Fishboy

Book Description

In the brilliant idiom of a modern Melville or Conrad, an odyssey of discovery by a bold and outrageous talent--the PEN/Hemingway Award--winning author of The Ice At The Bottom Of The World.

Customer Reviews:

Unique.......2006-06-10

I purchased this book at a used book sale, and had it on my nightstand for two years before I picked it up. When I finally read it, I fell in love with it. I passed it on to my boyfriend -- who's no big fan of fiction -- and he read it, then read it again immediately. I have since purchased probably ten copies of the book. I have a first edition, a signed first edition, a reading copy, and the rest have been purchased for gifts. I am an avid reader, but I'm pretty certain I've bought more copies of this book than any other book. It's a very different kind of book, but I'd recommend it to just about anyone. Anyone who's up for an adventure of a book. "You's all mine, Fishboy."

If you like Neil Gaiman, if you liked Riddley Walker ..........2003-03-13

This book catches you from the first sentence/ paragraph and doesn't let go. All rules are off in this book from grammar to linear plot. This is not at all irritating. It's refreshing that Richard assumes that the reader is clever enough to keep up. This is easily one of the best books I've read in years. It has been 3-4 years since I last read it, but I still have lucid memories of passages. Too bad Richard doesn't publish more.

Fishboy.......2003-01-12

Whoa! Like a cross between William Burroughs' "The Western Lands" and Amos Tutuola's "My Life In The Bush of Ghosts." Surely Mark Richard's "Fishboy" is on that level of mastery.
It took me about two months of casual reading to get through this short (227 pages) book but it was worth it. Getting lost in this book is part of the journey, as you'll soon discover. Eloquent chaos and heart wrenching beauty. But not for linear readers!

"Stir the soup -- don't let it burn".......2002-05-19

The above advice is given to our humble narrator, Fishboy, from the mouth of a 'rumored cook' on board a ship at sea. Fishboy has seen the cook's predecessor cleaved in two with an axe by a sailor who was angry about the food he and his shipmates had been served. Fishboy decides that he most likely doesn't want to become a cook.

Author Mark Richard has definitely stirred the literary soup in FISHBOY, his debut novel. There's a quote on the back cover from a review in ESQUIRE: "An eloquent fever dream, a tale told headlong in the language of incantation" -- and that 'fever dream' description fits this work to a 't'.

As I read my way through this ghost story, a fable replete with inner fables, I felt like I had been dunked into a boiling pot of Herman Melville and William S. Burroughs, illustrated by S. Clay Wilson (those of you who remember his 'perverted pirates' underground comix of the 60s will cringe at this reference), with the film directed by David Lynch. Richard's story bubbles and seethes -- he evidently relishes giving the reader the feeling of being unstuck in both time and place, for there are characters and images in this novel that are plucked from sundry eras and locations, stirred up into an intelligent, interesting, albeit not always appetizing stew. This is a world turned topsy-turvy, reflecting 'reality' like a cracked mirror.

Richard's metaphors are sometimes staggeringly beautiful and captivating -- the sea turned to shorebound landscape with mountains of waves, the land turned to ocean by the rolling tide of subterranean upheavals. Consider this short sample from p.163: 'A loose timber from the sun's sunken wreckage floated up and was dawn on the water. In its cool red light you could see how the waters around us were disturbed from beneath. Globes of old air rose to the surface and shattered, spritzing blooms of kicked-up mud. Mobs of waves rushed crowded swells, slapping faces and knocking caps off to the wind.' Whew.

The narrator of the story -- we know him only as Fishboy -- starts his tale by telling us (from p.1): 'I began as a boy, as a human-being boy, a boy who fled to sea, a boy with a whistling lisp and the silken-tipped fingers of another class. A boy with put-away memories of bedclothes bound tight about the head, knocked by a hammering fist; the smell of cigar and show leather and the weighted burlap bag, thrown from a car into a side-road swamp.' The odyssey he undertakes is a fantastic, circular one -- and he views it with an extremely limited perspective, realting the events that occur with both sheltered naivitee and blinding insight.

The novel is sub-titled 'a ghost story' -- and that it is, although it is unlike any ghost story you are likely to have come across. Richard has imbued this work with a 'graspable' surreality -- and I'm not sure if it's the reader or the story who is doing the grasping. This is an unusual, highly unsettling read.

A trip worth taking.......2002-02-03

This book serves as a parable and fable. It is a strange world which Fishboy lives in, and the beautiful way the book is written will no doubt lead to strange dreams, as it did with me.

