Product Description

Customer Reviews (18)

Disappointed. Sorely disappointed. (a history teacher's review)
I was perusing my local bookshop and I found "Terry Jones' Barbarians." I was excited by the endorsement on the back cover from a historian that said, "I wish all historical books written by non-historians were so informed and all books by historians so well written." Good enough for me - I grabbed it up and eagerly started reading, looking forward to reading this work by the creator/host of one of my favorite history-based documentaries, The Story of 1.

Boy, was I disappointed.

First of all, neither Jones nor his co-author Alan Ereira are trained historians (neither am I, but I have an appreciation for expertise in an area and how that makes the commentary more accurate) and it clearly shows. Right off the bat (p. 13) they attack Julius Caesar and belittle Romans in general for falsely describing the true nature of the elk (Romans were told of exotic animals by natives and they duly recorded the descriptions, usually false or exaggerated - this happened throughout the Roman era - Jones must not appreciate an inquisitive nature...) and then questions Caesar's ability to describe the Gauls (p. 14) because if Caesar cannot properly describe an elk, what can he describe? Cheap shot, but a warning as to the nature of the book.

The book is based on a simple premise - the barbarians that surrounded Rome were more sophisticated and advanced than most histories of Rome give them credit for. To their credit, Jones and Ereira do make this point early and often. But, rather than just making that point they repeatedly go after the Romans as being the real barbarians filling the book with snide comments about how the Romans destroyed science for more than one thousand years (pp. 152-5) and did little but destroy, loot and maim. Rather than build up the barbarians, they embark on a strategy of tearing down the Romans to make the barbarians look better by comparison. It's cheap history and does not work well. Note, I am not asserting that Rome was morally superior to their "barbarian" neighbors. Clearly, Rome had horrific, barbaric habits such as the gladiatorial games and a very willing tendency to knock their neighbors about for their cash. But, this book pushes it too far.

Other problems:

On page 194 William Cowper is given credit for writing the beloved hymn "Amazing Grace." This was written by a friend of Cowper, John Newton. The story of this hymn was the subject of a recent motion picture and has been recounted in numerous anti-slavery histories for generations. I'm astounded they (and the editors) were so ignorant of the famous and touching story behind the hymn - it inspired the end of the slave trade by the UK and turned the Royal Navy into the world's largest abolitionist force.

But, then again, maybe I'm not surprised. On matters of theology Jones and Ereira show an astounding lack of sophistication. They write extensively on Augustine of Hippo but cannot grasp basic matters such as "Original Sin"(p. 229).My 10 year old can explain it with more depth and understanding than these two educated gentlemen. They also fail to grasp the meaning behind Augustine's comments on the sack of Rome in 410. Augustine notes the relative decency of those barbarians under Alaric(for the most part they did not loot churches or the religious items of civilians and they respected churches as sanctuaries). They mockingly summarize Augustine's thoughts on the matter as "It was Christ who bridled their ferocity and made them act so mercifully - for of course, Alaric was a Christian." (p. 133) They summarizethe idea correctly but do no understand why it was correct. Augustine was noting that the spirit of Christ restrained them, as it should any true Christian. The fact that they were Christians is the reason that the churches were respected as sanctuaries. These men are certainly entitled to their opinions but if they cannot grasp the rather basic arguments behind them they should keep those opinions to themselves until they are prepared to write intelligently on the matter.

Archimedes. Please, can we all just agree that he was a genius but he did not invent a ship-burning mirror array? (pp. 148-9) Jones and Ereira note (correctly) that Archimedes could have invented a mirror array that, given time, could start a fire by aiming it's intensified light at one single point for an extended period of time. The problem - the array would have been aimed at MOVING ships - ships that moved up and down by bobbing about in water while they were also moving forward into Syracuse harbor. Most modern computer aided targeting systems would have a hard time aiming at one single pinpoint on a ship in those conditions. How do you thing a group of uneducated slaves would do with manual aiming?

They also credit Archimedes with a defensive technique (using cranes to drop weights on opponents) that was used during the Sicilian campaign of the Peloponnesian War hundreds of years earlier, ironically, also at Syracuse.(p. 148)

How about the famous Baghdad batteries? Let's bring out a device that no one's really tested (they do work as batteries if you fill them with modern chemicals but not time-appropriate chemicals), everyone's pretty sure was just a storage vase and claim they were used to electroplate with gold if wires that were not invented at the time were used. Besides that, use it as a chance to bash the Romans as the goons who killed off the people who invented and used electricity (p. 168), thus setting civiilization back by more than a thousand years. Did the Romans kill of the steam engine and vending machines? Why, yes they did, those barbarians! (pp. 153-154)

Jones & Company go to great lengths to demonstrate that the Romans were not the only ones with laws, since the Romans have a great reputation as being the great lawgivers of the ancient world. True enough, the Romans did not invent the concept of "law." But, they did two important things. 1) in the ancient world they applied a uniform system of laws over a vast geographic area. This uniformity was a great boon for trade, much like free trade zones and the European Union have been in the modern world. 2) The West's legal system is based on Rome's emphasis on property rights. Think it's not important? If you've ever sued someone over a car crash - that's because your property was damaged by another. It is a very Roman concept to want to collect for damages to your property. These are not concepts that can be blown off with a few cutesy phrases if this book is really meant to be taken seriously.

To make it all the worse, the last pages, the ones detailing the long slip and final fall of the Western Roman Empire are so dreadfully dull to read that I had to force myself to finish.

In sum, there is a bit of good information here but it is buried in so much half-truth, speculation, mis-information and misundertanding that I am torn as to whether I should try to sell this book or just dispose of it.

informative and enjoyable
Full of info and enjoyable to read. It gave me a new perspective on European history.

An attempt to change history
If there was a negative rating this book would get it. After devouring a library of ancient literature, this is the one book that I truly struggled to complete. The factual inaccuracies were rife and I really had to wonder if the author has a conscience in order to preach ancient history in such a tainted and twisted fashion. The book is interwoven with the Jones' personal opinion without any supportive facts, and in short it appears to be nothing more than a trivial witch hunt in an attempt discredit one of the greatest empires ever known to man. It is a shame, because the Roman empire through the Barbarians should make a good entertaining read.

With quality research there is no shortage of real, factual, negative information one can find in order to discredit the Romans, after all the empire spaned for over 1000 years. Jones just failed to locate any of it.

In short Terry Jones is another one of these angry Brits who has embarked on a crusade of debunking anything Roman or Italian. Jones insists that the Roman Empire was not an empire at all, but merely a band of marauding armies that simply looted and plundered any colony nearby. After Jones has talked about the barbaric way the Romans conquered and looted the poor defensive "barbarian" tribes, in the next sentence Jones will contradict himself by letting you know that Rome were disgracefully defeated in almost every battle they fought in. How does that work? Did they win, loot and plunder, or did they turn tale and run for the hills empty handed? As far as treating conquered slaves so poorly, Rome even had laws in place to protect their slaves from any tyrannical owners, it is well documented that some slaves enjoyed their lives so much they didn't even want their freedom when it was offered.

