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68 pages ... Read more

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With an introduction by Louis L'Amour, these two stories tell of the men of the West who dealt with the strange, seductive power of the promise of riches during the Gold Rush. Brilliantly performed by Richard Crenna complete with original music and authentic Western sound effects. ... Read more

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Richard Bruce Nugent (1906–1987) was a writer, painter, illustrator, and popular bohemian personality who lived at the center of the Harlem Renaissance. Protégé of Alain Locke, roommate of Wallace Thurman, and friend of Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston, the precocious Nugent stood for many years as the only African-American writer willing to clearly pronounce his homosexuality in print. His contribution to the landmark publication FIRE!!, "Smoke, Lilies and Jade," was unprecedented in its celebration of same-sex desire. A resident of the notorious "Niggeratti Manor," Nugent also appeared on Broadway in Porgy (the 1927 play) and Run, Little Chillun (1933)

Thomas H. Wirth, a close friend of Nugent’s during the last years of the artist’s life, has assembled a selection of Nugent’s most important writings, paintings, and drawings—works mostly unpublished or scattered in rare and obscure publications and collected here for the first time. Wirth has written an introduction providing biographical information about Nugent’s life and situating his art in relation to the visual and literary currents which influenced him. A foreword by Henry Louis Gates Jr. emphasizes the importance of Nugent for African American history and culture. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Discovering a forgotten Hero of the Harlem Renaissance
Richard Bruce Nugent was the son of two black parents,his father was an entertainer and his mother was a member of one of the leading black Washington D.C. families of the day.Nugent was out of the closet at 19 years of age, black and proud and proud to be gay and unconventionally bohemian.

Nugent has often been relegated to only a footnote and a provider of anecdotal stories about theHarlem Renaissance and its leading canonized figures by reserchers and biographers past and present.Thomas Wirth's book seeks to rectify an injustice and put Nugent back to the forefront as a contributing member to the Renaissance.After a brief foreward by Herny Louis Gates Jr. stressing Nugent's importance to the history of black literature, gay literature, especially black gay literature and literature in general, the reader is treated to a very brief biography of Nugent and his milieu of the time by Wirth.

From this point on in the book, Wirht allows Nugent's words to speak for Nugent himself by offering a variety of work that was unpublished during Nugent's lifetime and forgotten or lost. Wirth gives a brief introduction to each piece of work presented explaining nuiances and the history behind it.In addition, presented in GAY REBLE.. are some of Nugent's diverse artwork.

Unlike Langston Hughes who showed very little interest in white men sexually and as objects of desire in much of his life and work, barring simple friendships----but whose preference was for men of his own race, especially the handsome "darker-skinned"black men---- Nugent, in his own words, favored white men.The reason he gives is somewhat inanitious, but is represented in much of his work and life.

Smoke, Lilies, and Jade is the most famous and infamous work presented in GAY REBEL... because it was the first piece of writing by an OPENLY GAY BLACK MAN whose protagonist was a black gay man and "Beauty," the object of desire in the story was a composite of Langston Hughes, Harold Jackman and Valentino.Lesser known works include "Geisha Man" and "Gentleman Jigger," a somewhat semi-autobigraphical sketch where Nugent is honest in how he managed to come to terms with and extinguish his skin color prejudices with darker-skinned black after meeting Wallace Thurman, another influential and leading intellectual of the Harlem Renaissance.

It should be pointed out that Nugent, like Langston Hughes, Zora Hurston, Wallace Thurman were all proud to be black.But again, like Hughes, Hurston, and Thurman, Nugent understood that black Americans are a multicultural people of mixed bloodlines no matter the complextion of skin and the race of either parent.It is important to remeber this when reading some of Nugent's poems and looking at his artwork where he took care to include this fact.

Comprehensive tribute to a remarkable cultural figure
"Gay Rebel of the Harlem Renaissance: Selections from the Work of Richard Bruce Nugent" is edited by Thomas H. Wirth, who also wrote the introduction.Also included is a foreword by Henry Louis Gates Jr.Over 300 pages long, this book offers a comprehensive and compelling look at Nugent (1906-1987).In his foreword Gates writes that Nugent was "boldly and proudly gay" and that he "linked the black world of the Harlem Renaissance with the gay world of bohemian New York."