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Fishboys of Vernazza
John Sam Jones
Manufacturer: Parthian
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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Fishboy a Ghosts Story 1ST Edition Inscribed

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Fishboy a Ghosts Story 1ST Edition Inscribed
Mark Richard
Manufacturer: NAN A TALESE
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000PZLGOY

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Fishboy
Mark Richard
Manufacturer: New York: Doubleday,
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000U2CJRA

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Keaka,: The Hawaiian fishboy,
Max Keith
Manufacturer: Keith-Stone
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0007G52LE

Book Description

The FarSeers among the Sidhe of Elfhame Avalon have seen two visions of the future. In one, an evil queen will take the throne and welcome the Inquisition in, debauching the nation and threatening even the elf strongholds throughout the land. In another, a red-haired child will grow up to take the throne and usher in a golden age of literature, music, and art. The evil Unseleighe Sidhe, who draw power from pain and misery, welcome the coming of a ruler of humans who will increase their strength, and are determined to prevent the red-haired child from coming to the throne. Unless the good Sidhe can find the child and protect her from the evils and dangers of both the human and elven worlds, she will never grow up to become Elizabeth, Queen of England in the Sixteenth Century.

Customer Reviews:

Good, but too short.......2004-04-20

THIS SCEPTR'D ISLE may be 496 pages long, but it's still too short.

Why do I say that?

Well, it's not just because I enjoy the writers so much (although I do), and it's not just because it starts off so well (even though it does).

It's more that the story as a whole suffers when the authors turn away from Henry Fitzroy, Henry VIII's "natural," i.e., illegitimate, son. Fitzroy is a very engaging character, and while the book stays with him (and the Seleighe elves protecting him), I enjoyed it immensely.

However, about 2/3 of the way through, the story shifts more to protecting Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth I). Because of this, we don't see Henry's marriage, we don't see much of his life after he hits age 13 (the then-age of maturity!), and we don't really see why he likes Elizabeth so much. The best the authors came up with was that Fitzroy didn't know, either, but since he did, he was going to do his best for her.

This is quite plausible, considering Fitzroy was around age 17 when he died; how many 17 year old boys are close to their sisters? And if they are, how many of them know why?

Still, it's a fairly weak thread to weave your plot over; it worked, because the authors are both fine writers, but I would rather have seen this book go another fifty to one hundred pages and see Fitzroy's marriage, maybe see him yearning for his own kids (and that might be why he took to Elizabeth, who was portrayed as not only very smart but very loving as a youngster?), and have the plot fully fleshed out.

As it stands, 2/3 of this book is exemplary, but then it falls off to a very rushed ending that wasn't very satisfying.

Be that as it may, THIS SCEPTR'D ISLE is an entertaining prequel to Ms. Lackey's "Bedlam's Bard" and "Serrated Edge" novels, and I especially enjoyed the portrayal of the two sets of half-sibling twins, Rhoslyn and Pasgen (raised by the Unseleighe, or Dark, Elves) and Denoriel and Aleneil (raised by the Seleighe, or Bright, Elves).

A shade under four stars, recommended.

Barb Caffrey

It was good, but..........2004-04-09

Mercedes Lackey is one of my favorite authors. I am facinated by the Tudor age. These two reasons alone are why I bought this book, and I feel that it was worth the money. However, it does have some problems.

Unfortunatly, my interest in the time period ruined what was otherwise a very good book. The plot seemed to me to be unfinished, because I know that there is more to what happened than what was told. I am probably being too picky, and I won't go into specifics, but if one is going to go into such specific details about the clothing of the characters, one should go to the trouble of getting it right. Also, the dialogue should, I think, be either in modern grammatical style or in period style, not some strange combination of the two.

That being said, the concept of elven manipulation in the court of Henry VIII is an interesting one. I liked the play off of rumors of Anne's witchcraft. Henry Fitzroy is not a figure that I have studied in the past, but I shall certainly do so now. I do recommend the book, but only with the warning not everything that is presented as historical really is.

Henry VIII, baby Elizabeth, and Elves. Entertaining.......2004-03-20

Seers in both Selieghe and Unselieghe courts see two visions of the future. In one, Queen Mary rules England, enforces the grim rule of the Church and the Inquisition, and destroys the Elf-court of Avalon. In the other, a red-headed child grows to create a new England--one that practices tolerance and that creates a flowering of literature, art and science. For both, the choice of the future is critical. The Selieghe would be destroyed by the inquisition as surely as the elf-courts of Spain had been. The Unselieghe will gain power from the suffering.

