Books with author James Barke

Our story begins with wave upon wave of an unusual but beautiful species of songbirds invading the hamlet of Paradise. Day after day, they arrive by the thousands…soon tens of thousands, as the blue sky darkens.The animals of Paradise no longer work spending their days and weeks looking up at this incredible phenomenon, enchanted by their song. They grow weak and lethargic as Paradise grinds to a halt. Something drastic must be done; things must return to normal!Mayor Owl calls for a town meeting where he tells his constituency of a witch he once met in a darkened cave. The witch was sick; Mayor Owl nurtured her back to health. Upon recovery, Ms. Witch was indebted, telling Owl that if ever he needs her assistance, she owes him a favor.Granting permission, Mayor Owl takes off on a three-day flight hoping to find the cave, worried that the Witch may no longer be there, or even worse, that she wouldn’t remember their encounter.The Birds of Paradise has thought-provoking characters who are faced with some tough decisions. The story forces its readers to reconsider previous stereotypes between good and evil!

This book is set in the year 1512, at the time of Michelangelo, da Vinci, and the Medici family, as a travel guide for first time visitors to Florence, Italy. The guide provides travelers to Renaissance Florence with information about everyday life in city, where to stay, how to find the great art and architectural treasures, as well as information about the city's history, festivities, sports, and great shopping sites.

Famed for its lean that has defied gravity since its inception over 800 years ago, this book chronicles what modern engineers consider to be the most flawed building still standing today. Closed in 1990 due to fears of imminent collapse, a panel of world famous engineers have finally understood why it has been leaning and have solved the engineering problem of arresting any further lean and have stabilized this beautiful bell tower for future generations.

Life for medieval villagers who lived far from larger towns and cities was a daily test of personal character and dependence upon their fellow villagers. Village life was one of hard work primarily for farmers in the local fields but also for small merchants who like the farmer, scratched out a living while obligated to the laws and customs of the village lord who occupied the apex of medieval village social structure. This book honors the millions of mostly poor and struggling peasants as they lived, married, laughed, danced, gave birth, and died in their small dank cottages at a time when struggle and hard work were the two constants of their lives.