A old world, 20 Jul 2007
I read this book, or better said, re-read it, when very sick and in considerable pain. Somehow, it seemed right at the time, and emotionally I was prepared for it.

I found it quite entrancing and was prepared to follow its arguments through and it must, like all philsophy, be read slowly and thoughtfully. I would recommend reading it, and hence five stars. Its not necessarily the greatest book you will read, but it is calm, measured and more or less the musings of a man on the edge of existence. The poetry is excellent.

Philosophy: the Guru, 29 Mar 2003
I originally wished to read Boethius because he had been such a famous name that kept cropping up in my own studies in Musicology when I was young, he having been the person who coined the term "Music of the Spheres" in the Pythagorean tradition of cosmic harmony. "The Consolation of Philosophy", however, took me totally by storm. 6th century Roman nobleman Boethius composed this masterpiece while imprisoned, shortly before his brutal execution by bludgeoning. Boethius begins his treatise by bemoaning his fate, the turn of events in his life that have brought him to such devastation. Enter the embodiment of Philosophy, who assumes the role of Boethius's spiritual guide. Step-by-step, Philosophy raises Boethius, and the reader, to higher and higher levels of thought by means of Classical logic. Boethius is systematically shown the path to enlightenment by his enchanting guru and, by the end of the work, Philosophy has firmly established the Absolute nature of the One Supreme Being, that Truth and Happiness are synonomous with God, that the illusory appearances of "good" and "bad" fate (karma, if you will) are merely the projections of our own misunderstanding of the ultimate goodness of God. It is a beautiful and powerfully mystical work, made even more potent by the circumstances under which it was composed. We can only hope that Boethius held fast to these enlightening words as he was executed shortly after having penned them. This touching work can be viewed as a metaphor for the human condition in general, in which all of us are imprisoned by situations of our own making, from which our ultimate liberation comes when we embrace the Ultimate Truth presented by the purity of Philosophical Revelation.

Poor old Boethius, 28 Aug 2001
The wheel of fortune... you can't rely on luck to help you through the tricky times. And Boethius certainly had his, falling foul of the Emperor and being banished to the edge of Empire to be tortured to death. While imprisoned he wrote the consolation... Lady Philosophy comes to Boethius to cheer him up with some second-hand Aristotle and indifferent poetry, although in retrospect a cake and a chisel would probably have been more useful.

Widely translated over the ages by Henry VIII among others this book has had a far-reaching influence down the years. Interestingly Boethius was a Christian but turned to philosophy rather than religion when he was up against it.

An absorbing read... And one that you'll remember for many years.

A old world, 20 Jul 2007
I read this book, or better said, re-read it, when very sick and in considerable pain. Somehow, it seemed right at the time, and emotionally I was prepared for it.

I found it quite entrancing and was prepared to follow its arguments through and it must, like all philsophy, be read slowly and thoughtfully. I would recommend reading it, and hence five stars. Its not necessarily the greatest book you will read, but it is calm, measured and more or less the musings of a man on the edge of existence. The poetry is excellent.

Philosophy: the Guru, 29 Mar 2003
I originally wished to read Boethius because he had been such a famous name that kept cropping up in my own studies in Musicology when I was young, he having been the person who coined the term "Music of the Spheres" in the Pythagorean tradition of cosmic harmony. "The Consolation of Philosophy", however, took me totally by storm. 6th century Roman nobleman Boethius composed this masterpiece while imprisoned, shortly before his brutal execution by bludgeoning. Boethius begins his treatise by bemoaning his fate, the turn of events in his life that have brought him to such devastation. Enter the embodiment of Philosophy, who assumes the role of Boethius's spiritual guide. Step-by-step, Philosophy raises Boethius, and the reader, to higher and higher levels of thought by means of Classical logic. Boethius is systematically shown the path to enlightenment by his enchanting guru and, by the end of the work, Philosophy has firmly established the Absolute nature of the One Supreme Being, that Truth and Happiness are synonomous with God, that the illusory appearances of "good" and "bad" fate (karma, if you will) are merely the projections of our own misunderstanding of the ultimate goodness of God. It is a beautiful and powerfully mystical work, made even more potent by the circumstances under which it was composed. We can only hope that Boethius held fast to these enlightening words as he was executed shortly after having penned them. This touching work can be viewed as a metaphor for the human condition in general, in which all of us are imprisoned by situations of our own making, from which our ultimate liberation comes when we embrace the Ultimate Truth presented by the purity of Philosophical Revelation.

Poor old Boethius, 28 Aug 2001
The wheel of fortune... you can't rely on luck to help you through the tricky times. And Boethius certainly had his, falling foul of the Emperor and being banished to the edge of Empire to be tortured to death. While imprisoned he wrote the consolation... Lady Philosophy comes to Boethius to cheer him up with some second-hand Aristotle and indifferent poetry, although in retrospect a cake and a chisel would probably have been more useful.

Widely translated over the ages by Henry VIII among others this book has had a far-reaching influence down the years. Interestingly Boethius was a Christian but turned to philosophy rather than religion when he was up against it.

An absorbing read... And one that you'll remember for many years.

Hilarious, 19 Dec 2008
Appears to be a rather serious read, but Michel is actually a pretty amusing guy and it's an eye opening read into what life really was like back then. More laid back than I certainly had thought, and his views are surprisingly contemporary on many issues.

Almost complete satisfaction, 24 Jul 2008
This is one of the most fantastic privileges a person could have - to listen to, and be touched by - a dead French nobleman from over 400 years ago.

Not only is the work wonderful, the translation is highly consistent and careful over the breadth of the volume - and if you ever needed a book on a desert island, this could be it.

Complete satisfaction may be closely approximated, for some - alledgedly - by a slightly over-ripe banana, I'd suggest this is even closer.

Exceptional, 03 Sep 2007
It's difficult to overstate the brilliance of this book. Montaigne's essays (or 'trials', or 'attempts') have something for everyone: they're enlightening, they're touching, and frequently they're laugh-out-loud funny. It seems absurd to call a 1300-page book an easy read, but Screech's modern translation makes the Renaissance writer accessible to all. The index comes in handy too, since the titles Montaigne gives his essays are often misleading.

Buy a copy and keep it on your bedside table. The Essays make ideal night time reading.

Edit: I can't help but notice that in the 'Customers Who Bought This Item...' section, everything listed is a set text on a certain Open University course. I nevertheless remain hopeful that the glowing reviews on this page will be read by a few who aren't already obligated to buy this particular translation!

Wisdom in abundance, 04 Dec 2006
One of the great humanists of all time. If you want to learn more about yourself and yourself in relation to others and the world around you, Michel De Montaigne's words offer more than almost any book you may ever read. An honest, beautiful and perspective-enhancing book.

The first esssayist, 16 Feb 2006
This book contains all the wisdom you will ever need. Buy it and read an essay a day, and your life will be enriched for the better. This book packs in so much erudition, wit, truth, love - even comedy that it will be the best friend you've ever had, and keep you company until you die.

Anecdote after anecdote, this book is relentless in information. You could study it for a lifetime and barely scratch the surface. But I propose that one should read it for leisure, whereby the selection of one essay a day, even a week, will unmeasurably enrich and empower the reader, making them more humane, fair and accepting in their wordly judgements and decisions.

A old world, 20 Jul 2007
I read this book, or better said, re-read it, when very sick and in considerable pain. Somehow, it seemed right at the time, and emotionally I was prepared for it.

I found it quite entrancing and was prepared to follow its arguments through and it must, like all philsophy, be read slowly and thoughtfully. I would recommend reading it, and hence five stars. Its not necessarily the greatest book you will read, but it is calm, measured and more or less the musings of a man on the edge of existence. The poetry is excellent.

Philosophy: the Guru, 29 Mar 2003
I originally wished to read Boethius because he had been such a famous name that kept cropping up in my own studies in Musicology when I was young, he having been the person who coined the term "Music of the Spheres" in the Pythagorean tradition of cosmic harmony. "The Consolation of Philosophy", however, took me totally by storm. 6th century Roman nobleman Boethius composed this masterpiece while imprisoned, shortly before his brutal execution by bludgeoning. Boethius begins his treatise by bemoaning his fate, the turn of events in his life that have brought him to such devastation. Enter the embodiment of Philosophy, who assumes the role of Boethius's spiritual guide. Step-by-step, Philosophy raises Boethius, and the reader, to higher and higher levels of thought by means of Classical logic. Boethius is systematically shown the path to enlightenment by his enchanting guru and, by the end of the work, Philosophy has firmly established the Absolute nature of the One Supreme Being, that Truth and Happiness are synonomous with God, that the illusory appearances of "good" and "bad" fate (karma, if you will) are merely the projections of our own misunderstanding of the ultimate goodness of God. It is a beautiful and powerfully mystical work, made even more potent by the circumstances under which it was composed. We can only hope that Boethius held fast to these enlightening words as he was executed shortly after having penned them. This touching work can be viewed as a metaphor for the human condition in general, in which all of us are imprisoned by situations of our own making, from which our ultimate liberation comes when we embrace the Ultimate Truth presented by the purity of Philosophical Revelation.