Open battle between the two courts is impossible and too-overt manipulation in the affairs of mortal men has its own danger, but this doesn't prevent them from sending their agents into Henry VIII's England. The Selieghe see the bastard son of Henry as a key to the child of prophesy and send Demoriel, one of their warriors, to protect him. The Unselieghe send Demoriel's half-brother to thwart him. The result is a battle that unfolds over a decade as King Henry seeks a legitimate son, a child who can secure the English throne and prevent it from becoming a tool of the Spanish or French. Because a ruling Queen must marry, and whomever she marries would soon control England.

Authors Mercedes Lackey and Roberta Gellis combine to create an intriguing alternate history set in England at the dawn of the modern age. Elves and men conspire and plot to chose the next Queen of England, to strengthen or weaken the bonds of Church over State, and to gain control of the future in a pivotal moment in history. Lackey and Gellis add amusing jaunts through the 'underhill,' letting the reader savor the joys of magic.

There's a lot to like about a story that brings history to life, adds a bit of magic, and is written by two such accomplished authors. (Baen makes the offer even more intriguing by including a CD-ROM (in the hardback version, at least) with the full text to at least 40 other Baen novels). Still, I found myself feeling somewhat cheated at the end. After all, Mary did become Queen and did her best to bring back the Catholic church with all of its late-medieval cruelty and oppression. Elizabeth was protected and did become the Queen that maintained England's independence, allowed writers including Shakespear to flourish, and began the global trading empire that grew into the largest and most powerful nation in the world--but was Harry FitzRoy really that critical?

THIS SCEPTER'D ISLE is an enjoyable read. I certainly recommend it to anyone interested in Henry VIII and his many wives--and to those who track the doings of the elf-courts. Still, am I the only one who thinks authors with the talent of Lackey and Gellis couldn't have done a bit more?

terrific historical fantasy.......2004-03-08

Vidal Dhu abducted the Unseleighe Dark Court Elven twins Rhoslyn and Pasgen Silverhair when they were young. The siblings were raised as Unseleighe Sidhe. Now they see two potential futures for England. One version has a red-headed child sired by King Henry VIII leading Britain to prosperity. The other forecast depicts a different descendent of Henry VIII sitting on the throne and taking the country down the path of Inquisition and depression.

At the same time without the kidnapped duo?s awareness, the Seleighe Bright Court twin elves Denoriel and Aleneil Silverhair see the same double vision of future England. The latter duo is also unaware that their half-siblings shared their forecasting. Each pair of twins tries to influence the outcome of the shared vision with different goals in mind, which leads to the inevitable.

This is a terrific historical fantasy that uses real persona and events to tell the tale of the successors to Henry VIII with a delightful Elven twist. The two sets of twins differ on whom they want sitting on the throne so when the magical battle occurs, fans have the added treat of a solid twist to the often told rivalry between Henry?s daughters. Fantasy guru Mercedes Lackey and historical fiction champion Roberta Gellis combine their tremendous individual talents to create a wonderful delight in which the whole is greater than the sum of the parts even with the parts being from two of the greats.

Harriet Klausner

Sidhe Behind the Scenes in the Court of Henry the Eighth.......2004-03-05

This Scepter'd Isle is a prequel to the SERRAted Edge series. During the reign of Henry the Eighth of England, the Farseers of both the Seleighe and the Unseleighe gained visions of a red-haired babe who could possibly reign over an England of unprecedented prosperity and achievement. Although none knew who the babe would be, the Seleighe Farseers, with the assistance of Aleneil Silverhair, determined that Henry Fitzroy, the King's illegitimate son, was the key to the realization of that particular future. Aleneil also perceived that her brother, Denoriel Silverhair, must be Harry's guardian, protecting him from all harm.

In this novel, Denoriel gains admittance to the English court in the guise of a Hungarian nobleman, Lord Denno, and gains access to Harry in the household of Lord Norfolk. After foiling an attempt to drown Harry, Lord Denno becomes an accepted and frequent quest at the Norfolk estate. Gradually, Denoriel adds his agents to Harry's household as grooms and servants and also provides protective amulets to Harry's guardsmen. Later, Denoriel contrives excuses to visit Harry on a regular basis after the household is moved to Sheriff Hutton in the north country.

At first, the Unseleighe are unaware of Harry's special role in furthering the reign of the red-haired babe. However, the Unseleighe take a closer look at the possibilities after Denoriel saves Harry from a drowning attempt by mortal henchmen and, this time, they notice that Harry is a key player in the struggle. Now they start trying to kidnap him and to put a changeling in his place.

