Belloc, Hilaire

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Revisiting CAutionary Tales
Dark humor and delightful drawings
What you do comes back
Completing the Edward Gorey library
Deliciously twisted

Cautionary Tales for Children
Edward Gorey , and Hilaire Belloc
Manufacturer: Harcourt
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0151007152

Book Description

Known as a central figure in English literature, Hilaire Belloc produced a number of stunning, funny, and clever admonishments for children. The tales in this volume, illustrated by the inimitable Edward Gorey, contain instructive lessons for almost everyone.
For those children prone to wandering off from their caretakers, there is the story of a certain young Jim, "who ran away from his nurse and was eaten by a lion." Those known to stretch the truth will hardly be comforted by the tale of Matilda, "who told lies and was burned to death." And as for those of us--and our children--who tend to the vainglorious, there is the sobering tale of Godolphin Horne, "who was cursed with the sin of pride and became a boot-black."
Witty, brilliant, and strikingly irreverent.

Customer Reviews:

Revisiting CAutionary Tales.......2007-05-18

This was one of the loved books of my childhood in the original edition, of course.

I hadn't seen it for a very long time and was anxious to haev a copy for my younger grandchildren. Though old people can enjoy it as well.

Now plesed to have it on my own shelves

Dark humor and delightful drawings.......2007-05-07

I got this to read to my nephews, and it did not disappoint when the time came to pick a story to read. I highly recommend this and the Gashlycrumb Tinies to anyone with children or nephews....

What you do comes back.......2006-05-03

I just gave this to a friends' one year old for her birthday. In the inscription I wrote that she ought to read and learn, as whatever she does in life will come back to haunt her. My friend thought the book hysterical. Her husband thinks we're both odd...

Completing the Edward Gorey library.......2006-01-27

JIM, who ran away from his nurse and was eaten by a lion.

It's small wonder that Edward Gorey chose to illustrate Belloc's verses, written nearly a century ago - in fact, they were such a clear and strong influence on his work, it's hard to believe he didn't write them himself. 'Cautionary Tales' is a literary work that was years ahead of its time, parodying the overtly-strict educational children's verses of the time with tales of children whose punishment is wholly disproportioned to their crime. Gorey's illustrations, published only after his death in 2000, complete the ghoulish verses with his trademark naïve and refined black and white crosshatching. Already in his seventies, Gorey has lost none of his charm and style and these illustrations are as nasty and sarcastic as anything he's done, perfectly complimenting the ironic text.

'Cautionary Tales' is the first work of Gorey's published after his death, and it's a perfect conclusion to his illustrious career, and one of his finest works. It's an essential to any fan of this great artist.

Deliciously twisted.......2005-11-18

One can imagine Edward Gorey mulling over these "Cautionary Tales",subsequently creating succinct Goreyesque illustrations for them. Then years later after presenting his family to us in "The Willowdale Handcar" he undoubtedbly mulled over ideas about families & children and came up with my personal favorite Gorey: The Gashleycrumb Tinies. If you like Gorey & you like the Tinies, you'll enjoy "Cautionary Tales".

4 stars only because I happen to like the devilishly wonderful "Tinies" better.

The Romance of Tristan and Iseult (Dover Books on Literature & Drama)

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Great Read.
Romance
Ancient Tale well told.
A timeless legend
A Keeper

The Romance of Tristan and Iseult (Dover Books on Literature & Drama)
J. Bedier
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0486440192

Book Description

This immortal tale concerns the doomed love between a knight and a princess. The heroic Tristan, nephew and champion of King Mark of Cornwall, journeys to Ireland to bring home his uncle's betrothed, the fair Iseult. Their shipboard voyage takes a tumultuous turn with a misunderstanding and a magic potion, and the lovers quickly find that there's no turning back.

Customer Reviews:

Great Read........2007-05-07

I find The Romance of Tristan and Iseult a good read for anyone interested in Medieval literature, or romance; or both for that matter. It's well ahead of its time in that it is a story of two lovers forced apart by circumstance and whose love affects others around them as well as themselves, centuries before Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet. There is only one downside I can see, though. It is the lack of description of battles in the story; the author doesn't tell much about the fights or what happens in them, only that they occured. But all in all an endearing story.

Romance.......2006-03-15

A fairy tale, mideavel romance with a dragon, a giant, love potion, murder, deciet, love, loyalty, honor, etc. This translation is beautiful. It reads like butter.

Ancient Tale well told........2006-02-17

The story of Tristan and Iseult (or Isolde) is well known through Wagner's famous opera, but this is the real tale. It isn't embellished, but instead it tells the complete tale clearly and succinctly in a manner reminiscent of the older manuscripts like Beowulf. The story (unlike the current film) does include the magic potion, a typical device of the older legends. The heart-breaking ending may be clear even in the third or fourth chapter, but getting there is a major trip to treasure. To those familiar with Wagner's names, there are some variant spellings, but they don't amount to much. Kurvenal is Gorvenal for example. A most enjoyable book.

A timeless legend.......2005-12-20

In the Arthurian Legend of Tristan and Iseult (alternatively Isolde, Yseult, Isode, Isotta, etc.), there are actually two Iseults involved with him. The first is called Iseult of Ireland, daughter of King Anguish of Ireland. She loves Tristan deeply but had been promised to King Mark of Cornwall, Tristan's uncle. The second Iseult was the daughter of Hoel of Brittany and sister of Sir Kahedin. She is called Iseult of the White Hands and is the one Tristan ended up marrying, though Tristan did not love her. When Tristan is mortally wounded, he calls for Iseult of Ireland in the hopes that she might be able to heal him. When her ship arrives, Tristan asks his wife what color the sails were (white meaning she would come, black meaning she wouldn't). The sails were white, yet Iseult of the White Hands, resentful of his love for the other Iseult, lied and Tristan passed away. When Iseult of Ireland arrives to discover her lover has died, she dies of grief next to him.

Iseult was also the name given to Tristan's grand-daughter in some versions of the legend.

She is a main character in the Tristan poems of Béroul, Thomas of Britain, and Gottfried von Strassburg. In it, she is first seen as a young princess tutored by Tristan in music and many other arts. Later, when he goes back to Ireland to win her for his uncle King Mark of Cornwall, she becomes more important because she has grown up and become more beautiful and smart. She is supposed to marry an evil steward who pretends that he has killed a dragon that Tristan killed. She eventually does not have to marry the steward byt King Mark and she embarks on a journey with Tristan to Cornwall. On the journey, she and Tristan accidentally drink a love potion Isolde's mother, also Isolde, prepared for her and Mark and was guarded by Brangane. They fall in love with no time limit on the spell.

In this work, Isolde is not that great. She is deceitful and not so nice to Brangane who is nothing but loyal to her. She sends Brangane out into the forest to be killed and when Brangane proves loyal even in the face of death, she calls her back and apologizes. She gets away with sleeping with Tristan for a long time until finally Brangane lets the proverbial cat out of the bag. She dies in despair that Tristan has died.

A Keeper.......2003-12-30

I had to read this for a history class and thought I woult dread it, but it is a very nice love story - way better than Romeo and Juliet, and did reflect the changing view of romantic love in literature of the time. I will be keeping it in my library instead of selling it back to the bookstore - and that says a lot!

