The Spiral Staircase: My Climb Out of Darkness

Amazon.com

Karen Armstrong speaks to the troubling years following her decision to leave the life of a Roman Catholic nun and join the secular world in 1969. What makes this memoir especially fascinating is that Armstrong already wrote about this era once---only it was a disastrous book. It was too soon for her to understand how these dark, struggling years influenced her spiritual development, and she was too immature to protect herself from being be bullied by the publishing world. As a result, she agreed to portray herself only in as "positive and lively a light as possible"---a mandate that gave her permission to deny the truth of her pain and falsify her inner experience. The inspiration for this new approach comes from T. S. Eliot's Ash Wednesday, a series of six poems that speak to the process of spiritual recovery. Eliot metaphorically climbs a spiral staircase in these poems---turning again and again to what he does not want to see as he slowly makes progress toward the light. In revisiting her spiral climb out of her dark night of the soul, Armstrong gives readers a stunningly poignant account about the nature of spiritual growth. Upon leaving the convent, Armstrong grapples with the grief of her abandoned path and the uncertainty of her place in the world. On top of this angst, Armstrong spent years suffering from undiagnosed temporal lobe epilepsy, causing her to have frequent blackout lapses in memory and disturbing hallucinations---crippling symptoms that her psychiatrist adamantly attributed to Armstrong's denial of her femininity and sexuality. The details of this narrative may be specific to Armstrong's life, but the meanin! g she makes of her spiral ascent makes this a universally relevant story. All readers can glean inspiration from her insights into the nature of surrender and the possibilities of finding solace in the absence of hope. Armstrong shows us why spiritual wisdom is often a seasoned gift---no matter how much we strive for understanding, we can't force profound insights to occur simply because our publisher is waiting for them. With her elegant, humble and brave voice, she inspires readers to willingly turn our attention toward our false identities and vigilantly defended beliefs in order to better see the truth and vulnerability of our existence. Herein lies the staircase we can climb to enlightenment. --Gail Hudson

Book Description

In 1962, at age seventeen, Karen Armstrong entered a convent, eager to meet God. After seven brutally unhappy years as a nun, she left her order to pursue English literature at Oxford. But convent life had profoundly altered her, and coping with the outside world and her expiring faith proved to be excruciating. Her deep solitude and a terrifying illness–diagnosed only years later as epilepsy–marked her forever as an outsider. In her own mind she was a complete failure: as a nun, as an academic, and as a normal woman capable of intimacy. Her future seemed very much in question until she stumbled into comparative theology. What she found, in learning, thinking, and writing about other religions, was the ecstasy and transcendence she had never felt as a nun. Gripping, revelatory, and inspirational, The Spiral Staircase is an extraordinary account of an astonishing spiritual journey.

Customer Reviews:

Inside the Mind of a Religious.......2007-08-25

I read the other reviews on this book, not because I wasn't going to buy it, but to see what others thought. Of course, I was going to buy it, after all this is Karen Armstrong we are talking about here. I am interested in what ever she thinks. I loved the book. I am always interested in stories about people overcoming difficulties. Karen Armstrong had to overcome a lot. It is interesting, to say the least, to know what the religous view of this writer actually is now after she's been through everything she's been through.

The book takes us with her on her spiritual and vocational journey. It answers the question of "Why did she write all those diverse books about God Anyway" I would recommend this book to anyone who in their own spiritual search is looking to see how someone else came through it and ended up apparently whole. This is a book I will keep. I find the last chapter especially captivating and I will need to review it until I can internalize what she is saying so beautifully.

An Engrossing Spiritual Autbiography.......2007-07-20

For those of us that have loved Karen Armstrong through her marvelous scholarly works, a glimpse into the experiences that shaped the scholar can be wonderful. In this book, Armstrong explores the experiences that brought her out of her religious disenchantment to become the fascinating, God-enamored woman that she is today. The pages are by turns heartbreaking, heartwarming and deeply profound. I strongly recommend this magnificent autobiography.

An honest revelation.......2007-06-02

Having read almost all of Karen Armstong's profoundly meaningfull studies I wondered how it all came about. This book provides a very honest insight into the sufferings of a young woman and the origin of her enduring search for the truth about so-called "revealed" religions

Facile and Dishonest.......2007-04-28

Ms. Armstrong has published a brace of well-edited, post-Christian titles. The Spiral Staircase is a sadly biased and one-sided slash against her Catholic roots. Those that have stood between Armstrong and her revisionist goals are poorly presented, while all who supported her are glorified--then are jettisoned in typical cameo fashion. Take, for example, Rebecca, the anorectic nun who stayed (long enough to provide Armstrong a nifty plot device, at least!). Poor emaciated Rebecca is used as a foil to revisit all that was horrific about that beastly convent. Then, when that part of Ms. Armstrong's life is no longer needed, Rebecca is entirely abandoned.

