Most Popular Books by John Matthews

Henry Hunter’s friend Charlie is desperate for help. His parents have gone missing in the Caribbean Ocean, and no one will believe him that something sinister is afoot. Henry and his sidekick Dolf are on the case! The only lead Henry and Dolf have is the sighting of a ghostly galleon and a huge tentacle of mist. Exploring the local pirate history and myths, Henry and Dolf uncover a cursed crew of pirates, led by no other than the deadly Edward Teach—Blackbeard himself. But what''s keeping the pirates sailing beyond their deaths? And how and why are they building a crew of live prisoners? It''s up to Henry and Dolf to survive monster waves and befriend a crazy local seadog to solve the mystery and put the pirates back in their watery graves! Discover the ghostly world of the paranormal through the eyes of our spooked narrator as he tags along on the second adventure in the Henry Hunter series!

This companion to Celtic folklorist John Matthews'' The Song of Taliesin (Quest 2001) features seventeen stories never before published in book form, interspersed with the author''s original poetry in the style of the ancient past whence the tales spring. The book is a stunning retelling of legends, myths, and folktales drawn from the Welsh Mabinogion, the Taliesin tradition, The Book of Leinster, the story of Perceval, Malory''s Morte d''Arthur, and other traditional sources. The stories are accompanied by excellent endnotes explaining sources and elucidating points of difficulty, but they stand beautifully on their own. Taken as a whole, they present the characters, themes, and events of Celtic, Grail, and Arthurian lore in an authentic literary voice that makes for great reading and great telling. The Ancient Wisdom flows forward in many forms. One of its streams is surely found in the Arthurian "quest for the Grail"---which is, at its core, the quest for enlightenment and spiritual mastery. Matthews'' lucid refashioning of these tales is informed by his deep understanding of their esoteric center. Through them, the reader may clearly see the Ancient Wisdom shine.

This book compares the beginning of symbolic thought in human infancy with that of our close primate relatives, the chimpanzees. Drawing upon his years of detailed observations, Matthews offers an in-depth analysis and interpretation of chimp behaviour to present an unprecedented account of the beginnings of symbolic thought. The implications for our understanding of symbolism, language, art and education are enormous, as are those about our origins and our place within nature.

Rare and previously unpublished tales of one of the most famous legends in literature is brought to life for a new generation by one of the world’s leading Arthurian experts and illustrated by an acclaimed Tolkien artist. It is a time of magic and adventure, of chivalry and courtly love, when great evil must be met with heroic deeds. It is a time of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. Realms of the Round Table presents for the first time an extensive collection of forgotten tales, retold for a new generation of readers by a modern-day Merlin, the world-renowned Arthurian authority, John Matthews. Contained within are a rich feast of Arthurian love stories and tales that delve deep into the darker mysteries of the Great Wood and the denizens of fantastic lands beyond. Here also is a heady mixture of magic, faery lore, wisdom and mystery—capturing extraordinary tales of Camelot’s greatest knights, such as Sir Lancelot and Sir Gawain, and others less well known, and soaring from high adventure to mystical accounts of the Grail. There is even an Arthurian Christmas tale These stories honor the work of Thomas Malory in his legendary Le Morte D’Arthur. They are dramatically brought to life by the luminous paintings and drawings of internationally acclaimed Tolkien artist, John Howe. With an introduction by Sir John Boorman, director of the classic film Excalibur, Realms of the Round Table is a glorious reimagining of the most influential work of English fantasy ever written that will surprise and capture anyone who has ever been enchanted by tales of Camelot.

Nature-based solutions (NBS) are interventions to protect, restore, and sustainably manage natural or modified ecosystems to support both biodiversity and human well-being. This guide explores the benefits of using NBS in a suite of development options to promote sustainable and resource-efficient infrastructure. It includes case studies from Bangladesh, Nepal, the People''s Republic of China, the Philippines, and Viet Nam to show how NBS can be mainstreamed in the portfolio of the Asian Development Bank.

Aimed at engineers, technologies, and architects, this professional tutorial offers sound guidance on the analysis and design of building power and illuminations systems.

Adolphus Pringle lived a relatively normal life before he met Henry Hunter, but being the best friend of a twelve-year-old millionaire genius certainly makes life interesting. He has accompanied Henry on adventures all over the world and encountered dozens of supernatural creatures. Henry has a penchant for paranormal mysteries, and he never fails to drag his trusty sidekick, Dolf, into adventures to track down the truth in these mystical legends. Henry announces one morning that he and Dolf are going to go in search of a creature more terrifying than Dracula himself: the Beast of Snagov. The pair of supernatural investigators travel from where Bram Stoker stayed in Whitby to Transylvania. Along the way they come across some strange things such as Dracula’s daughter, Bella, and an organization called the Order of the Dragon that wants to sacrifice Henry Hunter to the Beast of Snagov. When Henry is taken, it’s up to Dolf and Bella to team up and rescue him! Will Henry survive this supernatural adventure? Get ready to discover the world of the supernatural through the eyes of our spooked narrator as he tags along on the first adventure in the Henry Hunter series! Sky Pony Press, with our Good Books, Racehorse and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of books for young readers—picture books for small children, chapter books, books for middle grade readers, and novels for young adults. Our list includes bestsellers for children who love to play Minecraft; stories told with LEGO bricks; books that teach lessons about tolerance, patience, and the environment, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

In this stunning gift edition, Celtic experts Caitlin and John Matthews present inspirational primary material, rich in ancient wisdom, lore, and mythology. For readers who are fascinated by Celtic traditions, and spiritual heritage, this unique reference introduces several new translations of powerful Celtic literature, including stories, poems, and visionary writing -- many dating from the 7th century. Brimming with invaluable ancestral knowledge and previously unavailable texts, this invaluable sourcebook offers readers a rare insight into shamanic memory, druidic divination and prophecy, shape-shifting myths, stories about soul loss and restoration, legendary magic, and healing traditions.

