New Releases by James Harpur

A captivating journey through the lives of Christian mystics--from the early Church to the twentieth century.

Impractical, technophobic, shy and a nervous traveller, James Harpur suspected he had the perfect qualities for not going to Australia when the Vincent Buckley Poetry Prize gave him the chance to visit the country in 2017. House-sitting in Melbourne, expecting to quietly write and research his putative ancestor, Charles Harpur, ''father of Australian poetry'', Harpur instead had one of the most intense months of his life. He met a cast of unforgettable characters, including a church group who asked him to read a poem about Origen''s self-castration; a young Dane whose dream it was to build a skateboarding park in Nepal; a teacher who had nearly been run down by Stephen Hawking in his power wheelchair; and a disturbed stranger who punctuated his conversation with the words ''I didn''t mean to kill her!'' He also came across the menagerie of Australia''s wildlife, but none more delightful than Sappho, the arthritic cat under his temporary care. Written in the haibun form (prose and haiku) of Harpur''s literary hero Matsu Basho, With Sappho in the Antipodes challenges prejudices and stereotypical thinking, gently unfolding a tender, poetic and witty homage to Australia.

At the heart of James Harpur’s The White Silhouette is a meditative poem inspired by the Book of Kells – a poem that follows threads into themes such as the nature of the divine, the efficacy of sacred art, and the way of silence. The title poem – described in the TLS as a ‘compelling spiritual memoir’ – is a haunting journey of ‘missed encounters’ in the landscapes of Wiltshire, Tipperary, and Patmos. Elsewhere, Harpur writes about pilgrimage, the Perseids, mystical experiences, and icons and iconoclasm – from Rublev’s golden images to decapitated angels in Galway. He complements his explorations of the sacred with more directly personal poems, including elegies and elegiac translations from Homer and Horace. Harpur’s poetry is distinguished by its lyric grace and mythohistorical resonance. The musical texture of his lines conveys the warmth, clarity and intimacy of a voice exploring the mysteries of natural, human, and metaphysical worlds. The White Silhouette is the richest summation of his spiritual journey to date.

Pilgrimage in the Western world is enjoying a growing popularity, perhaps more so now than at any time since the Middle Ages. The Pilgrim Journey tells the fascinating story of how pilgrimage was born and grew in antiquity, how it blossomed in the Middle Ages and faltered in subsequent centuries, only to re-emerge stronger than before in modern times. James Harpur describes the pilgrim routes and sacred destinations past and present, the men and women making the journey, the many challenges of travel, and the spiritual motivations and rewards. He also explores the traditional stages of pilgrimage, from preparation, departure, and the time on the road, to the arrival at the shrine and the return home. At the heart of pilgrimage is a spiritual longing that has existed from time immemorial. The Pilgrim Journey is both the colourful chronicle of numerous pilgrims of centuries past searching for heaven on earth, and an illuminating guide for today''s spiritual traveller.

Celtic Myth: A Treasury of Legends, Art, and History

This series of photographic histories, produced in conjunction with Getty Images, is a multi-faceted vision of Britain over the past century-and-a-half, a heritage shared by all who live within its shores.

This series of photographic histories, produced in conjunction with Getty Images, is a multi-faceted vision of Britain over the past century-and-a-half, a heritage shared by all who live within its shores.

The ultimate guide to extraordinary, enchanting, and sinster creatures. All over the world, from ancient legends to modern movies, stories about creatures have abounded and this atlas covers them all. Learn their stories and tips on how to survive an encounter of your own!

What was Jesus of Nazareth really like? What effect did he have on those he met and befriended? How did he impart his teachings and perform his miracles? These are the questions that James Harpur explores through Joseph of Arimathea, one of the most enigm

Presents the history of the Crusades, including the organizational problems, the multiple political alliances, biographies of notable figures on both sides of the conflict, and the reasons for the final defeat of the Europeans.

Préparez-vous à rencontrer des créatures merveilleuses et des monstres, sortis tout droit de vos rêves ou de vos cauchemars ! Entrez dans un monde où les Géants mangeurs d''hommes sillonnent la Terre, où des monstres marins se tapissent dans les profondeurs des océans, où des dragons crachent le feu, faisant régner la terreur. Découvrez les féroces Gorgones à chevelure de serpents ou Ammout, la déesse à tête de crocodile, mais aussi le féerique Phénix ou encore la gracieuse licorne. Suivez le héros grec Thésée à travers Le Labyrinthe pour vaincre le Minotaure ou assistez aux combats des chasseurs de dragons. Regardez voler dans le ciel l''éblouissant hippogriffe et prenez garde aux terribles monstres marins qui attirent les navigateurs vers une mort certaine. Dans ce livre résonnent les effroyables hurlements d''abominables créatures. Ouvrez-le, si vous l''osez !