Given that this is the author's second version of the same post-convent events of an earlier book, how much of this text can be considered authentic? Will there be a definitive third title? Who will be the goat this time around? Be careful, it might well be you!! Ms. Armstrong is seemingly not responsible for her life, but many others are. Take care, all.

Ms. Armstrong has seemingly appeared in every other soft, non-offensive Unitarian project around, and she maintains an evangelical adherence to Catholic guilt trips for all moderate-to-orthodox Christians. Read her last dozen pages of this text, and witness her simplistic and absurd analysis for 9/11. She has abandoned her past, yet she claims absolute privaledge to speak for Christianity and monotheism. We are all one, and we should all think like Ms. Armstrong. Fundamentalist much?

A rewarding read; parts worth reading again.......2007-04-07

I have never read any of Karen Armstrong's books, but I have seen many references to her writings and have perused her books at the bookstore and found them interesting. I thought this might be a good book to begin with and I was not disappointed. She is an interesting woman who has opened herself and has shown all the darkest corners of her being in what I found to be a very matter-of-fact way. She certainly has enough baggage from a rather strange past, but I felt she was honest in dealing with her frustrations, her weaknesses, her mistakes, and her achievements. I do find her bitterness at the Catholic Church a bit much at times; surely there was someone in the convent or in her early Catholic life that was a positive influence. She can be a harsh judge of others, but I think she also judges herself harshly at times.
The last chapters of Spiral Staircase are especially interesting and worthy of going back to reread. I find her explanation of the paradox of the absent God and as she says "a presence in my life" insightful. Her analogy of ascending a spiral staircase and her spiritual journey is so apt. Ms. Armstrong has done for me something that I do not have the time, skill, or intellect to do and that is to step back from the boundaries of a very traditional religious upbringing and take a much larger view of this unnameable force in our lives that we so innocently and ineffectually call God.
I would also recommend The Seven Storey Mountain by the Trappist monk Thomas Merton (who is referred to in the last pages of Spiral Staircase). Thomas Merton's faith journey leads to the Catholic Church rather than away from it, but I believe the ultimate destination of both Merton and Armstrong are not that far from each other.

Out of Darkness into the Light: A Journey of Inner Healing

Average customer rating:

The best Book I have ever read!!!
inspiring, mind opening, and heart felt.
Eines der schoensten buecher ueberhaupt

Out of Darkness into the Light: A Journey of Inner Healing
Gerald Jampolsky
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Family Health | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Inspirational | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Love Is Letting Go of Fear
Good-Bye to Guilt: Releasing Fear Through Forgiveness
Love Is the Answer
Change Your Mind, Change Your Life
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ASIN: 0553347918
Release Date: 1990-02-01

Customer Reviews:

The best Book I have ever read!!!.......2000-09-09

This book is very easy reading!!! Praise the lord,Gerald was lead to write this book...this is all stuff,that i have known, yet was never able to communicate with others.I have often said if everyone followed the rules of life the world would be a better place...understand one another,love one another,forgive one another,why if ever one loved one another in hole ,there would be no need for forgiveness....This book is not easy to come by were i live,and i can't believe i have never heard of it before now,i just happen to come by it at the libarary. i feel this book goes hand and hand with the bible.,If ever there is a book worth reading ,this is,i know i'm just a little excited about it :)HEY! don't let the bible thing scare you away,it just helps me to understand what the bible is now saying,LOVE =PEACE,if u want peace in your life,here it is.i believe gerald shows even the ones that can't believe in God ,that just a change in thinking can make you a happy person !!!! YEAH!

inspiring, mind opening, and heart felt........1998-12-28

It was not only inspiring, but, it was written with such honesty. I learned so much from this book. It really taught me, what the "ego" mind is all about. Dr. Jampolsky, wrote this book, so that everyone could be aware, how the ego mind works. Clear and simple to understand. Highly recommend this book for anyone who is searching for his/her truth...

