Book Description
Hawks had refused to help the ambitious Lazlo Chen in his quest to find the five gold rings that could break Master System's hold over humankind -- and that refusal had landed him on the deadly prison planet Melchior.
But when Hawks and some fellow prisoners engineered a bold escape, it seemed almost too easy. Hawks guessed that Chen was pulling the strings, but he couldn't shake the feeling that there was another, greater power involved. And that scared him.
Now the stakes were rising, and Hawks was more determined than ever to find the gold rings. But Master System was out to capture him, and Chen was trying to follow him -- and the only place his small band of rebels could hide was smack in the middle of pirate territory...
Customer Reviews:
Plot twists galore!.......2006-05-09
If you like swashbucklers, science fiction, stories rich in culture clash, and novels that make you examine morality anew you will love Pirates of the Thunder. Follow Hawks and his crew of unlikely revolutionaries as they figure out interstellar travel in a 14 km long starship all the while being chased by Master Systems minions who will stop at nothing to silence them once and for all before they find and use the Five Rings of the Masters.
Chalker is ingenious at taking the plot places that you would never suspect all the while keeping his characters interesting and more than one dimensional. I am pretty good at guessing where plots of movies and books are going, but there were at least two times while reading this where I gasped at a plot twist. This is not literature but is one of the funnest books I have read in a long tmie. Highly recommended!
Definitely good reading.......2002-03-19
It took me a while to get into the first book but once I read it I wanted to read all the remaining book in the series. It took me a while to track all four of them down. NOw I can't put it down. Definitely kept me interested the whole time. I took it on my trip to London and during the 9 hrs flight time I only got up once to use the restroom. I was totally hooked. The characters are starting to develop more and become more likeable.
Sweet Book........1999-02-15
Rather undratitional twist on old theme's set this book apart. Some of the concepts are mind boggling and I was left wondering just where the author's mind went in it's free time. All the technology is well explained and unlike some other si-fi books.
Pirates of the Thunder is awesome.......1997-12-06
This book has a new way of opening up a science fiction world. There are spaceships, robots, Artificial Intelligence, and really cool alien beings. I love to read this book when I am bored or if I have to do a book report. It is awesome how the book opens up new storys for each character. ITS THE BEST!
Customer Reviews:
A book for anyone.......2006-04-28
Nigel Cawthorne brings a book to us about pirates which can be read by anyone and you don't have to be an historian to understand the book. It's laid out in plain terms and covers the era of piracy in the varied aspects of weaponry, ships, locales, and the pirates themselves. The book could have been a bit more thorough on weapons and ships but then the lay-person would lose interest with any more detail, I think. He covers pirates such as Calico Jack, Henry Morgan, Anne Bonny, Blackbeard, and Captain Kidd among others. The coverage is in depth enough to hold your interest but not bogged down with meaningless details that only an historian would care about (this coming from an historian). You'll learn some nifty trivia and dispel numerous movie myths about pirates like buried treasure and walking the plank to name two. Overall, great book for someone looking to pick up the basics on piracy history but not overbearing. My only complaint is I wish there were more on Blackbeard but then that's what biographies are for.
A Second Edition Could Bring Some Improvements.......2006-01-26
Cawthorne' History of Pirates, although not academically rigorous, is approached in a somewhat systematic fashion and provides an interesting, readable description of a unique chapter in history. Rather than compose a treatise on particular pirates and their idiosyncrasies, Cawthorne describes the prate era, roughly 1780 - 1830, with a wide brush. The author explores the global political situation of the times, the constant warfare between Britain, France and Spain, the booming colonial expansion, and the role pirates played in shaping the New World. In addition, Cawthorne depicts a pirate's life aboard ship and the unique social structure which accompanies life on the high seas. If I could make a suggestion, Cawthorne could have spent more time on his chapters on weapons and ships. The work in these segments was marginal at best and seems out of place wedged between sections on "the richest and wickedest city in the new world," and life aboard ships. Nevertheless, I found History of Pirates an interesting and insightful beginning to a more in depth understanding of the Caribbean pirates, but this work would not be a one volume history of the subject.
A Merry Life and a Short One.......2005-08-21
A rambling work at best. The author does indeed drift around at times, leaving a topic unfinished to explore other avenues before returning to the original topic. We, also, are not talking about much in the way of original material (much of it comes from Captain Charles Johnson, Alexandre Exquemelin, and recent authors like David Cordingly).
However, there are redeeming qualities to the book. For one it is an entertaining read, the author uses a smooth style that makes for easy reading. The author covers a range of topics from ships, weapons and havens to the origins of and suppression of piracy during the Golden Age. There are numerous names mentioned, from the well known and notorious to the lesser know footnotes in history. The period covered spans from the early 1500s to the early 1800s, told for the most part from the English and French point of view.