In this story, Vidal Dhu uses Pasgen and Rhoslyn Silverhair, half-siblings to Denoriel and Aleneil, to counter the Seleighe efforts to bring the red-haired babe to the throne. Dhu wishes to make Mary, the daughter of Catherine of Aragon, the reigning queen since she would bring the Inquisition to England, resulting in unimaginable death and suffering. The Unseleighe keep trying to frustrate King Henry in his attempts to annul the marriage to Catherine while the Seleighe try to keep Harry Fitzroy alive and free. Later, the Seleighe also try to keep Anne Boleyn from consummating her relationship with Henry prior to their marriage.

This story works on three levels. At the top is the public events surrounding the efforts of Henry of England to gain a legitimate male heir. At the next level are the private maneuvers of the king and his ministers, King Francis, Emperor Charles, the Pope and other mortals. Below that is the covert struggles between the Seleighe and Unseleighe Courts.

This story incorporates vast chunks of actual history, drawing many of its scenes from recorded events. However, there is a certain amount of interpretation involved and many of the scenes are more or less fabricated to incorporate the Sidhe. Despite all this, the story is a fascinating glimpse of a version of history that never happened. One feels impelled to discover the real events behind this fiction. Also, a sequel to this novel, Ill Met by Moonlight, is currently under development, so look for more adventures in this milieu.

Highly recommended for Lackey or Gellis fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales with historical characters interacting with wizards, witches and Elves.

-Arthur W. Jordin

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This Scepter'd Isle
Mayme Lucille Hamlett
Manufacturer: Pageant Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000TYCBP4

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This scepter'd isle
Edgar Newgass
Manufacturer: The Fortune Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0007J9FA0

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This Scepter'd Isle
Roberta Gellis
Manufacturer: MELIA PUBLISHING SER
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K1RASO

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IcyHot

opposites attract

Timeless Tales review

Icy Hot
B. J. McCall
Manufacturer: Ellora's Cave
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1843604019

Book Description

Lord Chancellor Aaxis Thrane wants peace, an end to the war raging between his home planet of Sark and the ice world of Glacid, and he's willing to risk something far more difficult than a full-scale attack. He kidnaps Tayra, the Princess of Glacid, not to hold her for ransom, but to impregnate her and force peace through a political marriage. He knows Tayra is entering her annual fertile cycle, the blessed time when she is at her sexual zenith. After months away from home and his harem, Aaxis is ready for a new kind of war. Knowing conception is impossible without orgasm, Aaxis must convince his enemy to accept both his plan and his seed...

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Customer Reviews:

IcyHot.......2004-10-19

This is the worst book I have read in a long time. I bought it 3 weeks ago and have yet to finish it. Do not waste your money.

opposites attract.......2004-01-11

I have read several of McCall's stories. She has mastered the art of being able to provide great sexual tension. I enjoyed this book immensly. My one complaint is that it was too short.

Timeless Tales review.......2003-09-15

By TT reviewer Brenda Gill

Princess Tayra of Glacid is about to take a calculated gamble. One that will decide the fate of her planet and that of her people. She plans to let Aaxis, Lord Chancellor of Sark, Supreme Ruler of the ringed planet of Aktares and the sworn enemy of her people, take her captive. Already half in love with the Sarkian warrior, her plan is to make the virile Aaxis fall in love with her, marry her, and impregnate her. Only a son will unite their planets and provide peace for their people. Tayra is coming into her fertile cycle and she knows that once Aaxis makes love to her, he will be her mate forever, not able to make love to another woman. But she wants his love and commitment to their marriage, not just those caused by biological details.

Aaxis Thrane wants peace between their two planets. There is a terrifying enemy waiting to attack their two worlds and a union between him and Princess Tayra is the only way to achieve his goals. Unaware of Tayra's scheme, he plans to kidnap, seduce, and impregnate her with his son. A son that will rule both planets and unify their worlds. Aaxis knows that he must get Tayra to totally accept him and, before she can conceive, she must be brought to release. He doesn't believe the rumors that after making love to a Glacian woman, a man is hers for life, never desiring another. Both Tayra and Aaxis are determined to win this battle of the sexes.

ICY HOT is a beautifully crafted story of galactic intrigue and blazing romance. Aaxis and Tayra are two well-developed and combustible characters, each working toward the same goal, without the other knowing it. How they reach that goal makes for a hot, sensual tale filled with explicitly written love scenes and strong emotion. Readers who like their stories lushly sensual and steamy hot will not be disappointed in ICY HOT.