Poor old Boethius, 28 Aug 2001
The wheel of fortune... you can't rely on luck to help you through the tricky times. And Boethius certainly had his, falling foul of the Emperor and being banished to the edge of Empire to be tortured to death. While imprisoned he wrote the consolation... Lady Philosophy comes to Boethius to cheer him up with some second-hand Aristotle and indifferent poetry, although in retrospect a cake and a chisel would probably have been more useful.

Widely translated over the ages by Henry VIII among others this book has had a far-reaching influence down the years. Interestingly Boethius was a Christian but turned to philosophy rather than religion when he was up against it.

An absorbing read... And one that you'll remember for many years.

Hilarious, 19 Dec 2008
Appears to be a rather serious read, but Michel is actually a pretty amusing guy and it's an eye opening read into what life really was like back then. More laid back than I certainly had thought, and his views are surprisingly contemporary on many issues.

Almost complete satisfaction, 24 Jul 2008
This is one of the most fantastic privileges a person could have - to listen to, and be touched by - a dead French nobleman from over 400 years ago.

Not only is the work wonderful, the translation is highly consistent and careful over the breadth of the volume - and if you ever needed a book on a desert island, this could be it.

Complete satisfaction may be closely approximated, for some - alledgedly - by a slightly over-ripe banana, I'd suggest this is even closer.

Exceptional, 03 Sep 2007
It's difficult to overstate the brilliance of this book. Montaigne's essays (or 'trials', or 'attempts') have something for everyone: they're enlightening, they're touching, and frequently they're laugh-out-loud funny. It seems absurd to call a 1300-page book an easy read, but Screech's modern translation makes the Renaissance writer accessible to all. The index comes in handy too, since the titles Montaigne gives his essays are often misleading.

Buy a copy and keep it on your bedside table. The Essays make ideal night time reading.

Edit: I can't help but notice that in the 'Customers Who Bought This Item...' section, everything listed is a set text on a certain Open University course. I nevertheless remain hopeful that the glowing reviews on this page will be read by a few who aren't already obligated to buy this particular translation!

Wisdom in abundance, 04 Dec 2006
One of the great humanists of all time. If you want to learn more about yourself and yourself in relation to others and the world around you, Michel De Montaigne's words offer more than almost any book you may ever read. An honest, beautiful and perspective-enhancing book.

The first esssayist, 16 Feb 2006
This book contains all the wisdom you will ever need. Buy it and read an essay a day, and your life will be enriched for the better. This book packs in so much erudition, wit, truth, love - even comedy that it will be the best friend you've ever had, and keep you company until you die.

Anecdote after anecdote, this book is relentless in information. You could study it for a lifetime and barely scratch the surface. But I propose that one should read it for leisure, whereby the selection of one essay a day, even a week, will unmeasurably enrich and empower the reader, making them more humane, fair and accepting in their wordly judgements and decisions.

A mix of emotions, chocolate and short stories., 15 Apr 2001
This book brought out strong emotions which are always best accompanied with chocolate. I thoughally enjoyed this strange book.

A old world, 20 Jul 2007
I read this book, or better said, re-read it, when very sick and in considerable pain. Somehow, it seemed right at the time, and emotionally I was prepared for it.

I found it quite entrancing and was prepared to follow its arguments through and it must, like all philsophy, be read slowly and thoughtfully. I would recommend reading it, and hence five stars. Its not necessarily the greatest book you will read, but it is calm, measured and more or less the musings of a man on the edge of existence. The poetry is excellent.

Philosophy: the Guru, 29 Mar 2003
I originally wished to read Boethius because he had been such a famous name that kept cropping up in my own studies in Musicology when I was young, he having been the person who coined the term "Music of the Spheres" in the Pythagorean tradition of cosmic harmony. "The Consolation of Philosophy", however, took me totally by storm. 6th century Roman nobleman Boethius composed this masterpiece while imprisoned, shortly before his brutal execution by bludgeoning. Boethius begins his treatise by bemoaning his fate, the turn of events in his life that have brought him to such devastation. Enter the embodiment of Philosophy, who assumes the role of Boethius's spiritual guide. Step-by-step, Philosophy raises Boethius, and the reader, to higher and higher levels of thought by means of Classical logic. Boethius is systematically shown the path to enlightenment by his enchanting guru and, by the end of the work, Philosophy has firmly established the Absolute nature of the One Supreme Being, that Truth and Happiness are synonomous with God, that the illusory appearances of "good" and "bad" fate (karma, if you will) are merely the projections of our own misunderstanding of the ultimate goodness of God. It is a beautiful and powerfully mystical work, made even more potent by the circumstances under which it was composed. We can only hope that Boethius held fast to these enlightening words as he was executed shortly after having penned them. This touching work can be viewed as a metaphor for the human condition in general, in which all of us are imprisoned by situations of our own making, from which our ultimate liberation comes when we embrace the Ultimate Truth presented by the purity of Philosophical Revelation.

Poor old Boethius, 28 Aug 2001
The wheel of fortune... you can't rely on luck to help you through the tricky times. And Boethius certainly had his, falling foul of the Emperor and being banished to the edge of Empire to be tortured to death. While imprisoned he wrote the consolation... Lady Philosophy comes to Boethius to cheer him up with some second-hand Aristotle and indifferent poetry, although in retrospect a cake and a chisel would probably have been more useful.

Widely translated over the ages by Henry VIII among others this book has had a far-reaching influence down the years. Interestingly Boethius was a Christian but turned to philosophy rather than religion when he was up against it.

An absorbing read... And one that you'll remember for many years.

Hilarious, 19 Dec 2008
Appears to be a rather serious read, but Michel is actually a pretty amusing guy and it's an eye opening read into what life really was like back then. More laid back than I certainly had thought, and his views are surprisingly contemporary on many issues.

Almost complete satisfaction, 24 Jul 2008
This is one of the most fantastic privileges a person could have - to listen to, and be touched by - a dead French nobleman from over 400 years ago.

Not only is the work wonderful, the translation is highly consistent and careful over the breadth of the volume - and if you ever needed a book on a desert island, this could be it.

Complete satisfaction may be closely approximated, for some - alledgedly - by a slightly over-ripe banana, I'd suggest this is even closer.

Exceptional, 03 Sep 2007
It's difficult to overstate the brilliance of this book. Montaigne's essays (or 'trials', or 'attempts') have something for everyone: they're enlightening, they're touching, and frequently they're laugh-out-loud funny. It seems absurd to call a 1300-page book an easy read, but Screech's modern translation makes the Renaissance writer accessible to all. The index comes in handy too, since the titles Montaigne gives his essays are often misleading.

Buy a copy and keep it on your bedside table. The Essays make ideal night time reading.

Edit: I can't help but notice that in the 'Customers Who Bought This Item...' section, everything listed is a set text on a certain Open University course. I nevertheless remain hopeful that the glowing reviews on this page will be read by a few who aren't already obligated to buy this particular translation!

Wisdom in abundance, 04 Dec 2006
One of the great humanists of all time. If you want to learn more about yourself and yourself in relation to others and the world around you, Michel De Montaigne's words offer more than almost any book you may ever read. An honest, beautiful and perspective-enhancing book.

The first esssayist, 16 Feb 2006
This book contains all the wisdom you will ever need. Buy it and read an essay a day, and your life will be enriched for the better. This book packs in so much erudition, wit, truth, love - even comedy that it will be the best friend you've ever had, and keep you company until you die.

Anecdote after anecdote, this book is relentless in information. You could study it for a lifetime and barely scratch the surface. But I propose that one should read it for leisure, whereby the selection of one essay a day, even a week, will unmeasurably enrich and empower the reader, making them more humane, fair and accepting in their wordly judgements and decisions.

A mix of emotions, chocolate and short stories., 15 Apr 2001
This book brought out strong emotions which are always best accompanied with chocolate. I thoughally enjoyed this strange book.

Challenging, but worth it, 12 Aug 2005
City of God is a very challenging piece of work with incredible depth and insight. Metaphysical is a very apt description, as St Augustine turns his attention to very profound subject matters ranging from the nature of the soul, the nature of Angels, to the issue of good and evil and how evil is ultimately non existent.
The first part of the work requires a degree of patience, as it mainly concentrates on the debauchery of Ancient Rome and how it led to its fall from grace. The latter part of the novel considers the metaphysical discussions.

