Hilaire Belloc

First published in 1922, The Mercy of Allah describes the civilization of the Arabs through the extraordinary tales a wealthy grandfather relates to his beloved grandchildren. These richly textured stories show how this prosperous Arab dece The cultural standards described are still quite common in the Middle East. Mahmoud's saga points out the contrasts between Western and Eastern attitudes toward trade, banking, and human relations. And, of course, we see the central roles that rel

This omnibus of Belloc's stories is a feast of delightful tales told in rhyme - all with a dramatic moral twist in the tail. Are you prone to pulling faces, telling tales or bouts of extravagance? Yes? Then ignore these stories at your peril. If not, you might suffer a fate similar to those described in these cautionary tales.

For readers of any age, a witty and strikingly irreverent collection of moral guidance Most notable among prolific English satirist Hilaire Belloc's writings are the sharp and clever admonishments he composed for children. Collected here and illustrated to wonderful haunting effect by Edward Gorey, these short, funny pieces offer moral instruction for all types of mischief makers--from a certain young Jim, who ran away from his nurse and was eaten by a lion, to the tale of Matilda, who told lies and was burned to death"--and add up to a delightful read for any fan of Roald Dahl or Shel Silverstein.

These classic tales of Awful Warnings about the consequences of Bad Behaviour are among the best of comic verse ever written for children. This edition includes New Cautionary Tales, first published in 1930, and illustrated by Nicholas Bentley, who replaced as collaborator the poet's friend Lord Basil Blackwood (B.

and The Modern Traveller, one of the finest satirical poems in English. Complete Verse reveals all of Hilaire Belloc's dazzling range and makes plain why he is one of the most truly popular poets of modern times.

THE SERVILE STATE has endured as his most important political work. The effect of socialist doctrine on capitalist society, Belloc wrote, is to produce a third thing different from either -- the servile state, today commonly called the welfare state.

Belloc turns his powerful mind, erudition, robust common sense and supreme confidence in the Catholic Faith to a host of topics, including The New Paganism, Legend, Usury, The Schools, The Two Cultures of the West, The Catholic Church and The Modern State, etc. Belloc predicted--and explains--the chaos we now witness. This brilliant work is a tonic sorely needed by Catholics today

Hilaire Belloc describes the European Jewish diaspora, its contributions to the life and intellectual culture of the continent, and the undercurrents of hostility towards Jews in early 20th century Europe. The author discusses the culture of the Jews, their worship and religious ideas as one of the earliest monotheistic faiths. He offers praise and admiration for the Jewish contributions to science, technology and intellectual pursuits at large, and the resulting benefits to Europe and the world in general. Yet Belloc is also mindful of the antagonistic hostility of anti-Semitism, an anger which threatened to boil over into violence. Writing in the early 1920s, the themes explored by Hilaire Belloc are sobering for how they anticipate the rise of fascism and anti-Semitic ideology. Predicting and fearing what would appallingly follow from a future extremist regime, Belloc's writings are a window into a Europe imperiled by rising resentments. Thus Belloc's account is both an assessment of Jewish peoples and an account of a fractious era in wider European politics and culture. A prodigious author who wrote essays and books concerning hundreds of varied topics, Hilaire Belloc also served for four years as a Liberal Party MP in the British parliament. In his later years he became an enthusiastic yachtsman, sailing the coasts of England in a small cutter.