Product Description
This classic biography was first published thirty years ago and has since established itself as the standard account of Saint Augustine's life and teaching. The remarkable discovery recently of a considerable number of letters and sermons by Augustine has thrown fresh light on the first and last decades of his experience as a bishop. These circumstantial texts have led Peter Brown to reconsider some of his judgments on Augustine, both as the author of the Confessions and as the elderly bishop preaching and writing in the last years of Roman rule in north Africa. Brown's reflections on the significance of these exciting new documents are contained in two chapters of a substantial Epilogue to his biography (the text of which is unaltered). He also reviews the changes in scholarship about Augustine since the 1960s. A personal as well as a scholarly fascination infuse the book-length epilogue and notes that Brown has added to his acclaimed portrait of the bishop of Hippo. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (27)

Auguatine biography
This biography of St. Augustine is a splended scholarly story.I enjoyed every page.

Augustine the Most Human of Humanists
It is extremely easy to view a Saint in one-dimensional terms of goodness. Peter Brown has penned a multi-faceted portrayal of the human being behind the saintliness. In a biography in which scholarliness does not impede readability, Brown conducts his readers on a fascinating journey from 4th/5th-century Roman Africa, to Rome, Milan, and back full circle to Roman Africa. In the process of the journey, he brings his insight to the life of an admittedly less-than-perfect man, his less-than-perfect family, and the turmoil and ferment of a multi-cultural society rent by riots, the strife of heresy, the depredations of imperial taxmen, strong-arm landlords, religious fanatics, and "barbarians."

The See of Hippo Regius represented an oasis in Augustine's troubled world. As Bishop, he intervened with the landlords, he interceded on behalf of prisoners, he gave succor to his small community; he gave alms to the poor. Augustine, according to Brown, prized humanitas, and it is appropriate that the publishers have chosen Carpaccio's very human portrayal of Augustine--his face uplifted in expectation to the light--for the cover of this splendid book.

I especially enjoyed reading Professor Brown's analysis of the "Confessions," which he envisions as a truly revolutionary work among what was once a plethora of conversion tales, which, Brown explains, usually dwelt on the experience after the conversion, burying the pagan past forever. Augustine, as one infers from reading his autobiography, is haunted by his past; he cannot let it go; and, according to Brown, the "Confessions" works as sort of a therapy; an antidote to the guilty pleasures of Cicero and Vergil, even though Augustine cannot help incorporating echos of Plotinus and Neo-Platonic thought. "Augustine of Hippo" makes a perfect companion piece to Augustine's "Confessions.

Indeed, Peter Brown's biography ought to be required reading for students of the late Roman Empire.

A Fantastic and Thorough Biography of an Early Church Patriarch
Brown's account of Augustine's life is amazingly detailed and thorough. Weighing in at over 500 pages, Brown takes pains to paint an accurate and comprehensive picture of Augustine's life and the times in which he lived.

Growing up in the late Roman Empire, Augustine lived through tumultuous political and social upheaval. Some of the events that contributed to this turmoil included the sack of Rome in 410 by the Visigoths, countless controversies within the Catholic Church (including Augustine's famous debates with Pelagius, Julian and Jerome) and the siege and eventual conquest of his home in North Africa near the time of his death. These events allowed Augustine to write on a variety of subjects that were far more than just matters of abstract philosophy but were, instead, treatises on real events that influenced Augustine's own life and world.

Brown begins by tracing Augustine's formative years, from his birth in northern Africa to his rise as a teacher and government official in Rome. Brown borrows heavily from Augustine's own autobiographical masterpiece, The Confessions, as there is not a lot of other material or documentation on Augustine's early years. Brown relates the remarkable story of Augustine's own conversion and includes the significant influence his devout mother, Monica, had on him. While Augustine was still a Manichean, Monica fervently prayed for her son's conversion to the point her local bishop assured her that her son would convert before he died - because Heaven could not deny such an impassioned plea from a mother!

Of course, under the influence of Ambrose, another influential early church patriarch, Augustine did eventually convert. At the time of his conversion, Augustine was a highly regarded philosophy teacher and, immediately upon converting, poured his heart and soul into figuring out how reason and faith could coexist. Brown explains that, a short time after his conversion, Augustine retired from public life, hoping to spend his life immersed in the study of Scriptures and philosophy.

Augustine's seclusion from society would not last long, however, as the writings he produced during this time became popular, causing his fame to spread. Augustine became so well-known, in fact, that on a trip to Hippo the local church practically seized him and literally forced him to become a local priest! Augustine succumbed to the town's wishes and he spent the remainder of his life serving the church in Hippo, first as a priest and later as its bishop.

In many ways, the longer the book, the harder it is to capture its spirit in such a short blog post. Brown's tome has long been considered the gold standard for an English biography on Augustine's life and thought and, after reading it, it is easy to see why. Throughout the book Brown interacts with Augustine's writings, his sermons, his personal correspondence and, even his critics.

Brown dedicates a good portion of the biography to Augustine's famous intellectual clashes with Pelagius, a British monk who taught that it was possible for a Christian to live a perfect life. Augustine denounced Pelagius's teachings as heretical, and countered their widespread popularity by teaching total depravity, original sin and the necessity of Christ's atoning death on the cross.Augustine stood on the front lines of defending Biblical teachings (in many cases he was the first to explain these teachings) and gave the church the theological foundation on which orthodox Christianity still stands today.

Brown's biographical tome was originally published in 1967. In 2000, it was republished with two major new sections entitled "New Evidence" and "New Directions." In "New Evidence" Brown shares with us new Augustinian manuscripts discovered since the time of the book's first publishing. In 1975, twenty-seven previously unknown letters of Augustine were found in a library in Marseilles. In 1990, more than twenty long sermons were discovered in a municipal library in Mainz, all of which were previously unpublished.

Brown explains these documents fill in a lot of blanks in Augustine's teachings. For instance, it was commonly taught in the early church that sex should be abstained from, even between husbands and wives! While making concessions for the sole purpose of procreation, apparently many early church leaders taught the act of sex was unbefitting for a child of God, and should be abstained from as much as possible. Augustine countered this movement with a long series of sermons and writings, explaining that sex between a man and his wife was a beautiful gift from God and helped keep temptations at bay. Augustine's teachings on this subject would have been lost if not for the discovery of these documents and Brown did his readers a service by highlighting these more recent discoveries.

Brown's book is a wonderful combination of historical narrative and theological hypothesis. Far more than a picture painted through a rosy lens, Brown does a good job of taking pains to interact with Augustine's supporters and critics, his triumphs and shortcomings. Brown also does a commendable job of offering his readers a rare glimpse of life in the early church, from its structure and hierarchy to its mechanisms and daily routine. Brown's book is a must for those interested in early church history and how the foundations of Orthodox Christianity were first articulated by one of the church's finest scholars and servants.

Bio of St AGustine
this is the best and most easily understood bio of St Augustine, I love it.

A brilliant thinker made accessible
Augustine's is a severe and forbidding character. His intellectually rigorous reasoning on(and harsh views of) salvation and grace made him an inspiration to Calvin and the Puritans. But gloomy though his view of human nature might be, Augustine was intense and passionate, a theologian and philosopher with a poet's sensitivity to natural beauty and the use of language. This books puts the reader in Augustine's mind and life: there is the young man dedicated to an idealistic pursuit of truth,surrounded by admiring friends and family; later, his imposition of that truth on the all-too-human structure of the early Christian church will be fraught with challenge.Augustine knew Rome and Roman Africa in their glory days; he died as Africa fell to Vandal invaders who would impose a century of brutal rule. Peter Brown brings the tumultuous period in which Augustine lived fully and comprehensively alive; he makes us one with a brilliant, uncompromising, surprisingly compassionate human being. ... Read more

Product Description
This book offers a vivid, compelling history of the first thousand years of Christianity. For the second edition, the book has been thoroughly rewritten and expanded. It includes two new chapters, as well as an extensive preface in which the author reflects on the scholarly traditions which have influenced his work and explains his current thinking about the book's themes.