Consummation of the Classical Tradition!!, 21 Dec 1998
I read this book for the sake of pleasure, and nothing more. What a surprise I was in for! I've always admired classical texts, and the tradition of rhetoric which has influenced even the greatest speakers of our own times, such as Martin Luther King Jr., and John F. Kennedy. However, I was totally unprepared for the moving experience of St. Augustine's written words. Had I not been a Christian before I read this book, I believe I would have been compelled to convert! The most interesting aspect of this work seems to me, to be that the utilization of such an ingrained, classical tradition as rhetoric was being applied (and rather effectively so) toward what was to become the new paradigm of Western Heritage. All things classical would be replaced by all things Christian, but thus so by the influence of powerful speakers--who were trained in the Classical tradition! This book is an enjoyable read; both for aspiring religious scholars AND lovers of classical culture.

The Antithesis between the City of God and City of Man, 04 Oct 1998
Since the beginning, the Seeds of the Woman and of the Serpent have been at war. Augustine, in this defense of the early Christian Church, tells the story of God's people through history and it's glorious conclusion. The two cities will be in conflict throughout history, but the gates of hell will not prevail against the onslaught of the victorious Church of God. In the end the Word of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. Read Augustine for this theme and for excellent groundwork in Theology.

The hardest book I've ever read...And one of the best., 09 Aug 1998
St. Augustine's immortal classic is incredibly long and very, very hard to follow at times. When I set out to read this a few years ago, I had no idea what I was getting into. I read it because a professor I had in college that I greatly respected told me he'd never been able to read it all the way through, and I thought my reading it would impress him, or something. It took me forever, but I read it from cover to cover, and it was a rewarding experience. The book is essentially a very long examination of Christian theology, contrasted sharply with Roman paganism. There are very few theological questions that aren't at least touched upon; many of the ideas that would vex Christian philosophers for centuries are first addressed here. Augustine brings a fine, lucid mind and good instinct for argument and rhetoric to the discussion. This book is a must-read for anyone who takes the intellectual component of their Christian faith seriously. Highly recommended.

Reasons to read The City of God, 12 Jul 1997
Any thinking Christian is daunted by this three-pound monster, but he owes it to himself to read it, front to back. The Great Doctor of the Latin Church here set forth the tenets for the entire Church to come, based on diligent studies of Scripture. Augustine is surprisingly readable when discussing history and even rises to humor when he discusses ancient Roman religious practices. He anticipates many of the great existentialists by over a millenium and a half in his treatments of the Old Testament. At the end of an exhausting journey, one is left with a reaffirmed faith and renewed strength in the promise of our Savior. No man should be deprived of the nourishment of the mind and spirit contained in this book. Happy reading!

A old world, 20 Jul 2007
I read this book, or better said, re-read it, when very sick and in considerable pain. Somehow, it seemed right at the time, and emotionally I was prepared for it.

I found it quite entrancing and was prepared to follow its arguments through and it must, like all philsophy, be read slowly and thoughtfully. I would recommend reading it, and hence five stars. Its not necessarily the greatest book you will read, but it is calm, measured and more or less the musings of a man on the edge of existence. The poetry is excellent.

Philosophy: the Guru, 29 Mar 2003
I originally wished to read Boethius because he had been such a famous name that kept cropping up in my own studies in Musicology when I was young, he having been the person who coined the term "Music of the Spheres" in the Pythagorean tradition of cosmic harmony. "The Consolation of Philosophy", however, took me totally by storm. 6th century Roman nobleman Boethius composed this masterpiece while imprisoned, shortly before his brutal execution by bludgeoning. Boethius begins his treatise by bemoaning his fate, the turn of events in his life that have brought him to such devastation. Enter the embodiment of Philosophy, who assumes the role of Boethius's spiritual guide. Step-by-step, Philosophy raises Boethius, and the reader, to higher and higher levels of thought by means of Classical logic. Boethius is systematically shown the path to enlightenment by his enchanting guru and, by the end of the work, Philosophy has firmly established the Absolute nature of the One Supreme Being, that Truth and Happiness are synonomous with God, that the illusory appearances of "good" and "bad" fate (karma, if you will) are merely the projections of our own misunderstanding of the ultimate goodness of God. It is a beautiful and powerfully mystical work, made even more potent by the circumstances under which it was composed. We can only hope that Boethius held fast to these enlightening words as he was executed shortly after having penned them. This touching work can be viewed as a metaphor for the human condition in general, in which all of us are imprisoned by situations of our own making, from which our ultimate liberation comes when we embrace the Ultimate Truth presented by the purity of Philosophical Revelation.

Poor old Boethius, 28 Aug 2001
The wheel of fortune... you can't rely on luck to help you through the tricky times. And Boethius certainly had his, falling foul of the Emperor and being banished to the edge of Empire to be tortured to death. While imprisoned he wrote the consolation... Lady Philosophy comes to Boethius to cheer him up with some second-hand Aristotle and indifferent poetry, although in retrospect a cake and a chisel would probably have been more useful.

Widely translated over the ages by Henry VIII among others this book has had a far-reaching influence down the years. Interestingly Boethius was a Christian but turned to philosophy rather than religion when he was up against it.

An absorbing read... And one that you'll remember for many years.

Hilarious, 19 Dec 2008
Appears to be a rather serious read, but Michel is actually a pretty amusing guy and it's an eye opening read into what life really was like back then. More laid back than I certainly had thought, and his views are surprisingly contemporary on many issues.

Almost complete satisfaction, 24 Jul 2008
This is one of the most fantastic privileges a person could have - to listen to, and be touched by - a dead French nobleman from over 400 years ago.

Not only is the work wonderful, the translation is highly consistent and careful over the breadth of the volume - and if you ever needed a book on a desert island, this could be it.

Complete satisfaction may be closely approximated, for some - alledgedly - by a slightly over-ripe banana, I'd suggest this is even closer.

Exceptional, 03 Sep 2007
It's difficult to overstate the brilliance of this book. Montaigne's essays (or 'trials', or 'attempts') have something for everyone: they're enlightening, they're touching, and frequently they're laugh-out-loud funny. It seems absurd to call a 1300-page book an easy read, but Screech's modern translation makes the Renaissance writer accessible to all. The index comes in handy too, since the titles Montaigne gives his essays are often misleading.

Buy a copy and keep it on your bedside table. The Essays make ideal night time reading.

Edit: I can't help but notice that in the 'Customers Who Bought This Item...' section, everything listed is a set text on a certain Open University course. I nevertheless remain hopeful that the glowing reviews on this page will be read by a few who aren't already obligated to buy this particular translation!

Wisdom in abundance, 04 Dec 2006
One of the great humanists of all time. If you want to learn more about yourself and yourself in relation to others and the world around you, Michel De Montaigne's words offer more than almost any book you may ever read. An honest, beautiful and perspective-enhancing book.

The first esssayist, 16 Feb 2006
This book contains all the wisdom you will ever need. Buy it and read an essay a day, and your life will be enriched for the better. This book packs in so much erudition, wit, truth, love - even comedy that it will be the best friend you've ever had, and keep you company until you die.

Anecdote after anecdote, this book is relentless in information. You could study it for a lifetime and barely scratch the surface. But I propose that one should read it for leisure, whereby the selection of one essay a day, even a week, will unmeasurably enrich and empower the reader, making them more humane, fair and accepting in their wordly judgements and decisions.

A mix of emotions, chocolate and short stories., 15 Apr 2001
This book brought out strong emotions which are always best accompanied with chocolate. I thoughally enjoyed this strange book.

Challenging, but worth it, 12 Aug 2005
City of God is a very challenging piece of work with incredible depth and insight. Metaphysical is a very apt description, as St Augustine turns his attention to very profound subject matters ranging from the nature of the soul, the nature of Angels, to the issue of good and evil and how evil is ultimately non existent.
The first part of the work requires a degree of patience, as it mainly concentrates on the debauchery of Ancient Rome and how it led to its fall from grace. The latter part of the novel considers the metaphysical discussions.

Consummation of the Classical Tradition!!, 21 Dec 1998
I read this book for the sake of pleasure, and nothing more. What a surprise I was in for! I've always admired classical texts, and the tradition of rhetoric which has influenced even the greatest speakers of our own times, such as Martin Luther King Jr., and John F. Kennedy. However, I was totally unprepared for the moving experience of St. Augustine's written words. Had I not been a Christian before I read this book, I believe I would have been compelled to convert! The most interesting aspect of this work seems to me, to be that the utilization of such an ingrained, classical tradition as rhetoric was being applied (and rather effectively so) toward what was to become the new paradigm of Western Heritage. All things classical would be replaced by all things Christian, but thus so by the influence of powerful speakers--who were trained in the Classical tradition! This book is an enjoyable read; both for aspiring religious scholars AND lovers of classical culture.

The Antithesis between the City of God and City of Man, 04 Oct 1998
Since the beginning, the Seeds of the Woman and of the Serpent have been at war. Augustine, in this defense of the early Christian Church, tells the story of God's people through history and it's glorious conclusion. The two cities will be in conflict throughout history, but the gates of hell will not prevail against the onslaught of the victorious Church of God. In the end the Word of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. Read Augustine for this theme and for excellent groundwork in Theology.

