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This volume is produced from digital images created through the University of Michigan University Library's large-scale digitization efforts. The Library seeks to preserve the intellectual content of items in a manner that facilitates and promotes a variety of uses. The digital reformatting process results in an electronic version of the original text that can be both accessed online and used to create new print copies. The Library also understands and values the usefulness of print and makes reprints available to the public whenever possible. This book and hundreds of thousands of others can be found in the HathiTrust, an archive of the digitized collections of many great research libraries. For access to the University of Michigan Library's digital collections, please see http://www.lib.umich.edu and for information about the HathiTrust, please visit http://www.hathitrust.org ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Compelling arguments (a history teacher's review)
G.K. Chesterton's "The Barbarism of Berlin" is a lengthy essay (442 kindle "locations") defending the decision by the U.K. to join World War I and fight the Central Powers, Germany in particular.

It is a testament to Chesterton's powerful skills as a writer that I found myself agreeing with him so much because I've typically found World War I to have been one of the most extraordinary wastes of lives in the long history of a world that regularly wastes lives.

Chesterton makes a compelling argument that Germany's outlook on the world is different than France's and England's and that these competing worldviews are bound to confront. Eventually, one will win out - thus the war. Or, as he buts it, Germany has "the perfectly serious aim of destroying certain ideas, which, as they think, the world has outgrown; without which, as we think, the world will die." (location 118)

The essay is a bit dated by anachronstic racial terms and stereotypes, acceptable then but not now but a knowledgeable reader understands that the world is a different place now. Worthy of your time if you are a history buff, especially a student of "The War to End All Wars." ... Read more

Product Description
In this fifth and final set of Father Brown mysteries G K Chesterton's short, shabby priest continues, in his humorous, effortless but powerfully effective way to solve a wide range of high crimes and misdemeanours. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Required reading for mystery lovers!
I've been a mystery addict since I was 13, when I encountered "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes", but for some reason I had never read any of G.K. Chesterton's Father Brown stories.I recently found "The Scandal of Father Brown" in my local library.I've been eagerly devouring these stories, although paradoxically I don't want the book to end!

Father Brown is a small, unassuming figure, who peers at the world through "moonlike spectables".His appearance belies his intellect: as one character states, he could have been a detective instead of a priest.His observational skills and keen insight into human behavior allow him to solve even the most intractable problems.

Father Brown may draw comparison to other Golden Sleuths, such as Hercule Poirot, but there is one major difference: G.K. Chesterton's rich sense of humor pervades every tale.The stories aren't "funny" in the Wodehouse sense, but they display a definite appreciation of life and sense of the absurb.

Read this book! You'll be very happy you did.

Marvelous and Magnetic
Chesterton again allows us to accompany Father Brown, preternaturally-unbiased master of human nature, as he stumbles across another series of murders and mysteries. These stories in this series are not as compact as those in other books, notably "The Innocence of Father Brown," but they have the same magnetic power to draw the reader in.

As ever, Chesterton is interested not only in delivering first rate detective stories, but of describing human nature. His characters are flawed and biased, all blind in their own way, which is what makes it so difficult to see the truth that lies before them. Father Brown, ever kind and imperturbable, nearly always sees right through to the heart of the matter. Posing as a humble parish priest, which he is, he somehow sees beyond the class boundaries which it is Chesterton's special gift to point out and puncture.

Not all the stories are murder mysteries. "The Scandal of Father Brown" is about a man in pursuit of an errant wife; and "The Insoluble Problem" is about crime, but not the one Brown is called to investigate. In all of his stories, would-be detectives, constables, lovers, actors, academics and men of means cross paths in ways that are befuddling to all but the dumpy little priest in the round spectacles.

Listening to this collection was a wonderful way to pass several long commutes.

In the version I heard, BTW, reader Tom Whitworth did a great job with one exception. He evidently did not realize that Flambeau is a Frenchman! ... Read more

Product Description
Greybeards at Play is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by G. K. (Gilbert Keith) Chesterton is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of G. K. (Gilbert Keith) Chesterton then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

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This is an electronic edition of the complete book complemented by author biography. This book features the table of contents linked to every story. The book was designed for optimal navigation on the Kindle, PDA, Smartphone, and other electronic readers. It is formatted to display on all electronic devices including the Kindle, Smartphones and other Mobile Devices with a small display.

Customer Reviews (14)

Simple innocents often see more clearly than knowing cynics
The Club of Queer Trades is classic Chesterton. A collection of loosely connected short stories each presenting some odd mystery, the solution of which is not the uncovering of a crime but the discovery of another member of the Club of Queer Trades, an elite society of people who earn their living by a wholly new trade which they have invented themselves. For example there is Mr. P.G. Northover, the founder of the Adventure and Romance Agency and Mr. Montmorency, the Arboreal House-Agent. In every case, it is the former judge, Mr. Basil Grant, whose clear insight into human nature pierces the paradox first and who, in the closing pages we discover is himself eligible for membership.

Should mysteries be mysterious?
A.C. Doyle created Sherlock Holmes as a satire of the purely rational man.G.K. Chesterton created this book with Doyle/Holmes in mind, except that Chesterton's virtuoso detective has abandoned logic and has embraced intuition instead.

Chesterton of course is a famous theologist and/or philosopher, so it's hardly unexpected that this work of fiction is mainly interesting for philosophical reasons.Stylistically it is not satisfying as just entertainment -- as "just" detective fiction.There are a variety of stylistic reasons it isn't up to par with typical mystery books, but the main reasons are a result of Chesterton's philosophical goals.Thus, the book only succeeds if you read the stories with an eye toward philosophical implications.