Eines der schoensten buecher ueberhaupt.......1997-09-20

Dieses Buch ist in der deutschen Tb.-Ausgabe unter der Serienbezeichnung "esoterisches Wissen" ausgezeichnet. Dies trifft nicht den wahren Gehalt des Buches. Es ist vielmehr eine sehr persoenliche Rueckschau von Dr. Jampolsky auf sein Leben, die jedem , der dieses Buch liest unglaublich viel geben kann

Average customer rating:

Great for teens!
Not the best
LIFE CHANGING
Freedom

Stomping Out the Darkness
Neil T. Anderson , and Dave Park
Manufacturer: Regal Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Inspirational | Religions | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Inspirational | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Inspirational | Religion & Spirituality | Teens | Subjects | Books
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Stomping Out Depression
The Bondage Breaker®
Victory over the Darkness
Busting Free
Overcoming Negative Self-Image (The Victory Over the Darkness Series)

ASIN: 0830716408

Customer Reviews:

Great for teens!.......2006-02-26

I would recommend this book to any young teenager. I've read the "adult" version, and it would be appropriate for older teens at a high reading level. I've also read this youth version, and I thought it very appropriate for kids grades 6-9, especially. The cover art is pretty juvenile, but I just had a 9th grader (age 14) borrow my copy of this book, and she loved it.

Not the best.......2004-06-15

The book was ok...it was not life changing...I think it would be great for new Christians or for young teens (12-15 years old.) I think this book was written for young teens because the way it is written makes me feel like I am reading a children's picture book. It is very repetitive and uses too many little stories to make a point. I would recommed reading Victory over the Darkness by Neil T. Anderson instead if you are older or are an advanced reader.

LIFE CHANGING.......2002-06-27

I am only half way through "Stomping Out The Darkness" and I already am compelled to tell others about this book. If you are at all interested in buying this amazing book, do it. You will not regret it. You might never realize the amazing gift you have been given when Jesus died on the cross for your sins. I have no words to describe this book except a miracle. Dave Park and Neil are amazing men. If you are not at peace in your life, you can change it. This book shows you how. God Bless You

Freedom.......2000-05-17

Stomping out the darkness is one of the most influential booksI have ever read. It not only teaches you the basics on your identityin Christ, which so many Christians miss out on, but it also shows you pratical applications for them. Please, if you buy any book this year, BUY THIS ONE. It will change your perspective and your life.

Average customer rating:

Out of the Darkness
A Must Read for Werewolf and Vampire lovers, Literally!

Out of the Darkness
Jaci Burton , and C. J. Burton
Manufacturer: Elloras Cave Pub Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Anthologies | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Erotica | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Anthologies | Erotica | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Fantasy, Futuristic & Ghost | Romance | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Conception (The Others)
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ASIN: 1419954180

Product Description

Out of the Darkness By C.J. Burton , Jaci Burton Harlee has lived as a human her entire life, working as a psychiatrist on a secret government project evaluating captured werewolves and vampires. Then one night two strangers jerk her from her bed, blindfold her and turn her world upside down. She is taken deep into the realm of lycans and vampires and told an unbelievable storythat she is the daughter of a forbidden union between a vampire and a werewolf and now possibly the future leader of both their clans. She doesn't believe them. Vampires and werewolves are the enemies of humans. She hangs onto her humanity, her one and only goal to escape from her sexy and enigmatic captors before she loses her heart and possibly her very soul. The vampire's and the lycan's goals are entirely differentto mate with the fiery beauty and determine whether her dominant blood is vampire or werewolf. One merely desires her. One will claim her for all eternity. But dark forces turn what begins as a search for identity into a struggle for survival.

Customer Reviews:

Out of the Darkness.......2006-11-04

I'm very happy with the promptness of your company. All the items I've ordered have been in great condition and have arrived on time. I haven't had a problem with any item I have received.

A Must Read for Werewolf and Vampire lovers, Literally!.......2006-06-17

If the plot of this book doesn't hook you, then I don't know what will. We got werewolves, we got vampires and we got a woman who works against them. Ahh, but not for long, the sex scenes in it are a 5 alarm fire just waiting to happen. Better have a fan on and a VERY tall glass of ice tea nearby or you will go up in flames. I got to the ending and was wondering if there will be a sequel. Man I hope so because this is so good. A must have read for all werewolf and vampires lovers, literally.

Average customer rating:

Well written, but too depressing
Saving horses.
wow!
I LOVE YOU LAUREN BROOKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
13 year old reader Anna

Out of the Darkness (Heartland #7)
Lauren Brooke
Manufacturer: Scholastic Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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Thicker Than Water (Heartland #8)
Every New Day (Heartland #9) (Heartland)
Heartland #10 (Heartland)
One Day You'll Know (Heartland #6)
Come What May (Heartland #5)

ASIN: 0439317142

Book Description

Amy has never had such a difficult time reaching a horse. Since the first day Gallant Prince arrived at Heartland, he's stayed at the back of his stall, pacing anxiously. Amy knows the fear of the stable fire blazes behind Prince's threats, his bared teeth and haunted eyes. But she doesn't know how she can help a horse that has taken refuge so deep within itself. Amy can't face the fact that even she might not be able to lead Prince out of his darkness.

