Meet the siblings in the mischievous and loving family at Kinfairlie and follow their adventures in pursuit of true love.In The Beauty Bride, Madeline is appalled by her older brother’s determination to see her wed against her will. When he auctions her hand to an outlawed mercenary, she flees them both, certain that her fate cannot be worse. But Rhys FitzHenry is not a man to abandon what he holds dear, and Madeline’s proud beauty has captured his heart. Can a rough knight enchant her with stories and convince her to be his wife in truth, or will his enemies have their vengeance first?In The Rose Red Bride, Vivienne is convinced that only destiny could bring such a wondrous secret lover to her chamber, but with morning’s light, her lover abducts her. Erik knows that justice can only be gained from the Lammergeier with force, especially as the fate of his young daughters hangs in the balance. Can Vivienne help this wounded highlander to regain his legacy, and win his heart for her own?In The Snow White Bride, Eleanor seeks sanctuary at Kinfairlie on Christmas Eve. The Laird of Kinfairlie’s sisters decide that the beautiful widow will be the perfect match for their brother. Alexander’s heart is quickly lost, but as Eleanor’s secrets are revealed, he fears he has trusted too much too soon. Will Eleanor’s past jeopardize the future of this knight who has claimed her heart, or can she save him from the peril that follows her?This digital boxed set includes all three medieval romances in the Jewels of Kinfairlie trilogy – The Beauty Bride, The Rose Red Bride, The Snow White Bride – as well as the linked short story, The Ballad of Rosamunde.

    S. Lewis, whose constant aim was to show the twentieth century reader how to read and how to understand old books and manuscripts.

    After the young Viking prince Mikkel sets Devin free on the Irish coast far from home, Bree and Devin embark on separate journeys to courage. Readers will be captivated by the unfolding drama as Bree sails to Norway on the Viking ship and Devin travels the dangerous road home. They both must trust their all-powerful God in the midst of difficult situations. In "Mystery of the Silver Coins," Bree finds herself in a physical and spiritual battle for survival. With another young slave, she makes a daring escape from the ship as soon as it reaches harbor. They hide in the woods as Mikkel and his Viking sailors begin a relentless search, certain that Bree is responsible for a missing bag of silver coins. Bree must face her unwillingless to forgive the Vikings, and Mikkel begins to wonder: Is the God of these Irish Christians really more powerful than our own Viking gods' In "The Invisible Friend," Bree arrives in Norway and is sent to work as a slave for the family of Mikkel, her Viking captor. She struggles to adjust, feeling worthless and disrespected, and wondering why God wants her in Norway. Her prayers are answered when she is given the opportunity to teach Mikkel's grandparents to read using an illuminated Bible stolen from an Irish monastery. In the "Heart of Courage," Bree learns that her brother, Devin, her sister, Keely, and her friend, Lil, will set out for Ireland. She longs to go with them. Instead, Mikkel asks her to be a cook for voyage to Greenland. Somehow her excellent food becomes inedible and the Vikings think she's trying to sabotage their voyage. Join Bree and Devin for more adventures in this fourth installment of the "Viking Quest" series.In "The Raider's Promise," Bree, Devin, and Mikkel enter a new world with the explorer Leif Erikson. Their first task: build a shelter to survive the winter. But danger lurks from within the shadows on the horizon of a life where everyone needs the courage to win. Can Mikkel conquer his enemies and find new purpose for his life' Will he keep his promise to Bree and Devin to take them home to Ireland' Will he keep his pledge of honor, even if it means death'

    This long-awaited biography, written by one of the most distinguished medievalists of his generation, offers a major reassessment of Henry’s character and reign. Challenging the dark and dated portrait of the king as brutal, greedy, and repressive, it argues instead that Henry’s rule was based on reason and order. C. Warren Hollister points out that Henry laid the foundations for judicial and financial institutions usually attributed to his grandson, Henry II. Royal government was centralized and systematized, leading to firm, stable, and peaceful rule for his subjects in both England and Normandy. By mid-reign Henry I was the most powerful king in Western Europe, and with astute diplomacy, an intelligence network, and strategic marriages of his children (legitimate and illegitimate), he was able to undermine the various coalitions mounted against him. Henry strove throughout his reign to solidify the Anglo-Norman dynasty, and his marriage linked the Normans to the Old English line.Hollister vividly describes Henry’s life and reign, places them against the political background of the time, and provides analytical studies of the king and his magnates, the royal administration, and relations between king and church. The resulting volume is one that will be welcomed by students and general readers alike.