Jones likes to tell his readers that whenever Rome won a battle (very few according to Jones) they acted in an inhumane manner to their enemies. Jones forgets that by Roman law it was illegal to declare war on another state unless all peaceful negotiations had come to an end. At the time no other tribe, nation or state employed such diplomatic procedures. Jones furthers his contradictory opinions by then embellishing the glory of any of the barbarian tribes by describing in lucid detail how the barbarians would slaughter tens of thousands of Romans in a single day of battle. Why is it good that the barbarians can slaughter Romans in battle yet the Romans would draw criticism by defending themselves and fighting back? If this is all true, then how did the empire last over a thousand years? Surely at this rate of having their soldiers mowed down in bulk fashion Rome would of run out of citizens to fill their armies!

Towards the beginning Jones talks about how Rome employed an army that was mechanised, standardised, and revolutionary for its time. Romans employed all known technology to further equip and skill their armies. Later, Jones likes to frequently state that Romans were too stupid to undertake or understand any new technology and how they supposedly destroyed all technological advances known to its rivals.Which one is it?

Jones then states that Romans made an effort to destroy all Greek culture and technology of the day. If this was true, why then did Romans send their children to Greek schools? In realitity the Romans used to pride themsleves on their Greek/Spartan ancentry and preserve the Greek culture as a sign of their respect.

Jones' true colours come through when towards the end of the book he likes to liken the triumphant Parthians to his famed British medieval ancestry. After waffling on about this idiotic relationship, Jones in the next sentence will again contradict this assumed fact by acknowledging that very little history exists to support this idea. What happens is that Jones tries so hard to debunk the Roman Empire that he ends up "shooting himself repeatedly in the foot".

It is regrettable that Jones has let his opinions stand in the way of truth, as it appears that Jones may be a very well read man who has in fact gone off on a tangent with his angry and misguided opinions. Pages could be literally written about Jones' contradictions and inaccuracies but the detail would call for a book of equal size.

This could have been a very entertaining work of literature. Unfortunately, it is not.

Well Rounded View of the European and Middle Eastern world
Barbarians gives a more well rounded view of the European and Middle Eastern world in the 500 BC to 500 AD time period. This comparison is made between the common history of the same time period, where the common history mostly gives only the Roman perceptive. The first two sections of this book really gained my attention, but the last section had a hard time holding my interest. Even though I have had little research of the Roman time period outside of one World History classes in College, I had no trouble understanding the information in the book.

I enjoyed learning about the lifestyle of the Celtic, Germans, and Greeks, but was depressed when their culture was erases by the Romans.

Before Gutenberg
Before the barbarian Gutenberg, the Roman church was able to decide which documents to copy by hand and which to destroy.The Roman church's hatred of Arian Christianity was an important factor in the decisions to destroy much of the historical record of the invasion from the east.Only critical thinking can overcome the biased documentary records of Roman and barbarian civilizations and allow modern reconstruction of what really happened. ... Read more

Product Description
Terry Jones is known the world over as one of the beloved creators of the legendary Monty Python. But independent of the Python team, Jones has been writing columns targeting the Anglo-American response to September 11. His wit and venom are particularly focused on the messianic vernacular of Bush and Blair and the semantics of the "war on terror." As Jones writes, "What really alarms me about President Bush’s ‘War on Terrorism’ is the grammar. How do you wage war on an abstract noun? ... How is ‘Terrorism’ going to surrender? It’s well known, in philological circles, that it’s very hard for abstract nouns to surrender." Terry Jones’s War on the War on Terror proves that in times of high political anxiety, humor and irony are most potent antidotes to the spin emanating from the White House and Downing Street. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

"I despise GWB".......Message Repeats..............
What really gets my ire about this slim volume is that Terry Jones is capable of so much better! If anyone is able to condense some serious analysis of fundamental Islams 'beef with The West' and conversely "The West's" rather ludicrously ill-conceived and (at the time of his writing at least) somewhat off-target response, it is surely Jones himself.

Having said that, Jones contents himself with a rather repetitious series of diatribes haranguing the objects of his ridicule (rather predictably Dubbya, Tony Blair, Donny Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney and others) for their actions in perpetrating crimes against the 'innocent' nations of Iraq and Afghanistan.

I read carefully and i couldn't find one CONSTRUCTIVE suggestion in the admittedly rather short and highly self-referential booklet. Nor does one find an ounce of sympathy with the victims of 9/11 - or the London bombings or the Madrid bombings - no Mr. Jones saves all his outrage for
the Fundamental Islamic Groups and the Arab 'street'.

Note to Mr. Jones:- I thought you were funny in Python.
I know you are a talented and insightful author.
But if this work truly reflects your feelings, please don't let anyone dissuade you from going to live someplace nearer your heartstrings.....like Basra, perhaps.

Oh - and since you likely get paid on royalties......i will now follow my conscience by not buying anything else with your name on it....whether it's Python-related or later.

See? That's real freedom of expression Jonesey......you are perfectly free to bite the hand of the culture that has nurtured and fed you, and "WE THE PEOPLE" can choose to leave you in obscurity. Our choice. Deal with it.

Laughing through "history"
Jones also did a series of "documentaries" on the Barbarians aired (predictably) by the International History channel.He portrays Rome as a bunch of murderous thugs while the Barbarian tribes are portrayed as honorable, honest, highly cultivated philosophers, smart, sophisticated, high-tech people!With very little evidence (?), Jones builds a series of entertaining programs.Yet, the historical evidence he presents is so thin one wonders why real historians are not denouncing him.But if you watch his series very closely you'll understand: Jones is actually equating the US with the blood-thirsty Rome of his program.The other cultures, unfairly called Barbarians according to him, are all for "diversity" and "respect other cultures."Yup, Assyrians, Babylonians, Arabs, Goths, Visigoths, Gauls, Huns, Vandals, etc, were just too busy creating their wonderfully "civilized" nations to take care for defense... and the murderous Roman took advantage of these good-hearted intellectuals...Jeez, his trick is so transparent one wonders how long it will take until this clown is unmasked!

Leave INFORMED political satire to a master
Jones has the kind of cheek to make almost anything medieval seem fresh and exciting - however, for truly incisive, biting and dead-on accurate contemporary political and cultural commentary read Christopher Hitchens. If we could find a way to weaponize Hitchen's intellectual and verbal firepower within a missile system there would be no more to fear from Hamas, Hezbollah, Al Quaeda, the Baathists, Syrian and Iranian insurgents, or any other group only too happy to strap bombs onto their children and send them into a crowd of civilians.

Read Hitchens, period, literally for anything!

Avoid this book, not funny
Ordinarily, I would not take the time to write a review, but if I could get my money and time back for having purchased and read this book, I would.I love Terry Jones' work, along with the rest of the Pythons, and I was excited when the book arrived. I expected something entertaining, and at least insightful, but what I got was one rant, retold a dozen slightly different ways.It's all based on one web site spelling out some possible right wing conspiracy, and the fact that one web site is cited again and again...and again makes me wonder what the publishers thought they had to work with? At the very least, *do not* pay full retail price for this turkey, buy it used or check it at the library.

Devastatingly funny account of Bush/Blair fiasco


Terry Jones, of Monty Python fame, prolific writer of fiction and non-fiction, has written a very funny book on current affairs, composed of articles he wrote for the Guardian and the Observer from 2001 to 2004.

He shows the real reason for the attack on Iraq quoting the Project for the New American Century's `Rebuilding America's Defenses 2000': "The United States has for decades sought to play a more permanent role in Gulf regional security. While the unresolved conflict with Iraq provides the immediate justification, the need for a substantial American force presence in the Gulf transcends the issue of the regime of Saddam Hussein."

The same report admits, "adversaries like Iran, Iraq, and North Korea are rushing to develop ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons as a deterrent to American intervention in regions they seek to dominate." So they want nukes to deter American aggression - sounds reasonable.

Terry is not very nice to Mr Bush. He cites an undersecretary in Bush's administration as saying, "George Bush was not elected by a majority of the voters in the U.S. [That bit's right, anyway!] He was appointed by God."

So was it God who wanted to take health insurance off four million Americans, and jobs off two million? Did God want to withdraw benefits from working families earning less than $35,000 a year, by cutting Medicaid, supplemental health insurance, nutrition assistance and welfare? CNN reports, "Half of all Americans are living from paycheck to paycheck - effectively one paycheck away from poverty." But then he (He?) balanced all this by generously awarding tax breaks worth $50,000 per person to America's richest one per cent.

It's only fair that Bush's crony Blair gets some stick too. In `Grading Tony's latest essay', Terry writes, "Tony's uncritical acceptance of information suppliedby the U.S. reveals a naivety that would be surprising in any sixth-form pupil, let alone one who has hopes of going on to university and then government, as I know Tony does." He ends, "To be quite candid, Mr. and Mrs. Blair, it's lucky that your son is not in a position of power; otherwise his lack of insight and his crass ignorance would place us all in appalling peril." Other classics include, `I'm losing patience with my neighbors, Mr. Bush' and `It really isn't torture'.
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Product Description
Three raindrops have an argument on their way out of a cloud ...A silly King goes for a walk with a dog tied to each leg ...An enterprising herring, bored of the North Sea, decides to swim right round the world ...Thirty short stories of magic and adventure penned by Monty Python team member, Terry Jones. Embracing the tradition of the fairy tale, but adding Jones' inimitable comic imagination and originality, each story makes a perfect bedtime read for children - and grown ups! 'Could become a 'modern classic' ...the book is a joy' - Brian Patten, "Spectator". ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

There isn't another 'voice' like this.
His take on the world is so singular that the word "unique" doesn't even get close.(of course we have devalued that word to the point that each chicken McNugget in the entire world is unique)

I love this book (i'm 43) i know i would have adored this book when i was younger (and reading every book i could get my eyes on) and i truly think it is a must-have, must-read, and a "Princess-Bride-esque" choice for a book to read to a young person.Or an old one.Or a group.

Seriously, you can't know how good this work is until you read it.

I remember (dimly) that he said in an interview (or seven) that he felt that the fairy tales that were available were mostly hideous and nightmarish - and not in a good way (my phrasing).He wrote these for his own kids, and someone convinced him to publish them, and i'm forever glad they did so!

Memorable
I'm almost 30.Throughout my life I have read hundreds of books, maybe thousands but this fairy tale book is the most memorable.The stories are fascinating and unique.It is the most colorful, imaginative display of eye-catching illustrations and story telling.

If you have kids, this is a MUST HAVE.It will stay with them for years.I still read it! ... Read more

Product Description
Renowned for lampooning the schoolboy view of the medieval world in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Terry Jones is also regarded as a true connoisseur of the Middle Ages. In this lavish volume, he slays the dragons of cliché and platitude.

It was the Humanists who created the image of the Middle Ages as a time of ignorance, misery, and superstition, and it is this image that Medieval Lives aims to dispel. Terry Jones and Alan Ereira are your guides to this most misunderstood era, and they point you to things that will surprise and provoke. Did you know that medieval people didn’t burn witches in the Middle Ages? In fact, as our guides point out, medieval kings weren’t necessarily tyrants, and peasants entertained at home using French pottery and fine wine. An exhilarating, supremely entertaining volume presenting medieval Britain as a vibrant society teeming with individuality and innovation. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Entertaining
You know how school teachers can (and they often do) make history the most boring thing ever - well,here is a little,short and sweet book that would thrill anybody who was ever been bored in a school. Some 200 pages with very funny stories and anecdotes about real people in medieval times,as opposite to myths and legends later fabricated centuries later. Forget (almost) everything you have ever heard about Knights and dirty peasants and damsel in distress and such things - they wouldn't know what are you talking about,and as for knight's chivalry,well it appears it was only for the books - in reality it was the rule of the sword,kill now,pray later. In fact,if you have enough money to pay monks,they can pray for you so you can avoid the nuisance.
The book is cleverly divided in several chapters,each dealing with typical character ("Peasant","Minstrel","Outlaw" and so on) - it's all written in a very nonchalant way with lots of completely off-the-wall observations which will make you laugh out loud. There is a lot of humor here but also a lot of sadness and brutality once you start reading between the lines,after all,no matter how serious or unserious things might have been,it always comes to the same point: powerful and rich men were controlling less fortunate creatures,way back and today. Just looking at the treatment of women in medieval times (burned,raped,kidnapped,robbed,hanged) it makes you wonder how did human race survived at all.
It's very clever little book (and I wouldn't mind even if it's three times longer,because it's really easy read) but of course I am aware that things that looks ridiculous to modern reader now were very serious matter back than. After all,just imagine that in a few centuries someone writes a book about us.

well worth a read
A very interesting and informative history of the period.Written a humorous tone but full of little known information. The author clearly explained the themes of the 'middle ages'. An excellent overview for anyone with an interest in this poorly understood period. Certainly represented a very different view of the 1000 years between the fall of the Roman Empire (in Western Europe) and the Renaissance from those commonly presented.

Strongly Recommended

`Propaganda, thy name is History'
This slender volume contains some neatly presented information about life in the Middle Ages (defined as 1066 to 1536), and introduces humour and colour into the mix.Be warned, though, its real value is in providing a panoramic view of the times rather than a detailed snapshot of the events. If you want or need more detail, you'd be well advised to delve in to the bibliography provided.

Still, it's hard not to wonder about why nobody ever mentions King Louis the First (and Last).And which monks were forbidden the delights of donning underpants (and why)? Did medieval people think the world was flat?Not according to Terry Jones and Alan Ereira, who advise that this was an invention of a French antireligious academic (Antoine-Jean Letronne) and the American novelist Washington Irving during the 19th century.

Under the headings of Peasant, Minstrel, Outlaw, Monk, Philosopher, Knight, Damsel and King are vignettes which serve to bring some meaning to these headings and some context to some of the names that readers may remember from history. For example, the stories of Blondel (Minstrel) and William Marshal (Knight).

A fun and entertaining read for those looking to a light-hearted but informative snapshot of the times.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

Great Book
I found the book to bea good idea of what Medieval Live was about. I'm going to be part of a local Ren Faire and found the book to be very helpful in putting together a character of a monk.

Entertaining and provocative survey of medieval archetypes
When Terry Jones joined Monty Python, he kept his day job.He is a scholar and professor of medieval studies.Which means, MEDIEVAL LIVES is serious history for general readers, but it is also history dished up in a fluent voice that chuckles over human folly, is appropriately stern at the abuses of power that caused incredible pain and suffering, and returns with awe at the lights of human achievement that managed to flicker in an epoch of constant bloodshed.

Nothing seems to annoy Jones more than the inaccuracies that have circulated as fact about the period he defines as beginning with the Norman Conquest in 1066 and ending when Henry VIII effectively dismantled the old church in 1536.The overarching inaccuracy is that the medieval period was static and primitive.Au contraire says Jones and developed a BBC series taking the 470 years archetype by archetype, looking at how things changed often dramatically in that long period, sometimes progressively, sometimes regressively for the likes of peasants, minstrels, monks, outlaws, scientists, knights, women and kings. He stomped forcibly on the inaccuracies and falsehoods largely promulgated in the Renaissance and Victorian eras. This book is the companion volume to that series.As someone who has not seen the television series, I can vouch that you never miss it. The book is a stand alone triumph.

Jones manages to pull together an amazing amount of material and information in a relatively short book, weaving social, political and religious history.As such, the book is like a survey course, which is not a bad thing at all.To see what Jones can really do when he throws all his scholarly resources and colleagues at a medieval subject, see WHO MURDERED CHAUCER?That is top-notch historical investigation and criticism that skimps on nothing.


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Customer Reviews (3)

Fairy tales for a new audience of children
I remember loving folk tales my grandmother told me, but the brothers Grimm are too morbid for what I would like to read to my children.These tales are thoughtful, sensitive and at times conversation starters with the kids.Mr. Jones has some tales that are not all Disney princess delirium and some that definately show a different side of humanity than we would like to concentrate on.My two girls are begining to expect more from a book than stickers and sweet stories and I am happy to read a good story from this book to my thinking children.

Good stories, but some repeats
This book is chockful of fun, wacky, and slightly twisted stories. One item to note, all the Terry Jones stories in the "Bedtime Stories" volume are included in this book. We have "Bedtime Stories" and love it -- my three year old especially loves looking at the great and plentiful illustrations while listening to the stories. "Fairy Tales and Fantastic Stories" has far fewer illustrations (only one or two per story), making it less interesting for younger ones. Still, it's a worthy purchase and one that we'll read for years to come.

Adorable!
I was lucky enough to attend a screening where Terry Jones read these stories aloud to an audience, and adults laughed as much as the children. I've been looking for this book to buy to read my nieces and nephews ever since. Very silly, unpredictable stories that kids will want to hear againand again. ... Read more

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Product Description
A collection of thirty original fairy tales introducing such beings as the fly-by-night, the rainbow cat, and the wonderful cake-horse. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A Delightful Set of Stories
I'm fortunate to have one of the first American editions of this book. I bought it many years ago when my children were all small. It was one of those serendipitous moments when I do something very right and then realize it many years later. My edition doesn't have the latter section of Fantastic Stories.

Regardless, I was reminded of this book this afternoon by a passing comment about a fly-by-night outfit that contacted me about working for them. In a moment of free association, I suddenly remembered Terry Jones' story about the Fly-By-Night. The memory transported me suddenly back nearly 25 years to a time when my daughter would bring me this book and ask me to read about the fly-by-night and about brave Molly.

I came home this evening, retrieved the book from my youngest son's bookshelf (he's now 14), and started reading. The stories are as fresh and fun now as they were when I sat with my daughter (now in her mid-20's) reading them for the first time. It is my intent to sit and read through the book again, savoring both the stories and the memories of the stories as I do.

These are off-the-wall, fun, and memorable and I recommend them for both adults and children. Even the stories that are a little scary are still simply amazing. This book has stood the test of (my) time, at least.

Fairy Tales and friend touches the heart
After going to college for a rough two years and bogged down with work, I was given a break. It came to me in the form a freshman named Megan. I was once full of life, energy and laughter. College had drained most of that. Megan reminded me that life is about what you make of it. Life had little to do with the essays, exams and resumes. Life is fun. After knowing her for two months, Megan loaned me a battered, old book, Fairy Tales by Terry Jones. She suggested the tale of Tim O' Leary.

A farmer friend of Tim O'Leary met a goblin who claimed to be Tim. The goblin said that if the farmer would retrieve a witch's treasure, he would turn back into Tim. After undergoing a horrible ordeal, the farmer retrieves the treasure and the goblin steals it away. Disappointed with the loss, the farmer heads home and meets Tim. He explains how he parted with the riches. Tim comforts and thanks him for sacrificing the money. Tim reminds him that all the treasure isn't worth the friendship they have.

The other fairy tales follow suit, and give new life to the realm of fantasy. New twists wrapping Corn Dollies, rainbow cats, and magic wine give the reader a world to explore. Those parents exhausted of sending their children to sleep nightly with the same glass slipper and big bad wolf should seriously consider a new collection of the freshest fairy tales since Grimm. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (23)

cold case files - Chaucer's murder
"Who Murdered Chaucer?" is a fast-paced, dense and compelling investigation into a particularly turbulent period in English history, the latter half of the fourteen century, and its ramifications for the English poet Geoffrey Chaucer.The book is reasonably priced and is highly recommended for Medievalists in that it offers a veritable cornucopia of historical research which is augmented by plethora of provocative analyses of the socio-political climate of the period.Readers quickly discover that Terry Jones possesses an exuberant and friendly style that demonstrates his unique ability to showcase his serious intellect beyond the tedious grandiloquence of many published academics, while simultaneously keeping his readers engaged.

"Who Murdered Chaucer?" is perhaps a misleading title.In their endeavors to construct a comprehensive portrait of the life and death of Geoffrey Chaucer, Jones et al focus most of their attention on the reigns of Richard II and Henry IV and their respective courts, situating Chaucer's poetry as a socio-political barometer of the period.The result is an inspired and intriguing interpretation of the last of the Plantagenet kings and the first of the House of Lancaster, but a disappointingly incomplete and at times inaccurate portrayal of Chaucer.For example, precious little textual space is allocated to Chaucer's family, and his sister-in-law, Katherine Swynford, is noted as being John of Gaunt's second wife, when in fact she was wife number three, having been preceded by Blanche, Duchess of Lancaster, and Constanza of Castile.Compound the aforementioned deficits with the paucity of hard evidence to support the authors' central hypothesis that Chaucer was murdered and the result is a textual cold case that remains, well, cold.Essentially Chaucer is always at the back of Jones's mind but sporadically at the forefront of the text.

Nevertheless, Jones's unmitigated enthusiasm for the middle ages and his engaging, lively style, coupled with the fact that the book is generously appointed with quotations and illustrations, make it a worthwhile addition to any library.It is a page-turner!

A Great Book -- SEMINAL, not conclusive
This seminal literary history was researched and written by five different scholars, all at different schools.Because they unearthed so many historical indicators to challenge the accepted view of Chaucer and his age, we can expect many more scholars to follow in their footsteps, and go beyond them.Their "if, perhaps" and "maybe" are entirely appropriate for a thesis or two which cannot yet be demonstrated conclusively.
Years ago, I read every known word of Chaucer's.I even thought I understood his poetry.Ha!His complaint to his purse seemed clever, but a little off key.But it makes perfect sense that he needed money, as he said, to get out of town and thus stay alive.The Retraction never seemed at all right to me.But again, Jones, et al. made it become clear.But my biggest lack of understanding pertained to the church characters which he satirizes so wittily, so effectively.All of that was utterly enjoyable, and it seemed he was hitting some easy targets, albeit with unusual skill and artistry.Never did I realize that he was a serious participant in a major religious struggle.
In those "years ago" I read all the Middle English prose and poetry I could get my hands on, for a graduate exam.Langland was nice, but I only sort of read him.His dialect was difficult for me.But after "Who Murdered C," I went back into "piers Plowman."I'm hardly into it, and already the words and ideas I (as a modern Protestant) had taken for granted take on whole new meanings.For just one example among many, in Passus I, ln. 88-94, Langland has the character Holy Church tell the Dreamer that everyone who can read should spread the word that anyone who speaks only truth, does only truth, and harbors no evil thoughts -- all these persons, both Christians and non-Christians, are like God.This is NOT anything like the orthodoxy of his day. I find it a devastating work of controversy
"Who Murdered Chaucer" brought about a paradigm shift in my thinking.
If you do not care for the grinding of personal axes, this might be a good place to stop reading.
I protest the kind of education that taught me not to see much practical value in great literature.In eight years of college studies in English and American literature I never touched on, for instance, Jefferson's writings.He was a GREAT stylist as well as a many-faceted genius; and of course his writings bear directly on what sort of nation we started out to be.The only reason I see for this neglect is that he wrote about the real world.That explains the absence of Thomas Paine, James Madison, and certain writings of Lincoln, etc.We all read Henry Adams' "Education," and never heard a word about his delightful and [Ugh, dare I say it?] informative history of Jefferson's and Madison's administration.In our education, it was never stated EXPLICITLY that the only worthwhile literature did not seek to influence the real world.Call it "New Criticism", call it Ars Gratia Artis, but it was there implicitly.
My shallow understanding, or lack thereof, never raised objections from my professors.But during the past twenty-five years, I've been reading some really great works which shaped the world.Jones, et al. have contributed to deeper understanding.Thank you.
The national honors society to which I belong, bemoans every year that fewer college students are studying the liberal arts.My opinion is that the trend would turn around -- at least for literature -- if the professors would learn to teach literature that has meaning outside of their shrinking coterie.

changed my reading of chaucer
I've been teaching Chaucer courses for years, always passing along the standard schtick: Chaucer must have been a great diplomat, because he survived three tumultous reigns when plenty of his friends and cohorts didn't. For some reason it never struck me as odd that Chaucer suddenly keeled over only months after the passing of Richard II. This book may or may not be correct in its theory as to Chaucer's demise, but it certainly made me rethink a few old assumptions--and that's always a good thing. And it's a lively piece of history writing, too. I like this one a lot; I've even ordered it for my classes to give them a little taste of the times.

Who "Murdered" Chaucer????
Well, I think it's an interesting theory but besides the reputation of Henry IV and the fact that Chaucer "disappeared" around the start of Henry's reign, I really don't think that Jones successfully convinced me that Chaucer was put to death with the onset of the new regime. What Jones uses for sources are very ambiguous and the wording he uses from various documents is, he almost admits, the same used to describe the demise of others. Granted, it is strange that no original copies of Chaucer's works survive, I find it interesting however that no source whatsoever wrote that Chaucer was killed. Jones suggests that Henry rewrote this history of his predecessor, Richard ll, to validate his coup. Likewise, he seems to suggest that the same was done to those connected with Richard ll.I still think, however, that it is a giant leap to conclude that there was something nefarious surrounding Chaucer's disappearance. I think it is more likely that the reason we don't read anything regarding this from later sources is a stronger argument that there was NOTHING unusual about Chaucer's passing from the historical record. As I said, Jones quotes sources and their choice of words to suggest that they indicate Chaucer was murdered. However, quoted in context, they are subject to more than one interpretation. I am not a scholar but the passages he cites are not at all definitive to me.

In short, Jones sets up what appears to be a good case but in the end, fails to convince me that Chaucer was in fact murdered.His repetitiveness and use of very attenuated supportreminds me of the saying "he protests too much".

Nicely written book, however. I did learn a lot about that period of time.

Two different books in one lovely package
The first half or so of this book, analyzing the tumultuous reign of Richard II and the usurpation of his throne, is an unqualified winner. Brisk, well-written and informative, it interprets the known facts and and offers some carefully composed hypotheses that ring quite true. It polishes Richard's unfortunate image and makes a plausible case that was fun to read. However, another half remained.

Under certain circumstances, I might be able to compose a review with a nearly comparable number of possibly hypothetical phrases that would, in some manner, approximate what the alleged authors may have quite likely intended in this book. While a slight exaggeration, the "mights" "could have" and "probablys" became tiring. Since we know nothing, it is indeed a detective story. But the authors' obvious distaste for religion turned their guilty party into a caricature of George W. Bush, where every bad thing that happened, or might have happened, was laid at his feet. It became rather silly, and I was tired by the time it finally ended.

I found the smarmy tone a bit tiring as well. The jokes mostly fell flat; I just wasn't amused. And while the illustrations were gorgeous, most were very small. So, a bit steep at the cover price, but as a bargain book, a worthy read. ... Read more

Product Description
In 1095, Pope Urban II called upon Christians to march under the banner of the Cross and save their brothers in the East from the advance of Islam. This vision of crusading Christianity dominated the events of the next two centuries and brought together people of all ages and backgrounds, sworn to spread Christianity and wrest the Holy Land from the Infidel. First published to accompany the acclaimed BBC television series, "Crusades" tells the compelling, often horrific, story of the fanatics and fantasists, knights and peasants who were caught up in these fervent times. It reveals how Muslims, Jews and Christians were massacred, and how the Crusades sowed the seeds of 'jihad', the holy war for Islam, a legacy that endures today. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (60)

History made fun
So many people have a certain view of history as being boring. But when you have a Python delivering the lesson you know you are going to score some entertainment value. And therein lies both the strength and the weakness of this documentary which appears to have been quite a labour of love for Terry Jones.

Not that he does it all on his own. Oh no, this thing has all the nice film work you'd expect of a BBC production and quite apart from the travelling to and fro the various points of interest in the middle east the documentary makers have gone to the trouble to interview a whole range of talking heads. You see, as Terry Jones is more of an amateur historian this product quite rightly shows him learning a thing or three along the way and the way Jones throws himself into it - gearing up in armour at times, re-enacting aspects of the crusaders life and making use of interactions with some modern day denizens of the area at hand - really aids the viewers feeling of connectivity.

The downside here is largely one of historical accuracy. A perusal of the one star reviews will show you that there are some serious flaws in some of the information presented and these mainly centre on the Crusade IV (sort of like a bad Hollywood horror film they just kept makin' them don't ya know). As others has laid these bare at length I'll not repeat them here, but these errors are such a disappointment when the series itself has so much verve and life. One saving grace is that the main criticisms seem to be - as I said - in relation to the shows treatment of the 4th Crusade and since this only takes up a part of the overall whole this is probably still a fun place to start your journey of finding out more about this fascinating period of history. And if you want hints as to what other products may help you along your way some of those who have slugged this with one star reviews have been kind enough to offer suggestions of more scholarly work.

As for myself, I grant this four stars for the excitement it instils, the humour and the gusto with which the subject is attacked and the down to earth way information is presented. If you accept it's limitations as noted elsewhere this is a pretty good buy and it's certainly something I've watched a number of times over the years.

Funny and Informative Documentary
This documentary is funny and informative about the Crusades. The narrator (Terry Jones) and his team took a journey following the same path taken earlier by the Crusaders. This documentary shows brutality, horrors, and massacres committed by Crusaders against fellow Christians and against Muslims in Palestine. It is a good documentary telling the story of the crusaders in a non-boring style.

Crusades - Review from the other side
Nice introduction to this history block.Good use of the the opposing (Islamic) sides views.Nice use of technology and side cultural notes.Disagree with some of his comments; I am not apologist for the pure mercenary members of the Crusades or methods but I see the political side of his view of history.His views are well known about the Global War on Terror from his editorials in the Guardian. He like many Muslims are still hung on the Crusades and use it as an excuse for their presnt actions.

A Mythic History of the Crusades
Terry Jones's The Crusades is everything that a good documentary should not be. In brief, it is filled with misrepresentations and factual errors, and it perpetuates myths that were discredited long ago--in some cases several generations ago. The video program is based largely on a superficial and somewhat erroneous reading of Steven Runciman's three-volume history of the crusades, which was revolutionary when it appeared over a half century ago but which has been superceded and even discredited, in part, by what has been an almost tidal wave of crusade scholarship over the past 30 years or more.

The worst part of the video program is its treatment of the Fourth Crusade (2002-2004). Put bluntly, Jones gets the story woefully wrong to the point that anyone who views this section of the program uncritically will come away totally misinformed. But even before we reach the early thirteenth century, errors abound. One gets the impression that Jones is not really interested in sober history. Rather, he is content with cheap jokes. When he has to choose between a supposedly funny line or scene or a more prosaic historical fact, he invariably chooses the former.

It is a shame that buffoonery is allowed to trump history. The complex, multilayered story of the crusades is fascinating in its tragedy and even darkly humorous in its ironies. Unfortunately, Jones's attempt at burlesque has led only to distortion.

Actually, I used to have my students in an upper-division, university-level course on the crusades view this program outside of class and to write reviews of it. Their reviews were, on the whole, even more damning than this review.

Holy Hell
Since seeing this back in the 90's there has not really been a better way to show biggest holy mess in time itself.

Terry Jones is a class act at taking us though those dark years. Along with France & England and others we see our great knights & local folk take up arms and ride off or walk to destroy all. Really in the end it was mass murder in a scale unseen. Eating babies and drinking horse blood are just some of the tales of wow.

The fine details I leave to Mr Jones to tell you but as history goes it's a must know. ... Read more

Product Description
A new collection of illustrated stories from a popular author-illustrator team offers twenty-two original fairy tales laced with wit and imagination as they travel to a world where the impossible becomes all too likely. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good Book,very good for little kids or adults.
Dear Readers, I think this book is a very good book.Some of the stories are similar to some of Terry Jones' other books.Part of The reason I read this book was because I liked another book "Nicobobinus" so much. "Fantastic Stories" was very nicely written and Terry Jones' humor comes out often in this, along with his wildly spread and unusual imagination. Micheal Foreman's illustrations were excellent. I believeTerry Jonesand Micheal Foreman make a good team.Together, the two individuals have created a very interesting and wonderful book. I would recommend it to anyone who loves fairy tales, especially those with a twist. sincerely,Michelle Barbara O'Loughlin ... Read more

Product Description
This rich and balanced narrative of the American Civil War combines a chronological organization with a thematic approach to provide a comprehensive introduction to this pivotal conflict in the nation's history.Chronologically organized chapters on military history allow readers to easily follow the ebb and flow of the battlefield, while other, more topical chapters interspersed throughout explore such subjects as Civil War medicine, politics, prisoners of war, diplomacy, and the role of African-Americans and women, providing strong social and political context for the war and a greater understanding of the lasting impact of the time period.Each chapter also includes high interest features that provide biographical sketches of important personalities, little known facts about the Civil War, the histories of famous fighting units, and eyewitness accounts of dramatic events. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Civil War text
Fantastic book. Bought it for my Civil War class here at Virginia Tech on the recommendation of my world-known professor. ... Read more

Product Description
In a small village in 14th-century England, a bright young boy named Tom is restless. Tired of studying and digging ditches, he dreams of noble crusades in far-off lands. He decides that he must have his freedom and flees to the forest to elude pursuers. There he meets the terrifying Wolfman, who becomes an unexpected friend. Throughout his eventful journey, Tom encounters a colorful assortment of characters, but none more lively than Alan, who leads them both to France to fight for king and country. With its non-stop adventure and marvelous humor, readers will be turning the pages as quickly as they can to follow Tom and Alan through ambush and skirmish, battle and siege. Terry Jones, a former member of the legendary Monty Python group, is also the author of Nicobobinus and Fairy Tales and Fantastic Stories. Michael Foreman is the award-winning illustrator of numerous books, including Farm Boy, War Boy, and The Little Ships. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Fun, but lacks "feel"
Tom, an ordinary peasant boy who has been taught Latin by the village priest, is going to be turned into a churchman when he runs away to be a knight. I don't want to give away to much of the story, but he ends up in France fighting in the Hundred Year's War as squire to Sir John Hawkley with his friend Alan, who might not be all he seems. A fun adventure but lacks the feel of the historical period. ... Worth a look.

great fiction
i read this book and at first i thought it was going to be another boring historical fiction, but i was really suprised.it was really funny.

its about a boy named tom, and another "boy" named Alan.they met each other and both join up as squires with a forgettful and user of colorful language knight.

theys a lot of different adventures that they meet up with.its never boring and very very funny.its always suprising and reading it over and over never gets old.

i love it a lot.

Brilliant
It's a story about a boy called Tom and he runs away from home to seek adventure. On the way he meets with the Wolf Man, a kid Alan and a knight called Sir John. He speaks Latin extremly well. You never know what is going to happen next. A brilliant book.

Great Book !
This was a great book for all ages. If you are in to the Middle Ages fiction kinda books this one is for you. Here is a summary. Tom a young, brilliant boy with a knack for learning and reading is to become the student of the abbey but he doesnt want to. So he runs away leaving behind his beloved sister Katie
and barely escapes Sir William's men but is forced into the great woods were peole are scared to go. In the great woods he finds a friend and makes friends with the wolves. But he is going to have to leave because Sir William still is on his trail. So he then barely makes into the big city but not without a mysterious new friend named Alan who has many different names with different people and makes his way to geat journeys with Alan and their knight Sir John.

For Harry Potter Fans
My 8-year old son received this book as a Christmas present from his god-parents (who live in Toronto).Having read all four Harry Potter books to him over the past year, we looked forward to a fresh style and new hero - and we certainly found one in Tom (the hero of this book).The main reason I am writing this review (notwithstanding the fact that this is a wonderful story) is the number of times I found my son laughing out loud at the adventures of Tom and his sidekick Alan.While Rowling's Harry Potter series is a truly unique adventure, and while we anxiously await the fifth book, Rowling does not offer as much original and creative humor as Terry Jones (a refreshing change of pace).My guess is that anyone who enjoyed Harry Potter, will enjoy The Knight and the Squire as much (if not more so).I certainly hope Terry Jones will offer another installment, as hinted at. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

seems like all the negative reviews are of the wrong product
I haven't yet tried it out, but the CDROM version of Starship Titanic, which is (as the Amazon reviewer points out) a game, not a book, has gotten rave reviews in the New York Times, many PC magazines, USA Today, etc. That's why I was surprised to see all the negative reviews here... but it appears they are all reviews of the book by the same name (which I believe was written after the game was released and so is a sort-of novelization).

Excellent, Excellent game!
I first took notice of the Starship Titanic about 2 years ago.But due to lack of funds and equipment I was unable to buy the game.I only wish now that I had actually played the game then.Starship Titanic is one of thebest examples of modern gaming on the market today.Adam's take alegendary story and combines it with futuristic fantasy to create amonument that far exceeds the expectations.However, everything has adownside.For those of you with little patience, this game is not for you. It requires a great deal of patience and creativity. Also, it could giveyou a little more to do inbetween lift rides up and down the well.But Idon't want to spoil the game, check it out nonetheless.

The game that went wrong
I played this game for about two hours before becoming sick of it!The graphics were great, but so what?It felt like a bad copy of Myst.Had it been more original and less... glossy...perhaps I would have liked it.

A beautiful and luxurious ship of it's kind .Lovely forever.
When I first got starship in March '98 I was stunned by the amazing talking device that it had to actually talk with the bots. I am 13 and I see alot of adults using this game. It's great for any age over 10 and hasgreat treats to share with the whole family.

It's defininetly a game worth getting!
Even though it took up a load of memory and took forever (give or take a few weeks) to complete, it was certainly the best game I have ever played. The language interaction isn't just cool, it's downright fun. The game isextremely complicated, but the people who made it are real user-friendly,and made a strategy guide for people like me who often get stuck. Once youget yourself going on this game, it's pretty hard to stop. The game isextremely creative and extremely fun as well. I might add that this game isnot for people with little patience. You'll never complete the game ifyou're all tense. I could tell you why, but that would be a spoiler. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Entertaining work - weak thesis
As an undergraduate my Chaucer lecturer began his lectures on 'The Knight's Tale' with a ringing (and unconvincing) denunciation of Terry Jones' thesis.If his intention was to discourage us from believing Jones, he failed.Several of us raced to the library to get our hands on Jones' book and I remember reading it eagerly and finding it entirely convincing.

Years later, with a great deal more experience in litrary analysis and a far greater knowledge of Chaucer under my belt, I re-read Jones and was surprised to find his thesis rathe more threadbare.It is still a provocative and entertaining book, and one which shook up the usually somnolent field of Chaucer studies, but his central thesis simply doesn't stand up to detailed scrutiny.His work has some serious and ultimately fatal flaws.

Firstly, Jones argues we should not just look at where the Knight fought, but where he didn't fight.Why no mention of him fighting in France like a good English knight? He must, argues Jones, be a mercenary.But it's hard to see how Chaucer could be indicating this with a list of *Crusading* campaigns.The heartlands of mercenary activity in the 14th Century were in the endless wars in Italy, so why doesn't Chaucer have his mercenary knight fighting there?Jones himself constantly refers to examples of mercenaries in Italy to illustrate many of his points, but never explains why this supposedly archetypal mercenary didn't campaign there.

Secondly, Jones goes to great lengths to argue that the crusades the Knight took part in were not noble, chivalric and virtuous ventures, but actually grubby, savage and often futile affairs.This may be true from a modern person's perspective, but what Jones (who has an admitted anti-Church bias) thinks about these campaigns is irrelevant - it's how they were seen in Chaucer's time that is important.And, unfortunately for Jones' thesis, in Chaucer's time they simply *were* seen as noble, chivalric and virtuous ventures.

Thirdly, Jones devotes a great deal of attention to the Knight's appearance, saying this is an obvious clue to his mercenary status."One might expect a glorious figure in shining armour, with banners flying, a dragon on his shield and a crested helm glinting in the sun.' he argues.Instead, we have a figure in a fustian gypon stained with rust.Again, this argument is weak.A chivalric paragon may have worn armour and carried banners on campaign, but the Knight was on a pilgrimage.He goes on to argue that the Knight's fustian 'gypon' is a sign that the Knight is poor and that it is stained by his mail 'habergeon' because, unlike a real knight, he doesn't wear a coat of plates or breastplate and fauld over his mail and under his gypon or surcoat.He goes on to present evidence that Italian mercenaries went into battle more lightly armed in this manner, but that some form of plate over the mail shirt was ubiquitous for knights in this period.But Jones is simply wrong on that last point, however, and the Alliterative Morte Arthur depicts an arming scene where no less a chivalric paragon than King Arthur himself wears a gypon directly over his mail.

Fourthly, Jones completely ignores the Squire, who is the Knight's son and whose description follows that of the Knight in the 'General Prologue'.In stark contrast to his father, the Squire is presented as fashionably and brightly dressed in the latest style, with great emphasis on his up to-date hairstyle and courtly manners.Unlike his father, the younger man has fought not for the sake of Christendom, but 'in hope to stonden in his lady grace.' (GP l. 88).His campaign was 'in Flaundres, in Artoys and Pycardie' (GP l. 86) - most probably a reference to the 'Pseudo-crusade' of Bishop Henry Despencer in 1383. Unlike his father's crusading campaigns, the Squire took part in one that was widely condemned at the time and regarded as a debasement of the crusading ideal.Jones argues that Chaucer tends to be wry and satirical in his characterisation, but forgets that three of his characters - the Knight, the Parson and the Ploughman - seem to be paragons representing the Three Estates, while it is the *other* characters who stand in satirical relation to them.

Jones' book is provocative and highly readable, but in many places it seems he is straining to find something - anything - to support his ideas while skating over alternative interpretations.For this reason (and not academic snobbery) his thesis has been largely rejected, though his book has been welcomed.This book is recommended, but it should be read with due caution.

A Hard to Find Gem
I have been teaching Chaucer for over ten years and believe Jones' book on Chaucer's knight to be an excellent example of literary criticism that debunks the standard view of Chaucer's knight.I am surprised that I have such difficulty finding the book.One would think that it would be available for every student studying Chaucer.As the first character in the prologue, the understanding of the knight sets the tone for the entire work.Jones' research enticed me to do some research on my own.His book made me look at the other characters with a jaundiced eye, and I found the entire work of The Canterbury Tales to be a medieval version of "Saturday Night Live."I am now in love with Chaucer because of Jones.The book is worth the read for any student studying Chaucer.Jones makes the medieval world come alive with solid facts to support his perspective.

