'A delightful book from a gentle, generous spirit.' - SIMON RUSSELL BEALE 'Philosophical speculation, country lore, rock music, spiritual exploration, erudite and beautifully written, this collection of reflections and meditations is a surprise and a delight. The kind of shot in the arm the Church of England badly needs - and is so rarely to be found.' - SALLEY VICKERS During the unprecedented circumstances of Spring 2020, Colin Heber Percy began writing a daily newsletter of reflections and uplifting stories to stay in touch with his parishioners. Word spread, and soon his bulletins were being eagerly consumed by readers around the country and beyond. In this thought-provoking and invigorating book, Heber-Percy draws upon a kaleidoscopic knowledge of nature, philosophy, poetry and music, as well as religious writings, and interlaces them with amusing and touching vignettes from his Wiltshire parish. As he follows the changing seasons, Heber-Percy moves from the seemingly small and mundane to ponder big life questions - can you find heaven in a Londis shop, why is the Bible not like the Highway Code, what on earth we are all doing here - while gently offering up wisdom and sustenance for all, regardless of faith and creed.

Rural priest Colin Heber-Percy began writing an early-morning newsletter - a collection of daily reflections, stories and prayers - to stay in touch with his parishioners and comfort those on their own during the unprecedented circumstances of Spring 2020. Word spread, and soon his uplifting bulletins were being eagerly consumed by readers around the country and beyond. In these wise, kind and surprising contemplations, Heber-Percy draws upon a kaleidoscopic knowledge of art, nature, music and metaphysical poetry, as well as religious texts, and interlaces them with amusing and touching vignettes from his Wiltshire parish. He meanders from the many breakdowns of his rusty Ibiza, to the dramas of the village carnival and the joys and agonies of leading worship on Zoom with one parishioner regularly reading the gospel accompanied by her noisy budgie on her shoulder. As he follows the changing seasons, Heber-Percy moves from the seemingly small and mundane to ponder big life questions - what it's like to be a mouse, why the Bible is not the Highway Code, what on earth we are all doing here - while gently offering up wisdom and sustenance for all, regardless of faith and creed.

This “fast-moving, entertaining biography” of the woman behind the Parish Hadley interior design firm is “like eavesdropping on a lively society lunch” (Publishers Weekly). A New York Times Notable Book Sister—as she was called by family and friends—was born Dorothy May Kinnicutt into a patrician New York family in 1910, and spent her privileged early life at the right schools, yacht clubs, and coming-out parties. Compelled to work during the lean years of the Depression, she combined her innate design ability with her upper-echelon social connections to create an extraordinarily successful interior decorating business. The Parish-Hadley firm’s list of clients reads like an American Who’s Who, including Astors, Paleys, Rockefellers, and Whitneys—and she helped Jacqueline Kennedy transform the White House from a fusty hodge-podge into a historically authentic symbol of American elegance. Cozy, airy, colorful but understated, her style came to be known as “American country,” and its influence continues to this day. Compiled by her daughter and granddaughter from Sister’s own unpublished memoirs, as well as from hundreds of interviews with family members, friends, staff, world-renowned interior designers (Mark Hampton, Mario Buatta, Keith Irvine, Bunny Williams, and her longtime partner Albert Hadley, among many others), and clients including Annette de la Renta, Glenn Bernbaum, and Mrs. Thomas Watson, Sister Parish takes us into the houses—and lives—of some of the most fascinating and famous people of this inimitable woman’s time. Fully updated, the revised edition features a new foreword by Albert Hadley and an appreciation by Bunny Williams, who began her career at Parish-Hadley. “Selections from Mrs. Parish’s own rather wonderful, often moving, reminiscences, intercut with observations from her family, employees, clients and friends.” —The New York Times Book Review “Sister’s delightfully self-deprecating humor illuminates the biography throughout.” —Kirkus Reviews Includes photographs

Bienville Parish, founded in 1848, is located in central north Louisiana. While perhaps most well-known for its ties to outlaws Bonnie and Clyde, Bienville Parish has a rich timber and railroad history that has shaped the community for over a century. Settlers moved into the region to take advantage of its flourishing industry, but it was community that led people to put down roots in the area. Religion and education formed the basis of everyday life in the rural region. In this photographic history, Bienville Parish is depicted through the lives of the people who inhabited the area. Although its size has decreased in recent years, the people who still reside in the parish have made it a priority to preserve the memories for future generations.

In this collection, Michael Sissons, a founder of the Countryside Alliance, has brought together some of the leading thinkers on the problems facing the countryside to debate the issues and suggest a way forward.