    With language harvested from everyday speech, fragments of pop culture, objects and figures borrowed from art and literature, his work makes light out of darkness, playing with tone and style to show how even the seemingly frivolous stuff of existence can be employed to express the deepest levels of feeling.Commotion of the Birds showcases once again Ashbery’s mastery of a staggering range of voices and his singular lyric agility: wry, frank, contemplative, resigned, bemused, and ecstatic. The poet in this new collection is at once removed from and immersed in the terrain of his examination. Disarmingly conversational, he invites the reader to join him in looking out onto the future with humor, curiosity, and insight. The lines of these poems achieve a low-humming, thrilling point of vibration, a jostling of feathers before flight.

    When he became involved in a conspiracy and was imprisoned in Pavia, it was to the Greek philosophers that he turned. THE CONSOLATION was written in the period leading up to his brutal execution. It is a dialogue of alternating prose and verse between the ailing prisoner and his 'nurse' Philosophy. Her instruction on the nature of fortune and happiness, good and evil, fate and free will, restore his health and bring him to enlightenment. THE CONSOLATION was extremely popular throughout medieval Europe and his ideas were influential on the thought of Chaucer and Dante.

    Benedict has for centuries been the guide of religious communities. St. Benedict's rules of obedience, humility, and contemplation are not only prerequisites for formal religious societies, they also provide an invaluable model for anyone desiring to live more simply. While they presuppose a certain detachment from the world, they provide guidance and inspiration for anyone seeking peace and fulfillment in their home and work communities. As prepared by the Benedictine monk and priest Timothy Fry, this translation of The Rule of St. Benedict can be a life-transforming book. With a new Preface by Thomas Moore, author of The Care of the Soul."God is our home but many of us have strayed from our native land. The venerable authors of these Spiritual Classics are expert guides--may we follow their directions home."--Archbishop Desmond Tutu

    s/t: Warriors and Peasants from the Seventh to the Twelfth Centuries

    The series is completed in November this year with the release of The Silmarillion to commemorate the 30th anniversary of that book's original publication.For the first time ever, you can buy the complete collection of four books as a set.* All four books are quarterbound in textured paper in a slipcase with a curved edge and are embossed with Tolkien's own motifs on the books* The books have sewn bindings, silk ribbon markers, and include a number of exclusive features unique to these editions* This collection is double-slipcased: a matching slipcase houses the four individual slipcased editionsThe books that make up the collection - all in mint unread condition, still in shrinkwrap:The Hobbit (2004) - 1st edition 1st impressionFeatures Tolkien's drawing of the dragon Smaug embossed in gold and red foil on the case. This is the only edition of The Hobbit to feature all 13 of Tolkien's own illustrations for the book reproduced in full colour, together with his original maps reproduced as he originally intended but not previously achieved in nearly 70 years.The Lord of the Rings (2004) - 1st edition 2nd or 3rd impression (differs between individual sets)This 50th anniversary edition is embossed with Tolkien's "Eye of Sauron" design in two foils and features for the very first time the pages from the Book of Mazarbul, illustrations done by Tolkien and intended for inclusion in the famous "Bridge of Khazad-dum" chapter but previously never used. Also appearing are previously unpublished family trees and the two original fold-out maps by Christopher Tolkien. For this edition and for The Hobbit, the text was checked by Tolkien experts against the original first editions and manuscripts, and more than 400 corrections were made to make this the most accurate and definitive version ever published.The Children of Hurin (2007)- 1st edition 1st impressionMatching The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, this first edition deluxe printing of The Children of Hurin includes a ninth colour plate by Alan Lee not featured inside the standard hardback, with Hurin 's golden helm designed by Alan Lee embossed on the cover.The Silmarillion (2007) - 1st edition 1st impressionPublished for its 30th anniversary, this newly reset edition of Tolkien's masterwork The Silmarillion features an exclusive full colour frontispiece The Halls of Manwë painted by J.R.R. Tolkien, the only scene from the book he painted, and is embossed with the delicate heraldic symbol he designed to represent Luthien, The Silmarillion's greatest heroine, which is also reproduced inside the book in colour. This edition also includes Christopher Tolkien's two-colour maps, including a fold-out map of Beleriand, and as a Preface, Tolkien's original letter of 1951containing his account of the mythology of Middle-earth.

