Hilaire Belloc

In this book, pivotal to all his historical insights, Belloc answers the question: What made Europe? He shows it was not the barbarians nor the Protestant Reformation, but the Catholic Faith that made Europe (and the worldwide civilisation produced by Europe). Protestantism gravely wounded this our civilisation, and only the Catholic Faith can rejuvenate it. It must return to that Faith or perish! This is a tremendous eye-opener on where we are today...

It is an interesting speculation by what means the Book lost its old position in this country. This is not only an interesting speculation, but one which nearly concerns a vital matter. For if men fall into the habit of neglecting true books in an old and traditional civilization, the inaccuracy of their judgments and the illusions to which they will be subject, must increase.

Published in 1898,the book is not a travel book at all, but a brilliant satire (in verse) that attacks colonialism, explorer-journalists intent on fame and fortune, and British pretensions to moral superiority. The entire poem takes the form of an interview that the narrator of the story, an unscrupulous adventurer, gives to a journalist from the Daily Menace (probably a poke at the British newspaper, the Daily Mail). The narrator explains to his...

There are two ways by which a man may acquire any kind of learning or profit, and this is especially true of travel. Everybody knows that one can increase what one has of knowledge or of any other possession by going outwards and outwards; but what is also true, and what people know less, is that one can increase it by going inwards and inwards. There is no goal to either of these directions, nor any term to your advantage as you travel in them.

Excerpt: "The Scorpion is as black as soot, He dearly loves to bite; He is a most unpleasant brute To find in bed, at night."

Excerpt: "A poet may write pleasingly about mountains, and cyclones, and battles, and the love of woman, but if he is at all timid about the verdict of posterity he should avoid the theme of childhood as he would avoid the plague. For only great poets can write about childhood poems worthy to be printed. Hilaire Belloc has written poems about children, and they are worthy to be printed. He is never ironic when he thinks about childhood; he is gay,...

Naughty children were never funnier than the young rowdies of these Cautionary Tales. In rhyming couplets, accompanied by hilarious drawings, a celebrated wit recounts the perilous consequences of telling lies, slamming doors, and playing with guns. Bad Child's Book of Beasts, an illustrated A-to-Z bestiary with droll observations on wildlife, features a series of droll observations on wildlife. The Polar Bear is unaware Of cold that cuts me through...

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 deceived his own countrymen to gain great fortunes, while also demonstrating the richness of Arab culture through the ages. The cultural standards described are still quite common in the Middle East. Mahmoud's saga...

A biography of Cardinal Richelieu of France-considered by many to be the founder of modern Europe-this book does not seek to make Richelieu a figure either of irrational worship or irrational hate. Belloc impartially examines Richelieu's life and career, delves into his Catholic and family roots, and pinpoints their relevance to the development of his character, his thought, and his political and religious policy.