It is also one of history’s most mysterious and compelling works of art. This haunting stitched account of the battle that redrew the map of medieval Europe has inspired dreams of theft, waves of nationalism, visions of limitless power, and esthetic rapture. In his fascinating new book, Yale professor R. Howard Bloch reveals the history, the hidden meaning, the deep beauty, and the enduring allure of this astonishing piece of cloth.Bloch opens with a gripping account of the event that inspired the Tapestry: the swift, bloody Battle of Hastings, in which the Norman bastard William defeated the Anglo-Saxon king, Harold, and laid claim to England under his new title, William the Conqueror. But to truly understand the connection between battle and embroidery, one must retrace the web of international intrigue and scandal that climaxed at Hastings. Bloch demonstrates how, with astonishing intimacy and immediacy, the artisans who fashioned this work of textile art brought to life a moment that changed the course of British culture and history. Every age has cherished the Tapestry for different reasons and read new meaning into its enigmatic words and images. French nationalists in the mid-nineteenth century, fired by Tapestry’s evocation of military glory, unearthed the lost French epic “The Song of Roland,” which Norman troops sang as they marched to victory in 1066. As the Nazis tightened their grip on Europe, Hitler sent a team to France to study the Tapestry, decode its Nordic elements, and, at the end of the war, with Paris under siege, bring the precious cloth to Berlin. The richest horde of buried Anglo-Saxon treasure, the matchless beauty of Byzantine silk, Aesop’s strange fable “The Swallow and the Linseed,” the colony that Anglo-Saxon nobles founded in the Middle East following their defeat at Hastings–all are brilliantly woven into Bloch’s riveting narrative.Seamlessly integrating Norman, Anglo-Saxon, Viking, and Byzantine elements, the Bayeux Tapestry ranks with Chartres and the Tower of London as a crowning achievement of medieval Europe. And yet, more than a work of art, the Tapestry served as the suture that bound up the wounds of 1066. Enhanced by a stunning full-color insert that includes reproductions of the complete Tapestry, A Needle in the Right Hand of God will stand with The Professor and the Madman and How the Irish Saved Civilization as a triumph of popular history.From the Hardcover edition.

    Always wearing an easy smile, Hasidic rabbi Haskel Besser spreads joy wherever he goes, enriching the lives of his many friends and congregants with his profound understanding of both Orthodox Judaism and humannature.With warmth and admiration, journalist Warren Kozak writes about the rabbi's extraordinary life—from his family's escape to Palestine in the late 1930s to his witnessing of Israel's rebirth in 1948, to his move to New York City, where he lives today.A rare window into the normally closed world of Hasidic Jews, The Rabbi of 84th Street is also the story of Judaism in the twentieth century; of the importance of centuries-old traditions; and of the triumph of faith, kindness, and spirit.

    The engaging dragon and his wise parables will guide you, as they led George, on a spiritual quest as ancient as the Holy Grail.

    George-Jacques Danton was the driving force behind it. In the first biography of Danton in over forty years, David Lawday reveals the larger-than-life figure who joined the fray at the storming of the Bastille in 1789 and was dead five years later.To hear Danton speak, his booming voice a roll of thunder, excited bourgeois reformers and the street alike; his impassioned speeches, often hours long, drove the sans culottes to action and kept the Revolution alive. But as the newly appointed Minister of Justice, Danton struggled to steer the increasingly divided Revolutionary government. Working tirelessly to halt the bloodshed of Robespierre’s Terror, he ultimately became another of its victims. True to form, Danton did not go easily to the guillotine; at his trial, he defended himself with such vehemence that the tribunal convicted him before he could rally the crowd in his favor.In vivid, almost novelistic prose, Lawday leads us from Danton’s humble roots to the streets of Revolutionary Paris, where this political legend acted on the stage of the revolution that altered Western civilization.

    My experiences, observations, and/or studies have led me to believe the following:* Racism has done more to promote non-justice than any other socio-material system known to have been produced or supported by the people of the known universe.* No major problem that exists between the people of the known universe can be eliminated, until Racism is eliminate

    Calling themselves "pilgrims of Christ," thousands of Europeans from all stations in life undertook the harsh and bloody quest to reclaim Jerusalem, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, and Christ's tomb for Christendom. Robert Payne brings to life every step of the Crusaders' thousand-mile journey: the deprivation; the desperate, rapacious, and brutal raids for food and supplies; the epic battles for Antioch, Jerusalem, and Acre; the barbarous treatment of captives; and the quarreling European princes who vied for power and wealth in the Near East. An epic tale of the glorious and the base, of unshakable faith and unspeakable atrocities, The Dream and the Tomb captures not only the events but the very essence of the Crusades.