Each story's arc begins much like a typical mystery: the stage is set with characters and events, then people begin trying to resolve the mystery by thinking and investigating.In a typical mystery, this would lead to a climax where the characters and readers would both puzzle over the accumulated evidence; the successful reader and detective will reason out the puzzle.A typical climax comes when there is no apparent explanation for events, and the amazing detective, a la Holmes or Poirot, shows us how the explanation was really obvious all along.In contrast, the climax of these Chesterton mysteries comes when there is no way to ferret the truth out by logic.Generally, the clues point to a fatuously false explanation.Unlike Sherlock Holmes, who withholds judgment at first and slowly fits a theory to the facts, Chesterton's character Basil Grant apprehends the essential truth of the matter from the beginning in an instant of intuition, and doesn't fret over seemingly contradictive facts.Whereas with each unexpected new fact Holmes must be even cleverer in "deducing" a working theory, in Chesterton's stories all the evidence will eventually be shown to accord with Basil's first impression.After many lines in which Basil laughs at other characters (and the readers) for not knowing the answer, he gifts everyone with an explanation of what's really going on.

This is unsatisfying in the normal detective fiction way because the evidence is not helpful and neither the readers nor other characters have a chance to participate in the quest for truth, other than by waiting for Basil to stop laughing at us and let us in on the secret.Whereas Holmesian sleuthing is based on discrete facts, which readers discover as the characters do, intuition has a basis in subtle and numerous intangibles that Chesterton simply can't share with the readers adequately.Moreover, the final explanation, which reconciles Basil's intuition with the accumulation of contrary-seeming facts, ends up being rather out of nowhere.Indeed, the implicit mystery of each story is "What queer trade will turn up here?" even though the explicit mystery is something apparently totally unrelated.Each explicit mystery is solved by the unexpected, behind-the-scenes involvement of a "queer trade," which is of course a trade no one's done before and thus which no one suspects.In other words, each story is resolved by deus ex machina.

But Chesterton's dei ex machinae (sp?) are not cop-outs.With each new trade, he suggests a plausible way of making money in existing society that no one has yet tried.Assuming Chesterton overcomes the challenge of thinking up a novel job, such a job's invocation in the solution to an explicit mystery actually contributes to a larger sense of mystery.How much of what we can't understand has a perfectly reasonable basis behind the scenes?How many of the roles in society are the arbitrary outcome of human imagination?It is this transfer of mysteriousness from the particular to the overall, by exchanging some immediate mystery for even bigger questions, that makes the idea of a "queer trade" a subtle double entendre.

Thus Chesterton makes an interesting philosophical push that might be appreciated by theists and postmodernists alike.Both appreciate a good joke at modernism's expense -- as do G.K. Chesterton and Basil Grant.In a Holmesian story, each mystery is "reduced" (to use a conspicuously scientific term) to an explanation that has nothing mysterious about it.In Chesteron's stories, our sense of mystery is not annihilated, it is amplified.

-

A note is due on the star rating.As a mystery story, for entertainment, I would award 2 stars, because each story is little more than some odd occurrence explained by a twist ending.As philosophical fiction, Chesterton's subversion of the Doylean mystery structure is worth 4 stars.

Join the club
G.K. Chesterton always had a knack for making ominous situations that turned out to be... pretty normal. And that's what "The Club of Queer Trades" is all about, a string of Sherlock-Holmes-style mysteries that spoof the elaborate deduction process. And show readers some of the bizarrest jobs Chesterton could think of.

The book introduces us to Basil Grant, a judge who came to realize that law and justice aren't the same thing, and who ended up giving sentences like "Get a soul" before leaving the courtroom. Then his detective brother Rupert introduces him to Major Brown, an army officer who suspects that his neighbor is plotting to kill him. It isn't too surprising, since there are pansies spelling out "Death to Major Brown."

But with his deductive processes, Basil reveals the bizarre truth behind the Major's problem: an adventure company which is part of the Club of Queer Trades, a "society consisting exclusively of people who have invented some new and curious way of making money."

Throughout the stories, he, Rupert and the narrator encounter other people who have found weird ways of making a living: an ex-lieutenant who seems to be telling tall tales, the "the wickedest man in England," an Essex vicar who was kidnapped by men disguised as old ladies, a dancing professor who has apparently lost his mind, and finally a lady being imprisoned in a basement who flat out refuses to leave -- and it may have something to do withBbasil.

Only the guy behind "The Man Who Was Thursday" could pull off a book like "The Club of Queer Trades," or a concept like the club itself. And as an added humorous twist, this book is apparently meant as a sort of spoof to the Sherlock Holmes mysteries -- Rupert is sort of Holmesian in his elaborate deductions, but he never gets it right.

These are some of Chesterton's frothier stories, but he still peppers his stories with little moral and philosophical moments ("they have not merely no notion, they have an elaborately false notion of what the words mean"), but never enough to bog down the light banter and funny action scenes. And there are moments of Chesterton's prose that are pure poetry ("... a mystic, elvish, nocturnal hunting").

Basil himself is a bit of a know-it-all, but at least he's a funny, slightly offbeat one, and perfectly at ease with talking to a tied-up criminal about Darwinism. His brother Rupert introduces himself as being a detective, but gets more and more upset as the book goes on, until he desperately grasps at the idea of a villainous milkman giving "secret signs."

"The Club of Queer Trades" is a deliciously quirky little book, and leaves readers wishing that they could hear a few more tales of these wonky jobs. Definitely worth employing.

Well . . .
I couldn't help but get the idea that Chesterton had a good idea, but fluffed the execution because he couldn't think of enough "queer trades" (i.e., jobs new to the economy that no one else had ever made a living at before).Is it a satire on technology--surely in 1905 there must have been hundreds of these new jobs happening all the time--typists, for example, or auto mechanics.The book starts off well with the adventure of Major Brown, and in fact the opening tale made me think that THE CLUB OF QUEER TRADES must been a tremendous influence on Agatha Christie's MR. PARKER PYNE INVESTIGATES (I don't want to give many spoilers, so I'll leave it at that, but Parker Pyne/Ariadne Oliver fans will see right away where Christie got her charming idea from 25 years later.)I think Christie did it better, but GKC scores points from me for thinking of it first.

Swinburne (the narrator) tells the stories of Rupert and Basil, the two brothers, but he was unable to differentiate them significantly, and I wonder why he even bothered creating a brother for Rupert?I'm not getting any Sherlock Holmes/Mycroft Holmes one brother is a genius vibes here, both of them seem equally equipped for sussing out the truth.