The Four Men: A Farrago (Twentieth Century Classics)

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The Four Men: A Farrago (Twentieth Century Classics)
Hilaire Belloc
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0192814346

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A compelling history of the reformation
Something Protestants should read
Great Book....very insightful
A Lucid View of the Disaster (The Reformation) That Almost Ruined Europe
Makes you think!

How the Reformation Happened
Hilaire Belloc
Manufacturer: T A N Books & Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0895554658

Book Description

1928. Two historical problems are of prime importance to our race. To understand them sufficiently is to understand ourselves. To misapprehend them is to misapprehend our own nature: what made our culture and what threatens to destroy it. The first of these problems is the conversion of the Roman Empire to Catholicism. How came the pagan world to be baptized? What made Christendom? The second is the disaster of the 16th century. How came Christendom to suffer shipwreck? What made the Reformation? It is the second question which Belloc approaches in this book.

Customer Reviews:

A compelling history of the reformation.......2007-05-01

Mr. Belloc is one of the greatest Catholic historians of our time. He provides a compelling Catholic perspective to the tragedy that was the Protestant Reformation that secular (and "official") historians miss. He wrote this book in 1928 and his dire predictions regarding the fruit of the reformation for Western Civilization are, sadly, coming true.

Something Protestants should read.......2006-09-07

The other written reviews hit the nail on the head so I won't waste time restating their good work. As a convert from Lutheran to Catholic I bought this book to learn more about the change I'd made. After reading this I was firmly convinced I made the best decison one could make in a lifetime. If your a Protestant you owe it to yourself to understand your own history. And and accurate, full history, not a jaded one presented by most Protestant historians. As I was, you've been lead down the very destructive path of living a realitive life, one where your soul has been improperly seperated from the Church. Belloc clearly shows how Protestantism has lead to Industrial Capitalism and also the very destructive modern way of living a life based on Realitivism according the the structure presented by the Frenchman John Calvin. The Reformation was clearly destructive to the unity that Christianty had invested 1,500 years in building.

Great Book....very insightful.......2006-08-09

Belloc, an English historian, is known for his views on Western civilization. Catholicism has played a HUGE part in forming culture and morals in the West. No one can argue that. However, many will shy away from the ideas presented in this particular work because it presents an uncomfortable theory: with the disruption and shattering of Christian unity came a disruption and shattering of Western civilization. This disruption did not occur at one time. Rather, it happened with each of the major heresies - each one attacking one facet of Christian - and therefore Western - civilization.

I think this book is a great counter to the historical revisionism occurring in our age.

A Lucid View of the Disaster (The Reformation) That Almost Ruined Europe.......2006-06-04

Hilaire Belloc's HOW THE REFORMATION HAPPENED is a well written and lucid view of the destructive effects of the Reformation. Belloc presents a clear, uncluttred view of the events prior to and during the Reformation. Readers who are interested in Belloc's thesis should also read his other books if they appreciate lucid thinking and clear concise writing.

Belloc's introduction to this book presents a more accurate view of the Papacy during the 15th and early 16th centuries (the 1400s and early 1500s). Far from the usual apprehensively conventionally written textbooks, Belloc gives the actual status of what some may call the Renaissance Papacy. Belloc makes clear that some of these Popes were Italian loyalists and were indeed encumbered with their political duties as well as their Holy Office. Belloc is clear that lurid stories about the "wicked" Pope Alexander VI(1492-1503) are simply bogus nonsense. One should note that Pople Alexander VI was a champion to Jews who almost hailed him as a patron saint.

Another good point that Belloc makes is that these popes faced two challenges the origins of which were well beyond their control. These popes and other Catholic authorities were adversely affected by the Black Death and the threat of Turkish invasions in Eastern and Central Europe. Political differences in Germany which led to the start of the Reformation prevented Catholic authorities from meeting the very lethal Turkish menace with any unity.

The events in Northern Germany beginning in 1517 are well diagnosed by Belloc. While many Protestants hail Luther's posting of his 95 Theses on October 31, 1517 as a unique event in history, this view is exaggerated and false. For a university teacher to post theses to a Catholic Church door or podium for public debate emerged in the Middle Ages c 1000 AD. This event of itself was not unique at all. The problem in Northern Germany and other areas of Europe was the fact that the nobility were eager to loot Catholic Church land and wealth and only need a pretext to do so. The early German Reformation was based on greedy nobility eager to loot Catholic Church wealth and the peasants eager to loot anyone they could. What is sad is that Martin Luther urged the peasants to rebel, but he switched sides and then urged the Northern German princes to massacre the peasants. There is good reason for this change. Luther knew that the Northern German pricnes were protecting him, and for Luther to be accused of aiding and abetting the peasants would be fatal to him. One should also note that both Catholic Church officials and the Catholic German Emperor had the very real threat of Turkish invasions which was a serious enough threat that even Luther acknowledged this threat. An excellent point that Belloc makes is that Luther did not start the Reformation as he and his supporters were swept by political events in Northern Germany

When dealing with the English Reformation which began with the reign of Henry VIII (1509-1547), Belloc proves his thesis that the English Reformation had nothing to do with any religious motivation. The facts that led to this Reformation were Henry VIII's marital problems and the attempt to get Pope Clement VII(1523-1534)to annul Henry VIII's lawful marriage to Catherine of Aragon. Henry VIII and his cowardly clergy did this dirty work. Readers may interested in knowing that Henry VIII's marriage to Anne Bolyn may have been an incestous marriage. There is good reason to believe that Anne Bolyn was the daugher of one of Henry VIII's mistresses. The English nobility supported Henry VIII in return for the right to loot the Catholic Church's land and weathl. By the time of the reign of Elizabeth I (1558-1603), the English nobility had enriched themselves while the English monarchs were impoverished. To paraphrase Belloc, Elizabeth did not so much give her nobility wealth as they they took it from her.

Events in Reformation France were in part based on the French nobility's allying themselves with Calvin's (1509-1564)ideas and their desire to gain control of the French monarch and Catholic Church wealth. From 1572 to 1598, the French were torn by civil war and assassination. Many apprehensively conventional historians exaggerate the St. Bartholomew Day Massacre in 1572 as the epitome of French Catholic wickedness. Yet as Belloc shows the numbers of those killed has been grossly exaggerated. Most historians do not reveal that the French Protestants had committed atrocities and massacres before the St. Barthlomew Massacre occured.

Belloc presents a convenient arguement that 1559 was a year of possible conflict in the Netherlands and France. This year was the year that Europeans started civil war within their borders and with rulers of other monarchies. In other words, the Reformation intensified civil wars and dynastic rivalries in a way that the Europeans had not experienced since the disintegration of the Roman Empire.

Belloc has a good treatment of Dutch Calvinists and their followers. He compares these religious fanatics with the 20th century Bolsheviks who destroyed any reminder of religion, civilization, any decency, etc. In other words, religious fanaticism coupled with poltical expediency made events in the Low Countries very destructive.

Belloc's assessment of the Counter Reformation is good. Many unthinking criticisms are not a aware of the effective Catholic response to the Reformation. The Catholic authorities renewed the Faith during the Council of Treant (1545-1563) which invigorated their Faith and was supported by successful reforms and expansion of the Catholic universities. The work of Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556) and the Jesuits speaks for itself. These men were effective as missionaries a teachers and even their most severe critics could never accuse the Jesuits of bad teaching. As an aside, Protestant leaders exerted their utmost to get their children accepted into Jesuit schools and universities.