• New edition of popular account of the first 1000 years of Christianity.
  
• Thoroughly rewritten, with extensive new preface of author's current thinking.
  
• Includes new maps, substantial bibliography, and numerous chronological tables.

Customer Reviews (11)

Magisterial; best enjoyed in combination with Peter Heather's "Fall of The Roman Empire"
If you think of the period between 400 and 1000 AD as the "Dark Ages", Peter Brown's masterly account of the interactions between the failing Western Roman Empire, the embattled Eastern Roman Empire, and the rising Christian Church will flood the time with light for you. In a sense, the work is a summing-up of Brown's 40-plus years working in this field. That he updated it to take account of recent archaeological finds attests to the flexibility of his thinking. He does a fine job of "listening" hard to the faint echoes that these new finds provide. In the process he makes an entire "dark" period come vibrantly to life.

I read this in conjunction with Peter Heather's The Fall of the Roman Empire: A New History of Rome and the Barbarians.While Heather's style is more informal than Brown's, he is no less of an historian, and his book is not "pop" history. After reading the two books back-to-back, I do not see the period the same way I did before. Brown brings out themes which recur constantly throughout all time periods, not least our own--which to my mind is the very essence of good history writing.

EXcellent Introduction to a Historical Period!
This is great book, easy to read, well laid out and full of nice pictures. I did really enjoyed it, at least while it lasted. The book is not an absolute reference for the historical period but it has enough information to give the reader a good idea of the historical period and what was about! Mr. Brown did a excellent job, once again!

A Foundational Study of Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages
This book is wide ranging, well-written, and full of vivid detail. One of the most important aims of this book is to situate the history of the end of the Roman Empire in the west in its broader context and to trace how Christianity, particularly western Christianity, arose out of that wider context. It is a triumph in aiming at understanding how the people of a period viewed themselves. The views the Romans had of themselves in, say, 500 AD is an important grounding for the student who has been taught that civilization had ended by the last decade of the fifth century. This is too short a space to review the book properly, but I will add a more personal note to encourage the prospective reader: this book is a joy to read; Brown has a fine and distinctive style that mixes the concrete and the universal in a way few historians can. This is a history of ideas, more than anything, and the student of ideas will find the book worth its weight in gold.

It goes without saying that one can disagree with Brown on various points, but his achievement stands, criticism aside. I, for one, find that he emphasizes the growing Christian culture at the time to the expense of a realistic appraisal of the state of society after the last western emperor was deposed. One might read this book in conjunction with Ward-Perkins' THE FALL OF ROME, which provides a detailed archaeological perspective.

I read this for a class
I had this book for a class on Medieval Europe.This book was our main text for the first half of the course and I spent quite a bit of those two months reading this book...I probably would have liked this book more had I had longer to read and understand it.It's arranged in a very confusing way and it's terrible to write essays over.My professor said that Peter Brown is brilliant, and I think he probably really is. Unfortunatly, I was too lost to appreciate it.If things were arranged more chronologically and if some clear distinctions were made in people groups this book would be more greatly appreciated.

Excellent book -
The book goes beyond the rather narrow sounding scope of the title; Brown nicely covers the changes in politics and economics that fostered (or hindered) the spead of Christianity from Ireland to the Middle East. The subject matter is cogently presented and enjoyable to read, unlike other scholarship of this era where authors tend to prove to the reader how much they know leaving the reader somewhat in the dust. Fascinating (at least to me!) is the number of texts that Brown cites that show the changes in orthodoxy from one century to another in various geographical areas, and how those texts came to be preserved. Conclusions are based on either these texts or archiology, not flights of a priori fantasy that all-too-often formed the basis for earlier works on this period. All in all, a book of great scholarship, but most approachable. ... Read more

Product Description

First published in 1988, Peter Brown'sThe Body and Society was a groundbreaking study of the marriage and sexual practices of early Christians in the ancient Mediterranean and Near East. Brown focuses on the practice of permanent sexual renunciation-continence, celibacy, and lifelong virginity-in Christian circles from the first to the fifth centuries A.D. and traces early Christians' preoccupations with sexuality and the body in the work of the period's great writers.

The Body and Society questions how theological views on sexuality and the human body both mirrored and shaped relationships between men and women, Roman aristocracy and slaves, and the married and the celibate. Brown discusses Tertullian, Valentinus, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Constantine, the Desert Fathers, Jerome, Ambrose, and Augustine, among others, and considers asceticism and society in the Eastern Empire, martyrdom and prophecy, gnostic spiritual guidance, promiscuity among the men and women of the church, monks and marriage in Egypt, the ascetic life of women in fourth-century Jerusalem, and the body and society in the early Middle Ages. In his new introduction, Brown reflects on his work's reception in the scholarly community.

Customer Reviews (5)

Quite Obsolete
In the late 70ies Protestant and Jewish scholars started to reexamine the carnal world of the early Christians. Since then daring new views have come up showing that Catholic Christianity as it developed since the 2nd century is not the same as New Testament Christianity which was deeply rooted in Judaism and its attitudes towards the body. Scholars like Jane Schaberg (1987), Raymond J. Lawrence (1989) and more recently Philo Thelos (2003) have shown that early Christian women and men treated each other in a very revolutionary manner experimenting with freedom and, compared to their pagan background, were all but chaste. It was the Catholic church that later took over Roman and pagan attitudes about family, marriage, virginity and chastity. Peter Brown's treatment of Jewísh attitudes towards the body emphasizes hellenistic Judaism and only slightly discusses much more body-oriented orthodox Judaism. His views on the apostle Paul are simply outdated and reflect traditional atheist views. Mr. Brown, however, correctly observes a trend towards asceticism among late antique Christians. This trend, however, did not originate in allegedly stern attitudes of the new Christian religion but in the failure of many early Christians to, the long run, embrace, keep up and enjoy the freedom offered to them. It was the young Martin Luther who reexplored the bodily freedom offered by the Gospel. The Calvinists and modern Bourgeois middle class Christians again lost that freedom. Interestingly enough, today it is Atheists who challenge Christians and their heritage of carnal freedom.

Theme not very carefully defined
The title of Mr. Brown's book is deceiving. He asserts to write about sexual renunciation in early Christianity. Instead he basicly writes about sexual renunciation in among the Gnostics. There is a good reason why devoted Christians of all denominations view Gnosticism as a heresy. Gnosticism is very much rooted in pagan, i.e. Indian and Persian religious esoteric beliefs. As scholars like A. Vööbus ("History of Asceticism in the Syrian Orient") have shown, sexual asceticism is not anything originally Jewish or Christian, but has been taken over by certain groups of Christians from Eastern religions. Of course, these groups have heavily influenced church Christianity and made Christians and non-Christians alike believe that celibacy is a truly christian virtue. However, church christianity has never been exactly the same kind of Christianity as the one depicted in the New Testament.

an excellent, scholarly study
Brown's book is the finest study available on sexuality and the body in the early Church. This book sheds great light on the classical, Jewish , and Christian conceptions of the body and how important those conceptionswere in early Christianity, especially for early Christian asceticism. Thisis a must read for anyone interested in gaining a serious appreciation ofthe early Church. Many histories focus primarily on the Development ofChristian Doctrine and Ecclesial structures. An understanding of earlyChristian spirituality and asceticism illuminates early Christian doctrineand church structure even more.

An Excellent History of Early Christianity
This is a marvelous book and Peter Brown is a master of his field._The Body and Society_ provides one of the best histories available of the human body and its relationship to Christianity in late antiquity.Browntraces early Christian ideas on the body and sexulity to their roots in theClassical world and Roman views of gender and sexual practice.Then, theChristian idea of sexual renunciation is explored through the ideas ofmajor Christian theologians, dealing especially well with the complex viewsof Augustine of Hippo.This is a beautifully written masterpiece ofhistorical research and is likely to be a modern classic.