By the time you get to the story of the "wickedest man in England" (Aleister Crowley?If so, a significantly early appearance for Crowley in fictional form) and how he maintains his reputation as a wit, it's still cute, but the next story about the house agent takes a one-paragraph anecdote and blows it up to novella size through sheer padding.Same with the old lady imprisoned in the basement, and as for the dancing professor, I didn't understand how that fit into the club of queer trades, except that Basil forced the Museum to pay the professor money, and that was so implausible I was throwing the book against the wall.

I'm reading the "Hesperus Modern Voices" edition, with Gilbert Adair's skillful introduction.He ALMOST persuades me that GKC was a postmodernist on the order of Borges...too bad you then have to read the six stories that follow, for they contradict Adair at every turn.Sapphire sky my a**!

Funny and quick romp, though not his best.
G.K. is witty, and even his weaker works will still make you laugh out loud.This book is no different, a parody of the classic Sherlock Holmes type deductive reasoning.They are really several sub-stories that all merge together for a fitting conclusion, involving the queerest trade of them all.A lot of G.K.'s familiar themes are here, such as emphasis on atmosphere as opposed to details, and how things seemingly ridiculous not only make sense, but are actually necessary.Probably not the best place to start with his works, but if you're a fan these short stories will not disappoint. ... Read more

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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

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Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free.This is an OCR edition with typos.Excerpt from book:The Fallacy of Success © © ©rF"HERE has appeared in our time a particular class of books and articles which I sincerely and solemnly think may be called the silliest ever known among men. They are much more wild than the wildest romances of chivalry and much more dull than the dullest religious tract. Moreover, the romances of chivalry were at least about chivalry; the religious tracts are about religion. But these things are about nothing ; they are about what is called Success. On every bookstall, in every magazine, you may find works telling people how to succeed. They are books showing men how to succeed in everything; they are written by men who cannot even succeed in writing books. To begin with, of course, there is no such thing as Success. Or, if you like to put it so, there is nothing that is not successful. That a thing is successful merely means that it is; a millionaire is successful in being a millionaire and a donkey in being a donkey. Any live manhas succeeded in living; any dead man may have succeeded in committing suicide. But, passing over the bad logic and bad philosophy in the phrase, we may take it, as these writers do, in the ordinary sense of success in obtaining money or worldly position. These writers profess to tell the ordinary man how he may succeed in his trade or speculation—how, if he is a builder, he may succeed as a builder; how, if he is a stockbroker, he may succeed as a stockbroker. They profess to show him how, if he is a grocer, he may become a sporting yachtsman; how, if he is a tenth-rate journalist, he may become a peer; and how, if he is a German Jew, he may become an Anglo-Saxon. This is a definite and business-like proposal, and I really think that the people who buy these books (if any people do buy them) have a moral, if not a ... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Wonderful book!Lovely edition!
This book is a great collection of wonderful newspaper stories of Chesterton, and as reverent today as when written!Enjoy!

This book is perfect!
First, this book is in perfect shape - I think some reviews were of a different edition.

But more important, is this wonderful book!This is a collection of various newspaper columns by Chesterton - thus ``All Things Considered`` - what is also fascinating is the fact that while one expects the wit, charm, humor and intelligence to last the years, (and it does), the issues of the day, while different on the surface, are no different than those in Rome 2000 years ago, or the USA 100 years later, (today).

If you like Chesterton, you`ll love reading one of these columns each night!

This is a great book and PERFECT copy!
I bought this with out looking at the reviews (generally they liked the book and did not like the edition), anyway, I wanted to report back that somehow this has been fixed, as this edition is perfect in every way!Fell good to get it, and read GK's views on everything, as he considers 'all things'.Ok, I'm not witty, but I know a good book when I read it!This is it!

This edition is perfect!
This edition is perfect!For those who were wondering if they would get a poorlymade book based on the only 1 star review, let me assure you that you will not, I received this book without any mistakes, or missing pages, etc.Its a charming and complete edition.

I see that the release date for this edition is after the date the 1 star review was made.

This book has been well reviewed already, and all I can add is this is a real treat for anyone who loves intelligent argument, wit and written brilliance!

Shoddy
All Things Considered

First time I can recall seeing an advertisement masquerading as an "Editorial Review." I cannot abide Kessinger and its mission to re-appropriate books (often mere pamphlets) in the public domain and republish them in shoddy overpriced editions. Wankers. ... Read more

Product Description
The Collected Works Of G. K. Chesterton, Vol. XIV, is a compilation of Chesterton s short stories, some of which have never appeared in print. There are 43 short stories and 25 complete and incomplete tales from Chesterton s notebooks with numerous drawings and illustrations. Some of the stories are: The Coloured Lands, The Sword of Wood, The Trees of Pride, How I Found the Superman, The Five of Swords, Homesick at Home, and The End of Wisdom. Author: G. K. Chesterton Contents: short stories, fairy tales, mystery stories Format: 565 pages, paperback Publisher: Ignatius Press ISBN: 9780898704013 ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Chestertoniana
If you're like me, you'll admit Chesterton did occasionally make a mistake, and even some howlers, but he never did any poor work.Since I'm biased, I took a star off the review, but that may not be fair.

Most of this book is new to me.Some of the detective stories have been printed elsewhere, but not all.There are a couple of Father Brown stories that were probably held back by Chesterton because they weren't strong enough.There are incomplete stories, and many more completed ones.If you don't like G.K.Chesterton, I can make no promises.But if you find that, as he wrote of Dickens, his stories are simply lengths of fabric cut from a substance called Chesterton, you'll probably find a lot to like.

