Tales From The Mabinogion - Gwyn Thomas / Kevin Crossley-Holland

This could be called an illustrated Readers Digest of the Mabinogion. At 88 pages including illustrations, which are excellent, this is a small work. Some branches of the Mabinogion are done well if briefly, others are lacking. This collection of medieval Welsh tales was selected from the Mabinogion myth cycle. They serve as great examples of the old stories of the Celtic Gods who lived on the Island of the Mighty before the Romans and the Anglo-Saxons came. These gods were pushed into mythic status by the coming of Christianity and they live on in these tales. With vibrant Welsh names like Branwen, Bendigeidfran, and Cigfa, these male and female heroes of yesteryear encounter beautiful enchantresses, powerful kings of the underworld, and the magical cauldron of rebirth. These are powerful tales of an ancient time when giants roamed the earth and magic was afoot. They rely on familiar folk tale archetypes, but have distinctly Celtic elements that make them unique. The book was originally written for adults, and it includes stunning illustrations that include an artistically rendered nude image of a woman, but the tales themselves are accessible to readers and listeners of all ages. This book would be a good addition to any folk tale collection. Purchase here:- Tales From The Mabinogion Paperback: 88 pages Rating: 5 Stars Review by Bill Tillman

DESTINATION VIENNA - Kevin W. Edwards

Destination Vienna is a book written in tribute to the author’s father and hero, William Edwards, 2nd Lieutenant U.S. Army Air Force. William Edwards immigrated to America from South Wales with his parents prior to the war and settled in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The author has provided the reader with a brief discussion of the events and situations which led to World War II, explaining the underlying unrest in Europe, and especially Germany, following the World War I Treaty of Versailles. He nicely summarizes the World’s attitude of the German militarization, which was in violation of the Treaty, in one succinct paragraph. “In March of 1938 Germany took Austria without the use of force. The West did nothing. Then Germany decided that it wanted to take over a section of Czechoslovakia (created at the end of WWI) called the Sudetenland (an area heavily populated by Germans). Hitler and Mussolini met with leaders of Great Britain and France to discuss the issue. The West decided to appease Hitler, and the Sudetenland was handed over to Germany.” The author then writes in the person of his father, taking us to Bridgeport, CT describing the relative prosperity and innocence of life in America following the Great Depression. War did come to the United States in December of 1941 following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. As was expected of young men of that period William volunteered to serve in the USAAF and won a commission as an aircraft navigator. 2nd Lt. Williams discussed some of the challenged faced by the Army Air Force in equipment suitability and personnel needs. He paints a very vivid description of the physical conditions encountered by the crew when flying in a B-24. His description of the extremely dangerous but vital missions flown to destroy Germany’s oil supply leave one in awe of the bravery and tenacity of the B-24 crews. The description of his last mission, destination Vienna, is captivating as his explanation of its outcome. The book is an easy and enjoyable read, which gives the reader a personal insight into WWII in Europe. Buy the book here. Review by Howard Evans

Religious jokes from Vicar Joe

G K Chesterton once wrote that the test of a good religion is how much it can laugh at itself. So after two successful plays and a one-man show, Vicar Joe returns with this hilarious compendium of religious jokes, including faux pas from the pulpit and notice boards; jokes about baptisms, marriages and funerals; epitaphs on grave stones; religious chat-up lines; children’s take on religion; Bible facts that may have escaped you and much much more… Co-author Peter Read says, “For some people, religion and humour go together as easily as root canal work at the dentist’s and a plateful of chocolate éclairs. Too often the church is linked with boredom and seriousness. Compiling this book, we have come to realise that lots of funny things happen in places of worship. There are so many ceremonies where something can go wrong. Total immersion is asking for trouble and this book is also brimming with stories of mayhem in christenings, weddings, Sunday services and even funerals.” Vicar Joe is the football-mad alter ego of Swansea’s all-round entertainer, Kevin Johns. The character was created in 2006 when Peter Read was asked to write a play about football for Swansea Grand Theatre. The comedy, which was called Toshack or Me! featured a vicar (Joe) who was so keen on watching Swansea City that he cancelled weddings if they clashed with matches. He also refused to marry one couple where the groom-to-be supported Swansea and she followed Cardiff City. In 2008 Vicar Joe reappeared in the play To Hull and Back, whilst in February 2009 the one-man shoe Vicar Joe was premiered at Swansea Grand Theatre Arts Wing. Vicar Joe’s Religious Joke Book will be launched by Kevin Johns and Peter Read at 7.30pm on Thursday 1 October at the Dylan Thomas Centre, Somerset Place, Swansea. INTRODUCTION For some people, religion and humour go together as easily as root canal work at the dentist’s and a plateful of chocolate éclairs. Too often the church is linked with boredom and seriousness. Compiling this book, we have come to realise that lots of funny things happen in places of worship. There are so many ceremonies where something can go wrong. Total immersion is asking for trouble and this book is also brimming with stories of mayhem in christenings, weddings, Sunday services and even funerals. The role of a clergyman or clergywoman is one of the strangest jobs on earth. Having to be holy and a shining example to the rest of the community is quite a tall order. As many of the stories prove, there is a rich vein of humour in the fact that for twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, there are thousands of professional church people trying to be near-perfect representations of God on earth. In fairness, many of the clergy with whom we’ve spoken and met have been the first to tell jokes against themselves. GK Chesterton once wrote that the test of a good religion is how much it can laugh at itself. Despite its negative perception amongst many non-attendees, the church should be a happy and jolly place. After all, when Jesus explained the kingdom of God he often used the analogies of parties and wine. You can’t get much happier than a good bottle of red! We’ve had fun compiling this book. All the religious books we found seemed fairly ancient and rarely modern, so we felt it was time for a new one. We tried to resist the temptation to cram it with ‘have you heard the one about…’ jokes. Whilst you will find some tales of that genre, we have tried to complement them with true stories, faux pas, epitaphs and general statements made by the famous and infamous about matters of life and death. You may already be wondering who Vicar Joe is and why this book bears his name. He was created in 2006 when Peter Read was asked to write a play about football for Swansea Grand Theatre. The comedy, which was called Toshack or Me! featured a vicar (Joe) who was so keen on watching Swansea City that he cancelled weddings if they clashed with matches. He also refused to marry one couple where the groom-to-be supported Swansea and she followed Cardiff City. Vicar Joe’s sermons had more references to the Premiership and the League than to holy scripture and he also got into hot water for praying from the pulpit, asking the Lord to deliver his humble side against the pride of Premiership might. In 2008 Vicar Joe reappeared in the play To Hull and Back, whilst in February 2009 the one-man shoe Vicar Joe was premiered at Swansea Grand Theatre Arts Wing. Vicar Joe is played by Kevin Johns. We hope the book will be used to lighten up and brighten up sermons here, there and everywhere. It might also be used by after-dinner speakers or just be the means of tickling you pink whenever you read Vicar Joe’s Religious Joke Book. It would be pleasing to think we created guffaws on British Rail, national and local bus services. Go on, give it a try. Happy reading and laughing. Peter Read and Kevin Johns