Belloc assesses the events in the French Civil War (1572-1598)and the Thirty Years War (1618-1648)as a draw between Protestants and Catholics. The Reformation pitted the Catholic Church against European political aspirations. One should note that Protestnat rulers had to take control of the "theology" of Protestant leaders to get religious uniformity. One should note that the Protestant "reformers" hated each other as much as they hated Catholics. One of the major reasons the Protestants had to be silenced at the Council of Trent was that their own doctrinal disputes were so bad that the Catholic leaders had to silence them due to their own (Protestant)differences which were childish at best.

The Reformation led to religous persecution especially in Protestant lands, attacks on science especially in Protestant areas, renewal of witchcraft trials the last of which were held in Protestant areas. awful wars that began as religious wars, etc. The concept of corporate Europe was ruined. Poor people were destroyed as their "safety net" of Catholic charity was destroyed. This reviewer could write volumes on the destructive nature of the Reformation.

Hilaire Belloc wrote a good book that is quite readable. He gives the reader insight into important events and does not waste his time with historical trivia. A good companion book is titled A HISTORY OF THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION IN ENGLAND AND IRELAND written by William Cobbett who was not Catholic. Belloc gives readers a thoughtful response to the poorly written books and propaganda that are accepted as truth. Those who do not appreciate the historical importance of the Catholic Church would either learn something or suffer from culture shock.

Makes you think!.......2005-12-20

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Good and thorough
Extremely relevant in light of current events
Review from the Publisher
Clarifying a misunderstood period of history
A superb analysis of the 1st crusade.

The Crusades: The World's Debate
Hilaire Belloc
Manufacturer: T A N Books & Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Customer Reviews:

Good and thorough.......2004-01-02

This book is a very good and thorough examination of the Crusades and why Europe lost by explaining in an almost scene by scene replay of the event. Belloc was suportive of the Crusades and believed even back when he wrote this (at least 80 years ago) that the Muslims would retaliate once more and look who was right! Brilliant but at times it begins to drag.

Extremely relevant in light of current events.......2002-03-29

First of all, though the title of this book is The Crusades (plural), it deals predominantly with the 1st Crusade - the only one to successfully restore Jerusalem and the holy places to Christian rule. Belloc dismisses the succession of further crusading efforts as failed attempts to regain what was lost at Hattin in 1187 AD. His analysis of why the original Crusade succeeded in setting up a Christian kingdom in Palestine for nearly 100 years is spot on. His opinion on why the kingdom eventually failed is fairly perceptive as well. He hammers the point that if the Crusaders had only succeeded in capturing Damascus, the effort may not have crumbled at all. The main weakness in Belloc's thesis is his acceptance of social Darwinist theories that today seem rather antiquated.

Yet this does not take away from the perceptive and often prophetic observations he makes on the relationship between the Christian West and the Muslim East. To whet your appetite, here's a quote that's amazingly relevant, considering the recent atrocities:

"There is with us [in the West] a complete chaos in religious doctrine.... We worship ourselves, we worship the nation; or we worship (some few of us) a particular economic arrangement believed to be the satisfaction of social justice....Islam has not suffered this spiritual decline; and in the contrast between [our religious chaos and] the religious certitudes still strong throughout the Mohammedan world ... lies our peril."

The book is an excellent place to start for anyone looking to brush up on their history of this often misunderstood era. If you love this sort of stuff, might I suggest that you also give Angels in Iron by Nicholas Prata a shot. It's a historical fiction account of the other end of the crusading era - the Great Siege of Malta of 1565.

Review from the Publisher.......2001-03-08

Belloc shows that the Crusades were a titanic struggle between Christian civilization (threatened both in the Holy Land and in Europe itself) and "the Turk," savage Mongols who had embraced Islam. He explains the practical reasons why the Crusaders initially succeeded and why they ultimately failed--then he predicts the re-emergence of Islam, since Christendom failed to destroy it in the 12th century. Makes history come alive and gives a rare, true appreciation of Christendom and of our Catholic forefathers!

Clarifying a misunderstood period of history.......2000-05-04

The Crusades are one the most misunderstood events of history with the common 20th century perception placing them among such infamous incidents as the Holocaust. But Belloc offers here a new view of the Crusades, and specifically the First Crusade, trying to convey to the reader an understanding of the 12th century mindset that propelled the epic quest.

If the reader is seeking a comprehensive review of all four Crusades (or more depending on the historian doing the counting), he would do better looking for another tome, because Belloc concentrates his efforts on the First Crusade, which was arguably the most successful since the result was the capture of a majority of the Holy Land and Jerusalem for nearly a century, a feat never later repeated.

Writing in 1937, Belloc manages a prescient guess at the import of the events he relates, warning that Islam would once again rise to confront the European, Christian states. This was before the rise of Islamic fundamentalism in the 1970s, before the end of Europe's domination of the Arabic world through colonization, and a decade before Israel was carved out of Palestine after the end of World War II.

Belloc's first achievement is to describe the state of feudal Europe at the beginning of the second millennium of Christ, showing the tenuous hold of the various kings over their nominal subjects and describing how the real secular powers, the feudal dukes and counts, had become so after inheriting their domains through the centuries from the former Roman governors who held the lands as the empire crumbled.

The feudal mindset was crucial to the initial success and eventual failure of the crusades to accomplish their goal of holding the Holy Lands and denying them to Islam. The inability to coordinate militarily with others of near-equal rank, the jockeying for power, and the lack of a strategic view all eventually came to mean the loss of Jerusalem. Belloc takes great pains to describe how various military decisions contributed to both wins and losses for the Crusaders and shows how the decision not to take Damascus when it was available at the start of the Crusade eventually resulted in the final defeat at Hattin.

Contrary to current myths, the Crusades were not a simple bloody campaign by Christian knights against the peaceful Muslims of the Middle East. The truth is always more complex than the one-sentence explanation. Rather, the Crusades were an attempt to stop the marauding attacks on unarmed pilgrims making religious visits to the Holy Land. It also shored up the Byzantine Empire after the terrible defeat at Manzikert in 1071 at the hands of the Asian Muslim "Turks". The Crusades freed native Christians of the Middle East from their oppressive Muslim masters.

Did the Crusaders do things that would seem un-Christian to us? Does the seeming bloodthirstiness of both sides make us uneasy? Yes to both questions, but Belloc's gift is to make his readers understand that not everything can be judged fairly through 20th century eyes. We must understand the people of the time and their thinking to understand the why's and how's.

Bottom Line : The Crusades is a good book. I was surprised at its emphasis on military and political matters over the religious issues, but it was a pleasant surprise, because the topics became fascinating. I do wish the book contained more maps and diagrams, especially of the battles since my ability to diagram the events in my mind is limited. And the unflattering references to Islam and Muslims by Belloc sometimes made me cringe as I imagine how they would play in these politically correct times. But overall, the book accomplishes its goal of explaining the who, what, where, when, why, and how of the First Crusade.

A superb analysis of the 1st crusade........1997-01-24

Belloc published this book in 1937, when he was in his late 60s. He had obviously mastered a great wealth of historical material, and wrote clearly and succinctly. His fundamental point was that the first crusade had no clear strategy other than to recapture Jerusalem for Christendom, and failed to see the overarching strategic importance of taking and holding Damascus. Once this was realized, the bulk of the crusaders had returned to Europe and the manpower to accomplish it was no longer available. This led to the crucial defeat at Hattin in 1187, and the following crusades failed to improve the situation with efforts too little, too late. Careful estimates of armed strength in the first crusade, and penetrating analysis of events add to the splendid character of a first-rate work of historical analysis.

