5 comments about Traditions of Glastonbury: The Biblical Missing Years of Christ - Answered.

1. The Traditions of Glastonbury is a book that gets you to think. It speculates that Jesus spent years as a youngster in Britain with his uncle, Joseph of Arimathea, who was in the sea trading business. Although there is no concrete proof that Jesus was there, there is a long tradition that places Joseph there. It is also established fact that Glastonbury was the first Christian church built, outside of Jerusalem, after the ascension of Jesus. How did the church get there? Many mysteries of the Bible are shrouded in mystery. That doesn't make them untrue! Also, well documented and supported scholarly work does not necessarily make for historical truth. It only makes it more accepted. History has been altered and truth is many times concealed in speculation and tradition.



2. Jesus Christ's "lost years" are presented here primarily by tracking Joseph of Arimethea's travels to Cornwall and Wales. Joseph being Jesus' great-uncle on his mother's side, takes the boy Jesus with him on these travels after the death of Mary's husband, Joseph.

   The facts presented in this book are, perhaps, too weak to establish anything more than probability. However, any serious student of history will acknowledge that very little in our past can be substantiated completely. The further back one goes, the more tenuous and ethereal the facts become. Often, as in the existence of ancient Jericho or Troy, one has only a steady stream of probabilities to base a hypothesis on. It is the strength of those probabilities that determines the validity of any research. This book contains a great amount of probability. More probability, I should say, than proved the existence of Troy. And yet, Troy existed.




3. The silent years of Jesus between 12 and 30 and an examination of the historical records concerning Joseph of Arimathea the great uncle of Jesus as a provencial Roman Senator and metal merchant. It was rumored that he owned many of the merchant ships that came to England from Rome and Phoenicia to barter for metal and other goods. Did Jesus accompany his uncle to this isle of the west? Mr. Capt reveals that there is substantial evidence to support that he did.
   
   EXCERPT: One day a small boat, from one of the large merchant ships anchored in the Bristol Channel, tied up at the causeway of the Lake Village. A bearded man and a slim young boy in his early teens stepped ashore. They were no strangers to the villagers who crowded around to welcome them. The merchant had been coming by their village for many years, on his way to the lead mines of the Mendip Hills. It was known that he held a very important position in the powerful Roman government and carried the title "Nobilus Decurio". It was rumored that he owned many of the merchant ships that came to these Isle of the West, from Rome and Phoenicia, to barter for metal and other goods
   
   The auburn haired lad was also known. He had accompained His uncle on a prior visit, staying at the village and exploring the surrounding territory, while His uncle conducted his business at the nearby Mendip lead mines. But this time a woman, perhaps in her early thirties was with them. As the boy helped the woman ashore, the crew proceeded to unload various sized chests and sacks, obviously belonging to them. Accommodations were soon found and the baggage was carried to one of the tiny huts facing the estaury.
   
   In the weeks that followed, the merchant and the boy constructed a wattle hut, similar to those of the village, on a nearby island. The site they chose was at the base of a hill from which ran a spring of fresh water. Hawthorne and oak trees dotted the landscape. Small game and fish were in abundance and the marshy fertile shores promised bountiful crops. When the hut was finished, the woman and the boy moved from the village to their new home. The merchant and his men sailed away.
   
   Jesus and His mother, Mary, were alone . . .
   
   Excellent book...gets a top rating by all who read it.



4. I really liked this book. However, as someone stated below, there wasn't a formal bibliography and the author seemed to go off topic with additional information that was interesting but hard to follow sometimes. This book is a great place to start for someone new to the idea of Jesus in England. For somebody a bit more than a casual reader it's a good book to read, but you will need to really research Capt's references for more detailed information. Although Capt did an enormous amount of research for this book, it lacks scholarly professionalism and would not be a good reference.
   Overall I give it 4 of 5 stars -a great read, a very interesting topic, I learned a lot from it, and it peaked my interest for continued studies of the topic.



5. Raymond Capt is one of my favorite authors. He is a historian coupled with the certification of a respected archeologist. Mr. Capt has gone through painstaking efforts to seek out the truth. He is like a private investigator and he always gets his facts. A truly out of the box thinker produces great results.
   He has made a correlation between the Druids and the Ancient Hebrews and the building of Stonehenge. The modern day Druids do not know their roots but Mr. Capt connected the dots and his theories can provide proper ownership. The term for the plant, wandering Jew, is not far from the truth as the ancient Hebrews found their way to distant isle and they are the one of the early inhabitants of the British Isles. These people were God fearing people and their beliefs were evident in the early writings and pictographs of the Druids.
   If you are interested in a different view of history and are mindful that recorded history is not always acurate, then this is a perfect addition to your library. I highly recommend it.

1 comments about Backroad Bicycling on Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket, Second Edition (Backroad Bicycling Series).

1. Imagine a ride guide for those who love to ride, but don't do 5K a year in the North East. I have ridden the Cape a good bit and appreciate the honest evaluations of terrain and difficulty in this book.
   