A very well written history book, it makes history pleasant.
This book is an introduction for those who are just approaching theancient world of early christianity, and a guide full of insight for thosewho already have had a look of it. It is as important to philosophersas to historians, and to all those who are interested in the<> of Christianity and all the trouble it had beforebecoming one of the most expanded religions and cultures on our world.Moreover it makes an important step in linking the history of religion andof thought to the history of the human body.Mr. Brown wrote anexcellent history book where any person seriuosly interested in the ancientworld can find important information. Information, though, is not the onlyimportant thing in History, and in this book we can find much more: usefulanecdotes are beautifully depicted in the very right place in order to makethe thinking and the more practical need of our ancestors moreundersandable to our western technological eyes.Also let me add, thatthis book is the result of some thirty years of reserch and extensive, butdeep reeding of the writings and deed of the Fathers of Christianity. This book is, for us, anexceptional chance to read not only thetranslations of a very experienced translator of ancient literature butalso his comments and crossed inquiries. ... Read more

Product Description
With the blend of art and learning that is the hallmark of his work, Peter Brown here examines how the sacred impinged upon the profane during the first Christian millennium. ... Read more

Product Description
A new book by Peter Brown is clearly an event. . . . Peter Brown is a writer of highly emotive as well as extremely clever prose. . . . The Curti lectures complete the sequence of studies of the Christianisation of late antiquity on which Peter Brown has ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Excellent and exciting presentation of a key historical moment
Peter Brown is one of the greatest living historians of the 4th-6th centuries and this book is a fine example of the quality and incisive nature of his insights and writing.

In four clear and concise chapters, Brown offers deeply clarifying and engaging examples of how the Roman Empire was "christianized:" not in moving closer to embodying the Way of Jesus Christ, but in shifting power from the old urban elite to the bishops and their clergy. The key theme is the shift from focus on the power of local elites to contain and control imperial governors to the "love of the poor" which expanded and transformed the social understanding of civic identity and its relationship to "the center" of imperial power in Rome. Brown shows clearly how theology and politics are never separate by offering numerous illustrations of how the state of the Roman Empire greatly shaped the power shift he documents and describes so clearly.

These lectures are an easy to read foundation for understanding both the Roman world of the 4th-6th centuries and the ways in which that world shaped the christological doctrines that have remained at the heart of the creeds professed by Catholics and Protestants alike to this day.

Petrus Brown deus est
Peter Brown, professor of History at Princeton University is the father of the field of Late Antiquity and this monograph is yet another invaluable contribution. While most people believe the popular fallacy that the Roman Empire was in a state of decline in the 4th Century, Professor Brown shows us the Roman state at the peak of its power. He discusses what bound the various local elite to the emperor, arguring that a shared sense of education and culture provided a crucial sense of coherency to the Empire. In addition, he discusses the nature of public largess in the late empire, how local nobles maintained their positions as "nourishers of the cities."
He chronicles a world undergoing intense change, and the focus of the book is largly how the Christian clergy adopts traditional methods of "power and persuasion" to establish itself as the leading power in cities.
Students of Classics tend to ignore the 4th and 5th centuries, brusquely declaring them "medieval" and thus inconsequential to a student of Rome's classical glory. Brown's book brings to life a dynamic and important moment in Roman history, a moment at once rooted in traditional Roman values, yet at the same time caught up in a whirlwind of religious change. As always, Professor Brown writes with a humane and style, making the book a joy to read. ... Read more

Product Description

Peter Brown presents a masterly history of Roman society in the second, third, and fourth centuries. Brown interprets the changes in social patterns and religious thought, breaking away from conventional modern images of the period.

Customer Reviews (5)

One of the best books on the subject
I cannot say enough about this extraordinary book. Everyone who is interested in the environment that led to the rise of Christianity will find this book fills in many details. Brown's analysis of the decline of classical Greco-Roman civilization is well done, concise, and comprehensive. I highly recommend this book!

The poisoning of the classical spirit
From an Age of Equipoise to an Age of Ambition- the Poisoning of the Classical Spirit

I found this book to be an extremely clear and well-written explanation of the decline of classical Greco-Roman civilization. The period from the second to the fourth centuries, from the Antonines to Constantine, is covered. The author makes a very good case that the cause for this decline in the classical world was primarily due to a concentration of wealth and power into fewer and fewer hands. He shows this to be true in economic, political, cultural, and most especially, religious spheres. He also shows the obvious parallels with our own age without being heavy handed.

First he shows the grand show of power and tradition in the age of the Antonines to be primarily an empty hollow thing. It was the gigantism that precedes decline even if the players of the time could not see it. The societal restraints and governors that constrained individual ambition began to erode. The old code of civic virtue, of demonstrating your greatness by contributing to the benefit of the society, the polis, crumbled. Wealth was concentrated into fewer and fewer hands. The common people were forced off of the land. Bankruptcy became commonplace across the empire. Politically, power concentrated into a smaller and smaller circle centered on the court in Rome, and then Constantinople, and away from the provincial towns and capitals. Culturally and scholarly, all status depended on ones mastery of polished Greek and the ability to quote precisely from the classics (i.e. scholarship depended more on the size of your library than the size of your intellect.)

It is in the religious and spiritual sphere that this tendency to place all authority in the hands of an elite becomes the most insidious, and the most damaging. It is demonstrated that ,traditionally, the average man of the Greco-Roman world saw that world as alive with supernatural forces that he interacted with on a daily basis. The pagan participant in the mysteries experienced the divine through direct contact. This slowly changed with the rise of Christianity. Men were told that only "official" intermediaries could bridge the gap between heaven and earth. As a result this gap widened into a chasm. The old comforting classical assumption that heaven and earth lived side by side in gentle communion faded away. In the author's words, the leaders of the Christian church came to stand between heaven and an earth emptied of the Gods.

With all economic, political, scholarly, and religious power concentrated in the hands of a tiny, ruthless, corrupt elite, is it any wonder that the common man lost any interest in maintaining the empire? The old system of civic virtue and of the old delicately balanced system of obligations from ruled to the rulers, and the rulers to the ruled, had been poisoned.

Any of this sound familiar?

The poisoning of the classical spirit
From an Age of Equipoise to an Age of Ambition- the Poisoning of the Classical Spirit

I found this book to be an extremely clear and well-written explanation of the decline of classical Greco-Roman civilization. The period from the second to the fourth centuries, from the Antonines to Constantine, is covered. The author makes a very good case that the cause for this decline in the classical world was primarily due to a concentration of wealth and power into fewer and fewer hands. He shows this to be true in economic, political, cultural, and most especially, religious spheres. He also shows the obvious parallels with our own age without being heavy handed.

First he shows the grand show of power and tradition in the age of the Antonines to be primarily an empty hollow thing. It was the gigantism that precedes decline even if the players of the time could not see it. The societal restraints and governors that constrained individual ambition began to erode. The old code of civic virtue, of demonstrating your greatness by contributing to the benefit of the society, the polis, crumbled. Wealth was concentrated into fewer and fewer hands. The common people were forced off of the land. Bankruptcy became commonplace across the empire. Politically, power concentrated into a smaller and smaller circle centered on the court in Rome, and then Constantinople, and away from the provincial towns and capitals. Culturally and scholarly, all status depended on ones mastery of polished Greek and the ability to quote precisely from the classics (i.e. scholarship depended more on the size of your library than the size of your intellect.)

It is in the religious and spiritual sphere that this tendency to place all authority in the hands of an elite becomes the most insidious, and the most damaging. It is demonstrated that ,traditionally, the average man of the Greco-Roman world saw that world as alive with supernatural forces that he interacted with on a daily basis. The pagan participant in the mysteries experienced the divine through direct contact. This slowly changed with the rise of Christianity. Men were told that only "official" intermediaries could bridge the gap between heaven and earth. As a result this gap widened into a chasm.The old comforting classical assumption that heaven and earth lived side by side in gentle communion faded away. In the author's words, the leaders of the Christian church came to stand between heaven and an earth emptied of the Gods.

