History

They Lived the Faith: Great Lay Leaders of Modern Times
by Thomas P. Neill

They Lived the Faith is a truly uniqe work, combining the biographies of numerous Catholic lay leaders in the 19th and 20th century to illustrate the singular theme of Catholic Action in both social and political life.

While many books focus on clerical leaders, They Lived the Faith looks at laity, who worked in politics, literature, and social life to bring the light of the Gospel to ameliorate society’s evils. Featuring biographies of Daniel O’Connel, Count Montalembert, Ludwig Windhorst, Gabriel Garcia Moreno, Bl. Pauline Jaricot, Bl. Frédéric Ozanam, Albert de Mun, Joseph de Maistre, Joseph Görres, Donoso Cortés, Orestes Brownson, Luis Veuillot, and Wilfrid Ward.

In this work, you will learn how these thirteen Catholic lay leaders confronted the aftermath of the French Revolution; attempted to address Church and State relations; fought the onslaught of Liberalism, Socialism, and Communism; and so much more.

Paperback, size 9" x 6", 444 pages

Also available in Hardback (with dust jacket) on request (additional cost)

What Were the Crusades?
by Johnathan Riley-Smith

The Crusades: A History is the definitive account of a key topic in medieval and religious history. Jonathan Riley-Smith, a world authority on the subject, explores the organisation of a crusade, the experience of crusading and the crusaders themselves, producing a textbook that is as accessible as it is comprehensive.

This third edition includes:

• Substantial new material on crusade theory, historiography and translated texts
• An expanded scope that extends the text to cover the decline of crusading in the nineteenth century
• Valuable pedagogical features, such as a revised bibliography, maps, illustrations and a brand new chronology

This book is essential reading for all students and scholars seeking to understand the Crusades and their significance in world history.

Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 114 pages

Richelieu
by Hilaire Belloc

Sketch of the Cardinal's character - specifically of his Will - seen through his background, the figures surrounding him, and his line of action. In attempting to achieve for France the leadership of Europe, Richelieu loosed forces stronger than he could deal with, with the consequent weakening, if not destruction, of Catholicism. This gripping tale, unfolding at the heart of the European story, is a candid look at Richeliu's uncanny statesmanship and undoubted sincerity, and the unintended but disastrous effect of these upon the soul of Western civilization.

Paperback, size 9" x 6", 272 pages

Charles I
by Hilaire Belloc

The Reformation in England led to its victory in much of the rest of Europe. That victory unleashed the forces of social disintegration Protestantism, Capitalism, and anti-Catholicism and led them to challenge the tradition of Monarchy on the field of battle. This book tells the story of how Charles I came to face those forces, manipulated by the Money Power, and how and why he failed.

Paperback, size 9" x 6", 286 pages, Illus.

A Saint Under Moslem Rule
by Dom Justo Perezde Urbel, O.S.B.

An amazing narative of Moslem rule in the days of St. Eulogius, in the 9th Centrury.  Follow Eulogius through his years and the many martyrs of Cordova he assisted until his own martyrdom.

Paperback, size 8" x 4.9", 250 pages

He Leadeth Me
An Extraordinary Testament of Faith
by Walter J. Ciszek S.J. with Daniel L. Flaherty S.J.

Captured by a Russian army during World War II and convicted of being a “Vatican spy,” Jesuit Father Walter J. Ciszek spent twenty-three agonizing years in Soviet prisons and the labor camps of Siberia. Only through an utter reliance on God’s will did he manage to endure the extreme hardship. He tells of the courage he found in prayer—a courage that eased the loneliness, the pain, the frustration, the anguish, the fears, the despair. For, as Ciszek relates, the solace of spiritual contemplation gave him an inner serenity upon which he was able to draw amidst the “arrogance of evil” that surrounded him. Ciszek learns to accept the inhuman work in the infamous Siberian salt mines as a labor pleasing to God. And through that experience, he was able to turn the adverse forces of circumstance into a source of positive value and a means of drawing closer to the compassionate and never-forsaking Divine Spirit.

He Leadeth Me is a book to inspire all Christians to greater faith and trust in God—even in their darkest hour. As the author asks, “What can ultimately trouble the soul that accepts every moment of every day as a gift from the hands of God and strives always to do his will?”