Characters of the Reformation: Historical Portraits of the 23 Men and Women and Their Place in the Great Religious Revolution of the 16th Century

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Great Read for those who are making the full circuit Catholic to Evangelical to Reformed
The Reformation Viewed by the Character or Lack of Character of Some of the Leaders
Finally the Truth!
Wonderful!
A Dissenting Opinion

Characters of the Reformation: Historical Portraits of the 23 Men and Women and Their Place in the Great Religious Revolution of the 16th Century
Hilaire Belloc
Manufacturer: T A N Books & Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0895554666

Book Description

Perhaps the most fascinating book ever written by this great Catholic historian. Here in bold, living colors Belloc sketches the destructive results of the greed, lust, weakness, tenacity, blindness, fear and indecision of 23 famous men and women of the Protestant Reformation period, analyzing their strengths, mistakes, motives and deeds which changed the course of history. Belloc cites Anne Boleyn, not the weak-willed Henry VIII as the "pivot figure" of the English Reformation, for it was her iron will to be Queen which started the movement. He describes Cromwell, the monastery looter and destroyer, as "the true creator of the English Reformation." He shows how the crafty William Cecil accomplished the task of "digging up the Catholic Faith by the roots" and "crushing out the Mass from English soil." Belloc also highlights the fatal error of Cardinal Richelieu in putting France before Catholicism and thus torpedoing Europe's last great chance of keeping Christendom united. Belloc warns that this breakup of Christendom may still destroy our Christian civilization. Even those who think they do not like history will be unable to put this book down. Brings history vividly to life!

Customer Reviews:

Great Read for those who are making the full circuit Catholic to Evangelical to Reformed .......2007-03-18

Interesting to read if you have looked at church from both sides now...

The Reformation Viewed by the Character or Lack of Character of Some of the Leaders.......2006-07-09

Hilaire Belloc' CHARACTERS OF THE REFORMATION is an informative book that explains the religious upheaval through the individuals who either supported it or tried to stop it. Belloc is very clear that most of those who supported the Reformation were motivated more by greed and desire for political power rather than any religious conviction.

Belloc begins this study with a background of the Reformation, and explains how the Reformers and those opposed to the Reformation responded to the disunity of the Catholic Church. The historical background is important in that each of those who supported the different "reform" movements conform to the general direction of the Reformation. This early section of the book is important to comprehending the remainder of the book.

Belloc's sections regarding Henry VIII (1509-1547) is instructive. Henry VIII was an intelligent, vibrant man when he first took power in 1509. Yet, due to Henry VIII's lust, he ruined both the Catholic Church in England and his own life because of sexually transmitted diseases. Many uninformed Protestants argue that Henry VIII's break with the Catholic Church was due to his attempt at annulment from his wife, Catherine of Aragon. Belloc destroys this myth. Henry VIII's desire for Anne Bolyn was the reason for his break with the Catholic Church. Readers should also note that Henry VIII considered himself a good Catholic, and he merely replaced the Pope with himself. Henry VIII kept the Sacraments and Liturgy of the Catholic Church. What Henry VIII had to do to keep support of his nobility and members of Parliament was to either sanction or at least turn a blind eye to these people literally looting the Catholic Church's wealth and property including universities, orphanges, farm land, monastaries, etc. This is just one example of how greed was the basis of the English Reformation. Henry VIII's mental instability is reflected in his incrasing cruelty which he thought was power.

Belloc's portrayal of Thomas Cromwell (1485-1540)is one of the best this reviewer has ever read. Cromwell became extremely wealthy and increasingly greedy as he helped Henry VIII and the English nobility loot the Catholic Church's wealth. Belloc states that Cromwell had not religious convictions and was in the English Reformation "for the money" and the political power he gained. This may have been Cromwell's undoing. Cromwell antagonized members of Parliament and especially the English nobility who had the ear of Henry VIII. In other words Cromwell made too many enemies which resulted in the parliamentarians passing a bill of attainder requiring the death penalty.

Belloc presents Thomas More (1478-1535)as a man of honor, courage, and decency. Thomas More was appointed Lord High Chancellor, but More has scruples and religious convictions that could not be shaken. St. Thomas More conceded position, wealth, power, and eventually his life to keep the Faith. More was an intelligent man whose intellect gave him the direction he needed to keep the Faith. One should note that More had doubts about his firm convictions, but he never wavered even when he faced the prospect of execution after a rigged trial. One should note that Mary Queen of Scots was convicted after a rigged trial where she was not permitted to present evidence that would have exonerated her. Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603)did not want the execution to take place, but she was so politically compromised by her parliamentarians and nobility who supported the Reformation to keep their loot that she was powerless to stop the execution.

Belloc also presents some of the European Reformation characters. This is an interesting section of the book. For example, Belloc presents the French Cardinal Richleau (1585-1642)as advisor to King Louis XIII (1610-1643)as one who stifled the Reformation in France but abetted it in other areas of Europe. Richleau moved to severely limit the French Protestants, but he helped subsidize the Protestant King of Sweden Gustavus Adolphus (1611-1632)during the Thirty Year War (1618-1648). This war may show that the Reformation became increasingly political. Richleau helped reduce the power of the Catholic Hapsburgs in Germany and Spain by enlisting Protestant support. Richleau feared Hapsburgh power against France more than he feared the Reformation. As an aside, King Gustavus Adolphus may have been the only ruler who was a fanatical Protestant, and his soldiers were very brutal in their massacres of Catholics. His death on the battlefield in 1632 may have been unintended justice.

Belloc's incluson of Rene Descartes (1596-1650) and Pascal (1623-1662)may have been overdrawn. Belloc chides Descartes for placing to much emphasis on reason, and Belloc condemns Pascal for his emphasis on emotion. By the time these two men wrote philosophy, the Reformation and Counter-Reformation had exhausted Europe, and their ideas were not that much of a factor. Yet, Belloc gives his readers good accounts of both men's ideas.

Belloc gives accounts of other Reformation figures which readers should follow. Belloc should have presented studies of Martin Luther (1483-1546) and St. Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556). These men were "major players" during the Reformation and Counter-Reformation. This would have effectively enhanced his study.

Hilaire Belloc wrote a solid book. Even though one may disagree with him, Belloc's lucid writing style should attract readers' attention. Belloc states his thesis that the Reformation was much more a politcal and economic phenomena than religious. He cites the individuals who were notable figures, and he explains their motives in light of historical developments and subsequent events. This reviewer highly recommends this book.

Finally the Truth!.......2006-02-04

After several people at my church advised me repeatedly to read Belloc, I finally complied. I am very happy that I did. Hillaire Belloc lays bare the sordid motivations of the Protestant "Reformers" and proceeds to rake them over hot coals. It is very easy to complain about priestly corruption, but if you seize land from monasteries, sell the lead from the stain glass windows, and keep the profits, you gain a great deal of money and power. Although Belloc tends to be very "Anglo-centric," his conclusions are very well supported. According to him, England's Protestant regime was so influential in exporting Protestantism through arms sales, money, and military advisors that if England had not become Protestant, the whole revolt would eventually have fizzled out. This is not to say that he never covers other nations. His descriptions of Germany, Scotland, Sweden, and the failed attempts to impose Calvinism on France make for fascinating reading. For those of us brought up with the "traditonal" interpretation of the "REformation," Belloc proves invaluable. To all you Catholics out there, I say "Read this book!!!"