Customer Reviews:

Well written, but too depressing.......2006-12-12

Like all the Heartland books, this one was good, but I was a little disapointed with it. It had a good ending, but I felt like the plot was a little overdone and got kind bored towards the middle. But don't let this book keep you from reading the others! I think the rest of Lauren's books are much better and a little more realistic. But this one is still worth reading.

Saving horses........2005-04-27

Amy Fleeming, Ty, and Ben all work at a farm called heartland. Their job is to save horses, fix there problems, and find the them a good home. They got a new horse Gallant Prince. Well Prince was in a fire accident and he got saved so did the other horses. The fire was at a different farm, Ryan was on duty the night of the fire. He got burnt really bad he is blind in one eye. I would recommend this book because other kids that live on a farm could learn how other people fix their horses problems. Kids that do not live on a farm could also learn how they save horses. Some kids probably ask their parents what do other farmers do to fix a horse's problems. Amy goes to someone's house and they come out and watch the movie that she got now she is going to be able to join up with Prince. In conclusion this is why I chose this book because some kids may want to know how other people take care of horses. The heartland books are my favorite. Also if you like animals this would be a good book to read.

wow!.......2005-04-24

a new horse, gallant prince comes 2 heartland, after being in a fire. gallant prince wont get near any1. amy is super with horses, but great with ppl 2. with, ryan, gallant prince's old stable hand so damaged like that, she finds a way so that human & horse could be 2gether again. AWESOME!!!! ive read practically the whole series!!!! :)

I LOVE YOU LAUREN BROOKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2005-02-04

This book is next in the series after one day you'll know(whole series is a must read) I was so dissapointed when Ty and Amy decided to just be friends for the time being. I am a horse lover and I reccomend the Heartland series even to people who are not horse lovers. Gallant Prince comes to stay with Amy he is a racehorse. I LOVE HEARTLAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

13 year old reader Anna.......2003-07-31

This is another great book by Lauren Brooke. Amy has to help a jet black horse named Gallant Prince. He got caught in a stable fire and is now afraid of EVERYTHING. But Amy also has to confront his owner who got badly burned in the fire.She must help him face his fears and take him out of his dark room that he stays in 24-7. Amy has to lead them BOTH out of the darkness before it's to late! Happy Reading!

Average customer rating:

Legions of Fire (Babylon, 5)
Peter David
Manufacturer: Science Fiction Book Club
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Babylon 5 | Media | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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Armies of Light and Dark (Babylon 5: Legions of Fire, Book 2)

ASIN: 0739414852

Product Description

Contains "The Long Night of Centauri Prime," "Armies of Light and Dark," and "Out of the Darkness."

Out Of The Darkness: The Story of Mary Ellen Wilson

Average customer rating:

READ THIS BOOK!!!
Amazing
If you've read this book, share your thoughts with others!
A must read for all Human Service Workers
A must read for social workers

Out Of The Darkness: The Story of Mary Ellen Wilson
Eric A. Shelman , and Stephen, M.D. Lazoritz
Manufacturer: Dolphin Moon Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Human Rights | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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The Mary Ellen Wilson Child Abuse Case and the Beginning of Children's Rights in 19th Century America
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ASIN: 0966940008

Amazon.com

Conventional child rearing in the wake of the Civil War could be aptly described as "spare the rod and spoil the child." Like slaves in the previous era, children were considered property, with no more rights than horses or dogs. With luck they were cared for and loved. Orphaned and raised in devastating poverty, young Mary Ellen Wilson was not so lucky. Out of the Darkness vividly details Mary Ellen's life as a captive in her Hell's Kitchen tenement. Left alone during the day to find her own playthings--a few strings and a pet spider named "Timmy"--the situation only became worse when her mother returned home to administer shockingly brutal daily beatings. More than a chronicle of one child's abuse, however, Out of the Darkness also documents her rescue--including the key role of the newly created American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. By drawing parallels between animal rights, Mary Ellen's case, and the end of slavery, Out of the Darkness illustrates how the end of the Civil War ushered in a profound shift in attitude--an acceptance that all living beings are capable of suffering and therefore deserve protection. This is a riveting read about a fascinating period. --Ginger Dzerk

Book Description

Based on a true story, this book recounts the life of Mary Ellen Wilson, the first abused child in America to be removed from her home. In 1874, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals took steps to save the child when no one else would. The landmark case changed the course of child protection in America.

Customer Reviews:

READ THIS BOOK!!!.......2007-09-20

This book is a book that anyone who is considering a career in any type of child services needs to read. I myself am going into social services and this book made me realize what I will be seeing on a daily basis. Mary Ellen was such a brave little girl and I applaud her for surviving her early life!

