Category Archives: Reviews

The Armada

Posted on April 21, 2017 by smellincoffee

The Armada© 1959 Garrett Mattingly443 pages In the late summer of 1588, all of Europe held its breath as an enormous Spanish fleet, consisting of a hundred and fifty vessels of varying sizes, set sail for the English channel. Their … Continue reading →

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In the Beginning

Posted on April 18, 2017 by smellincoffee

In the Beginning: the Story of the King James Bible and How It Changed a Nation, a Language, and a Culture © 2001 Alister McGrath354 pages In some circles of American Protestantism, the authority of the King James Bible is coequal … Continue reading →

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Sister Queens

Posted on April 16, 2017 by smellincoffee

Sister Queens: The Noble, Tragic Lives of  Katherine of Aragon and Juana, Queen of Castille480 pages© 2011 Julia Fox Virtually any reader of Tudor fiction is familiar with the sad story of Queen Catherine,  the lawful wife of Henry VIII … Continue reading →

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Hood

Posted on April 12, 2017 by smellincoffee

Hood © 2006 Stephen Lawhead 496 pages Beyond the borders of Norman-controlled England lies free Britain, and between them the March — a thick band of forest whose depths may conceal outlaws and monsters.  Hood reimagines Robin Hood as an exiled … Continue reading →

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The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood

Posted on April 8, 2017 by smellincoffee

The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood © 1883 Howard Pyle 648 pages,  Duke Classics Edition. (Other editions seem to have anywhere from 200 to 400 pages, which is odd.) You who so plod amid serious things that you feel it … Continue reading →

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London at War

Posted on April 8, 2017 by smellincoffee

London at War© 1995 Phillip Ziegler372 pages “London doesn’t look down at the ruins of its houses, at the remains of its churches and houses; London looks upwards, towards the Dawn,  and faces the new day with calmness and confidence.”  … Continue reading →

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The Eagle and the Wolves

Posted on April 5, 2017 by smellincoffee

The Eagle and the Wolves© 2003 Simon Scarrow452 pages The Roman Empire’s campaign in Britain may about to become a victim of its own success. While a great victory last summer established a stronghold in the heart of the island, … Continue reading →

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Perelandra

Posted on April 4, 2017 by smellincoffee

Perelandra © 1943 C.S. Lewis 322 pages In Out of the Silent Planet, Dr. Erwin Ransom was kidnapped by two malevolent technologists who thought to offer him as a sacrifice to the ruler of Mars, a planet they were interested … Continue reading →

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Tolkien’s Sanctifying Myth

Posted on April 3, 2017 by smellincoffee

Tolkien’s Sanctifying Myth:  Understanding Middle-Earth © 2002 Brad Birzer 255 pages How better to kick off Read of England than by visiting the world of Tolkien, who has enraptured readers for decade after decade now?  Tolkien is not merely an … Continue reading →

Posted in Religion and Philosophy, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

La Florida

Posted on March 29, 2017 by smellincoffee

La Florida: Five Hundred Years of Hispanic Presence©  2016 Viviana Díaz Balsera & Rachel A. May312 pages Florida, like many places in the United States, bears the name given to it by another culture.  The Spanish, setting first foot on … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Politics and Civic Interest, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments