“We waited in silence, each man occupied with his own secret thoughts and no doubt wrestling with his own secret fears. I think that half-hour was probably the worst I have ever spent. Slowly and inexorably the minutes passed, second by second, and the time approached which might be the end of everything for me. All my efforts to screw up my courage, all my fatalistic self-assurances that what is to be, will be, became more and more useless, and hope seemed to ooze away with every second...” Frederick Noakes, 1917. Guardsman Frederick Noakes fought on the Western Front for the last 18 months of the Great War. In 1934, he wanted to write up his ‘adventures’ while his memory was still ‘undimmed’, using the letters he wrote home during 1917–1919 as the basis for the memoir. His eloquent text, with his views on politics, morale and the trenches, moved friends to persuade Noakes to publish the work privately in 1952. Fen Noakes did not consider himself a hero, but the dignity with which he conducted himself under the most dreadful conditions suggest otherwise. His articulate and effective prose gives a voice to the average soldier in the trenches. Professor Peter Simkins provides an introduction to this new edition, which also includes a foreword by Carole Noakes, niece of the author.

"I am a human being; I am a woman; I am a black woman; I am an African. Once I was free; then I was captured and became a slave; but inside me, here and here, I am still a free woman." During a period of four hundred years, European slave traders ferried some 12 million enslaved Africans across the Atlantic. In the Americas, teaching a slave to read and write was a criminal offense. When the last slaves gained their freedom in Brazil, barely a thousand of them were literate. Hardly any stories of the enslaved and transported Africans have survived. This novel is an attempt to recreate just one of those stories, one story of a possible 12 million or more.Lawrence Hill created another in The Book of Negroes (Someone Knows my Name in the U.S.) and, more recently, Yaa Gyasi has done the same in Homegoing. Ama occupies center stage throughout this novel. As the story opens, she is sixteen. Distant drums announce the death of her grandfather. Her family departs to attend the funeral, leaving her alone to tend her ailing baby brother. It is 1775. Asante has conquered its northern neighbor and exacted an annual tribute of 500 slaves. The ruler of Dagbon dispatches a raiding party into the lands of the neighboring Bekpokpam. They capture Ama. That night, her lover, Itsho, leads an attack on the raiders’ camp. The rescue bid fails. Sent to collect water from a stream, Ama comes across Itsho’s mangled corpse. For the rest of her life she will call upon his spirit in time of need. In Kumase, the Asante capital, Ama is given as a gift to the Queen-mother. When the adolescent monarch, Osei Kwame, conceives a passion for her, the regents dispatch her to the coast for sale to the Dutch at Elmina Castle. There the governor, Pieter de Bruyn, selects her as his concubine, dressing her in the elegant clothes of his late Dutch wife and instructing the obese chaplain to teach her to read and write English. De Bruyn plans to marry Ama and take her with him to Europe. He makes a last trip to the Dutch coastal outstations and returns infected with yellow fever. On his death, his successor rapes Ama and sends her back to the female dungeon. Traumatized, her mind goes blank. She comes to her senses in the canoe which takes her and other women out to the slave ship, The Love of Liberty. Before the ship leaves the coast of Africa, Ama instigates a slave rebellion. It fails and a brutal whipping leaves her blind in one eye. The ship is becalmed in mid-Atlantic. Then a fierce storm cripples it and drives it into the port of Salvador, capital of Brazil. Ama finds herself working in the fields and the mill on a sugar estate. She is absorbed into slave society and begins to adapt, learning Portuguese. Years pass. Ama is now totally blind. Clutching the cloth which is her only material link with Africa, she reminisces, dozes, falls asleep. A short epilogue brings the story up to date. The consequences of the slave trade and slavery are still with us. Brazilians of African descent remain entrenched in the lower reaches of society, enmeshed in poverty. “This is story telling on a grand scale,” writes Tony Simões da Silva. “In Ama, Herbstein creates a work of literature that celebrates the resilience of human beings while denouncing the inscrutable nature of their cruelty. By focusing on the brutalization of Ama's body, and on the psychological scars of her experiences, Herbstein dramatizes the collective trauma of slavery through the story of a single African woman. Ama echoes the views of writers, historians and philosophers of the African diaspora who have argued that the phenomenon of slavery is inextricable from the deepest foundations of contemporary western civilization.” Ama, a Story of the Atlantic Slave Trade, won the 2002 Commonwealth Writers Prize for the Best First Book.

Amid the rising technicalities of modernism, the heart of humanity has been ripped apart, and while religionism is tearing throughout the heart of modernity, everything is hinting at danger to come. Caught amid their dramatic collide, we moderns have been left in a de facto despair. And while the glory each claimed seems a key factor for more tragedies, they are almost overshadowed by the merging supremacy of money lifemammonism. They are all letting us down and parts us moderns from our trustworthy dream of truth, beauty, and justice. Further, it is impossible to read far in the underlying factors and related elements of the coming crises, and all of them are worrisome, either of reorganization of tender nature, of reprogramming of living cells, and of current technotronic engineering of time via digitized machines without finding that they will certainly shake the good grounds of faith and beliefs everywhere. De-risking the inevitable and while working around such a failure, we moderns have to humanly build on our own strength.

Historical accounts of Jewish violence--particularly against Christians--have long been explosive material. Some historians have distorted these records for anti-Semitic purposes. Others have discounted, dismissed, or simply ignored the evidence, often for apologetic purposes. In Reckless Rites, Elliott Horowitz takes a new and forthright look at both the history of Jewish violence since late antiquity and the ways in which generations of historians have grappled with that history. In the process, he has written the most wide-ranging book on Jewish violence in any language, and the first to fully acknowledge and address the actual anti-Christian practices that became part of the playful, theatrical violence of the Jewish festival of Purim. He has also examined the different ways in which the book of Esther, upon which the festival is based, was used by Jews and Christians over the centuries--whether as an ancient mirror of modern tribulations or as the scriptural basis for anti-Semitic claims regarding the bloodthirstiness of the Jews. Reckless Rites reassesses the historical interpretation of Jewish violence--from the alleged massacre of thousands of Christians in seventh-century Jerusalem to later medieval attacks on Christian symbols such as the crucifix, transgressions that were often committed in full knowledge that their likely consequence would be death. A book that calls for major changes in the way that Jewish history is written and conceptualized, Reckless Rites will be essential reading for scholars and students of history, religion, and Jewish-Christian relations.

C. S. Lewis, known for his imaginative and thought-provoking works, has compiled a comprehensive collection of his writings in 'The Complete Works: Fantasy & Sci-Fi Novels, Religious Studies, Poetry & Autobiography.' This anthology showcases Lewis's diverse writing styles, spanning from the fantastical realms of Narnia in his beloved fantasy novels to his scholarly explorations of religious studies, engaging poetry, and intimate autobiography. Readers will be immersed in Lewis's keen insights on faith, morality, and the human experience across a wide range of genres. His prose is rich with allegorical meanings, philosophical depth, and enchanting storytelling that captivates audiences of all ages. Lewis's unique blend of fantasy, theology, and personal reflections offers readers a unique literary experience that transcends genre boundaries. 'The Complete Works' is a must-read for those seeking to delve deeper into the brilliant mind of C. S. Lewis and explore the timeless themes that have made his writings enduring classics.

The Complete Works of C.S. Lewis showcases the literary genius of one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. This comprehensive collection includes Lewis' beloved Chronicles of Narnia series, as well as his impactful works of Christian apologetics, such as Mere Christianity and The Screwtape Letters. Through his enchanting storytelling and profound theological insights, Lewis invites readers to explore themes of faith, morality, and the human experience. His clear, engaging prose makes his ideas accessible to readers of all backgrounds. Lewis' ability to blend fantasy with profound philosophical discussions sets him apart in the world of literature, making his works both thought-provoking and entertaining. C.S. Lewis, a renowned scholar and theologian, drew upon his own experiences and beliefs to craft his timeless works. His deep understanding of literature, mythology, and theology informs his writing, providing readers with a rich tapestry of ideas to ponder. As a convert to Christianity, Lewis's personal journey greatly influenced his exploration of themes of faith and reason, which are apparent in his works. His unique perspective endows his writing with a depth and authenticity that continue to resonate with readers today. I highly recommend The Complete Works of C.S. Lewis to readers seeking to engage with profound ideas in an accessible and enchanting way. Whether you are a fan of fantasy, theology, or philosophy, Lewis's diverse body of work offers something for everyone and is sure to leave a lasting impact on your intellectual and spiritual journey.

This carefully crafted ebook: "The Theology of C. S. Lewis - 12 Books Collection: The Pilgrim's Regress, Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, The Problem of Pain, Reflections on the Psalms, The Four Loves, Miracles and more" is formatted for your eReader with a functional and detailed table of contents. Clive Staples Lewis (1898-1963) was a British novelist, poet, academic, medievalist, literary critic, lay theologian, lecturer, and Christian apologist. His first novel after becoming a Christian was The Pilgrim's Regress, which depicted his experience with Christianity. Lewis wrote several works on Heaven and Hell. One of these, The Great Divorce, is a short novella in which a few residents of Hell take a bus ride to Heaven, where they are met by people who dwell there. Another short work, The Screwtape Letters, consists of suave letters of advice from senior demon Screwtape to his nephew Wormwood on the best ways to tempt a particular human and secure his damnation. Lewis is also regarded by many as one of the most influential Christian apologists of his time. Mere Christianity was voted best book of the twentieth century by Christianity Today in 2000. Lewis was very interested in presenting a reasonable case for Christianity. Mere Christianity, The Problem of Pain, and Miracles were all concerned, to one degree or another, with refuting popular objections to Christianity, such as the question, "How could a good God allow pain to exist in the world?" Lewis also wrote an autobiography Surprised by Joy, which places special emphasis on his own conversion. Table of Contents: Novels: The Pilgrim's Regress The Screwtape Letters Screwtape Proposes a Toast The Great Divorce Short Stories: Screwtape Proposes a Toast Ministering Angels Religious Studies: The Problem of Pain Miracles Mere Christianity Reflections on the Psalms The Four Loves Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer Essays: Transpositions, and other Addresses ...