Wirth's fascinating, 61 page introduction is full of photos and illustrations.Wirth looks at Nugent's life and work; among the topics covered are Nugent's relationships to other Harlem Renaissance figures and his involvement with the periodical "Fire!!".

A note to the reader tell us that the book includes previously unpublished work taken directly from manuscript.Overall there is a rich selection of material.Among the pieces included in this book are the short story "Smoke, Lilies and Jade," an oft-reprinted piece described as "Nugent's most important work"; poems; an essay entitled "On Harlem" which was written for the Federal Writers' Project in the late 1930s; excerpts from an unpublished novel; and more.There are also many reproductions (both color and black-and-white) of Nugent's artwork.

"Gay Rebel" is a superb contribution to both African-American studies and gay studies.But beyond that it's a very moving tribute to a remarkable cultural figure.

Persuasive reestablishment of a formidable artist!
Exciting, thorough, and amazingly generous, Wirth brings to life a most beguiling participant in the Harlem Renaissance.

Move over Langston Hughes!A real diva is here!SNAP!
This book is a mixture of biography and collected works of Richard Bruce Nugent, the most openly gay writer of the Harlem Renaissance.His 1920s story, "Smoke, Lillies and Jade" has been called the first African-American fictional account regarding homosexuality.The book also includes many photos of Nugent and his gay peers as well as Nugent's artwork.

The book is divided into five sections, emphasizing Nugent's fictional and non-fictional work.However, the best part of the book is the historical introduction; it should have been highlighted somehow.This book is a veritable "Who's Who?" of the Gay Harlem Renaissance.Unfortunately, this excellent documentation of the numerous gay Black authors writing in the early 20th century leaves the impression that little is known about Nugent or little is worth saying.Still, I found myself wanting to read every footnote because they show how much material is out there that has yet to be reviewed scholastically.Heads up, gay studies graduate students!

Though the excerpts of Nugent's writings span a fifty-year period, the grand majority of it comes from the 1930s.Nugent, in "Smoke" and most other writings, was a blatant cheerleader for the Renaissance.I found his work challenging, though at times incredibly boring.It's admitted that his artwork is faux Erte, but it's implied homoeroticism must truly be relished.Be warned that it's very campy.I applaud Nugent in his continual inclusion of women in his artwork, non-fiction, and fiction.You would never have to worry about him saying some foolishness like "Hated it!"Besides, if I read this correctly, Nugent never went to college, yet his writing is quite sophisticated.

Surprisingly, this book reminds me of Little Richard's biography, even though that was written during one of Richard's homophobic stages.Both Richard and Nugent were/are frequently X-rated in order to get laughs and push the envelope on societal norms.Like Dennis Rodman, Nugent swears that because Blacks rejected him, he only pursued "Latins."This fetishization may really disturb gay Latino and Italian-American readers.But remember:gay whites of the era like E.M. Forster also celebrated "difference" in ways that we would now deem politically incorrect.

Skip Gates' forward is scant, but it does reprove his commitment to an anti-homophobic, African-American scholarship.The biographer is a white gay man "interested" in Black culture.Shockingly, he never cites Eric Garber, the non-Black scholar who was the first in gay studies to report on the gay underpinnings of the Harlem Renaissance.It's a shame too, because many of Garber's insights are still useful, yet they go unacknowledged.Wirth includes a section in which Nugent remembers Carl Van Vecten, the gay white celebrity-maker who promoted the Renaissance.This section is confusing and says little.It somewhat re-centers Van Vechten and feels slightly Eurocentric.Still, the biographer has a Ph.D. in chemistry from CalTech yet he writes like the most sophisticated gay studies Ph.D.I give him much credit.

Finally, this book has been categorized under "racially mixed persons."Though it is mentioned that Nugent had some Native American ancestors, interracial romantic liaisons and passing come up much more often than multiracial identity matters in this text.