'A smart and pacy debut' Irish Times ‘One is struck by its mordant wit and fierce intelligence’ Martin W. Sandler, National Book Award-winning author and historian 'A cracker read about morality and ethics in a time of conflict . . . A really accessible way of getting into complex stuff on nation-building and justice' Claire Hanna, MP for Belfast South 1920, the Irish War of Independence. Amid the turmoil of an emerging nation, two young IRA members assigned to police a rural village discover the body of a young boy, apparently drowned. One of them, a veteran of the First World War, recognises violence when he sees it – but does one more corpse really matter in this time of bitter conflict? The reluctant detectives must navigate the vicious bloodshed, murky allegiances and savage complexities of a land defining itself to find justice for the murdered boy. Neither of them realises just how dangerous their task will become.

The untold story of life on the road with the Grateful Dead, written by an insider who lived it from the early days to today. Steve Parish was never one to walk the straight-and-narrow, even during his childhood growing up in Flushing Meadow, Queens. Busted as a teenager for selling acid in the summer of 1968, Parish landed in Riker's Island. The experience changed him and after getting out he did his best to stay out of trouble, securing a job moving music equipment at the New York State Pavilion. The first show he worked was a Grateful Dead concert in July of 1969 and Parish was captivated by the music. A life seemingly headed nowhere had suddenly found its calling as he fell in quickly with a band of likeminded misfits who formed the nucleus of what would be the greatest road crew in rock 'n' roll history. Parish traveled to California where his apprenticeship began. Working for the band for free and learning his craft, Parish got to know Jerry, Bobby, Phil, Billy and Mickey and through the years their relationships forged an unbreakable bond. He became very close with Garcia in particular, acting as his personal roadie and later manager for his solo performances and Garcia Band shows. He was there during times of trouble (like when a pimp held Garcia hostage at gunpoint in a New York hotel room), spending hours by his bedside when Garcia was in a coma in 1986, and performing the duties of best man at his wedding. He was also the last friend to see Garcia alive. Throughout the Dead's historic run, there were parties of biblical proportion and celebrity run-ins with everybody from Bob Dylan to Frank Sinatra--but there was a dark side to life on the road and tragedy didn't just strike the musicians. But Home Before Daylight is a story of friendship, of music and redemption. It is a piece of music history, one that reflects the American spirit of adventure and brotherhood. Seen through Steve Parish's eyes and experiences, The Grateful Dead's wild ride has never been so revealing.

The unexpectedly entertaining story of how the Church of England lost its place at the centre of English public life - now updated with new material by the authors including comments on the book's controversial first publication. The Church of England still seemed an essential part of Englishness, and even of the British state, when Mrs Thatcher was elected in 1979. The decades which followed saw a seismic shift in the foundations of the C of E, leading to the loss of more than half its members and much of its influence. In England today 'religion' has become a toxic brand, and Anglicanism something done by other people. How did this happen? Is there any way back? This 'relentlessly honest' and surprisingly entertaining book tells the dramatic and contentious story of the disappearance of the Church of England from the centre of public life. The authors – religious correspondent Andrew Brown and academic Linda Woodhead – watched this closely, one from the inside and one from the outside. That Was the Church, That Was shows what happened and explains why.

Throughout the history of English literature, church ministers have figured prominently in novels, plays, morality tales, and even poetry. Pastors in the Classics is a unique, unprecedented collection of relevant literary masterpieces in which the pastor's experience is a major part of the story. Part 1 is a reader's guide to twelve important classics written over four centuries and covering seven different nationalities. Each chapter not only describes and interprets the work in question, it also highlights a specific feature of pastoral ministry explored in the work. Part 2 is a handbook that defines the canon of literary masterpieces that deal with the pastor's experience, offering reading suggestions for both ministers and lovers of literature. From the familiar (The Canterbury Tales; Cry, the Beloved Country; and The Scarlet Letter) to the lesser-known (Silence, Witch Wood) to the surprising (A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man), this collection uncovers the good, the bad, and the ugly ways in which pastors have been presented to the reading public for the past half millennium.

Lafourche is a parish rich in history and culture known for its close-knit, family-centered communities. The towns and communities of Lafourche were settled along its namesake, Bayou Lafourche, which bisects the parish from its northern boundary to its southern boundary at the Gulf of Mexico. Because of the continuous pattern of homes and businesses built along the bayou, many refer to the bayou as the Longest Street in the World. The parish was originally inhabited by Native American tribes and later by European, African, and English settlers. Many of the residents of Lafourche can trace their ancestry back to these early settlers, strengthening the sense of community that is distinctive to southern Louisiana. The fertile bayou delta fostered small vegetable farms as well as large sugarcane plantations that continue to thrive. The numerous waterways and marshes of the parish produce bountiful catches of fish, seafood, and other wildlife, giving rise to its reputation as a sportsmen s paradise. The parish s economy is also made up of a shipbuilding industry and the onshore and offshore oil industry."