Chaucer as a Master of Irony
Terry Jones reveals Chaucer's Knight to be a Thug-for-Hire. He cogently explains the historical background, the concept of "chivalrie" in the 14th century, and in his own words, explains a 600 year old joke. The book is written with both style and wit. It is on solid ground for the most part, but does omit some data about the Knight's contemporaries, some of which behaved just as disgracefully but were members of the leading nobility rather than ignoble mercenaries.

A summary:

English teachers universally take the description "Parfit Gentle Knight" at face value. Chaucer's contemporaries would have had quite a different view.

A good analagy: what would someone in 2600 make of the following description of a "Good 20th Century Soldier".

*Being "Highly decorated", with both the Silver Star and Order of Lenin.

*Having more kills than any other sniper in Sarajevo or Beirut.

*With being there when Kuwait City was won, and having brought back much loot to Baghdad than anyone else.

*Wearing an unidentifiable uniform with no rank or army insignia, and carrying a Chinese-made AK-47 loaded with dum-dum bullets and no serial number.

*Being an expert Boxer, who's killed every opponent who faced him in the ring.

*And he's served in more places than any other soldier, in Colombia, Chechnya, the Golden Triangle and the Ivory Coast.

A must-read for anyone studying Chaucer.

Monty Python meets medieval prose.
This is an epic diagnosis of a character in Chaucer's Canterberry Tales.Not for the casual reader, this in depth study of the character and his times is done in a professional (non comedic)manner. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

my son's favorite
My 3 year old absolutely loves these stories.He has memorized the "Beast with a Thousand Teeth" and we have much fun playing out the stories.As a long time python fan, it is so much fun to have my son enjoy it too! ... Read more

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Reader of original synthesizing articles for introductory courses on archaeology and native peoples of California. ... Read more

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California Prehistory - Terrific Synthesis and A Must Read for Californianist Prehistorians


The Jones and Klar volume is a great and timely condensation of California Prehistory.It is strongest when it is discussing key research questions and directing interested readers to the volumes of studies that cover the span of California prehistory.It is a must read and cite for anyone active in the field of California archaeology. ... Read more

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When a young girl accepts a ride on a flying cat, she finds herself far from home--until the moon comes to her rescue. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

he warped my brain as a child, and i love him for it.
As a chiled my father read me this story and it scaired the s*** out of me. my bed was under a sky light so I thought I was easy prey, because nobody could resist the call of the fly by night I thought. I had the biggest scaire one night when I woke up to a neabors BLACK CAT walking accross my window!!If you havent read this story or anny other terry jones faerie tales, log off and make you're way to the library. or just order them, all of them! and I doesent matter how old you are, Adults can apreciate the stories as much as children, maybe more. these stories are fresh and alive.I cherish my coppy of Fairy Tales ( the colection fly by night came from), It shaires a place in my heart with my OLD coppyes of grim and anderson fairy tales (the good ones with unhappyness, death and loss of limbs),narnia and the terrible horrible no good verry bad day.If you like fairy tales/ the fly by nightcheck out: the curse of the vampire socksfantastic storiesother terry jones books. If you like kids poems like Where the sidewalk endsyou will definetly enjoy The curse of the vampire socks.I could go on forever about kids books, if you want to talk e-mail me ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (4)

Finally...Something Completely Different From Mr.Johnson!
I'll be the first to admit , when it comes to throwing stones at Kim Johnson , I'm the first one to put on my false beard! This comes not from jealousy , but from a sense of overkill. How many more books of the same redundant information can one man write to cash in on Monty Python? ( And it's even more irritating when I find things missing or incomplete in said books...he's NOT the messiah , he's just got a bigger toe in the door! ). That said. I REALLY did enjoy this book! Why? Because it's from a first person perspective! No cheats. This is from the heart , and memory , the dull bits , the nerdy bits , the thoughtful bits & the tourist bits!
( Okay and some naughty bits! ). The Pythons grant him interviews through out the filming of "Life Of Brian" , and Kim even finds himself as a film extra , assistant lighting guy , photographer , and oddjobs man.( This is also , probably , one of the only books to discuss George Harrison's time on set in Tunesia. ). It's a good read ,because Kim Johnson doesn't seem to be seeking anyone's approval or be catering to any sort of fan , he tells it the way it happened , good luck ,bad luck ,and the wierdness of being a tourist in a different land and a fanboy amongst his heroes. You really do feel the excitement he feels , and the "what a lucky guy I am" -ness of the whole adventure. Well done Mr.Johnson!

A Great View Into The Making Of "Brian"
Kim Howard Johnson took his written, audio recorded, and photographic diaries from the set of "Brian" and put it in the form of an interesting book. He was on the set for most of the shooting of "Monty Python's Life Of Brian", as well as sometimes in front of the camera as an "extra". He presents loads of behind the scenes photos and quotes by the six Pythons themselves throughout the fun, wet, hot, and sometimes dull days of filming. The Pythons also wrote forwards for this book in which they thank him for printing this since they are all too old to remember much of 1978. It's also a testament (no pun intended) to how sober, hard-working, and clear-thinking Graham Chapman was for this film. This is a must for die-hard Monty Python fans, as are all of Johnson's other Python books!

A must for Monty Python fans!!
Kim "Howard" Johnson was very lucky to experience what he did and we are lucky that he shares it with us. Johnson went from fan to friend and gives us intimate details behind the scenes during the filming Monty Python's Life of Brian. I recommend for anyone who is a Python fan or just liked Life of Brian.

A must for "Life of Brian" Fans
Kim "Howard" Johnson has written much about the Pythons, but it has taken him 30 years to publish the journal that he kept while working as an extra during the filming of "Monty Python's Life of Brian".

This is a day-by-day account of his time on the set in Tunisia interviewing the Pythons and the supporting cast as well as reporting on the progress of the filming.

Johnson gives the rest of us the closest thing we will ever have to spending time in the company of the Pythons both at work and at play.Despite the African heat, the long, hard hours and the tedium that went with making the film, no true Python fan will read this book without envying Johnson his unique opportunity.

This is a great gift for yourself or anyone you know who is a Python fan. ... Read more

Product Description
This book of verse for children contains verses that are serious, but most are fun, like the story of Horace, the boy who eats himself. There are a variety of characters, from Moby Duck, the terror of the river, to Laurie Oliphant, who nibbles dachshunds. Terry Jones' "Fairy Tales" was adapted for radio and television. "Nicobobinus" was awarded a Silver Seal by "Parents' Choice" and "The Saga of Erik the Viking", won the 1984 Children's Book Award. Michael Foreman has won many awards for his illustrative work, including the Francis William Award and the Kate Greenaway Award. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Clever and full of humor!
Terry Jones delivers a great collection of poems for all ages.It entertains our whole family as we drive in the car.Somewhere between Shel Silverstein and Monty Python's silliness, this one will make you laugh! ... Read more

Product Description
Shows the tenacious spirit and hard work of women administrators in their struggles to enhance opportunities for women on college campuses. ... Read more