Amazing.......2006-05-13

The book Out Of The Darkness is an awesome book. It shows the hard time that a little girl named Mary Ellen had to go threw. She has such a hard life, but in the end everything work out. I recommend this book for everybody. This is an outstanding book, everybody should read it.

If you've read this book, share your thoughts with others!.......2006-05-03

I'm Eric Shelman, co-author of Out of the Darkness. I just wanted to ask that if you buy this book, come on back and write a review of it when you're done. I've never had anything but positive feedback about it, but others can use YOUR personal experience with it to better judge it prior to purchasing. I thank all of you who have read and commented on our book.

A must read for all Human Service Workers.......2005-11-05

The authors of this book have created a wonderful window of understanding how child abuse/neglect has evolved over the years. This book should be required reading for anyone interested in the human service field. Through the heart-felt story of Mary Ellen, we can see why there is such a strong need to protect children and continue to evolve for many more years. Thank you to Shelman & Lazoritz for telling such an important story.

A must read for social workers.......2005-06-27

Review of Out of the Darkness: The Story of Mary Ellen Wilson by Eric A. Shelman and Stephen Lazoritz, M.D. Dolphin Moon Publishing, 2003

I chose to review this book because it explains the job of a social worker in the early days of the profession. The book appealed to me as an author and advocate. Set in New York City immediately after the Civil War, this book offers a powerful story in a historical context. Using an original style that combines journalism with fiction, the writers completed a work of art that is based on a true story. The protagonist, Mary Ellen Wilson, was a real orphaned child who experienced devastating cruelty at the hands of the first woman to be tried and convicted of child abuse, Mary Connolly. The story climaxes when Etta Wheeler, a social worker; Henry Bergh, the founder of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals; and Elbridge Gerry, ASPCA attorney, come together to rescue Mary Ellen. It's nearly inconceivable that animals were awarded victims' rights before children.

Thomas Wilson was an immigrant from Ireland who fled the potato famine to shuck oysters at a New York City hotel. In 1861 he married Frances Connor, an English immigrant who he'd met while she was a laundress at the hotel. While he was on the front lines during the Civil War, she gave birth to their daughter, named Mary Ellen. The year the child was born was the same year that Tom Wilson died in battle, 1864.

Frances found it difficult to work and care for her child, so she sought the services of a woman named Martha Score. Childcare for the working poor in the tenements of New York City provided meager nutrition and crowded conditions with no sanitation. However, Miss Score took good care of the baby while Frances worked long hours at the hotel. Travel through the tenements was treacherous at night, so Frances could not visit her child as often as she wished. After her husband died during battle, Fanny turned to alcohol for solace, leading to the loss of her job. Eventually, Fanny died in an "inebriate's asylum." When the war ended, working women returned to housekeeping as their husbands went to work. This left Miss Score with no income, thereby having to abandon the then two-year old Mary Ellen to Blackwell Island almshouse. Mary Ellen was illegally adopted to the evil Mrs. Connolly, where she suffered for seven years.

Etta Wheeler worked for St. Luke's Mission; she cared for the "outdoor poor" and frail elderly in the slums of the city. When neighbors spoke about the cries of a child called Mary Ellen, Miss Wheeler used all available resources to rescue Mary Ellen. However, she was often told by pastors, police, and lawyers to not interfere in the family's business. Undaunted by the advice, Etta persisted in her rescue efforts, eventually aided by Henry Bergh of the ASPCA. In 1874, with police assist, Mary Ellen was carried out of the abusive home, covered with a horse blanket provided by the ASPCA. The court proceedings set a precedent: "There had never been a recognized way to remove a child from an unfit home." The jury trial resulted in felony assault charges against Mrs. Connolly.

Etta Wheeler's sister, who lived on a farm in upstate New York, legally adopted Mary Ellen. Etta continued her social work in the tenements of New York City, where she was needed most. Mary Ellen eventually married, and her daughters spoke of their mother's burns and cuts that never fully healed. However, Mary Ellen lived until the age of ninety-two, surviving her husband by thirty-one years. Meanwhile, Mr. Bergh founded the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. Mr. Gerry was responsible for forming the initial laws pertaining to the rights of children.

This story will cause the reader to wince at the cruelty and rejoice at the rescue. Perhaps the most poignant message in the book comes with the ending: "Perhaps we should see Mary Ellen not as the victim of abuse, but as the survivor, and as a persistent reminder that the efforts of a few people on behalf of one child can make a real difference." As a social worker, that is my hope.