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Deep Heat and Icy Hot (Aktarian Chronicles)
B. J. McCall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000TJBV0K

Product Description

The Aktarian Chronicles: Two Novels: Deep Heat and Icy Hot by B J McCall.

Inside Sports Magazine March 1994 Icy Hot Carey Arnholt in the Blue Caribbean Waters of Jamaica

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Inside Sports Magazine March 1994 Icy Hot Carey Arnholt in the Blue Caribbean Waters of Jamaica
Inside Sports
Manufacturer: N/A
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000PDQCIG

Book Description

Merrill has extensively updated this popular-level Old Testament history to discuss updates in archaeology and textual understanding. It is also more current as a defense of the Bible's accuracy.

Customer Reviews:

Merrill's Historical Survey of the OT.......2006-02-22

A very good read. Informative and engaging. Packs a ton of useful information into an efficient outline. Extremely helpful to those who are diving into the OT for the first time in a focused study.

Outstanding Book.......2002-10-05

I had to read this book as a text for O.T. Survey, a class I took while in Bible College. Mr. Merill wrote a wonderful book that does not confuse Bible students nor casts doubt on the certainty of the validity of the O.T. Scriptures. Great infromation and well documented. I also like his charts and foot notes.

The Promise and the Blessing: A Historical Survey of the Old and New Testaments

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The Promise and the Blessing: A Historical Survey of the Old and New Testaments
Michael A. Harbin
Manufacturer: Zondervan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Bible & Other Sacred Texts | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Religion & Spirituality | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
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ASIN: 0310240379

Book Description

A single work that surveys both Testaments in the form of a historical survey of the Bible. Four-color throughout.

Israelite Religions: An Archaeological and Biblical Survey

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Israelite Religions: An Archaeological and Biblical Survey
Richard S. Hess
Manufacturer: Baker Academic
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

Israel | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books

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History of Religion | Judaism | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

History | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0801027179
Release Date: 2007-10-15

Book Description

Archaeological excavation in the Holy Land has exploded with the resurgence of interest in the historical roots of the biblical Israelites. Israelite Religions offers Bible students and interested lay leaders a survey of the major issues and approaches that constitute the study of ancient Israelite religion. Unique among other books on the subject, Israelite Religions takes the Bible seriously as a historical source, balancing the biblical material with relevant evidence from archaeological finds.

The Books of History (Old Testament Survey)

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The Books of History (Old Testament Survey)
James E. Smith
Manufacturer: College Press Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0899004245

Encountering the Book of Isaiah: A Historical and Theological Survey (Encountering Biblical Studies)

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Encountering the Book of Isaiah: A Historical and Theological Survey (Encountering Biblical Studies)
Bryan E. Beyer
Manufacturer: Baker Academic
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Bible & Other Sacred Texts | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0801026458
Release Date: 2007-10-01

Book Description

Bryan E. Beyer follows previous bestselling texts with this comprehensive introduction to the book of Isaiah. Here is a survey with depth, presenting the prophet’s overarching themes and sweeping issues while including copious details that round out a study of the man and his work. Chapters begin with outlines and objectives that allow easy entry into the discussion and end with conclusions and study questions that aid comprehension and recall. Informative sidebars delve further into the language, theological connections, and controversies of Isaiah. This volume is useful to any serious student of the Bible.

AN HISTORICAL SURVEY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

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AN HISTORICAL SURVEY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

Manufacturer: THE CRAIG PRESS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000BFYQWC

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AN HISTORICAL SURVEY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT
Eugene H. Merrill
Manufacturer: Baker Book House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0801058848

ancient Records and the Bible A Survey of Archaeological Evidences in Their Bearing on the Integrity of the Historical Narratives of the Old Testament.

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ancient Records and the Bible A Survey of Archaeological Evidences in Their Bearing on the Integrity of the Historical Narratives of the Old Testament.
Adams McKee J.
Manufacturer: Broadman Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000S0AJ2G

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Ancient records and the Bible: A survey of archaeological evidences in their bearing on the integrity of the historical narratives of the Old Testament
James McKee Adams
Manufacturer: Broadman Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0007EDSIK

The dawn of world redemption: A survey of historical revelation in the Old Testament

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The dawn of world redemption: A survey of historical revelation in the Old Testament
Erich Sauer
Manufacturer: Eerdmans
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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