The hardest book I've ever read...And one of the best., 09 Aug 1998
St. Augustine's immortal classic is incredibly long and very, very hard to follow at times. When I set out to read this a few years ago, I had no idea what I was getting into. I read it because a professor I had in college that I greatly respected told me he'd never been able to read it all the way through, and I thought my reading it would impress him, or something. It took me forever, but I read it from cover to cover, and it was a rewarding experience. The book is essentially a very long examination of Christian theology, contrasted sharply with Roman paganism. There are very few theological questions that aren't at least touched upon; many of the ideas that would vex Christian philosophers for centuries are first addressed here. Augustine brings a fine, lucid mind and good instinct for argument and rhetoric to the discussion. This book is a must-read for anyone who takes the intellectual component of their Christian faith seriously. Highly recommended.

Reasons to read The City of God, 12 Jul 1997
Any thinking Christian is daunted by this three-pound monster, but he owes it to himself to read it, front to back. The Great Doctor of the Latin Church here set forth the tenets for the entire Church to come, based on diligent studies of Scripture. Augustine is surprisingly readable when discussing history and even rises to humor when he discusses ancient Roman religious practices. He anticipates many of the great existentialists by over a millenium and a half in his treatments of the Old Testament. At the end of an exhausting journey, one is left with a reaffirmed faith and renewed strength in the promise of our Savior. No man should be deprived of the nourishment of the mind and spirit contained in this book. Happy reading!

The Book of the Courtier, 17 Jul 2008
There really was a Camelot. But it was in Italy, Urbino in northern Italy to be exact, in the 1500s. Perched on top of a couple of hills in the region Le Marche, Urbino was ruled by the Montefeltro family. From 1444 to 1482 Federigo de Montefeltro skillfully steered his tiny domain through the rough storms of Italian Renaissance realpolitik. Federigo was a successful soldier of fortune yet maintained one of the largest libraries in Italy, spoke Latin, read Aristotle, helped orphans and in general earned the love of his people. He built a beautiful fairy-tale palace and had Paolo Uccello and Piero della Francesca decorate it.

His less fortunate son Guidobaldo inherited this charming and well-run dukedom. Guidobaldo married the cultivated Elisabetta of the Gonzaga family from Mantua. He was an invalid and not made of his father's stern military stuff. A victim of the brilliant military campaigns of Cesare Borgia that so enchanted Machiavelli, Guidobaldo was temporarily deposed. When the Borgias (Cesare and his father Pope Alexander VI) died, the people of Urbino rose up, drove out Borgia's soldiers and cheered Guidobaldo and Elisabetta upon their return.

For the next few years the court of Elisabetta and Guidobaldo was the most beautiful, enlightened, genteel place on earth. They attracted musicians, scholars and artists. Conversation was honed into a fine art. Into this paradise strode our Lancelot, Baldasare Castiglione, a diplomat descended from minor Italian nobility. He loved Elisabetta, but as far as we know the devotion remained platonic

It is because of Castiglione that we believe we have a sense of what the court of Montefeltro was like, or at least how they would have like to have been remembered. His "The Book of the Courtier" (Il Cortigiano) painstakingly analyzes the attributes of a gentleman through conversations (probably highly idealized) of refined visitors to Urbino.

It's a long, slow, but thoroughly enjoyable book. It is a window into the renaissance mind. It does not describe how the Italians of the sixteenth century were, Machiavelli and Cellini are probably more useful there. But it tells how they wanted to be. The book was read and studied by nobility all over Europe.

It's also how I wanted them to be. Urbino is one of my favorite places. It's a crowded student city now. But on a quiet morning when only a few people are about and the sun has made its way over the hills from the Adriatic, I can imagine that I can see the ghosts of Elisabetta and Guidobaldo walking on the cobbled streets outside their beautiful palace. Fussy, snobbish, yet kind and gentle Castiglione and his wonderful book help make that fantasy more real.
-Bill McGann, author of "The Story of the Tour de France"

A old world, 20 Jul 2007
I read this book, or better said, re-read it, when very sick and in considerable pain. Somehow, it seemed right at the time, and emotionally I was prepared for it.

I found it quite entrancing and was prepared to follow its arguments through and it must, like all philsophy, be read slowly and thoughtfully. I would recommend reading it, and hence five stars. Its not necessarily the greatest book you will read, but it is calm, measured and more or less the musings of a man on the edge of existence. The poetry is excellent.

Philosophy: the Guru, 29 Mar 2003
I originally wished to read Boethius because he had been such a famous name that kept cropping up in my own studies in Musicology when I was young, he having been the person who coined the term "Music of the Spheres" in the Pythagorean tradition of cosmic harmony. "The Consolation of Philosophy", however, took me totally by storm. 6th century Roman nobleman Boethius composed this masterpiece while imprisoned, shortly before his brutal execution by bludgeoning. Boethius begins his treatise by bemoaning his fate, the turn of events in his life that have brought him to such devastation. Enter the embodiment of Philosophy, who assumes the role of Boethius's spiritual guide. Step-by-step, Philosophy raises Boethius, and the reader, to higher and higher levels of thought by means of Classical logic. Boethius is systematically shown the path to enlightenment by his enchanting guru and, by the end of the work, Philosophy has firmly established the Absolute nature of the One Supreme Being, that Truth and Happiness are synonomous with God, that the illusory appearances of "good" and "bad" fate (karma, if you will) are merely the projections of our own misunderstanding of the ultimate goodness of God. It is a beautiful and powerfully mystical work, made even more potent by the circumstances under which it was composed. We can only hope that Boethius held fast to these enlightening words as he was executed shortly after having penned them. This touching work can be viewed as a metaphor for the human condition in general, in which all of us are imprisoned by situations of our own making, from which our ultimate liberation comes when we embrace the Ultimate Truth presented by the purity of Philosophical Revelation.

Poor old Boethius, 28 Aug 2001
The wheel of fortune... you can't rely on luck to help you through the tricky times. And Boethius certainly had his, falling foul of the Emperor and being banished to the edge of Empire to be tortured to death. While imprisoned he wrote the consolation... Lady Philosophy comes to Boethius to cheer him up with some second-hand Aristotle and indifferent poetry, although in retrospect a cake and a chisel would probably have been more useful.

Widely translated over the ages by Henry VIII among others this book has had a far-reaching influence down the years. Interestingly Boethius was a Christian but turned to philosophy rather than religion when he was up against it.

An absorbing read... And one that you'll remember for many years.

Hilarious, 19 Dec 2008
Appears to be a rather serious read, but Michel is actually a pretty amusing guy and it's an eye opening read into what life really was like back then. More laid back than I certainly had thought, and his views are surprisingly contemporary on many issues.

Almost complete satisfaction, 24 Jul 2008
This is one of the most fantastic privileges a person could have - to listen to, and be touched by - a dead French nobleman from over 400 years ago.

Not only is the work wonderful, the translation is highly consistent and careful over the breadth of the volume - and if you ever needed a book on a desert island, this could be it.

Complete satisfaction may be closely approximated, for some - alledgedly - by a slightly over-ripe banana, I'd suggest this is even closer.

Exceptional, 03 Sep 2007
It's difficult to overstate the brilliance of this book. Montaigne's essays (or 'trials', or 'attempts') have something for everyone: they're enlightening, they're touching, and frequently they're laugh-out-loud funny. It seems absurd to call a 1300-page book an easy read, but Screech's modern translation makes the Renaissance writer accessible to all. The index comes in handy too, since the titles Montaigne gives his essays are often misleading.

Buy a copy and keep it on your bedside table. The Essays make ideal night time reading.

Edit: I can't help but notice that in the 'Customers Who Bought This Item...' section, everything listed is a set text on a certain Open University course. I nevertheless remain hopeful that the glowing reviews on this page will be read by a few who aren't already obligated to buy this particular translation!

Wisdom in abundance, 04 Dec 2006
One of the great humanists of all time. If you want to learn more about yourself and yourself in relation to others and the world around you, Michel De Montaigne's words offer more than almost any book you may ever read. An honest, beautiful and perspective-enhancing book.

The first esssayist, 16 Feb 2006
This book contains all the wisdom you will ever need. Buy it and read an essay a day, and your life will be enriched for the better. This book packs in so much erudition, wit, truth, love - even comedy that it will be the best friend you've ever had, and keep you company until you die.

Anecdote after anecdote, this book is relentless in information. You could study it for a lifetime and barely scratch the surface. But I propose that one should read it for leisure, whereby the selection of one essay a day, even a week, will unmeasurably enrich and empower the reader, making them more humane, fair and accepting in their wordly judgements and decisions.

A mix of emotions, chocolate and short stories., 15 Apr 2001
This book brought out strong emotions which are always best accompanied with chocolate. I thoughally enjoyed this strange book.

