Books with author Stephen Klein

The Legend of King ArthurThere is a lot that has been said about King Arthur in the Arthurian Legends. Many people have read or heard about him either as a real person or as a legendary figure. King Arthur is still a great mythic figure of English literature. He was a great warrior, ruler and military leader who united Britain in the medieval period. However, it is King Arthur as a legendary figure that has mostly captured the imagination and attention of readers. What cannot be denied is the influence the Legend of King Arthur has on literature, music, art and society. The Legend has been portrayed in movies, novels and art, but the reader will get all that in this book. This is a captivating story about King Arthur, the Sword in the Stone, the Knights of the Round Table, Merlin the wizard and the Quest for the Holy Grail. It is entertaining as well as informational. Arthur wielded a magical sword known as Excalibur which helped him win all the battles. He lived in a glorious kingdom called Camelot. He married the beautiful Queen Guinevere who later fell in love with Sir Lancelot one of the King Arthur’s favorite Knights. This led to the King’s pursuit of Sir Lancelot during which the his son Mordred took over the throne and married his wife Queen Guinevere. Eventually, the King returned to Camelot when he heard this, and a war broke out which ultimately resulted in his death.

The Legend of King Arthur There is a lot that has been said about King Arthur in the Arthurian Legends. Many people have read or heard about him either as a real person or as a legendary figure. King Arthur is still a great mythic figure of English literature. He was a great warrior, ruler and military leader who united Britain in the medieval period. However, it is King Arthur as a legendary figure that has mostly captured the imagination and attention of readers. What cannot be denied is the influence the Legend of King Arthur has on literature, music, art and society. The Legend has been portrayed in movies, novels and art, but the reader will get all that in this book. This is a captivating story about King Arthur, the Sword in the Stone, the Knights of the Round Table, Merlin the wizard and the Quest for the Holy Grail. It is entertaining as well as informational. Arthur wielded a magical sword known as Excalibur which helped him win all the battles. He lived in a glorious kingdom called Camelot. He married the beautiful Queen Guinevere who later fell in love with Sir Lancelot one of the King Arthur’s favorite Knights. This led to the King’s pursuit of Sir Lancelot during which the his son Mordred took over the throne and married his wife Queen Guinevere. Eventually, the King returned to Camelot when he heard this, and a war broke out which ultimately resulted in his death.

The Shakers, once a radical religious sect whose members were despised and harassed by their fellow Americans, have in recent years become celebrated―and sentimentalized―for their communal way of life, the simplicity of their worship, their belief in celibacy, pacifism, and equality of the sexes, and not least, their superb furniture and handicrafts. This monumental book is the first general history of the Shakers from their origins in eighteenth-century England to the present day. Drawing on written and oral testimony by Shakers over the past two centuries, Stephen J. Stein offers a full and often revisionist account of the movement: their charismatic leaders, the early years in revolutionary New York and New England, the expansion into the West, the maturation and growth of the sect before the Civil War, the decline in their fortunes after the war, the painful adjustments to society Shakers had to make during the first half of the twentieth century, the renaissance of interest after 1950, and the “forbidden topic” within contemporary Shakerism―the conflict between the two remaining villages at Canterbury, New Hampshire, and Sabbathday Lake, Maine. Stein provides many new interpretations of the Shaker experience. He reassesses the role of founder Ann Lee, emphasizes the impact of the western Shaker settlements on the course of the society’s history, and describes the variety of cultural enterprises that have obscured the religious and historical dimensions of the Shakers. Throughout Stein places the Shaker experience within the wider context of American life and shows how the movement has evolved to deal with changing times. Shattering the romantic myth that has been perpetuated about the quaint and peaceful Shakers, Stein portrays a group that is factious, practical, and fully human.

Alternative religious groups have had a profound influence on American history-they have challenged the old and opened up new ways of thinking about healing, modes of meaning, religious texts and liturgies, the social and political order, and the relationships between religion and race, class, gender, and region. Virtually always, the dramatic, dynamic history of alternative religions runs parallel to that of dissent in America. Communities of Dissent is an evenhanded and marvelously lively history of New Religious Movements in America. Stephen J. Stein describes the evolution and structure of alternative religious movements from both sides: the critics and the religious dissenters themselves. Providing a fascinating look at a wide range of New Religious Movements, he investigates obscure groups such as the 19th-century Vermont Pilgrims, who wore bearskins and refused to bathe or cut their hair, alongside better-known alternative believers, including colonial America's largest outsider faith, the Quakers; 17th- and 18th-century Mennonites, Amish, and Shakers; and the Christian Scientists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Black Muslims, and Scientologists of today. Accessible and comprehensive, Communities of Dissent also covers the milestones in the history of alternative American religions, from the infamous Salem witch trials and mass suicide/murder at Jonestown to the positive ways in which alternative religions have affected racial relations, the empowerment of women, and American culture in general.