Quality book
This is a good quality, well-put-together book that brings into one place much of Chesterton's short fiction, most of which was published in periodicals or never published. This is the first time most of these stories have been published in book form, if I'm not mistaken. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

G.K.Chesterton: A Theologian
So you want to read Chesterton?Lots of luck.He is a colossus.I have 35 of the collected volumes and more of his writings keep appearing--for which I am always grateful. This is one of them. It is satisfying glimpse of seminal theological ideas of Chesterton...which makes it well worth while.The transcendental gems of GKC are abundant and as illuminating as ever.One keeps asking, Why could I not have thought that too?The answer: Because I am not a genius for geniuses.The concept of paradox (GKC's tour de force)gives new insights, magnificent and monstrous:You realize that the old lasciviousness of nuns and the endemic shiftiness of Jesuits are now joined with the pedophilia of priests, while liberal imperialists, especially liberal press&media types, are undeniably worse in all categories!Meanwhile, the Church, almost always alone, remains surrounded by unprincipled hysterical enemies offended that the Church tells them (How dare she!), with irrefutable reason, how they are wrong in their dogmatic promotion of non-being whatever its form; and then, insulted and insulting, the Church haters are even more offended that the Church calls them on their sins exhorting them to Love as the only organization promoting LOVE--not anything goes love, but transcendental love--Truth Oneness Good and Beauty.How dare she do that too!The book is a great read giving an illuminating reminder of the Catholic Capital on which even our secularized culture still depends whether realized or not. ... Read more

Product Description
Book-length study of the great playwright by a great novelist.According to Wikipedia: "Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874 -1936) was an influential English writer of the early 20th century. His prolific and diverse output included journalism, philosophy, poetry, biography, Christian apologetics, fantasy and detective fiction. Chesterton has been called the "prince of paradox."[1] He wrote in an off-hand, whimsical prose studded with startling formulations. For example: "Thieves respect property. They merely wish the property to become their property that they may more perfectly respect it."[2] He is one of the few Christian thinkers who are equally admired and quoted by both liberal and conservative Christians, and indeed by many non-Christians. Chesterton's own theological and political views were far too nuanced to fit comfortably under the "liberal" or "conservative" banner." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Hitch Your Wagon to Shaw.
George Bernard Shaw is supposedly the opposite of Shakespeare, who was too pessimistic, being described as a 'serious optimist.'In Shaw's play "Man and Superman" creative evolution is the topic in serious dramatic terms, performed in 1903.He is the precursor of what is now called "creative intelligent design" as described in the book OF PANDAS AND PEOPLE (1993).While he had problems with the biological randomness of Darwin, he pretty much eliminated God from the equation of how human life began.

The God-incorporated alternative to Darwinism now being proposed by who else but the President of the United States of America,Shaw felt that the life force is transmitted by rare men of genius who were selected by nature to carry on the work of building up an intellectual consciousness.In "Man and Superman" the Don Juan was an asexual but in a way religious and felt that life could be improved and that meant getting rid of 'imprisoning conventions.'

The intelligent design is a hot topic now among theologians, educators and scientists who want this concept taught in the schools along with Darwin (leaving out the Biblical account).Shaw left out completedly the thought of God having anything to do whatsoever with the human existence; it was just a 'what-if' story idea which extremely religious people believe to be the truth.

Shaw's "Devil's Disciple" was his first commercial success with Richard Mansfield as the matinee idol starring in the play set during the American Revoluiton.His earlier "Man and Superman" was placed on a restricted list by the libraries so it could not infect young minds with its unorthodox view of God and matrimony.His play about prostitution, so prevalent in the century he was so prolific with his works, "Mrs. Warren's Profession," played to a sold out audience with up to 3,000 people turned away at the door.This popular sensation was closed down by the police and the entire cast faced charges of 'disorderly conduct.'

Every star wanted to be Henry Higgins in "Pygmalion" played by Peter O'Toole and Leslie Howard.Rex Harrison played the part in the movie, "My Fair Lady."Lynn Fontanne and Wendy Hiller, along with Mrs. Partick Campbell on whom the play was based, wanted to play Eliza Doolittle.

He wrote to Mrs. Campbell "I can't be sympathetic; these things simply make me furious," when her son was killed in 1918 by the Germans as the war was ended.He wrote articulate letters throughout his life to many people, "some subjects that language cannot accommodate."

He had his place in our world and prophesied what was to come on Broadway, the British stage, and the controversial world of science and biology.He was the forerunner to beat all!

WRITER TO WRITER
In only one hundred pages Chesterton encapsulates the influences on and works of George Bernard Shaw, and he is on top form. I should say up front for those that want the Drive-Thru version, go direct to chapters 2 and 6 (35 pages total) for a sound grasp of the man, the playwright, and the later works; and double back to chapter 5 (20 pages) for the earlier works. The last chapter explains how Shaw lost his faith in humanism through reading Plato [tis se philei, o Sokrates;], and fell back in disarray to Nietzsche for backup.

What makes this biography so incisive? Firstly the fact that Chesterton and Shaw were old friends and debating partners. Second, that they were both literary gents of sharply contrasting style, and consequently struck generous bright sparks off one another. Under this stimulus the normally verbose Chesterton style is reigned in, which is a relief to those who have ever been frustrated by it. (It should go without saying that he is worth persevering with, but I took about five reads of 'Orthodoxy' to really get it. His fiction is much more concise - odd but true.)

Enjoyable disagreement
Since Chesterton and Shaw so vehemently disagreed with each other on many topics, one would expect this quick text to be filled with antagonism.Instead, it is a delightful explanation of Shaw's background, biography and beliefs, told in a gentle, light-hearted manner.Chesterton shows a great respect for his adversary, while making clear his own views through quite a few of the one-sentence quotables for which he is well known. ... Read more

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The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: History / Middle East / General; Religion / Judaism / General; Fiction / General; History / Middle East / Israel; History / Jewish; History / Middle East / General; ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

G.K. Chesterton's View of The New Jerusalem vs. The New Nonsense
G.K. Chesteron's book titled THE NEW JERUSALEM is the only "angry" book this reviewer has ever read of Chesterton's vast literary work. This book is not for the timid or the dull. Those who are serious Catholics, religious Jews, or devout Muslims will learn from this book. Those who religious views are fashionable and politically correct will be shocked by honest language and thoughtful insight.

Chesteton reminds readers that Palestine and Judea (modern Israel)was at one time under Ancient Roman control and during the late 11th. and 12th. centuries under European control. The complex history of the Middle East includes peoples of different cultures, languages, and political views. The fact is that Europeans as well as Western Asians. The Middle East was "the cradle" of early Catholocism, the flowering of Judaism, and the original area of Islam.

