Product Description
Cautionary Tales for Children is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Hilaire Belloc is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Hilaire Belloc then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Kindle edition is awful
This is a brilliant book, of course, which has been utterly destroyed by the Kindle edition. All the lines of verse have been lost and instead the text is wrapped to solid justification, which makes it terrible to read. Formatting is nonexistent; instead of italics, it uses _underscores around phrases_, which is annoying. I strongly recommend avoiding this issue.

Witty and wonderful even if you get the free out-of-copyright version
Most of the reviews here are for the Edward Gorey version of Cautionary Tales.That's a really fun book, but readers should know that Belloc's little poems are a delight even without the pictures.

Kids absolutely love them and are shocked by their wit.These poems give kids credit for being sharp enough get the joke---and not need absolutely everything sugar coated. When my daughter was six she was told to come to school with a poem to recite.Most of the kids had nursery rhymes or well known American poems.My daughter brought Belloc's The Lion and The Tiger.The teacher, who knew nothing was the poems, got a huge kick out of them, expecially The Tiger with its dry recommendation that "mother's of large families who heed to common sense, will find a tiger well repays the trouble, and expense."

Short and to the point...but still short
The tales themselves are either going to entertain or prompt eye rolling (seriously, "Matilda, Who told Lies, and was Burned to Death" could have really just gotten away with the title), and the artwork does a good job of giving an impression of the times that the stories were probably written.

The book didn't take me longer than 20 minutes to read through; glad that I had borrowed it from the library.

Revisiting CAutionary Tales
This was one of the loved books of my childhood in the original edition, of course.

I hadn't seen it for a very long time and was anxious to haev a copy for my younger grandchildren. Though old people can enjoy it as well.

Now plesed to have it on my own shelves

Dark humor and delightful drawings
I got this to read to my nephews, and it did not disappoint when the time came to pick a story to read.I highly recommend this and the Gashlycrumb Tinies to anyone with children or nephews.... ... Read more

Product Description
PRAISE OF THIS BOOK
To every honest reader that may purchase, hire, or receive this book, and to the reviewers also (to whom it is of triple profit), greeting-and whatever else can be had for nothing.
If you should ask how this book came to be written, it was in this way. One day as I was wandering over the world I came upon the valley where I was born, and stopping there a moment to speak with them all-when I had- argued politics with the grocer, and played the great lord with the notary-public, and had all but made the carpenter a Christian by force of rhetoric-what should I note (after so many years) but the old tumble-down and gaping church, that I love more than mother-church herself, all scraped, white, rebuilt, noble and new, as though it had been finished yesterday. Knowing very well that such a change had not come from the
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Univ Calif - Digitized by Microsoft ®

About the Publisher

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Forgotten Books' Classic Reprint Series utilizes the latest technology to regenerate facsimiles of historically important writings. Careful attention has been made to accurately preserve the original format of each page whilst digitally enhancing the difficult to read text. Read books online for free at http://www.forgottenbooks.org ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Inspiring
Rather than being the story of Belloc's conversion (he was a life-long Catholic), this is a travel book, written in 1902. Belloc undertakes to walk from Toul (in France) to Rome. He does end up cheating, however - twice he catches a train, and twice he hitches a ride on a cart. I would love to follow in his footsteps one day. By car, of course - according to Google maps, it's a 22 hour trip

Drawings in Original Are Left Out of This Edition
The book is delightful, but this particular edition does not contain Belloc's drawings that were in the original.This is a serious drawback because the drawings -- some of which are maps -- aid in one's understanding of his story.Without the drawings, I feel like this is only half a book.I would recommend that you buy a different published version that contain his drawings, even if you have to buy an older used copy.

Kindle Version -- poor formatting!
Watch out for the kindle version.It is cheap!But it is poorly formatted.It looks like there are a lot of extra linefeeds in the text, so that sentences and paragraphs are very chopped up.

This makes it very difficult to read!I doubt I will get through it.From what I can tell (skimming) most of the book has this formatting problem.

I feel bad giving this 1 star!I know this is a popular book.But Kindle buyers should beware.

Francis Quinlan's Comment
Written early in the 20th century, this story of a walking trip to Rome is still one of the most compelling travel books ever written. What makes it interesting is that the reader is in the company of an erudite and educated man who is thoroughly human. Recommended. FJQ

It's all about the journey
Belloc shares his adventure of making a pilgrimage to Rome on foot in the early twentieth century (prior to World War I).He was "On the Road" fifty years before Kerouac on a spiritual journey full of faith, wit, beautiful scenery, interesting characters, and personal adventures. ... Read more

Product Description
Belloc shows that the Crusades were a titanic struggle between Christian civilization and "the Turk," savage Mongols who had embraced Islam. He explains the practical reasons why the Crusaders initially succeeded and why they ultimately failed then he predicts the re-emergence of Islam, since Christendom failed to destroy it in the 12th century. Makes history come alive and gives a rare, true appreciation of Christendom and of our Catholic forefathers! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Good and thorough
This book is a very good and thorough examination of the Crusades and why Europe lost by explaining in an almost scene by scene replay of the event.Belloc was suportive of the Crusades and believed even back when he wrote this (at least 80 years ago) that the Muslims would retaliate once more and look who was right!Brilliant but at times it begins to drag.

Extremely relevant in light of current events
First of all, though the title of this book is The Crusades (plural), it deals predominantly with the 1st Crusade - the only one to successfully restore Jerusalem and the holy places to Christian rule. Belloc dismisses the succession of further crusading efforts as failed attempts to regain what was lost at Hattin in 1187 AD. His analysis of why the original Crusade succeeded in setting up a Christian kingdom in Palestine for nearly 100 years is spot on. His opinion on why the kingdom eventually failed is fairly perceptive as well. He hammers the point that if the Crusaders had only succeeded in capturing Damascus, the effort may not have crumbled at all. The main weakness in Belloc's thesis is his acceptance of social Darwinist theories that today seem rather antiquated.

Yet this does not take away from the perceptive and often prophetic observations he makes on the relationship between the Christian West and the Muslim East. To whet your appetite, here's a quote that's amazingly relevant, considering the recent atrocities:

"There is with us [in the West] a complete chaos in religious doctrine.... We worship ourselves, we worship the nation; or we worship (some few of us) a particular economic arrangement believed to be the satisfaction of social justice....Islam has not suffered this spiritual decline; and in the contrast between [our religious chaos and] the religious certitudes still strong throughout the Mohammedan world ... lies our peril."

The book is an excellent place to start for anyone looking to brush up on their history of this often misunderstood era. If you love this sort of stuff, might I suggest that you also give Angels in Iron by Nicholas Prata a shot. It's a historical fiction account of the other end of the crusading era - the Great Siege of Malta of 1565.

