Anglo-Norman Studies is nothing if not wide-ranging. One opens each new volume expecting to find the unexpected - new light on old arguments, new material, new angles. MEDIUM AEVUM This year's volume continues to demonstrate the vitality of scholarship in this area, across a variety of disciplines. Topics include the forging of the Battle Abbey Chronicle; warring schoolmasters in eleventh-century Rouen; theimpact of the Conquest on England; the circulation of manuscripts between England and Normandy; and Earl Harold and the Foundation of Waltham Holy Cross. Contributors: Julie Barrau, Christopher Clark, Laura Cleaver, Stefan de Jong, Simon Keynes, Tom Licence, Brigitte Meijns, Thomas O'Donnell, Alheydis Plassman, Elisabeth Ridel, Chris Whittick, Ann Williams

Asian history is replete with stories of combat, heroism, self-sacrifice, valor, strategy, and compassion. Samurai, Scoundrels, and Saints includes more than three dozen such stories, ranging from the famous woman warrior, Tomoe Gozen, to how the renowned samurai, Miyamoto Musashi was almost killed in the bath tub and from the monk who defied the Mongols, to the supernatural creatures that reputedly taught the famous warrior Yoshitsune how to fight. It includes tales of daring rescues, narrow escapes, treachery, and Zen enlightenment. The final tale tells the story of "The Last Samurai" who remained in the jungle of Guam from the time of the Japanese surrender in 1945 until he was finally convinced the war was over and he could surrender in 1972. Samurai, Scoundrels and Saints is heavily illustrated and has a beautiful full-color cover. It is sure to appeal to martial artists, arm-chair enthusiasts, those interested in Asian history, and people just looking for a "good read."

Absalom's War describes the experiences of the author's great-grand-uncle, a young Ohio farmer who joined the Union army in 1862, was wounded at Gettysburg and was killed at Kennesaw Mountain, GA in 1864. It's format is a unique imagined reconstruction of the experiences of an actual person about whom little is know, but much information is available on his family, his home state and counties, and his unit. The book takes advantage of numerous primary and secondary sources to give a vibrant and lively description of what it was like to grow up in Ohio in the 18302-1840s, join the army, fight in such major campaigns and battles as Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, and Chattanooga, go home on furlough during the turbulent run up in Ohio to the 1864 presidential election, and to rejoin the army for Sherman's campaign to seize Atlanta and march to the sea. Well illustrated with period art, maps, and photos taken by the author's wife, it is a unique and fascinating look at the conflict that gripped America 150 years ago, and the sacrifices of the average men who went to war so that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

The McFarlands of the Old West follows Peter McFarland and his wife, Ann Collins, from their flight from the Irish potato famine to the United States, through Peter's service in the Army (1855-1883), as Ann raised their family of eight children, seven of whom survived to adulthood. It describes the life and times on the frontier, from the Yakima wars in the Pacific Northwest through the Civil War and the Indian wars of the Great Plains. Six of Peter and Ann's children were boys: their experiences ranged from Indian scout and witness to the Battle of Wounded Knee to wagon masters and mule packers for the army, from participation in the Spanish-American War in Cuba and the Philippines to serving as one of the first civilian park rangers at Yellowstone National Park, from a horse-thief and jail-breaker to a tough-fisted policeman in Cheyenne, Wyoming (complete with four gunshot wounds to attest to his bravery). Together the McFarlands display the full range of the Old West. Their experiences are set firmly in context through the extensive use of primary and secondary source material. The book contains numerous documents, ranging from discharge papers to land grants, many previously unpublished photos, and an extensive bibliography. All those interested in the Old West or the role of the Army in the expansion of the US will find much new material and much to enjoy. Genealogists will find many hints on how to track down their ancestors.

Co-author: Lorraine Reynolds Woodruff Clarke Description: Biography of a polio patient, story of her struggles and recovery, and anthology of her poetry.