Those who are aware of the Byzantine rule know that the Byzantines used the Greek language. Yet, they ruled using Roman Law, and the Greek Orthodox Church was very similiar to the Catholic Church. As an aside, the Greek Orthodox ligurgy and sacramental system are similiar to those of Catholicism. This reviewer is very aware that there are differences which have caused bitterness and schism.

Chesterton chides the British for not knowing little or nothing of the Middle East, and the same could be said of American "experts" whose knowledge of the history and georgraphy of this area is either nil or fabricated nonsense. Chesterton contrasts the vague, undignified language of modern policy "experts" with the clear yet poetic bluntness of the Old Hebrew Prophets whose denounciations was quite understandable by those whom they condemned.

Contrary to modern fads and notions, Jerusalem was and is a place of vivid religious and cultural differences which has exploded at times in violence and bitter clashes. As Chesterton makes clear, modern fashionable Protestantism would never have survived in Jerusalem. Islam, Judaism and Catholcism did.

Chesterton saw the post World War I situation with prophetic vision. He argued that while there was no war, there was no actual peace, and the Middle East was an armned camp. This was a problem for the British who were under the illusion that their inherent superiority and arrogant ignorance would protect them from the realities that Chesterton clearly understood.

Chesterton reserves his most serious writing for Zionism. He presents those of the Jewish faith that they were Europeans or Zionists. Chesterton DOES NOT condemn Judaism. He was critical of what some may consider Jewish Nationalism as compared to Judaism as a religion. By avoiding these issues British, and later American, policy makers tried to exert their influence with little knowledge much to their chagrin. Chesterton argued that Europeans regardless of their religion benefitted from Catholic Canon Law, a gradual respect for legal rights, and the rediscovery of reason via Aristotle and Catholic Scholasticism. The Zionists were forced to ask themselves whether or not they were Westerners. This is still a current debate. Chesterton commented that he had more respect for Jewish radicals who championed the rights of the poor than he had for the wealthy plutocrats, Jewish or not.

G.K. Chesterton knew that after World War I, the Middle East was a political powder keg. One weakness of this book is that Chesterton could have critisized the Balfour Declaration (1917) which was so poorly written and vague that both Arabs and Jewish Zionists could use it to justify their political aspirations. An Ancient Hebrew Prophet would have been much clearer and succinct.

G.K. Chesterton defends his views from a Catholic point of view. THE NEW JERUSALEM is a well written and blunt assessment of the Middle East that thoughtful men (there are so few of such men) will have a better understanding of the historical drama (a tragic historical drama)that is evolving. What is more tragic is that sensible men were avoided or ignored when something could have been done during and just after World War I. But men in power were and are seldom sensible.

The New Jerusalem is an invaluable addition to collective understanding
The New Jerusalem reprints G. K. Chesterton's classic travelogue in which he sought to better understand the Middle East in the years following World War I. Nearly three decades before the creation of the State of Israel, Chesterton observed the Christians, Jews, and Muslims of Palestine; his unvarnished conclusions are presented at face value, without any allowances for political correctness or other modern contrivances. In addition to his blunt assessments and judgments are also a wonder of firsthand description and depiction of ordinary people surviving day-to-day life, and evidence of seekers searching the holy land for revelation, and extended philosophical speculation concerning the ancient histories destinies of races and faiths of people. Though limited by Chesterton's individual perspective and opinions, The New Jerusalem is an invaluable addition to collective understanding concerning Palestine and how it was viewed by individuals and religious organizations nearly a century ago.

A different side of Chesterton
When G. K . Chesterton published The New Jerusalem he was called an anti Semite. He denied it but after reading the book it's pretty clear that Jews were not his favorite people. He refers to the poor newly arrived immigrant Jews as tacky to the point of hideousness and showered contempt on the sophisticated fully assimilated upper class London Jews. He even goes as far as to opine that had a great disaster had befallen England during Benjamin Disraeli's years as prime minister, Disraeli (because he was Jewish) probably would've sailed off to America or somewhere else without a thought for England. That's harsh.

Chesterton also had sour things to say about Orthodox Christians. His comments on the religious Jews of Jerusalem are a little kinder or at least less mean but his only real admiration seems to have been for the Muslims of what was then called Palestine. He seems to have viewed them like we view wild lions today. You can't help but be awed by the beasts but you also know that if that they're dangerous.

Finally, this cold, gloomy book makes a startling prediction that has, alas, come horriblytrue. Chesterton bluntly stated that the area known as Palestinewashopelessly divided if a Jewish state was ever established there the local Arabs would fight it.

Please don't come to this book looking for the cuddly fellow who wrote the Father Brown stories because he is not here.

Excellent writing and wit
G.K. Chesterton displays his level of wit and insights into Palestine.His candid views are presented here in a style that is fresh and interesting to modern readers.I highly recommend "The New Jerusalem". ... Read more

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The Quotable G. K. Chesterton is a comprehensive, accessible survey of Chesterton's greatest ideas and writings.

With more than 850 passages showcasing his brilliance and masterful writing style, it covers topics from Academia to Painting, Politics to Architecture, Jane Austen to John Bunyan, Jesus to Fairy Tales.

Fans and first-time readers of Chesterton will discover topics that dominated thought and life throughout the 20th century and have influenced our own time . . . all from the view of a man the New York Times hailed as a "brilliant English essayist" and who George Bernard Shaw called a "colossal genius."

Chesterton created a bulwark in his own day to defend Christian faith and assert a Christian view throughout culture. As readers encounter the breadth of his genius, they will find compelling reasons to emulate his unceasing fight for truth and beauty.

