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This study examines the Quakers and their activities in South Africa throughout the 20th-century. The author introduces the subject with an overview of early Quaker history in South Africa. ... Read more

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The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) is small by anyone's definition, with only about 300,000 members worldwide, but its impact has been widely felt. Unlike other historical dictionaries, the authors present a series of worldwide essays on Quaker theology, history, and practice as well as the lives of individuals who have made this faith their life. The entries prove the variety among Friends today and also gives a clear sense of despite their diverse membership and their periodic disagreements and divisions. ... Read more

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Traces the Quaker experience in New England and New York from the arrival of the first English Quaker missionaries in 1656 to 1790. ... Read more

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Dolly Madison: Quaker Girl (1944 Orange Hardcover Printing) by Helen A. Monsell. Published in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA by Bobbs Merrill in 1944. Limited Collector's Edition. Rare Book. 192 Pages. Tells the story of First Lady, Dolly Madison when she was young (married later to 4th USA President , George Madison). Her maiden name was Dolly Payne. Her full name was Dorothea Dandridge Payne Todd "Dolley" Madison. Not to be confused, of course, with the snack cakes. For more biographical information, please see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolley_Madison/ ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Dolley Payne Todd Madison
I am reviewing the 1944 edition of this book.

This children's book does a good job of describing Dolley Madison to young people.It is an interesting blend of fact and fiction.Much of the dialogue is surely made up by the author.But the dialogue serves the purpose of showing kids what life was like for Dolley in her early years. And it provides an idea of how she may have thought as a child. This book also contains many black and white illustrations showing various events from Dolley's life.

Dolley Payne grew up on a plantation with slaves near Richmond, Virginia.Her father, John Payne, was a Quaker who fought in the Revolutionary War.After the War, Payne freed his slaves and moved the family to Philadelphia.Unfortunately, Mr. Payne was more successful with his plantation than he was as a Philadelphia businessman.

In Philadelphia, Dolley met her first husband, John Todd. Unfortunately, Mr. Todd and their baby died from yellow fever.Dolley also contracted the fever but survived.

Aaron Burr was the unlikely matchmaker who brought Dolley and James Madison together.Eventually, the couple moved to Washington, DC, from Philadelphia. Dolley acted as hostess at the White House during Jefferson's Presidency. And then she was First Lady in her own right during James Madison's Presidency.During that time she was the only First Lady who had to flee the White House because of a British invasion.

Dolley Madison was pretty, warm and cheerful. She brought happiness to many.So children and adults can both enjoy this uplifting book. ... Read more

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Our lives are overwhelmed by stuff!How to organize, throw out, and share so we can stand to live in our homes.Creating the world we want, with humor and a Quaker perspective. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Perfect size
This book is the perfect size for people already overwhelmed by clutter.The author gives 25 great tips for reducing clutter.Chapters are clearly titled by space (bedroom, car) or type of clutter (paperwork, conference materials).It's a quick read AND organized in a way that allows the reader to work on a specific problem. BTW, I don't know anything about being a Quaker, so don't let that reference keep you from getting this book. ... Read more

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Studying the history of early Quaker preaching, Michael Graves uses careful rhetorical analysis to provide insights into Quaker theology and practice. Situating the movement within the intellectual context of early seventeenth century Europe, he explores both seminal preachers and lesser known figures who were nonetheless important rhetoricians. Through extant sermons he demonstrates that the early Quakers could be a vocal, even revivalistic, sect that sought to put into effect world-wide the moral, spiritual, and practical virtues of what they called primitive Christianity. Thus, Graves challenges the stereotypes of the early movement and shows the denomination to be theologically innovative and socially important. Well-researched and well-written, Preaching the Inward Light is a timely look backward to these spirited people. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (5)

Didn't want to finish
The stories are perfect for what they originally were which is magazine articles. As a collection though they become repetitive and disjointed. I had this book with me on 2 5 hour flights, a 4 hour train ride and a similar length bus ride. I still was not able to get myself to continue reading it. Only one person out ten in my book club liked it.

interesting but.............
I found most of the stories in this collection interesting and, at times, amusing.However, the typeface is difficult to read.I finally gave up about two thirds of the way through just because it was such a hassle.If you have exceptional eyesight and an interest in quirky historical legal stories, it's worth a read.

