Charles Williams

Williams gives a contemporary setting to the traditional story of the Search for the Holy Grail. Examining the distinction between magic and religion, War in Heaven is an eerily disturbing book, one that graphically portrays a metaphysical journey filled with marvels and black magic, God and the Devil."The telephone was ringing wildly," begins War in Heaven, "but without result, since there was no-one in the room but the corpse." From this abrupt - and darkly humorous - start, Williams takes us on a 20th-century version of the Grail quest, with an Archdeacon, a Duke, and an editor playing the old Arthurian roles. Throughout, Williams reminds us that these legends were above all about divine, not just human, romance.

In the book Building Brighter Babies, parents find ways to engage, expose, and explain concepts while developing rich educational rewards for their children. Dr. Sharlyn Williams and her son Charles Williams, Jr., invite parents to create an educational journey that will move their children from repeating ABCs to reading Dr. Seuss. Building Brighter Babies was written to encourage parents to proactively explore best practices as they help their children become early reader, writers, and mathematicians.

"I have just read your "Place of the Lion" and it is to me one of the major literary events of my life ... There are layers and layers-first the pleasure that any good fantasy gives me: then, what is rarely (tho' not so very rarely) combined with this, the pleasure of a real philosophical and theological stimulus: thirdly, characters: fourthly, what I neither expected nor desired, substantial edification." - C. S. Lewis "I want to make clear that these novels of Williams ... are, first of all, very good reading. To him Williams] the supernatural was perfectly natural, and the natural was also supernatural. And this peculiarity gave him that profound insight into Good and Evil, into the heights of Heaven and the depths of Hell, which provides both the immediate thrill, and the permanent message of novels. Williams is telling us about a world of experience known to him ... he communicates this experience that he has had. Williams left behind him a considerable number of books which should endure, because there is nothing else that is like them or could take their place." - T. S. EliotThe Novels of Charles Williams is a collection of seven gripping novels. These "supernatural thrillers" are all set in the modern world but present human life as being controlled by unseen powers that operate at another level. In this respect, they are very similar to the Harry Potter series. The reader is shown that the supernatural is, in fact, perfectly natural, and exerts an influence on every aspect of our daily existence. On one level, these novels are gripping stories, but at another, they are a unique blend of fantasy, theology, morality and the supernatural which has not been surpassed, and which leave a deep impression on the reader. Charles Williams was physically frail and for financial reasons never attended university; however, he had a vivid imagination and an inquiring mind. He was always interested in books, and after school he started life packing books but rose to be a proof-reader and then an editor at Oxford University Press; he was appointed a lecturer at Oxford University, and was even awarded an honorary M. A. by the university. As an author he was very versatile, writing novels, plays, poetry, popular theology, and academic works on literature. He was one of the "Inklings", a group that included C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien. One can see his influence on Lewis and Tolkien. Williams is most remembered for his novels which are collected in this omnibus edition. This edition contains the seven novels War in Heaven, Many Dimensions, The Place of the Lion, The Greater Trumps, Shadows of Ecstasy, Descent into Hell, and All Hallows' Eve, and also the short story, Et in Sempiternum Pereant, which features the protagonist of Many Dimensions.

"There is nothing else that is like them or that could take their place." - T. S. Eliot"I have just read your "Place of the Lion" and it is to me one of the major literary events of my life ... There are layers and layers-first the pleasure that any good fantasy gives me: then, what is rarely (tho' not so very rarely) combined with this, the pleasure of a real philosophical and theological stimulus: thirdly, characters: fourthly, what I neither expected nor desired, substantial edification." - C. S. Lewis "I want to make clear that these novels of Williams ... are, first of all, very good reading. To him Williams] the supernatural was perfectly natural, and the natural was also supernatural. And this peculiarity gave him that profound insight into Good and Evil, into the heights of Heaven and the depths of Hell, which provides both the immediate thrill, and the permanent message of novels. Williams is telling us about a world of experience known to him ... he communicates this experience that he has had. The Novels of Charles Williams is a collection of seven gripping novels. These "supernatural thrillers" are all set in the modern world but present human life as being controlled by unseen powers that operate at another level. In this respect, they are very similar to the Harry Potter series. The reader is shown that the supernatural is, in fact, perfectly natural, and exerts an influence on every aspect of our daily existence. On one level, these novels are gripping stories, but at another, they are a unique blend of fantasy, theology, morality and the supernatural which has not been surpassed, and which leave a deep impression on the reader. Charles Williams was physically frail and for financial reasons never attended university; however, he had a vivid imagination and an inquiring mind. He was always interested in books, and after school he started life packing books but rose to be a proof-reader and then an editor at Oxford University Press; he was appointed a lecturer at Oxford University, and was even awarded an honorary M. A. by the university. As an author he was very versatile, writing novels, plays, poetry, popular theology, and academic works on literature. He was one of the "Inklings", a group that included C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien. One can see his influence on Lewis and Tolkien. Williams is most remembered for his novels. This edition contains the five novels War in Heaven, Many Dimensions, The Place of the Lion, Shadows of Ecstasy, and Descent into Hell, and also the short story, Et in Sempiternum Pereant, which features the protagonist of Many Dimensions.