All people who want to challenge the idea that gayness is a "white thing" or "recent phenomenon" need to read this book. ... Read more

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'Wilkinson's prose is vigorous, direct, and often very funny ... There is not a dull page in the book. At the same time, its purpose is entirely serious ... There could scarcely be a better way of drawing the non-specialist reader into the intricate world of seventeenth-century France.' – History Review

This lively and accessible biography focuses on Louis' personal life while keeping the needs of the history student at the forefront, featuring analysis of Louis' wider significance in history and the surrounding historiography.

A narrative account of Louis' life, this study proposes that the Sun King's reign and legacy cannot be fully understood without a detailed analysis of Louis' private life and personality, including his upbringing and his many lovers. Louis' relations with his closest family set the tone for the treatment of his French subjects and for his foreign policy towards the rest of Europe.

This book balances the undeniable cultural achievements of the reign against the realities of Louis' egotism and argues that, when viewed critically, Louis' rule (1643–1715) personified the disadvantages of absolute monarchy and inexorably led to social and political blunders resulting in the suffering of millions. Richard Wilkinson demonstrates that while Louis excelled as a self publicist, he fell far short of being a great monarch.

A must read for all students and those with a general interest in one of history's most colourful rulers.

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"Joe Louis" depicts the prizefighter's life, and the times in which he lived, from his childhood in a sharecropper's cabin in Alabama and his formative years in Detroit to his legendary career, her service in the Army, and his stint as a professional wrestler after retiring from boxing in 1951. 103 illustrations, 22 in color. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The Brown Bomber
Richard Bak was born and raised in Detroit - the town where Joe Louis learned the sporting craft of boxing.He does a very good job in his biography of Joe Louis to capture the socio-political context of the events in the life of Joe Louis and to demonstrate how that context affected the decisions and actions of Joe Louis in his life and his boxing career.

After 3 pages of acknowledgments and a prologue are 12 chapters:chapter 1) From `Bama to Black Bottom; chapter 2) A Punch in Either Hand; chapter 3) The Long Shadow of Papa Jack; chapter 4) No Ordinary Joe; chapter 5) Tan Tarzan, Black Messiah; chapter 6) Champion of All, Save One; chapter 7) Knocking Out Hitler; chapter 8) Bummin'; chapter 9) On God's Side; chapter 10) Cruel Twilight; chapter 11) No Joe Louis, No Jackie Robinson; and chapter 12) Your Whole Life is Your Funeral.These chapters are followed by a 3-paged appendix of Joe's Prize Fighting Ring Record, a 5-paged bibliography, and a 9-paged index.Altogether there are 320 pages between the covers with 58 photos.

In chapter 1, we learn that Joe Louis was born Joe Louis Barrow in the desegregated State of Alabama.His stepfather relocated Joe and his family to the racist city of Detroit but with integrated schools where Ford was hiring and paying good wages.Joe had a speech impediment, was bored with schoolwork, but loved learning by doing - especially flag duty.

In chapter 2, Joe had a percipient teacher who recommended that Joe enroll at vocational school where he could learn skills according to Joe's kinesthetic learning style.He also took up amateur boxing and eventually became the national AAU and Golden Gloves national champion.He compiled an amateur record of 50 wins (43 by knockout) and 4 losses.

In chapter 3, Joe made the decision to become a prize fighter.When boxing for money, rules are not followed as they are in amateur boxing.So flagrant are the fixes and rules violations that it's best not to refer to prize fighting as boxing.Bak tells us about Jack Johnson and how he perfected his boxing craft while in jail for illegally prizefighting with his cellmate who had just knocked him out. Bak says that after Johnson became heavyweight champion of the world that he "inflamed public opinion with his open dalliances with women, including his second wife"(p53).Joe Louis's publicists gave Joe an opposite spin - "a God-fearing, Bible-reading, clean-living young man . . . neither a showoff nor a dummy" (p75).