Wonderful!.......2005-04-04

This is a beautifully written and fascinating account of the twenty-three main protagonists of Reformation Europe, from Henry VIII to Louis XIV. Belloc includes incredible detail around the lives and times of such as William Cecil and his dwarfish son, Robert, the true rulers of Elizabethan England. This book further expands on Belloc's theory, first put forth in "How the Reformation Happened", that the Reformation was really a rising of the rich against the poor. Belloc provides startling revelations relative to the looting of Church properties in Reformation England that led its looters to becoming the new landed gentry, who then ran the Parliament and ultimately usurped the throne of England with the elevation of William III, of Orange. This work is outstanding and essential. I recommend reading Belloc's "How the Reformation Happened" first and then reading this great book.

To read Belloc is to have the feeling of listening to a remarkably wise and talented story teller, who has the patience and grace to speak to you from his heart relative to matters about which you should care deeply. Before reading Belloc, I do not think I truly understood European history. Thanks to his wonderful work, I feel as if I am beginning to discern the great truths of this all important saga of human history.

A Dissenting Opinion.......2005-01-21

I appear to be the only Protestant reviewer of this book, so my opinion is bound to be from another angle -- but in addition, I am a professional historian and book reviewer, and I found this book unforgivably biased. From an historical standpoint, Belloc's facts are frequently off kilter. For example, in his explication of Anne Boleyn he declares that it was Anne herself who broke her engagement to Henry Percy, heir to the Earl of Northumberland, when she "found she had a chance of higher game." This assertion alone is sheer nonsense, since Cardinal Wolsey's chronicler and servant tells us that Wolsey himself commanded Percy, then a member of his household, to break off the engagement, in spite of Percy's protests, and that Anne was so infuriated over this that she vowed to work the Cardinal an injury if it ever came within her power. Like many historians -- particularly those of an anti-Protestant bias -- he is unwilling to see Anne as anything but a scheming, social-climbing wench, when there is a great deal of evidence to the contrary. Perhaps this point may seem trivial, but in the historical scheme of things, it tells us a great deal about Anne's character -- much of which Belloc is determined to malign without factual basis.

The entire book is so intensely anti-Protestant in its bias that Belloc allows practically no room for the possibility that some characters of the English Reformation might have been sincere in their beliefs, rather than just opportunists and power-mongers. Belloc reveals his prejudice in his very first chapter, The Nature of Reformation, when he laments the fact that much of Europe turned Protestant in the 16th and 17th centuries, particularly England, and opines that had Roman Catholicism remained in power the continent would not be in the mess it's in today. This is not a history, it's a piece of blatant propaganda, and no one, Catholic, Protestant, atheist or otherwise should depend on it as an historical authority. Read a variety of sources, sift and ponder, and then come to your own conclusions -- don't take Belloc's word for it, unless you're looking for an undergirding for an entirely biased look at history. Belloc almost sounds as if he could become wistful and nostalgic over people like Archbishop Bonner or the Spanish Inquisition.

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The Catholic Faith Made European Civilization and May Yet Save It
Western Civilization is the Faith
Masterful writing, fair analysis, weak history. 2 and 1/2 *
The Deep Roots of Rome
Catholic Christianity and Roman Civilization...

Europe and the Faith
Hilaire Belloc
Manufacturer: T A N Books & Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

What followed was a whole series of generations in which the forms of civilization were set and crystallized in a few very simple, traditional and easily appreciated types. The whole standard of Europe was lowered to the level of its fundamentals, as it were. The primary arts upon which we depend for our food and drink, and raiment and shelter survived intact. The secondary arts reposing upon these, failed and disappeared almost in proportion to their distance from fundamental necessities of our race. History became no more than a simple chronicle. Letters, in the finer sense, almost ceased.

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The Catholic Faith Made European Civilization and May Yet Save It.......2006-08-05

Hilaire Belloc's EUROPE AND THE FAITH is a concise historical account of how the Catholic Church authorities and teachers helped save European Civilization through two "Dark Ages" and perserved Ancient Greek and Roman Civilization. Belloc briefly explains how Catholics enhanced that civilization and kept Europe relatively stabilized.

Belloc explains how the Europeans still benefit from Catholic institutions and thinking. He gives readers an insight why the Ancient Romans, for all of their faults, were important to European civilization. The Romans taught "Europeans" civil engineering, law, letters, administration, etc. One should note that the Catholic Church preserved such achievements once the Catholic authorities were recognized and acquired some political control.

Belloc's explaination of the "Fall of the Roman Empire" is interesting. The Roman Empire did not collapse via barbarian invasions. The fact is that those men whose armies defeated other Roman armies considered themselves Romans. These men may have had Gothic or Germanic names but considered themselves Roman. These were men who were recruited by the Romans, and these men considered themselves Roman. For example, Alaric whose soldiers looted the city of Rome c. 410 AD, was a Roman commanded whose troops stopped an invasion of Germans. When Alaric and men were not paid, he looted the Rome to satisfy what was owed. Roman commanders whether they had Latin, Gothic, or Germanic names, would have never considered attacking the "empire." They would and did fight for control within the Roman Empire. Belloc makes this very clear.

One should note that when Atilla the Hun (c.450-454 AD)and his forces were defeated at the Battle of Chalons in 451, there were Latins, Goths, etc., who fought against the Huns whom they considered as outside invaders. Again, these men who fought against the Huns considered themselves Romans.

During the first "Dark Ages," (c.500-800), the Ancient Roman Empire did not collapse nor was invaded so much as local rulers of the Roman Empire carved areas of control for themselves due to lack of a strong central government in Rome. The men of this era known as "The Dark Ages" kept Roman Law, the Latin language, Roman administration, etc. The Catholic monks and authorities kept these united to a limited degree because these men were or became Catholic. The earliest Catholic monks preserved old Roman learning which is why European Civilization survived.

Belloc briefly describes the situaiton on the British Isles whereby the Irish adhered to the Faith which they helped to extend to England. The other impact of the Catholic Church in England in the sixth and seventh centuries came from the European continent and from the Papacy in Rome. The latter influence dominated the Anglo-Saxons for centuries.

Belloc gives brief mention of the importance of the Catholic Church in the Middle Ages (c1000-1350). The Crusades galvanized Catholic Europeans against the force of Islam. The Moslems were culturally advanced, and they were successful in expanding the religion of Islam. Belloc contends that the Crusades were a continuation of previous clashes between Europeans and Moslems which is accurate. The Crusades put the Europeans on the offensive and protected the Europeans.

Belloc gives a short explanation of Medieval Universities and the rich use of reason in Scholatic philosophy. Brief mention if given to the work of St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)whom Belloc gives high praise. This may have been the acme of Catholic thought. Contrary to popular notions, Medieval teachers and students were intellectually active. One should know that the Popes and other Catholic authorities were unusually tolerant of these men.

Belloc's explanation of the Reformation is solid. He is clear that the Catholic authorities made a bad impression on the faithful. Belloc cites the sterility of fifteenth century teachers and students who were often referred to as Nominalists because of their concern over "names" rather than ideas and important issues. Such intellectual sterility and corruption was bound to cause a protest. The Catholic authorites had faced such challenges before, but during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, they remained immune until the time was too late. Belloc also mentions that the religious enthusiasm and the desire of men to loot the Catholic Church were the reasons for the Reformation.