With all economic, political, scholarly, and religious power concentrated in the hands of a tiny, ruthless, corrupt elite, is it any wonder that the common man lost any interest in maintaining the empire? The old system of civic virtue and of the old delicately balanced system of obligations from ruled to the rulers, and the rulers to the ruled, had been poisoned.

Any of this sound familiar?

Excelent introduction to the Late Antiquity
Brown does an excellent job of introducing the reader to the period of late antiquity in this work.He is able to cover the major political, social and philosophical transition of the Roman Empire of the Antonines to the emergence of the Christian Succesor States with clarity, and accuracy.Although this work does not take an indepth look into any of the many subjects that fall in this period, it is an excellent overview, and maintains a level of scholarship that is almost unparalled in a work of this nature.The book is documented to an excellent degree, so that even the most critical reader can see where it is that Brown is comming from.I would recomend this book to anyone from the avid scholar to the most casual reader.

An excellent introduction to Late Antiquity
Brown is able to establish the foundations for anyone interested in late antiquity with clarity and scholarly depth that is unparelled in the field.This book, although taking a broad picture of the period, and focusing on a shallow over view, rather than taking an indepth look into any perticular aspect of the period, is still scholarly enough to interest even the most particular historian, but will catch the interest of the beginer also.Browns conclusions are well thought out, and are based on an extensive, and acurate picture of the period.The documentation is incredible, hundreds of documents are quoted, and carefully indexed, in a book under 200 hundred pages, so the most nitpicky readers can see exactly where Brown is comming from.This should be the model for broad view scholarly work, this is truly an excellent work. ... Read more

Product Description
Check out this rollicking, humorous, and heartwarming twist on the classic "first pet" story about a young bear and her favorite pet boy!

When Lucy, a young bear, discovers a boy in the woods, she's absolutely delighted. She brings him home and begs her mom to let her keep him, even though her mom warns, "Children make terrible pets." But mom relents, and Lucy gets to name her new pet Squeaker.

Through a series of hilarious and surprising scenes, readers can join Lucy and Squeaker on their day of fun and decide for themselves whether or not children really do make terrible pets. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Brilliant!Great Bday Gift
Super story for ages K - 3rd Grade.Pictures as good as the words.Makes a great birthday gift; parents will laugh and kids will love it.Good for girls or boys too!

Some creatures don't make great pets...
Simple, funny, sweet...a story about a young bear who finds a boy in the woods and keeps him as a pet. Of course, she finds out that children can be a lot of fun but don't really make good pets. They tear up the furniture, throw food,track mud everywhere, and are tough to potty train (especially using a litter box). I read this story to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders and they loved it. A great read aloud. They're all hoping for a follow up book to find out if elephants make better pets than children. ... Read more

Product Description
This remarkable study in social and cultural change explains how and why the Late Antique world, between c. 150 and c. 750 A.D., came to differ from "Classical civilization."These centuries, as the author demonstrates, were the era in which the most deeply rooted of ancient institutions disappeared for all time. By 476 the Russian empire had vanished from western Europe; by 655 the Persian empire had vanished from the Near East. Mr. Brown, Professor of History at Princeton University, examines these changes and men's reactions to them, but his account shows that the period was also one of outstanding new beginnings and defines the far-reaching impact both of Christianity on Europe and of Islam on the Near East. The result is a lucid answer to a crucial question in world history; how the exceptionally homogeneous Mediterranean world of c. 200 A.D. became divided into the three mutually estranged societies of the Middle Ages: Catholic Western Europe, Byzantium, and Islam. We still live with the results of these contrasts. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

The most significant book of my academic career
In the beginning of my junior semester at college I took a class called "The World of Late Antiquity." Originally, my goal was to become a historian of the classical world and I thought I would take this class to learn more about the period after the period I was interested in. The class and particularly the writings of Peter Brown made such an impact on my life that I decided to focus on post-classical studies.
The thing about this book is the intimacy gained through the imagery. The work is replete with images and these drawings make the era and the people of the era come alive. The art is somewhat surreal instead of abstract and at times it seems that you are staring in the face of someone from the ancient world. This is not to suggest that there is no abstract art from this period but rather that the images selected by Brown serve the purpose of endearing the people of this time to the reader.
In terms of content it is obvious that Brown made a groundbreaking claim that Rome never actually fell but was rather transformed into something else. Instead of using the words "decline and fall" he chooses "continuity and transformation" to describe the period. Brown argues the following;

1. The Roman capitol was moved to the east and thus Rome continued to exist long after 476.
2.People of this era still saw themselves as Romans instead of seeing Rome as part of the past. Yet in the midst of this continuity there are changes taking place and new ideas being promoted.
3. The Barbarian invasions were difficult but not as horrific as they have been portrayed. He argues that the Barbarians assimulated Roman culture not the other way around.
4. This was not an era of intellectual difficulty but rather an exciting time where new ideas were growing rapidly.
5. That it was not until the 800's that we see the disappearance of Roman culture and this was due to various pressures such as the rise of Islam which threatened the west and the eastern part of the empire.

Of course, there were some problems that Brown faced which he needed toadress and which he did in his 2003 "Rise of Western christendom." Personally, I feel that his ideas are excellent but the other side of this argument has valid arguments as well. Bryan Ward-Perkins and Phillip Freeman would argue that this was a time ofhorrific economic issues in the west which Brown seems to de-emphasize at times. This widespread economic declineis partly true and partly untrue. Hard economic times do not truly make a dark age and I think that in fact, that Brown's goal was perhaps to remove the "dark age" stigma placed on the ancient people of this era. This was a time of excitement that is unique and beautiful in it's own rite. I found that emperors of this time are more interesting and the people are fascinating. I could not recommend this book enough as I have came back to it almost every semester since as a great reference source.

The World of Late Antiquity AD 150-750: AD 150-750 (Library of World Civilization)
It is not a very good book.The Author writes almost as if this were a childs book.

It was very difficult to sort out what was his comparison and what was actual fact.

Excellent Introduction to Late Antiquity
Peter Brown has a unique style, like story telling he takes the reader through history making each page a page-turner. He exposes history like no one else. The author, always bringing information that apologist and past historians have tried to hide in the name of Church.

The book is a short introduction to a period in history that many people tend overlook. However, it is a very important period in Western history. It is the pillar of our way of life and the source of many of our core beliefs. Peter Brown brings forth excellent pieces of information like,

Galen noticed that the Christians were apparently enabled by their brutally simple parables and commands to live according to the highest maxims of ancient ethics.The Christian Apologists boasted of just this achievement.

A new half-educated public had turned away from great Platonic dialogues to more simple fare, provided by homespun philosophers such as Epictetus, and by handbooks of Pythagorean maxims.

Beautifully written history that challenges popular assumptions
It is rare that I find a history so readable. I read some and I just want to keep on reading. This book actually proved distracting from class work.
Not only is it written like a delicious bowl of soup, it also presents a new (new for when it was written, any way) temporal framework; the old division of Classical, Dark, and Middle Ages is done away with. Brown shows how while elite culture in Europe changed under the influence of Christianity and northern cultures, the period was not so much marked by a loss knowledge as by a resurgence of provincialism. Furthermore, the focus of political (and to a certain degree cultural) change saw a shift eastward to Mesopotamia, that area long fought over by Romans, Arsacids, Sassanids and Byzantines. The rise of the Sassanids in Persia and the east-west cultural exchange across Mesopotamia and the Levant is given good attention.
The inclusion of the rise of Islam in the context of this Late Antiquity framework gives a breath of fresh air into our understanding of later history. The influence of Persian institutions and culture on the nascent Islamic empire, the bonding of Hellenistic philosophy with Christianity and the resurgence of provincial styles across the [former] Roman Empire shows how continuity underlined-- and perhaps typified-- the the profound changes of the period. The old understanding of the "Dark Ages" should be thrown out. Cultures always change. This book helps elucidate that point.