Review from the Publisher
Belloc shows that the Crusades were a titanic struggle between Christian civilization (threatened both in the Holy Land and in Europe itself) and "the Turk," savage Mongols who had embraced Islam. He explains the practical reasons why the Crusaders initially succeeded and why they ultimately failed--then he predicts the re-emergence of Islam, since Christendom failed to destroy it in the 12th century. Makes history come alive and gives a rare, true appreciation of Christendom and of our Catholic forefathers!

Clarifying a misunderstood period of history
The Crusades are one the most misunderstood events of history with the common 20th century perception placing them among such infamous incidents as the Holocaust. But Belloc offers here a new view of the Crusades, andspecifically the First Crusade, trying to convey to the reader anunderstanding of the 12th century mindset that propelled the epicquest.

If the reader is seeking a comprehensive review of all fourCrusades (or more depending on the historian doing the counting), he woulddo better looking for another tome, because Belloc concentrates his effortson the First Crusade, which was arguably the most successful since theresult was the capture of a majority of the Holy Land and Jerusalem fornearly a century, a feat never later repeated.

Writing in 1937, Bellocmanages a prescient guess at the import of the events he relates, warningthat Islam would once again rise to confront the European, Christianstates. This was before the rise of Islamic fundamentalism in the 1970s,before the end of Europe's domination of the Arabic world throughcolonization, and a decade before Israel was carved out of Palestine afterthe end of World War II.

Belloc's first achievement is to describe thestate of feudal Europe at the beginning of the second millennium of Christ,showing the tenuous hold of the various kings over their nominal subjectsand describing how the real secular powers, the feudal dukes and counts,had become so after inheriting their domains through the centuries from theformer Roman governors who held the lands as the empire crumbled.

Thefeudal mindset was crucial to the initial success and eventual failure ofthe crusades to accomplish their goal of holding the Holy Lands and denyingthem to Islam. The inability to coordinate militarily with others ofnear-equal rank, the jockeying for power, and the lack of a strategic viewall eventually came to mean the loss of Jerusalem. Belloc takes great painsto describe how various military decisions contributed to both wins andlosses for the Crusaders and shows how the decision not to take Damascuswhen it was available at the start of the Crusade eventually resulted inthe final defeat at Hattin.

Contrary to current myths, the Crusades werenot a simple bloody campaign by Christian knights against the peacefulMuslims of the Middle East. The truth is always more complex than theone-sentence explanation. Rather, the Crusades were an attempt to stop themarauding attacks on unarmed pilgrims making religious visits to the HolyLand. It also shored up the Byzantine Empire after the terrible defeat atManzikert in 1071 at the hands of the Asian Muslim "Turks". TheCrusades freed native Christians of the Middle East from their oppressiveMuslim masters.

Did the Crusaders do things that would seem un-Christianto us? Does the seeming bloodthirstiness of both sides make us uneasy? Yesto both questions, but Belloc's gift is to make his readers understand thatnot everything can be judged fairly through 20th century eyes. We mustunderstand the people of the time and their thinking to understand thewhy's and how's.

Bottom Line : The Crusades is a good book. I wassurprised at its emphasis on military and political matters over thereligious issues, but it was a pleasant surprise, because the topics becamefascinating. I do wish the book contained more maps and diagrams,especially of the battles since my ability to diagram the events in my mindis limited. And the unflattering references to Islam and Muslims by Bellocsometimes made me cringe as I imagine how they would play in thesepolitically correct times. But overall, the book accomplishes its goal ofexplaining the who, what, where, when, why, and how of the First Crusade.

A superb analysis of the 1st crusade.
Belloc published this book in 1937, when he was in his late 60s.He had obviously mastered a great wealth of historical material, and wrote clearly and succinctly.His fundamental point was that the first crusade had no clear strategy other than to recapture Jerusalem for Christendom, and failed to see the overarching strategic importance of taking and holding Damascus.Once this was realized, the bulk of the crusaders had returned to Europe and the manpower to accomplish it was no longer available.This led to the crucial defeat at Hattin in 1187, and the following crusades failed to improve the situation with efforts too little, too late.Careful estimates of armed strength in the first crusade, and penetrating analysis of events add to the splendid character of a first-rate work of historical analysis. ... Read more

Product Description
This short work is a program for property distribution as an alternative to how it is planned by socialist states or naturally happens in capitalist societies. It is a landmark of European social thought, attempting to rectify the wrongs in both of the major economic theories by approaching the problem from an entirely new angle. The essay is thus an anticapitalist and antisocialist work of Christian and Catholic social thought in which basic truths about society and human nature are applied to socioeconomics. It is a manifesto and a program for the Distributist League, of which Belloc and G. K. Chesterton were the primary figures. It marks a key point in the history of economic thought, and it is a fundamental text illustrating the influence of religion and philosophy on social thought and their practical application to societal questions. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Steps Toward the Distributive State
Hilaire Belloc wrote three excellent books setting forth his theory of economics, distributivsm.His first, in order of publication, was "The Servile State".In that book, published in 1912, Belloc argued that the distributive state, characterized by widespread ownership of property was the natural and proper political economy for man.But he argued that capitalism would tend toward a return to the Servile state, a state based on servitude.And, in the decades following 1912, this certainly took place throughout the world.

Belloc's "The Servile State" was well received.But he realized that there was a terrible lack of comprehension of economic issues in the reading public when his first work on economics was published.Therefore, he wrote "Economics for Helen" as a needed corrective.

With these two books in print, some criticized Belloc, and his colleague, G.K. Chesterton, for setting forth a doctrine that, though certainly ethically appealing was void of a practical program.Belloc's "An Essay on the Restoration of Property" and Chesterton's "Outline of Sanity" were the responses to this criticism.

This work is short, but brimming with wisdom.Belloc argues most persuasively of the importance, and even the urgency of a return to distributivism, the natural state of man.And he is even good enough to provide us with a workable approach to get there from here.The book is exellent, important, andwell worth reading.God bless.