Belloc's explanation of the English Reformation is useful. The English monarchs, beginning with Henry VIII (1509-1547), had no idea of breaking with the Faith. However, once they did, the English nobility and middle class took advantage of the monarchs' weaknesses and manipulated them to their economic advantage at the expense of most Englishment.

Belloc diagnoses the results of this. One thing that Belloc makes clear is that there was/is no Protestant creed. In fact, the Protestant "Reformers" hated each other as much if not more than they hated Catholics. This is the reason the Protestant crowned heads made theology to avoid internal dissention. This lack of a creed has resulted in loss of values, economic averace, skepticism, and loss of coherent thought. In effect, many Europeans have lost direction and their civilization.

Belloc's book is highly recommended. His book should be on the shelf of every serious Catholic. Belloc should have given more emphasis to the Catholic Counter-Reformation and especially St. Ignatius (1491-1556) and the Jesuits as an example of Catholic renewal. Yet, this book is well worth reading and is thoughtful.

Western Civilization is the Faith.......2005-09-13

Throughout Hilaire Belloc's wonderful essay, he returns to his thesis: The Faith is Europe. And Europe is the Faith. Writing in early twentieth century England, with Europe the center of civilized consciousness, his thesis certainly rang true. Nearly a century later, his work and its theme still have profound relevance. For it is likely only a return to the Faith that can now save us.

Reading Belloc is a joy, whether you agree with him, or not. His writing reflects a scientist's precision, a philospher's discernment, a kindly friend's good humor, and an artist's awesome talent.

There is perhaps not a better overview of the history of European and Western Civilization extant than Belloc's "Europe and the Faith". Its truths are timeless. And its presentation is savory. But a certain caution is required. Reading Belloc can be addictive. However, as addictions go, "Old Thunder" is a good one. Read Belloc, and be prepared for a wondrous ride. For the Faith is Europe; and Europe is the Faith.

Masterful writing, fair analysis, weak history. 2 and 1/2 *.......2005-02-21

The subject says it all. Belloc is a master with words; I love reading him no matter his opinion. It is like sitting down listening to a friend who can express himself quite well.

His speculations are quite interesting, such as his idea about the fall of the Roman Empire, that it was simply a transition and not a fall. Many have tried to make the case but few so eloquently, albeit unsuccessfully. His assertion that the Roman Empire "in its maturity accepted the Christian faith" is breathtaking in its brashness, if not borne out by the facts. Oh sure, the people of the empire eventually "accepted" Christianity in place of their traditional faiths, accepted it being imposed by the point of a sword and law. There weren't many willing conversions of the heart after Constantine (and before Constantine the number of Christians in most parts of the empire were negligible).

This leads into why this book only receives two and a half stars. Belloc is an apologist, not an historian and he doesn't let little things like facts get in the way of his positions. He gets so many things wrong about the ancient world that I was forced to wonder how much he got wrong about the later periods that I'm not as well versed in. I found the latter parts of the book much more convincing perhaps for just that reason, he just didn't know his history of the Roman empire that well or chose to overlook things (actually in another of his works that I've read he says the apologist SHOULD overlook inconvenient facts).

Belloc's thesis is that the Catholic faith is Europe and Europe is the Catholic faith. He also claims that Rome is and was the bedrock of Western civilization even before Christianity was imposed on it. He makes the latter point--the importance of Rome--much more convincingly than he does the importance of Christianity to Western civilization. Europe, Rome and Western civilization existed long before Christianity. It now appears we will find out if it will survive without it.

Ancient Rome rapidly crumbled without its ancient "pagan" faith in the latter 4th and 5th centuries. It remains to be seen if we will do the same and crumble without our former faith or if we will find another way. Belloc's work is interesting if you view the situation with such a long-term view, albeit not one he would approve of.

This is the weakest of Belloc's books I've read--the Crusades is the best and deserves 4 or 5 stars (if I get around to reviewing it). This clearly rates two to three stars. I probably would have gone with my initial instinct to give this three stars but after reading the uncritical reviews others wrote of this book, two stars it is for balance. Read Belloc by all means but don't take him entirely seriously.

The Deep Roots of Rome.......2004-11-28

This is a look at European history from 20,000 feet. Belloc describes four major transitional periods:
1. From pagan to Christian Rome during the Empire.
2. From Empire to Dark Ages.
3. From Dark Ages to Middle Ages.
4. From Middle Ages to Reformation.
Among the important themes Belloc highlights:
1. Roman tradition and influence runs deeply and continuously through European history. By so demonstrating, he debunks the myth of the "master race"--a popular theme among his intellectual contemporaries. Pity so few listened to him.
2. It was the Catholic Church that held Europe together through the centuries, the glue of our civilization. In his own words, "Europe is the church, and the Church is Europe."

I found his analysis of Empire to Dark Ages particularly helpful. Belloc makes good sense out of the period's confusingly intertwined barbarian and Roman influences and its complex political and military dynamics. Bottom line: the Roman Empire was never conquered from without; in reality, it changed gradually but profoundly from within, all the while retaining its vital social and spiritual roots.

Belloc's review of the Reformation, especially Britain's leading role in destroying the Unity of Faith, makes for sad, surprising and sobering reading even today. (For a much fuller and yet more moving treatment, read Belloc's "How the Reformation Happened.")

For Belloc, the European ideal came during the Middle Ages, when people were unified in faith and hungered for truth more than riches. By his day, Europe had reached new lows of disunity, sophistry, and capitalist greed. Belloc was one of the few prominent thinkers to see these evils early on and predict their awful consequences. Although his subject was history, I think Belloc was writing with an eye to the future, in the hope that we might understand the errors of our past and correct them before too late.

Catholic Christianity and Roman Civilization..........2003-12-09

This old classic by English Catholic author/historian Hilaire Belloc provides a Catholic response to modernist and Protestant polemics against the Church. Belloc shows that the Catholic Church was essential in perserving the knowledge and greatness of pagan antiquity, insuring that after the "fall" of the Roman Empire, European civilization would have another springtime (in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance).

Another central part of Belloc's thesis is that the Roman Empire never really "fell" to "superior" barbarian hordes as it has been presented in some textbooks. In fact, the Roman Empire absorbed all tribes who came to then for the benefits of civilization. Out of this New Barbarian Order came feudal Europe, formed by classical learning and Christianized by the Catholic church. In the Dark Ages, the faith preserved this civilization while it was under attack from the Muslims, Magyars and Vikings in succession. It was in these centuries that the seeds that would later flower in the Middle Ages and Renaissance were nurtured and protected.

Belloc concludes by showing the devestating impact (personal, economic and in government) that the Reformation had on European civilization (a thesis that he explores in greater detail in How The Reformation Happened and Characters of the Reformation). He proclaims the chief of effect of the Reformation was "the isolation of the soul" and chief by-product was a progressive sense of dispair. He then boldly states that Europe's former glory will be confined exclusively to history textbooks unless the continent returns to the Faith that shepherded and nurished its greatness.

I felt that this, like all of Belloc's books, was an excellent read that boldly defends Catholic truth and explodes many of the Protestant assumptions that are still latent in American and Northern European civilization over 80 years after the book's publication.