Challenging, but worth it, 12 Aug 2005
City of God is a very challenging piece of work with incredible depth and insight. Metaphysical is a very apt description, as St Augustine turns his attention to very profound subject matters ranging from the nature of the soul, the nature of Angels, to the issue of good and evil and how evil is ultimately non existent.
The first part of the work requires a degree of patience, as it mainly concentrates on the debauchery of Ancient Rome and how it led to its fall from grace. The latter part of the novel considers the metaphysical discussions.

Consummation of the Classical Tradition!!, 21 Dec 1998
I read this book for the sake of pleasure, and nothing more. What a surprise I was in for! I've always admired classical texts, and the tradition of rhetoric which has influenced even the greatest speakers of our own times, such as Martin Luther King Jr., and John F. Kennedy. However, I was totally unprepared for the moving experience of St. Augustine's written words. Had I not been a Christian before I read this book, I believe I would have been compelled to convert! The most interesting aspect of this work seems to me, to be that the utilization of such an ingrained, classical tradition as rhetoric was being applied (and rather effectively so) toward what was to become the new paradigm of Western Heritage. All things classical would be replaced by all things Christian, but thus so by the influence of powerful speakers--who were trained in the Classical tradition! This book is an enjoyable read; both for aspiring religious scholars AND lovers of classical culture.

The Antithesis between the City of God and City of Man, 04 Oct 1998
Since the beginning, the Seeds of the Woman and of the Serpent have been at war. Augustine, in this defense of the early Christian Church, tells the story of God's people through history and it's glorious conclusion. The two cities will be in conflict throughout history, but the gates of hell will not prevail against the onslaught of the victorious Church of God. In the end the Word of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. Read Augustine for this theme and for excellent groundwork in Theology.

The hardest book I've ever read...And one of the best., 09 Aug 1998
St. Augustine's immortal classic is incredibly long and very, very hard to follow at times. When I set out to read this a few years ago, I had no idea what I was getting into. I read it because a professor I had in college that I greatly respected told me he'd never been able to read it all the way through, and I thought my reading it would impress him, or something. It took me forever, but I read it from cover to cover, and it was a rewarding experience. The book is essentially a very long examination of Christian theology, contrasted sharply with Roman paganism. There are very few theological questions that aren't at least touched upon; many of the ideas that would vex Christian philosophers for centuries are first addressed here. Augustine brings a fine, lucid mind and good instinct for argument and rhetoric to the discussion. This book is a must-read for anyone who takes the intellectual component of their Christian faith seriously. Highly recommended.

Reasons to read The City of God, 12 Jul 1997
Any thinking Christian is daunted by this three-pound monster, but he owes it to himself to read it, front to back. The Great Doctor of the Latin Church here set forth the tenets for the entire Church to come, based on diligent studies of Scripture. Augustine is surprisingly readable when discussing history and even rises to humor when he discusses ancient Roman religious practices. He anticipates many of the great existentialists by over a millenium and a half in his treatments of the Old Testament. At the end of an exhausting journey, one is left with a reaffirmed faith and renewed strength in the promise of our Savior. No man should be deprived of the nourishment of the mind and spirit contained in this book. Happy reading!

The Book of the Courtier, 17 Jul 2008
There really was a Camelot. But it was in Italy, Urbino in northern Italy to be exact, in the 1500s. Perched on top of a couple of hills in the region Le Marche, Urbino was ruled by the Montefeltro family. From 1444 to 1482 Federigo de Montefeltro skillfully steered his tiny domain through the rough storms of Italian Renaissance realpolitik. Federigo was a successful soldier of fortune yet maintained one of the largest libraries in Italy, spoke Latin, read Aristotle, helped orphans and in general earned the love of his people. He built a beautiful fairy-tale palace and had Paolo Uccello and Piero della Francesca decorate it.

His less fortunate son Guidobaldo inherited this charming and well-run dukedom. Guidobaldo married the cultivated Elisabetta of the Gonzaga family from Mantua. He was an invalid and not made of his father's stern military stuff. A victim of the brilliant military campaigns of Cesare Borgia that so enchanted Machiavelli, Guidobaldo was temporarily deposed. When the Borgias (Cesare and his father Pope Alexander VI) died, the people of Urbino rose up, drove out Borgia's soldiers and cheered Guidobaldo and Elisabetta upon their return.

For the next few years the court of Elisabetta and Guidobaldo was the most beautiful, enlightened, genteel place on earth. They attracted musicians, scholars and artists. Conversation was honed into a fine art. Into this paradise strode our Lancelot, Baldasare Castiglione, a diplomat descended from minor Italian nobility. He loved Elisabetta, but as far as we know the devotion remained platonic

It is because of Castiglione that we believe we have a sense of what the court of Montefeltro was like, or at least how they would have like to have been remembered. His "The Book of the Courtier" (Il Cortigiano) painstakingly analyzes the attributes of a gentleman through conversations (probably highly idealized) of refined visitors to Urbino.

It's a long, slow, but thoroughly enjoyable book. It is a window into the renaissance mind. It does not describe how the Italians of the sixteenth century were, Machiavelli and Cellini are probably more useful there. But it tells how they wanted to be. The book was read and studied by nobility all over Europe.

It's also how I wanted them to be. Urbino is one of my favorite places. It's a crowded student city now. But on a quiet morning when only a few people are about and the sun has made its way over the hills from the Adriatic, I can imagine that I can see the ghosts of Elisabetta and Guidobaldo walking on the cobbled streets outside their beautiful palace. Fussy, snobbish, yet kind and gentle Castiglione and his wonderful book help make that fantasy more real.
-Bill McGann, author of "The Story of the Tour de France"

The She-Apostle, 18 Nov 2008
The She-Apostle is a fascinating book, about a fascinating character, who is arguably one of the lesser known figures of conventional history. Her remarkable story is beautifully conveyed by Redworth's distinctive style of writing which is skillful and detailed, yet easy to follow and engaging. Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in history.

The She-Apostle, 03 Nov 2008
The She-Apostle; The Extraordinary Life and Death of Luisa de Carvajal, by Glyn Redworth, is an informative and entertaining examination of the evolution of a young girl into a devoted and daring advocate of the Catholic cause in Spain and then England, during the early 1600s. Luisas life provides an interesting and riveting view of the lengths to which devoted Catholics went to practice and preach their religion. Luisas journey to England begins long before she stepped foot on the ships that would carry her there, and Redworth provides a detailed and engaging study of how she came to set her heart on martyrdom, and how this led her to England. Luisa was a controversial figure both in life, and in death, and this book successfully navigates both sides of the argument, while offering new insights and questions. Redworth's expertise on the subject is evident and his writing is in top form. I highly recommend this book.

The Nun of Spitalfields, 01 Nov 2008
Redworth's writing is always excellent and this is no exception. Weaving skilful prose from the fascinating primary evidence, his writing bounces along sharing new insights into the London of James I and the politics of England and Spain in the early modern period, without losing sight of the personal experiences of this singular woman. As well as being academically impeccable, the book is easy to read! 'The She-Apostle' is excellent.

Excellent history writing, 03 Oct 2008
Redworth is one of the most readable and interesting of early modern historians and has a remarkable affinity with Spanish culture. This is another success for him.

Brilliant evocation, 26 Sep 2008
This is an amazing evocation of the sights, smells, fears and politics of London in the early 17th century, seen through the eyes of one of its most peculiar inhabitants, as well as the story of her life before coming to London - a Roman Catholic ascetic at the heart of the Catholic paranoia that followed the Gunpowder Plot. It is very readable and throws unexpected light onto the present day.

A old world, 20 Jul 2007
I read this book, or better said, re-read it, when very sick and in considerable pain. Somehow, it seemed right at the time, and emotionally I was prepared for it.

I found it quite entrancing and was prepared to follow its arguments through and it must, like all philsophy, be read slowly and thoughtfully. I would recommend reading it, and hence five stars. Its not necessarily the greatest book you will read, but it is calm, measured and more or less the musings of a man on the edge of existence. The poetry is excellent.

Philosophy: the Guru, 29 Mar 2003
I originally wished to read Boethius because he had been such a famous name that kept cropping up in my own studies in Musicology when I was young, he having been the person who coined the term "Music of the Spheres" in the Pythagorean tradition of cosmic harmony. "The Consolation of Philosophy", however, took me totally by storm. 6th century Roman nobleman Boethius composed this masterpiece while imprisoned, shortly before his brutal execution by bludgeoning. Boethius begins his treatise by bemoaning his fate, the turn of events in his life that have brought him to such devastation. Enter the embodiment of Philosophy, who assumes the role of Boethius's spiritual guide. Step-by-step, Philosophy raises Boethius, and the reader, to higher and higher levels of thought by means of Classical logic. Boethius is systematically shown the path to enlightenment by his enchanting guru and, by the end of the work, Philosophy has firmly established the Absolute nature of the One Supreme Being, that Truth and Happiness are synonomous with God, that the illusory appearances of "good" and "bad" fate (karma, if you will) are merely the projections of our own misunderstanding of the ultimate goodness of God. It is a beautiful and powerfully mystical work, made even more potent by the circumstances under which it was composed. We can only hope that Boethius held fast to these enlightening words as he was executed shortly after having penned them. This touching work can be viewed as a metaphor for the human condition in general, in which all of us are imprisoned by situations of our own making, from which our ultimate liberation comes when we embrace the Ultimate Truth presented by the purity of Philosophical Revelation.