In chapter 4, Joe has his first prizefight on the 4th of July, 1934.One week later, Joe fought his second fight.Eventually, Joe caught the attention of Jewish-American fight promoter Mike Jacobs.Joe said in his autobiography - "If it wasn't for Mike Jacobs I would never have got to be champion" (p87).In this chapter, Joe demolished the Italian giant Primo Carnera at the time when Mussolini had just invaded the starving land of Ethiopia while waving white superiority.Joe Louis gave Mussolini a black eye.

Chapter 5 explains how "Joe's handlers understood that it was crucial to develop and maintain a favorable public image in order to win acceptance by white America" (p110).

In chapter 6, we learn that German fighter Max Schmeling was making a comeback and that Hitler did not want the heavyweight champion - Jewish-American Max Baer, fighting Schmeling and possibly giving Hiter and his theory of white supremacy a black eye like Mussolini suffered when Joe Louis knocked out Primo Carnera.Instead, Schmeling fought Joe Louis.Schmeling was confident that he could defeat Louis, saying "I see something" - he saw how Joe dropped his left after a jab and was subsequently open for a right cross.In their fight, Schmeling dropped Joe several times before delivering the knockout.Fight announcers downplayed any notions of white supremacy but many in the audience were giving voice to it.Back in Germany, Hitler and his Nazis were ecstatic.Schmeling was not allowed by U.S. boxing officials to fight for the heavyweight title at that time. Meanwhile Joe bounced back quickly and eventually knocked out Braddock to become the heavyweight champion of the world.

In chapter 7, Joe had his rematch with Schmeling where he knocked him out in the first round after hitting him so hard to the body that he squealed like a pig.Hitler was humiliated and Joe became America's boxing patriot.

In chapter 8, Joe fought a series of `bums'.In 1936, he paused to go to Hollywood to make a boxing film for the Jewish-American cartel called "Spirit of Youth".Here Bak reveals Joe's penchant for white women and the collusion among the black media to hide his indiscretions from the white public.

In chapter 9, Bak makes short shrift of the Louis-Conn fight.And he doesn't say a word about FDR provoking the Japanese to retaliate, which they did at Pearl Harbor.Nor does he say that Winston Churchill came up with the Pearl Harbor plan in order to suck America back into the second part of the World War.Americans were opposed to making the mistake they had made in the first part of the World War, which was to ignore Thomas Jefferson's maximof "peace and friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none".But after FDR allowed the Japanese to hit U.S. naval ships at Pearl Harbor, Americans went war crazy.Joe said "I was mad, I was furious, you name it" (p203).Joe and Billy Conn joined the Army as enlisted, while non-Irish white boxers were made officers.Joe and Billy gave boxing exhibitions while Joe noted Billy's weaknesses for a future rematch after the war.

The remaining chapters tell a tragic story of Joe's fight with the IRS. It's a story where he continually gets pummeled with interest and penalties until he marries Martha Malone Jefferson, California's first black female lawyer, and she gets the IRS to stop hounding him although they never erased the debt.And after he died, the government buried his body in their cemetery at Arlington.

There is also the story of how Joe panicked after the mob killed his friend Sonny Liston.Bak doesn't tell us that Joe had to hide out in a Denver psychiatric hospital in order to be safe from the mob, while his wife convinced the mob that his "paranoid delusions" would discredit him if he ever repeated anything that Liston had told him.

In short, Bak did a great job dealing with a symbol of black power, a symbol of nationalism, and a man with many weaknesses outside of the ring.I am humbled to review this.

Excellent portrayal of JL's life and times
This is an outstanding book. It's enlighteningentertaining and very enjoyable. JL's life from early childhood in Alabama to his youth in Detroit is clearly written. His amateur career is well documented as areall his professional fights. His boxing coterie and family life are alsowell drawn. I didn't know much about JL before reading this book, but Icame away liking him very much and obviously respecting his boxingabilities. Mr. Bak has written an instructive and very enlightening book. ... Read more

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The great man behind the joyous music emerges in this personalinterview with Richard Meryman. Armstrong muses, "I was very muchcontented just to stay in New Orleans and playing with the oldtimers. I wonder if I would have enjoyed that better than all this bigmucky-muck traveling all over the world, being high on the horse, allgrandioso." Limited edition of 100, slipcased, featuring a hand-pulledgravure of Armstrong by Anton Bruehl.