Towards a Restoration of Property.
_An Essay on the Restoration of Property_ by Roman Catholic writer Hilaire Belloc, reprinted by IHS Press, is an essay which outlines Belloc's distributist scheme to restore widespread ownership of private property.As explained in a previous book _The Servile State_, Belloc contrasts three separate forms society may come to take:that of the servile state, that of communism, and that of the proprietary state (or distributism).Belloc explains this as follows:"There is a third form of society, and it is the only one in which sufficiency and security can be combined with freedom, and that form is a society in which property is well distributed and so large a proportion of families in the state severally OWN and therefore control the means of production as to determine the general tone of society; making it neither Capitalist nor Communist, but Proprietary."Distributism arose as a response to the excesses of industrial capitalism in which many families had been ruined, and the vast majority of the population was reduced to the level of wage slaves.In contradistinction to communism, distributism allowed for the maintenance of private property (communism basically reducing all individuals to the status of slaves to the state).In the Middle Ages, the serfs were at least allowed to own the means of production and made use of them through a guild system.With the breakdown of medieval society and the decline of Christendom, property was seized by the capitalist class.Belloc makes the analogy that it is necessary to achieve a restoration of property in the same manner as it is necessary to achieve a re-afforestation of barren land.In order to do this, Belloc offers several proposals, including the return to a guild system as well a system of taxation on large businesses which operate at the expense of the small businessman.Belloc's theories along with those of his fellow writer G. K. Chesterton, both published in the periodical _The New Age_ by Alfred Richard Orage, continued in the line of Catholic social teachings which arose as a response to the excesses of industrial capitalism and the dangers of communism in the beginning of the modern era. ... Read more

Product Description
Belloc turns his powerful mind, erudition, robust common sense and supreme confidence in the Catholic Faith to a host of topics, including The New Paganism, Legend, Usury, The Schools, The Two Cultures of the West, The Catholic Church and The Modern State, etc. Belloc predicted--and explains--the chaos we now witness. This brilliant work is a tonic sorely needed by Catholics today! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A Clear Assessement of 20th. Century Trends
Hilaire Belloc's ESSAYS OF A CATHOLIC is a collection of essays addressing the perils of the 20th and now 21st. century.The essays that respond to attacks on the Catholic Church are effective.The comments on the hidden threats of the distorted politics and religious were careful and prophetic.

One essay of particular interest is Belloc's response to the Anglican divine, Dean Inge.The latter condemned anything Catholic as almost treason the Great Britain/England.Inge attacked some well known English Catholics including Hillaire Belloc as being unpartiotic and contrary to English culture and past greatness.Belloc's response is brilliant.Belloc reminds readers of England's history before the Reformation.Belloc shows the lack of Inge's historical understanding.If English history became authenic history after the Reformation, then the English must forget Alfred the Great, Chaucer, Shakespeare, etc. all of whom were Catholic and English.Belloc clearly states the absurdity of Inge's assessment.

Belloc carefully explains the disunity among some of Europe's Protestants when the supposedly Protestant/anti-Catholic British went to war with the Germans (Protestant Prussia/German).The disunity between two of the most pronounced anti-Catholic regimes, while destructive to Europe and an ever changing Protestantism, was not necessarity an asset for Catholics.Belloc did live long enough to see the terrible unintended consequences of World War I.

Bellock was also aware of threats among Europe's Catholics which revolutionary societies semi-secret organizations presented.He knew that Western Civilization and Catholicism faced dire threats and that World War I had opened Europeans to evils and tragedies that were tame by previous historical generations.

Belloc's ESSAYS OF A CATHOLIC could be enhanced with more details and notes.Belloc knows far more than a casual reading of this book would reveal.Yet, this is still a book worth reading due to Belloc's clarity and clear reasoning.Interested readers would be interested in the books written by Belloc's contemporary, G.K. CHESTERTON.

Triumph of Reason
I had owned this wonderful book for quite some time before getting around to reading it.Perhaps this was Providential.For it seems to me that truly appreciating the awesome wisdom contained herein requires a better appreciation of Catholic truth than was previously mine.In any case, I have now read this terrific book, and am greatly enriched by the experience.

The book contains a series of essays by the amazing Catholic historian, poet, novelist, economist, member of Parliament, soldier, and essayist.It may be that he saves the best, and most important, for last.This last essay, "The Two Cultures of the West" was written in that important and little understood period between the two World Wars.Belloc then averred that the culture of Protestant Europe has been rent asunder by the enmity of its two leading polities, Protestant Prussia and violently anti-Catholic England, in the Great War.But he cautioned that Catholic Europe was also under threat by the insidious power of Masonry throughout Spain, France, Italy, Austria, and the remnant of Catholic Europe.Belloc understood and recorded quite clearly that the demise of Catholic Europe would lead to the path of the destruction of all that was once great in Western Civilization.As the past century has clearly shown, it did; and it has.

This is a truly great book.Read it.And be richly blessed and well informed in the process.

Top Drawer Thinking
Absolutely brilliant.Belloc's essays are just as timely today as when first published in 1931.Every selection contains challenging ideas and is exceedingly well reasoned.I was happy to find a wit and humor in his style that hadn't surfaced in other books of his I've read.A couple highlights:

He begins with a look at how the West is plummeting into paganism: not the enlightened paganism from which Christianity sprung, but an evil paganism determined to undo Christianity.Since the Reformation, our fragmented faith has left us nearly defenseless against the onslaught of modern self-indulgence and fatalism.The grim process, which Belloc detected early on, has only gained momentum.It is disheartening to note that he holds out little hope for a reversal.One would think this assessment would discourage him, but such is not the case.His steadfast faith fortifies him against the vagaries of human affairs; secure in the knowledge that Christ's Church will prevail even against the gates of Hell, he writes with humor, confidence, and a reassuring calmness.This, I think, is why Belloc can inspire as well as inform.

The provocatively titled "Science as the Enemy of Truth" explores the evils of modern science; though his argument is far less controversial than the title would suggest, it offers real food for thought.Belloc says science in the abstract is good, but our modern scientific community applies scientific principles where they don't belong and does so irrationally.He argues that scientific innovation is good only when it serves the needs of the human soul, but modern science views progress as a good thing regardless of its effect on the soul. In Belloc's time the questionable moral contribution of science manifested itself in such things as eugenics, evolution, and radio.Today we face the same questions with regard to cloning, the Internet, weapons of mass destruction, etc. Belloc's answers are emphatic and fresh.
... Read more

Product Description
Publisher: New York : E.P. DuttonPublication date: 1911Notes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more

Product Description
Belloc cited the many beliefs and theological principles which Islam shares with Catholicism. Where Islam decisively diverges from Catholicism (and Christianity in general) is the "denial of the Incarnation and all the sacramental life of the Church that followed from it." In The Great Heresies Belloc grouped the Protestant Reformation together with Islam as one of the major heresies threatening the "Church Universal." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

A Prophet Looks at The Five Great Attacks on Christianity
Hilaire Belloc-historian, poet, and apologist extraordinaire--died as one of the twentieth century's premier writers. With his encyclopedic knowledge of European history, Belloc emerged as an expert in Christian antiquity. In "The Great Heresies"(TAN books, paperback, 151 pages)--his greatest book, according to many--Belloc focuses his wisdom on the five greatest threats to the Christian Faith over the past two thousand years.

Belloc's book begins by defining a heresy as a single distortion of a complete scheme; a heresy always involves the twisting of one legitimate doctrine while maintaining all the rest. before diving into the individual heresies, he begins with an exploration of heresy's general operation and effects. This introduction sets the stage for a wild romp through the great conflicts of Church history.

The first great heresy Belloc discusses is "Arianism", which was a rejection of Jesus' divinity. Belloc reveals the social and political factors that launched Arianism's popularity before introducing St. Athanasius as its ultimate conqueror. This initial controversy paved the way for all future disputes.