Poor old Boethius, 28 Aug 2001
The wheel of fortune... you can't rely on luck to help you through the tricky times. And Boethius certainly had his, falling foul of the Emperor and being banished to the edge of Empire to be tortured to death. While imprisoned he wrote the consolation... Lady Philosophy comes to Boethius to cheer him up with some second-hand Aristotle and indifferent poetry, although in retrospect a cake and a chisel would probably have been more useful.

Widely translated over the ages by Henry VIII among others this book has had a far-reaching influence down the years. Interestingly Boethius was a Christian but turned to philosophy rather than religion when he was up against it.

An absorbing read... And one that you'll remember for many years.

Hilarious, 19 Dec 2008
Appears to be a rather serious read, but Michel is actually a pretty amusing guy and it's an eye opening read into what life really was like back then. More laid back than I certainly had thought, and his views are surprisingly contemporary on many issues.

Almost complete satisfaction, 24 Jul 2008
This is one of the most fantastic privileges a person could have - to listen to, and be touched by - a dead French nobleman from over 400 years ago.

Not only is the work wonderful, the translation is highly consistent and careful over the breadth of the volume - and if you ever needed a book on a desert island, this could be it.

Complete satisfaction may be closely approximated, for some - alledgedly - by a slightly over-ripe banana, I'd suggest this is even closer.

Exceptional, 03 Sep 2007
It's difficult to overstate the brilliance of this book. Montaigne's essays (or 'trials', or 'attempts') have something for everyone: they're enlightening, they're touching, and frequently they're laugh-out-loud funny. It seems absurd to call a 1300-page book an easy read, but Screech's modern translation makes the Renaissance writer accessible to all. The index comes in handy too, since the titles Montaigne gives his essays are often misleading.

Buy a copy and keep it on your bedside table. The Essays make ideal night time reading.

Edit: I can't help but notice that in the 'Customers Who Bought This Item...' section, everything listed is a set text on a certain Open University course. I nevertheless remain hopeful that the glowing reviews on this page will be read by a few who aren't already obligated to buy this particular translation!

Wisdom in abundance, 04 Dec 2006
One of the great humanists of all time. If you want to learn more about yourself and yourself in relation to others and the world around you, Michel De Montaigne's words offer more than almost any book you may ever read. An honest, beautiful and perspective-enhancing book.

The first esssayist, 16 Feb 2006
This book contains all the wisdom you will ever need. Buy it and read an essay a day, and your life will be enriched for the better. This book packs in so much erudition, wit, truth, love - even comedy that it will be the best friend you've ever had, and keep you company until you die.

Anecdote after anecdote, this book is relentless in information. You could study it for a lifetime and barely scratch the surface. But I propose that one should read it for leisure, whereby the selection of one essay a day, even a week, will unmeasurably enrich and empower the reader, making them more humane, fair and accepting in their wordly judgements and decisions.

A mix of emotions, chocolate and short stories., 15 Apr 2001
This book brought out strong emotions which are always best accompanied with chocolate. I thoughally enjoyed this strange book.

Challenging, but worth it, 12 Aug 2005
City of God is a very challenging piece of work with incredible depth and insight. Metaphysical is a very apt description, as St Augustine turns his attention to very profound subject matters ranging from the nature of the soul, the nature of Angels, to the issue of good and evil and how evil is ultimately non existent.
The first part of the work requires a degree of patience, as it mainly concentrates on the debauchery of Ancient Rome and how it led to its fall from grace. The latter part of the novel considers the metaphysical discussions.

Consummation of the Classical Tradition!!, 21 Dec 1998
I read this book for the sake of pleasure, and nothing more. What a surprise I was in for! I've always admired classical texts, and the tradition of rhetoric which has influenced even the greatest speakers of our own times, such as Martin Luther King Jr., and John F. Kennedy. However, I was totally unprepared for the moving experience of St. Augustine's written words. Had I not been a Christian before I read this book, I believe I would have been compelled to convert! The most interesting aspect of this work seems to me, to be that the utilization of such an ingrained, classical tradition as rhetoric was being applied (and rather effectively so) toward what was to become the new paradigm of Western Heritage. All things classical would be replaced by all things Christian, but thus so by the influence of powerful speakers--who were trained in the Classical tradition! This book is an enjoyable read; both for aspiring religious scholars AND lovers of classical culture.

The Antithesis between the City of God and City of Man, 04 Oct 1998
Since the beginning, the Seeds of the Woman and of the Serpent have been at war. Augustine, in this defense of the early Christian Church, tells the story of God's people through history and it's glorious conclusion. The two cities will be in conflict throughout history, but the gates of hell will not prevail against the onslaught of the victorious Church of God. In the end the Word of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. Read Augustine for this theme and for excellent groundwork in Theology.

The hardest book I've ever read...And one of the best., 09 Aug 1998
St. Augustine's immortal classic is incredibly long and very, very hard to follow at times. When I set out to read this a few years ago, I had no idea what I was getting into. I read it because a professor I had in college that I greatly respected told me he'd never been able to read it all the way through, and I thought my reading it would impress him, or something. It took me forever, but I read it from cover to cover, and it was a rewarding experience. The book is essentially a very long examination of Christian theology, contrasted sharply with Roman paganism. There are very few theological questions that aren't at least touched upon; many of the ideas that would vex Christian philosophers for centuries are first addressed here. Augustine brings a fine, lucid mind and good instinct for argument and rhetoric to the discussion. This book is a must-read for anyone who takes the intellectual component of their Christian faith seriously. Highly recommended.

Reasons to read The City of God, 12 Jul 1997
Any thinking Christian is daunted by this three-pound monster, but he owes it to himself to read it, front to back. The Great Doctor of the Latin Church here set forth the tenets for the entire Church to come, based on diligent studies of Scripture. Augustine is surprisingly readable when discussing history and even rises to humor when he discusses ancient Roman religious practices. He anticipates many of the great existentialists by over a millenium and a half in his treatments of the Old Testament. At the end of an exhausting journey, one is left with a reaffirmed faith and renewed strength in the promise of our Savior. No man should be deprived of the nourishment of the mind and spirit contained in this book. Happy reading!

The Book of the Courtier, 17 Jul 2008
There really was a Camelot. But it was in Italy, Urbino in northern Italy to be exact, in the 1500s. Perched on top of a couple of hills in the region Le Marche, Urbino was ruled by the Montefeltro family. From 1444 to 1482 Federigo de Montefeltro skillfully steered his tiny domain through the rough storms of Italian Renaissance realpolitik. Federigo was a successful soldier of fortune yet maintained one of the largest libraries in Italy, spoke Latin, read Aristotle, helped orphans and in general earned the love of his people. He built a beautiful fairy-tale palace and had Paolo Uccello and Piero della Francesca decorate it.

His less fortunate son Guidobaldo inherited this charming and well-run dukedom. Guidobaldo married the cultivated Elisabetta of the Gonzaga family from Mantua. He was an invalid and not made of his father's stern military stuff. A victim of the brilliant military campaigns of Cesare Borgia that so enchanted Machiavelli, Guidobaldo was temporarily deposed. When the Borgias (Cesare and his father Pope Alexander VI) died, the people of Urbino rose up, drove out Borgia's soldiers and cheered Guidobaldo and Elisabetta upon their return.

For the next few years the court of Elisabetta and Guidobaldo was the most beautiful, enlightened, genteel place on earth. They attracted musicians, scholars and artists. Conversation was honed into a fine art. Into this paradise strode our Lancelot, Baldasare Castiglione, a diplomat descended from minor Italian nobility. He loved Elisabetta, but as far as we know the devotion remained platonic

It is because of Castiglione that we believe we have a sense of what the court of Montefeltro was like, or at least how they would have like to have been remembered. His "The Book of the Courtier" (Il Cortigiano) painstakingly analyzes the attributes of a gentleman through conversations (probably highly idealized) of refined visitors to Urbino.

It's a long, slow, but thoroughly enjoyable book. It is a window into the renaissance mind. It does not describe how the Italians of the sixteenth century were, Machiavelli and Cellini are probably more useful there. But it tells how they wanted to be. The book was read and studied by nobility all over Europe.