book dimension: 7 3/4 x 7 1/2 inches ... Read more

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Originally published in 1860.This volume from the Cornell University Library's print collections was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format by Kirtas Technologies.All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks notations and other marginalia present in the original volume. ... Read more

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

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Read by Richard Crenna
1 Cassette, 60 minutes

This harrowing adventure of shipwreck and survival is L'Amour's fictionalized account of the heroic true story of merchant seaman Tex Worden and his efforts to save the passengers of the doomed Raratonga. A unique look at the early life and times of one of our most cherished writers, Survival is the action-packed oral biography of a true American original, an audiocassette that no L'Amour fan will want to miss. ... Read more

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Louis L'Amour's life was as exciting as the fiction he wrote. And in this exclusive audio program America's favorite storyteller talks about his early experiences as a miner searching for gold and silver in the hard rock mines of the old West and gives his firsthand observations of the hard and dangerous life of a miner and the special breed of men who risked their lives daily to dig the earth for riches--and too often found their own graves. These collections are vividly re-created in Richard Crenna's performance of Dead End Drift, one of L'Amour's famous Yondering tales. This harrowing story of a real-life mine cave-in is L'Amour's fictionalized account of the last hours of four trapped miners and their courageous struggle to save themselves from certain death.

Dead End Drift provides a unique look at Louis L'Amour, the man and his work. ... Read more

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Continues where the best-selling Who's Who on U.S. Stamps left off. Features capsule biographies of all those individuals honored -- but not pictured -- on U.S. stamps. This sequel also includes biographies of people not included in the first book. Serves as an entertaining reference work not only for stamp collectors but also for students and casual readers. ... Read more

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Author Richard Rohr joins with artist Louis Glanzman to reveal the souls of men throughout the ages who have struggled to discover who they really are, and what God wants of them. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

What Soul Brothers can do for you
A Great Book with loads of ideas to follow today that were introduced by these 12 great brothers from scripture. You can read it all at once or take one brother each day for two weeks.It is well worht the time of any one but helpful to very busy brothers today!When you finish reading Fr. Rohr's book you will know twelve brothers from Scripture in a very intimate fashion.Read it!You won't be sorry!

fr. Hank

the adventure continues
Damn Richard Rohr!Whenever I've expanded my "boundaries" (often times from hearing or reading him) and I'm feeling safe and smug in them I'll read something new by him and he'll kick down and trample my new boundaries as he's gone off to some new daring place.If I follow him, however, I always find what I was looking for all along - more Jesus and a more authentic experience of God.And so I establish some new boundaries until the next time Richard comes around again and the cycle repeats.God bless Richard Rohr!

Be aware that this is not a typical long, verbose book.It's 12 short chapters with the wonderful pictures by Glanzman and then a reflection written by Richard in big, well spaced font.Don't let that stop you, however.It's a wonderful book!

inspired art and words
This book started with twelve magnificent paintings, and the text was inspired by the contemplation of them. As author Richard Rohr says in his preface, "Glanzman's art is to reveal the very soul of an individual", so from each piece, came a chapter on the biblical character that is insightful and instructive. Though the title indicates that this book is intended for Christian men, it will enlighten everyone who reads it and reflects on the portraits and the words. The chapters begin with a short excerpt of scripture that applies to the person, and the twelve portraits are: Abraham, Moses, David, Isaiah, John the Baptist, Peter, Paul, Timothy, John the Evangelist, Elijah, Joseph, and Jesus.

It starts with Abraham, a profile of a sun-weathered man, fearless and confident that God will be his shield, with a little ram in a corner, his horns caught in a thicket. The text begins with portions of Genesis 15, and continues with the concept of sacrifice throughout the ages, and the true sacrifice which is the surrender of the ego.
Other favorites are David, pictured as youthful, tenderly looking after a lamb, who in turn has an air of peace and security; the text analyses the king, warrior, magician and lover archetypes.
Timothy is the only one pictured who does not show power and toughness; Timothy is depicted as a slight and frail young man, and the text points out his strength of character, despite his lack of physical vigor.
Elijah, the handsome, pensive profile that is on the cover, with the ravens who fed him flying through a deep blue sky.

