One of the key foundation books of the English Reformation; The Obedience of a Christian Man (1528) makes a radical challenge to the established order of the all-powerful Church of its time. Himself a priest; Tyndale boldly claims that there is just one social structure created by God to which all must be obedient; without the intervention of the rule of the Pope. He argues that Christians cannot be saved simply by performing ceremonies or by hearing the Scriptures in Latin; which most could not understand; and that all should have access to the Bible in their own language - an idea that was then both bold and dangerous. Powerful in thought and theological learning; this is a landmark in religious and political thinking.
#568490 in Books 1972-07-30 1972-07-30Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 7.80 x .90 x 5.20l; .68 #File Name: 0140430733448 pages
Review
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful. A Sea-Dog's DelightBy Daniel MyersMy only real complaint about this Penguin Classics version of Hakluyt's "Voyages And Discoveries" is that it is extremely abridged. Then again; I don't imagine that even Penguin could pull off publishing the over 4;000 page original; which was in the library at Winchester when I was a schoolboy; and - need I say - was a favourite of even those who feigned indifference to matters literary.It's the quintessential English "sea-dog" book; mostly composed by said sea-dogs themselves and has always served as a companion piece to the national anthem; with its chorus about Britannia ruling the waves and what not. These excerpts - ending slightly after the defeat of the Spanish Armada - cover; however; tales that took place BEFORE England ruled the waves. Spain is the pre-eminent sea power through almost all of the book; and Spain and RCs get rather a bad rap herein. All for the better; I say. The book was written by men who had been imprisoned by the Spanish; tortured by the Spanish and who had fought to the death with the Spanish. Should we gloss their feelings to create a book more suited to modern global sensibilities? Heaven forefend!If you like books about the perils and glories of the sea; you'll love these abridged narratives. If not; not. I couldn't help; whilst poring over these tales; of which my favourite is of the - no doubt mad - Lord Grenville; a sort of apologia written by Raleigh for his seemingly unaccountable derring-do; recall Johnson's remark to Boswell about ships and sailors: "No man will be a sailor who has contrivance enough to get himself into jail; for being in a ship is being in a jail; with the chance of being drowned."And one can't help agreeing with the lexicographic curmudgeon on this one. As Hakluyt puts it regarding the relatively "prosperous" voyage of James Lancaster:"By this may be seen that there is no sure safety of things in this world."To be sure; but it's quite an innocuous thrill to read about such bracing tales of dangerous feats upon the main - whilst tilling the ships from the safety of one's armchair.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Some real ripsnortin' yarns!By Earnest SludgeThese tales vary from 2 pages to 25. The longer ones are the best; the most engaging. The short ones set the tone and establish the mentality of these commercially motivated expeditions.The first half of the book is practically all dedicated to trading trips to Russia and Persia via the White Sea; the river Dvina; the river Volga and the Caspian Sea.The second half is devoted to seafaring tales; including pirating; which is always fun. The descriptions of attempts to find a North West or North East passage to China were tedious to me since they're all doomed to tragic failure.The description of the famous battle with the Spanish Armada is kind of irritating; it's been repeated to me since I was a little shaver. It was interesting to learn that one reason the Armada ships were so big was that they were troop carriers hoping to land an invasion force. It was also interesting to learn that a second fleet of smaller ships lead by the Duke of Parma was planned to rendezvous with the Armada: maybe if that had happened I'd be typing this in Spanish right now. It would be interesting to read an impartial military analysis of this famous battle; as it stands it leaves the impression that the Spanish had way more money than brains. The Spanish are portrayed in a very bad light throughout this book; which I'm sure is pretty accurate.The 16th century style of speech made this a little difficult but by reading it aloud I was able to comprehend and appreciate it.The main text is 411 pages. After the main text there are: 1) a few pages of end notes; 2) a few pages of short bios of some of the principal actors in these expeditions; 3) a glossary of some of the archaic terms; and 4) an index.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Navigation HistoryBy Jerry KingI wondered how our ancestors learned to navigate the oceans in search of what was out there. I learned about Richard Hakluyt from reading the Virginia Company colonial charter document of the English King; James I; who singles him out. The stories of discovery of previous excursions are fascinating if at times somewhat unbelievable. I failed to discover the methods used in navigation by these early sea travelers but did glean some clues of astronomical navigation. Maybe the most interesting is the clash of cultures discovered between these English sailors and the foreign lands they found.