Alternative religious groups have had a profound influence on American history-they have challenged the old and opened up new ways of thinking about healing, modes of meaning, religious texts and liturgies, the social and political order, and the relationships between religion and race, class, gender, and region. Virtually always, the dramatic, dynamic history of alternative religions runs parallel to that of dissent in America.Communities of Dissent is an evenhanded and marvelously lively history of New Religious Movements in America. Stephen J. Stein describes the evolution and structure of alternative religious movements from both sides: the critics and the religious dissenters themselves. Providing a fascinating look at a wide range of New Religious Movements, he investigates obscure groups such as the 19th-century Vermont Pilgrims, who wore bearskins and refused to bathe or cut their hair, alongside better-known alternative believers, including colonial America's largest outsider faith, the Quakers; 17th- and 18th-century Mennonites, Amish, and Shakers; and the Christian Scientists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Black Muslims, and Scientologists of today.Accessible and comprehensive, Communities of Dissent also covers the milestones in the history of alternative American religions, from the infamous Salem witch trials and mass suicide/murder at Jonestown to the positive ways in which alternative religions have affected racial relations, the empowerment of women, and American culture in general.

This two-volume set documents the essential role of the sea and maritime activity across history, from travel and food production to commerce and conquest.In all eras, water transport has served as the cheapest and most efficient means of moving cargo and people over any significant distance. Only relatively recently have railroads and aircraft provided an alternative. Most of the world's bulk goods continue to travel primarily by ship over water. Even today, 95 percent of the cargo that enters and leaves the United States does so by ship. Similarly, people around the world rely on the sea for food, and in recent years, the sea has become an important source of oil and other resources, with the longterm effects of our continuing efforts to extract resources from the sea further highlighting environmental concerns that range from pollution to the exhaustion of fish stocks.This chronologically organized two-volume reference addresses the history of the sea, beginning with ancient civilizations (4000 to 1000 BCE) and ending with the modern era (1945 to the present day). Each of the eight chapters is further broken down into sections that focus on specific nations or regions, offering detailed descriptions of that area of the world and shorter entries on specific topics, individuals, and events.The book spans maritime history, covering major seafaring peoples and nations; famous explorers, travelers, and commanders; events, battles, and wars; key technologies, including famous ships; important processes and ongoing events, such as piracy and the slave trade; and more. Readers will benefit from dozens of primary source documents―ranging from ancient Egyptian tales of seafaring to texts by renowned travelers like Marco Polo, Zheng He, and Ibn Battuta―that provide firsthand accounts from the age of discovery as well as accounts of battle from World War I and II and more modern accounts of the sea.• Provides a broad survey of the importance of the oceans for all of human culture and civilization, including coverage of diverse cultures such as the Polynesians, Vikings, Minoans, and many others• Describes the voyages of the great explorers and places them in a broad multinational and multicultural perspective• Traces the human use of the sea over time, noting activities and historic events such as piracy, the slave trade, fishing, and whaling, as well as describing commerce in ancient and modern contexts

It is now known that about 81 percent of Americans believe that some type of conspiracy took place in Dealey Plaza on November 22, 1963. But such was not the case in the early days after the assassination of President JohnF. Kennedy.Over the years, there have only been two earnest official investigations into this matter. One conducted by Jim Garrison, New Orleans District Attorney, between 1966-1969; and the U.S. House Select Committee on Assassinations that convened in 1977 and was terminated by Congress in 1979.The JFK assassination has been described as being a mystery wrapped in a riddle inside an enigma. In recent years new compelling information provided by eyewitnesses present in Dealey Plaza who had first hand knowledge of alleged assassins, has surfaced. Additionally, There have been many researchers, authors and investigators who have expanded on and upplemented Garrison’s investigation and put together many pieces of the puzzle. Many of them agree that there was aconspiracy to kill JFK, there was more than one shooter in the plaza; and there was a massive coverup.

Through their role in the development of the First Amendment and their exercise of the freedoms it grants, alternative religious groups have had a profound influence on American history. As Stephen J. Stein points out in this vivid overview, the history of alternative religion--from colonial Puritans to late-20th-century Branch Davidians--runs parallel to that of dissent in America. Committed to fairness of representation, Stein describes the evolution and structure of alternative religious movements from both sides: the critics and the religious dissenters themselves. He investigates obscure groups such as the 19th-century Vermont Pilgrims, who wore bearskins and refused to bathe or cut their hair, alongside better-known alternative believers, including colonial America's largest outsider faith, the Quakers; 17th- and 18th-century Mennonites, Amish, and Shakers; and the Christian Scientists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Black Muslims, and Scientologists of today. The book also covers the milestones in the history of alternative American religions, from the infamous Salem witch trials and mass suicide/murder at Jonestown to the positive ways in which these religions have affected racial relations and the empowerment of women.Religion in American Life explores the evolution, character, and dynamics of organized religion in America from 1500 to the present day. Written by distinguished religious historians, these books weave together the varying stories that compose the religious fabric of the United States, from Puritanism to alternative religious practices. Primary source material coupled with handsome illustrations and lucid text make these books essential in any exploration of America's diverse nature. Each book includes a chronology, suggestions for further reading, and index.