In short, a good book for an overview or brief reference (although I still recommend David Cordingly or Angus Konstam for broader, more polished coverage or pirates).
P-)
A bit disorganized but not as dry as some history I've read........2004-06-17
History of Pirates: Blood and Thunder on the High Seas focuses on piracy in the Caribbean sea, from the 1500s to the early 1800s.
The biggest problem with the book is that it is not particularly well organized. The chapters are relatively well ordered but internal to the chapter, the author will introduce one topic, then drift away from it, before returning to his reported topic. This led me to need to reread some passages, to determine exactly who or what he was writing about. This is particulary evident as he starts to discuss an individual pirate, begins discussing an associated pirate or two, and then returns to the first one.
The information seems accurate enough, but much f it appears to be drawn from the writings of other authors. Fortunately, it is not written from a standard academic (Self-important and wordy) approach and is relatively easy to read. In many places it even seems to draw the reader on.
I would have preferred a more organized approach, and possibly an appendix of famous pirates, but overall I found the book an adequate diversion.
Product Description
JOHANNA LINDSEY Books: Savage Thunder, A Heart So Wild, Once a Princess, A Pirate's Love, A Gentle Feuding, Until Forever (Unboxed Set of Romance Novels), in either Hard or Softcover, (See Seller Condition Comments), Shipped in one package to save on shipping costs.
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Pirates: Blood and Thunder on the High Seas
Nigel Cawthorne
Manufacturer: Arcturus foulsham
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ASIN: 0572029217 |
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Four massmarket paperback books From the Rings of the Master Series - Lords of the Middle Dark - Pirates of the Thunder - Warriors of the Storm - Makss of the Martyrs
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Pirates of the Thunder
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
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ASIN: 0345006712 |
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Cultural Tools for Interpreting the Good News
John J. Pilch
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Similar Items:
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The Cultural Dictionary of the Bible
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Handbook of Biblical Social Values
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Healing in the New Testament: Insights from Medical and Mediterranean Anthropology
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The Cultural World of Jesus: Sunday by Sunday, Cycle B (Bestseller! the Cultural World of Jesus: Sunday by Sunday)
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The Cultural World of Jesus: Sunday by Sunday, Cycle C. (Bestseller! the Cultural World of Jesus: Sunday by Sunday)
ASIN: 0814628265 |
Book Description
How can reading the Bible in its appropriate Mediterranean cultural context shed light on concerns of believers who live in Western or other cultures? In Cultural Tools for Interpreting the Good News, John J. Pilch presents a basic introduction to the ancient Middle Eastern culture in which the Bible originated. A brief review of the life of Jesus from birth to death and resurrection guides the selection of biblical text segments to illustrate key cultural concepts so that believers may appropriate the Bible for personal or community life.
Book Description
A step-by-step approach to interpreting the Gospel, with or without knowing Greek. Burge's presentation is exceptionally simple and leads to more confident study.
Customer Reviews:
Comments on this and other guides to exegesis.......2006-12-14
As the author himself has already pointed out, the reviewer who gave this book a one-star rating was a bit confused about the purpose of the book. This volume is not intended to be a commentary; it is intended to help students of the Bible to interpret it for themselves. This book and the other volumes in the 'Guides to New Testament Exegesis' series are certainly good beginning points, but it would be good if new editions were printed as the current ones are becoming a bit dated. While the exegetical approaches remain sound, it is the bibliographies - which are useful when current - that need to be updated from time to time; that way these guides would also continue to be helpful in directing students to other important sources.
Those who intend to pursue serious exegesis have probably already invested in the standard, which is Gordon Fee's "New Testament Exegesis;" it is used at many seminaries. For those who want to advance both their Greek and exegetical skills, I recommend "Biblical Greek Exegesis" by George H. Guthrie and J. Scott Duvall.
For the average lay reader who wants to become more proficient at interpreting and understanding the Bible, without necessarily wanting to take an in-depth and scholarly exegetical approach, I recommend either (or both) of the following: "How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth" by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart and "A Basic Guide to Interpreting the Bible" by Robert H. Stein.
Lastly, for those seeking good commentaries (like the unfortunate negative reviewer) and as a more up-to-date supplement to the bibliographies in the series of which "Interpreting the Gospel of John" is a part, I recommend D.A. Carson's "New Testament Commentary Survey," which is updated regularly; it is currently in its fifth edition, which was published in 2002, but a new, sixth edition is scheduled for release in January 2007.
A book designed for students........2001-10-30
Some readers (like one reviewer) purchased the wrong book. This is a college/seminary text showing students the history of interpretation and strategies for exegesis. For a comprehensive interpretation of John, see my volume, The NIV Application Commentary on John.