A good introduction
The world of Late Antiquity is an historical period often overlooked. The more prominent periods such as the Greek Empire, Roman Empire, Early Christendom, Rise of Islam, East/West Split, etc. take the majority of space in historical texts; often the world of Late Antiquity is an epilogue or a prologue to anothe period.

Peter Brown, renowned for his authoritative biography on Augustine of Hippo, has produced a good introductory text to the period between the beginnings of the downfall of the Roman Empire and the beginnings of medieval times in western Europe. This period does not have strict boundaries -- there were no crucial or pivotal events defining the beginning or the end of the period, which is perhaps why it is often overlooked.

The text is divided into two primary sections -- the Late Roman Revolution, and Divergent Legacies. In the Late Roman Revolution, Brown explores the aspects of culture and religion that change slowly but ultimately dramatically from classical Roman to Christian-medieval. As Christianity rises and the power from the centre fades, including the power of the intelligensia, the post-Roman world takes on a new character.

In Divergent Legacies, Brown first looks at the development of the West after the fall of Rome. The barbarian invasions are recast, the assimilation of the Senate into the aristocratic and higher clerical ranks of the ruling Church shown to be a way in which the Roman hierarchy in fact survived the collapse of Rome, and the fragmentation of the empire ensured the dominance of Latin for the next many centuries.

This was a very different character from the survival of the Late Antique world in the East. Here the walls of Byzantium were never breached, despite the fact that most of the empire was lost not once but multiple times. The final chapter in Late Antiquity in the East was the first chapter in Muslim history, with the rise of the Muslim-dominated empires, which at first had cordial and profitable relationships with the West.

This book is part of a series, the Library of World Civilisation, edited by Geoffrey Barraclough of Brandeis University. Each volume is approximately 200 pages, richly illustrated (this particular text has 130 illustrations in these 200 pages), and accessible in writing style.


... Read more

Product Description
A preeminent classical scholar on the emergence of one of our most familiar social divisions. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Intelligently written, important scholarship
Peter Brown's three lectures presented in honor of Menahem Stern, here now in print, trace how the incorporation of Christianity into the later Roman Empire (300 - 600 CE) gradually defined, and ultimately broadened, the definition of "the poor" as people depending on the empire for justice and charity. Brown argues the church and empire held a symbiotic relationship wherein the church gained official power in exchange for taking on the empire's problem of the poor. Along with citing recent scholarly works, Brown's historical approach relies heavily upon letters, sermons, edicts, financial records, and other primary sources to clearly illustrate the attitude of the later empire.

Brown presents a rousing study of the gradual adaptation of Christian charity into the Roman Empire in which he dutifully grounds his arguments in primary and secondary sources. Covering the social, economic, political, and theological ramifications of Christianity's rise in the later empire, Brown provides a relevant study useful not only to scholars of ancient Christianity but also to others studying economics and power. Ripe with clearly articulated arguments and well-applied evidence, Brown's book proves an accessible, yet wholly academic, study of wealth in the emerging influence of Christianity in the later Roman Empire. ... Read more

Product Description

In this history of the late antique period, which appeared earlier in the five-volume series A History of Private Life, Peter Brown shows the slow shift from one form of public community to another--from the ancient city to the Christian church. In the four centuries between Marcus Aurelius (161-180) and Justinian (527-565), the Mediterranean world passed through a series of profound transmutations that affected the rhythms of life, the moral sensibilities, and the sense of the self of the inhabitants of its cities, and of the countryside around them.

Customer Reviews (1)

well written by not historical enough
Peter Brown is a prolific historian who focuses primarily on the textbook market, a needed professional in a field where many look down on doing such "lay" work.Well written the reader with not be bored.However,the book is so short and not really organized as a textbook so it makes itdifficult to grasp how late antiquity differs from the earlier periods orthe medieval world. ... Read more

Product Description
One boy's quest for a greener world... one garden at a time.

While out exploring one day, a little boy named Liam discovers a struggling garden and decides to take care of it. As time passes, the garden spreads throughout the dark, gray city, transforming it into a lush, green world.

This is an enchanting tale with environmental themes and breathtaking illustrations that become more vibrant as the garden blooms. Red-headed Liam can also be spotted on every page, adding a clever seek-and-find element to this captivating picture book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (29)

Definitely, *definitely!* a must read!!
So many of my friends had spoken so highly of this that I was afraid by the time I read it I'd be somewhat disappointed.I'm very pleased to say that I was wrong.Even with all the "hype" this little book still managed to touch my heart by the second page and hold me till the end.

What I love about this book, is not only the wonderful idea of a garden as something of a sentient being, wanting to explore the green-less city around it, but also how the young gardener in the book is such a happy boy - so full of life!Why, even in a gardenless city he enjoys being out of doors and exploring in the rain - what's not to love!?

The text of this story is so simple, sweet and poignant.And the accompanying illustrations are just the same.What I found interesting, is that on many pages, I looked at the illustrations first, before I read the text, something I realized I don't often do anymore.

This isn't a 'whack you over the head with a green thumb' sort of book, but the message is there, though it is more one of hope and optimism.To me, the story was just as much about the creativeness and initiative of the little boy, as it was about 'nature redecorating' (one of my favorite lines, from the author's note).
Definitely, *definitely!* a must read!!

Fantastic book!
The Curious Garden is a fantastic book for children that will also be enjoyed by the adult reader.Furthermore, the illustrations are equally amazing.

Beautiful illustrations, keeps my son's attention
I always have a hard time introducing new books to my two and a half year old son.I bought this particular book with three others, and now after two weeks, this is the only book he's read more than twice.The illustrations in this book are simply spectacular, and he really loves pointing out and identifying all of the items he recognizes throughout the story.Even now, as I write this review he can see the book cover on the screen and is asking to please "read The Curious Garden!"I know that this book is rated for ages 4-8, but I can tell you that my two and a half year old really enjoys this book and follows along with the storyline quite well.

Green City Inspiration
Perfect for my Nephew. Actually, I think everyone should read it. The book is cute and the message is on track to create green cities. We need more books like this!

Great book - love story and pix
This was a great book. I heard it on the Today Show and checked it out.I gave it to my husband, a nature lover, to read to our 1 year old and he just fell in love with the story and the images.I thought the deal on Amazon was a steal. ... Read more

Product Description
Chowder isn't like other dogs. For one thing, he likes people toys better than dog toys. He liked to read newspapers rather than fetch them, and he would rather surf the internet and look through his telescope than bury a bone. He just doesn't fit in with the neighborhood dogs, and that makes Chowder lonely. When a petting zoo opens nearby, Chowder is determined to make friends with the zoo animals. And with a strong kick and a flying leap, Chowder finally finds a place where he can be comfortable being his silly, slobbery self, and makes friends by being true to his quirks.

Chowder is a hilarious and heartwarming story that introduces an endearing new character to the picture book market. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

Funny and cute!
One of my students checked this book out from our school library and I was immediately drawn to it.I borrowed it from him and read the book, laughing out loud the whole time.Of course, the kids all begged me to read it to them since they saw me laughing so I did.They really loved it and laughed throughout the story.It's a cute story about friendship and being different.My class definitely thought it was entertaining!

Good One For Your Beginner Reader
I bought this book to add to the grandkids libary that I have set up for them.It has quickly become a favorite.Lots of giggles at the pictures and the text.Nice book.

It's a dog's life
Chowder is a favorite of my 5 yr. old, who laughs out loud at the illustrations. Chowder the bulldog, never fits in with the neighborhood dogs. They dig for bones, he digs for fossils.Chowder is lonely but comes up with a great plan to make friends. This is a good story about being different, and persevering.

Go Chowder!
Our whole family loves reading Chowder. We are partial to English Bulldogs though because we have one running our family.My husband and I find it interesting that the author doesn't have a Bulldog because he certainly has pegged the English Bulldog's quirky and fun-loving personality in Chowder's character. We get many laughs out of Chowder and even more when we visualize our Bully doing what Chowder does.If you have an English Bulldog, this is a great book and even if you don't, it is still a fun read.