Belloc then moves to the "heresy of Mohammed", what we know as "Islam". This chapter features one of the most interesting parts of the book, where Belloc shows Islam to be, in fact, a Christian heresy--not a competing religion. The teachings of Mohammed were not originally a "new faith", but a distortion of orthodox Christianity. Like "Arianism", "the heresy of Mohammed" spread not through reason, but primarily through military force, political greed, and social upheaval.

Belloc introduces the "Albigensian" heresy next, which was partly a reaction to the earlier "Arian" heresy. Albigensianism was a rejection of the material--of Jesus' humanity, of our bodies, and ultimately of the sacraments. In its dualistic worldview, the "Albigensian" heresy considered these "non-spiritual" elements to be evil. Belloc points to modern Puritanism as the older brother of Albigensianism.

It is after the "Albigensian" heresy that Belloc notes a shift in the nature of heresy. While the first three great heresies tried to supplant or rival the Catholic Church, the next great heresy, "Protestantism", was different: it sought to completely dissolve the historical Catholic Church. Belloc spends the most pages on "Protestantism", probing its many causes and characters. While Belloc writes prophetically in the rest of the book, the end of this chapter displays his one clear error. Belloc proposes that Protestantism will die within a small handful of years, a prediction that doesn't seem near fulfillment.

The last chapter covers what Belloc calls the "Modern Attack". He sees this as the last of the great heresies. Belloc sees no new future heresy--all future heresies will be some mix of these earlier five. The "Modern Attack"--or "Anti-Christ Attack" as Belloc sometimes describes it, is different than any other because it seeks not just to destroy the Catholic Church, but Faith in general. This heresy compiles all anti-Faith philosophies--Communism, materialism, scientism,etc. Ultimately, Belloc sees this "Modern Attack" confronting the Catholic Church in a battle to the death. One of the two philosophies will prevail, and the victory will come sooner than later. This chapter, more than any other, reveals Belloc's prophetic writing style. Writing in 1938, Belloc predicts events occurring decades after his death: the rise and fall of communism, the prominence of atheism, and the rise of hatred for the Church. Yet still, he sees the Church prevailing in the end.

Finishing Belloc's book yields not just an understanding of the past, but a comprehension of the present. Echoes of the great historical heresies are found in every modern challenge to the Faith. To understand the great attacks on Christianity, or to untangle the "ism"s of Church history, pick up this classic.

One star for the Publisher warning
Wow!

Breathtaking in scope- all handled within 130 pages.

Belloc is hauntingly prophetic regarding Islam and his understanding of why the West will most certainly be dealing with it again.

Interesting link between Islam and Protestantism.

But I'm with M. Calamia - this gets only one star for the publisher warning. I won't be ordering from Wilder publications again.

Funny - there is an irony to that warning being placed on this book.

A Calvinist view of heresy.
The major problem with this book is that it is more than anything else an apology for Calvinism. He treats Calvin as if he were the greatest theologian in Church history. Thus, as a non-Calvinist, I had many problems with this work.

Archpriest John W. Morris

The Great Heresies
Belloc's book is helpful in a number of ways: First, his definition of heresy (the attempt to deny one part of the doctrinal system while still trying to affirm the whole).Second, his working out of the theological ideas behind each of the heresies.And finally for his explanations of the historical consequences of each heresy.

One concern I have is that he never explains why Modernism is a heresy, which is something he was careful to do with the other four.Based uponhis discussion of Modernism, it appears that it is a rejection of Catholic doctrine entirely.

He ends the book by arguing that if the tide will turn in Catholicism's favor, it will be intellectuals who lead the charge.H.W. Crocker III, who wrote Triumph, made a similiar argument.I, however, agree with Fr. C. John McCloskey who countered Crocker's argument by saying such a return would be more likely started by a St. Francis, than a St. Thomas.

Pay Attention to Publisher Listed
This is NOT the book published by TAN.I wasn't paying attention and ended up with a book by Wilder Publications - complete with the following warning: "This book is a product of its time and does not reflect the same values as it would if it were written today.Parents might wish to discuss with their children how views on race have changed before allowing them to read this classic work."

As I'm not interested in supporting the "PC Police" or having parenting advice thrust upon me by a book publisher, I'm sending it back.

Mr. Belloc's book itself is 5 stars and then some!!!!! ... Read more

Product Description
Hilaire Belloc is one of the most important, revered and reviled writers of the twentieth century. A social commentator, a master of finely crafted prose and a poet of great wit, he continues to fascinate. Joseph Pearce examines the lasting impact of this prolific writer and social commentator on British intellectual life.

As President of the Oxford Union, he immersed himself in historical studies and championed Catholicism. Later, as a Liberal MP, he became disillusioned with party politics, expressing his sentiments about both socialism and capitalism in his novels and pamphlets. Considered one of the most important Christian writers of the twentieth century, admired for his understanding of modern England and in the company of men like Sassoon, G.K. Chesterton and Waugh, Belloc's fascinating character is wonderfully brought to light in all his whimsicality. Opening up the personality for the reader is the story of his long courtship of Elodie Hogan from Napa, California that overcame all sorts of hurdles, including her brief stint in a convent, and his desolation after her death.

With access to previously unpublished material in the form of Belloc's letters and photographs, Joseph Pearce's major new biography uncovers a romantic, complex, and solitary character. Illustrated. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Fascinating reading
I am 17 years old, and I had just discovered Belloc (in The Path to Rome - lucky me!) when my grandma gave me this biography for Christmas.So it was all news to me; I've never read another biography of him.I loved all the quotes and anecdotes, and the prose is outstanding.It was often very sad, especially towards the end...

Here I have to say something about the reviewer who gave it two stars.I understand his feelings, I think, but his view of history is somewhat distorted: I'm sure he'd agree that the Catholic Reformation and Counter-Reformation were even more energetic with "intelligence and activity" than the Catholic Revival - with all of the saints, missionaries, scholars, artists and composers who worked to bring Europe and all the world to Christ.That said, the Catholic revival (literary and otherwise) was a unique and exhilarating period in the Church.It was not a "last twitching" before a "long decline" - the revival began in the early 19th century and continued about 60 years into the 20th.The decline was not long and slow but sudden and catastrophic - it has been going about 35 years.Every empirically measurable statistic in the 20th cen. Church - Mass attendance, vocations, converts, belief in key doctrines, etc. - shows either a high, constant rate or a steady upward trend - until the 1960's, when there is a sudden, almost exponential drop.The Church just hits a wall.It can't be wholy blamed on "sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll"; there is no equivalent collapse in Protestant denominations.Everything was just different after the council and the new Mass and all that.It's a good thing that Belloc didn't have to see this - it would have broken his heart.On the other hand, we need his fighting spirit now more than ever...