The Place of the Lion is a fantasy novel written by Charles Williams. The book was first published in 1931 by Victor Gollancz. Platonic archetypes begin to manifest themselves outside a small Hertfordshire town, wreaking havoc and drawing to the surface the spiritual strengths and flaws of individual characters. Their focus is the home of Mr Berringer, the leader of a group interested in magical symbolism who falls into a coma after contact with the first archetype unloosed, the lion of the title. Other powers follow this one and cut off the town from the rest of the world that they will inevitably absorb and reshape. Among those overcome and destroyed by the raw powers they encounter are two members of the group, Mr Foster and Miss Wilmot, whose motivation is ultimately selfish. A chance visitor to the group, the academic author Damaris Tighe, narrowly escapes the same fate but is saved at the last moment by her cousin and fianc , Anthony Durrant. She then sets out to locate Anthony's friend, Quentin Sabot, who had been with Anthony when the lion first appeared and has now fled into the countryside, overcome with terror. Meanwhile, with the help of another group member, Mr Richardson, who also has the inner strength to withstand the angelical archetypes, Anthony is enabled to understand the process that has been unleashed by Berringer. Together they plan to counter it and reverse the threat. Its next phase has already started and some of the town's buildings begin to collapse as Berringer's house is swallowed in a column of unquenchable flame. Armed with the secret names of the archetypes from a grimoire, Anthony summons them back to their point of focus while Richardson neutralizes the fire by walking into it. (wikipedia.org)

The Place of the Lion is a fantasy novel written by Charles Williams. The book was first published in 1931 by Victor Gollancz. Platonic archetypes begin to manifest themselves outside a small Hertfordshire town, wreaking havoc and drawing to the surface the spiritual strengths and flaws of individual characters. Their focus is the home of Mr Berringer, the leader of a group interested in magical symbolism who falls into a coma after contact with the first archetype unloosed, the lion of the title. Other powers follow this one and cut off the town from the rest of the world that they will inevitably absorb and reshape. Among those overcome and destroyed by the raw powers they encounter are two members of the group, Mr Foster and Miss Wilmot, whose motivation is ultimately selfish. A chance visitor to the group, the academic author Damaris Tighe, narrowly escapes the same fate but is saved at the last moment by her cousin and fianc , Anthony Durrant. She then sets out to locate Anthony's friend, Quentin Sabot, who had been with Anthony when the lion first appeared and has now fled into the countryside, overcome with terror. Meanwhile, with the help of another group member, Mr Richardson, who also has the inner strength to withstand the angelical archetypes, Anthony is enabled to understand the process that has been unleashed by Berringer. Together they plan to counter it and reverse the threat. Its next phase has already started and some of the town's buildings begin to collapse as Berringer's house is swallowed in a column of unquenchable flame. Armed with the secret names of the archetypes from a grimoire, Anthony summons them back to their point of focus while Richardson neutralizes the fire by walking into it. (wikipedia.org)

Descent Into Hell is a novel written by Charles Williams, first published in 1937. Williams wrote a series of novels which combine elements of fantasy fiction and Christian symbolism. Forgoing the detective fiction style of most of his earlier supernatural novels, most of the story's action is spiritual or psychological in nature. It fits the "theological thriller" description sometimes given to his works...

Descent Into Hell is a novel written by Charles Williams, first published in 1937. Williams wrote a series of novels which combine elements of fantasy fiction and Christian symbolism. Forgoing the detective fiction style of most of his earlier supernatural novels, most of the story's action is spiritual or psychological in nature. It fits the "theological thriller" description sometimes given to his works...