Two boys' review: Quirky bulldog delivers fun bedtime story...for adults, too!
Meet Chowder. A weird little bulldog who is looking for his place in the world...and what a funny world in which he lives!

Two other silly characters, Madge and Bernie Wubbington, are straight out of Best in Show. They are a childless couple who lavish love and attention on their little bulldog (who resembles a five-year old boy).

Anyone who has spent a summer afternoon in a supermarket parking lot will laugh as the Wubbington family heads off to "Food Ranch." Author Peter Brown takes an everyday event - grocery shopping - and stands it on its head.

The message is simple and easy to follow: it is okay to be different. Even though Chowder doesn't fit in with other dogs he ultimately finds friends that appreciate his quirky behavior.

In summary, Chowder is a great bedtime reading book for young children. The School Library Journal recommends this book for grades 1-4. My oldest son will be a first grader this fall and he was able to read about a third of the words in the book. That said, Chowder stands up well to repeated readings. Rating: Four stars. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (9)

Anthropological rather than theological sources
Dr. Brown's classic lectures on the source of the cult of the saints is an anthropological more than theological study of those sources. In the first lecture Dr. Brown demolishes the 'two-tiered' popular historical model that assumes a vast difference between the educated Christian elite and less educated members of the faith. He finds that the cult of the saints did not arise from the undereducated and superstitious as has been theorized by modern post-enlightenment biased historians. Indeed, there is evidence that the cult arose from the very elite with which the modern historian so quickly identifies.In this, Dr. Brown has done a great service to identify our tendency to project our modern bias in historical thought.

But, while Dr. Brown identifies modern bias he may hold some of his own. He consistently refers to the rise of the cult in the 4th century as so many have asserted in the past. But such an assertion ignores how fully developed the cult had already become from such early 2nd century writings as the martyrdom of Polycarp or the martyrdom of Perpetua.Dr. Brown talks little about the early development of the cult focused on martyrs of the early centuries.And, he makes no mention of some of the roots in Jewish traditions.Assuming a 4th century explosion of the cult on Christendom loses much of the continuity of earlier centuries and leaves us grasping for the theological mindset that could apparently create the cult as a theological reality from nothing. By focusing so much on the anthropological roots, Dr. Brown loses the continuity of the theological roots.His myopic approach to history results in many of the same historical biases he rightly decries.Because of this one-sided approach, his anthropological arguments are very interesting but not as enlightening as they might have been.

There are two other works that are a bit more rounded with the theological continuity that balances Dr. Brown's work. The reader would do well to pick up a copy of 'Let us die that we may live': Greek homilies on Christian Martyrs from Asia Minor, Palestine and Syria c.350-c.450 AD or The Cult of the Saints (St. Vladimir's Seminary Press Popular Patristics) for homilies through the 4th century that provide inside evidence of the cult of the saints. In these works we find the early development of the cult and the continuity of its theological roots.

Dr. Brown gives us some interesting insight into the anthropological roots of the cult of the saints. But, in the end, the reader will want to round their understanding more with other works to truly understand the phenomena. Still, a worth-while work with some interesting insight that counters much of the popular historical bias.

The sainted and how they got that way
The Cult of the Saints is a scholarly look into how the saints, who were after all only human, came to occupy such exalted places in the minds of Catholics. The entire Christian world, it must be remembered, was nothing but Catholic for centuries. Peter Browns series of essays shows how, far from being a pagan holdover, the use of saints as mediators between earth and heaven became so popular and so accepted.

This is not a book to breeze through; rather, it requires careful, line by line reading. Recommended for readers who have the patience necessary to glean understanding from this scholarly material.

The other history of the early church
I've always like Peter Brown's works.This one covers the early history of Christianity that you don't read about in Bible class.Lots of weird practices and almost a general argument on why it's good to have some organization in your religion.

Good background book of the Middle Ages
A very interesting and refreshing look at how some of the beliefs of the Catholic Church came about. It is a good read even for non scholars even if it gets a bit dry in places. It is not written for entertainment so it is not something everyone would enjoy, but if you want to make sense of medieval history and the church's influence, this is a good bet.

The Cult of Saints and the Joining of Heaven and Earth
In the Cult of Saints, readers are offered a fascinating glimpse into the religious and cultural life of Late Antique and early Medieval civilization.Peter Brown's narrative is gripping and his expositions on the topics he addresses are learned, informative and lively.Now some of the main points of interest will be his discussions on the (1) affinities and differences between Pagan and Christian views on death, burial and the afterlife.For instance, he does a fine job isolating the pagan concepts of guardian spirits, or daemons [=genius, Latin], from the developing cultus linked to deceased Christian holy men and martyrs.Also, Brown brilliantly (2) explains the foundation and formation of the Cult of Saints--its genesis at the humble graves of the holy dead to its maturation and rise to prominence in the Church, in civic life and in the daily lives of believing men and women.Other valuable aspects of this work are: (3) Brown's survey on the significance and power of relics and (4) the interesting insight he sheds upon the development of saints as patrons, protectors, healers and as invisible agents that exorcise demons.Perhaps the most notable feature of this work is this--that such was the importance and power of the cult of saints in late and post-classic life that the tombs, shrines and relics of sainted men became the meeting ground for Heaven and Earth. ... Read more

Product Description
'I thought you'd do what the common run of slaves normally do, cheating and tricking me because my son's having an affair.'

Terence's comedies have provided plots and characters for comic drama from classical times to the present; the outstanding comic playwright of his generation at Rome, he has influenced authors from Molière and Wycherley to P. G. Wodehouse. Scheming slaves, parasites, prostitutes, pimps, and boastful soldiers populate his plays, which show love triumphing over obstacles of various kinds, and the problems that arise from ignorance, misunderstanding, and prejudice. Although they reflect contemporary tensions in Roman society, their insights into human nature and experience make them timeless in their appeal. Peter Brown's lively new translation does full justice to Terence's style and skill as a dramatist. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Hey, join the party!
Terence is the guy who said "I'm human; nothing human is alien to me." I think that's the most concise and eloquent expression ever of humanistic empathy and tolerance (San Francisco values!). But then, Terence was also reputed to be Nero's favorite dramatist. Go figure! At any rate, I'm glad to see so many other reviewers getting a kick out of Latin literature.If you still remember any high school Latin, you'll find P. Terenti Afri in print, ISBN 0-19-814636-1.

hilarious
Wow. I've read plenty of dramas, but this was my first ancient comedy. My girlfriend and I read this together, and neither one of us expected to enjoy it very much. But to our surprise, within 2 pages we were laughing constantly. We usually pause to talk frequently when we read something together, but this one we read very quickly because the plots and situations engrossed us so much.

If you are looking to read and enjoy something truly classical, I suppose there's no better place to start than this.

I imagine the translator was not too strict, but she did a good job in the spirit that I imagine Terence would want: not too literal, but very enjoyable.

Comedic
This book is one of my favorite textbooks ever.The storylines are interesting, though perhaps not hilarious from a modern standpoint.They do however make excellent fodder for research papers and for a deeper understanding of the ancient world!

timeless classic comedy
Terence's character development is superb.He takes stock characters of past Greek plays and turns them around so that the reader sees that people are not black or white.They are rather gray with good and bad qualities.His stories develop around his characters and in each comedy there is a message that is as timesless as the dialogue and interaction between characters in his plays.I didn't really know what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised with the mastery with which Terence took Greek plays and adapted them for his Roman audience.The editing was good, and I think that there is a little something for all readers in the comedies of Terence.They are timeless classics that draw a quiet smile from the reader rather than an outright laugh. ... Read more

Product Description
The Christianization of the Roman world lies at the root of modern Europe. Peter Brown's fascinating study examines the factors that proved decisive and the compromises that made the emergence of the Christian conception of existence possible: how the old gods of the Roman Empire could be reinterpreted as symbols to further the message of the Church. Peter Brown also shows how Christian holy men were less representative of a triumphant faith than negotiators of a working compromise between the new faith and traditional ways of dealing with the supernatural worlds. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

The Pagan/Christian interface- not so tidy as you may think
This is a gem of a book. Short enough to read in an afternoon, but so packed full of ideas and primary source material that you will return to it repeatedly in your research.