The "atmosphere of English Catholicism".I think Pearse does convey some of this.What struck me when I began to read English Catholic literature was this overpowering sense of elegy, and an awareness of injustice past and present that was almost too painful to read - but all of it balanced by levity and satire and soldierly faith. It was quite intoxicating to someone young and idealistic, and unaccustomed to it.It is found in many writers - you could almost tell that JRR Tolkien was an English Catholic just by reading "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Silmarilion".It even turns up in Chesterton's detective stories...

I think that Pearse does give us some of this atmosphere, but he is not really relating Belloc to the post-conciliar Church.A lot of Catholic authors today just don't want to think about this disparity - Pearse included?I hope not.Anyway, this is a very enjoyable biography with many stories of Belloc's life - his travels to Rome and America, his exploits in Parliament (with excerpts from his very provocative speeches!) his friendships with Chesterton and Maurice Baring... I still wish that Pearse would put photographs in his books through.Oh well.

No One Can Top Pearce On Belloc
Joseph Pearce has carved out a niche for himself as the primary biographer of Catholic Literary Greats.His volumes on Chesterton, Tolkien, and other literary figures are well worth reading.Although he has written of Hillaire Belloc in many of his other works, "Old Thunder" finally gives Belloc his due.The man who is remembered by many as a writer of children's verse is revealed to us as a powerhouse of journalism, fiction, and poetry.At the same time, we see a man of intense Catholic piety and devotion making his way through struggles with finances and the early loss of his greatly beloved wife.

If you enjoy literary biography, you'll find Pearce is a master.Jump in with "Old Thunder" and make the rounds through all of Pearce's work.

Old Thunder - Evangelical Catholicism
For Catholic Converts, "Old Thunder" is a must read.I am certain it is not the most well researched nor scholarly work on Belloc or the period of Catholic literary rennasaince.But as an introduction to the period and the players it is an excellent book.

Historians and biographers such as Joseph Pearce seem to be held in low regard by their peers.Nonetheless, in bringing charaters such as Belloc to the less well read they are invaluable.

The value of this book is also multiplied by Mr. Pearce's prose.Few writers of non-fiction are so preasurable to read.Old Thunder is an extraordinary biography.

Catholic Brilliance Leading Nowhere
Hilaire Belloc and his Catholic associates, men like G.K.Chesterton, Maurice Baring, Ronald Knox, lived at a time when liberalism seemed doomed and Catholicism, with Thomism, Ultramontanism, and a "third way" between Capitalism and Socialism seemed on its way to reconquer Europe.Never since the medieval period had so much intelligence and activity been expended on behalf of re-Catholicization, and the number of converts to the Church among Protestants, Jews, and agnostics was impressive.As it turned out, however, this was less a Catholic revival than the last twitching before Catholicism entered its long decline, the effects of which we still see today.

A book about Belloc, who used his considerable talents in what ultimately was a lost cause, should have done something with the peculiar atmosphere of English Catholicism at the end of the 19th and the start of the 20th Century.Instead Pearce prefers to engage essentially in amiable gossip.There is not much here one cannot already find in books about Belloc & Co.The peculiar atmosphere of English Catholicism in the modern period is better approached through Evelyn Waugh's "Brideshead Revisited" than here.

I think perhaps Pearce deserves a comment once made about Belloc himself:he writes too much to have time for thought.

A Much-Needed Book
An interesting, engaging, and important read for all orthodox Roman Catholics.Hilaire Belloc was, in his day, an incomparable Defender of the Faith; he continues, almost 50 years after his death, to instruct and inspire, and is worthy of emulation.

The book is well-written and well-researched.It's occasionally a bit too much by-the-numbers, and declines somewhat toward the end, mirroring the decline of Belloc (one gets the impression that Joseph Pearce began to lose interest in Belloc as his subject's life entered its final and least interesting phase).

I think that, overall, Old Thunder would be pleased with "Old Thunder". ... Read more

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Among the sadder and smaller pleasures of this world I count this pleasure: the pleasure of taking up one's pen. ... Read more

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Originally published in 1922. 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

Customer Reviews (3)

Outsanding and Thought Provoking
Here the peerless Catholic historian attempts to define and to identify a solution for the problem that then confounded and continues to confound literate man:the question of the Jew in the midst of Gentiles.In his rendering, Belloc consciously errs on the side of being charitable to the subject of the controversy.Although in so doing, he very nearly at times departs from his usual scrupulous integrity, he nevertheless accomplished what few others have, that being a truly unbiased rendering of the question and its potential solutions.If nothing else, the book is to be treasured simply for the pleasure of reviewing Belloc's fluid prose.But more than that, we can herein read the wonder of a kind spirit imbued with an awesome talent writing about a subject that concerns us all.Sadly, Belloc, writing in the 1920's did not then propose a solution that was to be embraced by the political leadership of his day.Even more sad is the ultimate realization of that which Belloc then prophesied, that the English supported Zionist adventure in Palestine was doomed to abject failure.The foregoing notwithstanding, the work is excellent and highly recommended for any who would enjoy a truly unbiased and insightful discussion of this, one of the great issues of our age.

Hilaire Belloc's Examination of the Jewish Question.
_The Jews_ is a series of reflections by the Roman Catholic English writer Hilaire Belloc on the source of friction between Jew and Gentile.Belloc argues that the Jews are an alien body in the society in which they live and must be understood as such, the problem not being denied, and their cohesiveness being understood for what it is.In order to examine the causes of friction, Belloc takes a look at both anti-semitism and the Jewish role within both capitalism and as a source of revolutionary Bolshevism.Indeed, the founder of communism, Karl (Mordecai) Marx was of Jewish extraction and many of its earliest followers were Jews.This source of instability has led to the extreme opposite response among Gentiles, that of anti-semitism, taking its most extreme form in Nazism.Belloc also examines the phenomenon of Zionism as well as the concerns that go with the founding of a Jewish state in Palestine, involving the native Arab population there.Various theories have been proposed to explain the Jewish presence, including those involving Biblical accounts of the Jews in the time of Christ.Belloc expounds on these theories for a while and shows how some of them are problematic in themselves.The large percentage of Jews involved in usury is also shown, something that was outlawed in Biblical society.Belloc was a unique historian who presented a perspective opposed to the dominant Anglo-American perspective on the Reformation as well as a political alternative to both the excesses of capitalism and the evils of socialism, which he termed distributism.

History and Prophecy
Belloc contends that in Europe and the United States, Jews and Christians are locked in a vicious circle. Jewish elites of great ability move into a particular country where they are welcomed and prosper; masses of Jews follow and friction develops; tensions rise and Jews are expelled, or undergo persecution, or worse; the guilty nation repents, Jewish elites return, and the cycle begins anew. Belloc believes the only way out of this is for both sides to admit their own weaknesses and become honest in their relationship.Belloc frankly evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the Jews, and pulls no punches-neither does he do so when evaluating the serious flaws of the Christian host which so greatly frustrate the Jew.