   
   Even though some of these rides can be challenging (that is bike-speak for 18% or better), the Cape traffic is as bicycle litterate as you are likely to find.

No comments about New England Trees & Wildflowers (Pocket Naturalist - Waterford Press).

1 comments about Best Hikes With Children Vermont, New Hampshire & Maine (Best Hikes with Children).

1. A good book which largely delivers what it promises. However, it is best used in conjunction with a more comprehensive map and/or guide, if you're visiting a particular region. Give it 4.5 stars.

   Good Points: 1) The author points out "kid-friendly" features on hikes and gives good descriptions. 2) Most of the hikes have pretty good thumbnail maps

   Drawbacks: 1) Introductory map could be better (more detailed) to help reader find trails 2) Some hikes lack thumbnail maps. Why? 3) Abilities of children vary wildly. We found that a "moderate" hike can be strenuous for an inexperienced or out-of-shape child (or adult, for that matter).

5 comments about In Beauty May She Walk; Hiking the Appalachian Trail at 60.

1. Leslie Mass hiked the Appalachian Trail at 60. Her book is one of my favorite accounts of hiking the Appalachian Trail. She is a college administrator, wife and mother who managed to fit a flip-flop hike into her work schedule. Since childhood, Mass had been told to speak softly and accomodate herself to others. On her hike she learned to value her own opinion and one of life's biggest lessons: sometimes it is not so bad to be alone and hike your own hike. She made elaborate plans to hike parts of the trail with friends and family. You can tell that she was very accustomed to being close to other people, part of a very social world. In spite of this, she writes that she always knew she was an introvert. Her biggest lesson from the trail was to trust in herself, rather than going along with someone else who forced her into the role of "follower". On the trail, she made friends with several other hikers, one of whom took way too much interest in Mass' daughter, Amy, before even meeting her. He basically took over Mass' hike, and made her miserable. When Amy joined her mother on the trail, he attached himself to her. He didn't seem to be the most stable character, even making remarks about which man hiking the trail Mass had selected for her daughter. Creepy. I hope nothing bad came of this. Dog lovers might get some negative vibes: Mass obviously HATES dogs!



2. I've read 4 books on hiking the AT. This one I liked the least. Author complained a lot about how difficult it was. Left me almost depressed about the prospect of hiking the trail.



3. 
   I enjoyed the book - its always been a dream of mine to go on such a journey. I'm not much of a reader but since I got the 1st book
   written about the APT I have not missed many of the books. I also have
   one of the tapes (Trek) & enjoyed that too. I'm 68 & wished I'd known
   about the APT long before I got so elderly. It still excites me & I can't hardly stop reading when I get a new book, this one is very satifying & so full of hope. Thanks



4. A wonderful and inspiring book for anyone, but especially for women over 50. While I don't plan anything so adventurous as Ms Mass, she does inspire me to keep walking.
   I especially enjoyed her writing style and her shared insights into people and culture which make this book so much more than a walker's diary.



5. A wonderful book for those of us over sixty. It is an insperation, very detailed. A fun book.

2 comments about The Rough Guide to England 7 (Rough Guide Travel Guides).

1. The Rough Guide has some wonderful historical sections on such attractions as Hampton Palace and the Tower of London. But the writer seems to be ashamed of England's history, and the apologies are a bit over the top.



2. It all depends on how much time you have to "indulge" into a travel guide. The rough guide compared to lonely planet satisfies me more because of the more mature approach to the writings, descriptions and presentations of the subject matter. I presume that both guide books offer more or less the same tourist info, so I choose this guide book for the simple fact which I value as most important that the authors take more time to make an enjoyable reading.

2 comments about Foghorn Outdoors: New England Hiking 3 Ed: The Complete Guide to More than 380 Hikes.

1. Nicely organized and categorized. However, the details provided in this book on the walks I've taken are rather vague in some spots. Based on this book, I've spent a few hours wandering around the woods searching for trails that aren't where they're supposed to be, landmarks I can't find and blazes that aren't there.

   I've spent a great deal of time in the woods, on my own, with others, with nothing but a water bottle on up to complete packs with GPS, compass, topos and anything else one could need. I've bushwacked cross-country and followed well-marked trails like the AT.

   But with this book as a guide, I was as lost as I've ever been. Which is to say I had a reasonable idea I could find my way around and get back home, but not entirely sure where the trail was. When you go into the woods on your own or on some public blazed trail - that's what you count on. When trying to follow some of these trails in the book, it's the book you count on - to see if you can replicate the path as laid out there.

   Yesterday, I was in Dogtown on Cape Ann in Massachusetts trying to follow the author's trail. Moses perhaps had a similar guide in wandering his way through the desert for 40 years. I got the feeling that Mr. Lanza wrote up this trail after reading some Chamber of Commerce guide or map to the area. In one section, the directions read "...the trail turns left and crosses the railroad tracks and reaches the rough dirt Old Rockport Road...". It doesn't. Straight across the tracks is a pond (a dried up marsh at this time of year). I tried crossing the marsh, tried going 100 yards left, and then finally found a way across 25 yards to the right, across a drainage culvert. This led to a series of interlocking paths that generally trended in what seemed the right direction. Based on other directions in the book, I think I ended up where I was supposed for the next landmark, but it made no sense because I was about 1/2 mile away from where I theoretically should have been.