Chapter 1 details the "triumphalist" approach to understanding the suppossed triumph of Christianity ofver paganism, a la Eusebius, but that the defeat of Adrianople shook the beleif in an ordered and understandable "god on our side" worldview. According to Brown, Augustine had a more sober view of reality, which was pessimistic about "this age", and which eventually overtook the former idealism. Augustine laments the encroachment of pagan practices as converts streamed in, akin to Cato the Elder's lament about foreigners in Rome.

Chapter 2 explores the intorlerance for alternate theologies and beliefs in the Theodosian Age, a truly sad chapter in Christian history (IMHO). What is refreshing to me is how Brown points out that in the midst of anti-Semitism and anti-Jewish activites there was a greater than expected (or currently understood and taught) amount of civility and respect. Remember, keeping the empire together was their main priority. So it was the upper class, moreso than the church or state, setting the tone of practice.

Chapter 3 examines the idea of the holy, the saint. Reminescent of paganism, the holy man interceeded for all regardless of religion or creed. Such a man allowed the newly chrsitened, or reluctanly conjoled, to make a familiar trainsition into the new religion.

"Fascinating and Resourceful"
Peter Brown's "Authority and the Sacred: Aspects of the Christianization of the Roman World" is a work well-worth its weight in perspective, since it breaks with the customary norm of interpreting the rise and triumph of Christianity through a medium of objective analysis.Brown ignores the inevitable vicissitudes of recorded history and offers a much more personal, subjective, and systematic account of the triumph of Christianity.To Professor Brown, Christianity gradually emerged and ascended amongst a world deeply rooted in traditional Pagan "common sense" belief systems.This process involved a shift in how upper-class Roman society conducted religious and political institutions; these institutions were in turn viewed by the general public, and at last Christianity was accepted and validated by the consensus of both stratums of society.Brown concludes and confirms his view by pointing out the profound effect that the holy men of the fifth and sixth centuries had upon people of all walks of life.This, from Brown's perspective, proves that Christianity needed to have a firm hold upon the psyche of the late Roman world and not merely upon the social and cultural levels.In other words, Constantine's revolution was only half the story.This work is clear and concise, and definitely has something to offer to both scholars and general readers alike.

Erudite, elegant and satisfying
A brilliant analysis of the slow process of Christianising the Roman Empire.Brown writes in a learned yet clear manner, and addresses one directly as if in conversation.He guides the reader through his ownconsiderations over the years, and displays not only his incomparableunderstanding of this topic, but also his interesting shifts of belief indifferent areas, as well as challenging or developing the theses of otherscholars.A deeply personal and stimulting read, especially for those whoenjoyed his 'World of Late Antiquity' and 'Augustine of Hippo'.

Erudite, elegant and satisfying
A brilliant analysis of the slow process of Christianising the Roman Empire.Brown writes in a learned yet clear manner, and addresses one directly as if in conversation.He guides the reader through his ownconsiderations over the years, and displays not only his incomparableunderstanding of this topic, but also his interesting shifts of belief indifferent areas, as well as challenging or developing the theses of otherscholars.A deeply personal and stimulting read, especially for those whoenjoyed his 'World of Late Antiquity' and 'Augustine of Hippo'. ... Read more

Product Description
Hailed by Newsday as "the most authoritative and candid look yet at the personal lives...of the oft-scrutinized group," this national bestseller is the inside account from The Beatles' close friend and business manager Peter Brown. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (46)

If You Were There, Where Were You?
Being a Beatlephile of the Highest Order, I have exhaustively read and researched my favorite topic, that being the four Beatles -- individually and as a group.While I know for a fact that Peter Brown was an integral part of their history, I can't help but wonder, whose lives he was observing.While his recounting of their basic history is, for the most part, anecdotally accurate, for someone who claims to have been a member of the coveted "Inner Circle" he frequently gets the facts completely wrong.From whence did he get his information?Certainly, these revelations cannot be from "eyewitness" accounts; there is much archival video footage that exists which proves him wrong time and time again.In this regard I found this accounting of the Beatles lives very disappointing.His personal opinions of his employers are, at best, tinged with a great deal of hard feelings and unabashed disdain.It is very easy for someone who relied on The Beatles for their livelihood to throw stones; they were, after all four average mortal men who, together, found a way to create incredible magic.That doesn't mean that the magic necessarily carried over into their personal lives as well, nor should it have been expected that it would.It's a pity no one bothered to proof this catastrophe before it was published.Spend your money on Spitz.At least he did the research.

One of the best rock bios out there.
I read this book three times through out my life. It does a really great job of making a reader feel as if they were right there, and actually know the Beatles. The author has no problem gossiping over the Beatles' use of groupies and drugs, which may seem kind of harsh to some, for someone who was a trusted friend to the Beatles. I am interested to know what all the "inaccuracies" claimed by other reviewers are.

Nothing New
just finished reading this book...don't get it...this is supposed to be shocking???All this stuff has been told before.I don't think it makes anyone look particularly bad, just human.I don't understand why lots of people thought it made George and Paul look bad, or why they thought it was more favorable to John.I kept reading, thinking "maybe I haven't gotten to the parts yet", but got to the end, and never saw anything new.It was definitely not the best beatles book ever written.I've read a lot, and most of them say the same things.Why Paul and Linda bothered to get that excited about it, I'll never know.I think he says something about Linda being a photographer and rock and roll groupie....so what, wasn't everyone then?He did talk about Paul being a control freak, but also that John was not in any shape to take charge at the time.Everyone knows all this.Didn't learn a single thing new, but did enjoy the insight into Brian.He made a few mistakes, but I believe he genuinely loved them, and did the best he could.I do think it was wrong of him to involve Stigwood and think about selling his interests without telling them.Also, having them sign to add 9 years to his royalties without telling them was not good.I think he did feel guilty about it though, and that's part of the reason why he got so out of control near the end.He should have just sat down with them and talked to them honestly about it all instead.they could have worked things out.Someone should have locked John and Paul into a room and kept them there, until they had worked out their differences.John was correct in worrying about taxes (I guess similar to capital gains, a lot all at once), but I wish they did not let money issues ruin their friendship and everything they had meant to each other over the years.Thought the part where Paul calls John and they start yelling about taxes, Paul hangs up and intends to call John Eastman and instead calls John back again and says, "John, it's Paul, you won't believe what that f--ing a--hole John Lennon did now" and John says, "what are you talking about?I'm the f---ing a--hole, John Lennon!I laughed so much!John and Paul should have taken the opportunity to start laughing about it and how ridiculous everything had gotten, and they should have worked it out.I know that John would have normally found that situation very funny, but was too pissed off by the taxes to appreciate the humor!Overall, book was o.k., nothing new, but some of the stuff about Brian was interesting.

Sometimes acurate, usually bitter
If (like me) you're dying to know which Beatle had the biggest package, which Beatle got the clap in Hamburg, which Beatle had crabs, which Beatle probably got fellated by Brian and which Beatle slept with which other Beatle's wife, read this book.Just make sure you read Bob Spitz' extensive biography "The Beatles", Geoff Emerick's masterwork "Here, There and Everywhere", Richard DiLello's "The Longest Cocktail Party" and watch the Anthology videos first so you can separate the fact from the fuzzy fiction.