A study of the allocation of state and public financial resources in the Russian Federation. Among the problems documented are the very high differentiation of the regions in terms of level of development, public welfare and self-sufficiency; and inefficiencies in the taxation system.

5 August 2005. While conducting a secret mission thirty miles off the remote cost of Kamchatka, the Russian Navy submarine AS-28 became snared in the thick cables anchored to 60-tonne concrete blocks. Without power the stricken boat sunk to the seafloor. Trapped too deep to escape her crew now had just seventy two hours before the air onboard ran out. Twenty-four hours later - still haunted by the loss of the Kursk - the Russian Navy requested assistance. And on their side of the world, Commander Ian Riches, Boss of the Royal Navy''s Submarine rescue team got the call: there was a sub down. With their expertise and specialist equipment, he knew his team had a chance to save the men, but Kamchatka was at the very limit of their range. And the clock was ticking. After the failure of the Russian Navy''s own attempts to resucue them, the crew of the AS-28 shut down all of their boat''s non-essential systems, climbed into thick thermal suits to keep the freezing cold at bay and waited, desperate to eke out the stale, thin air inside the pressure hull of their submarine. But they knew their time was running out... 72 Hours tells the story of an extraordinary, edge-of-the-seat real-life drama. It''s the gripping, inside story of one of the most dramatic rescue attempts of recent years.

Boethius'' reputation as a poet is reestablished in these fresh and thoughtful versions.

A new perspective on early Irish history with the travels and travails of saints.

The heart of the Christian faith is a direct encounter with God so profound that it can be referred to as union. It is an experience that cannot be described in words, but it can be glimpsed--in the radiant lives of the men and women called mystics. Here James Harpur presents the stories of some of the most influential Christian mystics from the past two thousand years. He provides their historical and ecclesiastical contexts, as well as appreciations of the unique contributions of each of them to the ongoing articulation of the way of love and union. Love Burning in the Soul is a comprehensive and highly readable survey of the great Christian mystical tradition for everyone. Included are: Clement of Alexandria * Gregory of Nyssa * John Scotus Eriugena * Bernard of Clairvaux * Hildegard of Bingen * Francis of Assisi * Mechtild of Magdeburg * Meister Eckhart * John Tauler * Jan van Ruysbroeck * Gregory Palamas * Richard Rolle * Julian of Norwich * Catherine of Siena * Jacob Boehme * George Fox * Teresa of �vila * Fran�ois F�nelon * Jean Pierre de Caussade * William Blake * Pierre Teilhard de Chardin * Thomas Merton * Many others

This atlas charts a worldwide journey through varied territory, beginning where legend, myth and reality meet. These are the eternal realms, such as the Garden of Eden, Camelot and Avalon, which cannot now be seen, but which have for centuries motivated explorers, writers and artists. The natural settings are as varied as those of Hawaii''s Haleakala Crater, Japan''s Mount Fuji and India''s River Ganges, places where gods and heroes are believed to have walked on Earth. the Valley of the Kings; the Mayan city of Tikal in the heart of the Guatemalan jungle; and Ohio''s Serpent Mound, created by the ancestors of the Native Americans. Human-built beauty and monuments are the stuff of legends too, from the Taj Mahal to the Forbidden City and Elsinore. Legendary places can embody the triumph of human courage over adversity, as witnessed in the rebuilding of Coventry Cathedral.

"Drawing on contemporary accounts and a wealth of illustration, Sacred Treks captures the atmosphere of pilgrimage through the ages. Divided into three sections - "Early Paths," "Medieval Roads," and "Modern Ways" - the book describes every aspect of pilgrimage past and present, from the practicalities of setting out, to the difficult conditions of travel, to the great sites such as Rome, Jerusalem, Santiago de Compostela, and Canterbury. The book looks at the pilgrims themselves, from St. Brendan, who is said to have cast himself adrift, letting God guide his search for a paradisal holy island, to the penitents, cure-seekers, and adventurers who in the Middle Ages set out for the unknown in their millions."