"The continued development of the colony and the rapid extension of settlement has increased the demand for timber to such an extent that the question of forest tree planting for future supplies has been forced upon the attention of the people, who are fully prepared to support systematic government action ... it has now been decided to assist settlers by supplying information in regard to all subjects connected with the raising and planting of trees, whether for ornament, shelter, or as a source of timber supply for the future, and with this object in view the present volume has been compiled for the use of settlers ..." -- Preface.

Foreword by Neil Gaiman The world’s leading Arthurian authority reimagines one of the most beloved and influential legends—the story of King Arthur and his Knights—for a new century in this gorgeous keepsake edition, illustrated with luminous full-color paintings and drawings by internationally acclaimed Tolkien artist John Howe. The stories of King Arthur and Merlin, Lancelot and Guinevere, Galahad, Gawain, Tristan and the rest of the Knights of the Roundtable, and the search for the Holy Grail have been beloved for centuries and are the inspiration of many modern fantasy novels, films, and shows. These legends began when an obscure Celtic hero named Arthur stepped on to the stage of history sometime in the sixth century, generating a host of oral tales that would be inscribed some 900 years later by Thomas Malory in his classic Morte D’Arthur (The Death of Arthur). The Great Book of King Arthur brings these legends into the modern age, using accessible prose for contemporary readers for the first time. In addition to the stories in Morte D’Arthur, John Matthews includes many tales of Arthur and his knights either unknown to Malory or written in other languages, such as the story of Avenable, the girl brought up as a boy who becomes a famous knight; Morien, whose adventures are as fantastic and exciting as any found in Malory’s work; and a retelling of the life of Round Table favorite Gawain, from his strange birth to his upbringing among the poor to his ascension to the highest position—Emperor of Rome. In addition, there are some of the earliest tales of Arthur, deriving from the tradition of Celtic storytelling. The epic hero is represented in such powerful stories as “The Adventures of Eagle-boy” and “The Coming of Merlin,” which is based on the early medieval text Vita Merlini and tells a completely new version of the great enchanter’s story. The Great Book of King Arthur includes 15 full-color paintings and 25 pencil drawings.

Breton''s stature is much greater than that of a number of contemporaries who have received, already, far more attention from the critics than he. It provides justification without excuse, especially when the commentator''s purpose is to shed light on the intricacies of Breton''s mind, the significance of his original work, or the impact of his ideas on twentieth-century culture. Hence the aim pursued in the present study may be stated without further preamble: To attempt to broaden understanding of the evolution of Andr Breton''s thinking during a critical period in his life, the one which brought him to leadership of the surrealist movement in France. Evidently, the focus here is narrow, the goal being to give clearer definition to the intellectual state of a young man emerging from doubt--and so from self-doubt--into renewed confidence in his poetic calling.

A thrilling and inspiring tale of a journey and a vision - the quest for the Grail. In this book, noted Arthurian specialist John Matthews has created an casily understood survey of the origins and merging of the epic themes and legends concerned with the Holy Grail. With a great wealth of illustration and specially created colour plates, King Arthur and the Grail Quest provides a fascinating survey as well as including five of the traditional stories, retold by the author. In addition, there is a full summary of all sources and an extensive bibliography.

Did seven monks carry The Grail from Glastonbury Abbey at the time of the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539, to the Cistercian Abbey of Strata Florida in Mid Wales? The mystery of the Nanteos Cup and its healing powers has fascinated and intrigued for 300 years.

Defines then explores all aspects of what this tradition represents, its symbolic figures and places.

The fifteen papers in this volume discuss issues of Roman social, cultural and political history from the foundation of the Principate to the age of barbarian settlements of the west. Working imaginatively from within the diverse evidence, they show the institutional continuity of the Roman empire between its early and later periods, and reveal the roots of political behaviour in social practice. Five of the papers, including three of the most substantial, are previously unpublished; others have appeared in collections which are now difficult to find. The author has edited the whole to bring out thematic connections as well as for consistency of presentation.

Ethics is, in an important sense, a matter of ‘being good’ but it is also a question about how to live a ‘good life’. This book''s emphasis on the theatrical and performative and their relationship to ethics, highlights that being good is, a matter of acting good and that acting good is a question of performing (or not-performing) certain roles and duties. This book surveys the most recent work in the field of ethics and performance, organizing this research through the metaphor of ‘the good life’. Each chapter explores a question about what it means to ‘act good’ at a different point in life and thus the book moves from natality to fatality, and beyond in its meditation on the relationship between performance and life itself. In this, it offers an important contribution to the contemporary debate about the relationship between ethics, theatre and performance studies.

Learn about the history of DVDs and how and where they are manufactured.

Teen King Arthur''s origin story is told in a full-color graphic novel.

In 1994, the Italian National Library discovered a missing manuscript believed to have been the work of Nostradamus. Here, John Matthews and Wil Kinghan bring to life the ultimate oracle from the world''s primary prognosicator.

In The Eyeball Killer, investigating cop John Matthews with journalist Christine Wicker, exposes the private demons that turned one man''s sick fantasies into one of the most appalling murder sprees in the annals of Texas crime. And in his jail cell, where he has been imprisoned for life, Charles Albright still paints pictures of women''s eyes. Photos.