Customer Reviews:
Readable scholarship.......2007-05-15
I thoroughly recommend this title to anyone who wants to seriously study John's gospel and letters - and also to people who simply want to extend their knowledge of the scriptures for the purposes of deepening their relationship with the protagonist of this gospel. This highly readable book provides up to date scholarly information on the text: but it also provides indepth discussion of each section of the gospel in a way that would be very useful for personal reflection and prayer. There are many books on John, but I think this is one of the better ones.
Great work; disappointing conclusion.......2004-01-11
Culpepper's treatment of the Fourth Gospel is remarkable. His ability to concentrate on the issues that matter, ignoring rabbit trails, and his command of the familiarity with the Johannine materials is evident.
Much like a commentary, Culpepper begins his work with issues of authorship, history, community, theology and literature that are all very well done. These are all tied together in the main body of his work that interprets the gospel and shows its intricate composition. All the main themes - sin as unbelief, death as exaltation, identity of Jesus as Christological (and overriding) issue - are developed and commented on superbly.
As another reviewer noted, the chapter covering the Johannine epsitles seemed a bit of an afterthought and are tied so closely to the gospel that they lose their distinctiveness and message. Nonetheless, these are exposited adequately as well.
If the book had ended there it would have been very satisfying, but Culpepper instead sought to add an addendum to the book, evaluating John's (that is, the gospel's) use as a document of faith. This, of course, makes sense, but his review of the issues is too brief to really justify such a section; it seems as if the book has ended and he is starting another avenue of discussion.
Furthermore, his conclusions seem very tenuous. He examines the theological and historical challenges that the gospel faced in the past and then outlines three areas of what he calls ethical challenges.
First is the issue of Anti-Semitism (or Anti-Judaism) the gospel promotes. His discussion here is worthwhile, but seems to have a hard time dinstingiushing between anti-semitism and anti-judaism (as D. Moody Smith does in his theology of the gospel of john). This issue, ultimately, is tied to the issue of exclusivity below.
Second is the issue of whether the gospel gives a voice to the oppressed and marginal in society. This is also a worthy topic but not one which should dominate the acceptance of the gospel. The issue seems far-removed from the gospel itself and more germane to NT scholarship in general.
Finally is the issue of its exclusivism in light of the pluralism found in modern western culture. This topic, more than any other, is poorly addressed. Culpepper seems to allow the climate of society to control the agenda for the gospel rather than vice versa. Not that this is an inappropriate issue to wrestle over, but it seems that two important observations are over-looked.
1) If we can celebrate the blessings of diversity in pluralism (of which there are many) we should also be aware of its dangers. An unchecked, all-embracing pluralism is just as dangerous as an unchecked, choking exclusivity. While the issue of exclusivity is one that does need questioning and struggling over, we must not take as self-evident the axiom that pluralism is all flowers and butterflies. If we must abrogate our reading of John in view of society today, ultimately John may force us to abrogate our life in society or it fails have any authority whatsoever as a part of the canon of the churches' scripture.
2) John, as the rest of the NT, was written in a pluralistic society vastly similar to our own. Early Christians were accused of athiesm, not because they confessed Jesus as Lord, but because they would not confess Ceasar as Lord, along with the whole pantheon of Hellenistic dieties (and principles). And yet Christianity thrived. Of course, the reality is more difficult than such a reductionistic summary, but it is a mistake to think that our value of pluralism is any greater or more noble than that of the ancient world (from which we borrowed it).
So, then, overall Culpepper's work on the gospel is very well-done, insightful and lucid. His coverage of the letters seems somewhat truncated and standing in the shadow of the gospel but still solid. His evaluation of the gospel's religious value, though, is both too short and too pointed to garner much help from. A mixed bag in the end.
Excellent Introductory Overview.......2000-07-29
R. Alan Culpepper is most noted for his ground breaking literary study of John's Gospel, Anatomy of the Fourth Gospel. This new work is not a verse by verse commentary, but rather an overview of the Gospel and letters of John. It is very good on the Gospel of John, but sketchy on the Johannine letters (only one chapter out of ten). His introductory material concerning the author and situation of the Gospel is a bit one-sided with little or no imput from any evangelical perspective, but it does introduce some of the problems associated with these issues. Chapter four, "The Gospel as Literature" with its theory of anagnoriseis or recognition scenes, is an excellent chapter when it comes to understanding the flow of this Gospel. Graphs and maps and sidebars seem to be the "in" feature of many new commentaries, sometimes overwhelming the actual commentary itself. Culpepper's sidebars are very judicious and actually very helpful.From a literary perspective this is certainly one of the best introductory commentaries overviewing John's Gospel around (again, the section on the Johannine letters is perhaps too brief).
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