry those when we traveled in the good old days before 9-11?

I don't recommend this book. The stories aren't that good (most of Ellis' "adventures" are about as interesting as your maiden aunt would have on a package tour) and you can easily find better sources about the history of Canterbury or medieval England. I bought it because I enjoy making and reading about both Christian and secular pilgrimages, but this isn't, to my disappointment, really a pilgrimage book.

Walking to Canterbury includes a small scale sketch map of the route, some small black-and-white reproductions of medieval scenes, a three-page bibliography of sources used for the historic extracts and a grainy photo of the author's muscular upper torso in a tight cowboy-looking shirt.

Ellis once again slips into his backpack to take readers on an exceptional journey, this time from London to Canterbury along the route of Chaucer's pilgrims. His poetic prose is filled with unusual encounters, detailed history of the middle ages and a contagious love of adventure and life. Every time I read one of his books, I want to hit the road. Highly recommended.

Walking to Canterbury is a rousing mix of literature, medieval history and spirituality. I read it in conjunction with a book club that meets every Sunday for brunch to discuss a new book. Several years ago we read the author's first book about the Cherokee Trail of Tears and we were moved to tears by it. Walking to Canterbury doesn't carrry the same emotional punch, but it delivers insights on a more mature level than the first book. Highly recommended.