Out of the Darkness (Babylon 5: Legions of Fire, Book 3)

Average customer rating:

Good conclusion to the trilogy, though this book is incredibly scarce!
Great Book, but Subtract a Star for LIMITED AVAILABILITY
An unlikely hero in an outstanding finale
An Excellent Ending to a Good Trilogy
One of the Best Babylon 5 novels

Out of the Darkness (Babylon 5: Legions of Fire, Book 3)
Peter David
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Babylon 5 | Media | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Space Opera | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Armies of Light and Dark (Babylon 5: Legions of Fire, Book 2)
The Long Night of Centauri Prime (Babylon 5: Legions of Fire, Book 1)
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Deadly Relations: Bester Ascendant (Babylon 5)
Dark Genesis: The Birth of the Psi Corps (Babylon 5)

ASIN: 0345427203
Release Date: 2000-10-31

Book Description

Centauri Prime declares war on the Interstellar Alliance in Book Three of the epic trilogy that continues Babylon 5's brilliant legacy . . .

Blind to the fact that he is a pawn in the Drakh's deadly strategy, Centauri prime minister Durla launches an overwhelming blitzkrieg, sending Centauri warships to devastate other races' homeworlds and pave the way for total conquest. Yet Durla is forced to fight a war on two fronts. Even as he mobilizes the massive space fleet for its glorious attack, resistance leader Vir Cotto works feverishly to counter the Drakh's evil influence on Centauri Prime.

Emperor Londo Mollari possesses the key that can reveal the presence of the Drakh, but to do so would spell disaster, so he is forced to remain silent. But when the Drakh bring another pawn into play--David Sheridan, son of Alliance president John Sheridan--the time for silence may be past. If Vir and the Resistance are to prevail, it will be only through action, and with help from very strange allies . . .

Customer Reviews:

Good conclusion to the trilogy, though this book is incredibly scarce!.......2006-09-12

Peter David writes a generally believable novel here which wraps up most extant plot threads from the previous 2 stories, as well as pieces from War Without End.

The Drakh story thread is mostly resolved, though this is written with almost no reference to the human efforts against the drakh. The reasons G'kar, sheridan and delenn are on centauri prime are offered, as well as resolution of the thread of the keeper left for their son. Vir (whose changes in previous books make him an almost unrecognizable character) continues to lead an insurgency which eventually places him on the throne. In a piece I wonder was included as a requirement, it even offers a reason for Londo to narrate the film In the Beginning - because he asked delenn for her side of the story while she was a prisoner. This was probably the only piece in the story I felt overly contrived.

Great resolution, doesn't insist on tearing up what we saw in tv episodes (unlike the techno-mage trilogy), however actually getting this book is a problem.

Great Book, but Subtract a Star for LIMITED AVAILABILITY.......2005-04-28

Out of the Darkness is an excellent wrap up book three in the Babylon 5: Legions of Fire Trilogy, but difficult to find.
Books one and two were no problem to locate, plenty out there new or used.
I lucked in this one at a used book store by chance.
*** Come on Ballantine/Del Rey, how about a 2nd printing? ***
To pay $49.95 on Amazon, bid $25.00 or more for it on Ebay is ridiculous for a paperback retailing for $6.50!

An unlikely hero in an outstanding finale.......2005-02-20

Vir Cotto, Hero! Vir Cotto, Emperor! Of course, Babylon V fans knew that Vir would become Emperor after Londo. We also knew that G'Kar would kill Londo and that the capital city of Centauri Prime would be in flames. We also knew that Sheridan would be in time limbo. However, this book, which covers the years 2274-2278 tells us how we got to that point.

The Centauri, under the malevolent guidence of the Drakh, have been building their war machine and are just about ready to strike. Vir has been leading an underground that has cause minor irritation to the plans of Durla, and ultimately, the Drakh, but it didn't put an end to them. That is until Durla was at the final moment of triumph when the underground attacked Durla in his position of strength.

However, getting there, what was the trick. Along the way, there was intrigue, betrayal, and love both won and lost. This was a wonderful storyline, completely consistant with what we already knew about the Babylon V timeline. In fact, this novel fills in a lot of holes that were left in the series, especially considering that this covers the future from the perspective of the Babylon TV series, a future that we got only a glimpse of through prophecy and time distortions.

For the Babylon V fan, this entire trilogy is a must read. I will definately be reading some more Babylon V books, hoping they are as good as this series has been.

An Excellent Ending to a Good Trilogy.......2004-09-08

The final book of the trilogy, and it does not disappoint. Vir rises up and becomes the leader of his people before he even wears the crown. The final days of Londo are filled with mystery and intrigue, along with some excellent witty commentary between himself and his nemesis/friend G'Kar. Overall, an excellent ending to a most excellent side-story in the Babylon 5 storyline. All three books are well worth your time to pick up and read, especially if you enjoyed the sniping between Londo and G'Kar in the tv series.