A wider audience can now appreciate these lively vignettes of early crime.
Collections strong in regional American history - particularly New England regional history - will want to add THE NAKED QUAKER: TRUE CRIMES AND CONTROVERSIES FROM THE COURTS OF COLONIAL NEW ENGLAND to the collection. It comes from a historian and former trial lawyer who uses court records to provide over twenty true stories previously published in his column for New England Ancestors journal. A wider audience can now appreciate these lively vignettes of early crime.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Naked Quaker reveals history
Whoever still thinks history is boring probably hasn't been paying attention - and certainly hasn't read Diane Rapaport's The Naked Quaker: True Crimes and Controversies from the Courts of Colonial New England (Commonwealth Editions).
Since human history is largely a by-product of human nature, court dockets are bound to be filled with intriguing goings-on in any era.

In this collection we encounter community leaders like Thomas Danforth dealing with neighborhood squabbles (that could escalate to witchcraft charges); neighbors from Hell(like Bacon the pig thief); and humble folk who might otherwise never have been recorded at all (like enslaved Sylvanus Warro fighting for his freedom).

Endnotes provide the scholarly basis for the tales which cast an uncommon light on a frequently stereotyped part of our nation's past. The stories themselves provide a darned good read.

Marilynne K. Roach author of The Salem Witch Trials: a Day-by-Day Chronicle of a Community Under Siege
The Salem Witch Trials: A Day-by-Day Chronicle of a Community Under Siege

The seventeenth century -- ready for prime time
Who'd imagine that a little book about court cases in seventeenth century New England could be so completely enchanting?Yes, this little volume is the product of historical research.Diane Rapaport, a trial lawyer-turned-storyteller, combed through paper archives, microfilm, and other archival sources to collect these real-life tales. Her magic touch turns them into a quirky, irresistible read.

Rapaport's twenty-five tales are grouped by subject, and you won't know which chapter to turn to first, since part of the fun is in her titles.Chapter 1, Witches and Wild Women, gives us "The Witch at the Top of the Stairs" -- a bad-neighbor situation that blew out of proportion and ended up in court.Chapter 2, Coupling, includes "The Scottish Rogue" and "The Wandering Wife" -- two sleazy tales that would fit right into prime time if you put them in modern dress.

Other stories you'll read with relish are "The Purloined Pigs" (in which the aptly named Michael Bacon lets his hogs run wild); "To Drive Away Melancholy" (a young couple fall afoul of the law by hosting sinful card games in their remote cabin); and "Drinking With The Drummer" (the town drummer tops up his four-pound salary with bootlegging).

The title story, "The Naked Quaker," leads with the details of Lydia Wardell's 1663 protest in Newbury, Massachusetts.Lydia and the rest of the Massachusetts Quakers were persecuted and penalized, and sometimes banished or even executed.Attendance at the Puritan Sabbath services was mandatory, and Lydia chose to protest by taking off her clothes.This form of protest, according to the author, was "popular among dissenting Quakers ... in 1650's England, as a way to symbolize the spiritual nakedness of their persecutors."Lydia "was ordered to be severely whipped" and soon after this punishment she and her husband relocated to the more tolerant New Jersey wilderness.

For all its entertainment value, this book is a serious piece of historical research that provides a wealth of insight into the past.It's our good luck that Diane Rapaport has the talent to create such a readable little book out of it all. Highly recommended!

... Read more

Product Description
Quaker women in the eighteenth century were carrying on the faith and activity of their seventeenth-century forebears, but as a group their lives and writings have been neglected in modern times by both Quaker and other historians. Gil Skidmore brings together a rich array of letters, spiritual autobiographies, journals, and memoirs to put the lives and concerns of these women into context. ... Read more

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An elderly Quaker widow living in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Elizabeth Elliot investigates the brutal slaying of a wealthy Quaker to save an innocent man from being unjustly convicted of the crime. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

A mystery with an interesting Quaker background
Elizabeth Elliot is the clerk of the Quaker Meeting in Cambridge, Massachusetts.She has recently been elected to this position and she wrestles with the many complexities of guiding the Meeting through worship services and business decisions.When a prominent member of her meeting is killed, she feels that someone is being unjustly accused of the crime and she begins a quiet invesigation in order to find the real murderer.

I found the Quaker background of the book to be very interesting and informative, and I enjoyed the main character of Elizabeth Elliot because of her compassion and dedication to her faith.I am looking forward to reading the other books in this series.