"Charles Williams' major biography of Philippe Petain (1856-1951) tells of a peasant who became a Marshal of France and the Head of the Vichy State. A slow climb up the army ranks was leading inexorably to retirement when war broke out. He defended Verdun in 1916 and settled the mutinies in 1917. In May 1940, he realised that France had been defeated and requested an armistice. As head of unoccupied France, he jockeyed between Nazis, Allies and Vichy politicians until, in 1945, he returned to France to be tried for treason. His death sentence was commuted by General de Gaulle to life imprisonment. In recounting Petain's long life, Lord Williams, one of our most notable political biographers, has successfully illustrated the character of an extraordinary man."

What Readers say about Higher Than The Angels: I was riveted. I loved it Although this book is written as a novel, the people, events, and flying are the real deal. If you want to get your head inside what it was really like to fly in a front line F-4 fighter squadron this is the book for you Once I started, I couldn't put it down A great read I enjoyed it immensely. Charles Williams does an excellent job of appealing to a wide audience: something for everyone. Thank you for refreshing my rapidly fading memory of my Torrejon tour, some good (the flying) and some bad (bull fights). Again, congratulations on a great book The book is very well written and has excellent descriptions. Although this story did not deal with my preferred subject matter, it held my attention well. It does give a vivid picture of the life of a fighter pilot, and it makes me appreciate what they must have experienced. I never knew how dangerous it could be. Description: While this is a story about fighter pilots and those who love them, it transcends that world as the author delves into the human condition and how we deal with loss and success and excess. The essence of the fighter pilot lies in the fact that he (or she) is usually a person of ordinary upbringing who has been thrust into the unique world of those who fly and fight under the primal directive: Survive. He desires to prove his mettle. It is such desire that enables the fighter pilot to hurdle obstacles which would otherwise disrupt his ambition. But he does not act alone. Those who love fighter pilots accept the difficult task of sharing this world with them. For nearly two decades after Vietnam, only a handful of fighter pilots fired shots in anger. The remainder learned to cope with a world at peace, entertaining unique diversions, often devised with distinctive rapscallion humor to release stored up energy and relieve pent up stress. Being away from family and friends during the delicate first years of a marriage can be difficult. And when newlyweds are transplanted to a foreign country where the young bride is alone weeks at a time while the man she loves flies in other far away foreign countries, navigating through the fusion of war games and games of love can take its toll. For youth is not just an age, it is a condition. And coming of age is not limited to the adolescent. Where there is great opportunity there is also grave danger. It is appropriate that this novel is dedicated in remembrance of all those who have made that supreme sacrifice. And in honor and memory of all fighter pilots and those that love and have loved them.

Financial magician, flamboyant politician, minister in both world wars, press baron, serial philanderer, Winston Churchill's boon companion in the dark days of 1940-41 and in his later years, Max Beaverbrook was without a doubt one of the most colourful characters of the first half of the twentieth century. Born and brought up in the Scottish Presbyterian fastness of northeast Canada, he escaped to make his fortune in Canadian financial markets. By 1910, when he migrated to Britain at the age of thirty-one, he was already a multimillionaire. With a seat in the House of Commons and then a peerage, he came to know all the senior figures in both British and Canadian politics. In acquiring the Daily Express, he not only built it into a news empire but used its considerable influence to campaign for his own pet causes. As Charles Williams's sweeping biography shows, Beaverbrook was loved and loathed in equal measure. Nevertheless, Williams brings to life a rounded character, with all its flaws and virtues. Above all, it is a story of eighty years of entrepreneurism, political dogfights, wars, sex and grand living, all set in the rich tapestry of the dramatic years of the twentieth century.

"Divorce" is a 1920 collection of poetry by Charles Williams. Charles Walter Stansby Williams (1886 - 1945) was a British theologian, novelist, poet, playwright, and literary critic. He was also a member of the "The Inklings", a literary discussion group connected to the University of Oxford, England. They were exclusively literary enthusiasts who championed the merit of narrative in fiction and concentrated on writing fantasy. Contents include: "Divorce", "In Time of War", "Praise of Death", "Lovers to Lovers", "On the Way to Somerset", "In Absence", "Reunion", "For a Pieta", "Ballade of a Country Day", "Ballade of Travellers", "Ghosts", etc. Other notable works by this author include: "The Greater Trumps" (1932), "War in Heaven" (1930), and "The Place of the Lion" (1931). Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. We are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with specially-commissioned new biography of the author.