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The Collected Works of G.K. Chesterton Volume IV is the first of two volumes devoted to Chesterton s political, sociological, and economical writings. Chesterton staunchly opposed any assaults by trendsetters on the common man. Author: G. K. Chesterton Contents: What s Wrong with the World, Superstition of Divorce, Eugenics and Other Evils, Divorce versus Democracy, Social Reform versus Birth Control Format: 443 pages, paperback Publisher: Ignatius Press ISBN: 9780898701470 ... Read more

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G.K. Chesterton collected works v. 4
On the physical side of the volume, this, and the others in the series, are reasonably well put together.The text is in a legible font in a reasonable size, and does not tire your eyes when reading (much less your mind).Further, the spine is not prone to breaking, which is a plus given the size of many of the volumes.The front and back covers, however, are prone to bending and creasing, that's manageable.

As I stated, the text was reproduced well, and the editor did a nice job on the introductory material.Chesterton is his usual self throughout, and his works in this volume take on a number of issues of intense significance today.These books are well worth the read, and sobering insofar as they discuss with prophetic clarity the progress of issues which were serious in his time, and rampant in our own. ... Read more

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Father Brown is an eccentric priest with his own particular ways of dealing with crime. David Timson, having completed the whole of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes canon, a remarkable achievement, turns his hand to the genial but certainly not innocent priest! This collection contains a group of stories from "The Innocence of Father Brown", told unabridged. ... Read more

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A classic of detective fiction
G.K. Chesterton -- full name, Gilbert Keith Chesterton -- was a British intellectual of the early 20th century who engaged in many high-class philosophical and religious debates.His books covering areas of religion and theology are still read.

For diversion and entertainment, Chesterton turned his hand to mystery stories and espionage tales.His finest mysteries involve the little priest, Father Brown.His espionage novels include "The Man Who Was Thursday" and others.Most of these tales were written in the early decades of the 20th century-- from 1910 through about 1925.

I read some of the Father Brown stories more than 40 years ago.Now, in my sixties, I came across the Father Brown Omnibus in the library and started reading again.

The stories are excellent.The man is a prose master.One wishes more detective fiction written today were half as well penned.

The plots are so fresh, unexpected, and imaginative they just take your breath away.Here I am, with so much more to do, drawn on and on into this huge book.

I have decided I am going to buy the book.There are several editions of Father Brown, variously edited, that are still in print.The omnibus has the whole shebang-- about 800 or more pages of the stories.

"Try it.You'll like it."On a par with the Sherlock Holmes short stories written by Arthur Conan Doyle. ... Read more

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One of Chesterton's last books, this book is considered by Chesterton critics and fans as one of his finest collections of essays on a variety of cultural, social and moral issues that seem even more urgent today. His trademark wit and perceptive analysis of the absurdities and excesses of modern life are here, but with a more serious tone than usual.

He diagnoses the rising threats of anti-Semitism and Nazism, of unchecked militarism and the dangerous idealism of pacifism, the problems of materialism and capitalism, the sickness of immoral sexual behavior and eugenics, the twin threats of fascism and communism, and much more.

Throughout his writings, always so prophetic and seemingly more timely now than when he lived, Chesterton fiercely defends the Church (the "Well") and Christian teachings as the source of wisdom, reason, compassion and strength to face all the dangers and evils in modern times (the "Shallows").

The popularity of G. K. Chesterton and his writings continues to flourish as the new Chesterton movement grows in the USA and abroad. ... Read more

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Essays dealing with Economics and Politics from religious perspective
At first glance this book is rather jarring.There is a vague theme and many of the references require knowledge of early 1900 British culture and politics, something I am blessedly ignorant of.

And the slams against Protestantism make for difficult reading for Protestants (a word on that later).I suppose his theme, since this is a collection of essays, is the Church is the well (deep truth) and everything else is the shallows (9). This book addresses a number of issues that would shape the 20th century (and indeed, write most of it in blood): Economics, relativizing of religious truth-claims, and Party politics.

Against the communist and socialist, Chesterton urges non-Utopian schemes and points out that man cannot be reduced to mere economics (interestingly, a criticism that can be made of libertarian capitalism).Against the capitalist Chesterton points out that if Communism reduces man to pure laborer, Capitalism reduces God's creation to a market.Against both Chesterton advocates his famous Distributism.

Chesterton points out how often he changed political views:or rather, he remained the same and political views changed.Reminds one of how useless "Party politics" really is.There is no "left-right" divide (56).That is an illusion to keep the haves above the have-nots.

Chesterton's thoughts on the Jews bear notice. People have accused him of being anti-semitic.What that word means is "something today's political Jews in the ADL do not like." Chesterton and Belloc simply pointed out the obvious.However, Chesterton did admit that Hitler's actions against the Jews were wrong (96).

Chesterton is right to point out an Anglo banking conspiracy that had as its goal the destruction of traditional society (which we see today).I don't think he realized how much Britain is really implicated in this.

Chesterton's main point in this book is religion.Truth be told, if this is his only argument for Catholicism, it is a poor one. It refutes today's Anglicanism and Lutheranism, but it does not prove Catholicism.However, Chesterton's larger points are good.While his myopia towards Rome is annoying (what about other, ancient traditions?), one should stop and ask, "Why is it for all the evident corruption in the church, the Roman church has not gone down the road of the mainline Protestants?"Another thought to consider, and this one is scary, why is it that even the most conservative and biblical and fervent Protestant denominations end up in the gutter (see the current debates in TEC and the Lutheran church)?

Chesterton also has good thoughts on how the Institutional church cannot be a conspiracy.

Great book, even for Protestants!
Ever since I learned that GK Chesterton was one of CS Lewis' favorite writers, I have become a huge fan of his books.It is amazing the foresight he had into the modern world and where it was heading - writing in the 1st half of the 20th century.Although I am not Catholic, it was interesting to read his defense of the Catholic Church and, with usual biting sarcasm, he not only made me think but solicited smiles and laughs along the way...

A Clear, Concise Look at Social, Religious, Economic, Philosophical, and Political Problems
G.K. Chesterton (1874-1937)wrote a collection of essays which are logical, clear, and prophetic. Chesterton had insight of the problems of 20th. century and predicted the disasters that were incubating in Europe and to a lesser degree in these United States. He diagnosed the problems of marriage and the family, the uncertain status of Protestantism, plus economic and social problems. Chesterton knew that the worship of the State and the glorification of force and violence could not solve any modern social and economic dislocations no matter how firmly Free Thinkers, Communists, Fascists, etc. passionately thought they could.