One of the Best Babylon 5 novels.......2004-04-13

Peter David's riveting Centauri trilogy comes to a splendid conclusion in "Babylon 5 Legions of Fire Book III: Out of the Darkness". Centauri Prime Minister Durla becomes an unwitting pawn of the Drakh Entire as he prepares the Centauri Republic for an all out war against the Interstellar Alliance. It is Durla, not the aging Emperor Londo Mollari, who holds the reins of power on Centauri Prime. Interstellar Alliance President John Sheridan and his wife Delenn must come to grips with a deadly terror that his ensnared their son David. Peter David offers a riveting look at G'Kar's final, fateful journey to Centauri Prime. And last, but not least, Vir Cotto will demonstrate why he becomes a worthy successor to Mollari as Centauri Emperor.

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Out of Darkness: A Memoir
Zoltan; Sacks, Oliver (foreword by) Torey
Manufacturer: Pan Macmillan Australia
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0330364812

Out of the Darkness (World at War, Book 6)

Average customer rating:

Final instalment of Turtledove's WW2 Epic
The End?
Excelent take on WW II
War is over, darkness remains
Admirable, but unenjoyable

Out of the Darkness (World at War, Book 6)
Harry Turtledove
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Epic | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Jaws of Darkness (World at War, Book 5)
Rulers of the Darkness (World at War, Book 4)
Through the Darkness (World at War, Book 3)
Darkness Descending (World at War, Book 2)
Into the Darkness (World at War, Book 1)

ASIN: 0765304384

Book Description

The climactic volume of Turtledove's saga of world war in a world where magic works arry Turtledove's rousing saga of a fantastic world at war, which began in Into the Darkness and continued through several successful volumes, draws to its climactic conclusion in Out of the Darkness. As the Derlavaian War rages into its last and greatest battles, allied nations maneuver for positions against each other in a postwar world. But before that time can come, the forces of Algarve, Unkerlant, and their allies must clash for the final time, countering army with army and battle magic with ever-more-powerful battle magic. In the midst of it all, the people the war has battered and reshaped must struggle to face their greatest individual challenges, as loves are shattered and found, terrible crimes avenged and some journeys ended forever. And the end of the war may not bring peace.

Customer Reviews:

Final instalment of Turtledove's WW2 Epic.......2007-02-25

"Out of the Darkness" is the sixth and final part of Harry Turtledove's reworking of the World War Two story set on a planet where people use magic instead of technology.

Dragon riders replace aircraft, Behemoths replace tanks, East and West have been transposed, Eurasia has been moved to the Southern hemisphere so that the Finns look like Zulus and the Saraha Desert becomes "the land of the Ice people." And all the names have been changed. But otherwise this is not alternative history at all.

By chance I read Anthony Beevor's "Stalingrad" shortly after reading the earlier voume ("Through the Darkness") in this series which included the events corresponding to that battle, and the same author's "Berlin" just before reading this one. Again and again I found myself recognising the real events on which Turtledove bases the disasters and atrocities in the "Darkness" books.

When reading the earlier books in this series I thought Turtledove's aim was to do was write an account of great evil and how some people were sucked into it, others fought against it, others just tried to live through it, changing some of the details so the reader could leave some of the emotional baggage behind. By the time I reached this book, my mind was instantly translating everything back to real-world equivalents - Algarve as Germany, Kaunians as Jews, Swemmel as Stalin, etc - but the book still has power to make the reader think. As one character explained in the previous book, nobody is the villain in his own story.

It is also a gripping story, not because the reader is in any doubt about what will happen overall, but because you want to know what will happen to the many viewpoint characters, most of whom are fictional creations caught up in real events.

In fact, Turtledove takes one noticeable liberty with history in this book, which I won't spoil by giving it away here, but anyone who wants to explore the point further after they've read this book might also be interested in Barbara Delaplace's short story "No Other Choice" which is included in the collection "Alternate Presidents."

The "Darkness" series is best read in the correct sequence -"Into the Darkness", "Darkness Descending", "Through the Darkness", "Rulers of the Darkness", "Jaws of Darkness" and finally "Out of the Darkness". The mood is as black as the titles indicate, but the series is a very exciting read.

The End?.......2006-03-16

Turteldove's 6 books series of war (almost 4000 pages of it) finally comes to an end. an enjoyable series that does require a pretty heavy investment from the reader. I think we got to know a lot of the characters along the way. Though I was disappointed with a the fairly pointless introduction of a couple of new POV characters for the final book. Because it does parallel our own world so closely it did make the last book rather predictable, personally I would ahve preferred it if the whole series had been built around a different but still detailed history. My only other quibble has been the increase in frankly embarrassing sex scenes.