Writing in 1922 (with a most interesting and ominous new preface he added in 1937), Belloc observes a contrast between the cosmopolitan Jew and his landed Christian host that was definitely more pronounced than today: in a limited sense at least, citizens of nations have become more "Jewish", as advances in technology and transportation engender global connectivity and sympathies and fuzzier national identity.Furthermore, whereas the old idea of property used to mean primarily real estate, today it has come to include ownership of tangible and practically intangible things whose origins might be anywhere on the planet.

Regardless of such changes, there is much to be gained by reading this immensely thought-provoking book.It is quite valuable indeed for any Jewish person seeking to better understand his roots in Western culture, how Christians perceive him, and how the atrocities of the Holocaust occurred. Indeed, Belloc as much as predicts the Nazi extermination of Jews.He makes an important distinction between the anti-Semite, who seeks only to destroy the Jew, and the person who perceives a Jewish problem and seeks to address it to the advantage of all parties.Belloc in part blames the rise of anti-Semitism in the 1920's to the Jewish tendencies to secrecy and their strategy of dismissing the anti-Semite as a stupid crank.The problem with this, Belloc contends, is that secrecy and derision undercut honest debate.As people with real grievances, or even real perceived grievances, can get no hearing, frustration builds and eventually boils over in a desire for any redress, reasonable or not: the perfect environment for the anti-Semitic fanatic.One can see this tendency in the USA today, mainly with respect to minorities other than Jews.When any criticism, valid or not, is denounced as racism or sexism or extremism, debate is stifled and people grow angry.On this point and many, many others, Belloc's insights provide both historical instruction and suggest immediate, important application to issues that are vital today.
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This classic introduction to the basics of economic theory offers a constructive approach to economic education by defining terms and introducing key concepts without using insider jargon and complex theories. The fundamental questions about why the economy fluctuates and how small farmers, small business people, families, consumers, and innovators are affected by these fluctuations are considered. Serious alternatives to modern economic theories are explained, with attention to the realities that have been largely unchanged through the last century, including how bureaucracy has maintained control of the individual. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Outstanding!
In 1912, the great Hilaire Belloc wrote and had published one of his most important works, "The Servile State".But, though this book was well received, Belloc found that the general level of economics education in the reading public was quite poor.So, he wrote "Economics for Helen" as a needed corrective.

This very important and beautifully written short book embodies nothing less than a brief, though astoundingly accurate and complete, primer on economic science.Here, Belloc describes the essential elements of Production:Land, Labor, and Capital, and how these elements are controlled and employed in three very distinctive types of political economies:The Servile State, the Capitalist State, and the Distributive State.Belloc further argues, quite convincingly, that the Distributive State is the natural state of man, that the Capitalist State will inevitably degenerate into the Servile State, and that the Socialist State is a chimera.It is truly quite amazing how prophetic and accurate was Belloc's account written seven decades ago.

In Belloc's magnificent "Louis XIV", there is a chapter on banking.I remember, on reading this book and chapter, commenting that this chapter was absolutely the best short description of the terribly complicated science of banking that I had ever seen.And, to put these comments in context, I have an MBA degree with a concentration in Finance, during which I was the top student in my class in Money and Banking.And I've over ten years of experience in the commerical banking industry.This book represents an entire exposition of the complicated science of economics, written with the same outstanding and revealing clarity.

Belloc writes beautifully.Reading a Belloc is like having a conversation with an older, and very wise friend.You simply don't want it to end.But end it does.And the reader is always much better for the experience.Read this very important little book.And be richly blessed, and well informed, by the experience. ... Read more

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Hilaire Belloc - The Man and His Work is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by C. Creighton Mandell is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of C. Creighton Mandell then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

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This book describes one of the crucial steps in the building of Christendom: the entry of England in 1066 A.D. into the European Christian unity which was then coming to birth. It also gives a true picture of a Catholic military leader who, despite his sins, took seriously the Catholic Faith and his obligations to it. Imprimatur. Recommended in Laura Berquist British Literature Author: Hilaire Belloc Pages: 76 pages, Paperback Publisher: Tan ISBN: 0-89555-468-2 ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Beautiful Belloc Prose
Hilaire Belloc is perhaps the premier popular historian.His works are beautifully crafted and almost poetic.And this, his ode to William, the Conqueror, is no exception.

Herein, Belloc teaches us that William's conquest of England was really the exercise of a legitimate claim to the throne through heredity and, more importantly, represented a struggle between half-Christianized Danes and the great Catholic tradition of England and Normandy.With this great act, culminating in the epoch making Battle of Hastings, William's line established England in a Catholic tradition that was to survive until Ann Boleyn turned the head of the weak will Henry VIII and became the pivot of the English Reformation, a topic also wonderfully dealt with by Belloc in "How the Reformation Happened".

Belloc's writings are to savored, reflected upon, and quoted by his many fans.Prolific though he was, we always wish that he had written even more, and that his great works were more available.This particular work is made available through TAN publishers of Rockford, Illinois, a great little company that needs and deserves much support.Take care, and God bless.

not good if you're looking for an overview
I did not find this book very readable.I was looking for something at the jr. high level.This book spends a lot of time just going over the lineage, which I found dull.There were some interesting points about the structure of government, but presented in such a verbose manner that I found it hard to read.I only got about half way through it, although it is a rather short book.

For the serious history buff
I don't see how anyone who isn't a serious history fan would like to read this.It is another Belloc masterpiece, although, not his best.It is only 76 pages and could be about 15 pages shorter.It would make a great teaching aid.

However, it is very lacking in the footnotes or bibliography.

Willy's da Bomb!
I found this incredible tome of knowlege to be a quote-soakedand fact-packed adventure through Willy's hood.The "guy"got his ships from monks, sailed 'cros the channel because he be illegitimate, and laid a"bunch" down on Harold Godwinson because he be wastin' his time warrin with Vikings. ... Read more

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Tristan, child of sadness
I wish all books were like this -- action-packed, romantic, and deeply moving. This story captures the love, the passion, the anguish, the pain. Some major events are told in a single paragraph. It's brilliant. I loved it. I will keep this one, and read it again.

Bédier and Belloc's Great Epic
The style of this epic story is a crossing of the dragons and chivalry of King Arthur, with the romance and tragedy of Romeo and Juliet.But Tristan & Iseult predate them both.Many versions of the story exist; the origins are in 12th century Norman writings.French scholar Joseph Bédier published his reconstruction of the original story in 1900.Hilaire Belloc, the French-born English writer, provided us with this definitive English translation of Bédier's work.