The portrait of Jesus is the reason I bought this book. The beauty and majesty of it is riveting, with eyes that seem to look into one's soul. I am sure it is a depiction of the Lord that will become a classic image for all time.
Born in 1922, the art of Louis Glanzman has been shown with enormous success for many decades; I remember being so moved by his portrait of Bobby Kennedy in June of 1968,which was one of his 80 covers for Time Magazine. He has illustrated children's books, and done a marvelous series on opera, but this is his latest work, and I think his greatest. ... Read more

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This comprehensive text explores the mathematical models underlying the theory of scheduling. Organized according to scheduling problem type, it examines three solution techniques: algebraic, probabilistic, and Monte Carlo simulation by computer. Topics include problems of sequence, measures for schedule evaluation, finite sequencing for a single machine, and further problems with one operation per job. Additional chapters cover flow-shop scheduling, the general n/m job-shop problem, general network problems related to scheduling, selection disciplines in a single-server queuing system, single-server queuing systems with setup classes, multiple-server queuing models, and experimental investigation of the continuous job-shop process. 1967 edition.
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A classic of the OR/MS field
This book is a classic of the OR/MS field, exploring the mathematical models underlying the scheduling theory at that time (50's and 60's). One of the outstanding products of the golden years of RAND Corporation. A time when brilliant mathematicians (Bellman , Conway, Dantzig, Ford, Fulkerson, Nash and von Neumann to list a few) working to USA government (RAND, US Army, etc) have developed much of what would become the solid foundation of the OR/MS field. Book topics include problems of sequence, measures for schedule evaluation, finite sequencing for a single machine, and further problems with one operation per job. Additional chapters covers flow shop scheduling, the general n/m job-shop problem, general network problems related to scheduling, selection disciplines in a single-server queuing system, single-server queuing systems with setup classes, multiple-server queuing models, and experimental investigation of the continuous job-shop process. ... Read more

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Ricky needs to unearth why his father committed suicide when he was a child on Christmas Eve. Consequently his father was battling the Mafia from controlling the funeral industry. That night the Mafia sent a friend, to deliver a letter. After reading it, he blew his brains out. Kneeling in a pool of blood, Ricky embraced his father as he died. Plagued by nightmares and hallucinations, Ricky returns to New York as a Funeral Director to investigate rumors that his father’s suicide was murder. There he gets caught in an intricate web of organized crime, secret cults and unspeakable atrocities. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

fantastic book!
i am not much of a reader myself, and purchased this book upon meeting Mr. Louis. the book was FANTASTIC. i finished it in 3 days, because i just couldnt put it down. the plot twists and turns kept me THOROUGHLY intrested in what would happen next! ill be online the day the sequel comes out to order it with overnight shipping!!

great read
This book was very smart and interesting.I love the way the author brought the characters together kept me on my chair waiting for the next move. This would make a great movie with all the different people A great story. Well all I can say the author out did himself. It's a wonderful book, I could not put it down. I can't wait for the sequel.The dons was cleverly written and should be consideredto be a future clasic.

Move Over Don Corleone
I'm typing this review with one hand' the other is combing down the hairs on the back of my neck.Couldn't help liking Ricky. It made me feel as I were chased by the hearse. Powerful stuff. Awaiting the sequel.

The Dons of Necropolis
A friend of mine told me this book was a great read, so I decided to purchase it.I could not put the book down, I read it in two days. I kept wanting to know what was going to happen next, and before I knew it I completed the book.I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone.If you enjoy suspenseful and exciting novels, then this is one that you must read.I am looking forward and cannot wait until the sequel comes out.Do yourself a favor, and buy this book immediately.You will not regret it.I promise. ... Read more

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This book presents the first English translation of one of the most important twelfth-century narratives. The text describes the difficult task King Louis VI of France faced in bringing order and justice to his violent and militaristic principality and kingdom. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The Deeds of Louis the Fat - The Thoughts of Suger the Abbot
A translation of Suger's Deeds of Louis the Fat is here presented in an accessible and readable form for both students and the general reader. There is a concise yet comprehensive twenty-page introduction, an accompanying map, and an index at the end. There are both footnotes and endnotes, which is unfortunate, since those seeking further background information must refer to both. This can be a bit of a handful when not reading at a desk. It would have been far better to have all notes set at the foot of each page.