Great Heresies
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A Vital Piece of History

Insightful and Prophetical

Spans the centuries with truth we need to hear.

THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE ERRORS THAT ASSAIL IT

Hilaire Belloc was 100% right about Islam.

Great Heresies
Hilaire Belloc
Manufacturer: T A N Books & Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Customer Reviews:

A Vital Piece of History.......2007-02-10

Hilaire Belloc begins his book by justifying its existence. Modern education and thought largely ignore religion, particularly the parts that unfolded in what we label "The Middle Ages". But Belloc has some inconvenient facts for us. The history of civilization is the history of religion. A society rises or falls by the strength of its individuals; those individuals rise and fall by the strength of their religion. To understand the past, grasp the present, and know the future, we must know religion. The one religion that has stood at the center of human history is the Catholic Church. And to take the measure of that religion, we must look at the challenges it has faced and overcome.

Belloc's spare, straightforward prose takes us through a whirlwind tour of five heresies that the Church defeated. The Arian Heresy denied the full divinity of Jesus. It was rejected by Church leaders, but survived in the Roman Army for much longer. The Albigsenean attack came later, during the High Middle Ages. It was an attack not just on theology but on the fundamental nature of reality. The end product of denying reality was an obsession with intense experience, such as bizarre rituals involving fire-worship. Fortunately for us, both of these notions passed into the dustbin of history.

The chapter on Islam is the longest and the most illuminating. Belloc begins it by unerlining the fact that Islam was a heresy. It was not a brand new religion, but a corruption and oversimplification of the Christian doctrine that the Prophet Mohammed learned in Syria. But more importantly, Belloc focuses on the social environment where Islam first rose. A massive underclass in the decaying Persian and Byzantine Empires toiled under the restrictions of the upper class. Among these oppressed, the nascent Islamic movement found willing support for its doctrine of total equality and total submission to God.

We all view Islam as decaying, stagnant, and backwards-looking. We rarely remember that until about three centuries ago, Islam dominated the world with the most advanced technology, thought, and political systems. Belloc does. He enjoins us to remember that almost into the 18th century, the Muslim hordes were knocking on the doors of Central Europe, and that Vienna was only saved by a last-minute intervention by the Poles. (It happened, in a delightful historical twist, on September 11.) In 1938 Belloc saw an Islam that was down but not out; he predicted that it would soon be knocking impolitely on Europe's door again. A far-fetched prediction at the time, this has now come true, and Belloc knows why. Islam thrives on social injustice; when westerners decided to prop up oil-wealthy shieks throughout the Arab world, they created the exact conditions in which the Muslim message can rally the masses.

Thr fourth and probably least popular chapter is "What was the Reformation?" Belloc acknowledgeed that by the 16th century, the Catholic Church was badly in need of a correction. Yet the cure, as so often happens, may be worse than the disease. He emphasized that Martin Luther aimed to fix the Church from within. It was only John Calvin who insisted on breaking away and forming a new church with a radically different theological basis. Belloc predicted that the Protestant world would lose its vitality and join the secular world. Again, time has proved him right; Protestantism remains strong in the USA but throughout northern Europe the churches are disintegrating.

And that leads us to the final chapter, "The Modern Attack". Secularism is the first heresy to try overthrowing all the building blocks of Christianity. In denies not only the supremacy of God but also the need for justice, equality, joy, and love. It replaces morality with self-interest, education with job-training, freedom with tyranny. And yet, awesome as this final attack may have seemed, Belloc saw the seeds of the Church's victory already sprouting. Time has proved him right yet again. Pope Jonh Paul II stood up to lead the defense against communism. Now Christianity regains it strength in the former Soviet block and also throughout the third world, and there are tantalizing signs that Western Europe will soon be Christian again. And so Belloc finishes the book with tempered optimism. Christianity will survive; we have Jesus's word on that. How it will look in the future remains to be seen. But in any case this book gives a spirited look at parts of world history which our schools now ignore totally, and for that alone it's more than worth reading.

Insightful and Prophetical.......2007-01-07

As Belloc argues in his other book Europe and the Faith, Europe is the Faith and the Faith is Europe, referring of course to Christianism. The development of Western Civilization is inseparable from the Christian religion and its ideology.

As every Civilization is built upon a certain ideology, in order to understand our Civilization, its history and the challenges it faces today, one must understand its ideology. And in this, it is important to know also the views that have arisen within or in the fringes of Western Civilization, that go against the Christian ideology. On this, The Great Heresies by Belloc does a very good job.

And on the issue of Islam as a threat to our civilization, in the 1930s Belloc asked himself if Islam would again present that threat. He believed it would. And in that, we now know that he was, as in much everything else, extraordinarily clear and correct.

This book is a must-read.

Spans the centuries with truth we need to hear........2006-08-20

Fantastic book! An amazing summary that rings so true you can feel it in your bones. Particularly stark and foreboding is his warning that Mohammedism will be back to try again to destroy us - and here they are now! Anyone who thinks if we only ignore Islamofascism it will go away needs to read this book. Belloc understands the threat and categorizes it within the broad expanse of human history. Ignore him at our peril!

THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE ERRORS THAT ASSAIL IT.......2006-07-24

Published in 1938, this book has great merit and deserves five stars, but has its shortcomings. This edition is a re-typeset version of the original and is littered with anoying errors which snuck threw the spellchecker softwear. But the merits outweigh the demerits, and return us to great truths by way of the great heresies.

CONTENTS
1. Heresy (to oversimplify any existing system, eg scientific, nationalist, theological heresy)
2. Scheme of the book
3. The Arian Heresy (AD300: denied the Incarnation, was supported by the Roman army - good psychological analysis of the Roman Empire and military)
4. The Great and Enduring Heresy of Mohammed (AD630: Islam as over-simple theology. Predicts Islam Resurgam.)
5. The Albigensian Attack (1163: matter and the body is evil: the Manichean-Dualist-Jansenist-Calvinist-Puritan response to the problem of evil. Caused upsurge in devil worship, magic, destruction of marriage, vegetarianism, teetotalism)
6. What was the Reformation? (1517: a protest and attempt to reform RC worldliness, allied with secular powers to divest church of its land and political power)
7. The Modern Phase (now called `postmodernism', itself a dying term, not surprisingly. The secular inadvertent attack on Reason itself and deliberate attack on the Church universal, disregard of fatal intellectual mistake of self-contradiction; relativism and subjectivism, AntiChrist)

STYLE
Hilarie Belloc is closely linked with G.K. Chesterton, and his name with that of C. S. Lewis. There is merit in this linkage as Belloc and Chesterton were friends and both Catholic. But where Chesterton has subtlety and humour, smooth style and flow, Belloc has a two fists of iron style and pounds his opponents. He is normally fair, according to Queensbury rules. He is irritating to a Protestant, but (so I say) worth every effort required to adapt to as he has his compensations. He says what most are now too scared to say in the twenty-first century, for political correctness is but a hypocrite and coward mood and will pass in time.