Chesterton's comments on easy divorce were thoughtful. He argued in effect that divorce which was supposed to be the exception had now changed in that the exception had become the rule. Chesterton denouced phony senstitivity parroted in newspapers and social pages. For example, he cited an example when a wife got sympathy because her husband's socks did not match the carpet. Another example was a wife's outrage over the color of her husband's necktie. The social commentaries actually took these childish protests seriously and expressed sympathy for such shallow, childish nonsense.

The book titled THE WELL AND THE SHALLOWS also had profound political essays. Chesterton agreed that the Fascists and Communists had some legitimate complaint against International Finance with its subsidies and political protection vs. blue collar workers and the middle class. Yet, Chesterton condemned Big Communism and Fascism for its worship of violence, class warfare, and dehumanizing solutions. Chesterton reminded readers that Pope Leo III (1878-1903) had already offered a practical, peaceful solution when he issued his statement titled Rerum Novarum which offered peaceful solutions and suggestions to the plutocratic wealthy and working classes. Yet, no one noticed.

Chesterton also railed against the hypocracy of the so-called leftists. Chesterton agree that the rise of Fascism, National Socialism, and Big Communism had valid criticisms of the corrupt poltical and economic status quo. However, Chesterton clearly alerted readers that the Fascists were condemned for using violence. Yet, when the Spanish Leftists used violence against innocent Spanish priests and teachers, there were all sorts of false justifications. Chesterton wryly showed that the Fascists were wrong in worshipping violence. However, when the leftists used Fascist violence against innocent people because of their religious status, there were no protests against such unreasonable violence and wanton murder of innocents.

Chesterton also showed insight into the fraud of Big Capitalism and Commercialism. One must know that these essays were written during the Great Depression. Chesteron mentioned a customer who complaint that razors did not shave, and the businessman responded that razors were not meant to shave but to sell. Chesterton remarked that Commercialism had perverted a sense of decency and religious concepts. The new religion urged the buying and selling of goods. Yet, Chesterton noted that the Bible reported that God made the earth and creatures and saw that they were Good and not goods.

Chesterton also had harsh criticism for "modern" "philosophy." For example, Chesterton noted that the Free Thinkers did not believe in Free Thought at all. These men argued that Materialism, environment, genetics, etc. determined men's behavior and thought without any concession to Free Will or actual Reason. In other words, Free Thinkers tried to argue that man's freedom to think and reason was a moot point which undermined the phrase Free Thinkers. Those who enshrined Reason next to Revalation, the Catholic Scholastics and Schoolmen, were actually the Free Thinkers who used reason debate, clear thinking, logic/reason, etc. to come to philosophical and religious conclusions.

Chesterton had no sympathy for the "New Psychology" or to phrase it more accurately, "Psycho-Babble." Chesterton condemned psychics for their false claims of seances, levitation, etc. Yet, these same "experts" who claimed such nonsense as seances and levitation condemned Catholics for acception the Ascension. The spokesmen for the "New Psychology" condemned Catholic priests for administrating the sacraments. They condemned the Catholic Church for its priesthood. Yet, these "experts" created an Aristocratic Elite with false claims of ESP, seances, etc. which no Catholic priest would ever claim.

Possibly some of best essays in this book and in other books written by Chesterton dealt with the Reformation and Protestantism. Chesterton was right when he argued that there was not and is not any consistent Protestant theology or philosophy. In fact, readers should know that the Protestant "Reformers" hated each other as much if not more than they hated Catholics. For example, during the Marburg Colloquy in 1529, Martin Luther and Zwingli in effect wished each other a Happy Go to Hell when they parted company. For all the complaints of Protestants of Popish influence, King Henry VIII of England was more Popish in trying to set the agenda of the Church of England than any Pope could hope for.
Jacob Burchart mentioned that the Protestant rulers set the religious agenda in their domains because of the animosity of the Protestant "Reformers" had for each other, and these secular rulers had to have religious "peace and quiet" to have political stability.

One of the best essays in this book dealt with St. Thomas More whom King Henry VIII had executed. This essay is a good case study of a man, St. Thomas More, who respected political authority but did not worship it. In other words St. Thomas More rejected what can be defined as Stateolotry. St. Thomas More rejected the Divine Right of Kings and knew that only God was divine. Those who wanted a State Church wantedGod to be controlled by the state when rulers should be ruled by God. St. Thomas More refused to waver on this issue which cost him his life.

As previous reviwers so aptly stated, this book is as timely now as it was when it was first published just before Chesterton died. Chesterton writing syle is charming and yet thoughtful. Chesterton enjoyed confronting his critics, but he was never spiteful or hateful. Chesterton was not offended when he was teased about his weight, forgetfullness, dress, etc. Chesterton was offended when truth was attacked. This is good book and should be read to have a better understanding of a confusing "modern" world.

Easier Reading Chesterton
I have only read a handful of Chesterton's books and loved them, but really struggled with them sometimes because of the complexity and depth.They also can be harder for us "modern Americans" whose history and literature breath is weak (at least for me on 100-year old British politics).But this is a clearly written set of individual essays that most anyone will get 90% of what is said and love it.There is less historical trivia names and events that make many people lose the point being made in several other of his great works (tested many times when I read a page or two out loud).These essays (only a few pages long each) will all put context and fire to conversation on today's politics and life. Then you remind yourself he was writing in 1935 before WWII!It is a little scary to see his predictions come true (or worst) in our present day. He understood what makes the world tick, in his day and ours.

The Thing and Other Things
The first I knew of Chesterton's so-called "Catholic" books (written after his conversion in 1922) was their mention in Dale Ahlquist's G.K. Chesterton: The Apostle of Common Sense. What he wrote made me hungry to read them, which I eventually did in Volume III of Ignatius Press' series of Chesterton's Collected Works. While it's great bringing all that GKC back into print, I'd much rather have the individual volumes, so I rejoiced when The Catholic Church and Conversion came out as a paperback. Like Orthodoxy, it's a lively book with a dull title.