I came to find this book through my interest in the writer Hilaire Belloc, and I met him through his friend G.K. Chesterton.Belloc's work was typically Christian apologetics, political, history, mystery, poetry, essay, or farrago.This was a wide range of writing, and Tristan & Iseult stretched it further.His early biographer Robert Speaight told us that Belloc had a special love for his translation of Tristan & Iseult.Continuous words came from Belloc in order to keep food on the table; much of it was tremendously good and some of it was tiresome, but this story was one that he wanted preserved if ever a "Collected Works of Hilaire Belloc" were gathered.An epic story suited his temperament and his life story.

Belloc's text makes use of some archaic grammar and paragraph structure, which help the mood of this kind of story; but sentences are short and simple, and so easy to read. The terseness of the text reminds me of Seamus Heaney's translation of Beowulf.And like the hero Beowulf, Tristan is a warrior who cannot be conquered.

The Romance of Tristan & Iseult is a story with knights and ladies, dragons and magic, lepers and hermits, castles, forests, and sea.There is no perfect role-model in a story like this.Most every character is presented as good and evil; but one can recognize what is right and what is wrong, even as one makes excuses for the wrongs.

Great Read.
I find The Romance of Tristan and Iseult a good read for anyone interested in Medieval literature, or romance; or both for that matter.It's well ahead of its time in that it is a story of two lovers forced apart by circumstance and whose love affects others around them as well as themselves, centuries before Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet.There is only one downside I can see, though.It is the lack of description of battles in the story; the author doesn't tell much about the fights or what happens in them, only that they occured.But all in all an endearing story.

Romance
A fairy tale, mideavel romance with a dragon, a giant, love potion, murder, deciet, love, loyalty, honor, etc. This translation is beautiful. It reads like butter.

Ancient Tale well told.
The story of Tristan and Iseult (or Isolde) is well known through Wagner's famous opera, but this is the real tale.It isn't embellished, but instead it tells the complete tale clearly and succinctly in a manner reminiscent of the older manuscripts like Beowulf.The story (unlike the current film) does include the magic potion, a typical device of the older legends.The heart-breaking ending may be clear even in the third or fourth chapter, but getting there is a major trip to treasure.To those familiar with Wagner's names, there are some variant spellings, but they don't amount to much.Kurvenal is Gorvenal for example.A most enjoyable book. ... Read more

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1928. Two historical problems are of prime importance to our race. To understand them sufficiently is to understand ourselves. To misapprehend them is to misapprehend our own nature: what made our culture and what threatens to destroy it. The first of these problems is the conversion of the Roman Empire to Catholicism. How came the pagan world to be baptized? What made Christendom? The second is the disaster of the 16th century. How came Christendom to suffer shipwreck? What made the Reformation? It is the second question which Belloc approaches in this book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

Myth Shattering
To explain how the Reformation happened in 200 pages or less sounds like a sucker's bet. You would think it couldn't be done properly, but Belloc takes on the task and succeeds brilliantly. He has a wonderful sense of narrative sweep, essential for a story that spans such a large swath of time, geography, people, and events. A lesser mind could have lost its way.

English-speaking peoples - even Catholics - have been steeped in the tradition that the Reformation was a popular doctrinal uprising against Church teaching.Most of the evidence for that view works backwards from the present to the posting of the 96 Theses in 1517; it doesn't account for the fact that doctrinal positions have grown and become ingrained over the centuries and have formed perspectives that make the popular (read: "anti-Catholic") understanding of the great breakup of Christendom almost self-evident.

The great service that Belloc performs is to shatter current myth by winding the clock back to several centuries before the Reformation, and then working forward towards those events. In my admittedly subjective and biased view, I believe Belloc's account is an objective and accurate piece of history, and here's why: it tells the story of how misunderstandings, weakness, intrigue, political jockeying, greed and the outside pressure of a great menace all met at precisely the right time to change the world.If one knows anything about history and about human nature, it is that the above formula is almost always what drives world-changing events.

Not surprisingly, the tinder that allowed the sparks to ignite such a large conflagration was, essentially, greed.Greed on the part of a few individuals to seize Church wealth, and greed on the part of the institutions and the clerics of the Church to misuse their offices for personal gain. That provided on the one side motive for nobles and princes to attack the church, and the other side just enough popular discontent with the machinery of the Church to make such an attack plausible.

Lastly, Belloc points out two very important causes that are almost always overlooked by critical studies of the Reformation: the hatred of the Church (which can be traced all the way back to Calvary), and the false belief that the Catholic Church was a sort of stable monolith that stood without challenge for 1500 years before the events of the 16th century.

The truth is that from the moment of its founding 2000 years ago to the present day, the Catholic Church has been despised. It's message and everything it stands for has been under assault, hammered at with lies, murder, and hate, and swarmed on its insides with filth and modernism in an effort to discredit it. What better way to attack it than to form rival Christianities?From its beginnings, the Church has been in battle, torn by heresy after heresy from within, and challenged by a great heresy from without (Islam.) Understanding both of these points is crucial to understanding the Reformation.

Most of the reviews here - even the 3* from NB - correctly characterize this work. I'm giving it 5 stars because it succeeds within its stated framework.

A surprisingly undogmatic and broad minded treatment
The defiance of Martin Luther and Henry VIII were not, as Hilaire Belloc points out, all that uncommon in the history of Christendom. Luther posting his treatises on the church door was basically how things were done. Today Luther would have blog and a book tour.Similarly Henry VIII wasn't the first English King to cock a snook towards Rome, and most of his subjects at the time, seemed remarkably unconcerned. Belloc says mainly as they imagined this feud, like others before, would eventually be reconciled. But these revolts ultimately split a Christendom that had operated with various degrees of unity for just over a thousand years. So what was going on?

Belloc in this 1928 book provides what in academic-speak we would today call a multi-disciplinary macro and micro analysis of a great historical question. He combines both a thematic understanding of the period covering centuries as well as detailed micro level knowledge contributing to his non-deterministic analysis that in may ways illustrates a contingent view of history. And there is no way Belloc would use words like those in my last two sentences to describe his work. His account is readable, although to modern eyes his writing style can seem a little stuffy, at least, at first. But you do get used to it. Belloc's histories are part of his broader intellectual agenda explicitly aimed at both defending his vision of Christendom and his view of how modern societies can achieve, for their people, the good life whilst avoiding the excesses of industrial capitalism and state socialism. Having nailed his colours to the mast, Belloc is both scrupulously fair, and indeed mildly sympathetic, to his Protestant subjects. That is not what many would first imagine from one of England's leading catholic apologists. And this is not a theological or religious book, it is history. Almost 100% so. If there is old time religion in it, it amounts to no more than two paragraphs in his concluding chapter.