WEAKNESSES
Belloc was as staunch a Roman Catholic as is possible to be, and every chapter of this book shouts this fact, over and above the argument and analysis he presents from the viewpoint of what C.S. Lewis called `Mere Christianity'. The irony here is that he pointedly denies that there is such a thing as a doctrinal `Mere Christianity' to be detected in all the branches of Christendom's historic churches. But he effectively contradicts himself in fact by repeatedly commenting on Greek Orthodoxy; pointedly ignores the early church; ignores the Anglican communion; and plainly allows that Protestant societies had superior `vitality' to the old RC societies but are (in 1938) dying out because they are generically `auto-toxic'. But then by this mere analogy, all societies are `auto-toxic' in this sense: he notes that the RC communion of 1500 with its bought bishops and indulgences needed radical reform but resisted it; and Islam split Shia-Sunni very early on, etc. Belloc covers a vast acreage of history but does it with seven-league boots, missing out swathes of connecting facts and ideas hasteing to a conclusion. It seems to me that he is aware of the mind of the reader, but not the person. He appeals to the male way of thinking, not the female. He too often gives generalizations unsupported by even one example. His theoretical Trinitarianism lacks consideration of the Holy Spirit.

He is very cold-blooded. Glib recitals of European civil wars, Islamic invasions, the Reconquista, the Crusades, the Inquisition, and other deadly episodes unnerve me. He skates over some critical events such as the victory of Charles Martel against Islam at the battle of Tours-Poitiers AD732. In such a short book this is probably inevitable, and he is a take-no-prisoners, no regrets type such as is not seen today. He is a dinosaur of the Rex genus and I am glad we on the same side but not side-by-side.

His knowledge of practical live Islam is weak. He notes the pure doctrines, but lacks the feel of its chimeric nature and inability to see the world as anything other than Umma-Kuffaar. The mindset of instinctive systemic counter-verisimilitude towards the jahiliya he knows not. He does not do much with his accurate perception of its inherent societal inefficiency and the consequent constant need to co-opt and tax, as opposed to create and generate. The Janissaries and Mamelukes elude him. Dhimmitude he seems not to know of, nor of the honour-shame nature of the culture, constantly operating at the level of conformity as opposed to internalization (or holiness as our jargon has it - revivals are holiness movements). This is probably due to the RC weakness towards this tendency itself.

His notion of all charging of interest as `usury' is woefully naïve economics. Interest is the cost of a loan, a charge on use of money which could be put to alternate uses, and the insurance cost of bearing the risk of loan default. But then even Aquinas did not understand this, and Belloc just failed to get up to date.

STRENGTHS
He summarises well, and says what badly needs saying in our day, without jargon-munching touchy-feely death-by-qualification. It is quite possible to get a working idea of any of the heresies he tackles, purely by reading that chapter alone. It is excellent for beginners in this respect. The sheer speed of progress over the facts and the ideas is very exhilarating.

The sign of a powerful intellect, he draws accurate connections between apparently entirely different things. Eg, the indissoluble `Trinity' of Plato and Aristotle (Truth, Beauty, and Goodness) and its complete consonance with Theism, revealing why atheist Communism has contempt for both these abstract things and the physical dignity of the person (ch.7). Also, the whole chapter on Albigensianism and its forms. In life Mr. Belloc must have been as formidable a foe as a friend, I will read more of him.

Hilaire Belloc was 100% right about Islam........2006-06-19

I read this book, here in Brazil.About a dozen of internet sites, have this book.And the reading is free.The idea of this book is that during the human history, catholic faith had many chalenges from these heresies.
One heresy can survive if it had some catholic trues.Another heresy can be finished if it's weak and under fight since the begining.
This book, about Islam isn't only correct about the past, and then present.This book was also prophetic about Islam in the future.The author of this book made the 100% correct prophecy that, Islam will again become a menace to the world.In fact I read a internet site, who the author writes that if were still alive today, Belloc weren't surprise with 9/11 terror.Writing in a time when the "intelectuals" were questioning if the world will be in future, under Soviet Union or nazi-Germany control, this book describes a Islam again terrible, bigoted, strong and looking for world's control in the future.Without no doubt, Belloc was 100% correct about Islam.
The failure of this book is, the part about the "modern" atack against catholic church is now outdated.In fact, part of it, became reality some decades ago.

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It's all about the journey
when writing was writing
Timeless!
Return to a simpler time
Lucid and lovely and often wickedly funny.

The Path to Rome
Hilaire Belloc
Manufacturer: Hard Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 140693867X

Book Description

Belloc describes his pilgrimage on foot from France to Rome providing a portrait of western Europe before the World Wars.

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When that first Proverb-Maker who has imposed upon all peoples by his epigrams and his fallacious half-truths, his empiricism and his wanton appeals to popular ignorance, I say when this man (for I take it he was a man, and a wicked one) was passing through France he launched among the French one of his pestiferous phrases, 'Ce n'est que le premier pas qui coute' and this in a rolling-in-the-mouth self-satisfied kind of a manner has been repeated since his day at least seventeen million three hundred and sixty-two thousand five hundred and four times by a great mass of Ushers.

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It's all about the journey.......2007-05-01

Belloc shares his adventure of making a pilgrimage to Rome on foot in the early twentieth century (prior to World War I). He was "On the Road" fifty years before Kerouac on a spiritual journey full of faith, wit, beautiful scenery, interesting characters, and personal adventures.

when writing was writing.......2006-05-30

This is writen in a style and voice that is not found in modern works.

Timeless!.......2005-12-20

Joseph Heloise Pierre René Belloc (July 27, 1870 - July 16, 1953) was one of the most prolific writers in England during the early twentieth century. This is a credible rendering of his views on religion and politics.
A worthy read. The Path to Rome (1902), an account of a walking trip he took from central France to Rome, has remained continuously in print.

If you are to read anything by Belloc, this would be an excellent start.

Return to a simpler time.......2005-01-25

Partly travelogue, partly interior monolog, completely entertaining! The young Belloc describes his walking trip from southeastern France to Rome, which (most intriguingly) he tries to accomplish by walking in a straight line, 30-45 miles a day. This extraordinary route takes him well off the beaten track, through isolated villages, nearly unpassable mountains and rivers, and sparsely populated plains. Belloc describes his experiences with his usual insight and offers humurous digressions on aspects of faith and culture as well. The book also contains a good number of rough landscape sketches he drew during his journey. In the end, Belloc paints a thoroughly detailed and honest picture of the Europe he loved so well and was to write of with such power. In the process he also gives us a detailed picture of his own character and mood, something quite helpful in interpreting his historical works.

Lucid and lovely and often wickedly funny........2004-03-05

I enjoyed this book very much.

I normally read very quickly, but at the beginning I found it so lovely and funny that I deliberately slowed myself down-- reading only 20 pages per day or so-- so that I could savor it a little bit. I lost that a little bit in the latter parts of the book.

Although this is a story of a holy pilgrimage, eo not expect a either a traditional travel book or any kind of treatise on religious enlightenment. Using an Auctor/Lector conversation, Belloc's constant witty asides about the purpose of the book solidly ground the reading in the mundane. The thing is, that it is a beautiful vision of the mundane--worldly in the best sense of the word.

Reading The Path to Rome made me jealous of the journey.

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Milton
Hilaire Belloc
Manufacturer: Greenwood Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0837132487

Book Description

Born in 1608, John Milton's appearance as a master dates from his 22nd year; dying in 1674, his memorable prose and verse fill the lifetime between 1629 and 1673. It is as a writer that he counts; therefore we must concentrate on his significant writing. Since his supremacy was in poetry, it is as a poet that we must chiefly examine him, touching but briefly on only the salient matters in his career apart from letters, and considering those matters only as they affect his character and, above all, his Muse.

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