Thomas Cromwell is infamous for his role in the dissolution of the monasteries and other religious houses in England during the reign of King Henry VIII. He had worked as an assistant to Cardinal Wolsey, chancellor of England and the main…

This reviewer has never read any of Anne Rice’s Vampire stories, but he has read her more recent fictional books on Christ and her memoir about her life and her conversion. He has seen two of the movies based on…

Abbot Jerome Kodell O.S.B. is the abbot of Subiaco Abbey in Arkansas. His book, Don’t Trust the Abbot: Musings from the Monastery (Liturgical Press, 94 pages, Paperback, ISBN 978-0-8146-3238-3, $11.95) is a collection of his letters published in his Abbey’s newsletter, The Abbey Messenger from 1989 to 2008. The…

Bill Donohue is the president of the Catholic League.  The Catholic League is a Catholic organization that defends the Catholic Church against any kind of abuse.  Some may consider Donohue a bit off putting when he goes up against those…

Did you know that Anne Rice was given the name Howard Allen O’Brien at birth?  Rice shares this and some other intimate and personal information with the reader.  She is quite open and honest with the telling of her life…

Here is a quick reference book on some of the saints of the Bible.  <i>Saints of the Bible: exploring Scripture with holy men and women</i> by  Theresa Doyle-Nelson.  (Huntington, Ind. : Our Sunday Visitor.  111 pages.  Paperback.  ISBN 978-1-59276-317-7.  $9.95. …

Gina Loehr provides in her book short biographies of many women saints, blessed, venerable and other holy women with one man included, Blessed Luigi Corsini the husband of Blessed Maria; who were husband and wife and were beatified together as…

A Brief History of The Normans:  The Conquests that Changed the face of Europe, by Francois Neveux, is a very good book that is both informative and entertaining.  The reader will learn that William the Conqueror and his Normans were not…

Readers will either love this book [Boston : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.  385 pages. Hardback.  April 2009. etex ISBN 978-0-618-67018-5.  $28.00] or hate it.  Very few will be in the middle.  James Carroll, a former Catholic priest, who is the author…

Here is a book that has come out in time for Lent which is upon us.  This book is a wonderful way to observe Lent and the Year of St. Paul.  Peter Celano (the compiler of Christmas with the Holy…