It's also how I wanted them to be. Urbino is one of my favorite places. It's a crowded student city now. But on a quiet morning when only a few people are about and the sun has made its way over the hills from the Adriatic, I can imagine that I can see the ghosts of Elisabetta and Guidobaldo walking on the cobbled streets outside their beautiful palace. Fussy, snobbish, yet kind and gentle Castiglione and his wonderful book help make that fantasy more real.
-Bill McGann, author of "The Story of the Tour de France"

The She-Apostle, 18 Nov 2008
The She-Apostle is a fascinating book, about a fascinating character, who is arguably one of the lesser known figures of conventional history. Her remarkable story is beautifully conveyed by Redworth's distinctive style of writing which is skillful and detailed, yet easy to follow and engaging. Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in history.

The She-Apostle, 03 Nov 2008
The She-Apostle; The Extraordinary Life and Death of Luisa de Carvajal, by Glyn Redworth, is an informative and entertaining examination of the evolution of a young girl into a devoted and daring advocate of the Catholic cause in Spain and then England, during the early 1600s. Luisas life provides an interesting and riveting view of the lengths to which devoted Catholics went to practice and preach their religion. Luisas journey to England begins long before she stepped foot on the ships that would carry her there, and Redworth provides a detailed and engaging study of how she came to set her heart on martyrdom, and how this led her to England. Luisa was a controversial figure both in life, and in death, and this book successfully navigates both sides of the argument, while offering new insights and questions. Redworth's expertise on the subject is evident and his writing is in top form. I highly recommend this book.

The Nun of Spitalfields, 01 Nov 2008
Redworth's writing is always excellent and this is no exception. Weaving skilful prose from the fascinating primary evidence, his writing bounces along sharing new insights into the London of James I and the politics of England and Spain in the early modern period, without losing sight of the personal experiences of this singular woman. As well as being academically impeccable, the book is easy to read! 'The She-Apostle' is excellent.

Excellent history writing, 03 Oct 2008
Redworth is one of the most readable and interesting of early modern historians and has a remarkable affinity with Spanish culture. This is another success for him.

Brilliant evocation, 26 Sep 2008
This is an amazing evocation of the sights, smells, fears and politics of London in the early 17th century, seen through the eyes of one of its most peculiar inhabitants, as well as the story of her life before coming to London - a Roman Catholic ascetic at the heart of the Catholic paranoia that followed the Gunpowder Plot. It is very readable and throws unexpected light onto the present day.

Bravo, 03 Feb 2006
It would be difficult to overestimate the importance of this book. Francis Bacon, the son of one of Elizabeth Is advisors is a wise fellow, who's sole aim is to improve humanity. Through a series of succinct and highly readable essays he propounds upon what's important in life (love, death,learning) with a clarity unparalleled in other essayists (I exclude Montaigne).

Apart from a generous number of essays, the Oxford version also includes the Advancment of Learning, a remarkable and historicaly important polemic on the vices and virtues of learning. A work that is still as relevant today as it was in the seventeenth century.

A old world, 20 Jul 2007
I read this book, or better said, re-read it, when very sick and in considerable pain. Somehow, it seemed right at the time, and emotionally I was prepared for it.

I found it quite entrancing and was prepared to follow its arguments through and it must, like all philsophy, be read slowly and thoughtfully. I would recommend reading it, and hence five stars. Its not necessarily the greatest book you will read, but it is calm, measured and more or less the musings of a man on the edge of existence. The poetry is excellent.

Philosophy: the Guru, 29 Mar 2003
I originally wished to read Boethius because he had been such a famous name that kept cropping up in my own studies in Musicology when I was young, he having been the person who coined the term "Music of the Spheres" in the Pythagorean tradition of cosmic harmony. "The Consolation of Philosophy", however, took me totally by storm. 6th century Roman nobleman Boethius composed this masterpiece while imprisoned, shortly before his brutal execution by bludgeoning. Boethius begins his treatise by bemoaning his fate, the turn of events in his life that have brought him to such devastation. Enter the embodiment of Philosophy, who assumes the role of Boethius's spiritual guide. Step-by-step, Philosophy raises Boethius, and the reader, to higher and higher levels of thought by means of Classical logic. Boethius is systematically shown the path to enlightenment by his enchanting guru and, by the end of the work, Philosophy has firmly established the Absolute nature of the One Supreme Being, that Truth and Happiness are synonomous with God, that the illusory appearances of "good" and "bad" fate (karma, if you will) are merely the projections of our own misunderstanding of the ultimate goodness of God. It is a beautiful and powerfully mystical work, made even more potent by the circumstances under which it was composed. We can only hope that Boethius held fast to these enlightening words as he was executed shortly after having penned them. This touching work can be viewed as a metaphor for the human condition in general, in which all of us are imprisoned by situations of our own making, from which our ultimate liberation comes when we embrace the Ultimate Truth presented by the purity of Philosophical Revelation.

Poor old Boethius, 28 Aug 2001
The wheel of fortune... you can't rely on luck to help you through the tricky times. And Boethius certainly had his, falling foul of the Emperor and being banished to the edge of Empire to be tortured to death. While imprisoned he wrote the consolation... Lady Philosophy comes to Boethius to cheer him up with some second-hand Aristotle and indifferent poetry, although in retrospect a cake and a chisel would probably have been more useful.

Widely translated over the ages by Henry VIII among others this book has had a far-reaching influence down the years. Interestingly Boethius was a Christian but turned to philosophy rather than religion when he was up against it.

An absorbing read... And one that you'll remember for many years.

Hilarious, 19 Dec 2008
Appears to be a rather serious read, but Michel is actually a pretty amusing guy and it's an eye opening read into what life really was like back then. More laid back than I certainly had thought, and his views are surprisingly contemporary on many issues.

Almost complete satisfaction, 24 Jul 2008
This is one of the most fantastic privileges a person could have - to listen to, and be touched by - a dead French nobleman from over 400 years ago.

Not only is the work wonderful, the translation is highly consistent and careful over the breadth of the volume - and if you ever needed a book on a desert island, this could be it.

Complete satisfaction may be closely approximated, for some - alledgedly - by a slightly over-ripe banana, I'd suggest this is even closer.

Exceptional, 03 Sep 2007
It's difficult to overstate the brilliance of this book. Montaigne's essays (or 'trials', or 'attempts') have something for everyone: they're enlightening, they're touching, and frequently they're laugh-out-loud funny. It seems absurd to call a 1300-page book an easy read, but Screech's modern translation makes the Renaissance writer accessible to all. The index comes in handy too, since the titles Montaigne gives his essays are often misleading.

Buy a copy and keep it on your bedside table. The Essays make ideal night time reading.

Edit: I can't help but notice that in the 'Customers Who Bought This Item...' section, everything listed is a set text on a certain Open University course. I nevertheless remain hopeful that the glowing reviews on this page will be read by a few who aren't already obligated to buy this particular translation!

Wisdom in abundance, 04 Dec 2006
One of the great humanists of all time. If you want to learn more about yourself and yourself in relation to others and the world around you, Michel De Montaigne's words offer more than almost any book you may ever read. An honest, beautiful and perspective-enhancing book.

The first esssayist, 16 Feb 2006
This book contains all the wisdom you will ever need. Buy it and read an essay a day, and your life will be enriched for the better. This book packs in so much erudition, wit, truth, love - even comedy that it will be the best friend you've ever had, and keep you company until you die.

Anecdote after anecdote, this book is relentless in information. You could study it for a lifetime and barely scratch the surface. But I propose that one should read it for leisure, whereby the selection of one essay a day, even a week, will unmeasurably enrich and empower the reader, making them more humane, fair and accepting in their wordly judgements and decisions.

A mix of emotions, chocolate and short stories., 15 Apr 2001
This book brought out strong emotions which are always best accompanied with chocolate. I thoughally enjoyed this strange book.

Challenging, but worth it, 12 Aug 2005
City of God is a very challenging piece of work with incredible depth and insight. Metaphysical is a very apt description, as St Augustine turns his attention to very profound subject matters ranging from the nature of the soul, the nature of Angels, to the issue of good and evil and how evil is ultimately non existent.
The first part of the work requires a degree of patience, as it mainly concentrates on the debauchery of Ancient Rome and how it led to its fall from grace. The latter part of the novel considers the metaphysical discussions.

Consummation of the Classical Tradition!!, 21 Dec 1998
I read this book for the sake of pleasure, and nothing more. What a surprise I was in for! I've always admired classical texts, and the tradition of rhetoric which has influenced even the greatest speakers of our own times, such as Martin Luther King Jr., and John F. Kennedy. However, I was totally unprepared for the moving experience of St. Augustine's written words. Had I not been a Christian before I read this book, I believe I would have been compelled to convert! The most interesting aspect of this work seems to me, to be that the utilization of such an ingrained, classical tradition as rhetoric was being applied (and rather effectively so) toward what was to become the new paradigm of Western Heritage. All things classical would be replaced by all things Christian, but thus so by the influence of powerful speakers--who were trained in the Classical tradition! This book is an enjoyable read; both for aspiring religious scholars AND lovers of classical culture.