Paperback, size 8" x 5.1", 208 pages

Julian The Apostate
Roman Emperor 361-363
by Abbot Giuseppe Ricciotti

Julian The Apostate is a historical biography of the Roman Emperor Julian, who reigned from 361 to 363 AD. Julian was known as "The Apostate" because he rejected Christianity and attempted to revive traditional Roman paganism during his short reign. The book explores Julian's life, from his childhood and education to his ascension to the throne and his attempts to restore paganism. It also delves into the political and religious climate of the time, including the conflict between paganism and Christianity, and the struggles for power within the Roman Empire.Ricciotti presents a detailed and well-researched account of Julian's life, drawing on a variety of sources including ancient texts and archaeological evidence. He examines Julian's motivations and beliefs, as well as his successes and failures as emperor.

Overall, Julian The Apostate provides a fascinating insight into the life and times of one of Rome's most controversial and enigmatic emperors. It is a must-read for anyone interested in Roman history or the history of religion.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

Paperback, size 9" x 6", 275 pages, Impr.

The Age of Martyrs
Christianity from Diocletian (284) to Constantine (337)
by Abbot Giuseppe Ricciotti

Covers the last of the 10 Roman persecutions, the rise of Constantine and the liberation of the Church from all persecution. A fascinating study of this pivotal era, with stories of martyrdoms, battles, heresies, Church councils, and great Saints.

Paperback, size 9" x 6", 305 pages, Impr.

The Glory of Christendom
A history of Christendom vol. 3
by Warren H. Carroll

This series is the only comprehensive narration of Western history written from the orthodox Catholic perspective still in print. How would a historical narrative read if the author began with these first principles: Truth exists; the Incarnation happened? This series is essential reading for those who consider the West worth defending.

Paperback, size 9" x 6", 782 pages

1917, Red Banners, White Mantle
by Warren H. Carroll

A captivating account that narrates, month by month, the events of 1917. This is popular Catholic history at its finest. The drama of the Great War and the Russian Revolution are juxtaposed with the spiritual dimension of the Age: the diabolism of Rasputin, the Apparition of the Virgin at Fatima, the malignancy of Lenin, the saintly courage of (the now blessed) Charles of Austria. Few standard histories have ever given such a high degree of consideration to the supernatural and the Christian interpretation of history as 1917 does.

Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 138 pages

The Revolution Against Christendom
A History of Christendom vol. 5
by Warren H. Carroll

Chronicles developments in Christianity and the Catholic church, the papacy and its place in world history from 1661 to 1815, focusing in particular on the church in France from the French revolution through the rule of Napoleon.

Paperback, size 9" x 6", 807 pages

Pope John Paul II - Doubts About a Beatification
by Fr Patrick La Rocque

"Santo subito!" "Sainthood now!" exclaimed the people assembled in St. Peter's Square on the very day Pope John Paul II passed away. The crowd called for the canonization of the deceased pope.

To many, John Paul II was a hero. He traveled the world and inspired the multitudes. He caused the fall of the Berlin Wall. He invited Catholics to "be not afraid!" He pardoned Ali Ağca for the attempt on his life of May 13, 1981. He was an intrepid defender of life, especially against abortion. But the reality is not so simple.

An in-depth study of the requirements for beatification and the examination of John Paul II's pontificate in light of those requirements leads to amazement. Gray areas, sometimes extensive, come to light. The greatest of the Christian virtues—faith, hope, and charity—are not unscathed. Many of the Pope's teachings and initiatives which for the wide public seem to be titles of glory prove to be in fact matters of grave reproach. Benedict's beatification of his predecessor on May 1, 2011, may indeed have been a serious mistake.

Fr. La Rocque provides an in-depth study of the requirements for beatification and the examination of John Paul II's pontificate in light of those requirements.

Paperback, size 9" x 6", 113 pages

The Bones of St. Peter
The First Full Account of the Search for the Apostle's Tomb
by John Evangelist Walsh


Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 256 pages

Mexican Martyrdom
Firsthand Accounts of the Religious Persecution in Mexico 1926-1935
by Rev.Wilfrid Parsons 

Mexican Martyrdom is a series of true stories of the terrible anti-Catholic persecutions which took place in Mexico in the 1920s. Told by the Jesuit priest, Fr. Wilfrid Parson, these stories are based upon cases he had seen himself or that had been described to him personally by the people who had undergone the atrocities of those times.

Though most contemporary readers don t know it, a full-fledged persecution of the Church, with thousands of martyrdoms, took place in modern times, just south of our own border including the famous Jesuit priest, Fr. Miguel Pro, was martyred before a firing squad during this persecution.