Describes Cambridge well, but very little "mystery" here..
Irene Allen's first mystery "Quaker Silence" shows some promise.It makes the reader initimate with Cambridge, and shows a fascinating world of the Society of Friends(Quakers), but this fails as a mystery.Why?Because there wasn't much suspense here, as we figure out quickly that the homeless man isn't guilty, and when we find out who the killer is, we are disappointed because of the accidental nature of the killing, and we are left to wonder what will happen to him.Also the book is only about 200 pages.Fascinating Quaker quotes however.

A wonderful mystery featuring an elderly Quaker sleuth
As a Quaker, I greatly enjoyed this book ... sort of Miss Marple the Quaker (member of the Religious Society of Friends), about an elderly woman who feels Led to help solve a murder involving her Meeting.My only quibbles are that the author tried a wee bit too hard to make Friends appear unusual ... e.g., writing such things as "The two Friends walked down the street," etc., which no one would ever say or think.(One of the tenets of our faith is that we do not pass judgment on others -- so we're known for fitting in and getting along, despite not drinking, swearing, dancing, etc.As such, we do not stand out that noticeably, and you would no more say "The two Friends walked down the street" than you would "There goes a Baptist!")Likewise, we have unprogrammed worship wherein we sit quietly, waiting for the spirit of God to touch us and often inspire us to share something with the group.Although outsiders call it silent worship, *WE* don't.Also, the main character complained so much about her arthritis that I thought it related to the case's solution ... In the real world, however short of the mark we may fall, we nonetheless strive to be thankful for all that we have, rather than whining about what we lack.

However, that's just quibbling -- and probably something with which only a Quaker would find fault.If you enjoy comparatively light mysteries (no profanity, sex, vulgarity, or fast-paced, high-level spy themes) with a Miss Marple type of elderly woman thrust into the role of sleuth) and would like a glimpse of the Quaker beliefs, you should greatly enjoy this book.I certainly did!

Curl up with this and a cup of tea
No blood and guts, no drooling perverts, no wisecracking cardboard characters -- just a really good mystery written with a careful eye and a sort of spare simplicity that's appealing and fun to read. Less discerningreaders may find Elizabeth Elliot a bit pedestrian -- but, what do theyknow?I love the way Elizabeth applies her deep faith, as well as hermature and healthy skepticism, to solve the mystery.Put the kettle on thestove and lose yourself with this wonderful book.

A charming mystery with great personality.
I appreciated the information on the Quaker tradition, and that the heroine is not a super hero or private sleuth.She is an interesting person dealing with the modern world.I look forward to reading more aboutElizabeth. ... Read more

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Examines the history, notable individuals, beliefs, way of life, and current status of this longstanding Christian group. ... Read more

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Essential Information About Quaker History for Adults, Too!
This excellent book is an excellent way to learn about Quakers.Although listed as a Young Adult or Children's title, the book is more than suitable for adults who are interested in the Religious Society of Friends.

We are a small, simple group of people, and the Quaker faith involves strong and unconventional spiritual beliefs (silent worship, women speaking in meeting as early as the 1600's, lack of a minister, non-dogmatic use of Scripture), mysticism, acceptance of other believers (it is not unusal to find Unitarians, Wiccas, Catholics and Buddhists in Quaker meetings), lifestyles (simplicity, most often in a non-Luddite manner), and activism (nonviolence, anti-death penalty, prison reform.)Note: Although Friends were active in the abolitionist movement, this came about only after a minority of Friends convinced the majority that slavery was an abomination.

In this tastefully illustrated book,you will read about the beginnings of the movement in England, with George Fox.Follow the faith to the Americas, with information about the conflicts that divided the faith into two different groups.

An absolute must for each Friend's (or those interested in learning about other Faiths, including Quakers) reading list, along with George Fox's and John Woolman's Journals, Jessamyn West's The Quaker Reader, and Robert L. Smith's A Quaker Book of Wisdom. ... Read more

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The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Quakers/ Anecdotes/ Juvenile literature; Quakers/ Biography/ Juvenile literature; Society of Friends/ Anecdotes/ Juvenile literature; Juvenile Nonfiction / Religion / General; Biography ... Read more

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Tips for losing weight and keeping it off.With humor and a Quaker perspective, the book offers ways to change our life styles to help us stay healthy and happy. ... Read more

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A Readable Penn
Anyone attempting to read William Penn's works "in his own words" must be ready to struggle with 17th c. archaic language. Buckley does for Penn what Freiday did for Barclay: bring his works into the realm of readability. The result is delightfully fresh and poignantly current, as Penn defends his faith against the calumny of his era's fundamentalists. ... Read more