    Also makes a perfect award or gift.

    As you attune yourself with the seasons of the Earth, you’ll begin to experience her magic in meaningful and satisfying ways. Wiccan & Pagan Holidays is a quick reference guide to the 21 Wiccan Sabbats and Esbats that make up the Wheel of the Year. You'll find holiday folklore, activity suggestions and even recipes for your Wiccan celebrations! The author is Kardia Zoe, co-founder of one of the oldest and largest information sites for Wicca and Witchcraft on the Internet. The website averages over 2,000 unique visitors per day and she has been providing these guests with guidance since 1997. This book will provide you with a clear, accurate understanding of the traditional beliefs and practices so you can move forward with confidence on an amazing journey into the enchanted world of Wicca. NOTE: The information in this book draws from the popular Living Wicca Today e-course, Sabbat articles Kardia has written over the past ten years for the Inner Circle newsletters and helpful Pagan holiday material from her website. Enjoy!

    He found his man. But it was what he discovered along the way that shocks and surprises most. Yallop's intrepid search led him into dangerous territory. He was in Beirut at a time when Westerners were being kidnapped and murdered in alarming numbers, and his guide was killed mysteriously. He continued his investigations in Tripoli, Tunis, Caracas, Tel Aviv, Damascus, Vienna, London, and Paris, moving through the murky worlds of terrorists and counterterrorists, intelligence and counterintelligence, spies and double agents. He drank orange juice with Colonel Qadaffi in his tent, talked until dawn with Yasser Arafat in a basement in Tunisia, and visited Carlos's old school chums in Venezuela and in quiet London neighborhoods. Tracking the Jackal is a real-life story about the world that Frederick Forsyth, John le Carre, and Tom Clancy turn into fiction - a world that runs on intrigue and deception, with governments and security forces operating outside their own laws when they see fit. Carlos himself turns out to be almost a mythical creation of that world, employed by various sinister forces for their own purposes. Tracking the Jackal reads like a thriller, but it is a major work of investigative reporting that reveals a complex web of political corruption and betrayal.

    The author of The World Is Not Enough paints a vivid tale of chivalry, passion, and ruthlessness in 13th-century France, in the dramatic story of the struggle of the Medieval man for his soul, and of ultimate self-sacrifice for spiritual goals.

    Excellent for the beginner or intermediate practitioner. Explore a little bit of Pagan history. Where does the knowledge come from? Why was it repressed? Discover WHY and HOW Witchcraft works, and why anyone with an open mind can do it. Unlock the secrets of the astral plane and discover your true psychic potential.

    Dive in!Half-mermaid, half-spunky girl, all magic — Emily Windsnap swept a generation of middle grade readers under her spell. Avid fans or those discovering Emily for the first time, kids will swimmingly to this beautiful collection of four Emily Windsnap episodes boasting fresh new paperback covers:The Tail of Emily WindsnapEmily Windsnap and the Monster from the DeepEmily Windsnap and the Castle in the MistEmily Windsnap and the Siren’s Secret

    This book is the historical and theological distillation of that work. In Credo, Pelikan addresses essential questions about the Christian tradition: the origins of creeds; their function; their political role; how they relate to Christian institutions, worship and service; and how they help to explain the major divisions of the Christian church and of Christian history. Credo stands as an independent reference work devoted to the subject of what creeds and confessions are and what their role in history has been.

    . . funny and goodhearted, with much incident and expert enthusiasm for sex, food and drink.”—The Literary Review“Much to enjoy in the clash of cultures and superstitions, even a tasty recipe for poisoning your friends with pasta. Detail like this places European crime writing on a par with its American counterpart.”—Belfast IndependentSome favors simply cannot be refused. Tonio agrees to write a love letter for Dario, a low-rent Paris gigolo. When Dario is murdered, a single bullet to the head, Tonio finds he has been left a small vineyard near Naples. The wine is undrinkable, but an elaborate scam has been set up. The smell of easy money attracts the unwanted attentions of the Mafia and the Vatican and the unbridled hatred of the locals. Mafiosi aren’t choir boys, and monsignors can be very much like Mafiosi.Winner of three mystery prizes in one year, including the Grand Prix de la Littérature Policière and the Prix Mystère de la Critique.Tonino Benacquista, born in France of Italian immigrants, dropped out of film studies to finance his writing career. After being in turn a museum watchman, a train guard on the Paris-Rome line and a professional parasite on the Paris cocktail circuit, he is now a highly successful author of fiction and film scripts.

    Discusses Gurdjieff's spiritual teachings, offers a brief profile of the philosopher, and assesses his influence on the modern world.