   Most of the day was like that. I pretty much had to make up my own trail. By the way, that railroad you have to cross twice is an active AMTRAK commuter line, and those trains came by pretty fast. Watch out and don't linger on the track.

   The book is ok, and is reasonably classified, though it has no maps (another problem) - but bring at least a compass and a topo for backup and be prepared to navigate on your own.




2. There's something wrong, and slightly frightening, about the review written just before mine. I guess this fellow decided it would be a good idea to travel into the woods with a book that contains no maps. BAD IDEA. Nothing can replace full page maps. To think someone with, or even without, experience would wander into the woods with a BOOK is completely assinine. Michael Lanza, an editor for Backpacker Magazine, has compiled a wonderful list of hikes here. If you don't want to go through the trouble of buying a trail guide for every place you'd like to hike, then here's your book. There are no little maps like those in the 50 Great Hikes in...series. Those are practically useless anyhow. You should always go through the trouble of picking up a USGS quad or 250,000 map if you're hiking in unfamiliar country. Everything else you need is here though - directions, park regulations, trail descriptions, camping spots. He even mentions where to get maps and where to register for your hikes. There's a lot of ground to cover in New England, and Lanza does it stylistically and thoughtfully.

2 comments about Edge of Maine (Directions).

1. I sent this to a sick friend in Maine. She loved it, her husband loved it, and now they are sharing it with others, but only with the promise they will get it back.I will have to get on the list to borrow it.



2. Mr. Wolff does a wonderful job of describing certain historical snapshots and present-day cultural aspects of coastal Maine. His description of being lost at sea in a horribly thick Maine fog is worth the book itself. Mr. Wolff does not attempt to depict all facets of my home state, but does a commendable job in his usual eloquent manner. In this brief work, he made me laugh, reflect and ultimately, reaffirm the true beauty of Maine and why I'll always live here. Do yourself a favor and read this pleasant and realistic tribute.

No comments about The Twelve Seasons of Vermont.

5 comments about Finding Martha's Vineyard: African Americans at Home on an Island.

1. This is a book for all people who love Martha's Vineyard. Tears, smiles, nods of head in recognition and, for non African-Americans, an eye opener to a view of an island we share geographically but not always in other spheres. Thank you, Ms. Nelson.



2. As a white person, who am I to write a review on this book which accurately portrays what Martha's Vineyard has represented to African Americans for generations? However, I read the book because I love the Vineyard and I enjoy reading about experiences of different cultures. From this perspective, the book is written with much respect and reverence and love for what the Vineyard has meant to African Americans for generations. The Vineyard has been a sort of utopia for African Americans where they can bring their kids up and enjoy the beauty of the island in an atmosphere of freedom from the usual society which tends to separate us all. The sense I get is that this island of ours in Massachusetts is a beacon for how things could and should be in the world. A place where people of color can go and not be "on guard" as they must be everywhere outside of the Vineyard. If we could all see one another as richly unique individuals who are all created equal (as the Constitution states) then we could have the sense of the Vineyard everywhere. We wouldn't have the ocean views, the energy of Circuit Ave., the beauty of riding down Middle Road, or the countless other wonderful experiences of the Vineyard, but we would have a better society. But, since that is not going to happen too soon, then, if you want to get a sense of what the Vineyard signifies to many wonderful people of color on the Vineyard, then read this enriching book and step briefly into the lives of many people who you would feel honored and grateful to have in your life.



3. Finding Martha's Vinyard is entertaining. The accounts of the residents were repitious, but it reveals that all were motivated to spend summers there by the same reasons. It is good that the present residents have found their slice of paradise and peace. Although I had heard of the Vinyard, I knew nothing about it. So, this book falls under the heading of pleasant education.



4. Travel is an aspect of life which many people enjoy even if it is vicariously. I love to read travel stories and to travel. Jill Nelson has written a wonderful travel history of an island which is enchanting and real. The personal interviews of inhabitants, the pros and cons of those visiting or living on the island, the recipes, and the historical overview of the island make it come to life as one turns each page. The needs and accomplishments of each generation are very interesting. I highly recommend this book for all ages, history buffs, and travelers. A great book to take along on the trip for relaxation and enjoyment is "A Trilogy of Poetry, Prose and Thoughts for the Mind, Body and Soul."



5. In my bedroom,located on my white wicker nightstand lies my copy of Finding Martha's Vineyard. This book is beautifully written and the photographs bring back bitter sweet memories of my own childhood beach visits. The author Jill Nelson did a fantastic job of introducing her audience to a different kind of summer for many Black Americans during a time when "we just wanted to be us". Thank you Ms. Nelson for a wonderful book.