The translation, introduction and notation have been undertaken by Richard Cusimano of the University of Southwestern Louisiana and by John Moorhead at the University of Queensland. In their introduction they point to the work's value by seeing Louis's reign as a pivotal era in the progress of French monarchical consolidation. But they also view the work as important in the context of Suger's own life and literary style. And indeed the work can often be seen to be more about Suger than about Louis. The writers explore the background to the reasons why it was written and why it was written in the way that it was, for the title was not Suger's own.

Their analysis includes comparisons with other twelfth-century (and earlier) texts and writers of a similar genre are made. They point out why the work cannot be treated as a biography per se of Louis VI, for there is a concentration on secondary details, whilst primary facts of Louis's life - his knighthood, his presence at the court of England's Henry I, his marriage, etc - are ignored. The secondary features that are mentioned, however, conform suspiciously with Suger's own views about kingship and the primacy of his abbey at St-Denis. That is not to say that Suger's account of Louis's deeds cannot be trusted, for he was clearly present at many of the events described and he writes about them with the air of someone who has no difficulty in remembering details.

The translators end their introduction with details about the difficulties they encountered with the translation in terms of style as well as content. Suger employed a sometimes convoluted literary style, re-inforcing his meaning by allusions to contemporary theological ideas, "But just when the temptation to despair is strongest, the reader comes along a witty turn of phrase or pun that alerts one to the fact that, at least sometimes, Suger knew very well what he was doing."

Whatever problems the translators had to overcome in their work, the reader of this volume need not worry about, as the English text flows smoothly from chapter to chapter. This is a fine volume that will be of use to students in a number of disciplines and will be of value also to the general reader.

The Deeds of Louis the Fat
Suger of St. Denis (1080/81-1151) is best known for his promotion of what we call Gothic architecture but he was also an important politician and historian.Suger was most likely given as an oblate at the age of ten to the Abbey of St. Denis.After he completed his studies he accompanied Abbot Adam on diplomatic missions to Pope Paschal II among others.He rapidly gained administrative experience and became abbot of St. Denis after Adam's death.

Louis VI (1081-1137) the Fat, the eldest son of Philip I (1053-1108), was likewise educated at St. Denis.However, he was declared the heir only after a period of uncertainty when Philip I forsakes Louis mother in favor of the wife of one of his vassals, Fulk IV of Anjou.

The `France' of Louis VI and Abbot Suger was centered around Paris and the Ile-de-France.This controlled by Louis VI but even here he constantly had to assert himself against powerful local castellans (men with in charge of castles).Most of Louis VI's nobles who theoretically owed their land to him were more powerful and could raise larger armies then their feudal overlord.The king therefore only occasionally acted against his powerful lords and concentrated on regaining royal control on his own dominion.

The Deeds of Louis the Fat is not a biography in the modern sense but does provide vital information for this important king's reign.The Deeds was written in the style of other famous chroniclers of the time.This type of history concentrates on individual deeds rather than a comprehensive documentation of events.But it would be wrong to see this work as merely a collection of incidents chronologically arranged for Suger has an agenda and structure.He was close to Louis and sought to illustrate the king's support of the Church, thus, many entries chronicler the King's intervention on part of a church against a powerful noble.Likewise, Suger sought to contrast Louis with his womanizing father, Philip I, who put the love of a married woman above the just ruling of a kingdom.

The introduction puts the text in a historical background but also provides some interesting comments on the Suger's purpose of composition and the 'individual' St Denis (who was actually a combination of three individuals who lived centuries apart), the patron of Suger's Abbey.The introduction is very approachable and easy to understand (in other words not in the dry scholarly vein).The text however, is what gives this volume five stars.
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