The Antithesis between the City of God and City of Man, 04 Oct 1998
Since the beginning, the Seeds of the Woman and of the Serpent have been at war. Augustine, in this defense of the early Christian Church, tells the story of God's people through history and it's glorious conclusion. The two cities will be in conflict throughout history, but the gates of hell will not prevail against the onslaught of the victorious Church of God. In the end the Word of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. Read Augustine for this theme and for excellent groundwork in Theology.

The hardest book I've ever read...And one of the best., 09 Aug 1998
St. Augustine's immortal classic is incredibly long and very, very hard to follow at times. When I set out to read this a few years ago, I had no idea what I was getting into. I read it because a professor I had in college that I greatly respected told me he'd never been able to read it all the way through, and I thought my reading it would impress him, or something. It took me forever, but I read it from cover to cover, and it was a rewarding experience. The book is essentially a very long examination of Christian theology, contrasted sharply with Roman paganism. There are very few theological questions that aren't at least touched upon; many of the ideas that would vex Christian philosophers for centuries are first addressed here. Augustine brings a fine, lucid mind and good instinct for argument and rhetoric to the discussion. This book is a must-read for anyone who takes the intellectual component of their Christian faith seriously. Highly recommended.

Reasons to read The City of God, 12 Jul 1997
Any thinking Christian is daunted by this three-pound monster, but he owes it to himself to read it, front to back. The Great Doctor of the Latin Church here set forth the tenets for the entire Church to come, based on diligent studies of Scripture. Augustine is surprisingly readable when discussing history and even rises to humor when he discusses ancient Roman religious practices. He anticipates many of the great existentialists by over a millenium and a half in his treatments of the Old Testament. At the end of an exhausting journey, one is left with a reaffirmed faith and renewed strength in the promise of our Savior. No man should be deprived of the nourishment of the mind and spirit contained in this book. Happy reading!

The Book of the Courtier, 17 Jul 2008
There really was a Camelot. But it was in Italy, Urbino in northern Italy to be exact, in the 1500s. Perched on top of a couple of hills in the region Le Marche, Urbino was ruled by the Montefeltro family. From 1444 to 1482 Federigo de Montefeltro skillfully steered his tiny domain through the rough storms of Italian Renaissance realpolitik. Federigo was a successful soldier of fortune yet maintained one of the largest libraries in Italy, spoke Latin, read Aristotle, helped orphans and in general earned the love of his people. He built a beautiful fairy-tale palace and had Paolo Uccello and Piero della Francesca decorate it.

His less fortunate son Guidobaldo inherited this charming and well-run dukedom. Guidobaldo married the cultivated Elisabetta of the Gonzaga family from Mantua. He was an invalid and not made of his father's stern military stuff. A victim of the brilliant military campaigns of Cesare Borgia that so enchanted Machiavelli, Guidobaldo was temporarily deposed. When the Borgias (Cesare and his father Pope Alexander VI) died, the people of Urbino rose up, drove out Borgia's soldiers and cheered Guidobaldo and Elisabetta upon their return.

For the next few years the court of Elisabetta and Guidobaldo was the most beautiful, enlightened, genteel place on earth. They attracted musicians, scholars and artists. Conversation was honed into a fine art. Into this paradise strode our Lancelot, Baldasare Castiglione, a diplomat descended from minor Italian nobility. He loved Elisabetta, but as far as we know the devotion remained platonic

It is because of Castiglione that we believe we have a sense of what the court of Montefeltro was like, or at least how they would have like to have been remembered. His "The Book of the Courtier" (Il Cortigiano) painstakingly analyzes the attributes of a gentleman through conversations (probably highly idealized) of refined visitors to Urbino.

It's a long, slow, but thoroughly enjoyable book. It is a window into the renaissance mind. It does not describe how the Italians of the sixteenth century were, Machiavelli and Cellini are probably more useful there. But it tells how they wanted to be. The book was read and studied by nobility all over Europe.

It's also how I wanted them to be. Urbino is one of my favorite places. It's a crowded student city now. But on a quiet morning when only a few people are about and the sun has made its way over the hills from the Adriatic, I can imagine that I can see the ghosts of Elisabetta and Guidobaldo walking on the cobbled streets outside their beautiful palace. Fussy, snobbish, yet kind and gentle Castiglione and his wonderful book help make that fantasy more real.
-Bill McGann, author of "The Story of the Tour de France"

The She-Apostle, 18 Nov 2008
The She-Apostle is a fascinating book, about a fascinating character, who is arguably one of the lesser known figures of conventional history. Her remarkable story is beautifully conveyed by Redworth's distinctive style of writing which is skillful and detailed, yet easy to follow and engaging. Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in history.

The She-Apostle, 03 Nov 2008
The She-Apostle; The Extraordinary Life and Death of Luisa de Carvajal, by Glyn Redworth, is an informative and entertaining examination of the evolution of a young girl into a devoted and daring advocate of the Catholic cause in Spain and then England, during the early 1600s. Luisas life provides an interesting and riveting view of the lengths to which devoted Catholics went to practice and preach their religion. Luisas journey to England begins long before she stepped foot on the ships that would carry her there, and Redworth provides a detailed and engaging study of how she came to set her heart on martyrdom, and how this led her to England. Luisa was a controversial figure both in life, and in death, and this book successfully navigates both sides of the argument, while offering new insights and questions. Redworth's expertise on the subject is evident and his writing is in top form. I highly recommend this book.

The Nun of Spitalfields, 01 Nov 2008
Redworth's writing is always excellent and this is no exception. Weaving skilful prose from the fascinating primary evidence, his writing bounces along sharing new insights into the London of James I and the politics of England and Spain in the early modern period, without losing sight of the personal experiences of this singular woman. As well as being academically impeccable, the book is easy to read! 'The She-Apostle' is excellent.

Excellent history writing, 03 Oct 2008
Redworth is one of the most readable and interesting of early modern historians and has a remarkable affinity with Spanish culture. This is another success for him.

Brilliant evocation, 26 Sep 2008
This is an amazing evocation of the sights, smells, fears and politics of London in the early 17th century, seen through the eyes of one of its most peculiar inhabitants, as well as the story of her life before coming to London - a Roman Catholic ascetic at the heart of the Catholic paranoia that followed the Gunpowder Plot. It is very readable and throws unexpected light onto the present day.

Bravo, 03 Feb 2006
It would be difficult to overestimate the importance of this book. Francis Bacon, the son of one of Elizabeth Is advisors is a wise fellow, who's sole aim is to improve humanity. Through a series of succinct and highly readable essays he propounds upon what's important in life (love, death,learning) with a clarity unparalleled in other essayists (I exclude Montaigne).

Apart from a generous number of essays, the Oxford version also includes the Advancment of Learning, a remarkable and historicaly important polemic on the vices and virtues of learning. A work that is still as relevant today as it was in the seventeenth century.

An enlightened consciousness, 23 Dec 2005
Michel de Montaigne is considered by many to be the inventor of the literary form of the essay, so the collection from which these excerpts come is important in several ways. Montaigne was a humanist and a skeptic in his philosophical approach, and essentially looked at his own experience as the first topic for examination always.

The book of Essays was one he worked on periodically throughout his life, issuing different editions, the first of which appeared in 1580. Montaigne's style of writing is sometimes stream-of-consciousness, sometimes structured in more formal styles.

Montaigne's stated task in his preface to the reader is for self-examination, but it becomes very clear that Montaigne sees himself as an 'everyman' character. He strives for full-disclosure; indeed, he writes that were he another culture 'which are said to live still in the sweet freedom of nature's first laws', then he might have appeared naked.

This is a complete set of the Essays, together with a helpful introduction and notes for reading. As Montaigne added to his essays periodically, they are not necessarily in the order he wrote them, but this collection has preserved their order according to his standards.

Montaigne's essays show a pessimism and skepticism, perhaps based on the kinds of conflicts between Catholics and Protestants going on, in France and elsewhere, as well as the periodic flare of plague. He was a humanist who saw cultures as having value internal to themselves and preferred to not universalise morals, laws and other ideas.

Montaigne was sometimes conventional in thought (seeing marriage as necessary for children, and distrusting the idea of romantic love), but other times he was very much a free thinker (particularly when it came to religious dogma or absolutist kinds of philosophical paradigms). Montaigne had respect for those who followed religious codes and ways of life, but distrusted those who tried to impose such ideas upon others.

Montaigne added to his essays twice in major ways, but did not strive for consistency or systematic ways of thinking - he declined to remove previous essays if they contradicted new writings.

Montaigne is perhaps the most important French philosopher prior to the Enlightenment. His essays remain popular because they have a sense of the modern and the current about them.