And if (like me) you've read at least three Beatle bios, you'll find all sorts of glaring inaccuracies in this book; dates and times are often mixed up, locations are occasions are sometimes wrong, and Brown is anything but impartial when talking about Paul, Linda and Yoko.It's all too clear that in Brown's mind The Beatles coldness caused Brian to overdose, John was a heartless fool for leaving Cynthia, Paul could do nothing right,Jane Asher was the ideal woman for Paul and he should have been shot for letting her get away, Linda was an talentless, ambitious groupie pothead who got lucky and Yoko was a talentless, ambitious, spiteful and vindicive Lady MacBeth who was guilty of prompting John to murder the dream of The Beatles.Oh, and Paul was being petty and vindictive when he made the agonizing decision to sue for the dissolution of The Beatles; after all, if he really loved the other Beatles he would have let them continue f***ing him for the seven years that were left on his contract while Apple rotted under Allen Klein's mismanagement.


This book is an odd read.On one hand, you get the idea that Peter Brown was a man who loved the four Beatles and on the other you get the idea that he is a deeply wounded yet very gossipy survivor of the worst split in the history of rock and roll.


(PS- I feel it is important that I clarify that I don't agree with Peter Brown; I believe that John, Yoko, Paul and especially Linda were and are beautiful people, and frankly Jane Asher seemed a bit too stuck up for Paul.)

Gripping
Whether or not you are a fan of the Beatles, this book is absolutely gripping. It reads like a juicy soap-opera of drug-addiction, bitching over money, sex scandals and the messy break-up. Beware though-I came away thinking that that Beatles and their entourage of wives, girlfriends, financers, and suck-ups were a bunch of jerks.

Extremely well-written though. ... Read more

Product Description

Since the early years of the twentieth century, public authorities have been providing an enormous share of the public infrastructure in the United States and have shaped our urban environment in powerful ways. Politicians have continued to create new public authorities, but many older ones remain influential, adapting to ever-changing economic trends, technologies, and user demands by entering new lines of business. Among the authorities that have continued to change and have remained relevant are many of the nation's industrial-era port authorities, including the Tampa Port Authority, the Port of San Francisco, the Port of San Diego, and the Delaware River Port Authority.

Despite their unique histories, markets, and geographic locations, these four ports have many similarities. Most important, as globalization and technological change led to declines in shipping, they all evolved from single-purpose maritime cargo-handling operations into diversified business organizations focused on waterfront revitalization. All four ports became deeply involved in real estate development in support of nontraditional maritime and nonmaritime public and commercial uses.

In America's Waterfront Revival, Peter Hendee Brown examines the experiences of these four port authorities, considering three important questions. First, how did external and internal forces encourage or impede these authorities as they engaged in new functions? How did the port authorities transform themselves as organizations in order to implement waterfront redevelopment? Do public authorities change as institutions when they diversify into new functional areas and, if so, do abstract theoretical models of public authorities adequately account for this institutional evolution?

Drawing on a wide range of sources, including enabling legislation, annual reports, financial statements, strategic business plans, land use plans, audits, media accounts, and interviews, this book delivers significant new findings on the opportunities and challenges existing authorities face when they engage in new functions.

Customer Reviews (2)

The New Waterfront
I have the perspective of having worked on the waterfront in San Francisco, an ILWU job, when I was in college in the late sixties, then having worked for the Port of San Francisco for almost twenty years beginning in 1982.I lived the changes that Peter Brown describes in his book, America's Waterfront Revival.What caused the Port of San Francisco and other ports to change during this period after years of stability?How did the changes in the industry forever change how the ports operated, were managed, and how they related to their larger communities?It is all there, in this book that examines changes at four ports over four decades.It is a must read for those involved in the Port industry.

Waterfront revitalization is now the name of the game.
Peter Brown offers a clear and unbiased look at the challenges facing four different port authorities as they adapt to forces in the economy that wean them away from traditional maritime activities and push them towards waterfront revitalization. Brown provides behind-the-scenes insights, and gleans ten lessons from his analysis for port commissioners and administrators, politicians, planners and other design professional, developers and urban scholars. ... Read more

Product Description
Noted British astronomer’s fascinating study of early astronomical knowledge through the interpretation of Stonehenge, Carnac, other megalithic sites. Stone Age sculpture, astronomical computations, radiocarbon dating, many other topics. Over 140 maps, photos, illustrations. "...essential summary of astronomy in the Stone Age" (New Scientist). Bibliography. Index.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

overview
Very enjoyable overview of archaeo-astronomy. Brown neatly debunks the lunatic fringe, reveals some of the unsung heroes of the field, and provides a clear summary ofcurrent ideas for the lay person.

Megaliths,Myths and Men
Author presents the astronomy side of astro-archaelogy very well. Reader is advised to have firm understanding of solar and moon mechanics. The author gives considerable details regarding origin and cultural history of Stonehenge and other sarcens. Different historians are quoted throughout book and examined in context of present archaelogy. Debate still exists over ceremonial/religious usage of Stonehenge. Author presents past ideas of a Mycenaean influence, pre-Roman conquest, and Egyptian influence. ... Read more

Product Description
"I may have been like other boys, but there was a major difference -- my family include 80 to 100 single young men residing in a Filipino farm-labor camp. It was as a ‘campo’ boy that I first learned of my ancestral roots and the sometimes tortuous path that Filipinos took in sailing halfway around the world to the promise that was America. It was as a campo boy that I first learned the values of family, community, hard work, and education. As a campo boy, I also began to see the two faces of America, a place where Filipinos were at once welcomed and excluded, were considered equal and were discriminated against. It was a place where the values of fairness and freedom often fell short when Filipinos put them to the test." -- Peter Jamero

Peter Jamero’s story of hardship and success illuminates the experience of what he calls the "bridge generation" -- the American-born children of the Filipinos recruited as farm workers in the 1920s and 30s. Their experiences span the gap between these early immigrants and those Filipinos who owe their U.S. residency to the liberalization of immigration laws in 1965. His book is a sequel of sorts to Carlos Bulosan’s America Is in the Heart, with themes of heartbreaking struggle against racism and poverty and eventual triumph.

Jamero describes his early life in a farm-labor camp in Livingston, California, and the path that took him, through naval service and graduate school, far beyond Livingston. A longtime community activist and civic leader, Jamero describes decades of toil and progress before the Filipino community entered the sociopolitical mainstream. He shares a wealth of anecdotes and reflections from his career as an executive of health and human service programs in Sacramento, Washington, D.C., Seattle, and San Francisco. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A useful book for teachers.
I found out about this book from my in-laws after they received a signed copy from the author.Peter Jamero attended school with both of them and they considered him and, especially his brother who was their classmate, a friend.My wife borrowed it and read it and thought it was wonderful.She and I are both teachers and his journaling of his experiences in school are very helpful to us because it tells a side of prejudice that we don't get to see.My in-laws described him as a great guy to know and a fun person to be with.We see students who show us their true personalities while they conceal the attacks they receive from others.The reason that I purchasedthis book from Amazon was based on a conversation with my brother's wife.She is half Mexican and half Filipino and one of the most positive, friendly, hard-working people you could ever know.When I described the book to her, she said that it sounded like her life.I was floored.How could anyone show prejudice towards this wonderful person.This book is great in that it can help the victims of prejudice cope and help the rest of us realize that there are people suffering silently.

This book can serve to alert us to the problem and hopefully, the story of his life will let people see that you can't judge people by their skin color or their ethnicity.The story of Peter's life can show us that his successes are what define him. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Peter in the New Testament - the non-sectarian truth?
Much of the best recent biblical scholarship comes from the USA. This short, approachable study of Peter's place in the NT has a decided edge, in that it is a collaboration between U.S. Roman Catholic and Lutheran experts. It attempts to bring biblical research methods to a figure who has caused divisiveness between the Reformation and Catholic traditions. I used the study to help me understand one of the kernel disagreements - Matthew 16:16. I quote an extract to show how it brings light and (for this Anglican priest) resolution to that text:
An Aramaic substratum has been recognised in Mt's Greek. "You are petros" and "this petra" suggests a Greek play on the two words; in Aramaic they are identical: "You are Kephâ' and upon this kephâ' I will build". `This leaves no doubt that the rock on which the church was to be built was Peter.'
I am now reading the other chapters with similar results - their clarity is infectious. ... Read more