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In their latest "Budget Book", Bethlehem Books gives us a double dose of adventure featuring Ensign Peter Byrd of the "Fighting 95th" Riflemen of the British army.... The Flying Ensign (copyright 1960)

In the first story, the treacherous mountains of Northern Spain in winter provide a unique backdrop for the harrowing and courageous endeavours of "the Flying Ensign" and his comrades in rescuing their friend from certain death behind enemy lines and subsequently attempting to rejoin the ranks of the British army as they retreat from a desperate and lop-sided challenge to Napoleon's forces.

Fans of Showell Styles' Midshipman Quinn stories will recognize the similar attention to detail and themes of courage and ingenuity tied up with actual historic events in the Flying Ensign but with fresh characters, settings, and adventures. The landscape, architecture and culture of Spain are a fascinating place to experience mountain climbing adventures, hair-raising rescues and escapes and a wide variety of heroes and villains on both sides of the battle lines.

A quick and engaging read for ages 10 and up or a great read aloud for the whole family.

Also see our review of the second book in this volume - Byrd of the 95th.

The Fourth Magi is the story of Artaban, a Persian magi, whose family has recently died tragically. Artaban, while studying the stars, discovers a new star, the one foretold in the Old Testament. He resolves to follow the star and find Jesus, despite the ridicule of his friends. Taking his ever-complaining slave, Orantes, he embarks on his perilous journey of faith.

The movie details the journey of Artaban and the many trials he encounters. In the end, Atraban meets the physical Jesus only on his death bed, but we learn that Artaban had been ministering to Jesus whenever he helped "the least of my brothers".

Our family highly recommends this movie for family viewing. Orantes provides several interludes of comic relief. Though the story is fictional, it would still be an excellent addition to your study of Israel in the time of Jesus Christ, and an inspiring movie for all to watch. *****

The Fourth Magi stars Martin Sheen and Alan Arkin, and is based on the novel, The Story of the Other Wise Man, by Henry Van Dyke. The movie was produced in 1985 by Paulist Productions.

A humorous rendition of Baby Jesus' birthday told from the point of view of "the fussy angel" who wanted things to be just right for the newborn king. The angel complains about the dirty animals, argues with the wise men and tries to make the angelic choirs sing a little quieter. The story has greater depth than what is perceived at first glance. It is about the great and glorious God who loved mankind so much that he was willing to come down to earth and put up with all of our silliness and imperfections. This will be a favorite among the preschoolers in your home, but Moms will love it too.

"An Illustrated Family Tree of Greek Myth from the First Gods to the Founders of Rome" This unique fold-out book helps readers make connections between various classical stories from sources such as: Homer, Aeschylus, Sophocles by organizing them into a "family tree". One side of the chart depicts the "gods" and the other side shows their mortal offspring. The interconnecting red lines between sides help you easily trace the connections and the book can easily be flipped from side to side when a small portion is unfolded. Roman names of each of the gods are presented along with the anglicized Greek names.

One nice thing is that the chart is entirely illustrated with full-color reproductions of classical Greek artwork, statuary, etc. It nicely complements the written information. Small text-boxes summarize the stories of the principal characters. Be forewarned, though, that there are plenty of classical nudes and one illustration and text box explaining the story of Apollo and Hyacinth, while subtle enough to be missed by young children, might make some parents uncomfortable (a rather primitive illustration of two male nudes embracing).

The reader will naturally understand that although many parts of Greek Mythology are based on historical fact, a great deal of it is fictitious and studied for the purposes of understanding Ancient Greek literature and culture. Quite rightly, after introducing that, the author's tone treats the events and characters as true and historical, with a few explanations here and there such as: "The Greeks assigned human bodies to concepts such as love and hate. This kind of personification was a device that helped to describe and explain the mysteries of the natural environment and of human behavior." (pg. 7)

The fold-out format is neat (you can open up a segment of the desired length to study - a little like a scroll) and fairly sturdy (printed on heavy cardstock), however it isn't particularly friendly for small children who might twist and tear it if they attempt to open it. Although I wouldn't object to having this around the house and it could be used as a supplement to classical studies in high school, it's probably best suited as a gift book for college students and adults who are particularly interested in mythology.

Here are a few words from the author from her website that might be helpful in further understanding this resource:

"As I fit the family trees together and researched their literary origins my chart began to grow in all directions. It is at this point that I knew that I should try to make it conform to a rough timeline so that, for instance, all the participants in the Trojan War could be located horizontally within three generations. I re-read Homer, Hesiod, Apollonius Rhodius, Aeschylus, Sophocles and Eurypides; Vergil and Ovid, making notes and consulting old and new classical dictionaries. I became fascinated with the complexity of the family relationships that bound these extraordinary characters together and affected every aspect of their lives. The big surprise was that almost every one seemed to be related to someone else.

I found myself learning about mythological history through genealogy. On rereading, for instance, the Iliad, minor characters that I had previously overlooked now leapt freshly to life as real people who I could recognize from their family connections. These myths about friendship, passion and retribution all began to make very personal sense to me. It is interesting to observe the continuing power and pleasure that these stories still exert over our minds to this day." - Vanessa James