The Parable of a True Knight


Book Description

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when someone mentions a knight-in-shining-armor? Perhaps you think of a valiant warrior dressed in plate armor (naturally), galloping across the land with his noble steed looking for wrongs he can right. Or maybe you image him facing a mighty dragon with sword and shield in hand, braving the fire-breathing monster fearlessly. You may even envision him rescuing a beautiful princess who has been locked in a castle tower by her ruthless uncle until she agrees to marry him. All of these things and more encapsulate the dreams of young Benjamin Knight. And, as he is likely to explain to you, he is not a true knight. That’s just his name. Benjamin has been raised in a loving home in a medieval setting and wants nothing more than to grow up to become a true knight. That opportunity presents itself in an unlikely manner one day when he meets a young man, Joshua, advertising the Jousting Tournament that is coming to town. Joshua recognizes Benjamin’s genuine love for the traditional knight-in-shining-armor, and takes him under his wing, teaching him that his understanding of knights, while quite popular with the masses, is incomplete. Our young hero struggles with many of the same worldly temptations we all face along the way; greed, selfishness, a sense of worthlessness and a desire to quit when things get too difficult. In the midst of his journey, he encounters an evil man who draws Benjamin into an equally evil plot to overthrow the kingdom. He is then given an ultimatum: Assist in the plot and have your dreams come true or refuse and lose everything that is important to you. What choice will he make? This book weaves and illustrates the instructive lessons Joshua demonstrates with the colorful and active imagination of a young boy. Readers should be able to relate with Benjamin and his adventures and hopefully glean from this parable some encouraging truths and moral principles to apply to their own lives.




The Greatest Knight


Book Description

Renowned scholar Thomas Asbridge brings to life medieval England’s most celebrated knight, William Marshal—providing an unprecedented and intimate view of this age and the legendary warrior class that shaped it. Caught on the wrong side of an English civil war and condemned by his father to the gallows at age five, William Marshal defied all odds to become one of England’s most celebrated knights. Thomas Asbridge’s rousing narrative chronicles William’s rise, using his life as a prism to view the origins, experiences, and influence of the knight in British history. In William’s day, the brutish realities of war and politics collided with romanticized myths about an Arthurian “golden age,” giving rise to a new chivalric ideal. Asbridge details the training rituals, weaponry, and battle tactics of knighthood, and explores the codes of chivalry and courtliness that shaped their daily lives. These skills were essential to survive one of the most turbulent periods in English history—an era of striking transformation, as the West emerged from the Dark Ages. A leading retainer of five English kings, Marshal served the great figures of this age, from Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine to Richard the Lionheart and his infamous brother John, and was involved in some of the most critical phases of medieval history, from the Magna Carta to the survival of the Angevin/Plantagenet dynasty. Asbridge introduces this storied knight to modern readers and places him firmly in the context of the majesty, passion, and bloody intrigue of the Middle Ages. The Greatest Knight features 16 pages of black-and-white and color illustrations.




Rules for a Knight


Book Description

An unforgettable fable about a father's journey and a timeless guide to life's many questions—from Ethan Hawke, four-time Academy Award nominee, twice for writing and twice for acting. A knight, fearing he may not return from battle, writes a letter to his children in an attempt to leave a record of all he knows. In a series of ruminations on solitude, humility, forgiveness, honesty, courage, grace, pride, and patience, he draws on the ancient teachings of Eastern and Western philosophy, and on the great spiritual and political writings of our time. His intent: to give his children a compass for a journey they will have to make alone, a short guide to what gives life meaning and beauty.




A True and Perfect Knight


Book Description

King Edward orders Genevieve Greyford, widow of the king's best friend who had turned traitor, to marry his most trusted knight, Sir Haven de Sessions. Bowing to their king's will, they consummate their vows in a night of fire. They find a need that scorches with intensity--a need that drives them to seek the the truth about each other and about their past.




The Real Life of Sebastian Knight


Book Description

Nabokov's first novel in English, one of his greatest and most overlooked, with a new Introduction by Michael Dirda.




True Knight


Book Description

My name is Romeo Harmon and I'm the new sheriff of Prosper Woods, a small California town smack dab in the middle of the sequoia forest. People around here tell me the town hasn't changed a whole hell of a lot since power lines and telephones were installed. It's a quaint place with a movie theater that shows the old classics, a saloon with a decent choice of beer, a general store with a grumpy old coot behind the till, a gas station with a pimply young mechanic, and a bed and breakfast that attracts tourists and vacation money. I think I'm gonna like it here. My name is Vincent Lasco. I've searched a long time to find a new place to settle down. Because of what I am, I need to pull up stakes and start over every twenty years or so-before people realize that I don't age anymore. Prosper Woods has everything a man like me could ever want. Though there aren't many humans, it doesn't really matter. I'm so old, I don't need to eat very often and there's no reason to expose myself to the locals whom I hope to call friends some day. I think I'm gonna like it here. There's newcomers in town. Prosper Woods is a nice place as long as you're passing through. I wonder how long these folks will stay once they find out what's really going on here. Somehow...I don't think they're gonna like it here.(True Knight is the prequel to the Prosper Woods Chronicles and includes an excerpt from True Mate, the first book in the new series)




Mike the Knight and the Real Sword


Book Description

Mike is desperate for Evie to change his sword back - a real knight needs a real sword! But when Evie's spell goes wrong, Mike has to learn to make the best of what he has got.




Story of the Middle Ages


Book Description

This book is designed to provide 5th or 6th grade level students with a solid overview of old world history.




His Way


Book Description