First published in 1931, "The Place of the Lion" is a fantasy novel by British writer Charles W. S. Williams. A small English town is plunged into chaos when platonic archetypes start to appear near it, bringing out the spiritual strengths and flaws of all those who live there. The focus of their manifestations seems to be the house of Mr Berringer, the leader of the group who falls into a deep coma after coming into contact with a mysterious lion. Charles Walter Stansby Williams (1886 - 1945) was a British theologian, novelist, poet, playwright, and literary critic. He was also a member of the "The Inklings", a literary discussion group connected to the University of Oxford, England. They were exclusively literary enthusiasts who championed the merit of narrative in fiction and concentrated on writing fantasy. He was given an scholarship to University College London, but was forced to leave in 1904 because he couldn't afford the tuition fees. Other notable works by this author include: "The Greater Trumps" (1932), "War in Heaven" (1930), and "The Place of the Lion" (1931). This volume is highly recommended for lovers of fantasy fiction, and it would make for a fantastic addition to any collection. Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. It is with this in mind that we are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with the original text and artwork.

"Poems of Conformity" is a 1917 collection of poems by British writer Charles Williams. Contents include: "Proserpina", "At Dawn", "Ballade of Building", "Ballade of a Street Door", "Ballade of Number", "The Clerk", "Richmond Park", "Inland Travel", "Conformity", "Emigravit", "May 20th, 1915", "Hope", "Endings", etc, Charles Walter Stansby Williams (1886 - 1945) was a British theologian, novelist, poet, playwright, and literary critic. He was also a member of the "The Inklings", a literary discussion group connected to the University of Oxford, England. They were exclusively literary enthusiasts who championed the merit of narrative in fiction and concentrated on writing fantasy. Contents include: "Divorce", "In Time of War", "Praise of Death", "Lovers to Lovers", "On the Way to Somerset", "In Absence", "Reunion", "For a Pieta", "Ballade of a Country Day", "Ballade of Travellers", "Ghosts", etc. Other notable works by this author include: "The Greater Trumps" (1932), "War in Heaven" (1930), and "The Place of the Lion" (1931). Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. We are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with specially-commissioned new biography of the author.

"He Came Down from Heaven" is a1938 treatise by Charles Williams. Within it, Williams uses his skills as a literary critic to delineate the biblical themes of exchange and substitution from the Fall, through the history of Israel, to the inauguration of the kingdom by Jesus Christ. He also explores how these themes defined Christian culture during Middle Ages with reference to Dante's ideal of romantic love. Charles Walter Stansby Williams (1886 - 1945) was a British theologian, novelist, poet, playwright, and literary critic. He was also a member of the "The Inklings", a literary discussion group connected to the University of Oxford, England. They were exclusively literary enthusiasts who championed the merit of narrative in fiction and concentrated on writing fantasy. Contents include: "Divorce", "In Time of War", "Praise of Death", "Lovers to Lovers", "On the Way to Somerset", "In Absence", "Reunion", "For a Pieta", "Ballade of a Country Day", "Ballade of Travellers", "Ghosts", etc. Other notable works by this author include: "The Greater Trumps" (1932), "War in Heaven" (1930), and "The Place of the Lion" (1931). Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. We are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with specially-commissioned new biography of the author.

First published in 1986, "Et in Sempiternum Pereant" is a short story by British writer Charles W. S. Williams. Charles Walter Stansby Williams (1886 - 1945) was a British theologian, novelist, poet, playwright, and literary critic. He was also a member of the "The Inklings", a literary discussion group connected to the University of Oxford, England. They were exclusively literary enthusiasts who championed the merit of narrative in fiction and concentrated on writing fantasy. He was given a scholarship to University College London, but was forced to leave in 1904 because he couldn't afford the tuition fees. Other notable works by this author include: "The Greater Trumps" (1932), "War in Heaven" (1930), and "The Place of the Lion" (1931). This volume is highly recommended for lovers of fantasy fiction, and it would make for a fantastic addition to any collection. Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. It is with this in mind that we are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with the original text and artwork.

First published in 1945, "All Hallows' Eve" is a fantasy novel by British writer Charles W. S. Williams. Charles Walter Stansby Williams (1886 - 1945) was a British theologian, novelist, poet, playwright, and literary critic. He was also a member of the "The Inklings", a literary discussion group connected to the University of Oxford, England. They were exclusively literary enthusiasts who championed the merit of narrative in fiction and concentrated on writing fantasy. He was given an scholarship to University College London, but was forced to leave in 1904 because he couldn't afford the tuition fees. Other notable works by this author include: "The Greater Trumps" (1932), "War in Heaven" (1930), and "The Place of the Lion" (1931). This volume is highly recommended for lovers of fantasy fiction, and it would make for a fantastic addition to any collection. Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. It is with this in mind that we are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with the original text and artwork.