The second volume to escape on its own is The Well and the Shallows, which is actually a collection of essays from 1935, but which boasts a lot better title. I'd recommend "The Backward Bolshie" to anyone reading the sort of things said about Chesterton these days by Garry Wills, whom I consider to be talking out of his hat. Other than that, these essays stand poised between looking back at the Victorian era and forward to the threat of Hitler, whom Chesterton was one of the first to denounce. Taken together with his 1936 autobiography, they cast an illuminating ray on the literary and political figures of the day.

In the introduction, Chesterton says he thought of calling the bookJoking Apart. But then, he rightly noted, people would take it as a joke. The light essay, in Chesterton's form, is virtually lost today, but keeping it light enabled him to tackle the heaviest problems of the day. He is almost thinking out loud, and certainly writing on his feet, as the turbulent events of the mid- '30s move the world closer and closer to confrontation and the brink of war. As these essays reveal, the world of seventy years ago uncannily echoes our own, and the timing could not be better for this book. ... Read more

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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

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Less Philosphy, more Facts!
This book really wasn't what I was hoping it would be. If you're looking for historical facts and events, this isn't the place to find it. If you want some vague philosophical babble, you'll love this. It is well-written and easy to read, but not what I was looking for.

Sharp and Insightful
If you love Chesterton, this work is full of the kind of cutting humor and cultural insight that is his best.The title is a bit misleading in the sense that this is more a "collection of essays on aspects of English History."It should also be seen as a critique of other popular histories of his day.However, he remains the best Christian apologist in the modern era and of the modern era.

Wit and Wisdom of the Apostle of Common Sense
Gilbert Keith Chesterton is certainly one of the most entertaining, and important, authors in the English language.This particular volume covers quickly, yet completely, the history of England from early Roman times to the time of the Great War, World War I.Chesterton is a man, I suspect, who would have been very hard to dislike.Though brilliant, he always approached his many opponents with a keen sense of fun and empathy.But he is certainly a writer who, though sometimes challenging, is always enjoyable.

This wonderful, short, and thoroughly readable book can really be seen as a layman's philosophical representation of the great arc of English history.To grasp Chesterton's wit and wisdom entirely, it is probably important to have at least a nodding familiarity with English history before reading the book.But, so armed, the reader will be delighted with G.K.'s retelling of the great events of England, together with his insightful commentary relative to their import.

Particularly poignant is Chesterton's rendering of the martydom of Saint Joan of Arc.He avers that, at one time or another, perhaps all British soldiers would have traded places with the common British infantryman who broke his spear to make a cross for the dying Saint.This section alone is worth the price of the entire book. ... Read more

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This is a new collection of humorous and serious gems from Chesterton's writing containing previously unpublished work. G.K. Chesterton was a consummately witty man. Bevis Hillier draws on his most humorous epigrams and more serious extracts not only from his most popular works, the "Father Brown" stories, but his contributions to the "Illustrated London News", "GK's Weekly" and his numerous novels, poetry, essays and tracts on a vast array of subjects. These pieces shine a light into the margins of Chesterton's work and give a sense of the distinctive flavour of his mind. In addition this book will include previously unpublished letters of a flirtatious nature. Hillier, the acclaimed biographer of John Betjeman, considers what it was that made Chesterton such a complex and fascinating character. Richly illustrated throughout with Chesterton's own drawings, this will be a book for Chesterton fans everywhere. ... Read more

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G. K. Chesterton, early twentieth-century essayist, poet, novelist, political campaigner, and theologian, philosophized greatly about society and the future. A study of his thinking and selected writings, with particular reference to his status as a precursor of the genre later known as "science fiction," enriches our understanding of how we came to be where we are and how we can advocate a better future.

In this book, Stephen R. L. Clark, a philosopher with a lifelong "addiction" to science fiction, explores Chesterton's ideas and arguments in their historical context and evaluates them philosophically. He addresses Chesterton's sense that the way things are is not how they must have been or need be in the future, and his willingness to face up to the apparent effects of the nihilism he detected in the science and politics of his day.

Clark offers a detailed study of some of Chesterton's works that have been identified by science fiction writers and critics as seminal influences. He attempts to deal with some of Chesterton's theories that have been found offensive or "positively wicked" by later writers and critics, including his arguments against female suffrage and in praise of war, his medievalist leanings, and his contemptuous rejection of Darwinian evolutionary theory.

"Chesterton worked to remind us of the oddity, the wonder, of the world we live in, by pointing up and exaggerating too-familiar features of that world," comments Clark. "It is not necessary to agree with him on every issue to find his work invigorating and enlightening." Chesterton's approach to life and the world might be summarized as that of one who "thinks backward" or "looks at the world upside down," acknowledging the often arbitrary nature of our customs and beliefs and also the underlying virtues of humanity. A philosophical analysis of this view provides insight into our past and the future we can shape. ... Read more

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the complex outlook and ideas of this English author
A late Victorian-era/early modern age author/thinker, some of whose writings were precursors to science fiction and others which are seen as reactionary and in some cases bigoted and narrow-minded, G. K. Chesterton (1874-1936) is impossible to categorize. And Clark doesn't try. Rather than attempt to give a coherent, rational perspective of the prolific English author--an inevitably procrustean effort--Clark critiques many of Chesterton's diverse writings. Not only something of an exegesis of these writings, the critiques also entail putting them in a social context, noting their influence, and explaining what was controversial or provocative about them. Clark does not go so far as to be an apologist, but gives some background for a broader view of Chesterton's seemingly outdated and sometimes offensive opinions and remarks which have been called anti-Semitic, misogynistic, and anti-Darwin. As Clark--an English professor of philosophy--shows, all of Chesterton's writings and ideas, inspiring as well as irksome, grew out of his ingrained, vital, immense optimism. This optimism not only aroused him to be sharply critical of contemporary influences such as nihilism and science and progressive social developments such a women's suffrage and relativism, but also gave him a vision of ideal, desirable conditions for humanity.
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Book in Spanish ... Read more