Anyway the door is left open for a Cold War style series set in the same world.

Excelent take on WW II.......2005-02-08

(Note that's I'm reviewing the entire series.)

We have a version of Germany that unifies with a version of Austria, only several other nations do not wait to be provoked further, they declare war right away. (Equivalents of Poland, France, Netherlands, and Denmark?)

The version of the UK sits out until in a reverse Dunkurg, the small islands are taken over.

The equivalent of Germany and the USSR divide Poland and wipe it off the map, and then the other powers on the land mass fall to Germany. In the mean time, This equivelent to Germany has been sending out literature painting blondes in a very bad light [who is this version had an empire 1000 years ago.] And they wait for those countries to fall before rounding up the local blondes in their empire and pass a law making red hair dye illegal for blondes to wear as well.

The equivalents of the USSR and Germany then decide to sneak attack each other on the very same day. Only the equivalent of Germans is much better trained. However the winter is Ukerlant's best ally, and so the life energy of blondes is expended to break a stalemate, but it doesn't take long for Ukerlant to use peasents life energy the same way. The eye witness accounts of historical Germans seeing the towers of the Kerlim match up this fictional account. The equivalent of the US joined the war and is obviously working on a version of the MP. They've been fighting this realities version of Japan for a while though.

Later in the series, the historical story of two sharp shooters going after each other (USSR & German) is retold, but with the twist of them both killing each other in this novel.

And the equailvent of Italy gets the equivlent of Germany side tracked just like histroically. (Only in Tundra instead of the Desert)

I'm not sure how to place this country where people wear nothing between their Sandels and Top Hats other than Jewerly, only that I probably wouldn't be able to get any work done at all in such a place.

Later on this version of allies start scoring victories, and an exiled character finds himself treated as a big rat by his ex wife.

A historic Japense inovation that didn't work for them is used quite successfully and was given the same name in this novel only as a combo equivalent to US & UK product. (Combination of a submarine and air craft carrier.) It works better in this book because it's holds more than four Dragons/planes.

In this novel, we see the equivlent of Germany on it's last legs and the equivlent as the equivlent to the USSR completes taking Ukraine back + taking Austria and Poland while the equivlents to the US/UK land in one of these nations and the German equivlent pulls out of the other but then finds US/UK landing troops there to go at them from there as well.

At the wars end we see what is obviously going to be their equivlent to our Cold war going so far as to match diviving Germany into two occuplied countries with figure head puppets, while the equivlent of Tokyo is hit with the equivalent of a nuclear bomb after failing to surrender seeing a demonstartion.

I think the immedate future looks much brighter for the citizens of this version of the US & UK than any place else in this novel.

Yes, Darkness still covers those countries the equivlent of the USSR rules (both directly and indirectly) and even one of the countries on the US/UK side is one large prision.

War is over, darkness remains.......2004-11-08

Harry Turtledove's magical allegory of World War Two concludes with Out of the Darkness, and much like in the real world, when the war ends, peace doesn't necessarily begin.

Algarve has been crushed and occupied. King Mezentio is shot down at the request of one of his fighters. In the far west, Gyongvar has been obliterated by a magical weapon of mass destruction. Unkerlant has taken Forthweg and installed its own puppet king.

As the war winds down, characters are also trying to pick up the pieces of their lives. Some of them have happy endings, others do not. Garivald finds himself in a mercury mine with Oraste and Ceorl after leaving the war. Bembo loses his girlfriend. Pekka and Fearno get married. Ealstan comes home to his family.

Readers will wonder what happens next in the fantasy world. Will Kuusamo and Unkerlant face down in a Cold War of their own? Will Algarve return to power, or will the Kaunian people ever be free?

History buffs and fantasy fans alike will enjoy the saga. It remains to be seen if Turtledove will revive it for the next generation, like the Return Engagement or Colonization series.

Admirable, but unenjoyable.......2004-08-02

I chose 2 stars, out of guilt for having not read the earlier books in this series. I suppose those books would have made the large number of characters, races, countries and thier complex relationships easier to track, but I somehow don't think it would have mattered that much. The book seemed to be a very successful exercise in writting about WWII under the fantasy fiction genre, but it didn't grab me or entertain me at all. It didn't say anything new about WWII. If looking for a new take on the war, look elsewhere, there are hundreds of great works on WWII. There were so many countries and characters that it all got watered down, and I ended up not caring about any. Since it is a WWII fantasy-historical fiction novel it also has an understandably predictable ending. I will look for another Turteldove novel, but would not reccomend this one, especially if you have not read the other in the series.

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