Between the conquest of Mexico by Cortes in 1521, and the Mexican Independence from Spain in 1821, Spain created in Mexico a great Catholic civilization to rival that of any nation in Europe. But when the Great Mexican Revolution began in 1810, this flourishing country began to wither and die. That Revolution was not to end until 1928, with the end of the brutal rule of President Plutarco Elias Calles, though in many ways it continues still. The heroic resistance of Mexican Catholics during this persecution is a great inspiration to Catholics today.

Mexican Martyrdom proves that hatred for the Catholic Church exists even in our times and can still flare into open and bloody persecution in this so-called enlightened age.

Paperback, size 8" x 5.25, 304 pages

Marcus: Depicting the Lives of the Early Christians in Rome
by Rev Michael E. Giesler 

In second-century Rome, Marcus tries to resume his life as a student of philosophy at the Athenaeum. His sister, Junia, had been executed in the Amphitheater for the crime of becoming a Christian. A few weeks after her death, Marcus himself is saved from being run over by a reckless charioteer. A young passerby, a Samarian, instinctively throws him out of the path of danger. And through this selfless act of a stranger, Marcus is led to share a new world based on truth and love, but a world beset with new dangers.

Continuing the story of Junia and of early Christian experience in the Roman Empire, Marcus reveals how the followers of Jesus, the Christ, began to transform pagan society. Social and family connections intertwine with friendship and betrayal, prejudice and loyalty, as those who are drawn to the Way must make decisions that define their own lives and forever change the world in which they live.

Paperback, size 8" x 5", 127 pages

Junia: The Fictional Life and Death of an Early Christian
by Michael E. Giesler

As the beautiful daughter of a Roman senator, Junia enjoyed the best that life had to offer in second century Rome. She was grateful and anxious to please her family, a dutiful and obedient young woman of privilege. That is, until a chance friendship and its abrupt end sparks an interest in a new religion that will lead to a destiny she never imagined. Junia is a fictional exploration of life at the very beginning of Christianity from a very personal point of view. It shows how the attractions of the new religion were accompanied by social struggle, family division, and the risk of a disgraceful death to those courageous enough to embrace it.

Paperback, size 8" x 5", 120 pages

Grain of Wheat
by Michael E. Giesler

Set in the second century of the early Christian Church, Grain of Wheat takes you into the heroic lives of the early Christians. Along the way, it shows the beauty and dignity of the Christian family, along with the power of the vocation to celibacy — a charism lived not only by priests and bishops, but by many of the lay faithful. These brave men and women, both single and married, followed Christ and spread his Kingdom while remaining in society. Through their courageous faith an entire culture was transformed, one person at a time, one family at a time.

This work of fiction draws on early Christian testimonies, as well as more recent historical and contemporary books. It continues the saga which the author introduced in Junia (2002) and Marcus (2004).

Paperback, size 8" x 5", 211 pages

The Dominican Revival in the Nineteenth Century
by Fr Raymund Devas, OP

The wars and upheavals of the 17th and 18th centuries had created a situation where by the 19th century, political control was exercised over the Church not only in England and Germany but even in Catholic countries such as Austria, France, and Spain. The new ideas of Febronianism, Jacobism, and the French Revolutionary ideologies spread throughout Europe had done their utmost to bring discredit on the old asceticism and its principal representatives in the mendicant orders, such as the Dominicans. Cardinal Newman thought that the Dominican Order was a “great idea, now extinct.”

Fortunately, not long afterward, the great Jean-Baptiste Henri Lacordaire sought to revive the ancient spirit of St. Dominic in France. Nor was he alone; for when Fr. Jandel (whom Lacordaire inspired to become a Dominican) received his commission from Pope Pius IX to restore the old discipline and abolish the customary relaxation of the day, then new life began to reverberate through the order, and the primitive fervor of its holy founder was brought back to life.

“The Dominican Revival in the Nineteenth Century” vividly recounts the career of Fr. Alexander Vincent Jandel, from his days as a secular priest to a Dominican and then the 23rd Master General of the Order. Then it continues on the subsequent activity of the good Father, the cooperation he met with from his brethren and the splendid success that crowned his efforts and which had brought the order of St. Dominic once more to the forefront as a defender of the interests of Jesus Christ, and His Church.

This edition has been beautifully re-typeset while preserving the original text with exactitude. A great resource for the Church in general, and the Dominicans in particular during the troubled days of the 19th century.

Paperback, size 8" x 5", 176 pages