    His Sherlock Holmes stories will never be forgotten. But most people don't realize that he was also very possibly the best historical novelist of his day. Sir Nigel and the White Company combines two of his best novels into one. Sir Nigel describes the early years of Nigel Loring during his initial service with King Edward III during the Hundred Years War. Doyle captures the period brilliantly-from the cadence and style of their speech, to unforgettable descriptions of court life, to the capture of the Castle of La Brohiniere, to a stirring account of the Battle of Poitiers. It is a classic adventure tale, full of romance, chivalry, battles, brutality, and humor as the impoverished Nigel Loring and his attendant Aylward seek their fortunes. In The White Company, it is now 1366 and Sir Nigel is the leader of a raucous band of English bowmen known as the White Company. It's a story of hard blows and daring feats, to be sure, but it also captures the spirit that animated the English leaders and the reasons behind the fearsome reputation of the English archers. When Conan Doyle was once asked which novel of his was his favorite, he replied, The White Company. "I was young" he said, "and full of the first joy of life and action and I think I got some of it into my pages." If you enjoy reading about chivalrous knights and glorious deeds, in a context of historical accuracy, this book is for you. "Now order the ranks, and fling wide the banners, for our souls are God's, our bodies the king's, and our swords for Saint George and for England!" - The White Company

    Other topics include humanism during the first half of the 12th century, the archpoet, the scholars' lyric, and the Carmina Burana.

    

    So began the Vengeance Pact among the highprinces of Alethkar and the War of Reckoning against the Parshendi.Now the Assassin is active again, murdering rulers all over the world of Roshar, using his baffling powers to thwart every bodyguard and elude all pursuers. Among his prime targets is Highprince Dalinar, widely considered the power behind the Alethi throne. His leading role in the war would seem reason enough, but the Assassin's master has much deeper motives.Expected by his enemies to die the miserable death of a military slave, Kaladin survived to be given command of the royal bodyguards, a controversial first for a low-status "darkeyes." Now he must protect the king and Dalinar from every common peril as well as the distinctly uncommon threat of the Assassin, all while secretly struggling to master remarkable new powers that are somehow linked to his honorspren, Syl.Brilliant but troubled Shallan strives along a parallel path. Despite being broken in ways she refuses to acknowledge, she bears a terrible burden: to somehow prevent the return of the legendary Voidbringers and the civilization-ending Desolation that will follow. The secrets she needs can be found at the Shattered Plains, but just arriving there proves more difficult than she could have imagined.Meanwhile, at the heart of the Shattered Plains, the Parshendi are making an epochal decision. Hard pressed by years of Alethi attacks, their numbers ever shrinking, they are convinced by their war leader, Eshonai, to risk everything on a desperate gamble with the very supernatural forces they once fled. The possible consequences for Parshendi and humans alike, indeed, for Roshar itself, are as dangerous as they are incalculable.

    In this eloquent and richly detailed book, a leading medieval historian discusses the complex reality of chivalry: its secular foundations, the effects of the Crusades, the literature of knighthood, and its ethos of the social and moral obligations of nobility.“This is a rich book, making effective use of all sorts of documents and illustrations. Keen moves easily across Europe in search of the international spirit of chivalry. . . . The pageantry he presents is colorful and his conclusions uplifting.”—David Herlihy, New York Times Book Review“An elegantly written, important book.”—Carolly Erickson, Los Angeles Times Book Review“Splendid. . . . Keen is exemplary in the use he makes of many kinds of medieval literature, epic and lyric poetry, family and military histories, didactic treatises, translations into the vernacular of books of the Bible and of works from ancient Rome.”—R.C. Smail, New York Review of Books“Original [and] beguiling.”—Fiona MacCarthy, Times (London)“A most readable and comprehensive survey: stimulating, informative, a splendid creation of context.”—Nicholas Orme, Times Higher Education Supplement“All historians of Western society . . . will do well to refer to this book.”—Georges Duby, Times Literary Supplement

    High quality photos of the original pages. “The Codex Gigas (English: Giant Book) is the largest extant medieval manuscript in the world. It is also known as the Devil's Bible because of a large illustration of The Devil on the inside and the legend surrounding its creation. It is thought to have been created in the early 12th century in the Benedictine monastery of Podlažice in Bohemia (modern Czech Republic). It contains the Vulgate Bible as well as many historical documents all written in Latin.”