Drawing on legend, myth and sacred traditions, this work features poems that explore universal forces - seen and unseen, personal and cosmic - shaping people''s destinies, and the signs by which their patterns are revealed.

This work looks at history from the fall of Rome to the destruction of Constantinople. Topics covered include chivalry, war, religion and the crusades.

2000 Catholic Press Association Award Winner! The Collegeville atlas of the Bible offers those with an interest in their historical and religious heritage a guided tour through the Bible. It describes the stories and events of the Bible and places them in their historical and geographical context. Fabulous 3-D cutaways, maps, and ground plans, all based on the latest historical evidence, enhance the comprehensive text and bring the dramatic events of the Old and New Testaments to life in glorious detail. When the Bible says that Abraham migrated from Ur, Jacob fled to Haran, and Jesus healed and taught in Galilee, many people think of these places as merely names with a semi-legendary status. But with recent archaeology, sites such as Jericho, Hazor, Megiddo, and Masada are now living monuments to the dramatic action described in the Bible. The Collegeville atlas of the Bible illustrates the most important of these sites, while capturing the atmosphere of biblical times with graphic reconstructions, and photographs of archeological remains and biblical artifacts. The Collegeville atlas of the Bible begins with the events of Genesis and follows the sequence of the biblical books, ending with Revelation. The main text gives succinct outlines of biblical stories and explains points of theology. Special features, such as The making of the Psalms" and *Modern Bedouin Encampments, - shed fascinating light on a variety of topics. Central to The Collegeville atlas of the Bible is its use of 50 maps (route maps, ground plans, and locators) to detail biblical territories and routes, and to pinpoint the locations of important events. In the Old Testament, for example, a Mesopotamian ziggurat will show how the Tower of Babel might have looked, while Solomon''s Temple is shown in al its magnificence. In the New Testament, the city of Jerusalem and the siege of Masada are among the visual panoramas presented. In addition, feature map spreads show major journeys and empires, and location shots add their own authentic vistas. Specially-commissioned reconstructions and beautifully illustrated reflective page spreads build on this foundation to add contextual information to the discussion of biblical stories. Additionally, 300 superb full-color photographs take the reader to the Holy Land as it is today in order to better understand how it was in biblical times. The Collegeville atlas of the Bible is divided into two main sections corresponding to the Bible itself: The Old Testament In the Beginning The Patriarchs To the Promised Land From Judges to Kings Decline, Fall and Restoration The Hellenistic Age The New Testament Jesus''s Early Life The Ministry of Jesus Death and Resurrection The First Christians Revolution and Revelation Special features: Specially-commissioned 3-D artworks and ground plans based on the most up-to-date archaeological finds reconstruct the palaces, cities, and towns chronicled in the Bible. Expert text explains the stories of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, explaining the history and the theology related to each one. Carefully selected quotations are taken from the Bible, alongside quotations from other historical sources, for a new angle on these ancient stories. Detailed relief maps show the routes of individuals and the movements of peoples, from Abraham''s first journey in Mesopotamia to the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, to Paul''s last journey to Rome. Detailed descriptions and images of surviving artifacts prompt discussion of aspects of everyday life in the Holy Land. Fully illustrated reflective spreads add a thoughtful discussion of many biblical stories. Authoritative and comprehensive, its 50 maps, 18 major artworks, and 300 full-color photographs make this atlas of the Bible a visual feast. Will appeal to anyone interested in archaeology and ancient history, especially the cultures of ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, and the splendid empires of the Middle East. Marcus Braybrooke is a Church of England vicar and co-president of the World Congress of Faiths. He has written several books about the Bible, Judaism, and interfaith relations. James Harpur has written and edited several books on religion and the Bible. His interest in the sacred is also shown in two volumes of poetry. "

Much of Christian tradition is based on numerous miracles that Jesus performed during his ministry in Palestine 2,000 years ago. Elegantly written by authors trained in theology, classics, and interfaith issues, this collection recounts the eyewitness reports of Jesus'' miracles, clarifies historical context and explains their spiritual significance. Classic paintings depict dramatic moments, while contemporary photographs show actual locations and cultural artifacts of Jesus'' time.

Provides spiritual insight and historical context for the events of Paul''s life

The pyramids of ancient Egypt, Nubia, Sumer, Babylon, and Mexico are covered in detail.

This work brings to life the experiences of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and their families. At the same time, it firmly places their lives within their historical context, and interprets their spiritual significance.