I will try to summarise Belloc's position in a few paragraphs of my own. Christendom always had dissident priests and princes, so the very different revolts of Martin and Henry werenot new. There had never been 'a golden age'when Christendom was without challenge. What was new was the simultaneous weakness of two key institutions to counteract and contain them. Indeed the revolt that emerged was probably much larger, and more radical than anything Martin or Henry could have imagined. Anti-clericalism, not doctrinal dissent, drove the break-up. And economics played a role in the split and, more importantly, in keeping the splinters apart. The Church controlled large swathes of agrarian land. In earlier centuries it was the monastic orders that had actually "opened up" this land to use a frontier analogy. This success was severely damaged by the Black Death. Population decline was not accompanied by significant land reform. As a result, what had once been Europe's economic foundation now seemed an onerous burden.

The papacy lacked the will, and worse yet, sufficient power and moral authority to effect reforms, even if it had the will. The Great Schism weakened the moral and popular authority of the papacy, saw the blance of power shift towards the princes. A string of corrupt popes (Belloc is at pains to point out that these popes were not as bad as is often imagined) was one of two pieces of bad timing. The other was the simultaneous weakness of the Emperor (i.e. 'Holy Roman Emperor'). That great German "federal" overlord was decisively weakened by on going wars with the muslims. He was thus unable to assert sufficient control at home.

Weaknesses at the top meant the revolt from below went unchecked, but were the common people in revolt? No. Some peasant revolts broke out, and like similar revolts before, the princes, both catholic and protestant suppressed them. The real revolutionaries were from the aristocracy and merchant squires. Thesegroups came to control the land and corporate formerly managed by the clergy. In some cases they fostered protestant iconoclasm whilst controlling the market for the now abandoned treasures of the churches. Formerly clerical wealth financed both the growing demands of their "modern" states, and their armies, and to reward allies. Royal favourites, the 'new millionaires' , became the great fortunes and powerful families of England, with influence running for centuries. In England real power was concentrated in the Cecils, the real power behing Elizabeth I, who used secret police tactics to suppress popular catholicism, including letting the Gunpowder plotters conspire for over a year, all under the watchful eye of spy chief Walsingham . These groups were a powerful vested interest in seeing to it that these new rifts, unlike the old squables, were never healed. The 'new millionaires', of course, would soon be knocking down the crown that gave them their start, in a century or so, as their descendants would lead the parliamentary revolt against the old monarchy. Belloc makes an aside that the new parliamentarians were an "elect" in the Calvinist rather than the democratic sense.

Belloc ties this history to modern times and his other works by arguing that the industrial revolutions the millionaires would launch would be based on unven foundations dating back to the Reformation. Belloc's "distributism" advocated for a radical resdistribution of land and wealth to thus extend economic independence and dignity to the lower classes. This he saw as third way between the twin evils of plutocratic capitalism and state socialism, and the likely fusion of both outlined in his most famous political tract, 'The Servile State'.

The institutional weaknesses that allowed the reformation to spread were eventually answered but the "too little, too late" responses help illustrate Belloc's case. It took over forty years before the Council of Trent could be convened and organized a counter-reformation spearheaded by the newly formed order, the Jesuits. Trent;s delay was mainly due to politicking by local princes. When it was commenced the total number of delegates was small compared to earlier and later councils. When Trent started in 1545 only 24 bishops and archbishops were in attendance. During the enormously destructive "Thirty Years War", the Empire too 'struck back', or at least, attempted to. However now the French, directed by their own Bismark, Cardinal Richelieu aided the Protestant princes from a geopolitical desire to prevent German unification to their east.

Belloc provides a readable introduction to the whole period and helps the reader thread the pieces they may have picked up into a more comprehensive canvass. His introduction includes a critique of the treatment of the Reformation by fellow historians, and I'd recommend re-reading his introduction after completing the book. An interesting read.

Broad, thematic, and spot on!
This is an outstanding short book on the history of the Reformation. This is the first book by Belloc I have read, but if this book is any indication, he was a master of thematic history. This is not just a list of dates and events, blandly shared. Rather, Belloc gives us a riveting book that is concerned with the historical forces and personalities at the heart of the great religious revolt that has so shaped Western Civilization for the last 500 years.

One could successfully devour this book in the span of two days. But even with its brevity, it is a quite thorough look at the themes and personalities that make up the reformation.

A must read.

Original and penetrating insights
Belloc's view of the Reformation is both original and penetrating as he challenges the conventional views of that religious revolt from the perspective of a committed Roman Catholic. The overview of history is not necessarily exhaustive for a 300 page book, but it tends to be a bit repetitive, although when one considers the points that Belloc is trying to emphasize, the repetition is understandable. Basically, he assumes the stance that the Reformation was not originally a religious contest but a political and financial one, and that the nobles and rulers of Europe took advantage of the reformers fever to dissemble the universal Catholic church and distribute their wealth amongst themselves.
Although I agree with Belloc's theory and feel that the breakup of Catholic Christendom was essentially a disaster, I felt that his bias against the Reformation dismissed much of the spiritual sincerity of the Reformers, which is unfortunate. Overall though, it is a great read and one that will challenge those with an open mind. For a companion piece, one should read Novalis' Christendom or Europe, which is found in Novalis: Philosophical Writings published by SUNY Press (1997).Novalis: Philosophical Writings

Broad brushed but to the point
Mr. Belloc does not give us a detailed history with references to primary sources. Instead, he notes the major currents of thought that shaped history and the missed opportunities that might have deflected those currents from creating the reformation. His history is a macro-history covering the currents created by such factors as the Black Death, rising nationalism, corruption of morals, and more. He asserts, convincingly I believe, that the Protestant reformation was based on the lie that each individual was his own judge of what was right thinking (see more on this inGreat Heresies).Further, he asserts, this heresy of man as his own arbiter of truth likely would have failed had it not been for the focus provided in John Calvin's systematic theology.

Whether Protestant or Catholic or Orthodox, it is important to understand the historical currents and the wavesthat brought about the world as we know it today.America, in particular, with all that is good or bad in it, is a creation of those currents.The cold reasoning that rejects all that is mystical and intangible in modern thinking is also a creation of those currents. It is the fall of man all over again which rejects any authority outside one's self. Protestant and Catholic alike decry this disunity. It is in our interest to understand the causes and effects.Mr. Belloc gives us the broad thinking approach to see the root cause which so many other historians have missed getting lost in the details.

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This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Free Version has no illustrations
This book is just as fun/cute as the other reviewers stated, but if you want a version with the illustrations make sure to download the $0.99 version and not the free version.

Fun!!
This is a short a fun book of children's poetry that is whimsically illustrated and very well written.

At the price, who could go wrong! The illustrations show up well on the Kindle, and the linked table of contents works perfectly.

A great book, at a great price. Wonderful!

Short but adorable
This is a short but adorable book of children's poetry that is whimsically illustrated and brilliantly written.

It is worth every penny! I read it aloud to my daughter and five minutes after we finished she was improvising her own poems. It was great! ... Read more